Girgian: Gulf’s Syrians use very own Ramadan Emsak: 03:18 Fajer: 03:29 ‘trick or treat’ humour to Dohr: 11:54 Asr: 15:29 tradition ease pain Maghreb: 18:48 7 10 Eshaa: 20:17

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www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 15874- Friday, July 19, 2013 BackBack inin thethe shadowsshadows

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In this zoom effect photo taken with a slow shutter speed, sup- porters of Egypt’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi gather during a demonstration in front of Cairo University where protesters have installed their camp in Giza, southwest of Cairo, late Wednesday. — AP Local FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Kuwait’s my business Local Spotlight ‘Mommy wants you to grow up Iftar is the best to be a sales person!’ Really? part of Ramadan

By John P Hayes By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

[email protected] ther than divine intervention, our success (as a be sold. country, a company, a team, a family, even an indi- At some point, effective leaders understand sales princi- his year Ramadan is in the peak of the heat - July. Ovidual) depends on leadership. And leaders are ples, including the fact that in general people initially “buy” TThe fasting period is about 16 hours, so it is not a everywhere, aren’t they? Just read the newspaper, or sub- ideas (or any product, really) based on emotion. We make joke or an easy matter, especially for those who scribe to Twitter or Instagram (the two most popular social decisions to “buy” almost everything based on our feelings, work under the sun or travel to different places or need media in Kuwait) and you will be dazzled by leadership, or and then we justify the decision with logic. “I love the way I to wake up early in the morning, without drinking or at least by people who think they are leaders. You’ll know look in a Porsche, and I need to look good so that people eating. So, iftar time is surely the best part of the day. who they are because they have something important to will think I’m successful.” . . . “I’ll feel happy when I take this Although the day is long, hot and tiring, the night seems short and moves rapidly. Come Magreb time say, and they want you to follow them, and ultimately do (illegal drug), and that’s better for me than feeling stressed, around 6:40 pm and everyone jumps and consumes as what they say. because stress kills.” These are the lies we tell ourselves, and much food as they can, sometimes ending up in hospi- sales people know it. tals with stomachaches. Iftar for some is the best part of Leaders shape our future Fortunately for us, we can decide who to follow. So why Ramadan. The night is short and people try to do differ- There’s no doubt that leaders shape the future, but not follow the most qualified leaders? They’ll lead us to the ent things at once. Most people go to mosques, where do our leaders come from? Some inherit their role, Promised Land, won’t they? Unfortunately, not necessarily, exchange visits and watch TV. often to their dismay (Prince Harry can’t possibly enjoy all of but with a little help from divine intervention, yes. Ramadan is a unique event for many housewives that publicity), but most rise to the occasion, either pro- who work hard to prepare as much food as possible and pelled by their own energy and ideas, or because someone Good or bad leadership? I really don’t understand why. I think the aim of fasting (or a group) encouraged them to stand up, speak up, and We can’t forget that God helps those who help them- is to enhance spiritual thinking and needs of both body and soul. Life is not only about food and filling yourself lead. Regardless of where they come from (occasionally it selves, and when it comes to recognizing quality leadership, with chicken and rice, but most Arab houses waste lots must be divine intervention) we’re grateful for leaders we need to do our part. That means we at least need to be of time before and during the month crazily shopping because through them we can come to our own conclu- able to distinguish between good and bad leadership. But for food as if all shops will close and they will starve! sions about important matters. how many of us can do that? In the throes of a campaign, or You notice all shops and markets are busy and start We need leaders to help us understand our circum- when we’re about to make a decision, it’s difficult to sepa- to wonder if fasting is only about food, which is not. I stances and ourselves. Leaders help us decide who and rate emotion from logic. Perhaps we don’t know to do that think this is part of a lack of awareness that needs to be what to support, how to vote, where to travel, which topics because we’ve never thought much about leadership. Few addressed and while I’m wondering if it will work, I to study, what to believe, etc. Without leaders, our future is people get or take the opportunity to study leadership. It’s don’t see any media activities in this regard. Most TV doomed. And with the wrong leaders, our future is doomed not usually a required course in high school or college. How channels compete on running more cooking shows dur- ing this month as if this is the only thing we need to for sure! We all know people who followed the wrong foolish is that when we’ll spend a lifetime trying to make focus on and when they run these shows all through the leader. I pray daily for a young man who followed a series of decisions that are influenced by leaders? day, it provokes people to eat more. drug dealers into a hopeless addiction. Are drug dealers We should continue to pray for divine intervention for We need to know that fasting is a spiritual practice leaders? They are if they get people to follow them. our success, but we can also help ourselves by exploring and found in all religions for spiritual enlightenment and understanding the qualities of good leadership. Future and communication with God. I still think we need more Leaders are sales people columns will offer you some ideas about how to do that. awareness of spiritual rituals like fasting. The basic aim The most popular leaders, good or bad, are sales people. is to develop and strengthen our powers of self-control. And what do we think of sales people? How many moms NOTE: Dr John P Hayes heads the Business Administration Food is a joy, blessing and reward to end your fasting tuck their babies into bed at night and say, “Some day, department at GUST and he taught leadership skills to 60 day, but not an objective without thinking how much you have learned about your inner power and the life mommy wants you to grow up to be a sales person!” It youth at the Kuwait Leadership Mastery. Contact Dr Hayes at we live. doesn’t happen, and that’s unfortunate, because ideas must [email protected], or via Twitter @drjohnhayes. Iftar is part of the day, not the most important one.

In my view For sure it’s no free lunch

By Labeed Abdal

[email protected]

he move by the Ministry of Communications not to data collected to resell for marketing purposes. Predictive Tsuspend smartphone applications such as ‘Viber’ or tools are there to direct advertisers to sell products and ‘WhatsApp’ like some other Gulf countries is a good services by monitoring consumptions regionally and even move and shows the margin of freedom is higher here. The seasonally. Deeper readings monitor trends and most social media age has added many extra tools for people to talked-about topics on social media. socialize freely with applications created by smart inventors Moreover, file hosting services are now depending on that have changed how the world connects. cloud storage and computers are synchronized at all times As those apps are free but they indirectly serve other with websites and mobiles. It’s indeed an information purposes, so for sure there is no such thing as a free lunch. explosion. As end users, we must realize that privacy limits Social media arrived in the mobile age after the Internet have changed and what was hidden in a box is now digitally age. Giant search engines are using massive volumes of in the clouds. Local FRIDAY, JULAY 19, 2013

Conspiracy Theories Iftar is the best part of Ramadan

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

his year Ramadan is in the peak of the heat T- July. The fasting period is about 16 hours, so it is not a joke or an easy matter, espe- cially for those who work under the sun or travel to different places or need to wake up early in the morning, without drinking or eating. So, iftar time is surely the best part of the day. Although the day is long, hot and tiring, the night seems short and moves rapidly. Come Magreb time around 6:40 pm and everyone jumps and consumes as much food as they can, sometimes ending up in hospitals with stom- achaches. Iftar for some is the best part of Ramadan. The night is short and people try to do different things at once. Most people go to mosques, exchange visits and watch TV. Ramadan is a unique event for many house- wives who work hard to prepare as much food as possible and I really don’t understand why. I think the aim of fasting is to enhance spiritual thinking and needs of both body and soul. Life is not only about food and filling yourself with chicken and rice, but most Arab houses waste lots of time before and during the month crazily shopping for food as if all shops will close and they will starve! You notice all shops and markets are busy and start to wonder if fasting is only about food, which is not. I think this is part of a lack of aware- ness that needs to be addressed and while I’m wondering if it will work, I don’t see any media activities in this regard. Most TV channels compete on running more cooking shows during this month as if this is the only thing we need to focus on and when they run these shows all through the day, it provokes people to eat more. We need to know that fasting is a spiritual practice and found in all religions for spiritual enlightenment and communication with God. I still think we need more awareness of spiritual rituals like fasting. The basic aim is to develop and strengthen our powers of self-control. Food is a joy, blessing and reward to end your fasting day, but not an objective without thinking how much you have learned about your inner power and the life we live. Iftar is part of the day, not the most important one. Local FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Viewers shocked by bold, raunchy Ramadan soaps By Nawara Fattahova

he holy month of Ramadan is the season of soap operas, as most producers focus on this month due to the high per- Tcentage of viewership. During this month people spend more time at house and watch TV more than any other period. Also with the increasing number of satellite channels, more soap operas are produced. And due to the large number of soap operas both local and from other Arab countries, it’s confusing for viewers to choose which ones to watch. More than 10 Kuwaiti soap operas are running on local and Arab satellite channels, mostly drama but a few comedies too. Many viewers are complaining of the negative behaviors and phenomena shown in these soap operas. “There should be cen- sorship regulating what is presented on TV. Most soap operas are showing negative habits such as extramarital affairs and children beating and insulting their parents repeatedly without being punished. These soap operas are broadcast in many other coun- tries, and this reflects Kuwaiti society and they may think that all Kuwaiti families behave in such a way,” Abu Sleiman, 50, told Kuwait Times. Faisal, 35, believes that soap operas show a free, open-minded version of the Kuwait society and especially youngsters. “These soap operas show that it’s common in our society that girls have boyfriends. Furthermore, their outfits are very bold despite our conservative society. When such behaviors come from young people and since youngsters are the main viewers of these soap operas, this is dangerous as they may be influenced by these neg- ative acts. If we compare the old soap operas to these new ones, we see a huge difference, as earlier the hero watched his beloved from the window only, and could only send letters to her - they were not dating and going out together,” stressed Faisal. Amani, 40, complained of a lack of programs for kids. “In the 1980s and 1970s, every Ramadan there used to be a special pro- gram for kids. We are influenced by these programs till today, and I wish there are similar ones for our children now. Today I don’t see any special series or programs for kids. So they can only watch special kids channels,” she pointed out. Fatma, 27, thinks that the local soap operas are interesting and likes to watch them. “It’s not necessary to only have soap operas based on reality. Not all negative habits shown are real or exist in our society. Also not all American movies or soap operas are based on reality, and they show stories that do not exist in their society. I enjoy watching local dramas - I’m following six of them,” she confessed.

Some of the local soap operas on air: ‘Mutallaqaat Sagheerat’ (Young Divorced Women) shows the problems of young wives with their husbands, and a female lawyer who is defending women. By the seventh episode, two women are already divorced, and both were beaten by their hus- bands. Also, both husbands were cheating on their wives. It shows a young 16-year- old girl, whose father forced her to marry his rich boss, and she lives a miserable life. Probably in the com- ing episode she will get divorced. ‘Lan Atlub Al Talaaq’ (I Will Not Ask for Divorce) focuses mainly on the life of two families. The husband in the first family likes to stay at home and refuses to go out or travel with his wife who feels lonely and upset by her lazy and dirty husband. The second family face a dramatic situation after they have a car accident. The wife is pregnant and loses her baby, and their daughter is injured and paralyzed. Both wives were thinking of getting 10) The longest verse in the Quran spoke about? divorced but they don’t. ‘Abu Al Malayeen’ (Millionaire) is a jointly-produced soap A) Inheritance opera shot in Dubai with the main hero from Kuwait and his brother from Saudi Arabia. Both actors Abdulhusain Abdulredha B) Contract and Naser Al-Qasabi are very popular comedians in the Gulf region, and this is the first soap opera to bring them together. C) Divorce The Kuwaiti brother is a rich businessman who is facing bank- ruptcy, so he decides to transfer his remaining money to his Saudi brother from the same mother who is living in Dubai and is working as a veterinarian. It shows some humorous situations that take place there, especially with some animals.

Local FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Ramadan Kareem The Oneness of God

awheed is the concept of monotheism in TIslam. God (Allah) has commanded Muslims to declare His oneness, when He states: “Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him” (Quran 112:1-4). The oneness of God is the religion’s most fundamental concept and holds God as one and unique. The Quran asserts the existence of a single and absolute truth that tran- scends the world; a unique, independent and indivis- ible being, who is independent of the entire creation. God, according to Islam, is a universal God, rather than a local, tribal, or parochial one. When a person enters into the Islamic religion, they must verbally profess their faith. Tawheed con- stitutes the first portion of this profession, which is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God. To attribute divinity to a created thing is the worst sin that a Muslim can commit. This is known as shirk (polytheism). There is an uncompromising monothe- ism at the heart of the Islamic belief, which distin- guishes Islam from other major religions. In addition to believing that God is one, a Muslim should also believe that God has no rivals. Allah states: “If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! But, glory to Allah, the Lord of the throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him!” (Quran 21:22). Believing in God’s oneness is a great benefit to humanity. One God means one creator. One creator means that we all originated from the same source. This concept helps to promote the ideology of equality amongst Muslims, and by extension all humans. Prior to the spread of Islam in Arabia, and other parts of the world, people were divided against each other. The belief in Tawheed was a major drive that united all the people together in peace and har- mony.

Question: What is Tawheed? a) the belief that God is made of 3 parts b) the belief in the oneness of God c) the belief in many gods

Courtesy TIES Center, a leading non-political NGO pro- moting relations between Westerners and Muslims through dialogue, friendship and cultural exchange. For more information. www.tiescenter.net

JULY 19, 2013 Local FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

By Ben Garcia no movement,” Um Hamad confirmed. Rafiq, one of the owners of the Girgian stalls in Mubarakiya, said apart from retail sales, his eople have been preparing for Ramadan for almost a company accepts bulk orders from big companies here. “I have month now with special Ramadan baskets and Girgian thousands of boxes ordered - these on display are just a few Ptreats. Girgian is part of the Gulf region’s tradition during remaining from orders we have delivered to companies,” men- the holy month of Ramadan where kids are given special sweets tioned Rafiq. and candies. People here mark the 13th, 14th and 15th of The colorful Girgian boxes are usually ordered from China, Ramadan as special days for this tradition where children dress up India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some of them are not just color- and go door to door wishing neighbors and collecting treats ful but are also decorated with artistic designs of the Arabian (mostly candies) but also money and toys. Children are given can- Peninsula. The prices of Girgian boxes/baskets depend on size dies during ghabqas or if Ramadan falls on school days, kids are and design. The more complicated the design, the more expan- usually treated with parties in schools/clubs in the Girgian tradi- sive it is. Small plain Girgian baskets are sold at 750 fils while the tion. Big companies usually prepare a huge number of special same ones in color go for KD 1-KD 2 depending on the designs. Girgian packages to be given away to children while some organ- ize parties for them too. These are the happiest days for kids, as one hardly see them at late-night ghabqas but during these three days, kids are almost everywhere asking people to give them some candies and toys. Umm Hamad, a Kuwaiti mother of three at Mubarakiya Market shopping for Girgian boxes, admitted the Girgian tradition is becoming popular year after year, not only in the Arabian Peninsula but in some countries in Asia too. It is a tradition which started in the Gulf but is now slowly spreading throughout the Muslim world. Girgian containers (boxes) are also specially designed to fit the class of children they are catered to. “It is not a must to put sweets in special packages, but because it’s consid- ered a gift, they are creating special designs for it,” Umm Hamad noted. Kuwait Times visited Mubarakiya Market and saw colorful Girgian boxes on display. They are not very expensive compared to last year. “The prices are almost the same as last year; there is

— Photos by Ben Garcia Local8 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 MoI vows smooth and orderly polls

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Meanwhile, an official of the MoI Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud affirmed keenness on examining all police Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has affirmed keenness procedures during and after the elections. on securing the polling process until the Brig Shehab Al-Shemmari, the command- declaration of results of the elections. er of the supervision unit of the security Sheikh Ahmad said in a statement after committee, said in remarks to KUNA that inspecting an electoral station in the ministry is coordinating with the Sabbahiya that ministry personnel are Kuwait Transparency Society and other working diligently to ensure that the elec- associations to ensure snag-free polls. He tions are held in orderly fashion. indicated that the relevant authorities will Higher political leaders have the ensure that the policemen will deal prop- resolve to make these polls compatible erly and regularly with citizens during the with Kuwait’s regional and international process. The personnel will be inspected civic status, as well as in harmony with the daily and in all regions to ensure order, he country’s rich democratic experience. All stressed. apparatuses should work to secure need- Preparations are currently underway ed technical and human resources to for elections on July 27 to elect mem- ensure free, secure and credible elections, bers of the National Assembly. The elec- he said, stressing on the necessity to main- tions will be held while citizens are KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh tain public security and aiding the elderly observing Ramadan fasts and the coun- Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inspects an electoral station in and citizens of special needs to cast their try is witnessing the peak of the summer Sabbahiya yesterday. —KUNA ballots on election day on July 27. heat. —KUNA Development projects to pave way for youth jobs Ventures need specialists in all fields

KUWAIT: The Minister of State for Housing 100,000 housing units equipped with have made tremendous progress despite Affairs and Minister of Communications, numerous services, said Otheina, stressing the lack of natural resources, whereas Salem Al-Otheina announced that the two that these projects need specialists in all some other countries have failed to make ministries are to implement numerous fields - technical ones in particular. such progress despite possessing large KUWAIT: Inspection campaigns by the emergency team in development projects in cooperation with The minister, who was attending the resources. This proves that societies must cooperation with the food and markets supervision depart- private sector institutions which will pro- conclusion of a youth career guidance and pay more attention to human develop- ment in Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate with police backup vide Kuwaiti youth major job opportunities counseling forum at the National Library ment, particularly among youngsters, he resulted in closing three cafes and restaurants, along with issu- in various fields. The Communications held under the auspices of HH the Prime added. Nisf praised the concept of this ing seven citations for opening shops before obtaining health Ministry projects will include the telecom- Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al- forum, which he said provides a good permits from the municipality. One citation was issued for deal- munications sector and the road trans- Hamad Al-Sabah, called on students to opportunity for state and private sector ing in expired goods. Director of Mubarak Al-Kabeer portation sector - which will witness the choose their university majors wisely and officials to communicate with students. launch of metro and railway projects in the independently. He said that they should The team entrusted with the planning Municipality Shareeda Al-Mutairi said the inspection cam- and implementation of the large-scale paigns are ongoing round the clock on all food activities, super- housing projects consists mostly of young markets and warehouses to stop violators of municipality rules Kuwaiti engineers, technicians and admin- and regulations. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun istrators due to their efficient demonstra- tion at work, said the Director General of Kuwaiti envoy to the Public Authority for Housing Welfare Sobhi Al-Mulla. Mulla stressed that Kuwait Chile presents creds is keen to employ youngsters of all univer- sity majors for the completion of this as envoy to Peru development plan in particular, including energy-related engineering majors. He KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Republic also called on the youth to put Kuwait’s of Chile Reem Al-Khaled presented her cre- prosperity above all other considerations, dentials to President of the Republic of Peru and to focus on their education in order to serve their country in the best manner Ollanta Humala as non-resident plenipoten- possible. tiary Ambassador of Peru. The ambassador, in Since the establishment of Kuwait’s a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Central Agency for Information stressed on good and developing relations Technology in 2006, it has worked on cre- between Kuwait and Peru in light of joint KUWAIT: Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of ating the foundations of e-government, as agreements of cooperation in various fields Communications Salem Al-Otheina addresses a youth career guidance well as establishing Kuwait’s online portal binding the two. The ambassador added that gateway and government bodies’ smart- and counseling forum at the National Library on Wednesday. —KUNA relations are expected to develop positively, Reem Al-Khaled phone applications, and such projects especially after the visit of Deputy Prime coming year - immediately after consulting not be influenced by family or friends, but require a specialized national workforce, Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah to Lima in firms complete their roles at the end of this rather benefit from experience, and wished said the agency’s Director-General Oct 2012 to participate in the Third Summit between South American year, said Otheina in an address to high the students success in their future endeav- Abdullatif Al-Suraie. The agency continu- nations and Arab countries (ASPA) as representative of HH the Amir of school graduates on Wednesday. ours. ously trains Kuwaiti government employ- Kuwait. She pointed to the opening of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait in He said the ministry is determined to Chairman and Managing Director of ees in order to keep up with the rapid 2011, and the recent introduction of an ambassador there, stating that it launch a logistical zone project in the Kuwait Airways Sami Al-Nisf stressed that developments in the world of computing, northern industrial area of Abdali for the the corporation is looking forward to he noted, lauding the directives of the would create new fields for cooperation between both countries. The transportation of goods between Kuwait expanding its businesses and destinations political leadership that led to the estab- credentials ceremony was held last Friday at the presidential palace in and Europe, in addition to the allocation of due to its privatization, which will create lishment of the computer science college the Peruvian capital of Lima, in the attendance of Peru’s Minister for logistics and services of both the portal and great job opportunities for Kuwaitis, at Kuwait University. The forum’s final day Foreign Affairs Eda Rivas and Director of Protocol at Peru’s Ministry of postal sectors. The Housing Affairs Ministry whether in engineering jobs, service provi- included the honoring of distinguished Foreign Affairs Ambassador Alfredo Castro. The Peruvian President wel- will witness a major shift with the establish- sion or as aircraft crewmembers. Countries students, as well as honoring young volun- comed Ambassador Al-Khaled during the meeting that followed the cre- ment of main cities in Khairan, Nuwaiseeb like Japan, Singapore and Switzerland that teers who contributed in the organization dentials’ presentation and looked forward to strengthening Peruvian- and Mutlaa, which will include over have invested in human development of the event. —KUNA Kuwaiti relations in all fields, according to the statement. —KUNA Local FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 MoI claims traffic has eased in Ramadan

By Nawara Fattahova witness some congestion in certain places during Some people have noticed that the traffic is such as the highways, the Fahaheel Express Road, certain times. I want to assure drivers that the situa- slightly better than last year. “I live in Hawally, which King Fahad, the 3rd , 4th, 5th and 6th Ring Roads are KUWAIT: Before the beginning of the holy month of tion won’t get worse in the coming days of Ramadan, is considered one of the most crowded areas, but crowded. Traffic on King Fahad Road from Kuwait Ramadan, Assisting Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs rather it will get better during the last ten days of traffic is not so dramatic as it was last year. Also dur- City to Sabah Salem after taraweeh is worse than last Maj Gen Abdulfattah Al-Ali announced that the Ramadan,” he told Kuwait Times yesterday. ing noon when I’m going to work and evening when year. Also Hawally, Salmiya and Fahaheel Road wit- Ministry of Interior has made all preparations to “Although there are some traffic jams, vehicles I’m leaving, I’m not facing any jams,” said 46-year-old ness traffic snarls even after midnight,” he stated. decrease traffic during this month. Throughout the are not stopping completely - they are moving slow- Mansour. Sameera, 37, agreed with Mansour that the Speaking during an event on traffic culture at the year, drivers complain of terrible traffic jams, espe- ly. Also there are police patrols on both ways of the traffic is better this year. “I think that the campaigns Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Ali said the law is cially during rush hours. But many drivers haven’t felt main roads that suffer from traffic. So in case of any of the ministry changed this situation as many peo- being applied on everybody without exceptions. any relief in traffic this Ramadan compared to accident or a broken-down car, they act immediately ple who don’t have driving licenses refrain from driv- “Applying the traffic law and enforcing traffic fines all Ramadan last year. and avoid any further congestion. At the end, we ing,” she pointed out. Fatma, 28, noticed that the led to decreasing jams by about 30 percent compar- Col Adel Al-Hashash, PR and Moral Guidance don’t have a magic wand to make the traffic disap- wait at traffic lights is long and this causes jams, yet ing to previous years,” he said. “The ministry will deal Director of the Ministry of Interior, assured that the pear completely, but we expend all efforts to make this year the traffic is less than last year. with traffic according to modern tools so we reach situation is definitely better than last year. “We are the traffic situation as smooth as much as possible,” But Saleh, 29, thinks that the traffic is the same as the desired movement of traffic and safety of driv- working to avoid any traffic jams, but it’s possible to added Hashash. last year and in some areas it’s even worse. “Areas ers,” he added. Saudi bedoons on margins of society Stateless people suffer across the Gulf

RIYADH: Born of tribal origin in Saudi Arabia, stateless people known as bedoons live on society’s margins, unable even to register marriages or open a bank account because they lack identification cards. “Our life is frozen, suspended. We don’t have access to services or medical care,” complained Abu KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi opens on Ibrahim, 50, as he sat on a floor covered with Wednesday phase one of an expansion project at a modest carpet, an old air conditioner hum- Farwaniya Hospital. — KUNA ming in the background. “There is discrimina- tion in this country,” he said, pointing to the Haifi launches expansion privileges available to Saudi citizens that the bidoons cannot enjoy. at Farwaniya Hospital Traditionally, the nomadic tribes roamed the Arabian desert, but when Arab states KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Haifi opened were formed in the last century, newly estab- Wednesday phase one of an expansion project at Farwaniya lished borders limited them to their respec- Hospital as part of the ministry’s plan of providing better tive countries. Many were not accorded the healthcare to the public. Phase one of the project includes the nationalities of the new states, apparently for expansion of the ER and gastroenterology departments as failing to register. The problem of the state- RIYADH: A stateless man speaks during an interview with AFP at an office east well as waiting rooms. Phase two will reach the rest of the less is “chronic”, said Saudi rights activist of the Saudi capital on July 9, 2013. — AFP Walid Abulkheir. “They live in miserable con- hospital’s departments. Haifi noted that the project will pro- on them. your life goes on hold,” he said. ditions, and life is very difficult for them.” He vide better health services to the public and will help offer Even for those stateless who do have the The issue of stateless people is not exclu- said that many of the nomadic tribesmen immediate medical attention to those who need it. special card, life remains a struggle, according sive to Saudi Arabia: other Gulf states have “made a mistake by not registering with “This, and other similar projects, is a realization of the min- to Nasser Al-Shammari. “It’s not easy for those similar situations. Kuwait, for example, has authorities, due to being on the move”. istry’s vision to create a better healthcare system that would people to get a passport to travel for treat- more than 106,000 bedoons. But he said that the stateless also include meet the need of an ever-growing population,” the minister ment or study. Sometimes they get a travel Born and raised in the state, they demand naturalised Yemenis who were stripped of stressed. Director of Farwaniya Health Zone Dr Jamal Al- document that can be used only once, and it Kuwaiti citizenship, but the government says their Saudi passports after Sanaa backed Iraq Sultan said among the ministry’s short and long term plans does not entitle them to travel to neighbour- that only 34,000 of them qualify, and that the following its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A ing Gulf countries,” he complained. rest hold other nationalities. Kuwait’s parlia- are building a new hospital of 955-bed capacity. — KUNA stateless fruit seller of Yemeni origin died in Cardholders are also not allowed to own ment in March passed a bill granting citizen- May after setting himself alight in protest at property or more than one car. Renewing the ship to 4,000 foreigners, but without specify- the seizure of his stock by officials for selling black card takes months, Shammari said, ing whether the beneficiaries would be without a permit in Riyadh. Authorities in oil- Man arrested for pointing out that during this process, holders bedoons or not. There are also an estimated rich Saudi Arabia decided 13 years ago to lose access to their own bank accounts and 10,000 stateless people in the United Arab grant citizenship to members of the stateless are even banned from driving. “This means Emirates. — AFP filming Emirati tribes, but some 70,000 people remain state- less, according to the UN High Commissioner beating Indian for Refugees (UNHCR). Many even lack the so-called black card Gulf states eye Arabian DUBAI: An Asian man has been arrested for filming a which gives them a social security number video that has gone viral on the Internet showing a UAE that provides access to services. “My children Sea for safer water citizen beating up an Indian delivery van driver in Dubai, have graduated from university, but they are local media reported yesterday. The Asian, whose nation- unemployed, and my daughters will not be KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia: Gulf the water lying between the Arabian able to get married legally because they don’t ality was not known, was arrested for defaming the UAE Cooperation Council countries (GCC) are Peninsula and Iran. have that number,” said Abdullah, 60, who planning a joint water supply system that “The water link is to build a line from man who beat up the Indian driver, the reports said. “No declined to give his full name. A government takes seawater from outside the Gulf and the Arabian Sea or Gulf of Oman to Kuwait one has the right to take pictures of someone and publish commission held a census in the late 1970s of them without his permission,” Dubai police chief, Khamis tribal groups who were still stateless. Those distributes drinkable water across mem- passing through the GCC countries,” GCC Al-Mazeina, was quoted as saying by the daily counted were given the black card that they ber states, an official at the GCC assistant economic secretary Abdullah J Emiratalyoum. have to renew in Hafr el-Batin, in the north- Secretariat General said. Scarce fresh Al-Shibli said. “With the Iranian nuclear He said the Asian video maker was arrested following a east, every five years. water supply is the biggest challenge for plant in Bushehr, if something goes wrong complaint by the family of the Emirati man. The footage of “Anyone forgetting to renew the card Gulf Arab desert countries, forcing them the water in the Gulf will be polluted. This the beating shows a man of small posture, dressed in a faces a lot of problems,” said legal consultant to build energy-intensive seawater desali- is a vital and strategic project to provide traditional white thawb, attacking the Indian driver of a Ahmed Al-Anzi. He said the use of technology nation plants to meet rising demand. water under all circumstances... for the delivery van following a minor car accident in Dubai. in government has worsened things for the Saudi Arabia is building the world’s water security, the idea is to build desali- Media reports said the attacker had also been arrested bedoons, because a person without the com- largest desalination plant in Ras al-Khair nation plants in all the countries, to pro- after the video surfaced online, although the victim of the puter-generated number “does not officially on the Gulf coast, but the GCC is increas- duce the water,” Shibli said. The project, assault lodged no complaint with the authorities. The UAE exist”. A bedoon is like “someone living in a ingly concerned that the waters of the which Shibli said may cost around $7 bil- is home to millions of foreigners, mostly from South Asian glass box: he sees the world moving around Gulf may become undrinkable if there are lion, will include storage facilities to stock countries. — AFP him but he can’t do anything,” Anzi said, any leaks from energy installations into up on potable water. — Reuters describing the crippling constraints imposed FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Abbas gathers Bomber as rock World pays key Palestinians star? Rolling tribute as to moot new Stone’s cover Mandela turns 95 talks12 with Israel kicks12 up storm 13

