Oil Sector Purge Rattles Parliament

In search of Obama bids to Nadal wins as the best fishing mend fences Murray, Serena spots in 4Kuwait with10 Gulf royals pull46 out

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www.kuwaittimes.net NO: 16521- Friday, May 15, 2015 Oil sector purge rattles parliament By B Izzak vene and stop the planned changes and defuse the crisis in KUWAIT: The reported wide-scale the oil sector, the mainstay of the changes at the oil sector’s top Kuwaiti economy. positions has turned into a politi- He said that the crisis was trig- cal crisis with several MPs said to gered by a personal dispute be preparing to grill the oil minis- between the minister and the ter while others called on the majority of oil executives who are political leadership to intervene. qualified and dedicates execu- State Minister for Cabinet tives. Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al- Nasef said the move of the Abdullah Al-Sabah however council of ministers to replace the declined to answer queries on the experienced members of KPC issue saying that no official state- board with people who are not ment has been issued and ques- related to the oil sector is “very tions should be delayed until after strange”. the official word on it. He said that the board mem- Reports have surfaced in the bers have not completed their local and social media that Oil tenures and accordingly should Minister Ali Al-Omair, an Islamist be allowed to continue to imple- Salafi lawmaker who took the job ment a number of mega projects. over a year ago, has received the MP Askar Al-Enezi said Omair green light from the council of has “limits” and warned him not ministers to make the sweeping to cross his limits, adding that the changes at national oil conglom- national assembly will not remain erate Kuwait Petroleum Corp. silent on any plan to undermine (KPC) and its subsidiary compa- the oil sector, the main source of nies. public revenues. The reports, which have not He said that MPs are waiting been denied by Omair himself, for a government pledge not to said the minister decided to go ahead with the planned replace all board members of KPC changes. except the chief executive officer MP Madhi Al-Hajeri described Nizar Al-Adasani without even Omair’s planned changes as consulting him. “unacceptable political deals” and The changes are supposed to warned the minister against play- also include top brass as several ing with the oil sector through oil companies in a bid for the min- random appointments. ister to have more support in the But a number of MPs declared sector he oversees. their support for Omair. MP The reports have caused an Abdulhameed Dashti praised outrage among many lawmakers Omair’s planned changes saying with reports that several MPs were this is an overdue decision that is planning to grill Omair and that needed to rectify the previous the grilling could eventually force shakeup in the oil sector about him to resign. The reports could two years ago. MP Majed Mussa not be independently verified. described Omair’s planned MP Rakan Al-Nasef calling on changes as reformist and will the political leadership to inter- inject fresh blood in the oil sector. Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Local Spotlight Private sector keen to partake in exhibitions

MANAMA: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Lost in Kuwait Al-Sabah asserted yesterday that Kuwait’s private sector was keen to take part in international exhibitions special- ized in economic and investments fields. Sheikh Azzam said in a press statement during his visit to the Kuwaiti Pavillion at the ‘Gulf Property Show,’ held at Bahrain International Exhibition Center (12-14 May), that naming a street after certain figures. There are many the participation of private sector in regional and interna- By Muna Al-Fuzai Kuwaiti personalities who have contributed to the tional fairs also depicts the keenness of the Kuwaiti political leadership to support and encourage it as a main country, and renaming major streets in the area in development partner at home and abroad. Bahrain’s which they lived would be acceptable because they Prime Minister, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who [email protected] deserve to be immortalized. But there are streets with inaugurated the fair last Tuesday, affirmed that that exhi- vague names of persons whom we know nothing about bitions ‘have a key role to play in contributing to the econ- their roles in Arab or Islamic history. omy of the Kingdom of Bahrain.’ — KUNA any expatriates find it difficult to locate a The streets are not private properties - there is a house in Kuwait for a very simple reason - it is commission called the titles committee in the munici- Mdifficult to pronounce the street name. The pal council which grants approvals for street names, street may have been named after a person, but the but they ignore complaints. It’s also worth mentioning sad part is that this person may be known only to his here that most streets are named after men and not family and inner circle and not regionally or interna- women. Why can’t we find streets named after Kuwaiti tionally. There are many examples and this issue has women who had served in many areas and were promi- been criticized by many columnists, but the tragedy is nent in the field of women’s emancipation from the still ongoing. ignorance of the past? Also, naming streets after the I went to Rawda recently to meet someone living on martyrs of Kuwait - even non-Kuwaitis - would be a Abu Hayyan Al-Tawhedi Street. I spent an hour trying to recognition of their sacrifices. find the street, but failed to do so. When I contacted a The current situation of street names is confusing colleague who happens to live in the area, he told me and embarrassing. Maybe we need to name a street as that the street’s name was changed! I know well who GPS Street, as without this device in the car today, we Abu Hayyan Al-Tawhedi is. He was a philosopher, mys- would be lost! The interior ministry is the right body to tic and writer. But I wonder why the name was changed regulate this matter and its engineering division should MANAMA: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh for no apparent reason. have the upper hand in this matter. Until this happens, some of us will be lost in Kuwait. Azzam Al-Sabah (2nd right) during his visit to the There must be a clear and compelling reason for Kuwaiti Pavilion at the ‘Gulf Property Show’. — KUNA

Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 P ier pressure in search of the best fishing spots in Kuwait Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

By Faten Omar

ishing is one the most popular hobbies in Kuwait due to the presence of a large variety of fish species off its shores. You will Ffind most fishing piers packed with fishermen, particularly during the weekend. If you are one of Kuwait’s many fishing fanatics but you haven’t found an ideal spot for the day’s best catches, Kuwait Times has done the search for you and found some of the best fishing spots in Kuwait. Ali Zaki, a long-time fisherman in Kuwait said: “My fishing time depends on the tides. When it is high tide, I go straight to Shuwaikh beach - it is my best fishing spot.” Zaki told Kuwait Times that “there is also an excellent spot in front of the National Assembly building where you can catch the yellow fin sea bream and the small beji fish, but it’s best to go there at dawn.” Abo Hussein had a different opinion about the best fishing spots. “Some of the best places for shore fishing is the pier at the Scientific Centre. I pay KD 23 per year to use it and get regular discounts. I think it is a good deal if you are looking for a place that is away from the public eye. But nowadays you can find me near the Burj Al-Hamam restaurant because I’m with my family and it is a good spot to be fishing with the special ones in your life,” he said. Hussein pointed out that at the Scientific Centre’s fishing pier, you will find a vast array of species such as the yellow fin sea bream, winem, fiskr, buleil, mazizi, subaiti, qarqfan and nuwaibi. “You can also rent a boat for better fishing as boats have easier access to ports at all times.” But if you are looking for a place where you can be alone without a lot of fishermen around you, you can go to Balajat’s “special place. There is a secluded place behind the fire station on Balajat Street which only a few people know about. The place is quite good, but you have to be patient to catch the big fish,” Sherif Al-Hattab said. Sitting behind the McDonald’s fishing pier - sadly with no fish in his basket - Forhad Ahbani said: “ I guess today is not my lucky day, but yesterday I got a lot of nuwaibi when I was fishing near Kuwait Towers on Chili’s fishing pier”. Saleh Al-Obaidi was another unlucky fisherman at Souq Sharq’s fishing pier. “I told my friend that Souq Sharq is not a good spot for fishing, but he won’t hear any of it. In my opinion, the best spots are Al-Zour and Khairan’s fishing piers, where you will find many expert fishermen. Experts use home-made fishing equipment, or buy a simple fishing tackle from shops, but you have to know that timing is your weapon. Fisherman must first call 104 to know more about the weather - if there is wind or not and to find out the timing of the tides,” he advised.

Fishermen beat the heat and test their patience on Kuwaitís off- beat fishing spots. — Photos by Joseph Sagra. Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Plans go haywire as airlines make hay Airlines cash in on lower jet fuel prices

By Sajeev K Peter though they may have to shell out more for explained an airline executive on condition of assess how efficiently an airline fills seats and buying their plane tickets. Although, a few air- anonymity. generates fare revenue. irlines flying in and out of Kuwait are lines flying to European and US destinations However, he reasoned that this year’s While admitting the fact that demand is raising airfares for summer, jeopardiz- have announced promotions and holiday unprecedented high fares are partly due to comparatively higher this year, most of the Aing the travel plans of many during the bonanzas, fares of leading carriers remain last-minute purchases by passengers who airlines have so far opened only the higher upcoming Eid holidays and school break sea- exorbitantly high, throwing many people’s waited to see if airlines would reduce fuel sur- classes for sale at high prices, keeping the son. While airlines claim that the soaring holiday plans haywire. charges. lower classes closed for a later stage to create demand dictated by load factor is the reason “Earlier, airlines used to blame high oil “I wanted to be with my family during Eid an artificial shortage of seats. “Airlines know for sky-high airfares, passengers have noticed prices. Now with jet fuel prices lower com- this year. But I had to drop plans to visit for certain that a large number of people will a 20 to 30 percent rise in prices this summer pared to last year, the fares should also have Bangladesh this year because of high ticket book in advance if they can find a fair price. compared to last year. They claim that airlines come down, logically. But they [airline compa- prices. Even the cheapest airlines have They will hold a certain number of seats for are maneuvering the load factor by constantly nies] exploit the situation and take maximum become unaffordable for people like us,” said business travelers who will book at the last altering the fare structure to fill the plane and benefit out of the situation,” said Fakhruddin Saifuddin Hussain, a Bangladeshi expat who minute and pay more,” said a booking agent get maximum revenue. Ali, an Indian expat from Lucknow. Only a few works in a contracting company. Many peo- at a travel agency on condition of anonymity. “It is like making hay while the sun shines. airlines kept their words on reducing the fuel ple echo the feelings of Hussain and vocifer- “People who have booked months in The airlines know very well that we will travel surcharge as promised, while a majority of the ously demand a regulatory mechanism to advance only got slightly better deals this during summer season no matter what the airlines have taken advantage of the lower oil oversee airfares decided by carriers. year. Others face the tough choice - pay a prices are. But this year the fares are way too price. Consumers are just paying a lot more high fare or drop their travel plans,” said high for us,” said Tony Williams, a doctor at a this time than they used to do. Consolidation Shemejkumar K K, an engineer who bought private clinic. “Gulf carriers are unlikely to lift fuel sur- “Well, the consolidation in the airline his tickets for a summer trip as early as According to recent surveys, this holiday charges for now. Since we are state-run air- industry over the last few years has helped air- December last year. season is expected to be very hectic with a lines, it is our responsibility to offset the lines reduce competition to a larger extent. record number of flyers taking to the skies, impact of lower oil prices on state coffers,” Today, airlines are under less pressure to fly at Pricing strategy cheaper prices because of lesser competition But an industry insider who is familiar with in many sectors,” said P N J Kumar, CEO, airline pricing strategy said although competi- Caesars Travel Group. According to him, many tion, supply, demand and oil prices are the airlines have partnered up or merged, while key factors that determine the prices, airlines some have gone bankrupt. “Today, most of can create an artificial shortage of seats in the these airlines are not under any compulsion market by fixing the RBD (the reservation to set low fares as an incentive to woo passen- booking designator), the code used in reser- gers,” he said. vation transactions to identify the booking Usually, an airline will try to fill their planes class. “This booking class will give airlines a to maximize their profits. It does this by calcu- leverage for profit-oriented controlling and lating a plane’s load factor based on the seats best usage of capacities at the booking level,” sold on the flight. Airlines want this number he said. to be as high as possible. If the load factor and At the same time, a few in the industry like the demand are high, airlines will hike fares. Anushka Sidharth seek to offer a rationale for But if the load factor and demand are low, the the zooming airfares for summer. “The avia- airlines will reduce prices. tion industry has become less cost-effective The passenger load factor (PLF) of an air- today. Taxes have increased over the last few line, sometimes simply called the load factor, years in addition to the rising security fees is a measure of how much of an airline’s pas- that add a lot to the base fares. The insurance senger carrying capacity is used. It is passen- costs are going also up in view of the volatile ger-kilometers flown as a percentage of seat- security situation in many parts of the world,” kilometers available. It is generally used to she added. Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Caring for your favorite clothes