SIDON: A Syrian refugee woman holds her child as they doze off on the sidewalk of a street in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon yesterday. — AFP Syrians use Ramadan humour to ease pain

DAMASCUS: As Syria’s Muslims observe the fasting month of on Facebook. Even those relatively insulated from the violence that Ramadan at a time of war for a third year running, many people are has ravaged Syria, killing more than 100,000 people according to Muslims can quench turning to black humour to help them cope. Jokes are a way to one watchdog, struggle to observe Ramadan in the usual way. weather the difficulties of food shortages, violence and death that Burdened by inflation and security problems on the roads, house- mar the sense of community and celebration supposed to accom- wives are now making more food at home and relying less on buy- thirst during pany the religious month. One popular joke plays off the traditional ing special Ramadan sweets from the shops. cannon fire that marks the end of the fasting day and the beginning “The crisis will not stop me from keeping our traditions alive,” Ramadan: Iran cleric of the iftar evening meal. said Damascus resident Umm Mazen. She is resorting to recipes she “Watch out! Just because you hear the sound of cannon fire inherited from her mother to feed her family during the holy month. TEHRAN: A decree by a senior Iranian cleric that Muslims can doesn’t mean it’s time to break your fast,” the joke goes, a sad testa- Damascus is known across the Middle East for its varied confec- quench “extreme thirst” during the Ramadan fasting month ment to the frequent sound of warfare across the country. In areas tionery tradition. The city’s sweet makers use pistachios, pine nuts, has stirred debate in the Islamic republic’s clergy, media less affected by violence, residents might each night still be able to honey, lemon and rosewater for their mouthwatering recipes. reports said yesterday. “Those who cannot bear extreme thirst hear the msaharati, a man who walks the streets before dawn, wak- Because of soaring prices, Abu Adnan’s liquorice and tamarind can drink just enough water to quench it. This would not ing people to eat before the fast begins. drinks shop has far fewer customers than other years, when it was a break their fast,” said the fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Assadollah But in areas ravaged by snipers and shelling, upholding such a Ramadan favourite. “The situation is getting worse... Most people Bayat Zanjani, who is seen as close to reformers. But his fatwa tradition has become impossible. A text message joke picture doing who used to come to the store now prefer to make their own drinks quickly came under fire from Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem the rounds shows a tank topped with the traditional fez hat worn by at home,” the elderly Abu Adnan told AFP. In response to the severe Shirazi. He ruled out “fasting and drinking at the same time”, the msaharati, rumbling through the streets to waken the faithful shortages, the government decided in July to ban the export of and reiterated that any break in the fast must be compensated instead. In Homs, where regime forces are pressing an assault food, saying it would charge anyone caught smuggling. The conflict for by fasting on some other day in the year. Media reports against several rebel-held areas, residents have been able to main- is also testing the country’s charities, which are working to give out also referred to decrees by supreme leader Ali Khamenei and tain an edgy sense of humour, despite the tough times. more food to the needy during Ramadan, including to thousands of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani according to whom “a state of “Breaking news!” reads a text message forwarded among resi- families displaced by violence. weakness or thirst does not merit a break in the fast”. dents of the city in central Syria. “The msaharati spent hours beating Social networking sites are abuzz with initiatives and campaigns But Zanjani, who is based in the holy city of Qom, said his drum, trying to get people to wake up. But when they didn’t lis- urging Syrians to help the worse-off. Activist group “Help” has Islam allows some breaks in fasting. He said this would ten, he decided to blow himself up!” Much of the humour is dark, organised charity drives including a “Let’s defeat hunger” campaign. depend on “certain climatic and geographical conditions”, giv- playing on the chronic food shortages experienced by many people Restaurant and shop owners are also trying to do good by advertis- en that in countries such as Iran Ramadan fasting can last up across the country. “It’s not hard to fast in Ramadan... What’s hard is ing “cost price meals”-dinners offered for the price of the ingredi- to 16 hours in summer.—AFP to find food with which to break the fast,” one young Syrian writes ents without a profit, to the needy. —AFP

International FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Abbas gathers key Palestinians to moot new talks with Israel Kerry sees gaps closing after 3-year standoff

RAMALLAH: President Mahmoud Abbas will confer with key puted Iranian nuclear programme should take precedence. Palestinian leaders yesterday about a possible resumption of Netanyahu told Kerry the EU’s anti-settlements move “hurt efforts peace negotiations with Israel after an almost three-year freeze, to renew the diplomatic process” with the Palestinians, an Israeli officials said. They gave no details on what Abbas’s terms might official said. Israel granted initial approval for new homes in be, should he announce a breakthrough after meeting in Jordan Modiin Ilit, a West Bank settlement near Jerusalem and part of the with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has pursued six months territorial blocs it wants to annex eventually. Kerry, on his sixth of intensive and deliberately discreet diplomacy. Middle East mission, was upbeat. “We have been able to narrow Gaps between the sides had “very significantly” narrowed, these gaps very significantly, “he told reporters on Wednesday. Kerry said on Wednesday. His proposals to resume negotiations, “And so we continue to get closer and I continue to remain hope- which were not spelled out, won the endorsement of an Arab ful that the sides can soon be able to come and sit at the same League committee, which said they “provide the ground and a table.” suitable environment to start negotiations”. Abbas, whose peace Kerry held out the prospect of the rewards Israel could reap in a strategy is routinely censured by the Palestinian Islamist rivals rul- deal leading to the creation of a Palestinian state on land seized in ing the Gaza Strip, has in the past sought support Arab League the 1967 Middle East war. Palestine was seen as the springboard support to engage the Jewish state but it was not clear whether for a broader regional peace mooted by the Arab League in 2002 - Wednesday’s endorsement would give him enough political cover but which Israel rejected at the time. The Arab League plan offered to resume direct peace talks. full recognition of Israel if it gave up all land it had occupied since “We are expecting to hear from the president the ideas pre- 1967 and agreed to a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees. sented by Kerry,” top PLO member Wasel Abu Yousef told Reuters. In a concession to Israel three months ago, Qatar raised the “There will be a discussion on these ideas, and everyone will say possibility of land swaps in setting future Israeli-Palestinian bor- what he thinks about this. The conclusion will be by a general con- ders rather than insisting on a return to the 1967 lines. Tzipi Livni, sensus.” Negotiations, which have ebbed and flowed for two the Israeli cabinet minister responsible for efforts to restart decades, last broke down in late 2010 over Israel’s West Bank set- Palestinian talks, at the time called Qatar’s move “good news that In this magazine cover image released by Wenner Media, tlements and other sticking points. Since then, Abbas at times has should be welcomed”. — Reuters Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev insisted that Israel renew and extend a halt on settlement con- appears on the cover of the Aug. 1, 2013 issue of “Rolling struction for new talks to be held. Israel ruled that out. Stone.” — AP Palestinians familiar with Abbas’s thinking speculated he might forgo the demand for a construction halt given a recent slowdown Bomber as rock star? in housing starts issued by the Israeli government - though it may still be painful to roll back his previous demand. If Abbas yields on Rolling Stone’s cover the issue, it may have been in exchange for a goodwill gesture from Israel - such as amnesty for veteran PLO fighters held in its jails for decades. Israel gave no signs that such prisoner releases kicks up storm were in the offing, let alone any gestures on settlements.

NEW YORK: Sultry eyes burn into the camera lens from behind tou- Precedence sled curls. A scruff of sexy beard and loose T-shirt are bathed in soft, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is ready to yellow light. The close-up of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover of resume peacemaking immediately and “without preconditions” - Rolling Stone hitting shelves Friday looks more like a young Bob though his country has long insisted it would keep swathes of Dylan or Jim Morrison than the 19-year-old who pleaded not guilty a West Bank settlements under any eventual peace accord. Most little more than a week ago in the Boston Marathon bombing, his world powers deem the settlements illegal and the EU announced arm in a cast and his face swollen in court. Has the magazine, with its a plan on Tuesday to bar financial assistance to Israeli organisa- roundly condemned cover, offered the world its first rock star of an tions operating in the occupied territories. alleged Islamic terrorist? An Israeli official said Netanyahu “attacked” the plan on RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attends a The same image of Tsarnaev was widely circulated and used by Wednesday in conversations with European leaders where he meeting of the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank city of newspapers and magazines before, but in this context it took on argued that other “burning issues” like the Syrian civil war and dis- Ramallah yesterday. — AP new criticism and accusations that Rolling Stone turned the bomb- ing defendant into something more appealing. “I can’t think of another instance in which one has glamorized the image of an alleged terrorist. This is the image of a rock star. This is the image of someone who is admired, of someone who has a fan base, of some- 10 militants killed in one we are critiquing as art,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a commu- nications professor and the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Public outrage was swift, including hard words from the Boston Egypt army Sinai sweep mayor, bombing survivors and the governor of Massachusetts. At least five retailers with strong New England ties - CVS, Tedeschi Food Stores and the grocery chain the Roche Bros. - said they would not CAIRO: Ten jihadists have been killed in Egypt’s restive Sinai who was standing guard outside the building, before fleeing in sell the issue that features an in-depth look into how a charming, peninsula in the past two days during an army offensive their vehicle. And on Tuesday, militants fired rocket-propelled well-liked teen took a dark turn toward radical Islam. Stop & Shop against Islamist militants, the official MENA news agency grenades at a checkpoint in the border town of Rafah, wound- and Walgreens followed suit. reported yesterday. “The security operation carried out by the ing six police and two civilians, security sources said. Tsarnaev is not referred to as Tsarnaev in the article. The maga- armed forces in northern Sinai in the past 48 hours led to the The wave of attacks in Sinai came as Egyptian military rein- zine uses his playful diminutive instead in a headline: “Jahar’s deaths of 10 jihadists,” a military source was quoted as saying. forcements arrived in the increasingly lawless region, which World.” With cover teasers for other stories on Willie Nelson, Jay-Z The report comes hours after militants killed three Egyptian borders Gaza, after Israel gave Egypt the go-ahead to deploy and Robin Thicke, it declares for the Tsarnaev story: “The Bomber. policemen in separate overnight attacks in the region, and as two battalions to the region to “fight terrorism”. How a Popular, Promising Student was Failed by His Family, Fell Into the army pressed an operation to curtail a surge in violence Deployments in the Sinai are restricted by the 1979 peace Radical Islam and Became a Monster.” Rolling Stone did not address since the ouster by the army of president Mohamed Morsi on treaty between the two neighbours. Since the military coup whether the photo was edited or filtered in any way in a brief state- July 3. that toppled Morsi after massive nationwide protests against ment offering condolences to bombing survivors and the loved Three unknown gunmen attacked a police station in the his rule, militant groups have launched almost daily attacks on ones of the dead. “The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in town of Sheikh Zuweid, wounding three policemen in a gun troops and police in Sinai. Several members of the security the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more battle before fleeing in their vehicle, medical and security offi- forces have died in the unrest, as well as two Egyptian important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a cials said. One of the wounded, identified by the state news Christians, one of whom was found decapitated five days after more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens,” agency as police officer Mohamed Said Metwali, 34, died at the being kidnapped. the statement said. That’s little consolation for James “Bim” Costello, El-Arish hospital shortly afterwards. Another policeman was At dawn on Monday, three workers from a cement factory 30, of Malden, Mass., who needed skin grafts on most of his right shot dead by gunmen outside his home in El-Arish, the main were killed in an attack on the bus in which they were travel- arm and right leg after the bombing. His body was pebbled with town in north Sinai. ling in El-Arish. Analysts attribute the Sinai violence to Islamist shrapnel, including nails he pulled out of his stomach himself. Three Late on Wednesday, militants also opened fire on a police extremists seeking to take advantage of the political insecurity of his close friends lost legs that day and others suffered serious station in El-Arish, the officials said, killing a police conscript in the country after Morsi’s ouster. — AFP burns and shrapnel injuries. International13 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 World pays tribute as Mandela turns 95 Birthday songs outside hospital amid day of charity PRETORIA: South Africa and the world Madikizela-Mandela called the 95th birth- daughter Zindzi told reporters. showered tributes on Nelson Mandela day “a gift to the nation”. Zindzi said the family planned to give yesterday as the anti-apartheid leader Mandela a collage of family photographs turned 95 in hospital and his doctors “Father of Africa” for a present and have lunch together at reported he was “steadily improving” Across South Africa, office workers, the hospital where their patriarch is being from a six-week lung infection. The coun- students, soldiers and ordinary citizens treated. Despite the adulation on his birth- PRETORIA: School children sing “Happy Birthday” to try has been on edge since the former marked Mandela Day by sprucing up day, Mandela’s post-apartheid ‘Rainbow former South African President Nelson Mandela yes- president and father of the multi-racial orphanages, painting walls at schools and Nation’ has not fulfilled all expectations. terday outside the Medi Clinic Heart Hospital. —AFP ‘Rainbow Nation’ established at the end delivering food to the poor. Ethiopian and Enormous gaps still persist in income, of apartheid in 1994 was admitted to hos- Nigerian asylum seekers who had settled employment and access to education and pital on June 8 with recurring lung prob- in South Africa fleeing persecution and these inequalities largely follow racial lems that kept him in a critical condition. conflict in their own countries cleaned lines, according to the government’s own Car bomb hits It was his fourth stay in hospital in six streets in Johannesburg to pay tribute to data. White households in 2012 earn on months and has reminded South Africans a figure widely praised as “a father of average about six times more than black that the man who is globally admired as a Africa”. “In this country, Mandela is the households. Bahrain mosque moral beacon against injustice and a sym- bol of racial reconciliation will not be with ABU DHABI: A car bomb exploded outside a Sunni Muslim them for ever. mosque in Bahrain on Wednesday night, the Interior Ministry But the mood was of celebration yes- said, in what government officials said was an attempt to terday as thousands of South Africans inflame sectarian tension. No one was reported hurt in the sang “Happy Birthday” and took part in attack in Al-Riffa south of the capital Manama, a district home charitable initiatives in a global outpour- to some members of the royal family. Bahrain, a majority ing of support for the Nobel Peace Prize Shiite country ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa family, has been laureate on UN-designated ‘Nelson buffeted by political unrest since 2011, with mostly Shiite Mandela Day’. UN Secretary-General Ban Bahrainis agitating for democratic reforms and a greater say in Ki-moon hailed Mandela as “a giant of our how they are ruled. times” and called on people around the Police were hunting for the bombers, who used a gas cylin- world to pay tribute to him through com- der placed inside a vehicle parked outside the mosque, the munity service. ministry said. Witnesses said several vehicles were destroyed South Africans young and old com- in the blast, which took place during evening prayers. The memorated the birthday with 67 minutes attack was condemned by the main Shi’ite opposition group, of public service to honour the 67 years Wefaq, as well as government officials and King Hamad bin Mandela served humanity by first fighting Issa Al-Khalifa. The authorities have largely crushed the revolt against white-minority rule and then con- in the island, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet and sits solidating racial harmony when he was between top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and Washington’s main president. Many offered birthday wishes regional antagonist Iran, but small-scale clashes and protests outside the Pretoria hospital where erupt almost daily. Mandela has been receiving treatment, PRETORIA: A woman poses in front of a happy birthday banner for for- National reconciliation talks between the government and singing songs and holding up signs wish- mer South African President Nelson Mandela yesterday outside the opposition parties have made little progress since they began ing him a speedy recovery. Medi Clinic Heart Hospital. —AFP in February. State news agency BNA said King Hamad ordered “Thank you for all that you have done swift action against all people who incite violence after the car for this country,” said one well-wisher, reason all of us blacks are free, so that’s Nevertheless, quality education and Margaret Chechie. President Jacob Zuma why we love him as the first citizen,” said employment opportunities have also bombing. Later yesterday, the Interior Ministry issued a state- visited Mandela at the hospital and said Kennedy Uzondu, 30, a Nigerian trader been opened up to tens of thousands of ment banning a planned Friday opposition march south of he was making steady progress. “I was who has lived in South Africa for three blacks. This has meant the ‘Rainbow the capital and warning of legal action against anyone who able to say ‘Happy Birthday’ to him and years. Nation’ becoming a reality at integrated tried to take part. he was able to smile,” he told reporters. The United Nations declared July 18 as universities and in major city suburbs, Such weekly marches, led mainly by Wefaq, have become a Hours earlier, his office had cited Nelson Mandela International Day in 2009 where a new professional class of college- mainstay of Bahraini politics and been tolerated by the govern- Mandela’s doctors saying “his health is and will celebrate with speeches from fig- educated blacks has been moving into ment until now. Some opposition activists saw the ban as a steadily improving.” ures such as former US President Bill once almost exclusively-white neighbour- crackdown on political dissent after Wednesday night’s bomb- Mandela’s victory in the first multira- Clinton. The day will also be marked in hoods. “The middle class is the incubator ing and ahead of larger-scale protests planned for Aug. 14. cial elections in 1994 put an end to the nearly 20 US cities with ceremonies around for a more tolerant and more integrated “There is a security escalation from the authorities as a pre- apartheid system. Four years earlier, he Capitol Hill in Washington and by volun- society. But that middle class is also very cautionary measure ahead of August 14 and the calls for mass was released from 27 years spent in teers handing out South African oranges in small compared to the working class and protests modelled upon the Tamarud (Rebel!) movement of prison under white minority rule, 18 of New York. “Tata (our father) is making this the underclass,” said Georgina Alexander, Egypt,” Khalil Al-Marzouq, a senior figure in Wefaq, told them at the notorious Robben Island remarkable progress and we look forward a researcher at the South African Institute Reuters. —Reuters penal colony. His former wife Winnie to having him back home soon,” Mandela’s of Race Relations. —Reuters Kurds seize town on Syria-Turkey border

ANKARA: A Syrian Kurdish party with Turkey’s foreign minister voiced con- grenades fired from Syria struck a border armoured vehicles. The clashes between links to Kurdish militants in Turkey has cern at the spillover of violence from the post on the Turkish side of the frontier. Kurdish fighters, who generally support seized control of a Syrian border town war in its southern neighbour and called The return fire was the second time in as the creation of an autonomous region after days of clashes with Islamist fight- again on the United Nations Security many days the military has answered in within Syria, and Islamist Arab fighters ers, the Turkish military said. The capture Council, which has yet to come to a con- kind after several stray bullets from Syria from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front start- of Ras al-Ain on Syria’s northeastern bor- sensus over Syria, to act. In a statement struck the police headquarters and sev- ed on Tuesday after Nusra fighters der with Turkey by the Democratic late on Wednesday, the military said Ras eral homes in the adjacent Turkish town attacked a Kurdish patrol, according to an Union Party (PYD) will heighten Ankara’s al-Ain had fallen under the control of the of Ceylanpinar on Tuesday. anti-government Syrian activist group. fears that the emergence of an PYD, which it described as a “separatist Two Turkish citizens, including a 15- Clashes between Kurds affiliated with the autonomous Kurdish region in Syria terrorist organisation”. Fighting in the year-old boy, were killed by stray bullets in PYD, and Syrian and foreign fighters could embolden homegrown militants town had now stopped. what was the most serious spillover of vio- opposed to Syrian President Bashar Al- of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish troops had shot at PYD fight- lence into Turkey from Syria in weeks. The Assad, have erupted since Kurds began which is fighting for autonomy in ers in Syria in accordance with its rules of military said it had now strengthened asserting control over parts of the north- Turkey. engagement after two rocket propelled security along that part of the border with east from late last year. —Reuters International FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 14 Where’s that royal baby? Is Kate overdue?

LONDON: By the time you’re reading this, out the central London hospital where Kate woman’s last period. Then add seven days, the Duchess of Cambridge could be in is expected to give birth. The palace has plus nine months. “But nature is the pri- labor. Or it could be a matter of hours. Or said only that the Duchess is due to deliver mary determinant (of the due date) and we days. Or weeks. As Britain’s Prince William the baby in “mid-July.” But experts say can’t do anything to change that,” Fyle said. and his wife, Kate, await the birth of their there’s no reason to think that the baby is An ultrasound done around weeks 11 first child - and the future heir to the English actually overdue; due dates are at best an to 12 of the pregnancy can also give throne - some are convinced the royal due educated guess and come with a margin of women a better idea of when exactly to date has already passed, even though error of two to three weeks. get the nursery ready, she said. A head Buckingham Palace has not given an exact “The baby will come when he or she is measurement at that point is a better indi- date. Many in the British media predicted ready,” said Janet Fyle, a midwife and pro- cator of age than later in pregnancy. For the baby would be born last week and the fessional policy adviser at Britain’s Royal healthy pregnant women, as the Duchess prince himself is now on official leave. College of Midwives. She said the due date of Cambridge appears to be, Fyle said they BRUSSELS: Princess Mathilde of Belgium receives Dozens of reporters have already staked is calculated from the first day of the shouldn’t worry if they haven’t given birth presents yesterday during her visit of the by their predicted due date. Many things “Fashion@EgmontPalace” exhibition at the Egmont can delay birth, including the baby’s head royal Palace. —AFP being in the wrong spot. “It may just take the baby awhile to get into the right posi- Business as tion before he or she is ready to come out,” she said. Normal pregnancies last about 40 usual for Belgium weeks, though 3 to 12 percent of women in the UK go beyond that term. After 41 to royal handover 42 weeks, doctors may consider inducing BRUSSELS: As Britons stand still for their royal baby, just across the labor. Doctors or midwives typically induce Channel Belgium farewells a king and ushers in a new monarch to little labor with medications or other methods; fuss and fever. The Windsors have not even had the Saxe-Coburg- it may still take one to two days for con- Gotha’s over for tea during the two-decade reign of King Albert II- tractions to start. “There is a risk as the which ends Sunday when he abdicates in favour of his oldest son pregnancy goes on that the placenta may Philippe. Though largely popular and well respected despite reports of not work as well,” said Dr. Daghni royal infidelity and financial fiddling, the House of Belgium plays a low- Rajasingam, a spokeswoman for Britain’s profile game. Royal College of Obstetricians and “I do think the Belgian monarchy is less glamorous,” British specialist Gynaecologists. She said that could com- writer Hugo Vickers told AFP. “Ah the royal baby,” he added when promise the baby’s growth and oxygen asked about the contrast with the excitement around Kate’s baby. “We supply. For women who don’t want to get another generation in a very popular monarchy. “We are also an have an induced labor, even if they are island, so we are insular, and many British people would find it hard to beyond 40 weeks, Rajasingam said extra name the European sovereigns. Awful to say but true.” scans to monitor the baby’s heartbeat and Most Belgians know all about their royals, that Albert and Queen movement would be necessary. Paola’s latest yacht-bought as the crisis kicked off in 2009 — cost 4.6 In Britain, about 25 percent of all births million euros ($6 million), that they have a Riviera hideaway nearby are cesarean sections, versus 30 percent in those owned by Princess Di’s brother and Richard Attenborough. the US. In 2011, Britain’s health watchdog The family fortune has caused a bit of a scandal though not on the decided women should be able to get a C- scale of reports some months ago that devout dowager queen Fabiola, section on demand under the free health 85-year-old widow of king Baudouin, was planning to move money care service, though there is no indication from her royal allowance to relatives in Spain, thus avoiding death whether the Duchess of Cambridge has duties. Baudouin died childless in 1993, forcing Albert, now 79, to step requested one in the private wing of the into the breach. hospital where she is expected to deliver. The fuss over Fabiola’s trust fund accelerated moves to reform the Although the Duchess of Cambridge was state’s ties with the monarchy. Fabiola now will see her annual hospitalized last December for severe allowance cut to 450,000 euros from 1.3 million, while new king morning sickness, Rajasingam said there’s Philippe, who will be enthroned Sunday, will be the first monarch to no reason to think she might have a more have to pay taxes on his 11.5-million-euro allowance. Such decisions in difficult labor. Pregnant women are also these times of crisis have provided fresh popular legitimacy to a monar- advised to keep as active as possible even chy that has none of the glitz or glamour of Britain’s royal family. after their due date passes. No foreign royalty or dignitaries for instance have been invited to Rajasingam also said women having Sunday’s celebrations, taking place on Belgian’s National Day at a cost their first baby, as in the case of the comparable to the annual July 21 celebrations. “It’s a shame! No foreign Duchess, typically have a longer pregnan- guests, no pretty dresses”, said Dutch magazine Royalty. Days before cy than with subsequent children, though the celebrations there are few national flags flying, and on Brussels’ scientists aren’t exactly sure why. “It’s like a ancient central square, the popular Grand Place, a souvenir shop admit- LONDON: In this file photo, Kate the Duchess of Cambridge leaves after racehorse on a track,” she said. “For a ted to having sold only around 100 “Albert” T-shirts with a heart. attending the inauguration of “Warner Bros Studios Leavesden” near horse that hasn’t run the race before, it Driving in for a farewell tour this week of one of Belgium’s quaintest can take a little bit longer if you’re not Watford, approximately 18 miles north west of central London. —AP cities, Ghent, Albert and Paola, 75, were met by a crowd of barely a cou- used to it,” she said. —AP ple of hundred people, a far cry from the thousands that mobbed the pair and showered them in flowers in the 1960s. “The monarchy’s lost Britain swelters in summer heatwave ground, notably among the young, who think they’re archaic,” Michel Marteau, editor of Sudpresse newspapers, told AFP. LONDON: Britain was sweltering yesterday in its first prolonged heatwave in es, everything-isn’t actually designed for these sudden spikes in temperature. “Most Belgians want to maintain the monarchy but it’s not like it seven years as the deputy prime minister warned the country was simply “not “In countries that are used to hot temperatures they organise themselves dif- was 35 years ago, when 90 percent of the population were blind follow- ready for this”. Britain experienced its hottest day of the year so far on ferently, or indeed very cold winters.” ers.” Albert’s announcement early this month that he was abdicating on Wednesday, with thermometers hitting 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Responding to reports that temperatures on London’s Underground trains grounds of old age and poor health took the country by surprise. Fahrenheit) in southwest London. The Met Office national weather service put had topped 35C (95F), Clegg said that was “pretty brutal” and “unbelievably Commentators had expected him to remain on the throne when an old the southwest of England and the west Midlands on the level 3 — one grade high”. Research conducted for The Times newspaper by the London School of scandal resurfaced this year. After reports of an illegitimate child in below the “national emergency” top level-joining London and the wider Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated the death toll for the first nine days 1999, whom Albert has never recognized, last month Delphine Boel, a southeast on heatwave alert. “This stage requires social and healthcare servic- of the current hot spell in England as between 540 and 760 people. “Almost 45-year-old sculptor, went to court to win official recognition as his nat- es to target specific actions at high-risk groups,” it said. Forecasters have said everywhere in the world when it gets too hot for that place, deaths will go up ural daughter. Britain is in the midst of its first prolonged heatwave since 2006, with six con- in the few days after,” the university’s Professor Ben Armstrong said. The But apart from Belgium’s powerful Flemish separatists, many of secutive days of temperatures above 30C (86F). Amid stifling temperatures on hottest temperature ever recorded in Britain was the 38.5C (101.3F) reached in whom are anti-royalist republicans, “the royal institution as such is public transport, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told London radio station Faversham, southeast of London, in 2003. As the nation waits for Prince not globally in question”, said Martine Dubuisson who covers royal LBC that Britain was simply “not ready for this”. William’s wife Catherine to give birth any day now, Public Health England affairs for the daily Le Soir. The family, she said, has always been dis- “The problem we face as a country is these things are unpredictable,” he (PHE) warned that pregnant women may experience discomfort in the heat- creet. “Their motto would be ‘to live happily, let’s live in hiding,” she said on the variable British weather. “The whole way we work-our offices, bus- wave. —AFP said. —AFP International FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Jail for Australian who abused and killed child