By Ben Garcia shops are spreading in Kuwait, charging their original state and clean them well. to you,” he said. double, if not triple the prices at regular However, the costs of its services are very Most of the laundry’s customers are usy? No time to wash, press or dry laundries. high compared to ordinary launderers. Kuwaitis whose clothes are not only deli- Bclean blankets and dirty clothes? Or “We use chemicals that are not harmful cate and sensitive, but also expensive. clean your leather jackets and expen- Premium Service to the environment, even to people with “Even the t-shirts we wash here are mostly sive leathers bags? Do you want to sham- A franchise of a famous London dry allergies or sicknesses,” said the operations expensive, while the value of gowns can poo your carpets or dry clean expensive cleaning firm offers a premium laundry manager who asked that his name be with- range from KD 250 to as much as KD 1,000. gowns or coats? experience to its customers in Kuwait. This held. “We offer world-class services. You There are people who want to maintain The neighborhood laundry down the laundry uses environmentally-friendly don’t even need to come - just call and their clothes in the finest condition, and we street can help, but not all of them can be washing chemicals that retain fabrics in we’ll pick up your stuff and deliver it back guarantee this here,” he noted. trusted, especially with your expensive clothes or coats. Common complaints include delivery delays, stained or partially damaged clothes, missing buttons and broken zippers, but the worse cases are of scorched or vanished clothes. Santil, a laundry shop manager for 10 years, told Kuwait Times that the best way is to choose and stick with a particular laundry. “If you have a trusted laundry, it will take care of your clothes, and perhaps even pay you for damages,” he said. “If you don’t want these problems to happen, the greatest weapon is to ‘voice it out’. Airing your concerns will lead to better care for your clothes, and is one of the best things to do to ensure your clothes are being cared for. Say something, and they’ll take care of it,” Santil added. “We don’t encounter such mistakes in our shop, because we take extra care of and know how to handle and care for clothes. Also, our washing machines are highly maintained,” Santil said. But he admitted missing the one-day deadline sometimes. “We usually tell customers to come back after a day, but if we have many orders, we deliver the day after,” he said. If you are in a hurry, it’s better go to laundry shops that offer quick service at an extra charge. Nowadays, these kinds of 8 Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Kuwait working on developing tourism Economic reforms have become a state priority

DOHA: Kuwait is hammering out a full- ment facilities, preserving the environment fledged national strategy aimed at devel- and safeguarding key national landmarks, oping the tourism sector, a visiting Kuwaiti she said, noting the need for promoting official announced here yesterday. The public awareness of the tourism necessity. blueprint is being drafted in coordination She also indicated at the role of the coun- with the Ministry of Planning and develop- tries media and calling for a special educa- KUWAIT: MOC Assistant Undersecretary for Communication, ment, the UN Development Program and tional curriculum. “The approach requires Nasser Al-Kandari. —KUNA with supervision by the World Tourism training job seekers, working out promo- Organization in addition to a Kuwaiti con- tion campaigns, holding seminars and GCC seek ‘joint ceiling’ sultancy group, said Samira Al-Gharib, the activities to promote the sector and market tourism assistant undersecretary at the Kuwait as a tourism Mecca”, she said. for mobile telecoms Ministry of Information. There are two projects, listed as part Al-Gharib, speaking at a GCC tourism of the state budget (2015-2016); the DOHA: A visiting Kuwaiti official yesterday disclosed that a study is undersecretaries meeting, indicated that tourism statistical scheme and tourism being conducted to set price ceilings for mobile telecommunication upgrading tourism in Kuwait is part of the Sameera Al-Ghareeb promotion plan. The GCC undersecre- services’ costs in the GCC countries. Nasser Al-Kanderi, the assistant overall plan to turn the country into a taries of tourism started their meeting undersecretary at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Communication, said in major business hub. Economic reforms labor market,” thus there is a mounting here on Wednesday was intended to pro- remarks that the draft study, being prepared by the GCC technical have become a State priority, she said; that need for new jobs, medium and small mote this sector in preparation for a min- affairs committee, tackles rates for regular contacts, SMSs and data is in addition to diversifying the economy enterprises, said Al-Gharib. isterial gathering of GCC ministers of services. and luring foreign investments, “amid The approach to develop tourism war- tourism and senior officials to be hosted Al-Kanderi, speaking after the 26th meeting of the GCC post, tele- growing inflow of Kuwaiti youth into the rants updating the leisure and entertain- by Qatar next October. —KUNA com and information technology’s undersecretaries, said the project is economically feasible for all member states of the Council, adding that it would be reviewed pending a final resolution in this respect. The GCC countries are coordinating with regional authorities and 1st Yemeni aid aircraft groups for regulations targeting roaming services, he said, adding that special technical panels are also looking into this issue. Moreover there are contacts with the International Civil Aviation Organization as part of these efforts. On the meeting, Al-Kanderi not- leaves for Saudi Arabia ed that the technical telecommunication bureau’s secretariat general was charged with holding a coordination meeting with concerned media authorities in the GCC countries “for implementing the resolu- tions issued by the GCC information ministers as to establishing the joint radio station, named “Here is the Arabian Gulf.” Participants in the meeting also examined other issues, namely the “Gulf express” postal project. The two-day 29th meeting of the GCC Committee of Post Authorities Chiefs and Undersecretaries prepared an action plan for promoting postal institutions and opening up fresh prospects for enhancing e-commerce among the member states. Participants also addressed means of promoting joint products such Gulf EX service to enhance clients’ confidence and secure a better future for the post industry. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti military forces take part in the ‘Eager Lion 2015’ drills. —KUNA ‘Eager lion 2015’ aims to boost allied ties KUWAIT: Aircraft from KRCS are seen loaded with medical AMMAN: Kuwait’s participation in the Eager Lion 2015 drills, taking aid to be transferred to hospitals in Yemen. —KUNA photos place in Jordan aims to enhance defense ties and cooperation with the Kingdom and other countries a senior Kuwaiti military official said. KUWAIT: Kuwait Red Crescent Society Kuwaiti people to alleviate the suffering played by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister A Kuwaiti symbolic 67-member military force is partaking in the drills, announced here yesterday they were fly- of Yemeni people. These assistance of Defense Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al- including officers NCOs and control officers provided with light vehi- ing an aircraft loaded with medical aid to materials will be received by Yemen’s Sabah in dispatching the medical aid sup- cles, Kuwait’s Military Attach in Jordan Maj-Gen Falah Al-Sunni said Sharura Domestic Airport southern Saudi High Relief Committee (HRC), which will plies to Yemen. Al-Hasawi also applauded yesterday. According to Al-Sunni, the Eager Lion 2015 is being carried Arabia, in order to be transferred later to later distribute to hospitals located in Al- the Saudi authorities’ cooperation and out by the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces, the US hospitals in Yemen. KRCS Vice Chairman Muakalla in the country, he added. A coordination on that matter. He army and another 18 countries, as well as representatives from the of the Board of Directors Anwar Al- large number of displaced people are expressed thanks to all people who con- NATO. It is the fifth in an annual series of drills. The Eager Lion seeks to Hasawi said that flying the plane loaded residing in Al-Mukalla currently, which tributed in securing the humanitarian aid exchange expertise and boost coordination among participant forces, with 40 tons of medicines and medical suffers a severe shortage of medicines to the Yemeni people, who are in dire as well as consolidating their capabilities and combat readiness, to equipment, along with a number of vol- and medical equipment at its hospitals. need for food and medicine. KRCS held a enable them to manage military emergencies and potential threats, unteers, reflects the concern of His Food supplies will be sent later to public campaign last April to collect Al-Sunni added. Involving up to 10,000 military personnel, the drills Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Yemen, he affirmed. donations in support for relief of the war- cover border security, control and command systems, managing Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the He appreciated the remarkable role stricken people. —KUNA operations and combating e-piracy, he said. —KUNA 9 Local FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Youth pushed to join Arab Culture prize

KUWAIT: The Ministry of State for Youth Affairs has called on Kuwaiti youth to participate in the 13th edition of the UNESCO Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture to showcase their tal- ents. The Ministry in a statement yesterday stressed the importance of taking part in such events, adding that the prize is worth USD 60,000, directed towards Arab and foreign persons and organizations involved in literary, scientific and artistic achievements. The competition’s main theme is dialogue between cul- tures, the statement said, noting that the deadline for sub- mitting request forms is June 15. The prize is awarded for one Arab and another foreign participant or organization who had succeeded in spreading knowledge on Arab culture on an international levels. — KUNA Crime Report