SYDNEY: An Australian woman who killed her six-year- vulnerable and defenceless child in her care who was own abuse as a child, also blaming child protection old daughter and dumped the body after years of abuse entitled to expect and receive her protection,” Harrison authorities for failing Weippeart. She was taken into was jailed yesterday, in a case that has sparked an emo- said, noting that Abrahams had been “publicly vilified”. state care after Abrahams bit her at the age of 15 tional outpouring from the community. Kiesha “The death of a child stirs many emotions in the commu- months, but was returned to her 18 months later. Weippeart’s badly decomposed and partially burnt nity, not the least of which I strongly suspect is guilt.” Weippeart attended school just four days in her short body was found in a bush grave eight months after she There were emotional scenes in court as Harrison life so Abrahams could keep evidence of her injuries was reported missing by her mother Kristi Anne sentenced Abrahams to a maximum 22-and-a-half years hidden. Abrahams in July 2010. in prison — 16 years without parole-for killing “Does having a bad upbringing and abuse give you Abrahams, 30, kept the child’s body in a suitcase in Weippeart and interfering with her corpse by “uncere- the right to go and take people’s lives?” said Anderson. her bedroom for several days before taking it by taxi to moniously” dumping it in the bush and burning it in an “It’s not good enough. We’re all in shock; it’s shocked a forested area and burying it in a shallow plot. There attempt to conceal evidence. The killing has rocked the community, it’s shocked everyone.” The officer in was evidence of sustained abuse of the child in the suburban Mount Druitt in Sydney, where Abrahams charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector Russell months before her death, which was caused by multiple lived, and a group of locals packed the courtroom for Oxford, said the case had affected all those who worked blows to the head, including one “consistent with being the sentencing, applauding and shouting as the lengthy on it. “I think if nothing else comes out of today we all punched in an upward direction” which broke her teeth, prison term was handed down. should take stock of where we are in this world, and go said sentencing Supreme Court judge Ian Harrison. Abrahams’ neighbour Alison Anderson dismissed home and hug your kids,” Oxford told reporters. “Look “The offender caused the death of the deceased by the parallels drawn by judge Harrison between the after them, let them grow up and have opportunities the infliction of a violent, lethal force upon what was a “foreseeable and preventable” murder and Abrahams’ that this little girl didn’t have.” — AFP

Rajoy sits out Russia jails Putin’s enemy corruption storm for 5 years in fraud trial MADRID: Dissent is growing within the usually disciplined ranks of Spain’s ruling centre-right People’s Party over a cor- ruption scandal, but there are few signs yet of any rebellion US, EU criticize trial and sentence strong enough to topple Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Rajoy has denied any wrongdoing in the affair which involves KIROV: A Russian court yesterday sentenced hearing, had sought a six-year sentence. The verdict will disqualify Navalny, who Swiss bank accounts and allegations of a party slush fund, protest leader Alexei Navalny to five years in Anti-Kremlin activists slammed the verdict as was on Wednesday registered to run for but it has eroded his credibility as he tries to plug a huge a penal colony after finding him guilty of the latest effort by Putin to snuff out the Moscow mayor, from politics once the budget deficit and prove Spain is not the weak link of the embezzlement, a verdict which will disquali- slightest hint of opposition to his 13 years of appeals process is exhausted. His campaign euro zone. fy one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest rule. chief Leonid Volkov told AFP that Navalny A moderate conservative whose signature political strate- critics from politics. Russian opposition “It is completely fabricated from start to was now pulling out of the Moscow mayor gy is to sit tight while opponents wear themselves out, Rajoy activists condemned the sentence as a bla- finish and even the judge could not say what election on September 8 and would urge has made no dramatic announcements of a party clean-up or tant move to punish Navalny, 37, for oppos- the reason for the crime was, what was the supporters to boycott the polls. sacked any officials, saying he will let justice take its course. ing the Kremlin just as he was preparing to point,” former cabinet minister and anti- Frustrated by this caution, some People’s Party (PP) mem- stand in Moscow’s mayoral election. Kremlin activist Boris Nemtsov, who was in ‘Show trial’ bers are joining opposition demands for Rajoy to step down. The United States said it was “deeply dis- court, told reporters. Ex-finance minister US ambassador to Moscow Michael They argue his authority has been so damaged he can no appointed” and EU states swiftly con- Alexei Kudrin, who retains contacts with McFaul wrote on Twitter that “we are deeply longer deal with Spain’s many crises, although none has yet demned the verdict, in a new diplomatic Putin, wrote on Twitter that the sentence “is disappointed in the conviction of Navalny rebelled openly. controversy that threatens to further strain not so much a punishment, but aims to iso- and the apparent political motivations in this “The situation is unbearable. It’s impossible for a govern- ties between Moscow and the West. Judge late him from public life and electoral trial”. Top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton ment to function with this focus on the scandal. The solution Sergei Blinov said he found Navalny guilty of process”. also said the verdict “raises serious questions is to elect a new leader in the party,” said one senior member defrauding the local government in the Top Russian rights group Memorial said as to the state of the rule of law in Russia”. of the party, who asked not to be named. Already Rajoy is northern Kirov region of 16 million rubles the country “now has one more political Germany’s coordinator on Russia, grappling with a recession and sky-high unemployment, ris- ($500,000) in a timber deal while acting as an prisoner” while Amnesty International Andreas Schockenhoff, described the legal ing separatist fervour in the Catalonia region and street unpaid advisor to the local authorities in mocked what it said was “a parody of a pros- proceedings as a “show trial” and British protests over cuts in school and hospital spending. 2009. “Navalny... committed a grave crime,” ecution and a parody of a trial”. Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Now the government has been rocked by the testimony said Blinov. Navalny’s co-accused, Pyotr Khodorkovsky, who is still in jail, said in a against the “selective application of the rule of former PP treasurer Luis Barcenas who told a judge he col- Ofitserov, was also found guilty and sen- statement released through his lawyers that of law” in Russia. Anti-Putin activists vowed lected millions of euros in cash donations from construction tenced to four years in a prison colony. the verdict was “predictable”. The last Soviet to stage protests against the verdict outside magnates and distributed the funds to party leaders includ- Handed down on Nelson Mandela’s 95th leader Mikhail Gorbachev said it was “unac- the Kremlin walls yesterday, but the Moscow ing Rajoy. In what little he has said about the affair, Rajoy has birthday, the sentence is the most politically- ceptable” to use the courts to prosecute municipality warned such actions would be played on fears of uncertainty during the crises that have explosive judgement in Russia since anti- political opponents. broken up by police.—AFP taken Spain close at times to needing a full international Kremlin tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was bailout. jailed in 2005. “So. Don’t all get bored with- Counting on a gradual economic recovery beginning this out me,” Navalny told supporters in his last year, he has also reminded business leaders that - unlike the Twitter message from the courtroom before fragile coalitions of Italy and Greece - his government enjoys being handcuffed. “And most importantly, the strongest parliamentary majority of any in southern don’t be idle.” He then handed his smart- Europe and does not face elections until 2015. “I will defend phone to his wife Yulia, hugged her and his political stability and I will fulfil the mandate given to me by mother, shook his father’s hand and was led Spanish voters,” he said this week. away by bailiffs. Barcenas, who ran PP finances for two decades, is in jail and charged with bribery, tax evasion and other crimes. ‘We will win’ Prosecutors say he accumulated up to 48 million euros ($63 Yulia made a defiant and emotional million) in Swiss bank accounts that did not come from legit- appearance on the steps of the Lenin district imate earnings. But Barcenas has not provided hard evi- court to declare that the fight against the dence that any other politicians were involved in the opera- Kremlin would continue even with her hus- tions of the slush fund he says he ran, and no one else from band in prison. “I believe that everything will the party is charged with crimes in the case. be okay. We will win, and you please must Under Spain’s political system, the PP could choose a new also believe that everything will be great,” leader that parliament would elect to run the government, she said. Navalny, who emerged as a power- without having to call early elections in which the party ful new political force in mass anti-Putin would almost certainly lose its majority. Two party sources protests, has dismissed the charges against told Reuters that disenchantment reached a peak last week him as absurd and a Kremlin set-up to end when it emerged Rajoy exchanged text messages of support his political career. with Barcenas after the scandal broke.—Reuters Prosecutors in Kirov, a sleepy city 900 kilometres (560 miles) north of Moscow KIROV: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his wife Yulia look at a thronged by dozens of reporters for the mobile phone during a trial in Kirov, Russia yesterday. — AP International FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Insurgents shoot dead 8 laborers in Afghanistan

KABUL: Insurgents pulled over a minivan with families during the holy month of Ramadan. He eight young laborers on their way to work at a added that their killers “will face the rage and US base in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, anger of God and will be punished.” forced them out and then shot them dead, offi- Provincial spokesman Din Mohammad cials said. The killings near Forward Operating Darwesh said there were four gunmen on Base Shank, a US base in Logar province, were motorcycles who pulled over the minivan. the latest in a militant campaign of intimidation “They just took them out of the car and shot against Afghans working for the government or them. They are all in their late teens and early the international coalition. The attack took place 20’s,” Darwish said. Both officials said it was just after dawn near Puli Alam, the provincial unclear if the incident could have been in capital. reprisal for a coalition airstrike that killed 18 “They were eight ordinary laborers going to Taleban fighters in another part of the province work at that base. They were day laborers,” said on Wednesday. Logar deputy police chief Raeis Khan Abdul Logar, located just south of Kabul, has seen a Rahimzai. “This is very hard to believe. It is an sharp increase in insurgent activity this year. The inhuman and un-Muslim act against innocent Afghan army last week carried out a large oper- people.” He said the eight were heading for ation against insurgents operating in the temporary day jobs at the base and were not province. The Taleban have said they will not part of the facility’s local staff. The gunmen let stop fighting during Ramadan, which began last the driver of the minivan go and did not harm week, and will instead step up their attacks. him, Rahimzai said. President Hamid Karzai About 1,000 Afghan civilians have been killed blamed the Taleban for the killings, which he and more than 2,000 wounded in the first half of described as brutal and cowardly. He said the the year, according to the United Nations. That laborers were “innocent people” going to the marked a 24 percent increase in casualties com- MAZAR-I SHARIF: Afghan men break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan at the base to earn money so they could feed their pared to the same period last year.—AP Hazrat-e Ali shrine in Mazar-i Sharif in northern of Afghanistan yesterday. — AFP Taleban letter accuses N Korea demands Panama free seized Malala of ‘smearing’ weapons vessel

SEOUL: North Korea has broken its silence over a ship’s cargo Gordon Brown slams Taleban chide of arms seized in a dramatic raid by Panama, demanding the vessel’s release, as its mutinous crew members refuse to coop- PESHAWAR: A senior Pakistani Taleban commander has written to sary because government forces used schools as hideouts and bases. erate with investigators. The communist state rebuffed suspi- Malala Yousafzai, the teenage education activist shot by militants, Gordon Brown, the former British prime minister turned UN spe- cions of UN sanctions-busting, saying the shipment on the accusing her of “smearing” them and of promoting “satanic” values, cial envoy for global education, who has supported Malala since she North Korean-flagged vessel formed part of a legitimate deal while urging her to return home. Gunmen from the Tehreek-e- was shot, issued a caustic response to the Taleban letter. “Nobody with Cuba. Havana said the military equipment, discovered on Taleban Pakistan (TTP) shot Malala, now 16, in the head in her home will believe a word the Taleban say about the right of girls like Malala the Chong Chon Gang among tonnes of sugar, was “obsolete” town in Swat last October after she had campaigned for the right of to go to school until they stop burning down schools and stop mas- Soviet-era missiles and parts that were being sent to North girls to go to school. She made a powerful speech to the UN on sacring pupils,” he said in a statement. Korea for repair-an account backed up by Pyongyang. Friday in her first public appearance since the near-fatal attack, vow- Last month, militants blew up a bus carrying female students in “This cargo is nothing but ageing weapons which are to be ing to continue her struggle for education and not be silenced by the Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta, and then stormed a hospital sent back to Cuba after overhauling them according to a legit- militants. where survivors had been taken for treatment. At least 25 people imate contract,” said a foreign ministry statement carried by In an open letter released Wednesday, Adnan Rasheed, a former were killed in the attacks. Malala’s brave fight back from her injuries the North’s Korean Central News Agency. “The Panamanian air force member turned TTP cadre, said he personally wished the and speech at the UN have made her a leading contender for the authorities should take a step to let the apprehended crew- attack had not happened, but accused her of running a “smearing Nobel Peace Prize. But the response to her in Pakistan has been men and ship leave without delay,” added the statement, campaign” against the militants. “When you were attacked it was mixed. Many have hailed her as a national heroine but others have North Korea’s first on the affair. shocking for me,” Rasheed wrote in English. “I wished it would never criticised her for promoting a “Western” agenda. — AFP Panama on Monday said it had discovered the shipment happened (sic) and I had advised you before.” But he added: after impounding the vessel and conducting a drugs search. “Taleban believe that you were intentionally writing against them The ship’s captain tried to kill himself and the crew rioted, and running a smearing campaign to malign their efforts to establish according to Panama’s president. The 35-man crew on Islamic system in Swat and your writings were provocative. Wednesday refused to answer questions about the cargo. “... It is amazing that you are shouting for education, you and the “They took up their right not to testify,” Panamanian anti- UNO (UN) is pretending that you were shot due to education, drugs prosecutor Javier Caraballo told reporters in Manzanillo, although this is not the reason... not the education but your propa- where police are still unloading sacks of sugar, looking for any ganda was the issue,” he continued. “What you are doing now, you more military equipment hidden on the boat. are using your tongue on the behest of the others.” Panama’s President Ricardo Martinelli tweeted a photo of The letter was sent to reporters in northwest Pakistan and its the haul, which experts said was an ageing Soviet-built radar authenticity confirmed to AFP by a senior Taleban cadre who is a control system for surface-to-air missiles. On Wednesday close associate of Rasheed. It is understood Malala has not received Panama officially requested United Nations inspectors scruti- the letter herself. Rasheed accused Malala of seeking to promote an nise the cargo. “The cargo is illegal because it was not education system begun by British colonialists to produce “Asians in declared. Anything that is not logged, even if it is obsolete, is blood but English in taste”, and said students should study Islam and contraband,” Panamanian Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino not the “satanic or secular curriculum”. “I advise you to come back said. home, adopt the Islamic and Pashtun culture, join any female Islamic UN diplomats said strict arms sanctions imposed on madrassa near your home town, study and learn the book of Allah Pyongyang over its nuclear programme could have been the Almighty, use your pen for Islam and plight of Muslim ummah breached. “Clearly the facts still need to be established,” (community),” Rasheed wrote. Malala was given life-saving treat- Britain’s UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said, adding: “On ment in Britain, where she now lives with her family. the face of it, the transfer of these weapons to North Korea Rasheed was sentenced to death over a 2003 attack on Pakistan’s would be a violation of the sanctions.” then military ruler Pervez Musharraf, but escaped from custody in a A spokesman for UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the secretary mass jailbreak in April last year. He said he had originally wanted to general “commends the action taken by Panama in full con- write to Malala to warn her against criticising the Taleban when she formity with its obligations under the relevant Security rose to prominence with a blog for the BBC Urdu service chronicling Council resolutions”. Cuba says the cargo comprised missile life under the militants’ 2007-9 rule in Swat, in northwest Pakistan. NEW YORK: In this picture, Pakistani student Malala parts and spares, Mig-21 aircraft parts and 15 plane motors, all The Taleban have destroyed hundreds of schools across the Yousafzai speaks to the media after being greeted by United manufactured “in the mid-20th century” and “to be repaired northwest, an area on the frontline of the country’s bloody struggle Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the UN headquar- and returned to Cuba”.—AFP against Islamist militants. But Rasheed said the attacks were neces- ters in New York. — AP International17 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Indian forces kill 4 protesters in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Government forces in the Dharam, a village 220 kilometers (140 leading to scuffles with government mainly used to try to calm public anger. Indian portion of Kashmir yesterday miles) south of Srinagar, the main city in forces, who again fired at the protesters, Officials said thousands of people fatally shot four villagers and wounded Indian Kashmir. Shabir said. gathered in the area to protest yester- 25 others who were protesting the The head of the seminary, Qari “We were protesting the desecration day’s incident. Protests also took place in alleged desecration of the Muslim holy Shabir, said the border guards tore of the holy book and instead of looking other parts of Kashmir, and a key high- book by border guards, police said. The pages of several copies of the Holy into this heinous act, they fired at us,” way was closed. Kashmir is divided violence - which came during the Quran after beating a school caretaker. Shabir said. Four of the villagers were between India and Pakistan, with both Muslim holy month of Ramadan - could As thousands of villagers marched to the killed and 25 were wounded, said a countries claiming the disputed trigger widespread protests in the dis- seminary yesterday to protest the police officer who spoke on condition of Himalayan region in its entirety. Anti- puted Himalayan region, with separatist alleged desecration of the Holy Qurans, anonymity because he was not author- India feelings run deep in Indian-held groups that reject India’s sovereignty government forces opened fire to stop ized to speak to reporters. Kashmir, where about a dozen rebel over the region calling for three days of them, wounding several, Shabir said. Indian Home Minister Sushilkumar groups have been fighting against strikes and demonstrations beginning After the protesters dispersed, civil Shinde ordered a probe into the inci- Indian rule since 1989. More than 68,000 today. and police authorities reached the vil- dent. “I assure that any use of excessive people have been killed in the conflict. The protesters accused the Indian lage and tried to calm the angry vil- force or irresponsible action shall be The rebel groups have largely been sup- Border Security Force soldiers of enter- lagers, he said. Thousands of people dealt with strictly,” he said in a state- pressed by Indian troops in recent years, ing a religious seminary Wednesday from other areas then came and joined ment. Rights groups say such investiga- and resistance is now principally night looking for Kashmiri militants in the protesters. They resumed the march, tions rarely lead to prosecutions and are expressed through street protests. —AP

Cooks recount Fearful Indian kids refuse horror of school lunch deaths free meals after deaths PATNA: Soon after they served the daily free lunch they had pre- Food accidentally or deliberately poisoned? pared for dozens of children at a rural Indian school, the two cooks realized something was very wrong. The students started fainting. PATNA: Thousands of schoolchildren Saran, where the village school is locat- concerns, the minister said. Within hours, they began dying. By afternoon, 23 children between were refusing free meals in poverty- ed. They raided the home of the head- Parents have accused the state gov- the ages of 5 and 12 had died from eating food laced with insecticide stricken eastern India after 22 children mistress Meena Kumari, who fled after ernment and emergency officials of fail- and many others had fallen ill. died from eating lunch apparently con- the children started dying on Tuesday, a ing to react swiftly to the crisis. One Authorities discovered a container of pesticide in the school’s taminated with insecticide, officials said senior officer said on condition of father described how he and other par- cooking area next to the vegetable cooking oil and mustard oil, yesterday. Authorities were trying to anonymity. ents carried their children on motor- according to Amarjeet Sinha, a top official in the state of Bihar, where reassure frightened students and par- “We found two containers filled with bikes to a hospital because there were the tragedy took place. “It’s not a case of food poisoning. It’s a case of ents in the state of Bihar as police insecticide in the headmistress’s house no ambulances. “Four of us (each) car- poison in food in a large quantity, going by the instant deaths,” he stepped up their investigation into the along with pulses, vegetables and rice ried a child’s body on motorcycles and said. Earlier, some officials had said it appeared that the rice had tragedy, focusing on the school head- allotted for the midday meals,” said the people say there is a government in somehow been tainted with pesticide and might not have been prop- mistress who has fled. The 22 children, officer, who is investigating the deaths. Bihar,” Satendra Mishra told the Indian erly washed before it was cooked. More answers were expected aged four to 12, died after eating lentils, State education minister P.K. Shahi said Express newspaper. today, when a forensic laboratory was to issue the results of its tests vegetables and rice cooked at a village on the dead children, the food and the uncooked grain stored by the school on Tuesday, sparking violent principal in her house, he said. Police were searching for the principal, protests from angry residents. who fled after the students started falling sick, Sinha said. The cooks, Some 30 children remain ill in hospi- Manju Devi and Pano Devi, told The Associated Press that the princi- tals in the state capital Patna and the city pal controlled the food for the free daily lunch provided by the gov- of Chhapra after eating the food, which ernment at the school. On Tuesday morning, she gave them rice, initial tests showed may have been taint- potatoes, soy and other ingredients needed to prepare the meal and ed with insecticide. Children elsewhere then went about her business. As the children ate, they started faint- in the state were dumping their meals in ing, the cooks said. bins or refusing even to touch them, The two cooks were not spared either. Manju Devi, 30, ate some of despite pleas from school officials that the food and fainted. Her three children, ages 5, 8 and 13, fell ill as well. the tragedy would not recur, a senior All were in stable condition yesterday. While Pano Devi, 35, didn’t eat state government official said. the tainted food, her three children did. Two of them died and the “Parents have warned their children third, a 4-year-old daughter, was in the hospital. “I will stop cooking at to not even touch the meal served in the the school,” she said. “I am so horrified that I wouldn’t grieve more if school,” Lakshmanan, who uses only my only surviving child died.” Sinha said one of the cooks told authori- one name, told AFP. “Some of the stu- ties that the cooking oil appeared different than usual, but the princi- dents dumped the lunch in school dust- pal told her to use it anyway. Doctors believed the food contained an bins and we are trying to convince organophosphate used as an insecticide, he said. The free midday everyone that the tragedy will not be meal was served to the children Tuesday in Gandamal village in repeated,” said Lakshmanan, director of Masrakh block, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Patna, the Bihar state the midday meal scheme in Bihar. capital. Those who survived the poison were unlikely to suffer from India’s state governments run the any serious aftereffects from the tainted food, said Patna Medical world’s largest school feeding pro- College hospital superintendent Amarkant Jha Amar. “There will be gramme involving 120 million children. no remnant effects on them. The effects of poisoning will be washed Bihar is one of India’s most populated AMRITSAR: Indian school children hold candles as they pay tribute to after a certain period of time from the tissues,” Amar said. and poorest states. Amar said yesterday that the post-mortem reports on the children Educators see the scheme as a way to school children that died from food poisoning in Saran district of Bihar who died confirmed that insecticide was either in the food or cooking increase school attendance, in a country state, at a government school in Amritsar yesterday. —AFP oil. He said authorities were waiting for lab results for more details on where almost half of all young children the chemicals. India’s midday meal scheme is one of the world’s are undernourished. But children often Wednesday police were probing “If there is one, why has no official biggest school nutrition programs. State governments have the free- suffer from food poisoning due to poor whether the food was accidentally or reached the village yet?” Video footage dom to decide on menus and timings of the meals, depending on hygiene in kitchens and occasionally possibly deliberately poisoned. has shown emotional and chaotic local conditions and availability of food rations. It was first introduced sub-standard food. Authorities have Media reports also quoted villagers scenes at one hospital in Chhapra, as in the 1960s in southern India, where it was seen as an incentive for instructed all teachers and cooks in the as saying the use of contaminated, children, their limbs dangling and heads poor parents to send their children to school. Since then, the program state to first taste the free lunch before foul-smelling mustard oil for cooking lolling, were carried inside. Other chil- has been replicated across the country, covering some 120 million serving to the children. might have caused the deaths. A state dren, lying listless on stretchers, were schoolchildren. It’s part of an effort to address concerns about malnu- “We will have to make parents believe government minister has said the placed on intravenous drips as outside, trition, which the government says nearly half of all Indian children that mid-day meals provide nutrition cook complained to the headmistress inconsolable relatives wept. Bihar chief suffer from. Although there have been complaints about the quality and are not meant to kill students,” said about the smell of the oil before minister Nitish Kumar announced com- of the food served and the lack of hygiene, the incident in Bihar Lakshmanan. Police conducted raids on going ahead on Tuesday. But the pensation of 200,000 rupees ($3,373) for appeared to be unprecedented for the massive food program. —AP Wednesday night across the district of headmistress allegedly dismissed her each of the bereaved families. —AFP International18 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Homemade 3D guns in US stir more buzz than bang

HANOVER: Like many Americans, Travis Lerol on The Pirate Bay and similar file-sharing sites. news media. “We will prosecute offenders has owned guns for much of his life, but the sin- “I think Liberator files have been down- caught manufacturing, selling, owning or in pos- gle-shot Liberator he made himself in his base- loaded at least a million times” from all over the session of a 3D gun.” In Canada, researchers at ment with a tabletop 3D printer is unique. For Internet, Cody Wilson, the University of Texas the University of Toronto printed a Liberator as one thing, as a firearm, it leaves something to be law student behind Defense Distributed, told well, but with design changes to avoid running desired. “I’ve got it to go off a grand total of AFP in an email. But as Lerol, one of the very few afoul of gun laws, the Toronto Star newspaper once,” out of about 200 attempts, the 31-year- to have gone public with his Liberator project, reported. old software engineer told AFP at his home in pointed out: “There’s not a whole lot of us who In the United States, with almost as many this sleepy suburb outside Washington. The fir- have (actually) printed it yet.” guns (an estimated 300 million) as people (315 ing mechanism-a tiny nail-”seems a little unreli- Lawmakers in New York and California have million), and more than 30,000 gun-related MEXICO CITY: Picture taken from a video released by able, and I’ve heard that other people who have been pushing to outlaw 3D guns, while draft deaths a year, the right “to keep and bear arms” Mexican Navy showing alleged leader of drugs Mexican printed (Liberators) have had some troubles as legislation to prohibit “undetectable firearms” is famously enshrined in the Constitution. cartel “Los Zetas”, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, aka well,” Lerol added. has been referred to the US House of “Firearms may be lawfully made by persons who “El Z 40” escorted by marines upon his arrival. —AFP “It’s more of a fun project than a practical Representatives’ judiciary committee. “From a do not hold a manufacturer’s license ... provided they are not for sale or distribution,” explains the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Zetas heir apparent Explosives (ATF) on its website. Indeed, for many years, gun enthusiasts have convened “build ‘ruthless’ as brother parties” to put together weapons as lethal as the storied AK-47 assault rifle from parts easily pur- MEXICO CITY: The captured leader of Mexico’s Zetas drug cartel chased on the Internet. Lerol, a target shooter is a tough act to follow, a man accused of having a penchant for and one-time summer camp gun instructor who beheading victims, boiling rivals and tormenting migrants. His owns two pistols, a shotgun and an AR-15 semi- arrest raised hopes that the cartel’s reign of terror has finally automatic rifle, has made two Liberators with a ended, but the man tipped to succeed Miguel Angel Trevino is Cubify printer that cost $1,300, about the price his younger brother, who also boasts a blood-stained resume of a high-end laptop. Reading CAD files off a that includes claims of killing 1,000 people, according to US USB key, the stylish device whirred quietly in court documents. Lerol’s cluttered man cave one recent summer Former US law enforcement officials say Omar Trevino, alias evening, creating like magic a couple of small “Z-42,” is the likely heir apparent to “Z-40” since his brother was gun parts from a fine spray of thermoplastic. captured by Mexican marines on a dirt road near the northeast- Nearby were other objects Lerol has printed: ern city of Nuevo Laredo last Monday. And the 39-year-old sib- a quaint Oriental tea pot, a blue “Dr Who” police ling, who was Z-40’s right-hand man, is expected to replicate his box, a strappy wedge-sole woman’s shoe, a few brother’s violent ways to assert his authority over the cartel and chess pieces and some components of a home- fend off rivals, according to two former US officials who worked made rifle. Lerol said some fellow shooters in Mexico. HANOVER: Software engineer Travis Lerol takes aim with an unloaded “Omar is equally ruthless as his brother, though he doesn’t Liberator handgun in the backyard of his home. —AFP looked askew at his Liberator when he turned up at a Maryland shooting range one day to test have the organizational skills that his brother had,” said Mike firearm for me. I own better ones. It’s not like it’s purely constitutional perspective, this is a depri- it, but he is not put off by the fear and loathing Vigil, a former chief of the US Drug Enforcement going to replace anything.... It’s a fun project vation of equal protection of the law, because provoked by the notion of do-it-yourself 3D Administration’s international operations. “He was nurtured and with a bit of a challenge to it.” Vaguely resem- individual firearm production is legal in the gunmaking. tutored by Miguel Angel Trevino in terms of using wholesale bling its namesake, a crude US-made single-shot United States,” Wilson said. “I think people are often worried about new violence to intimidate other criminal organizations and security pistol airdropped to French resistance fighters in Guns of any kind have been a divisive issue technologies. They don’t necessarily fully under- forces,” Vigil told AFP. “He’s an individual who will probably use World War II, the Lego-like Liberator is the first in the United States since the December mas- stand them, so they worry about what the bad the same tactics as his brother in terms of consolidating power.” complete firearm that can be produced with a sacre of 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary possibilities might be,” he said. “In this case, peo- Omar Trevino would likely face challenges to his rule on sev- 3D printer. The computer-aided design (CAD) School in Newtown, Connecticut, which thrust ple worry about someone taking a gun on a eral fronts at the head of a cartel present in huge swaths of the files required to make it were downloaded more gun control to the top of the political agenda. plane,” he said. “No one wants some terrorist northeast as well as Central America, experts say. The Zetas have than 100,000 times earlier this year from Overseas, police in Australia have successfully doing that, but it’s not really an undetectable been warring with the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel of Joaquin Defense Distributed, an open-source website printed a Liberator-it took 27 hours and well firearm” because-even with its plastic construc- “El Chapo” Guzman, who may see an opening to raid Nuevo dedicated to 3D printable gun components. The under $2,000 — as an object lesson in how easy tion-today’s airport screening devices would Laredo, a city highly coveted by drug traffickers because it lies at State Department, which oversees US weapons it would be for a criminal to do the same. spot it. “And I don’t see these being used for a major Texas border crossing. exports, ordered Defense Distributed in May to “The terrorism implications of such a crime,” Lerol added, “because there are simply Mexican security forces may also ride the wave of their suc- pull down all its Liberator blueprints-but by that weapon are huge,” New South Wales police so many other firearms out there. Most of which cessful capture of Miguel Trevino to relentlessly pursue his point, users had already reposted them widely commissioner Andrew Scipione told Australian are much better.” —AFP younger brother. On top of it, the toppling of a drug lord often leads to internal wars of succession, and the Zetas, who were founded by former elite troops, may not be appreciate a new civilian boss, although Miguel Trevino was never a soldier him- For US, Snowden saga self. But Davy Aguilera, a former special agent for the US firearms and explosives agency ATF, said Omar Trevino is the “logical suc- overshadows revelations cessor because everybody was so afraid and intimidated by Miguel.” “There were indications that if something happened to WASHINGTON: Edward Snowden’s revelations about a vast the surveillance programs worry that the saga of Snowden, who him, Omar was his successor. Nobody wanted to betray Miguel,” American data dragnet may have riveted the world for weeks, but has eluded US capture for weeks while holing up in a Moscow air- Aguilera said. “Like Miguel, (Omar) will surround himself with the in the United States the fugitive and his scramble for asylum are port transit terminal and who on Tuesday requested asylum from worst of the worst, the most violent criminals” to tighten his overshadowing the substance of the leaks themselves. US broad- Russia, is muscling debate about surveillance policy out of the US grip, he added. casters last month gave wall-to-wall coverage to the bombshell headlines. “That is a concern. Snowden himself and his travels Little is known about Omar Trevino and interior ministry leaks by Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor now, his asylum, have become sort of the salacious part of the spokesman Eduardo Sanchez told AFP he knew nothing about who spilled classified information about NSA counter-terrorism story that the press is interested in covering,” American Civil him. But former US officials say the younger Trevino, born in programs. But the networks and cable news operators soon Liberties Union legislative counsel Michelle Richardson told AFP. Nuevo Laredo, began his life in the criminal underworld as a bumped the NSA story from the top news slot in favor of the While Richardson agreed that US media has covered “the sub- “small-time thug” who committed petty crimes like robberies closely-watched Florida murder trial of George Zimmerman, who stance of the case,” the twists and turns of a man desperate to and extortion-always by his brother’s side. He rose through the on Saturday was found not guilty. In Congress, US lawmakers avoid facing charges of espionage are driving the story. “The ranks of the Zetas thanks to his older brother, who made him his swiftly convened public and classified hearings last month to media has been paying far too much attention to the person top lieutenant when he took over the cartel last year after king- assess the programs that scoop up billions of pieces of telephone behind the leaks, and that’s unfortunate when we’re talking pin Heriberto Lazcano was killed in a gunfight with troops. and Internet data from Americans and others around the world. about what we can do to fix these problems that he’s exposed,” While Miguel Angel Trevino reportedly melted victims in a But after a flurry of bipartisan denouncements of the leaks, and said Trevor Timm, an activist with the non-profit Electronic 55-gallon “stew” and is accused of ordering the murder of 265 some calls by lawmakers to revisit the authority Congress Frontier Foundation. Some lawmakers have introduced bills migrants, his sibling has his own checkered past. In 2010, Omar bestows on the NSA and other intelligence agencies, the House aimed at recalibrating US laws on surveillance, but this summer Trevino told an informant that he had killed more than 1,000 and Senate returned to executive nominations, debates on stu- and autumn will be spent on more pressing issues, such as a people while Miguel had killed 2,000, according to an affidavit dent loan interest rates and a farm bill. Proponents of reform of looming clash over the US budget.—AFP filed in a US court for a search warrant on the property of anoth- er Trevino brother in Texas. —AFP Business FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Schaeuble praises Greece’s China bars Glaxo finance director from leaving progress on economic reforms

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PASADENA: In this Monday, June 24, 2013, photo, a job seeker holds her resume while talking with a recruiter at a career fair, in King of Prussia, Pa. The Labor Department reports on the num- ber of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week yesterday. — AP US jobless claims fall sharply Data signal moderate pace of job growth

WASHINGTON: New claims for US jobless bene- port the economy later this year. The dollar future. Thursday’s claims data was drawn from the many jobs the economy added during the full fits dropped last week to their lowest level in four extended gains against the yen, a sign investors same survey week in which the Labor Department month. months, a positive sign for hiring that could bol- were betting on tighter monetary policy in the looks at employers’ payrolls to estimate how Compared to the same survey week in June, ster expectations the Federal Reserve will ease its the four-week average for claims was 0.7 percent monetary stimulus this year. lower last week. A Labor Department analyst said Initial claims for state unemployment benefits Dell postpones vote on go-private plan there was nothing unusual in the data and that no fell by 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 334,000, the states had provided estimates. NEW YORK CITY: Dell postponed a share- undervalues the company. Labor Department said on Thursday. It was the Economists polled by Reuters had expected holder vote yesterday on its $24.4 billion go- The Wall Street Journal reported lowest reading since March and a steeper fall than first-time applications to fall to 345,000 last week. private plan led by founder Michael Dell, amid Wednesday that holders of at least 30 percent analysts had expected. Claims for the prior week were revised to show reports that several major investors opposed of Dell were set to vote against the buyout. Readings for jobless claims can be volatile in 2,000 fewer applications received than previously the deal. A Dell statement said the shareholder The plan required a majority of the shares July because many factories close to retool during reported. meeting on the plan, which opened briefly in excluding an estimated 16 percent held by the period, and it is difficult for the government to The US labor market has shown signs of Texas, was delayed until July 24. Michael Dell and his affiliates. adjust the data for seasonal swings because shut- strength in recent weeks, with 195,000 jobs added “Today’s special meeting of stockholders Icahn proposed an alternate plan that down schedules vary from year to year. to payrolls in June. This has fueled expectations was convened and adjourned to provide addi- would pay $14 per share for up to 71 percent Still, a four-week average of new claims, which the Fed will start reducing the amount of bonds it tional time to solicit proxies from Dell stock- of Dell stock, and recently sweetened the deal smooths out volatility, fell 5,250 from a week earli- buys every month, a program aimed at lowering holders,” the statement said. “No vote was tak- by adding one warrant for every four Dell er. “This is still consistent with moderate job interest rates and encouraging businesses to hire en on the proposed transaction prior to the shares, entitling the holder to one share of Dell growth,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at and invest more. At the same time, Fed Chairman adjournment.” The plan announced in at $20. But Dell’s board and others contend Raymond James in St. Petersburg, Florida. Ben Bernanke has said the Fed would only begin February aimed to give Michael Dell a chance Icahn lacks financing for such a plan and that it The data suggested America’s labor market is withdrawing its support if the economy improves to revive the fortunes of the former number would do little to help foster a turnaround. weathering this year’s tax hikes and federal budg- as much as policymakers expect. one computer maker without the pressures of Icahn is backed by the investment firm et cuts, which appeared to drag heavily on eco- The claims report showed the number of peo- a publicly traded firm. But opponents, galva- Southeastern Asset Management. And anoth- nomic growth during the first half of the year. ple still receiving benefits under regular state pro- nized by corporate raider Carl Icahn, have er financial firm, T. Rowe Price, has also indicat- The reading also appeared to back the case for grams after an initial week of aid rose 91,000 to 3.1 claimed the buyout at $13.65 dollars a share ed it would oppose the buyout. —AFP the Fed to begin winding down programs to sup- million in the week ended July 6. — Reuters Business FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Tunisian parliament Bluechips lift Qatar approves Islamic to near 5-year high sukuk bond issues TUNIS: Tunisia’s parliament has passed a law that will allow the state to issue Islamic bonds, or sukuk, a move that could help narrow a gap- Saudi index slip 0.4% ing budget deficit and boost foreign currency reserves, which have fallen to critically low lev- DUBAI: Bluechips lifted Qatar’s bourse to a near banks showed limited profit growth in the sec- However, continuing protests by Mursi sup- els. five-year high yesterday as investors bet on long- ond quarter. The indices for petrochemicals and porters mean the uncertain political environ- Finance Minister Elyess Fakhfakh told parlia- term growth in key industries in the gas-rich Gulf the banking sector dipped 0.2 and 0.6 percent ment is holding back further buying by investors. ment that his ministry planned sometime in state, as most regional markets gained. respectively yesterday. November or December to issue a sovereign Doha’s benchmark climbed 0.8 percent to its “The driver of the market going forward will THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS sukuk to raise $700 million. highest close since September 2008. It has be mid-caps - investors are mostly aware of the QATAR The government, led by moderate Islamists, advanced in eight of the last nine sessions. lagging growth in larger corporates,” said The index gained 0.8 percent to 9,550 points. is keen to develop Islamic finance, which was Large-caps have led the recent rally. Qatar Hesham Tuffaha, a Riyadh-based fund manager. DUBAI neglected by the autocratic secular regime for National Bank (QNB) added 1.8 percent to hit a Retail and industrials are top among sectors The index ticked up 0.02 percent to 2,496 ideological reasons before the 2011 revolution. new all-time high. The lender last week posted a with a strong growth scope, Tuffaha added. points. A Tunisian sukuk issue could potentially attract 24 percent rise in quarterly profit which beat ana- Elsewhere, banks helped lift Oman’s index, ABU DHABI large amounts of Islamic-oriented funds from lysts’ expectations. which rose 0.6 percent. Bank Sohar climbed 2.8 The index climbed 0.6 percent to 3,822 the wealthy Gulf. Industries Qatar (IQ) gained 0.6 percent and percent to its highest level since November 2010. points. The bill received 102 votes in favour in the Commercial Bank of Qatar advanced 1 percent. The stock is up for a third session since competi- SAUDI ARABIA vote in parliament, held ina closed session late “There’s a clear indication that the buying is tor Bank Dhofar said it wanted to start merger The index slipped 0.4 percent to 7,667 points. on Wednesday. “Tunisia’s financial difficulties more on macro Qatar interest than a valuation talks with its smaller peer. OMAN require the mobilisation of all resources, includ- play on stocks,” said Ahmed Shehada, head of National Bank of Oman advanced 2.5 percent. The index advanced 0.6 percent to 6,623 ing Islamic sukuk,” Fakhfakh said. trading at QNB Financial Services. “The names It posted a flat second-quarter net profit before points. that have moved the market should have hit a the market opened but beat the average forecast EGYPT Tunisia is running a large state budget plateau in terms of valuations, although by the of analysts. The index edged up 0.03 percent to 5,347 deficit, which it has projected at about $3.2 bil- volumes that they’re seeing, I don’t think it will In Egypt, the main benchmark was little points. lion this year, and political tensions are hurting happen.” Index compiler Morgan Stanley Capital changed. It hit a six-week high on Tuesday on KUWAIT its ability to finance itself. The assassination of International (MSCI) upgraded Qatar to emerging optimism over the formation of an interim gov- The index gained 0.3 percent to 7,944 points. opposition figure Shukri BelaÔd in February market status from frontier market in June and ernment, two weeks after the military overthrew BAHRAIN sparked the worst political crisis since Zine al- following a speculation-driven rally, provisional Islamist President Mohamed Mursi. The index was flat at 1,189 points. — Reuters Abidine Ben Ali was toppled as president more index constituents are seeing increased investor than two years ago. interest. Qatar will have a 0.45 percent weight- The crisis ended with the resignation of the ing in the emerging market index, effective June government and the formation of a new one 2, 2014. A flow of about $500 million from funds headed by the Islamist Ali Larayedh. The North benchmarked against the index will go into African country, which has also signed a $1.7 bil- stocks like QNB, IQ and telecom operator lion standby loan agreement with the Ooredoo. Active funds have already begun cher- International Monetary fund (IMF), is struggling ry-picking stocks. with rising inflation and a big external deficit as These firms are up between 16.9 and 26.8 well as its uncertain political outlook percent year-to-date, outpacing the correspon- A slide in foreign reserves could push it into a ding exchange gain of 14.2 percent. In the United balance of payments squeeze resembling the Arab Emirates, Dubai’s measure failed to close crisis in Egypt. Tunisia’s foreign currency above 2,500 points after breaking the major chart resistance level intra-day, suggesting reserves last month fell for the first time below investors need confirmation from second-quarter the level the central bank considers adequate, at earnings to increase risk. The index was little just 94 days of import cover. changed at a 56-month high and has edged past Ferjani Dogman, chairman of the parliamen- 70 on the relative strength index into over- tary Finance Committee, said Islamic bonds bought territory. would help to diversify Tunisia’s funding Abu Dhabi’s benchmark climbed 0.6 percent, sources, but were “not aimed at Islamisation of extending 2013 gains to 45.3 percent. In Saudi the economy”. Arabia, the index slipped 0.4 percent, its third The Moderate Islamic Ennahda Party heads decline in the last four sessions, as large-caps NEW DELHI: (L/R): Samsung Country Head of Mobile and Imaging Business Vineet the government in coalition with two secular dragged. Sentiment towards the petrochemical Taneja, Indian Bollywood actress Yami Gautam and Director Samsung Mobile Manu parties after winning Tunisia’s first free election sector was negative this week as firms posted Sharma pose displaying the newly launched Galaxy Tab 3 series at a function in New in 2011. — Reuters earnings that missed estimates, while larger Delhi yesterday. — AFP Dubai real estate bonds would find buyers amid recovery DUBAI: Dubai real estate developers may issue bonds to Investment Co (SICO) in Bahrain. Arabtec, which this month completed a $653 million fund a growing pipeline of new projects - and market “From an investor’s point of view, debt instruments equity rights issue, has said it might raise as much as movements suggest they would attract strong investor by government-linked property firms will be attractive $450 million from the bond market at the end of 2013 or demand, despite the sector’s crisis just a few years ago. based on the risk premium offered over sovereign bonds in 2014. That would be its first bond issue. In the past, most property and construction firms in and so I think they will be taken up. The Dubai real estate Dubai Investments, which has interests in property the emirate relied almost exclusively on bank finance. market has staged a recovery and investor confidence and manufacturing, has hired banks for a $300 million Although local banks are flush with cash, that strategy has improved.” A big question mark over the slew of real Islamic bond sale, but has not issued yet. The company may not work as the next building cycle begins. estate projects announced in Dubai over the last nine was given a BB rating by Standard & Poor’s earlier this The partial pull-out of European banks from the months has been their financing; even if only a fraction month. region has reduced the number of lenders, while many of the plans go ahead, they will require tens of billions of The Gulf’s bond market has deepened and become banks want to diversify their exposure since the crisis. dollars. Last month Emaar Properties said it would form a more liquid than it was during Dubai’s last real estate The United Arab Emirates central bank is drafting rules to venture with Dubai Holding to build Dubai Creek Harbor, boom in the middle of last decade; foreign investors are limit banks’ exposure to state-linked entities, and the a 6.5 million square metre district including business, more familiar with it. This makes the use of bonds by real state holds large stakes in most of Dubai’s big real estate shopping, sporting and entertainment facilities. estate firms more feasible. developers. So the bond market is set to play a bigger Separately, Emaar said it formed a venture with Meraas The dramatic recovery of investor confidence in role in the real estate sector in coming years, giving Holding to build a residential and commercial area near Dubai since its 2009-2010 financial crisis also helps. After regional investors access to a wider range of credits after the city’s downtown area. plunging more than 50 percent in the wake of the crisis, they were forced to focus largely on bank debt in the last Meydan Group and the Sobha Group have residential property prices in Dubai are on average up by several years. “Property firms like Nakheel have already announced plans to develop a leisure, retail and residen- around 16 percent year-on-year, analysts estimate. borrowed from local and international banks, and tial complex, while Meraas hopes to complete the first Also, Dubai’s real estate developers have been forced lenders may not be willing or allowed to lend any further part of a $2.7 billion complex of five theme parks by end- to reorganise and diversify themselves over the past few to these companies and increase their exposure,” said 2014. There are already signs that some companies are years in order to survive. The benefits of this may still be Ambereen Jiwani, senior analyst at Securities & thinking of the bond market. Dubai construction firm emerging. —Reuters Business21 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Schaeuble praises Greece’s progress on economic reforms ‘We have confidence in what Greece is doing’

ATHENS: Visiting German Finance Minister with the agreed reforms,” he added. including parliament, the seat of government Wolfgang Schaeuble praised Greece yester- Schaeuble denied claims that Greece will and the German embassy. The restrictions day for its progress on economic reforms, a face a financing gap of 50 billion euros by also apply to the entire route leading to day after parliament narrowly passed a September, or that creditors would be forced Athens airport. sweeping austerity bill putting thousands of to write off part of the debt. Several metro stations were closed while jobs on the line. Instead, he said more financial help could traffic in the city centre was blocked. Security was tightened during the minis- be agreed next year if Greece stuck to the Similar measures were taken for the visit of ter’s visit, as Schaeuble is a hate figure to BARCELONA: A Monday, Feb 25, 2013 photo from many in Greece for championing the painful files showing Stephen Elop, chief executive officer of reforms that the heavily indebted country has Nokia speaking during a conference at the Mobile had to undertake in exchange for billions in World Congress, the world’s largest mobile phone rescue funds. Greece, now in its sixth straight trade show, in Barcelona, Spain. Struggling Nokia year of recession, has been forced to under- Corp. yesterday said its sales continued to drop in take job, pay and pension cuts, in order to the second quarter, while it managed to reduce its secure 240 billion euros in rescue funds put net loss amid continued cost-cuts. —AP up by the European Union and International Monetary Fund. “I am very impressed by what Greece has already achieved in rebalancing Nokia Q2 sales fall, and modernising the economy,” Schaeuble said, adding that Germany is ready to invest in misses expectations a fund that provides liquidity to Greek compa- nies. HELSINKI: The sales decline at struggling cellphone maker Nokia Schaeuble’s visit came just hours after the Corp. continues with revenues dropping almost a quarter between Greek parliament approved a new bill of April and June compared with the same time last year, the company reforms outlining the redeployment of 25,000 announced yesterday. civil servants, despite days of street protests. The Finnish company’s second-quarter sales declined to 5.7 billion Under the bill, thousands of civil servants- ATHENS: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (L) and Greek euros ($7.49 billion) from 7.5 billion euros in the same period last year. including teachers and municipal police-have Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras speak as they attend an event Nonetheless, Nokia’s cost-cutting program helped it trim net loss to eight months on reduced salaries to find new organised by the Greek-German chamber of commerce and industry in 227 million euros, compared with a net loss of 1.41 billion euros a year posts elsewhere, or accept those offered to Athens yesterday. —AFP earlier. The sales figures fell short of analysts’ expectations - a poll of them. Otherwise, they will lose their jobs. 30 analysts by SIX News had forecast sales of 6.4 billion euros. The Greece needed to approve the bill in order agreed path of reforms. German Chancellor Angela Merkel in October. company’s share price was 3.5 percent lower at 2.99 euros in early to receive its next instalment of 6.8 billion But public resentment is high in Greece On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters afternoon trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. euros ($8.9 billion) in rescue funds, which was after four years of austerity, which has sunk gathered outside parliament ahead of the The company said it would continue to reduce costs and may cut approved by eurozone finance ministers last the country deep into six straight years of late-night vote on the controversial reform week. recession and sent unemployment soaring to bill, which also covers a partial overhaul of the up to 440 jobs globally in its mobile phones business. Nokia, a former Shortly before heading off to Athens, a record 27 percent. tax system, including the introduction of new industry leader, lost its dominant position in the smartphone market Schaeuble told German public radio his visit Many Greeks have blamed the EU’s criteria for taxable income and the adjustment when phones using its old Symbian smartphone operating system “is a sign of encouragement that we support biggest economy for not letting up in its push of tax thresholds. The coalition government’s failed to keep up with the likes of Apple’s iPhone and handsets that Greece on its difficult path”. for reforms. majority carried most of the tougher articles use Google’s Android software. The company had hoped to remedy “We have confidence in what Greece is During Schaeuble’s visit, police banned all by a vote of 153 to 140. that by teaming up with Microsoft in 2011 to work on a range of doing... we of course have to insist that Greece public outdoor gatherings and demonstra- Greece is not expected to post growth Lumia phones based on the Windows operating system. continue on this difficult path of pushing on tions in a large swathe of the city centre before 2014. —AFP Sales of the Lumia phones in the second quarter increased by 32 percent compared with the first three months of the year to 7.4 mil- lion handsets - but this was still at the lower end of analysts’ expecta- tions. The company’s total handset sales, which include the no-thrills “feature” phones popular in developing markets, were down 27 per- Tax evasion, faltering global cent on the same quarter last year at 61.1 million units. Greger Johansson, an analyst with research firm Redeye in Stockholm, said he economy top G20 agenda was worried about the rapid sales decline of the feature phones, adding that the company has to keep launching new Lumia models at MOSCOW: Tax evasion and splits over the G20 today. A key objective is to tackle tech- run-up to the summit in September, econo- a rapid pace to keep up client interest in the Windows phones. state of the global economy as emerging niques of what is known as tax optimisa- mist Chris Weafer at consultants Macro Nokia “has a few more quarters to make it. They are now more or markets slow down are the main subjects tion, meaning accounting arrangements Advisory told AFP. less breaking even, that’s a good starting point,” he said. “The compa- for a meeting of G20 countries tomorrow. used by multinational businesses to min- The tax issue is also a chance for the G20 ny has to keep on releasing new, very attractive products to catch Finance ministers and central bankers imise their tax bills. Among companies countries to speak with one voice at a time market share from Samsung and Apple. I think Nokia still does have from the Group of 20 top advanced and which have been in the spotlight recently when they are divided over the state of the pretty good chance of doing that.” emerging nations will meet in Moscow for for using legal, but controversial, methods world economy. Nokia said its devices and services sales in the world’s largest their third gathering this year, to prepare for of booking profits in low-tax countries are Weafer observed that “we could well see devices market, China, fell by 57 percent to 232 million euros while a G20 summit at the beginning of US giants Google, Amazon and Starbucks. a split” between rich countries and emerg- sales in North America - the frontline of the smartphone market - September in Saint-Petersburg. At the OECD, the head of the tax policy ing economies on this. The 17-nation euro- dropped by 4 percent to 123 million euros. The summit will focus on progress over and administration unit Pascal Saint-Amans zone is stuck in recession and the economy Still, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the mobile phones business unit cooperation against tax evasion and on reg- said: “There is a good consensus within the of the United States is struggling to gain started to demonstrate “some signs of recovery in the latter part of the ulating finance. One government source, G20.” So-called tax havens may be used for momentum. The high rate of growth of second quarter following a difficult start to the year.” who declined to be named, commented tax evasion, which is illegal, or avoidance emerging economies, which has helped to He said the Lumia 520 has “enjoyed a strong start in markets like that the priority was “to make headway which may be legal but can be highly con- support global activity, is showing signs of China, France, India, Thailand, the UK, the US and Vietnam.” Sales by towards greater transparency, towards troversial. The issue has become a hot sub- slowing and this is also a cause for concern. the company’s network division, Nokia Siemens Networks, fell by 17 stronger action against countries with ject, particularly in countries where austeri- China, with the second-biggest econo- percent to 2.8 billion euros. uncooperative legal systems.” At the last ty measures are associated with tax increas- my in the world, has just reported that its Nokia earlier this month announced its intention to purchase G20 meeting in Washington in April, a joint es and high unemployment. economy grew by 7.6 percent in the first Siemens’ half of the 2007 joint venture, in a move to help bolster its statement called for international coopera- The role havens play has been highlight- half of the year, confirming that the speed struggling smartphone division. On Thursday it said it expects to cut tion to attack banking secrecy. ed this year by the “Offshore Leaks”, a series of its recent rapid growth is slowing. the annual operating costs in Nokia Siemens by 1.5 billion euros at the The task of organising this was given to of revelations about assets lodged in tax This is a worry for countries which pro- end of 2013, compared with the end of 2011. It had previously fore- the Paris-based Organisation for Economic havens by high-profile people. vide China with raw materials and products. cast to cut costs by 1 billion euros. Cooperation and Development, the policy “The techniques of tax evasion and tax At the beginning of July the International research centre and forum for advanced havens are the top target for governments Monetary Fund lowered its forecasts for Elop said Nokia Siemens Networks “continued to deliver well democracies. and the ministers are going to want to be growth of the economies in China, Brazil, against its focused strategy,” adding he looks forward to strengthen- The OECD is to report on its work to the sure that it is being treated as such,” in the South Africa and Russia. —AFP ing the division as “a more independent entity.” —AP Business22 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 China to become world’s top economy

WASHINGTON: The United States is still has the stronger economy, with 44 percent say- The surveys, conducted before news their countries’ concerns much weight when viewed as the world’s leading economic power ing China and 39 percent the United States. emerged about National Security Agency sur- setting foreign policy; just 35 percent in France in many countries, according to polls in 39 Since 2008, the population share that calls veillance programs, also found that 37 of the 39 and half in Germany say America considers nations by the Pew Research Center’s Global China the world’s top economy has just about countries saw the US as a good steward of indi- their interests at least “a fair amount.” Attitudes Project. But as the Great Recession doubled in Spain, Germany and Britain, nearly vidual liberty. Other findings from the surveys: The US is has buffeted the US economy, China has tripled in Russia and gained 22 points in France. Before leaks of classified documents viewed favorably by a majority in 28 of the 38 gained rapidly in the eyes of the rest of the Of the 20 countries Pew surveyed in both 2008 revealed widespread US tracking of Internet other nations tracked in the poll, with favorabili- world, and many say it ultimately will replace and 2013, all but two are now significantly communications among people in other coun- ty ratings above 80 percent in Ghana, Senegal America as the world’s top global economic more likely to say China is the world’s leading tries, many said they were confident President and Kenya in Africa, Israel in the Middle East force. In 22 of the 39 nations polled, the US is economic power. Barack Obama would do the right thing in and the Philippines in Asia. America fares worst seen as the top global economy, while China is In 18 of the countries polled, half or more world affairs. That included 88 percent in in the Middle East, where most have an unfa- viewed as having the upper hand in eight believe China has replaced or will replace the Germany and 83 percent in France, two allies vorable opinion in five of seven nations sur- countries, including US allies Canada, Britain, US as the world’s top economic force, while whose official reactions to the spying program veyed, including 81 percent with a negative Germany and France. Surprisingly, Americans majorities in only three believe the US will have been negative. view in Egypt and 70 percent unfavorable in are about evenly divided over which country maintain its top economic position. Few in those two nations think the US gives Turkey. —AP Asian economies struggling to reignite growth, exports sag Economists cut Asian growth forecasts