Bangladeshi arrested for possessing meth WASHINGTON: The Interior Minister with the Gitmo detainees follow up committee members.— KUNA By Hanan Al-Sa’doun Kuwait still keen on KUWAIT: A Bangladeshi male was recently arrested by Adan detectives with the possession of a hundred packets of crystal meth (ICE), said security sources. Case papers indi- Al-Kanderi release cate that Mubarak Al-Kabeer detectives were tipped off concerning the suspect’s activity and upon storming his residence, detectives found the bags ready for sale, in addition to an electronic scale he used in weighing his sales. Concern to free Gitmo prisoner The suspect initially confessed to trading in the drug, according to the security source. A case was filed and the WASHINGTON: The visiting Kuwaiti authorities in this respect. tives of the US State Department, the suspect was referred to relevant authorities. Minister of Interior has re-affirmed his Emerging from a meeting of the joint Pentagon and the Justice Department, keenness on releasing the Kuwaiti committee for follow-up on the to do its best for freeing the Kuwaiti citi- detainee Fayez Al-Kanderi, held at detainees’ issue in Guantanamo, the zen. He indicated that the two sides Routine inspection leads Guantanamo detention camp. Sheikh minister said the commission visits the agreed on the warranted terms for tack- to numerous arrests Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al- detention camp, roughly every three ling the file, adding that a session would A recent routine inspection campaign resulted in Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister, said months, “for close and direct follow-up be held in July for further follow-up on the arrest of 79 people wanted for various cases, 54 in a statement that His Highness the and as part of intensive efforts for the issue. Kuwait has met all the war- illegal residents, 48 suspects in unclosed cases in addi- Amir devotes his utmost concern for this releasing the detainee Al-Kanderi.” ranted security, medical and logistical tion to detaining 42 vehicles wanted in relation to vari- case, personally following up on its Minister Sheikh Mohammad urged the terms, he added, expressing hope Al- ous cases, three vehicles for violating traffic rules, and developments between Kuwaiti and US committee, which met with representa- Kanderi would be freed soon. six drug and liquor-related suspects.

Fire in Hadiya Parliament speaker arrives in S Korea A fire recently broke out at a Hadiya house, said security sources. Firefighters from Mangaf and Qurain were dis- SEOUL: Kuwait’s National patched to the scene and the firemen found out that the Assembly speaker Marzouq Ali Al- fire started in a 4X6 meters reception area on the ground Ghanem and his accompanying floor, added the security sources. It was controlled and no delegation arrived in Seoul coming casualties were reported. from Islamabad yesterday on an official visit to South Korea responding to an invitation by his Korean counterpart Jeong Ui-hwa. During his visit, the Kuwaiti Speaker of Parliament will hold talks with South Korean President Park Geun-hye and will chair a meeting of the Kuwaiti-Korean friendship committee. Al-Ghanem and the accompanying delegation were received by Kim Il Dong, head of the Korean-Kuwaiti Parliamentary Friendship Association, and Kuwait’s Ambassador to South Korea Jassem Al-Bedaiwi. His visit to South Korea comes within a tour that took him to Pakistan. During Al-Ghanem’s delegation’s three-day stay in Pakistan, the legislators held talks with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, senior officials and parlia- mentarians on the bilateral ties and regional issues of common inter- SEOUL: Parliament speaker, Marzouq Al-Ghanem arrives to Seoul International est.—KUNA Airport. — KUNA FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Israel fumes Record crowd for Nail in the eye, a as Vatican violence-marred landscaper left recognizes Iraq pilgrimage without a scratch state11 of Palestine 12 18

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama (right) walks with Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers’ Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, to the White House as Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood arrives at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. — AP Obama bids to mend fences with Gulf royals

CAMP DAVID: Barack Obama was to whisk on counterterrorism, which the US president represent a broader “grand bargain” with Iran. lion-plus windfall that Iran could receive Gulf leaders away to his Camp David presi- described as “absolutely critical” to the United when sanctions end and accounts are dential retreat yesterday, hoping to salvage a States. But conspicuous in his absence at the ‘Tilt’ to Tehran? unfrozen, they would like to see a binding fence-mending summit already bedeviled by White House was Saudi leader King Salman, “What they fear, above all, is that, for one mutual defense treaty like that agreed disagreements and royal no-shows. The who refused to attend, in what was widely reason or another, American policy is begin- between NATO members. Such a pact would bucolic Catoctin Mountain getaway, synony- seen as a diplomatic snub, despite Riyadh and ning to tilt towards Tehran and away from tra- be difficult to pass through a pro-Israeli mous with Middle East peacemaking during Washington’s insistence it was not. Five other ditional US allies in the region,” said Hussein Congress, but in any case it is a non-starter for the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Bill Gulf leaders-but only two heads of state, Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute. Despite the White House, which sees asymmetric Clinton, will again be a venue for an attempt- those from Qatar and Kuwait-later arrived at close ties stretching back decades, ultra-con- threats and internal unease at closed political ed reconciliation. the White House for a closed-door dinner and servative Gulf monarchies and a country systems as a greater security priority. Rights President Obama faces the tough task of will also travel to Camp David. which brought the world Hollywood and rock advocates would like to see the White House convincing assorted emirs, princes and Obama’s warm words belied deep Arab and roll have never been easy allies. Interests push much harder for democratic reforms. sheikhs that his willingness to negotiate with unease over his outreach to Iran, and the rela- have often trumped ideology. In 1980, in the Forty-five members of Congress have writ- their foe Iran does not represent a pivot away tionship was already strained by his quickness wake of a crippling oil shock precipitated by ten to Obama to “express deep and continu- from long-standing allies. On Wednesday, as a to welcome pro-democracy Arab Spring Iran’s Islamic Revolution, President Carter ing concern” about the suppression of political precursor to the meeting, Obama wooed two revolts and a reduced dependence on Gulf oil. pledged to come to the defense of vital oil- and religious rights. “Sustainable solutions to powerful Saudi princes to the Oval Office, The Arab and largely Sunni Muslim states sus- producing Gulf states. That policy was made these regional challenges require that our where he lauded “an extraordinary friendship pect Obama’s nuclear deal with Tehran is a manifest a decade later when president allies respect fundamental human rights with- and relationship.” “We are continuing to build harbinger for a return to international George Bush sent troops to Kuwait when it in their own borders,” the letter stated. With that relationship during a very challenging respectability for their Persian and Shiite arch- was invaded by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. reduced attendance and hoped-for deals on time,” Obama said, a nod to conflagrations in foe. The Gulf states will seek assurances that Today the US Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain security and the sale of advanced US weapons Yemen, Syria and Iraq that have reverberated Obama is ready to push back against Iranian and a US military command center with sub- like the F-35 stealth fighter in doubt, Obama across the Middle East. proxies, particularly in Syria where he has stantial troops is stationed in Qatar. But the will have to scramble to salvage the summit. Obama praised guests Crown Prince been reluctant to act, even if it causes turbu- Gulf states are now asking for the “Carter Officials will likely pushfor progress on ballis- Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown lence in sensitive nuclear talks. They will also Doctrine” to be more than a “gentlemen’s tic missile defense, joint military exercises and Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their work want assurances the nuclear deal does not agreement.” With one eye on the $100 bil- cyber and maritime security initiatives.—AFP 11 International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Vatican recognizes Palestine in formal treaty Vatican move on Palestine adds fuel to European debate