BANGALORE: Emerging Asia will show little In June, China’s exports fell for the first India are both racing to put in place reforms increase in economic growth rates this year time in 17 months and a private survey of that will reduce their reliance on hot money due to weak exports, with China giving the manufacturing sector showed new flows and strengthen core industries. more priority to making needed reforms, orders declined that month for the second While Chinese GDP growth has slowed and India tightening policies to defend its time in a row. to 7.5 percent in the second quarter, the beleaguered rupee, Reuters polls showed Indian exports too fell for the second ninth slowdown in the last 10 quarters, the yesterday. straight month in June. “Chinese data disap- government has said it will tolerate lower Prospects for 2014, however, look better pointed recently and indicates that eco- growth rates in order to push through with most economies expected to grow nomic growth will cool down further later in reforms. faster than this year on the back of a recov- 2013. Accordingly, economic momentum Premier Li Keqiang’s government will ery in US growth. The polls on the outlook has slumped further in other emerging mar- push more supportive, pro-growth initia- tives, and there have been signs of such tar- LONDON: This April 28, 2010 file photo shows the geted measures recently, such as expanded GlaxoSmithKline offices in London. Drug manufac- lending to small businesses and agriculture turer GlaxoSmithKline, under investigation in China and increased investment in affordable on suspicion its employees bribed doctors, said yes- housing for poor families. terday, its finance director for the country has been “As growth has cooled in developed barred from leaving. —AP economies, China has been transitioning to a more domestic demand driven economy,” wrote Jay Bryson, economist at Wells Fargo China bars Glaxo in a note. “We look for the year-over-year rate of growth in China to come in around finance director the 7 to 8 percent range over the next year and a half. Although this is certainly slower from leaving than the torrid double-digit growth achieved a few years ago, it is more sustain- BEIJING: Drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline, under investigation on able, especially given the shifting drivers of suspicion its employees bribed Chinese doctors, said Thursday the Chinese economic growth.” finance director for its local unit has been barred from leaving China. India has also announced a spate of The executive, Steve Nechelput, has not been questioned or arrest- reforms recently to attract increased foreign ed and is free to travel within China, the British company said in a state- investment in the telecom, defence, insur- ment. It said it had been aware of the travel restrictions since the end of ance and retail sectors. The growth rate in June. Nechelput continues to work in his role as finance director for the other Asian countries like Indonesia, company’s China unit. SHANGHAI: An investor gestures at a private securities company in Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan Chinese police announced this week they have detained four GSK Shanghai, China, yesterday. Asian stocks were mostly higher yester- and Thailand are expected to range employees on suspicion of paying bribes to doctors, hospitals and oth- day, tracking overnight gains in Europe and Wall Street after US between 2.7 percent and 6.8 percent this ers to encourage them to prescribe the company’s medications. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s suggested stimulus policies year. A separate poll last week showed, eco- Police say the employees funneled as much as 3 billion yuan ($490 may continue for longer than expected. —AP nomic recovery in the United States will pick million) through travel agencies and consulting firms to hide the momentum in the second half of the year source of bribes, according to Chinese news reports. Investigators have for a dozen top Asian countries, taken kets due to sluggish overall global demand while Europe stagnates and Latin America’s not made clear how much of that money was paid as bribes. between July 8 to 17, showed economists momentum,” said Stefan Hofer, emerging largest economies grow more slowly than The official Xinhua News Agency said the scheme appeared to be have slashed 2013 growth forecasts for market economist at Julius Baer. previously expected. aimed at evading GSK’s internal controls meant to prevent bribery. GSK almost all economies in the region with If the current rate of export growth holds Slumping growth would have normally has said it opposes bribery and was cooperating with the investigation. China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and for the rest of the year, calculations by prompted Asian central banks to loosen On Wednesday, the Chinese drug regulator launched a crackdown Taiwan bearing the brunt. Reuters on data from the World Trade monetary policy, but with their currencies on misconduct in its pharmaceutical market, though it gave no indica- Indeed, forecasts for gross domestic Organisation show exports by China and sliding due to talk of the Fed tapering, poli- tion it was linked to the GlaxoSmithKline probe. The State Food and product growth in China and India, the two India will show low single-digit growth this cymakers’ are unable to lower interest rates. Drug Administration said the campaign is aimed at stamping out unau- regional powerhouses, have now been cut year, while those in Indonesia, South Korea, The poll showed central banks in thorized drug production, improper online drug retailing and sales of in almost every quarterly poll since a year Taiwan and Thailand will likely stagnate or Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, fake traditional Chinese medicines. ago. contract. Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan The new Chinese leadership that took power in November has China is expected to grow 7.5 percent The deterioration on the trade front, cou- and Thailand will refrain from changing promised to improve China’s health system and rein in surging costs of this year, while India is forecast to show 5.5 pled with capital outflows as investors took interest rates levels this year. medicine and medical care that are fueling public frustration. percent growth - way below levels both fright over speculation that the US Federal Having cut its policy repo rate three China has suffered repeated scandals over fake or shoddy medica- countries are used to. Supplying developed Reserve would start winding down its times this year, to bring the rate down to tions, some of which caused deaths and injuries. Regulators have countries with everything from consumer mega-stimulus programme - a major source 7.25 percent, the Reserve Bank of India is launched repeated crackdowns on false advertising and other viola- and electronic goods, to clothes and tech- of cheap funds - exposed the weaknesses of expected to leave rates unchanged until the tions, but with limited success. nology equipment, Asia’s export focused several Asian economies. October-December quarter, as it tries to bol- Also Wednesday, a Commerce Ministry spokesman warned that economies have been hit by a prolonged A crying need for structural reforms in ster a rupee which hit a record low of 61.21 Chinese and foreign drug manufacturers would face “legal sanctions” slowdown in their main markets. some was thrown in sharp relief. China and against the dollar last week. —Reuters for misconduct. —AP Health FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Australian firm launches ‘anti-shark’ wetsuits

SYDNEY: An Australian research firm yesterday ly “hide you in the water column”, Anderson said. of Natural History. That compared with 78 in 2011 testing will be done off southern Australia and launched what is being touted as the world’s first The “Diverter”-mainly for surfers-is based on what and 82 in 2010. Anderson and Jolly’s research firm, South Africa this Southern Hemisphere summer anti-shark wetsuit, using new discoveries about the sharks perceive as danger signs in nature, with a Shark Attack Mitigation Systems (SAMS), licensed (December-February). The research has focused on predators’ eyesight to stave off or evade an attack. bold black and white banding pattern to imitate an their technology to wetsuit maker Radiator, which “your larger predatory sharks-white pointers, tiger Working in conjunction with the University of “unpalatable food item”, according to UWA opened pre-orders for the first suits online sharks, bull sharks, they’re the main ones really Western Australia’s (UWA) Oceans Institute, entre- researcher Shaun Collin. Thursday from Aus$429 (US$392). internationally that cause harm to humans”, preneurs Hamish Jolly and Craig Anderson have “Many animals in biology are repelled by nox- Stickers using the Diverter striped pattern are Anderson said. developed two lines of wetsuit designed to protect ious animals-prey that provide a signal that some- also available for the underside of surfboards and There was “substantial” demand across the divers and surfers from sharks. “It’s based on new how says ‘Don’t eat me’-and that has been manifest other watercraft, with the research to be featured world for technologies to repel sharks, he added, breakthrough science which is all about visionary in a striped pattern,” said Collin. It is the culmination on National Geographic next week. Testing of the with SAMS poised to unveil a partnership with a systems for predatory sharks,” Anderson told AFP. of a two-year research project funded by the designs using dummies and tiger sharks off major global technical swimwear brand. “We’ve been able to interpret that science and Western Australia government following an Australia’s west coast has been successful, with the “Everyone’s looking for a solution, everyone’s nerv- convert that into, basically, materials that create unprecedented spate of shark attacks in the state marine predators gliding past SAMS patterns but ous about going in the water around the world some confusion for sharks’ visual systems.” The which claimed five lives in the year to July 2012. savaging traditional black wetsuits. now. It’s not just Australia, we had a fatality in the blue-and-white “Elude” range, designed for divers Globally, there were 80 confirmed unprovoked While the results had so far been “extraordi- Reunion Islands this week,” he said. Of the wetsuits, and snorkellers, uses research about sharks’ percep- shark attacks in 2012 according to the International nary”, Jolly said SAMS “cannot say that our suits are he added: “It’s safe, it’s natural and gives the ani- tions of light and their colour blindness to essential- Shark Attack File managed by the Florida Museum a fail-safe protection against shark attacks”. Further mals no harm at all.” — AFPk THEY ARE THE 99!

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www.the99.org The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2013, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Media Group, Inc. Teshkeel The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2013, Opinion26 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Brotherhood absorbs blows, faces return to the shadows Group says military driving them out of politics

By Maggie Fick

hen Mohamed Wahdan of the Muslim Brotherhood was arrested Wlast week, he got a taste of what life may be like for the Islamist movement now that the army has overthrown President Mohamed Morsi. It was a familiar feeling. Held for two nights with 24 other men in a packed cell 10 feet (three metres) square, Wahdan said the treatment was a chilling reminder of the oppression that the Brothers suffered during decades when Egypt was ruled by hostile mili- tary men. “We couldn’t sit. We couldn’t pray, we couldn’t sleep,” he told Reuters. “This is the way of life we are greeted with after the coup,” he said, referring to the army’s takeover two weeks ago that Western governments have not yet termed as such. When protests brought down veteran mili- tary autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the Brotherhood, which spent 85 years in the shadows as a secret society, burst into daylight as the dominant political force in the country, winning election after election. But now that those victories have been reversed by another general, the Brothers are facing a future back underground. “They are obsessed by their ordeal in the past,” said Khalil Al-Anani, an expert on Islamist movements at Durham University. “They are right to be very con- cerned about their personal freedoms and their future.” The Brotherhood is unlikely, however, to return to the strategy of violence it aban- doned decades ago, Anani said. “The leader- ship realises it cannot sacrifice their image and credibility by using violence,” said Anani. Supporters of Egypt’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi shout slogans during a demonstration in front of Cairo University “They realise it is a useless tool in the political context, and they know the state will win any where protesters have installed their camp in Giza, southwest of Cairo, late Wednesday. —AP violent contest.” Brotherhood figures say the for involvement. He said he now fears a return anything new. How do they do that? Freezing that police fired tear gas after the scuffles. Pro- military is bent on driving them out of politics of the “police state”. the assets, arresting the top leaders, closing Morsi protesters said they were again attacked altogether, their leadership hauled off to jail. “This started in the first hours after the down the party and the Brotherhood head- while praying, and that police intervened to They are staging a vigil at a Cairo mosque, coup,” Wahdan said. “They closed our TV quarters and offices across the country, and support the attackers. “Where were the ambu- now in its third week, with thousands of sup- channels, they arrested our leaders and our killing people on the street. And they think we lances?...How long will this go on? What is hap- porters vowing not to leave unless Morsi is activists, then they killed us and are torturing are going to budge?” he said at the group’s pening is a massacre,” said a doctor who treat- restored in power. Every few days the move- us in detention. The police cannot treat us this vigil. “This is an organisation built for 86 years ed protesters. Seven people were killed and ment calls mass demonstrations attracting horrible way in 2013.” He was one of more under oppressive regimes. That is the nature of more than 260 wounded there and in another tens of thousands of people, some of which than 600 Morsi supporters detained on July 8 the organisation, that is our comfort zone. They part of Cairo. More than 400 were detained. have led to deadly clashes. after a clash in which more than 50 Morsi sup- just pushed us back into it.” Morsi himself is being held incommunicado The confrontation only seems to be attract- porters and four members of the security Brotherhood activists are particularly frus- at an undisclosed location with other leaders, ing a firmer crackdown from the authorities. forces were killed. The authorities say the trated that so many former allies from the including Haddad’s father. Authorities say they Hundreds of Morsi followers have been round- Brotherhood provoked that violence by uprising that ousted Mubarak now appear are investigating Morsi over complaints of ed up, and arrest warrants have been issued attacking its soldiers; the Brotherhood says its unmoved by the crackdown it is facing. “We’ve inciting violence, spying and wrecking the for most of the Brotherhood’s leaders. “They partisans were peacefully praying. However seen a return of the state security officers, with economy but have yet to charge him with a remain in the streets protesting to ensure that the incident began, video footage showed the same faces, that we witnessed torturing crime. A military spokesman said on the police state does not come back, which snipers in uniform firing from rooftops at the Egyptians before the revolution,” Brotherhood Wednesday he was being held for his own pro- unfortunately seems to be happening now,” crowd. Rights groups say troops used unnec- spokesman Ahmed Aref said at the Rabaa tection. Other senior Brotherhood figures are said Anani. essary force. The authorities deny using dis- Adaweya mosque, site of the vigil. A rallying still camping out at the vigil, which turns every proportionate force or mistreating prisoners. cry in 2011 was the desire to end harsh police night into a carnival, attracting huge crowds, ‘Comfort Zone’ Coming into open politics was no easy deci- measures against Islamists and liberals alike. with vendors selling sweets and souvenirs. The Brotherhood had already long since sion for the Brotherhood. Spokesman Gehad Although most of those Egyptians who do not Most of the leaders face arrest warrants, renounced violence when a more radical El-Haddad said most of its older leadership support the Brotherhood are now firmly issued by the public prosecutor after Morsi’s Islamist splinter group assassinated Mubarak’s opposed fielding a candidate for president. behind the military crackdown, a minority of ouster, on charges such as inciting and funding predecessor Anwar Sadat in 1979. Other radi- They were lobbied by younger activists who liberals have begun expressing reservations. violence or “thuggery”. Many of the older peo- cals later broke away and continued violent narrowly won an internal vote. Haddad, 31 and But Haddad said he had stopped speaking to ple at the camp were jailed under Mubarak. attacks. The Brotherhood, still banned, grew a leader of the younger generation, lamented many liberal activists that he had long regard- Some of the younger ones have family mem- into an underground social welfare organisa- that the group’s strides to adapt to overt poli- ed as close friends. bers who spent years in prison. On a recent, tion, building up its numbers by preaching tics could be reversed by authorities he said boiling afternoon, a man with a microphone and charity, while members faced prison and were intent on preventing it winning elections Life After the ‘Coup’ called on them to pray during the daily torture. Wahdan, a 52-year-old agriculture pro- again, predicting more oppression to come. The latest deadly violence took place in cen- Ramadan fast. “This is a prayer in the heat, in fessor and a member of the Brotherhood’s 17- “They need to dismantle the Brotherhood. tral Cairo late on Monday night. Witnesses said the fasting, in the name of achieving the free- man executive, spent three years in prison in They need to give the Brotherhood deep fighting broke out when Morsi supporters dom of our president, legitimacy, justice,” he the mid-1990s, convicted by a military court enough blows that it won’t be able to contest blocked traffic on a bridge over the Nile, and said. —Reuters FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 www.kuwaittimes.net hours tofinish. —AFP candies and1,800 working works aretaken300,000 more thanfiftypiecesofart yesterday. Organizersaid shek MemorialHallinTaipei Sorkin attheChiangKai- Kingdom“ byartistJackie “Hollywood CandyQueen’s a exhibitionnamed a candymadeclownduring A manposesforphotowith Food FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

ndulge your appetite for sweet corn by shopping farmers markets, roadside stands and local grocers for freshly Ipicked ears, then crunching your way around cob after cob after cob. And when you decide you’ve had enough, let these recipes seduce you into indulging one, two or three more times with salads that embrace summer’s best produce and the season’s easygoing attitude. Sure, a pair of cool corn soups got our attention when we opened Melissa Hamilton’s and Christopher Hirsheimer’s book, “Canal House Cooks Every Day” (Andrews McMeel, $45), but it was their take on a classic corn-and-bean succotash that won us over. It begins with leftover corn, and “you needn’t worry if you have a little more of one ingredient or a little less of anoth- er,” the authors write. “This salad isn’t finicky.” Indeed, the sal- ad is easily doctored. If you like, toss in some olives and salty cheese, like they do. That’s summertime perfect. So is a salad from Martha Stewart’s team that pairs grilled corn with avocados. “Heather Christo’s Generous Table: Sharing the Love of Good Food With Friends and Family” (Kyle Books, $29.95) celebrates the fresh- est of corn by mixing raw kernels with mango, then tucking the combo into heirloom tomatoes for serving - or into small Mason jars for a more casual feel. How do you choose terrific fresh corn? Well, don’t pull back the husks to see if it’s an ear you want because you’ll just dry out the kernels, writes Deborah Madison’s in her “Vegetable Literacy” (Ten Speed Press, $40). “Instead, feel the ear with your fingers to detect whether the kernels are filled out or not.” Madison, who might serve freshly cooked corn with an herbed salt or salsa verde, suggests opting for organic corn whenever possible. “And don’t let a worm scare you if you find it on the tip of an ear. It’s just a little creature, easily knocked off its perch.”

CORN, STRING BEAN & POTATO SUCCOTASH SALAD Cook: Put 4 thin-skinned waxy potatoes in a pot of salted cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While pota- toes cook, add 4 shucked ears of corn to the pot; cook 3-5 min- utes. Remove corn from water; cool. Add 1 pound trimmed string beans to pot; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Scoop beans out of pot with a slotted spoon; cool quickly in a bowl of ice water. Drain potatoes when tender; about 20 minutes depending on size. Food FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Sure, there are at least a dozen clever implements (variously called strippers, kernelers, zippers, cutters and peelers) designed to do the job. None seem to work as well as a sharp knife and steady hand. Even that has its own problems: Holding that cob upright and steady while cutting off the ker- nels can be a challenge. Containing the kernels that shoot off the cob as you cut still another. To solve the slippery cob-on-counter issue, “Heather Christo’s Generous Table: Sharing the Love of Good Food With Friends and Family” (Kyle Books, $29.95) suggests: “Cut corn on a clean dishcloth. It keeps the kernels from bouncing around after they have been sliced from the cob. I also like to use a ser- rated knife - it makes cutting kernels off the cob easier.” And while other cooks like using a shallow bowl, our favorite cob de-kerneling tip comes from Lisa Schumacher of the Chicago Tribune’s test kitchen: Using a bundt pan, that tube pan with fluted sides, she positions a shucked ear of corn, stem down, into the tube’s opening. With a sharp knife, she cuts straight down the cob’s length to remove the kernels that drop into the pan. OK, 98 percent did when we tried it. But what’s a few kernels when you have to deal with several ears Assemble: Cut corn off cob into a large bowl. Cut potatoes full? — MCT into slices or chunks. Add to bowl. Drain green beans, add to bowl. Add 1 finely chopped shallot; a handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss gently. Adjust seasonings, adding more oil if needed. Servings: 4 to 6

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH FRESH CORN, MANGO SALAD Chop: Cut tops off 6 large heirloom tomatoes. Gently cut around inside edge of each tomato; use a spoon or your hands to scoop out most of the insides (reserve for another use) cre- ating a cup. Sprinkle insides with salt and pepper. Cut off ker- nels from 4 ears corn and place in a large bowl. Add 1 mango, peeled and diced; 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced; 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; 1\2 cup minced fresh cilantro; 1 jalapeno, finely minced; 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 table- spoons fresh lime juice. Mix: Gently mix to combine; season with salt. Spoon salad into tomato cups. Transfer to a platter. Garnish with fresh chive blossoms or another edible blossom (such as nasturtiums). Serve at room temperature. Servings: 6

GRILLED CORN, AVOCADO AND CILANTRO Heat grill to medium high. Grill 4 ears of shucked corn, rotating often until lightly charred, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut kernels from cob. Toss corn and 1 sliced avocado gently with 1\2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus 1 tablespoon each fresh lime juice and olive oil. Season with coarse salt. Servings: 4

OFF THE COB: CONQUER THE KERNEL DILEMMA We’ve put men on the moon but have yet to come up with a perfect corn de-kerneler - one that cleans a freshly shucked cob neatly while not shooting kernels all over the kitchen. Travel FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 The best sights and attractions in NY

Manhattan and Philadelphia. When temperatures plunge, the fest moves to the handsome, cavernous lobby at Brooklyn’s landmark Skylight One Hanson (through March). It’s as good a people-watching spot as you’ll find-plenty of established and wanna-be designers mill about-and the eats alone are worth the trip. Vendors change each weekend, so check the website the Friday before doors open to see who’s selling.

Chrysler Building We won’t argue if you want to call this glimmering pinnacle of Art Deco architecture NYC’s most eye-popping skyscraper. Triangle-shaped windows in its crown are lined with lights, creating a beautiful effect come nighttime. Oozing a moneyed sophistication oft identified with old New York, the structure pays homage to its namesake with giant eagles (replicas of ones added to Chrysler automobiles in the 1920s) in lieu of traditional gargoyles and a brickwork relief sculpture of racing cars, complete with chrome hubcaps. During the famed three- way race to construct Manhattan’s tallest building, the Chrysler added a needle-sharp stainless-steel spire to best 40 hether you’re entertaining out-of-town guests or Brooklyn Heights’ tree-lined side streets, or head down to Wall Street-but was outdone shortly after its completion in simply want to revisit iconic NYC spots, make sight- Brooklyn Bridge Park. 1930 by the Empire State Building. Wseeing easier by consulting Time Out’s definitive No mere river crossing, this span is an elegant reminder of guide to New York’s best sights and top attractions. We’ve New York’s history of architectural innovation. When it 5Pointz Aerosol Art Center compiled our favorite sights in the city, featuring the best opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was a feat of engineer- This Long Island City warehouse, treated as a 200,000- parks, museums, culture spots and historical venues. Sights ing: It was the first structure to cross the East River and, at the square-foot canvas, is one of the world’s best places to see the like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are time, the longest suspension bridge in the world. (It also made full spectrum of spray-paint art. Ride a Queens-bound 7 train perennial favorites, but we’ve also highlighted newcomers use of steel-wire cables, invented by the bridge’s original past the Hunters Point Ave stop for an elevated, panoramic and lesser-known New York attractions such as the Brooklyn designer, John A. Roebling.) Now it attracts thousands of view of the names of NYC’s graffiti forebears-like Iz the Wiz- Flea and BLDG 92. tourists and locals, who enjoy spectacular views of lower scrawled on 5Pointz’s walls. New pieces appear regularly dur- Manhattan and other city landmarks (such as the Statue of ing the painting season, with concrete surfaces assigned by Empire State Building Liberty and Governors Island) as they stroll its more-than-mile- founder and curator Meres One. Go while you can: The proper- Try imagining New York City’s skyline without the towering long expanse. Heads up, though: You may run into the occa- ty owner is securing permission to replace the warehouse with spire of the Empire State Building. Impossible, right? Taking a sional cyclist trying to navigate through the crowds on the condos. Take advantage of the biweekly behind-the-scenes mere 11 months to construct, the 1,454-foot-tall emblem pedestrian walkway. tours (Sun 2-3:30pm; $35; visit sidetour.com for details), led by became the city’s highest building upon completion in 1931. Meres One, to watch a painting demonstration. (When One World Trade Center is finished, it will tower over Brooklyn Flea the ESB by a good 300 feet.) During your visit, pay special In the nearly five years since its debut, this market has ele- Flatiron Building vated the vintage-shopping experience, setting a new stan- This 21-story Beaux Arts edifice once dominated midtown. dard for both goods and food vendors, and emphasizing local Although it’s now dwarfed by other structures, when it purveyors where possible. Its mini empire now includes mar- debuted in 1902, the triangle-shaped monolith represented kets in Fort Greene and Williamsburg, as well as two food- the threat and the thrill of modernity: Naysayers claimed it focused Smorgasburg outposts, and forthcoming locations in would never withstand the high winds plaguing 23rd Street,

attention to the lobby, restored in 2009 to its original Art Deco design. You can also impress your pals with these tidbits while queuing for the observation decks: In 1945, 14 tenants were killed when a plane crashed into the 79th floor during heavy fog; a terrace on the 103rd level was once intended for use as a docking station for airships; and the topper’s three tiers of lights can illuminate up to nine colors at a time.

Brooklyn Heights and Brooklyn Promenade It’s easy to forget that you’re standing atop the hectic Brooklyn-Queens Expressway while strolling along this esplanade, which opened in 1950. But the thoroughfare is inextricably linked to the Promenade’s existence: Community opposition to the BQE-which was originally intended to cut through Brooklyn Heights-led city planner Robert Moses to reroute the highway along the waterfront. He also proposed building a park atop the road to block noise. Stroll or, run, pausing to appreciate postcard-ready views of lower Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty; then check out some of the 19th-century row houses down Travel FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

while revered photographer Alfred Stieglitz-who captured it in Room, spanning almost 300 feet and outfitted with chande- the southern end are a part of Southpoint Park. an iconic shot in 1903-wrote that it was “a picture of a new liers and stunning ceiling murals. Though it’s a classy setting America still in the making.” Today, it’s possibly the least in most instances, it’s also where Bill Murray uttered, “Are you, St. Patrick’s Cathedral tourist-friendly New York landmark. The space above the Alice, menstruating right now?” and “Back off, man, I’m a sci- Even though it faces off against the imposing Art Deco ground-floor shops, occupied by publishing house Macmillan, entist” in Ghostbusters. Rockefeller Center, architect James Renwick’s Gothic Revival is inaccessible to the public, but during office hours you can building holds it own with intricate marble towers, a cav- admire black-and-white photos and read a few panels on the Rockefeller Center ernous ribbed vault, pointed arches and buttresses. But the history of the tower in its lobby. If you want to see the “point” You’ll find plenty of iconic New York sites in this multiblock real treasures are inside this active house of worship, which is offices (just over six feet wide at their narrowest), we suggest complex: The ground level alone is home to the tourist- bursting with awe-inspiring works. While the stained glass, getting to work on the Great American Novel. packed ice-skating rink, the bronze Atlas statue and the Today along with much of the exterior, is currently covered in scaf- folding for an ongoing $175-million restoration project, due Grand Central Terminal for completion in 2015, the cathedral is still worth a visit. More The 100-year-old transit hub funnels thousands of com- than 200 saints are represented throughout the church, with muters each day, but it’s a destination in its own right: The many alters helpfully explaining their stories for those who cut majestic Beaux Arts framework is a spectacle of both form and Bible studies class. Seek out the alter of Saint Louis, just north function. Familiar features include the vaulted, constellation- of the Lady’s Chapel, designed by the Tiffany workshop and adorned ceiling and the four-faced opal clock topping the donated by Jackie O’s father Michael Bouvier. To the south of main information booth, both located in the Grand Saint Louis is an oversized copy of Michelangelo’s Pieta, made Concourse. Meanwhile, ornamentation above the 42nd Street by the same sculptor who fashioned the lions outside the New entrance includes a likeness of Mercury, the god of travel (nat- York Public Library on 42nd Street. urally), and an ornate Tiffany-glass timepiece. South Street Seaport Little Italy One problem with being an active sightseeing draw right The 2010 census didn’t find a single Italian-born resident on the water: When a big storm rolls into town, you’ll almost on or around Mulberry Street, but pasta-and-Parmesan pur- certainly sustain some damage. Hurricane Sandy temporarily veyors still line the narrow lanes of Little Italy, and the recently closed many of the attractions at the waterfront hub, includ- restored Most Precious Blood Church holds fast. Old-world fla- ing the Seaport Museum (currently under the management of vors abound at joints like the 120-year-old Ferrara Bakery and the Museum of the City of New York), which charts the former Cafe (195 Grand St between Mott and Mulberry Sts and every wharf’s history. But many of these institutions are back up and September, the deep-fried-zeppole carts mark the start of the running, and the Seaport will even welcome an outpost of the Feast of San Gennaro. But modern joints are moving in too. Brooklyn Flea this summer.

Macy’s Herald Square Staten Island Ferry It may not be as glamorous as New York’s other famous show plaza. Higher up, Top of the Rock rivals the Empire State The price of a harbor crossing between Staten Island and stores, but for sheer breadth of stock, the 34th Street behe- Building in panoramic city views. You may not be able to lower Manhattan may be the only activity in New York City moth is hard to beat. You won’t find exalted labels here, access the five private rooftop gardens if you’re not a Saturday that’s cheaper today than it was in 1817. Back then, it was 25 though-midpriced fashion and designers’ diffusion lines for all Night Live cast member, but you can still peek at the spaces cents; today, it’s free. This 24-hour ferry is a lifeline for com- ages are its bread and butter, along with all the big beauty from Saks Fifth Avenue’s eighth-floor shoe department if muters making their way from NYC’s southernmost borough, names. A new $400 million renovation will upgrade the entire you’re curious. Special credentials are not required, however, but it’s also a boat trip affording some of the finest views in edifice by 2015, but the store has already debuted a “world’s to inspect the Art Deco murals that appear in several build- the world. Keep your eyes peeled for Governors Island to the largest” shoe floor, home to 280,000 pairs. Thankfully, not ings. Don’t miss the triptych above the outdoor entrance to 5 east and Ellis Island and Lady Liberty to the west as the everything will be brand-new: The project will restore the Rockefeller Center or the rinkside Prometheus statue; both Manhattan skyline recedes in the vessel’s wake. original 34th Street entrance, and some of the rickety wooden purportedly contain secret Freemason symbols. escalators-installed when this branch opened in 1902-will Times Square remain intact. Roosevelt Island Manhattan’s heart was once a hub for vice, teeming with sex This mostly residential isle (technically part of Manhattan) shops and drug dealers. Over time that notorious reputation New York Public Library, is full of quirks; for example, the preferred method of getting has eroded, and now the area can feel like a tourist-clogged Stephen A. Schwarzman Building there involves a four-minute trip on the city’s only commuter shopping mall. Still, changes such as the stairs above the TKTS The century-old main branch of the NYPL is about as regal tram. There’s plenty to draw in visitors, notably the fancy new booth and a pedestrian plaza along Broadway have improved a setting for reading-either on your laptop or those old dusty Four Freedoms Park (named for the principles outlined in the sightseeing experience...sort of. If the thought of attending things called books-as you’ll find in the city. Two massive Franklin Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address), which the annual glitzy New Year’s Eve celebration gives you hives, Tennessee-marble lions, dubbed Patience and Fortitude, flank opened in 2012. A Gothic lighthouse stands at the island’s you can see the midnight countdown re-created on a smaller the main portal and have become the institution’s mascots. northern tip, and the creepy ruins of the Smallpox Hospital scale at the Times Square Visitor Center, thanks to one of the Once inside, check out the cavernous Rose Main Reading (which operated from the mid-19th century until the 1950s) at Waterford crystal balls used in years past. — www.timeout.com HEALTH FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Don’t jump to conclusions when you pull a muscle

muscle strain is a twist, pull, or tear of the injured muscle. Stretch the muscle for a muscle or tendon. A tendon is a about 30 seconds. Do this 4 times a day. You Astrong elastic tissue that connects a may stretch the muscle until you feel a slight muscle to a bone. What causes a muscle pull. Stop stretching if you feel pain. strain? Stretching a muscle too much may 2 weeks to 6 months after your injury: cause a muscle strain. A strain may also hap- The goal of this phase is to return to the activ- pen when a muscle is used too much without ity you were doing before the injury without rest. Leg muscle strains are more common in hurting the muscle again. people who play sports, run, dance, and 3 weeks to 6 months after your injury: water-ski. Strains in the muscles of the Keep stretching and strengthening your mus- abdomen may happen when you play volley- cles to avoid injury. Slowly increase the time ball, tennis, golf, or baseball and when you and distance that you exercise. You may still dive. Low back muscle strains may occur have signs and symptoms of muscle strain 6 when you lift heavy objects or when you months after the injury, even if you do things wrestle or do gymnastics. to help it heal. In this case, you may need sur- gery on the muscle. What are the types of muscle strains? Mild: This is also called a first-degree How is a muscle strain treated? strain. It is a tear of a few muscle fibers with Medicines: little swelling. You may have very little or no NSAIDs: This medicine is used to decrease loss of muscle strength. pain and inflammation. It can be bought with- Moderate: This is a second-degree strain. out a doctor’s order. NSAIDs can cause stom- There is more damage to your muscle or ten- ach bleeding or kidney problems if they are don, and it is weaker than it was before the not taken correctly. Always read the medicine injury. label and follow the directions on it before Severe: This is also called a third-degree you use this medicine. You should only use strain. This tear goes along the whole length this medicine for 3 to 7 days after the injury of the muscle, and you are unable to use the happened. muscle at all. Muscle relaxers: This medicine helps relax your muscles. It is also given to decrease pain What increases my risk of a muscle and muscle spasms. strain? Steroid medicines: Your caregiver may Older age recommend a steroid injection to decrease Muscle fatigue (tiredness) pain and inflammation. Not warming up before exercise Local anesthetic: This can be used to Past muscle injury, or going back to your numb the area for a short time. This is often usual activity before your injury has healed used if you have a muscle strain in your back. Stiff, tight, and weak muscles Physical therapy: You may need to see a Training longer or farther than your usual physical therapist to teach you special exercis- time or distance es. These exercises help improve movement Problems with your feet, or your legs being and decrease pain. Physical therapy can also different lengths help improve strength and decrease your risk for loss of function. What are the signs and symptoms of a Surgery: Caregivers may recommend sur- muscle strain? gery if your muscle strain does not heal after 6 The signs and symptoms of a muscle strain months of treatments. Surgery may be done depend on how badly your muscle is injured. to drain blood that has pooled in your muscle. The signs and symptoms may or may not If your tendon was torn off of the bone, it may show up right away when the injury happens. be put back with surgery. You may have one or more of the following: Bruised skin on the area of your injured How can a muscle strain be prevented? muscle Always wear proper shoes when you play Muscle soreness, cramps, or spasms or blood vessels. You may be given dye muscle strains, you should rest your muscles sports: Replace your old running shoes with Little or stiff muscle movement, or loss of through your vein before the pictures are tak- for about 2 days. However, if you have a new ones often if you are a runner. Use spe- muscle strength en. This helps your body parts show up better. severe muscle strain, you should rest for 10 to cial shoe inserts or arch supports to correct Swelling in the area of the injury Tell your caregiver if you are allergic to shell- 14 days. You may need to use crutches to leg or foot problems. Ask your caregiver for Muscle pain that gets worse with activity, fish (lobster, crab, or shrimp). People who are walk if your muscle strain is in your legs or more information on shoe supports. or pain that moves or spreads to another allergic to shellfish may also be allergic to lower body. Do warm up and cool down exercises: body area some dyes. Ice: Put an ice pack on the injured area. Put Do stretching exercises before you work out Crepitus (crackling sound or grating feel- Computed tomography scan: This is also a towel between the ice pack and your skin. or do sports activities. These exercises will ing) when you move your muscle called CT scan. A x-ray machine uses a com- Do not put the ice pack directly on your skin. help loosen and decrease stress on your mus- puter to take pictures of your arms, legs, back, You can use a package of frozen peas instead cles. Cool down and stretch after your work- How is a muscle strain diagnosed? or abdomen. It is used to check for muscle of an ice pack. out. Do not stop and rest after a workout Your caregiver will ask about diseases or injuries, broken bones, and damaged blood Compression: You may need to wrap an without cooling down first. injuries you have had in the past. He may vessels. elastic bandage around the area to decrease Keep your muscles strong with strength touch and press parts of your muscle. He may Ultrasound: An ultrasound uses sound swelling. It should be tight enough for you to training exercises: Exercises such as weight bend, stretch, or move your joint certain ways. waves to show pictures of your muscles and feel support. Do not wrap it too tightly. lifting and stretching exercises help keep your You may also have any of the following tests: tissues on a monitor. Elevation: Keep the injured muscle raised muscles flexible and strong. A physical thera- X-ray: This is a picture of the bones and above your heart if possible. For example, if pist or trainer may help you with these exer- tissues in your body. X-rays may be done to What can I do to help a muscle strain you have a strain of your lower leg muscle, lie cises. make sure that you did not break a bone heal? down and prop your leg up on pillows. This Slowly start your exercise or sports when your muscle strain happened. 3 to 7 days after the injury: Use Rest, Ice, helps decrease pain and swelling. training program: Follow your caregiver’s Magnetic resonance imaging: This test is Compression, and Elevation (RICE) to help 3 to 21 days after your injury: Start to advice on when to start exercising. Slowly also called MRI. During the MRI, pictures of stop bruising and decrease pain and swelling. slowly and regularly exercise your strained increase time, distance, and how often you your muscles are taken. An MRI may be used Rest: Rest your muscle to allow your injury muscle. This will help it heal. If you feel pain, train. Sudden increases in how often you train to check for tears or other muscle injuries. It to heal. When the pain decreases, begin nor- decrease how hard you are exercising. may cause you to injure your muscle again. may also be used to look at your joints, bones, mal, slow movements. For mild and moderate 1 to 6 weeks after your injury: Stretch — www.drugs.com Lifestyle FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Book talk

he fashion world is the setting for the latest book by bestselling novelist Danielle Steel, a prolific author Twho continues to produce several books a year. “First Sight”, which appeared in mid-July, is the story of Timmie O’Neill who has created a ready-to-wear fashion empire after a difficult childhood and a past she wants to forget. Steel, 65, who has written nearly 100 adult novels and a number of children’s books, spoke to Reuters about the book, her career and how she managed to write while rais- ing nine children: An artist ‘Uncle’ walks past his graffiti of the late Hong Kong Fans of the late Hong Kong kung fu star Bruce Lee pose at a kung fu star Bruce Lee painted on a wall outside a gallery to gallery. Q: What was the inspiration for “First Sight”? mark the 40th anniversary of the death of Lee, in Hong Kong A: I’m always looking to write about different things. I Tuesday. — AP photos had never written in depth about a woman involved with a married man so that started the idea and then I got interest- ed in writing about the challenges of working in the ready- to-wear fashion industry. I particularly like writing about people who overcome difficulties or tragedies and turn their lives around. After a terrible childhood, Timmie O”Neill makes something wonderful of her life. All of that appealed to me and it inspires people to think that others can do that.

Q: What appealed to you about Timmie? A: What interested me about Timmie was her overcom- ate kung fu superstar Bruce Lee may ing a painful childhood and tragedy as an adult and, in spite be an international icon, but he is still of that, she creates a remarkable life for herself. One can’t not the complete local hero in Hong L help but admire that. Kong. Fans are marking his death 40 years ago this weekend with art gallery shows, Q: How have your characters evolved to match the exhibitions and even street graffiti but times? Would somebody like Timmie have been accept- some people are urging Hong Kong’s gov- ed at the start of your career? ernment to do more to honor the former A: Somebody like Timmie would undoubtedly have cap- British colony’s biggest star. tivated readers at the start of my career, but when I first Lawmakers and scholars have joined published at 19, I wouldn’t have had the insight to write calls from fans, fearing the government is about her and understand her motivations well myself. My wary of fully embracing Lee’s legacy. His books have moved forward with the times in that relation- enduring spirit of youthful rebellion and a ships are different now, and some of the challenges people willingness to fight big oppressors may face are different in a world of more liberated women, rela- have spooked city leaders prone to sec- tionships harder to find - as witnessed by the proliferation ond-guessing their political masters in of computer dating - and harder to maintain for a multitude Beijing. of reasons. Family units are more unusual with a wide vari- “The Hong Kong government or the ety of options. It is common for single people to adopt chil- people on top of the governing body are dren now and raise them on their own, or have children out not thinking, first of all, in terms of Hong of wedlock, which wasn’t nearly as common or acceptable Kong people’s mindset,” said Lo Wai-luk, 20 years ago. And women are under enormous pressure an associate professor in the Academy of now, with big jobs and enormous stress they didn’t have 20 Film at Hong Kong Baptist University. or 30 years ago. These are challenging times, in many ways, “They think of how to do something to Shannon Lee, daughter of the late Kung Fu star Bruce Lee, poses in front of a pro- for families, men and women, and individuals, in a far more please the main Chinese government or motional poster for Lee’s memorial exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage uncertain world. not to violate” what they think Beijing Museum. likes, he said. Q: How have you changed as a writer? American-born but raised in Hong upscale Kowloon Tong suburb to create a so skinny, so as teenagers we were sur- A: Life teaches all of us new views and perspectives, if Kong, Lee died of brain swelling aged just museum devoted to him. Gregory So, prised he had a very strong body,” Chow we are willing to learn the lessons life doles out to us. My 32 at the height of his fame. His most pop- Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and said. “He also worked very hard and approach to writing is still the same: put bottom in chair, ular film, the worldwide blockbuster Enter economic development, acknowledged showed a lot of confidence to the public.” and keep it there for 20 or 22 hours straight, and keep at it the Dragon, was released just six days Lee’s “tremendous contribution” to martial Posters and T-shirts of Lee in his famous until you drop, to get the best out of oneself, and get the after his death in 1973. The government arts and cinema and the deep internation- battle stance, scars torn across his muscled story and all its nuances on the page. I have always worked did not respond to Reuters questions but al and domestic interest in his life. But he torso, remain hot items in markets. Other very hard, and still do, perhaps harder as I strive to get bet- in recent statements it has outlined a said there were no plans to re-open nego- fans will lay wreaths on Saturday at the ter and write better with each book. Fortunately the chal- number of officially backed efforts to mark tiations on taking over Lee’s old home. foot of a statue of Lee, in full kung fu flight, lenge of telling the story, and doing the very best I can, is the anniversary. on the Kowloon waterfront. Wong Yiu- still fun to me. It has supported a five-year exhibition, Skinny teenagers keung, chairman of Hong Kong’s Bruce due to be opened on Friday by the city Some fans are happily taking matters Lee fan club, told Reuters the city’s gov- Q: You’ve been quite prolific. How did you manage Financial Secretary John Tsang at a muse- into their own hands. Amid the bustle of ernment owed a great deal to Lee. “They to accomplish so much? um. The government film archive is also the business and entertainment district of have always used him when promoting A: I don’t sleep a lot and never did. Fortunately I don’t producing documentaries of his life and Wanchai, a graffiti caricature of Lee marks the city abroad but have never done any- need a lot of sleep or I could never have had nine children new prints of some of Lee’s films. But the entrance to an alley that leads to an art thing in honor of him.”— Reuters and written as many books. I’m also willing to sacrifice my some fans feel the government is simply gallery. Renowned avant-garde artists personal time for my children and my work. I rarely, if ever, making up for lost time and they are angry have attempted to capture his fighting have lunch with friends and don’t go out socially when I can about the lack of a permanent memorial spirit in paintings that line the walls. Co- be with my kids or am writing. —Reuters or museum to honor Lee. organiser Adam Chow said Lee’s “spirit A member of the city’s Legislative and strong body” had a big impact on Council questioned officials over their scrawny Hong Kong teenagers in the failed negotiations two years ago to buy 1970s. and restore Lee’s former mansion in the “At that time, Hong Kong people were Lifestyle FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

BS Films is appealing the R-rating given to its upcom- ing Michael Douglas-Robert De Niro comedy “Last CVegas,” set to open Nov 1. The Motion Picture Assn. of America’s ratings board cited “brief sexual content” for its R- rating, considered a box-office disadvantage even for adult comedies. The most likely outcome is that the filmmakers will make minor tweaks and wind up with a PG-13 rating. Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline and Mary Steenburgen co- star in “Last Vegas,” which is directed by Jon Turteltaub (“National Treasure”) from an original screenplay by Dan Fogelman. The plot follows four friends who throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one who’s remained sin- gle. CBS Films in February shifted the release date from Dec 20 to Nov 1, positioning it as counter-programming to Summit’s young adult sci-fi film “Ender’s Game.”— Reuters

US actors Tommy Lee Jones and Matthew Fox wave during a photo session alongside US film director Peter Webber, Japanese actress Kaori Momoi, Japanese actor Toshiyuki Nishida and actress Eriko Hatsune at a press conference for their latest film ‘Emperor’ in Tokyo yesterday. Jones is here to promote ‘Emperor’ which will be shown nationwide from July 27. — AFP

Robert De Niro Michael Douglas irector Roland Emmerich says although Hollywood may be show China in a bad light or are too explicit. Earlier this year, some benefiting by adding Chinese elements to its films, it won’t Chinese moviegoers were left confused because of awkward cuts Dbe making wholesale changes to the way it tells stories on to the James Bond feature “Skyfall” that included unflattering refer- the screen just to cater to China’s massive audience. “There will be ences to the sex trade in the Chinese territory of Macau. Then cooperations, there will be all kinds of stuff, but will it affect the “Cloud Atlas” was shown in Chinese cinemas minus 38 minutes movie so much? I don’t think so, because China doesn’t also want that included gay and straight love scenes. to only see movies about China, they want to see movies about China is even getting American studios to sanction alternative other things in the world,” said Emmerich, who was in China to pro- versions of films specially tailored for Chinese audiences, such as ritish police on Wednesday said they had found the mote his action film “White House Down.” “Iron Man 3.” The Chinese version features local heartthrob Fan body of an actor who appeared in James Bond film The nation of 1.3 billion people is now the world’s second- Bingbing - absent from the version shown abroad - and lengthy B“Casino Royal”, who went missing in London last biggest movie market. But China limits the number of foreign films clips of Chinese scenery. “The China element is sometimes impor- Wednesday. Officers investigating the disappearance of Paul that play here, and its censors reject movies or edit them if they tant, but it has to make sense for the story, you cannot kind of just Bhattacharjee, 53, said they were on Wednesday morning told prop a Chinese element in and think, ‘Oh, this movie will work great by Sussex Police that the body of a man, matching his descrip- in China’ - you have to still come up with a story that makes sense,” tion, had been recovered from cliffs in East Sussex, southern Emmerich said in an interview Wednesday with The Associated England, on Friday. “This afternoon the body was identified in Press. The German director’s “2012” movie was a hit in China with a Sussex as that of Mr Bhattacharjee,” said Metropolitan police. plot that was gold for patriotic Chinese audiences: As the Earth’s His death is being treated as non-suspicious. core overheats, world leaders build an ark in the mountains of cen- Bhattacharjee was said to be in good spirits when he was tral China to house people and animals that can repopulate the last seen as at a theatre in central London. The London actor planet. Scenes from the nearly three-hour movie feature a U.S. mili- also appeared in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”, “White tary officer saying that only the Chinese could build an ark of such a Teeth” and “Dirty Pretty Things”. Police described his disap- scale so quickly. It was seen in China as a refreshing change for pearance as “totally out of character”.—AFP audiences after decades of unflattering portrayals of the commu- nist nation in Hollywood movies. Emmerich said he didn’t make “2012” specifically to appeal to Chinese. “It was not to please China,” he said. “Perhaps the very first idea I had about ‘2012’ was this image that water comes over the Himalayas. For me that was something so strong that I thought the whole movie has to be based on that, and so China had to play a part in this.” His latest action-packed film, “White House Down,” which opens in China on Monday, stars Jamie Foxx as president of the United States and Channing Tatum as a Capitol police officer who becomes his impromptu bodyguard. The 57-year-old filmmaker said censors didn’t have a problem with the movie, which depicts “mainly an American crisis.”China’s authoritarian government strictly controls print media, television, radio and the Internet. Movie censors have political sensitivities, but also need to judge whether movies are suitable for the whole family, as China has no age classification system. China has become the second-biggest movie market behind the US, with sales of $2.7 billion last year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. The government allows in only 34 foreign films per year for national distribution. At least 14 of them have to be made in 3-D or for the big-screen Imax format. — AP

File photo shows film director Roland Emmerich poses for photographers in Moscow, Russia. — AP Paul Bhattacharjee Lifestyle FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

This film publicity image released by Universal Pictures shows Jeff Bridges, This film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment shows Helen left, and Ryan Reynolds in a scene from ‘R.I.P.D.’ —AP Mirren in a scene from ‘Red 2.’ — AP ‘Red’ and ‘RIPD’ end up in a game of chicken

cheduling the release of a summer movie sequel to director Dean Parisot. Assuming there’s jockeying for position. And there are only so many a faceoff between two pictures going for the same isn’t exactly a science. It clearly isn’t an art, no ill will involved, that’s a lot of coincidence, said positions. “Where were they going to go?” asked demographic, and in a way, that’s too bad, espe- Seither. It’s more akin to a contact sport: Seize distribution consultant Richard Abramowitz, who Greg Laemmle, of the eponymous Los Angeles- cially for audiences looking for a break from the advantageous position, sustain as little dam- teaches film production at New York University based theater chain, referring to “Red 2” and robots, spacemen and Johnny Depp wearing a age as possible, and score. All of which makes this and runs the film company Abramorama. “It seems “R.I.P.D.” dead crow on his head. weekend’s opening of both “Red 2” and “R.I.P.D.” a like too big a mistake to be a mistake.” But the “You’ve got ‘Pacific Rim’ on July 11, ‘Wolverine’ “Any studio that targets the under-served adult little like sacking your own quarterback. Both films “Red 2”/”R.I.P.D.” collision may simply be a symp- in July 26. It may well be there was no place else to audience is smart,” said Anne Thompson, who are action-thrillers. Both are about over-age law tom of the state of Hollywood. There have been go, and there’s so much in the pipeline that they’d writes Thompson on Hollywood for Indiewire. So enforcers (in “R.I.P.D.,” some are so old, they’re very few weekends since May that haven’t been be pushed right out of the summer,” Laemmle we have two studios well aware of that and their dead). And both make a virtue of their, shall we dominated by a big-budget, major-studio release - said. So if the studios behind “Reds 2” and “R.I.P.D.” two movies playing chicken in a game where it’s say, mature stars. a so-called “tent-pole” picture. There was “Iron were trying to put their movies into the summer very expensive to blink. “It’s very, very rare that a Those stars include Bruce Willis (58), Anthony Man 3” on May 2, “The Great Gatsby” on May 10, season, this was probably the first weekend they release date gets postponed,” said Robert Bella, Hopkins (75), John Malkovich (59) and Helen “Star Trek Into Darkness” on May 15, “Fast & could find without a gigantic, globally recognized who has supervised post-production on such films Mirren (67) in “Red 2” and Jeff Bridges (63) and Furious 6” on May 24, “After Earth” on May 31 and title in place.”R.I.P.D.” had already announced a as “Lincoln,” “War Horse” and “The Help.” Kevin Bacon (55) in “R.I.P.D.,” which, by the way, so on. Tellingly, when studios chose to expand a July 19th release when Summit parent Lionsgate “Anything can be done if you have enough time stands for “Rest in Peace Department.” It may not debut weekend with a weekday opening - “Iron decided to move “Red 2” onto that same date, said and money, of course, but those release dates get make a huge difference at the box office, but both Man 3” was on a Thursday; “Star Trek” was on a Universal spokeswoman Kori Bernards. “You’ll set as far in advance as possible and it’s always a films also feature the less-than-prolific Mary-Louise Wednesday - a rash of movies seemed to rush in to have to ask them what that was about.” mad dash the closer you get to the target date,” he Parker, who has a solid base among discriminating fill the today’s void. In fact, the Fridays following Lionsgate had no comment for this story, but said. “Some movies can tell you a year from now, male viewers but is better known for her work in “IM3” and “STID” were among the more crowded insiders say both Lionsgate and Universal seem to or two years, when they’re going to open, and cable TV’s “Weeds.” of the summer, with 15 and 11 openings, respec- have realized their movies had a better chance then everyone else starts reacting,” Bella contin- Add to all this the fact that Robert Schwentke, tively. But the idea that studios have that kind of against each other, despite having to share the ued. “I bet it won’t be long before the next ‘Star the director of Universal’s “R.I.P.D.,” had directed flexibility in picking a release date is really a fallacy: same older audience, than against a summer Wars’ announces its date.” At which point produc- the original “Red” of 2010 from Summit Releases are set as early as possible, sometimes blockbuster like next weekend’s “Wolverine,” for ers of other films eyeing that same date will no Entertainment and for whatever reason even during pre-production, and when a film of a instance. And neither one of the films was big doubt scurry to their calendars and start looking (Schwentke didn’t want to talk about it) lost the certain stature grabs a date, everyone else starts enough to scare the other off the date. The result is for alternatives. — AP Comic-Con kicks off in San Diego he zombies, superheroes, space aliens, Walking Dead” and amid a jungle landscape with Cruise’s mechanized armor from “Edge of pirates and time travelers taking over the the alien from “Predator.” They also lined up to Tomorrow” and Superman costumes from various Tstreets of downtown San Diego can only play the upcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4 movies and TV shows. mean one thing: Comic-Con is here! The 44th game consoles and gawk at such costumes as Tom Across the street from the convention center, annual pop-culture extravaganza kicked off Wednesday with preview night, which grants early access to the show floor to attendees with four- Jonah Duhe, dressed as Spiderman, waits day passes. Lines snaked around both outside and in line during the Preview Night event. inside the San Diego Convention Center with guests queuing up to collect freebies and have first Summit Entertainment erected a tent with recreat- crack at such limited-edition collectibles as a 2- ed sets inside from the upcoming sci-fi flick foot-tall “Transformers” action figure and a Barbie “Ender’s Games” showcasing such locales as the doll depicting Julie Newmar as Catwoman. barracks and classroom where the adaptation’s “It’s totally worth it,” said 22-year-old fan James child space soldiers learn military strategy. Chen, who sported a pink “Dragon Ball Z” headset “Ender’s Game” stars Asa Butterfield and Hailee that he picked up on the show floor. “I just bought Steinfeld were among the first to tour the exhibit. this scouter, and I’ve had 10 people ask me where I “My expectations (for Comic-Con) are high got it. That doesn’t happen anywhere else in the because I’ve heard so much about it,” said world.” Some fans began camping out on the Steinfeld. “I hear everybody dresses up, so I’m grass near the convention center with hopes of excited about that.” Other films expected to be being the first in line for Thursday presentations hyped at Comic-Con this week include reboots of featuring the stars of TV shows like “Dexter” and “Godzilla” and “RoboCop” and sophomore outings films such as “Divergent.” from “Captain America,” “Thor,” “The Amazing Inside on the show floor, attendees posed for Kenneth King poses with a character from the Predator 3D movie during the Preview Spider-Man,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes and photos with zombies on a prison set from “The Night event on Day 1 of the 2013 Comic-Con International Convention. — AP/AFP photos “The Hunger Games.” —AP Lifestyle FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Forget Milan - Nigeria boutiques creating Lagos fashion hub hoppers ready to spend lavishly ‘Where did you get that from?’ also want to wear premium European on clothes by elite designers Temple Muse, which opened five names, so he stocks the embroidered Ssipped champagne in a dis- years ago, is protected from the hec- dresses of Nigerian designer Lanre Da creetly located store that only those tic mega-city outside by a thick metal Silva Ajayi alongside Givenchy and in-the-know know exists. Perhaps it’s door and is equipped with a cham- Italy’s Emilio Pucci. not an unusual scene in Manhattan or pagne bar and a cafe. Some garments Tope Edu is another fashion seller Milan, but in Lagos, sub-Saharan come with pricetags of $3,000 (2,300 hoping that wealthy Nigerians will Africa’s largest city, shops like Temple euros), and there are fashion mavens shop more in Lagos. She manages Muse are a novelty. A growing num- ready to snap up several of them. the Ermenegildo Zegna store on ber of boutique owners and fashion Odun Ogunbiyi, a customer who Victoria Island, the Italian line’s first designers however are working to claimed plenty of foreign shopping and only outlet in sub-Saharan Africa, change that. Most of Nigeria’s rough- experience, told AFP the outfits she which opened in April. But in a ly 160 million people live in extreme buys in Nigeria are admired wherever reminder of the perils of doing busi- poverty, but the upper class here number among the wealthiest in Africa, including those who have profited from the continent’s largest oil industry. Nigerians’ sense of style is also Model Chalya Shagaya looks at collection of clothes for sale at Temple well-known, and the country boasts Muse in Lagos. — AFP photos several fashion designers who have venue and ensuring, as Edu has four standalone stores in the made their mark internationally. Just explained, that the Lagos “Zegna country. Her designs are also sold in ask Michelle Obama, who wore a store looked exactly like a Zegna store Ghana and South Africa, and will soon blouse by Nigeria’s Maki Oh on a elsewhere in the world.” be available in oil-rich Angola. recent trip to South Africa. Or take the “It’s a very difficult process,” she Shoppers in Milan and London can Wadhwani brothers, who are Indian conceded, citing Nigeria’s nightmar- also buy Tiffany Amber items, but for but were raised in Lagos. They saw ish bureaucracy. The stand-alone Folarin-Cocker, the European and US there was a gap in the city’s luxury shop is on a street lined with office markets are mainly for publicity. market. The brothers opened a store buildings which hardly offers the Those markets “are saturated. Africa is that aims to serve Nigeria’s ultra-high- majestic surroundings of Paris’s untapped,” she said. While her work end shoppers who typically hop on Champs-Elysees but inside business is currently priced at luxury rates, she planes to Europe when their she goes. “I travel a lot. I go to Miami, ness in Nigeria, Edu said it took seven appears to be thriving. Especially on is preparing a lower cost line because wardrobes need an upgrade. I go to London to visit friends and years to get the luxury franchise smart-casual items like polo shirts, she believes the continent is craving “I found a niche in the market,” said family. and they ask me ‘where did opened. Zegna first needed to be which are being scooped up at just an accessible, ready-to-wear brand. Avinash Wadhwani, co-owner of you get that from?’,” said Ogunbiyi, a sure that there was a consumer base under $500 each, Edu told AFP. She An H&M or “Zara with an African Temple Muse boutique in the posh TV host. to support the store but faced a lack debunked the notion that Nigeria’s accent,” she explained, referring to Victoria Island neighborhood of Lagos. When she tells people the outfit is of reliable consumer data. elite are committed to exclusively popular European clothes shops. Like He previously worked as a buyer for Nigerian, they say they “can’t believe A series of made-to-measure shopping abroad. “Once (they) the owners and shoppers at Temple the London department store it,” she said. “It’s gotten to the point Zegna events were successful, giving know it’s available, I think that same Muse, Folarin-Cocker takes pride in Selfridges, learning first-hand the where we are on standard with inter- confidence that a full-time ready-to- customer will purchase from here,” the growing respect and exposure appeal of Europe’s top fashion lines. national brands, which is great!” wear store could survive. Company she said. being given to Nigerian designers and But he insisted Nigeria’s rich are also Wadhwani agreed that Nigerian chief executive Gildo Zegna also had said that talent in the fashion industry seeking a local look. Some Nigerians designers are becoming increasingly faith in the buying power of Africa’s ‘Zara with an African accent’ can help change perceptions of the “travel by plane every other week and respected abroad. The US First Lady’s super-rich. He told the Financial Times Like Zegna, Folake Folarin-Cocker continent. “Fashion is one of the shop in the best boutiques around the recent appearance in a Maki Oh that customers from the continent on has growing faith in the Nigerian and ways we are going to be able to globe, but they still have that sense of blouse was seen as evidence of grow- average spent 50 percent more in wider African market. Her Tiffany rebrand Africa,” she said. “It’s not ‘We pride and everyone wants something ing exposure for designers here. But Zegna’s stores than buyers from other Amber line, launched in 1998 and Are The World, We Are the Children’ from (their) own heritage,” he said. Wadhwani knows that his local clients regions. The next challenge was the Nigeria’s first ready-to-wear brand, anymore.” — AFP International committee for the freedom of the Cuban 5 egendary ballerina Alicia Alonso asks people of and guide to the new generations of Cuban dancers the US to help bring the Cuban 5 back to their and with her own consummate style has left an Lhomeland. On June 5th, at the closing event for indelible mark on the international world of dance. the second “5 Days for the Cuban 5 in Washington Currently some of her former and more famous stu- DC” a packed hall heard a moving appeal from the dents are dancing at the American Ballet Theater, legendary Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso. In her mes- the Boston Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, the sage, Alonso who began her professional career in Washington Ballet, the Cincinnati Ballet and the New York City, said that she knows how people in Royal Ballet, to name just a few. the United States think and how much they love jus- Through more than half a century in the world of tice and that is why she is asking them to help bring ballet Alicia Alonso has received more than one hun- the Cuban 5 back home to their loved ones. dred national distinctions and 177 international Alicia Alonso is regarded internationally as the recognitions. In June 2002 she was designated prima ballerina and choreographer. In 1955 her UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for her outstanding company became the Ballet of Cuba. Alonso, contribution to the development, preservation and Director of the BNC for 60 years, performed with the popularization of classical dance and for her devo- American Ballet Theater (ABT) between 1941 and Alicia Alonso tion to the art-form. On June 3, 2010 the American 1948, early in her career, and was in that North Alicia Alonso’s interpretations of Giselle and Ballet Theater of New York paid tribute to her 90th American company where she made her debut in Carmen and other works from the classical reper- birthday by hosting a special artistic gala held at the the role of “Giselle” considered the summit of their toire are regarded as the pinnacle of Latin American Metropolitan Opera House, headquarters of the ABT interpretations. ballet in all its history. She has been an inspiration in New York. Lifestyle FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Persian polo thrives in Islamic republic

t is probably the last thing you would ders in a crowd of around 500 people who Zolfaghari, 39, says “the game is not yet tion has been very active. “The federation is Iexpect to come across in the capital of the watched four teams play in a charity tourna- accessible to everyone”. “Like for horseback doing everything it can to attract young peo- Islamic republic of Iran: a polo club, more ment to raise funds for a diabetes association. riding, you need money to buy and maintain ple. It provides horses and equipment for commonly associated with the aristocracy. “We organize matches and tournaments a horse, and to purchase the equipment,” said beginners,” Zolfaghari said. “We have man- Nestling in the foothills of the Alborz moun- almost every week,” the deputy head of the Zolfaghari, whose father and grandfather also aged to set up four or five clubs in order to tains on the southeastern edge of heavily pol- national Iranian Polo Federation, Mohammad played polo. improve the standing of the national team, luted Tehran, the Qasr-e Firouze Chowgan Ali Bigham, told AFP. The polo enthusiast and He regrets that polo is not accessible to and I hope that in four or five years we will Club is surrounded by greenery and shielded player boasted that his federation has 150 more people in Iran, a country of more than reach a good level,” and attract more players, from view by a military camp. Qasr-e Firouze accredited members, both men and women- 75 million people, but notes that the federa- he said. — AFP despite the strict Islamic dress code imposed on the women. Tradition says that the game was exported from ancient Persia first to Constantinople or modern-day Istanbul, before later drifting east to the plains of Afghanistan and then to Tibet where chowgan became known as “pulu”. And the rest is history. Chowgan-pulu spread to India where it was adopted by the Raj and the British drew up a new set of rules for the game they simply called polo.