JERUSALEM: The Vatican’s decision to recog- pendent country can emerge only via negotia- ings whether it wasn’t time to drop the goal Gaza and the West Bank. While a radical pro- nize the state of Palestine in a treaty for the first tions with Israel, not through a process of uni- of a two-state solution-the bedrock of peace posal-would it be a Jewish state if more than time has drawn a stern response from Israel, lateral recognition. But with the last talks negotiations since the mid-1970s-and consid- half the population is Muslim? How would but it may usher in a freer debate in Europe between Israel and the Palestinians having bro- er alternatives. They could include the unilat- Islamists in Gaza accept it? — it has begun to about how to proceed on the vexed Palestinian ken down more than a year ago, and Prime eral recognition of Palestine by the EU as a be mentioned in some corners of Brussels, if question. The Holy See has referred to Palestine Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having pledged whole or member states, which might spur only as a way of putting pressure on Israel to since 2012, but the treaty concluded on the day before his reelection in March that Israel into tackling issues long unresolved think hard about what the future holds. Wednesday, which covers the Church’s activi- there would be no Palestinian state on his with the Palestinians. Another option, favored Ahead of a meeting of EU foreign minis- ties in areas controlled by the Palestinian watch, diplomats are wondering what options by some high-profile Israelis, including ters on Monday, one senior EU diplomat said Authority, marks a more formal recognition, they have left. President Reuven Rivlin, is a one-state solu- the time was drawing near when the 28-coun- which Vatican officials said they hoped would Last year, an EU foreign minister visiting tion, which would involve one nation with try bloc might have to acknowledge that a benefit Israeli-Palestinian ties in time. the region asked during closed-door meet- equal rights for Jews and Arabs living in Israel, two-state solution cannot be reached. An Israeli foreign ministry official described “Ministers need to have an informed discus- the Vatican’s move as a “disappointment” and sion,” the diplomat said. “Part of that is to say: indicated that it may lead to reprisals, although ‘OK, the two-state solution is dead.” If Israel’s he did not say of what kind. “This does not pro- primary objective is to maintain the status- mote the peace process and a Palestinian quo, pursuing a one-state solution would put return to negotiations,” the official said. “Israel Tel Aviv under considerable pressure, he will study the agreement and consider its next added. “That scares the hell out of most steps accordingly.” The Vatican, increasingly Israelis, but that is the consequence of walk- proactive in foreign policy under Pope Francis, ing away from the two-state solution ... is far from the only state to have recognized accepting a one-state solution.” Palestine - 135 members of the United Nations The United States has long been the criti- already do so, nearly 70 percent of the total. By cal driver of negotiations between Israel and comparison, 160 of the UN’s 193 members rec- the Palestinians and shows no signs of shift- ognize Israel. ing from the two-state goal. But the Obama administration has expressed frustration with Two state alternatives Netanyahu’s policies, including continued set- Last October, Sweden became the first tlement building on land the Palestinians seek major European country to acknowledge for a state. And after Netanyahu declared Palestine, a decision that drew condemnation there would be no Palestinian state on his from Israel and has since led to tense relations watch, citing risks that he linked to the region- between the two. The European Union as a VATICAN CITY: Worshippers toss hats and a shirt into the air as Pope Francis al spread of Islamist militancy, the White whole does not recognize Palestine, taking the leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square. —AP House said it would “reassess“ its policy same view as the United States that an inde- towards Israel. —Reuters