Abbas the Great For Iranians, the historic central city of Isfahan is the cradle of modern-day polo. During the 16th century, the Safavid shah Abbas the Great, famed for the architectural marvels built in Isfahan, ordered the construc- tion of a huge polo field in Naqsh-e Jahan Square in the city centre so he could watch players from a terrace in his palace. Over the centuries polo in Iran was a game reserved for Iranians stand next to a polo player. the military elite, royal court officials and the aristocracy. After the 1979 Islamic revolution that top- pled the shah, the game was banned. But it was rehabilitated in the 1990s, and a national polo federation soon saw the light of day. The rebirth of polo in Iran was largely due to a countrywide growth in a sense of “Iranian identity” along with the support it received Iranian polo players compete. from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who encourages all sports deemed to have is Farsi for the Turquoise Palace and chowgan Iranian roots. means polo-a game the Iranians say originat- “In the Islamic republic, it is better not to ed in Persia more than two millennia ago. say that polo is the sport of the nobility. The To back the claim, they point to drawings authorities encourage the game because it dating from the time of Darius I (522-486 BC) was born in Iran,” said one polo enthusiast, in which a horseman is depicted holding a who asked not to be identified. A large poster long mallet in one hand. Today, more than of Khamenei towers over the field at the polo three decades after the Islamic revolution club, bearing a clear message that urges toppled the shah, polo is still played in Iran. Iranians to engage in “sports that are home- On one sunny and clear day, ambassadors, grown such as polo which is Iranian”. wealthy amateurs and officials rubbed shoul- But third generation polo player Amir Ali Iranians attend the final of the Polo Ghabrik Cup. FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 to Gudla Anjanamma Kuwait Reddeppa. KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO (C 4462) WEDNESDAY (11/07/2013 TO 17/07/2013) 14-7-2013 Jacinta Cyril D’Souza holder SHARQIA-1 WHITE HOUSE DOWN (DIG) 11:30 PM 360º- 6 of Passport E 5379579 SA3AA WA NOUSS(DIG) 9:30 PM NOW YOU SEE ME (DIG) 9:15 PM changed my name to TATTAH (DIG) 11:30 PM AVENUES-1 MAN OF STEEL (DIG) 11:30 PM Jayshree Manharlal Patel. 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By Kathy Antoniotti “So, if your cat is 20 inches long when stretched to its fullest length, you should pro- everal years ago, a popular YouTube vide it with a 25-inch high scratching post,” video showed a young woman attempt- she said. Shoving an ill cat into a carrier is very Sing to bathe her cat in a tub of water. traumatic for an animal that is not crate The horrified cat appeared to be screaming trained and can result in numerous cat nooooo each time it was moved closer to the scratches for the owner. water. Now, I ask, how funny is that? Not very, unless you are sadistic and enjoy scaring the wits out of a helpless animal. The person recording the event and the Juice, the staff cat of L’Chaim Canine and Feline, is being trained to stand on a moving surface by woman holding the feline thought it was assistant trainer Kelsey Hrusch at the Cuyahoga hilarious enough to publish the episode Valley Vet Clinic in Richfield, Ohio. — MCT photos online. The owners of the cat were unaware of the abject fear the cat was exhibiting, but the video was shockingly brutal to someone who understood the cat’s body language. “The No. 1 reason people don’t take pets “I don’t think they were trying to be mean, to the vet is because they can’t get them in I just don’t think they recognized the cat’s the carrier,” Mauger said. On a recent trauma,” said Jennifer Mauger of Akron, Ohio, Monday, assistant trainer Kelsey Hrusch owner of L’Chaim Canine and Feline. Mauger, clipped the claws of an 8-week-old kitten that a certified professional dog trainer, said she was so intent on licking baby food from a realized that for the sake of their feline pets, spoon she had no idea she was being attend- owners needed to be educated to the ed to. responsibilities of owning a cat. Three kittens from Pawsibilities, Humane Some pet owners believe it is necessary to Society of Greater Akron attended the ses- bend a pet to their will for its own good. All sions “because they needed a little extra that does is cause ill will between a cat and its socialization,” Mauger said. One of the owner, Mauger said. “You can do almost any- younger kittens at the class, a feral rescue, thing to a dog and it will forgive you. A cat is learned hand targeting - touching its nose to not like that,” said Mauger during a class on Mauger’s hand to get a reward - in less than kitten basics held earlier this week at her three minutes. Richfield, Ohio, studio. As Mauger moved the treat-filled spoon in The classes teach kittens 8 to 12 weeks of her left hand behind her back until the cat age the art of socialization under the tutelage touched her right hand, unbeknownst to of staff cat, Juice. The sessions help accustom Mauger, a second kitten patiently waited the kittens to different sights, sounds and tex- behind her for the spoon to reappear to deli- tures via a mat in the center of the room piled cately take a lick. with irresistible toys. Naturally, a couple of Whoever termed the phrase “dumb ani- them discovered it was more fun to explore a mals” obviously never met an 8-week-old kit- Assistant trainer few boxes stacked under a table. ten. Within the two-week, $40 session, kittens Kelsey Hrusch rewards It took about 15 minutes of solitary play learn to adjust to harnesses and leashes, meet a kitten with food as she trains the kitten to before the six kittens discovered the toys friendly dogs, come when called (OK, if they wear a harness during were more fun while playing with a compan- choose to come) and get into their crates by the kitten class of ion. Those favoring the boxes began chasing themselves. L’Chaim Canine and each other in a game of tag. Owners are The whole idea is to accustom animals to Feline at the Cuyahoga taught to recognize feline behavior and how the things you want them to do and not Valley Vet Clinic. to handle a kitten properly so they aren’t fear- make them afraid and run away, or fight back. ful. The class teaches owners it is possible to Cats are members of a family and should be take the fear out of getting into a carrier for a treated as such. “They aren’t just furniture,” trip to the vet, to trimming their claws so Good noted. — MCT there is no need to have a cat declawed - a horrible and inhumane surgery in the eyes of most pet lovers. “If we can avoid declawing, that’s what we want to do. If the nails are short enough, they aren’t going to scratch,” she said. A word to the wise, Mauger noted: Cats need scratching posts taller than they are when stretched out. Don’t waste money on a too short scratching post. Assistant trainer Kelsey Hrusch (left) clips the claws Kittens socialize of a 9-week-old kitten as during the kitten trainer Jennifer Mauger class of L’Chaim rewards the kitten with Canine and Feline at food. the Cuyahoga Valley Vet Clinic. Stars FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

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A special time with your loved one is pos- Cambodia 00855 Morocco 00212 sible this evening—do not rush. Cameroon 00237 Mozambique 00258 Canada 001 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Cape Verde 00238 Namibia 00264 Cayman Islands 001345 Nepal 00977 Gemini (May 21-June 20) Central African Republic 00236 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Chad 00235 Netherlands Antilles 00599 Chile 0056 New Caledonia 00687 A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods Business presentations or lectures absorb most of your China 0086 New Zealand 0064 is available to you today. This is a very good time to communicate your energy today. You could have difficulty getting your ideas across, some- Colombia 0057 Nicaragua 00505 goals and put them into words. You are in top form and will make a times feeling inadequate in matters that require logic. You may have Comoros 00269 Nigar 00227 good contribution to whatever project you are working on now. 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You have a strong drive to be center this evening, you may be tempted to purchase items that might Cyprus 00357 Norway 0047 seen and known—to communicate yourself to others. This evening you not really be what you wanted. Ask questions, compare prices and talk Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Oman 00968 share your wit and sharp insights while visiting with friends or neigh- to some owners of the item in question. Czech Republic 00420 Pakistan 0092 bors. Denmark 0045 Palau 00680 Diego Garcia 00246 Panama 00507 Djibouti 00253 Papua New Guinea 00675 Dominica 001767 Paraguay 00595 Dominican Republic 001809 Peru 0051 Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Ecuador 00593 Philippines 0063 Egypt 0020 Poland 0048 This is a good day to solve problems. You will find a way You appear perhaps more sophisticated than usual this El Salvador 00503 Portugal 00351 around almost any obstacle and are in control and able to guide yourself day. You may be preparing for a job interview, either within your compa- England (UK) 0044 Puerto Rico 001787 with ease. Your sense of inner direction is good and should lead to ny or outside of the company for which you work. You are ready for your Equatorial Guinea 00240 Qatar 00974 opportunities. You are in top form when choosing or helping others to interview and the decision will be up to you because you make a good Eritrea 00291 Romania 0040 choose business ventures. Your keen business sense is never sharper impression. Now is the time to make yourself known. You could find that Estonia 00372 Russian Federation 007 than when you are working with or for others—a group, corporation, you are called upon to repeatedly step up and complete projects that Ethiopia 00251 Rwanda 00250 etc. You are able to find some nonessential project in the workplace and others felt they could not accomplish. This is because you value your Falkland Islands 00500 Saint Helena 00290 end up saving the company a great deal of money—just look. Your ability to intuitively know just what to do to get things accomplished. Faroe Islands 00298 Saint Kitts 001869 actions will receive support from higher-ups as well as from co-workers Diet, exercise and work are becoming more important and you set out to Fiji 00679 Saint Lucia 001758 around you. Opportunities are available for social interactions this somehow make it fun. You may want to do some research on renting a Finland 00358 Saint Pierre 00508 evening. cabin in a rustic place for your vacation. France 0033 Saint Vincent 001784 French Guiana 00594 Samoa US 00684 French Polynesia 00689 Samoa West 00685 Gabon 00241 San Marino 00378 Gambia 00220 Sao Tone 00239 Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Georgia 00995 Saudi Arabia 00966 Leo (July 23-August 22) Germany 0049 Scotland (UK) 0044 Ghana 00233 Senegal 00221 Good for you—you have found new ways to serve others The characteristic of the cycle you have just begun is thinking, learning and communicating with style. Intellectual creativity is Gibraltar 00350 Seychelles 00284 and are learning many new things about better dieting, health tactics Greece 0030 Sierra Leone 00232 and ecology, etc. New or alternate life styles and new ways to make a liv- highlighted and your social connections have a flair of drama to them. There may be some competition in obtaining a job change within your Greenland 00299 Singapore 0065 ing may interest you at this time. You may discover that people enjoy Grenada 001473 Slovakia 00421 company. You could add to your chances, however, by working up a hearing what you have to say and a good living could be made in selling Guadeloupe 00590 Slovenia 00386 advice! Some of your vacation time could be spent in this type of proposal of sorts that says how your talents could add to the business. Guam 001671 Solomon Islands 00677 research. You are economy personified, always able to salvage and Winning the admiration of others for the things you say or write and the Guatemala 00502 Somalia 00252 redeem. You like to tend and care for people, and particularly, for the way you do it, takes on more importance in your life. Marriage or a seri- Guinea 00224 South Africa 0027 good earth. You would do well to set aside time to create a vegetable ous relationship takes on a more secure feeling—especially if you are Guyana 00592 South Korea 0082 garden, if there is room. To relax by gardening is a most rewarding type both investing in property. This is a time to enjoy and appreciate your Haiti 00509 Spain 0034 of activity. Answers are there for you; don’t push. ties to others. Look for and promote harmony. Holland (Netherlands)0031 Sri Lanka 0094 Honduras 00504 Sudan 00249 Hong Kong 00852 Suriname 00597 Hungary 0036 Swaziland 00268 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Sweden 0046 Iceland 00354 Switzerland 0041 Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) India 0091 Syria 00963 Indian Ocean 00873 Taiwan 00886 Your career always seems to get the support you need and You could be in demand today, especially with superiors Indonesia 0062 Tanzania 00255 today is no exception. You seem to understand what the public wants or in relation to your work. You may find that you enjoy your job or the Iran 0098 Thailand 0066 and mass marketing could be a natural for you. You are an impartial responsibility it entails more than usual. Material things and the whole Iraq 00964 Toga 00228 thinker, democratic to the point of being impersonal. Fascinated by the concept of value take on more importance for you just now. Financial Ireland 00353 Tonga 00676 latest technology, you may have some very original ideas. Always think- security and enjoying the finer things in life are experiences that assume Italy 0039 Tokelau 00690 ing of the world as one unit, you are idealistic and believe in putting into a high priority. Your energies run effectively toward making yourself felt Ivory Coast 00225 Trinidad 001868 practice what is preached. You make a meaningful event out of plain in the material, tangible outer world. You are an action person who gains Jamaica 001876 Tunisia 00216 talk. Creative work such as advertisement, hair design and jewelry mak- the attention of others and seems to get things moving. The circum- Japan 0081 Turkey 0090 ing are wonderful professions for you to consider. You may have mas- stances of your life suggest extroversion. Careful—this no-nonsense Jordan 00962 Tuvalu 00688 tered the idea of positive thinking and could probably talk someone into approach makes it difficult to get close to you. Hum while you walk this Kazakhstan 007 Uganda 00256 Kenya 00254 Ukraine 00380 feeling better, eventually creating a healing. evening—practice good breathing . . . Oxygen! Kiribati 00686 United Arab Emirates00976 Stars FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Word Search 4. A siren of German legend who lured boatmen in the Rhine to destruction. 5. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all. CROSSWORD255 6. A structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young. 7. Causing fear or dread or terror. 8. Anything that contributes causally to a result. 9. Adjust or accustom to. 10. Being one more than fifty. 11. A digital display that uses liquid crystal cells that change reflectivity in an applied electric field. 12. A genus of Mustelidae. 13. Loose or flaccid body fat. 14. Cheeselike food made of curdled soybean milk. 21. Reports of the work of a society or learned body etc. 23. Not reflecting light. 27. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field. 29. An oral cephalosporin (trade names Keflex and Keflin and Keftab) common- ly prescribe for mild to moderately severe infections of the skin or ears or throat or lungs or urinary tract. 31. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (trade names Acular and Toradol) that is administered only intramuscularly. 32. A historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia. 35. Used chiefly as a direction or description in music. 36. Constituting the full quantity or extent. 37. Someone who walks unsteadily as if about to fall. 41. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 42. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska. 43. Big-eyed scad. 46. The capital of Croatia. 47. A state in northwestern North America. 49. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily. 52. The act of catching an object with the hands. ACROSS 54. An assertion of a right (as to money or property). 1. 100 pyas equal 1 kyat. 57. A group of African language in the Niger-Congo group spoken from the 4. The seacoast first sighted on a voyage (or flight over water). Ivory Coast east to Nigeria. 12. A newt in its terrestrial stage of development. 61. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin. 15. A graphical record of electrical activity of the brain. 62. A feudal lord or baron in Scotland. 16. Of or relating to or characteristic of opera. 63. A member of a seafaring group of North American Indians who lived on the 17. The United Nations agency concerned with the interests of labor. Pacific coast of British Columbia and southwestern Alaska. 18. 4-wheeled motor vehicle. 65. A republic in the Middle East in western Asia. 19. Surgically remove a part of a structure or an organ. 66. A city in the Asian part of Russia. 20. A unit of elastance equal to the reciprocal of a farad. 67. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism. 22. A painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt. 68. A heavy long-handled hammer used to drive stakes or wedges. 24. About three feet long exclusive of tail. 70. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike. 25. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and 71. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in schools. NE Nebraska. 26. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism. 74. A number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge. 28. English engineer who developed a method of preserving food by sterilizing 75. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). it with heat and sealing it inside a steel container--the first tin can (1768-1855). 77. (Akkadian) God of wisdom. 30. Highly skilled or proficient" "a master plumber". 79. A light strong gray lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in 33. Able to act at will. strong light-weight alloys (as for airplane parts). 34. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another. 38. Relating to or containing acetic acid. 39. Of or relating to cats. 40. Qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward. Yesterdayʼs Solution 44. Fill to satisfaction. 45. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves. 48. The food served and eaten at one time. 51. The second month of the Hindu calendar. Yesterdayʼs Solution 53. Relatively small tuna with choice white flesh. 55. Large long-armed ape of Borneo and Sumatra having arboreal habits. 56. A Loloish language. 58. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group. 59. A colorless and odorless inert gas. 60. Straggling shrub with narrow leaves and conspicuous red flowers in dense globular racemes. 64. Type and sole genus of the family Leiopelmatidae. 69. An intersection or crossing of two tracts in the form of the letter X. 72. A human limb. 73. The cry made by sheep. 76. An open jar of glass or porcelain used as an ornament or to hold flowers. 78. Any agent (physical or environmental) that can induce a genetic mutation or can increase the rate of mutation. 80. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code. 81. A town and port in northwestern Israel in the eastern Mediterranean. 82. Surveying instrument consisting of the upper movable part of a theodolite including the telescope and its attachments. 83. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Either of two large muscles of the chest. 2. Not only so, but. 3. A city in northern India.

Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution Sports42 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Softball’s lost generation hopes to realise dreams

BRAMPTON: Call them softball’s lost generation. has only a one-in-three chance of returning to Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid are the three They were barely teenagers in 2005 but surely the Olympics when the IOC votes in Buenos Aries finalists to host the 2020 Olympic Games but old enough to realise their Olympic dreams were on Sept. 8 to decide what sport will be added to there is no guarantee the multi-billion dollar dashed when the International Olympic the roster for the 2020 Summer Games. budget to stage the sporting extravaganza will Committee (IOC) decided to remove their sport “I started playing when I was 10 and that was need to include the cost of constructing a base- from the Summer Games program. my whole goal and when they changed it I was ball diamond. Wrestling and squash will also be Now, eight years later and nearing their devastated,” Canadian pitcher Jocelyn Carter battling for their Olympic lives in Argentina. sporting primes, that Olympic dream still burns said after a recent win over Puerto Rico. “There Squash is trying to find its way onto the bright for the hopeful young women from 16 were tons of people who retired because there Olympic lineup for the first time while wrestling nations working hard under a blazing Canadian was nothing to strive for anymore and now is on an Olympic death row hoping for a reprieve NEW YORK: American League All-Star Joe Nathan summer sun at the recent softball junior world there’s us. after the ancient sport was shockingly dumped No. 36 of the Texas Rangers pitches during the 84th championships. “We’re kind of in the middle, we’ve been from the program in February. MLB All-Star Game in this file photo. —AFP But there are dreams and there is reality and dreaming about it for our whole lives and this is Too young to have competed in softball’s the reality is softball-in a joint bid with baseball- all we want is to go to the 2020 Olympics.” Summer Games swan song at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the women chasing a world champi- All-Star relievers onship on the outskirts of Toronto still believe their “Field of Dreams” is out there somewhere. flash credentials So does Don Porter, the homespun American president of the International Softball Federation (ISF), who has been lobbying IOC NEW YORK: The shut-down performance by American League members for eight years, hoping to hit the relievers in this year’s All-Star game showcased the winning edge a home run that will put his sport back in the bullpen can offer a contender as Major League Baseball enters the Olympics. second half of its season today. Porter’s sales pitch is well-rehearsed and It may have been Mariano Rivera’s night at Tuesday’s All-Star matter-of-fact. Like the man delivering the mes- game at Citi Field as the evergreen closer was given an emotional sage there is nothing slick about the presenta- salute in his last Midsummer Classic, but Mo did not stand alone as tion, the lack of pizzazz trumped by the unpol- a parade of relievers dominated the action. ished heartfelt honesty of someone who has The 13-man American League pitching staff featured seven dedicated 40 years of his life to a sport. relievers and six of them helped finish the combined three-hitter It has also become a personal crusade for the crafted by 10 AL hurlers in a 3-0 victory over the National League. ISF chief, whose somber tone shows he is carry- Joe Nathan wrapped it up to register the save, following Rivera, ing the burden of having dropped the ball on Steve Delabar, Brett Cecil, Greg Holland and Grant Balfour to the his watch. mound. “I felt like I had really let (the athletes) down,” American League manager Jim Leyland decided to use the 43- Porter told Reuters. “Those Olympic dreams still year-old Rivera in the eighth instead of his usual ninth inning set- live among a lot of them.” ting to make sure he got the future Hall of Famer into the game for “I still look at emails I got back in 2009 and his 13th and last All-Star team. even before when we were dropped from the But Leyland knows where the crucial outs are registered. “I can’t program, 500, 600 emails from athletes like imagine how Joe Torre and Joe Girardi feel bringing him in the those out here at this ballpark about their ninth, that’s a pretty good feeling,” Leyland said about Yankees Olympics dreams, about how disappointed they managers who won a passel of World Series with Rivera coming are that their Olympic dreams have faded and out of the bullpen as the closer. Pitching is king, with bullpens a crit- we want to bring those dreams back. “That’s ical component. what it is all about, bringing those dreams back The Pittsburgh Pirates, one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals to these athletes so they can be part of a great in the tight National League Central race, lead all of MLB in earned event like the Olympic Games.” Stung by the run average at 3.07 and top the NL in saves with 34 and in convert- IOC’s rejection, Porter nonetheless remains an ing 79 percent of their save opportunities. unwavering backer of the Olympic movement. Pittsburgh also leads the league in catchiest nickname for a A tireless advocate for the Olympics and his bullpen, the “Shark Tank,” a moniker applied after set-up man Mark sport, Porter has criss-crossed the globe to meet Melancon regaled team mates about a shark-cage diving trip he with anyone interested in listening to his pitch. had taken with his wife. During the past four months he has visited Leading the way for the Pirates is converted set-up man Jason Japan, China, Russia, Canada and Switzerland Grilli, who like Melancon was on the All-Star team. Grilli has notched twice. With the vote less than two months away 29 saves and Melancon has set him up with a microscopic ERA of the pace will pick up with stops in Cali, 0.81 in 45 appearances. Colombia, Torino, Italy, Puerto Rico and any- Strong bullpens are also helping the NL East-leading Atlanta NEW YORK: Softball player Jennie Finch attends the Taco Bell All-Star where else there might be a chance to corner an Braves, the NL’s second-ranked team in ERA. Their 27 saves ties Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Citi Field in this file photo. —AFP IOC voter. —Reuters them with NL West-leading Arizona and puts them one save behind the Cardinals for second best in that category. In the American League, the Texas Rangers are in hot pursuit of the Oakland Athletics in the West in a race between two clubs with outstanding relief. Super Bowl chase begins The Rangers, with Nathan as their closer, have completed a remarkable 89 percent of their save opportunities, while Oakland NEW YORK: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened their National who helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls in six reliever Grant Balfour is on a run of 43 consecutive saves dating Football League 2013 pre-season training camp Wednesday seasons with the club. Tynes has made 190 of 233 field goal back to last year for the reigning AL West champions. workouts that kick off a gridiron journey which will culminate in kicks for the Giants and Kansas City in 129 career games. There are exceptions, as the Detroit Tigers lead the AL Central next February’s Super Bowl. “We are disappointed to lose a productive player like and the Boston Red Sox are in front in the AL East despite bullpen Only 50 days after the Bucs’ rookies arrived at camp, the NFL Connor but are very fortunate to be able to sign an experienced question marks. Leyland and the Tigers are blessed with a bountiful season is slated to open with the defending Super Bowl cham- kicker at this time of year,” Buccaneers general manager Mark attack, a strong rotation of starting pitchers and a weak division, pion Baltimore Ravens playing at Denver. Dominik said. while the Red Sox have gotten surprisingly steady starting pitching The reigning champions typically open at home but the The New Orleans Saints were set to follow by opening work- and potent offense to make up for losing closer Joel Hanrahan to Ravens were booked into a road opener after Major League outs on Thursday with the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland injury and inconsistent form from Andrew Bailey. Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles refused to move their home game Browns to open pre-season practice on Friday. The AL East could see a shuffle as Tampa Bay, hampered by a at a ballpark adjacent to the Ravens’ stadium. While newcomers, free agents and college draft choices will bumpy start by closer Fernando Rodney, are rebounding just as The Buccaneers, who host their practice sessions at the report in the opening days of workouts, it will be the Dallas Rodney seems to have rediscovered the form he flashed in last team’s Florida headquarters, announced that kicker Connor Cowboys and Miami Dolphins who welcome the first veteran year’s breakout season. Barth will miss the entire season after surgery to repair a torn players to camp on Saturday. That’s because the Cowboys and And the Yankees, of course, still have Rivera who has converted Achilles tendon. Dolphins will meet in the first pre-season exhibition game on 30 of 32 saves for a team that could join the pennant race if they Tampa Bay signed a one-year deal with Lawrence Tynes, August 4, the Hall of Fame Game at Canton, Ohio. —AFP get back the injured Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson and find a way to score more runs. —Reuters Sports43 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Experience at a premium in Super Rugby playoffs

SYDNEY: Canterbury Crusaders welcome back Richie McCaw for the business end of the Super Rugby season in the first of two playoff matches this weekend that could bring an end to Australia’s involvement in the competition. The highly-experienced All Blacks captain starts on the bench in Christchurch but will need to be more than just an inspiring pres- NEW YORK: Saratoga Race Course pony boy Jesse ence for the seven-times champions in Costa rides Vegas, in Saratoga Springs. The 150th Saturday’s crunch rematch of the 2011 final. horse racing meet at Saratoga opens today. —AP The Reds won that Brisbane final and will travel across the Tasman sea with plenty of optimism as they look to become the first Saratoga set for Super Rugby side to sweep all five New Zealand teams in one season. While the Crusaders go into the playoffs as 150th race day the competition’s form team on the back of five straight wins, Australian conference win- SARATOGA SPRINGS: Saratoga Race Course is set to open ners ACT Brumbies stumbled into the knock- for the season, with the winners of the Kentucky Derby, out stage with a defeat at the Western Force. Preakness and Belmont Stakes waiting in the wings and com- Jake White’s team host South Africa’s sur- memoration of its 150th summer of racing creating a celebra- prise package, the Cheetahs, in their first post- tory mood. season match since 2004 on Sunday, with the The Saratoga meeting starting today is the first with Bloemfontein-based outfit well rested for their recently appointed chief executive officer Christopher Kay at first appearance in the playoffs after last week- the beleaguered New York Racing Association’s helm. He end’s bye. took over on July 1 with the mission of returning NYRA to the Defeat for the Reds would bring an end to private sector after a three-year state takeover. Ewen McKenzie’s time in charge of the team This year’s winners of each Triple Crown race - Orb, Oxbow before he takes up the reins as Wallabies and Palace Malice - are stabled on the grounds in Saratoga coach and he has been forced to make a raft Springs and they’re expected to face off in the Aug. 24 of changes to his backline because of injury. Travers Stakes. The Reds finished the regular season with Prominent older horses, including 2012 Horse of the Year a lacklustre 14-12 win over the New South Wise Dan and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned, are Wales Waratahs and McKenzie is banking on expected make appearances during the meeting. the return of captain James Horwill and Missing will be Ramon Dominguez, the dominant rider scrumhalf Will Genia after minor injuries to here in recent years. Dominguez, 36, suffered a head injury reignite his side. on Jan. 18 when he was thrown from a mount in a race at “There is always going to be some damage Aqueduct Racetrack. He announced his retirement in June, at this time of the year and while it’s disap- acting on the advice of physicians. pointing to be without a few guys, we are get- Events commemorating the 150th summer of racing have ting the experience of James and Will back,” been in progress for more than a month and will continue he said. beyond the meeting’s conclusion on Labor Day. The newly “Their influence can’t be understated and unveiled Walk of Fame at the clubhouse entrance is the most you need world class players and strong lead- conspicuous physical addition to the racetrack. ers if you are going to win these games on the Heat in the mid-90s won’t stop opening day, Kay said big stage.” Wednesday. “We’ve had hot days before,” he said. “We have After a poor start the season, the Crusaders no intention to cancel racing on opening day.” have really hit their straps since the interna- A lawyer who headed Toys R Us and the Trust for Public tional break, particularly in their 43-15 hum- Land, Kay will see his first race at Saratoga on Friday but said bling of the defending champion Waikato during an introductory press conference that he is fully aware Chiefs in Christchurch two weeks ago. of the importance of racing to the state’s economy. “This is a It is, however, five years since they last won $4.2 billion industry,” Kay said. the competition and even if coach Todd Richie McCaw Kay said that despite his lack of experience in either racing Blackadder’s job is not yet on the line, defeat or gaming, the basic tenets of business are universal, citing at home in the first round of the playoffs “This is the biggest challenge, to get the starting line-up for the first time since winning marketing and customer service as key ingredients in bot- would be unpalatable to many. As the only players to realise that we are not finished,” he his 111th test cap against the British and Irish tom-line growth. team in the last six who have not won the said. “But watching them, it is exciting, to see Lions. “George has all that experience, has “Our goal is for everyone to have an outstanding experi- Super Rugby title before, the Cheetahs travel they want to win, they are not done.” played in playoffs and won the competition ence each and every day,” he said. “One of the things we to Canberra as firm underdogs but coach Like Blackadder, White will able to rely the before,” White said of Smith, who played in must remember is the number of people in this state who Naka Drotske is convinced their fairytale sea- vast experience of a world class openside both the Brumbies’ title wins in 2001 and love horse racing.” —AP son will not be ending on Sunday. flanker with George Smith returning to the 2004. —Reuters Sponsor suspends deal with sprinter Powell

KINGSTON: Chinese sportswear company Li- positive for the stimulant oxilofrone at the the principles of fair competition.” Li-Ning, but instead not being more vigilant,” said Ning suspended its sponsorship of Asafa national championships last month. Discus which has thousands of retail outlets in Powell, the last man to hold the 100 world Powell on Wednesday after the Jamaican thrower Allison Randall and two other ath- China, is gradually gaining recognition in the record before fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt sprinter failed a doping test and was formally letes also returned positives for banned sub- United States. Last year, Miami Heat star shattered it in 2008. placed under criminal investigation in Italy for stances at the same meet. Dwayne Wade signed with Li-Ning, which Powell, who turns 31 in November, possibly violating anti-doping laws. The com- News over the weekend that Tyson Gay gave the NBA player his own brand within returned quietly to Jamaica on Tuesday night, pany said in a statement that it has “great also was under the cloud of doping led the company. Wade’s former Miami team- according to the Jamaica Observer. An respect for his efforts and hard work” over the sportswear giant Adidas to suspend its spon- mate, Shaquille O’Neal, had also endorsed anonymous source told the newspaper that years but it was suspending its deal with the sorship of the US sprinter on Monday. the brand. Powell says he is not a cheat. In a Powell is huddling with lawyers to plan his former 100-meter world-record holder pend- On Wednesday, Li-Ning said it will imme- Sunday statement released shortly after his next move. The athlete’s publicist in Jamaica, ing the outcome of a doping investigation. diately end its contract with Powell if he is agent confirmed the positive “A” test, Powell Tara Playfair-Scott, did not return a The announcement comes days after “found to be involved in the use of banned said the findings left him “completely devas- Wednesday email seeking clarification. Calls weekend revelations that Powell and fellow stimulants.” The company said it “is firmly tated in many respects.” to members of Powell’s inner circle were not Jamaican track star Sherone Simpson tested opposed to any acts of deceit that tarnishes “My fault here, however, is not cheating returned. —AP Sports FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Jimenez posts early lead

GULLANE: Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez to five under through nine holes including an set a blistering early pace yesterday as the 142nd eagle three at the fifth. Fellow American Dustin British Open got underway at Muirfield. Johnson was at three under after 14 holes, with The 49-year-old crowd pleaser, who missed the another Spaniard, Rafael Cabrera-Bello on the first four months of the year after breaking his leg same mark with two holes to play. Playing condi- while skiing in December, took advantage of per- tions at the famed East Lothian links were ideal fect early morning playing conditions to post a under clear skies and with little or no breeze, but three-under 68 and take the early clubhouse lead. there were still some nightmare starts as both local Jimenez went out in five under 31 and was well lad Lloyd Saltman and rising American Brooks on track to become the first player in the history of Koepka racked up eights at hte first. golf to break 63 in a major tournament. Rory McIlroy’s quest to reproduce the supreme But Muirfield’s tougher back nine was an all form he showed late last year continued as he together different prospect and Jimenez, who will struggled early on. Playing with a new pear- be eligible for the senior tour at the start of next shaped Nike driver, the 24-year-old Ulsterman was year, bogeyed 12 and 16 to settle for a 68. two over after six holes before he bagged his first Also in the clubhouse early and under par was birdie of the day at the par-three seventh to reach 2004 winner Todd Hamilton of the United States, the turn in 37. McIlroy’s playing partner, four-time who had a 69, and Oliver Fisher of England, who major winner Phil Mickelson, had birdies at the had a 70 playing in the lead group. second and third but a bogey at the eighth saw “If the wind stays like it is, it’s really not too diffi- him go out in 35. Newly-crowned US Open cham- cult,” Hamilton said of the course. “If you can take pion Justin Rose also had a poor start going out in advantage of the par-5s and throw some other two over 38 and heading back in with three birdies in, and stay away from the high numbers, straight pars.Tournament favourite Tiger Woods somebody is I think going to shoot a good score.” had a mid-afternoon tee-off time in the company GULLANE: Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez tees off on the third during the first round of the Out on the course 2007 Masters champion of two other fancied players and major winners, 2013 British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield golf course. — AFP Zach Johnson used his supreme iron play to speed Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen.—AFP I’m good enough Couples still eager to learn for British GULLLANE: He is not quite the young ment but my favourite tournament I never is the bunkers,” said Couples, who will be apprentice but Fred Couples will be looking won is The Open.” assistant captain to Watson in the 2014 Open, says Lynn and learning when he partners Muirfield Couples plays mostly on the Champions Ryder Cup.“There is a lot of sand in the traps masters Tom Watson and Nick Faldo in the Tour these days but 13th place at this year’s and if you make a huge mistake you’ll bury GULLANE: Englishman David Lynn’s career has been trans- British Open first round yesterday. Unlike his Masters, where he made the cut for a record your ball and it will become a struggle. formed since a stunning runner-up finish at the US PGA last playing partners, the 53-year-old American 24th time, showed that he can still mix it “No wind gives us all a little break where year, so much so that he can finally say he is good enough for has never lifted the Claret Jug and on his with the young big hitters who he says it’s you don’t have to hit too many drivers and the British Open. only previous appearance at the famous “fun to watch”. you can get it around, but it’s still a great golf For most of his professional career the 39-year-old has Muirfield links in 1987 he finished 40th. Third-place finishes at the Open in 1991 course. “A good ball striker will do really well been a solid tour journeyman, grinding out a comfortable liv- But he said it is never too old to learn and 2005 and two fourth places prove he here but you have to have a good imagina- ing without attracting the headlines of compatriots such as new tricks. “I think it’s a unique pairing,” the knows how to get around a links course. tion. That’s why the Watsons and the Faldos Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose. laid-back Couples, whose easy smile and “I had a few chances, played a lot of times have done well here in the past. Pragmatism rather than romance was Lynn’s driving force laid-back demeanour make him a favourite but it’s the greatest golf around,” he said. “They are both great putters too. People which is why he decided against breaking his schedule to try wherever he plays, told Reuters on “It’s so much fun to hit a four iron one day don’t realise what a great putter Nick Faldo to qualify for the British Open and why on Thursday at Wednesday. “I’m really looking forward to it. 150 yards and the next day hit the same club was. He used to make every five-foot putt Muirfield he will compete in his home major for only the sec- I know their track record round here is great 250 yards. It takes a lot of time to figure that when he needed to.” Couples said whoever ond time. “It’s great to be back,” Lynn, who finished runner-up so I’m going to try and follow them around, out. “There will be a lot of young players wins the title on Sunday will have to finish to Rory McIlroy at Kiawah Island in only his second major last hit the shots they hit and see if I can hit them who go home and say ‘Wow, what hap- with a special round of golf. year, told Reuters on Wednesday. “To be honest the reason better than I normally do. Otherwise it will pened out there’!” “It’s fun to watch these “I started a lot of fourth rounds close and I’ve only played one is that I’ve been a bit averse to going be a long week.” guys play, the young guys. I don’t play in our then played mediocre,” Couples said. “I nev- through qualifying really because of how it sat in the sched- Couples is three years younger than US Open anymore and to play in the Masters er had a really bad last day but you can’t ule. Faldo, who won two of his three British every year is a treat but to watch these guys have a mediocre last day and win this thing. “Also my mindset was very much that if I’m having to go Opens at Muirfield, and Watson, who came play is great.” Couples has a warning for “I was always pretty close and played through qualifying then I’m not really good enough to be within a missed putt of an astonishing sixth those players who he says “hit it a mile” - steady which wasn’t good enough. If you playing in it. That’s the reason I’m only playing my second title four years ago is approaching his 64th even if the wind, as forecast, does not blow watch the guys who win they do that little one. “The qualifying always sits right in the middle of big tour- birthday. “It’ll seem like 1980 all over again,” too hard. “The toughest thing this week, extra push at the end. I had my chances and naments and first and foremost I had to make sure I had a job said Couples, whose one major triumph because I hear the wind is not going to blow, never did it.”— Reuters for the following year so playing in those tournaments was came at Augusta in 1992. important for points and rankings. “It was a sacrifice I had to “I like Nick, he is one of my favourite play- make.” ers and I’ve been paired with him in the Lynn’s reward for the hard graft arrived last year when he Open many times. It’s going to be most fun pocketed an $865,000 cheque for his PGA performance - by just listening to those guys talk about their far the biggest pay day of his career. records here at Muirfield,” he added. It also earned him an invitation to the 2013 PGA Tour on Couples is teeing it up at the British Open for which he has played more than 15 events this year, finishing the first time since missing the cut at fourth at the Honda Classic and second at the Wells Fargo Hoylake in 2006 having qualified by winning Championship. While he can still walk around Muirfield in rel- the Senior Open last year. ative obscurity, Lynn, who has one tournament win in 18 He could barely contain his enthusiasm years as a professional, has attracted quite a following in the as he joined in with the banter on the prac- States. “I’m really enjoying the crowds out there,” he said tice range. He said the first thing he did recently of his first year on the American Tour. when he won the Senior Open at Turnberry “They’re a bit more interactive with the players, they like to was book a room at the idyllic Greywalls have a chat and I like that side of things.” With his PGA card Hotel near Gullane — deep in the heart of already assured for next year, Lynn is in the unusual position Scotland’s golfing heritage. of having no pressure as he gets back to the links golf he grew “I missed it in 2002 when Ernie (Els) won, up with at Muirfield. “I’ve retained my ranking in the world’s the year of the big storm, I didn’t have a part top 50 since the PGA and now I’m looking for another big fin- of that,” he said. “But it’s an amazing tourna- ish now to catapult myself further up the rankings,” he said. ment on a great course and I feel glad to be “I’m looking forward to the challenge this week. It’s back here. The first thing I did was get a room at to hitting those low two-iron stingers which is something Greywalls so I could relax and hang out and I’m comfortable with. Good players can adapt their plan on playing all the time. If you don’t like games.”—Reuters this golf you shouldn’t really play. “Augusta GULLANE: US golfer Fred Couples plays a shot on the second fairway during the first since I won there, it’s my favourite tourna- round of the 2013 British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield golf course. — AFP Sports45 FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

Santiago advance, Kazema stumble

By Abdellatif Sharaa Team standings KUWAIT: Santiago Futsal raised its haul to six points and guaranteed itself a place in Group A the quarterfinals of the Kuwait Mini World Futsal Club Tournament being held under P W L D GF GA GD Pts the patronage of HH the Prime Minister Cardinal-Rivne 3 2 0 1 4 1 3 7 Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah after Atletico Huila 3 1 1 1 6 3 3 4 beating Thailand’s Chonburi 3-1. Meanwhile Kuwait’s Kazema saw its Misr LelMakasa 2 1 1 0 3 3 0 3 dreams dashed with its second loss to AL-Nasser 2 0 2 0 1 7 -6 0 Croatia’s MNK Alumnus, raising its total points to four while Kazema remain point- Group B less. Santiago’s players were focused and Pinocho 2 2 0 0 5 3 2 6 dictated the play by closely marking key Muharraq 2 1 1 0 5 3 2 3 players of Chonburi who were not able to City’s Tirgu 2 1 1 0 7 8 -1 3 reach the Spanish goal. Santiago scored in FC Erdre 2 0 2 0 6 3 -3 0 the 7th minute through Hamza Maimoon who toyed with Chonburi’s defenders. The Thai players became tense as Santiago’s Group C players kept them away from the goal, Al-Sadd 2 1 0 1 8 6 2 4 and the first half came to an end. only goal in the 29th minute through ferent as scoring opportunities appeared Qadsia 2 1 1 0 12 5 7 3 It was clear in the second half that Madyalan. Santiago won the match and for both sides until Alumnus scored in the Santiago did not want Chonburi to score moved into the quarter finals. 4th minute. Sport Colonial 2 1 1 0 4 5 -1 3 and it was only one minute into the sec- In the second match, caution was Kazema went on the attack an piled on Dabiri Tabriz 2 0 1 1 7 15 -8 1 ond half when Santiago player Alan dominant as each team wanted to secure the pressure while Alumnus played a bal- Brandi added the second goal to make it its defenses as both teams Kazema and anced game and relied on counterattacks difficult for Chonburi whose defenses col- MNK Alumnus knew that a loss will kick which helped them score a second goal in Group D lapsed and Santiago used this to their them out of the competition. Kazema the 12th minute of the second half. Santiago Futsal 2 2 0 0 4 1 3 6 advantage and scored its third goal, again began to show some threat, prompting Kazema pulled one back in the 36th MNK Alumnus 2 1 0 1 5 3 2 4 the Croatians to attack and try to score minute, but Alumnus’ reply came fast and through Brandi. Santiago acted like it had Chonburi 2 0 1 1 3 5 -2 1 won the match and individual plays dom- despite the difficulty created by the they scored their third goal, killing inated and this led to wasting many scor- defense, and the first half ended score- Kazema’s hopes to qualify for the next Kazma 2 0 2 0 1 4 -3 0 ing chances. Chonburi then scored its less. In the second half, things looked dif- round. Sports FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Sports figures show their love for Mandela

JOHANNESBURG: Sports figures around the world showed their different in this room.’ And it was just like a different energy in the love for Nelson Mandela yesterday, the anti-apartheid hero’s 95th room. “We just looked at each other and just shrugged our shoulders. birthday. At the British Open, Tiger Woods talked about the unique And maybe, I’m guessing probably 30 seconds later, I heard some energy Mandela exuded when they first met, while some of South movement behind me and it was President Mandela folding up the Africa’s biggest sports stars proudly tweeted pictures of their own paper. And it was pretty amazing. The energy that he has, that he encounters with the adored former president. exudes, is unlike any person I’ve ever met.” FIFA President Sepp Blatter wrote to Mandela to wish him a In South Africa, Mandela’s inspirational appearances at the Rugby happy birthday and thank him for “championing” the 2010 World World Cup final in 1995 and football’s African Cup of Nations final a Cup in South Africa, and Premier League club Manchester City will year later are as much a part of the country’s sporting heritage as its play a game later Thursday in his honor. “Today we remember winning teams on those days - maybe more. His advanced years and your courageous fight against oppression and the inspirational numerous visits to the hospital recently have left South Africans fear- example you set to others who are battling injustice,” Blatter wrote ing for their ailing father figure, but sportsmen and sportswomen in his message to South Africa’s first democratic president. “May joined the opportunity to celebrate his birthday. this message transmit to you all the energy, strength and goodwill A list of stars paid tribute, some affectionately referring to of the football community as you continue your recovery from ill- Mandela by his clan name Madiba, others using “Tata,” a word that ness.” means father. “Happy birthday #Madiba,” Bryan Habana, one of The aging Mandela remains hospitalized for a recurring lung South Africa’s top rugby players and a 2007 Rugby World Cup win- infection but his birthday coincided with a statement from South ner, wrote on Twitter. “As a nation we salute you and keep you in our Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, saying his health was improv- prayers!” ing. Mandela’s unifying legacy pervades nearly all sports, a strong Habana also posted a photograph of himself and teammates with connection that meant a question about the Nobel Peace Prize win- a smiling Mandela on a previous birthday. Olympic swimming cham- CAPE TOWN: A portrait representing former South African ner in the buildup to a major golf tournament wasn’t at all out of pions Cameron van der Burgh and Kirsty Coventry, who is from President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a place this week. Woods, who is playing at the British Open in Zimbabwe, former rugby captain John Smit and former cricket cap- building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Scotland, said his “amazing” 1998 meeting with Mandela was an tain Shaun Pollock all posted messages, as did Everton midfielder Cape Town. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela’s 95th experience he would “never, ever forget” and recounted the visit Steven Pienaar, who wrote: “Big happy birthday to my hero TaTa birthday yesterday. — AP with his late father to the then-South African president’s Madiba.” A South African football magazine put together a montage Johannesburg home. of photographs of what it called Mandela’s iconic football moments, by local fans during a fiercely contested recent football World Cup “It still gives me chills to this day, thinking about it,” Woods said including him grinning gleefully and holding the World Cup when qualifier against South Africa. Despite the intense battle on the field, Tuesday. “A gentleman asked us to go into this side room ... And we South Africa won the right to host, and another with former the Ethiopian supporters in their striped team shirts stand in front of walked in the room and my dad and I were just kind of looking Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. One image, from a huge sign that reads: “We Love Mandela!! We Will Always Be At around. And I said, ‘Dad, do you feel that?’ And he says, ‘Yeah, it feels Ethiopia and at the bottom of the collection, shows a banner hoisted Your Side.” — AP Blatter: Qatar World Cup should take place in winter

AUSTRIA: FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on leagues that something has to be changed. Wednesday the 2022 World Cup should be switched to “It would only be for one year, afterwards you’d be the winter months because of the blistering heat in back to the normal routine. But I will advocate that,” he Qatar during the summer. told Sky Germany television. Blatter admitted he had to take his share of the Blatter said his change of heart had followed med- blame for not taking the heat problem sufficiently into ical information about the effects of the heat on play- consideration when awarding the tournament to Qatar ers, but he admitted his standing would be affected by in 2010. the volte-face. “The World Cup must be a festival of the people. But “I personally have had to take a lot of criticism but I for it to be such a festival, you can’t play football in the have strong shoulders and it doesn’t really bother me. summer,” Blatter told a conference in Kitzbuehel, “There has been a fresh medical investigation into what Austria. it would be like to play football there in the summer “You can cool down the stadiums but you can’t cool and we have to take into account the health, not of the down the whole country and you can’t simply cool spectators, but of the players,” he told Sky Germany. down the ambience of a World Cup. The players must “We didn’t underestimate this topic. It wasn’t looked be able to play in the best conditions to play a good at properly. Because even back then our chief medical SWEDEN: Norway’s midfielder Solveig Gulbrandsen (right) and Germany’s World Cup.” officer said you can’t play in June/July. defender Luisa Wensing (left) vie for the ball during the UEFA Women’s Blatter had previously said that any request to “But the point is 2022 was a long way away when we European Championship Euro 2013 Group B football match. — AFP change the timing of the 2022 World Cup would have decided this in 2010. Now we’re in 2013, three years lat- to come from the organisers. In March he said the er and now it’s time to think about what was maybe not Germany women suffer World Cup was a competition “that has to be played in done so well.”— Reuters June and July”. first defeat in 20 years “We must protect our partners, our sponsors, our tel- evision partners. We must be very strong about this. We STOCKHOLM: Germany suffered their free-kicks they were kept at bay at the still have enough time. I will open discussions in the first defeat in 20 years at the European Kalmar Arena. executive committee in October,” Blatter told reporters. women’s soccer championship when In Vaxsjo, Iceland went ahead on “The executive committee will most certainly follow they lost 1-0 to Norway on the half-hour when an unmarked my proposal. And then we will have dealt with the topic Wednesday. Dagny Brynjarsdottir headed home a for good.” Norway finished top of group B deep cross from Hallbera Gisladottir to The head of Qatar’s organising committee, Hassan with the Germans as runners-up. In the score Iceland’s second goal of the Al-Thawadi, told the conference in Austria by video link: group’s other game, Iceland beat tournament. “If it’s a wish of the football community to have the World Cup in winter, then we are open to that.” Games Netherlands 1-0 to knock out the Despite having 22 shots on goal, are scheduled to be played in air-conditioned stadiums. Dutch and qualify for the last eight as the Dutch could not find a way Moving the World Cup to the winter would have a one of the best third-placed teams. past Gudbjorg Gunnarsdottir in the seismic effect in Europe. Many leagues outside Britain The Norwegians took the lead on Icelandic goal. Norway won the have a winter break but they would need a hiatus of at the stroke of half-time after Germany group with seven points. Germany least six weeks to accommodate national teams prepar- failed to clear a free-kick. The ball fell and Iceland finished on four points, ing for, and playing at, the World Cup finals. —Reuters to Ingvild Isaksen whose shot deflect- with the Germans securing second “We have to have the courage - that is FIFA’s execu- ed off Elise Thorsnes into the German place thanks to their superior goal tive committee - to play this World Cup in the winter net. difference. Netherlands earned a and to start to work out now what impact this will have Seven-times champions Germany single point from their draw on the international calendar,” Blatter said. “You just increased the pressure in the second against Germany, but failed to have to have the courage to say it at some point half but despite a slew of corners and score. — Reuters because you have to start to get awareness into the Joseph Blatter Sports FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 Olimpia on the brink of Libertadores Cup glory ASUNCION: Olimpia scored from a free Ronaldinho, who glared disapprovingly by overturning a 2-0 first leg deficit Guilherme with a good chance for an kick in the dying seconds to take a major at the coach as he trudged off. Despite against Newell’s of Argentina before equaliser but his effort was well saved step towards a fourth Libertadores Cup the setback, Atletico will not be giving advancing on penalties. The Brazilian by Olimpia goalkeeper Martin Silva with title with a 2-0 triumph in the first leg of up hope of securing a first Libertadores side’s best chance came in the 77th his foot. the final against Atletico Mineiro on Cup victory after they reached the final minute when striker Jo was set up by “I think Olimpia played some good Wednesday. Central defender Alejando football against such good opponents as Silva had given the Paraguayan side a Mineiro,” the Paraguayan side’s coach 22nd minute lead with a shot from the Ever Almeida said. edge of the box before midfielder Atletico president Alexandre Kalil Wilson Pittoni sent home fans into rap- said; “We have the most Argentine (pas- tures with a priceless second goal three sionate) fans in Brazil, we’re going to minutes into added time. turn this result around. The fans will Atletico defender Richarlyson will pack the Mineirao. miss next Wednesday’s second leg in “In these circumstances, the Mineirao Belo Horizonte after he was sent off for a has become the ideal stadium,” added second bookable offence in the 89th Kalil, who had originally complained minute but the biggest disappointment about not being allowed to stage the for the visitors was the performance of second leg at Atletico’s Independencia Ronaldinho. ground. The playmaker had a poor game for Organising body CONMEBOL ruled the tournament favourites with coach the 23,000-capacity Independ- encia was Cuca hauling him off after a little more too small and ordered the match to be than an hour to send on Guilherme, who played at Belo Horizonte’s newly refur- scored a key equaliser in last week’s bished World Cup stadium. Meanwhile, semi-final, second leg against Newell’s last year’s Libertadores Cup winners Old Boys. Corinthians completed a 4-1 aggre- “He wasn’t good, He wasn’t playing ASUNCION: Eduardo Aranda (right) of Paraguay’s Olimpia congratulates gate victory over Copa Sudamericana well and he’s a player like any other,” teammate Wilson Pittoni after he scored the team’s second goal against holders Sao Paulo to lift the South Cuca told reporters of the talismanic Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro, during the Libertadores Cup first leg final. — AFP American Supercup. — Reuters

United united in insistence that Rooney is not for sale

SYDNEY: In case anybody had not quite got the message yet, a succession of well-briefed former Manchester United players lined up in Sydney yesterday to firmly reiterate the English cham- pions would not be selling Wayne Rooney. United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea said on Wednesday they had been rebuffed after making a cash bid for the unsettled England striker, who returned early from the Asia-Pacific tour to have treatment on a hamstring injury. Manager David Moyes avoided the question altogether in a scripted Q&A at a lunch in the city and it was left to former play- ers Bryan Robson, Denis Irwin and Dwight Yorke - dressed in club blazers and ties - to trot out the party line. “David Moyes has said Wayne Rooney isn’t for sale and as far as we’re concerned that’s the end of it,” former England and United captain Robson told reporters. “I don’t think it’s been a disruption to the squad, they’re getting on with training,” he added. “Unfortunately Wayne got the hamstring strain ... but it hasn’t been a distraction for the other boys.” English media reports said Rooney was ‘angry and confused’ after Moyes, who replaced Alex Ferguson at the end of last season, suggested last weekend he would be second choice behind Dutchman Robin van Persie next season. Rooney joined United for 27.0 million pounds ($40.83 million) in August 2004 and has since made 402 appearances for the club, scoring 197 goals and winning five league titles and the Champions League. The 27-year-old has two years left of a con- Mikael Lustig celebrates in this file photo. tract that earns him a basic salary of around 250,000 pounds ($378,100) a week. Former fullback Irwin, who played at United for more than a decade under Ferguson, repeated Robson’s line almost word-for-word before adding that, personally, he would Celtic stroll to 3-0 win like Rooney to stay at the club. “He’s a fantastic player, he’s scored a rack of goals for us so, yeah,” the Irishman said. Former United striker Yorke prefaced his comments by saying LONDON: Former European champions Celtic will take three Forrest rounded off the scoring with a right-footed effort he was happy to talk about “anything else but Rooney” but did away goals into the return leg of their Champions League sec- that beat Cliftonville keeper Conor Devlin at his near post after say Moyes would have to put his own stamp on the squad, even ond round qualifier against Irish League champions 84 minutes. if it meant dispensing with crowd favorites. “When a manager Cliftonville after a comfortable 3-0 win on Wednesday. Norwegian champions Molde won 1-0 away at Sligo Rovers comes into a tough job like Manchester United, he has to make Mikael Lustig and Georgios Samaras were on target in the thanks to a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area by tough decisions,” he said. first half for the Scottish champions while a late goal from Daniel Chima, while Elfsborg scored six second-half goals to “David Moyes will have to do it his way and us as players, ex- James Forrest added the finishing touches to a dominant per- complete a 7-1 win over Daugava Daugavpils from Latvia. players and supporters just have to trust him. That’s why he’s in formance. Barak Itzhaki and Gal Alberman were on target as Maccabi that position.” The trio, speaking as club ambassadors ahead of Norway’s Molde, Polish side Legia Warsaw and Israeli cham- Tel Aviv won 2-0 at Hungarian side Gyor ETO, while Michal Saturday’s match against an A-League All Star XI in Sydney, were pions Maccabi Tel Aviv also recorded away wins in their first Kucharczyk, Marek Saganowski and Jakub Kosecki were the equally united in welcoming the prospect of Spanish midfielder leg ties, while Sweden’s Elfsborg Boras ran in seven goals to scorers for Legia Warsaw who won 3-1 at Welsh side The New Cesc Fabregas moving to Old Trafford. effectively book their place in the next round. Saints. United vice chairman Ed Woodward has returned to Europe and the British media have linked his premature departure from Celtic, who had lost four games and conceded 12 goals in Elsewhere, Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade drew 1-1 at Armenian the tour to United’s bid to wrest the former Arsenal player away an unsuccessful pre-season tour of Germany, took their part- side Shirak Gyumri and Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava beat from Barcelona. “I think Fabregas is a fantastic player and I hope time opponents seriously by naming a strong side. Bulgarian team Ludogorets 2-1. he’s playing for Manchester United next season,” Robson said. Lustig headed them ahead after 25 minutes and Samaras Azerbaijan’s Neftchi Baku drew 0-0 with Albania’s “I hope Ed is successful, if that’s what he’s gone back to England doubled the advantage with a quick turn and powerful shot Skenderbeu and HJK Helsinki’s clash with Kalju Nomme was to do.” — Reuters six minutes later. also goalless. — Reuters Olimpia on brink of Libertadores Cup glory

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FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 FRIDAY, JULY www.kuwaittimes.net Saratoga set for 150th race

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SARATOGA: An exercise rider rides a horse during morning workouts at Saratoga Race Course yesterday in Saratoga Springs. The 150th horse racing meet at Saratoga opens today. — AP