Saudi accuses Houthi Rising star of Israel’s far rebels violating truce SANAA: Saudi-led forces accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels of violat- right to take justice post ing a ceasefire yesterday but said they will abide by a five-day humanitarian truce that has allowed aid agencies to deliver relief JERUSALEM: supplies. The humanitarian pause that began late Tuesday is the first Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s teenagers kidnapped and murdered by Jewish state at the expense of its demo- break in the air war the Saudi-led coalition launched on March 26 in incoming justice minister is a far-right Palestinian militants. Soon afterwards, cratic character. Another bill targeted support of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and has politician who has drawn fierce criticism three Jewish extremists went out and funding for leftwing non-governmental strong backing from Washington. for her outspoken views on Palestinians kidnapped a Palestinian teen, burning organizations in a move criticized in In a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, the and attempts to advance legislation criti- him alive in revenge. The post quickly Europe. coalition said the Iran-backed rebels had violated the truce 12 times, cized as anti-democratic. Number three disappeared from her Facebook page, Critics have raised alarm over how she including with artillery and rocket attacks in several towns in the in the Jewish Home party, she won the but not before it was reported by the would use her power as justice minister. south. Officials said rockets fired from the rebel-held north had also cabinet post during hard-fought coali- Israeli media. The Palestinians reacted But in a government with a razor-thin hit Saudi border areas on Wednesday and that there had been rebel tion talks that saw Prime Minister with disgust, accusing her of fomenting majority of 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, troop movements in Yemen’s south. Despite the alleged violations, Benjamin Netanyahu bow to an ultima- genocide, and Turkey’s then-premier and her ability to push through controversial the coalition pledged “its full commitment to the humanitarian tum set by her party leader Naftali current President Tayyip Recep Erdogan legislative changes would be limited by truce and restraint”. Residents said calm prevailed across most of the Bennett. A former software engineer, she reportedly described Shaked’s mindset the coalition agreement with Moshe country yesterday except in three cities-Taez, Daleh and oil-rich was first elected to parliament in a 2013 as “no different to that of Hitler”. Kahlon’s centre-right Kulanu, experts said. Marib-where there were reports of intermittent exchanges of fire vote which saw a revival of interest in the Defending the article, she said it was “not “She might be crippled in actually push- between rebel and pro-Hadi forces. pro-settlement Jewish Home under a call for indiscriminate murder” but a ing forward her agenda for legislation,” The alleged violations came despite a promise by the Shiite Bennett, a former high-tech entrepre- “legally-minded discussion” taken out of said Professor Yedidia Stern, vice presi- Houthi rebels and their allies to abide by the ceasefire. Riyadh has neur who opposes a Palestinian state context. Earlier this week, parliament said dent of research at the Israel Democracy warned it will punish any attempt to exploit the truce. A US State and has called for annexing most of the it was assigning her a bodyguard after Institute. Department spokesman said that while the truce was “broadly” occupied West Bank. she received death threats online and “I don’t believe she can implement holding, it had received some reports of clashes after the ceasefire A 39-year-old mother of two young somebody posted a photomontage on her agenda,” agreed former justice min- began. The Houthis, allied with army units loyal to ex-president Ali children who is married to a fighter pilot, Facebook of her wearing a Nazi uniform. ister Yossi Beilin. “Legislation is about a Shaked has been described as the “hawk- majority and there is no majority for her Abdullah Saleh, have taken control of large parts of Yemen includ- Anti-democratic legislation ing the capital Sanaa and were advancing on Hadi’s southern ish envoy” of the settlers, while support- views,” he said. “The prime minister will stronghold of Aden when Riyadh launched the air campaign. More ers hail her as an ardent rightwing ideo- Before running for parliament, known restrict her if he sees her taking very than 1,500 people have been killed since March in the air campaign logue known for her uncompromising as the Knesset, she worked for two years harsh views.” Hailing from a trendy sub- and fighting between rebel forces and Hadi loyalists, according to honesty. But it was a posting on her with Bennett, who was then Netanyahu’s urb in northern Tel Aviv, Shaked is one of the United Nations. Facebook page last year which sparked bureau chief. Both left in 2008, reported- the only non-religious lawmakers within the biggest controversy after she ly because of a conflict with Netanyahu’s Jewish Home. The telegenic MP is often Sanaa airport operational endorsed an article written in 2002 which wife Sara, with the bad blood persisting portrayed as the party’s figurehead for An aviation official said that operations at Sanaa airport, which labeled Palestinian militants as “snakes”, to this day. Over the past two years, efforts to broaden its appeal beyond its was repeatedly targeted in air raids, were “gradually returning” after a described “the entire Palestinian people Shaked has pushed a raft of legislation traditional base of support: the settlers plane arrived from Jordan on Wednesday with 150 passengers on (as) the enemy” and said anyone support- which has been criticized as undemocra- and the Orthodox. Much of the debate board. In text messages sent to residents, Yemen’s civil aviation ing terror should be killed. tic, spearheading efforts to curb the over Shaked has referenced her physical authority announced that “two flights from Doctors Without Borders “As relevant today as it was then,” she powers of the Supreme Court. She was appearance, at times with a sexist over- (MSF) and the United Nations will arrive today in Sanaa”. —AFP commented on the article, which was also one of the driving forces behind a tone, which has angered feminists, posted after the discovery of three Israeli bill to enshrine in law Israel’s status as a including from Israel’s left. —AFP 12 International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Record crowd for violence-marred Baghdad pilgrimage

BAGHDAD: Millions of Shiite worshippers with the guards of the Sunni Waqf before are angered by the fact that Iraqis are unit- said at a news conference in the Kurdish prayed yesterday in Baghdad at the climax eventually setting it on fire. ed in facing terrorism, that’s why they tried capital of Arbil. He went on call for a recon- of a violence-marred pilgrimage that high- to sow this discord,” Prime Minister Haider ciliation conference to help defuse ten- lighted the persistent threat of jihadist Appeals for unity al-Abadi said as he visited the site of the sions between Iraq’s ruling Shiite majority attacks and sectarian tension. The ritual The interior ministry said it had made flare-up early yesterday. “Whoever sabo- and the Sunni minority and make a joint saw the Iraqi capital come to a standstill some arrests and officials generally tages the security of this country must be push to root out the IS jihadist group, for days but the massive security set-up blamed the violence on a plot to whip up hit with an iron fist,” Sheikh Mohammed which has controlled swathes of territory was not enough to prevent the Islamic further sectarian resentment in Iraq. “Some Al-Sumaidai, the head of the Sunni Waqf, for almost a year. —AFP State jihadist group from attacking pilgrims with car bombs over the past week. Violence also broke out overnight when the faithful marched through the Sunni district of Adhamiyah on their way to the Imam Kadhim shrine on the other side of the Tigris river. A police colonel told AFP that panic spread after 2:00 am (1100 GMT) when a rumor began circulating that a suicide bomber was among the crowd. “Some elements infiltrated in the midst of the pilgrims heading to the shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim attacked a Sunni Waqf (endowment) building,” the officer said. “They burned it as well as 17 other houses,” he said. Police sources said four people were burnt to death trapped inside their torched homes. Medical sources gave the same toll but said some of the victims had bullet wounds. Hussein, a 22-year-old who was among the marching worshippers with five of his friends, was near the Sunni Waqf building when chaos kicked off. “We heard somebody yelling ‘suicide vest, watch out’. We all started running in different directions... I was so scared I felt anyone near me was a potential suicide BAGHDAD: Iraqi Shiite Muslim worshippers carry a mock coffin outside the Imam Al-Kadhim shrine as bomber,” he said. Hussein said women they gather to mark the anniversary of the death of the eighth century revered Imam yesterday in the and children were caught in the ensuing stampede, which led to a mob facing off Kadhimiya district of northern Baghdad. —AFP

Czech Republic blocks IS at gates of Syria’s Palmyra raising fears nuke purchase by Iran for ancient city BEIRUT: Islamic State group fighters advanced to the gates of US-owned company involved; contract valued at $61 million ancient Palmyra yesterday, raising fears the Syrian world heritage site could face destruction of the kind the jihadists have UNITED NATIONS: The Czech Republic blocked the attempted purchase. The UN panel, which and its Western allies say Iran continues to try to already wreaked in Iraq. IS fighters were battling Syrian troops an attempted purchase by Iran this year of a large monitors compliance with the UN sanctions skirt international sanctions on its atomic and less than two kilometers from the remains of one of the most shipment of sensitive technology useable for regime, said there had been a “false end user” stat- missile programs even while negotiating the important cultural centers of the ancient world, Syria’s director nuclear enrichment after false documentation ed for the order. “The procurer and transport com- nuclear deal. of antiquities said. The jihadists reached the oasis town after a raised suspicions, UN experts and Western sources pany involved in the deal had provided false docu- The UN panel of experts also noted in its lightning advance across the desert in which they overran gov- said. The incident could add to Western concerns mentation in order to hide the origins, movement report that Britain informed it of an active Iranian ernment forces in fierce fighting that cost the lives of 110 com- about whether Tehran can be trusted to adhere to and destination of the consignment with the inten- nuclear procurement network linked to blacklist- batants, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. a nuclear deal being negotiated with world pow- tion of bypassing export controls and sanctions,” it ed firms. While compressors have non-nuclear “Palmyra is under threat,” said Observatory director Rami ers under which it would curb sensitive nuclear added. The report offered no further details about applications in the oil and gas industry, they also Abdel Rahman. Antiquities director Mamoun Abdulkarim said work in exchange for sanctions relief. The negotia- the attempted transaction. Iran’s UN mission did have nuclear uses, including in centrifuge cas- he was in touch with colleagues still in Palmyra every half hour tors are trying to reach a deal by the end of June not respond to a query about the report. cades. Centrifuges purify uranium gas fed into “IS has not entered the city yet, and we hope these barbarians after hammering out a preliminary agreement on them for use as fuel in nuclear reactors or will never enter,” Abdulkarim said. UNESCO describes Palmyra April 2, with Iran committing to reduce the num- Contract worth $61 million weapons, if purified to levels of around 90 per- as a heritage site of “outstanding universal value”. The ancient ber of centrifuges it operates and agreeing to oth- The Czech state official said the party seeking cent of the fissile isotope uranium-235, in city stood on a caravan route at the crossroads of several civi- er long-term nuclear limitations. the compressors had claimed the machinery was weapons. “Such compressors can be used to lizations and its 1st and 2nd century temples and colonnaded Some details of the attempted purchase were needed for a compressor station, such as the kind extract enriched uranium directly from the cas- streets mark a unique blend of Graeco-Roman and Persian influ- described in the latest annual report of an expert used to transport natural gas from one relay sta- cades,” Olli Heinonen, former deputy director- ences. The jihadist advance on the well-preserved remains panel for the United Nations Security Council’s Iran tion to another. The official declined to say exactly general of the International Atomic Energy came as an international conference was under way in Cairo to sanctions committee, which has been seen by how the transaction was stopped, provide specifi- Agency and a nuclear expert currently at Harvard address the destruction already wreaked by IS on the ancient Reuters. The panel said that in January Iran cations of the compressors or confirm the intend- University, told Reuters. “In particular, they are sites of Nimrud and Hatra in Iraq. attempted to buy compressors - which have ed purchaser. However, he made clear it was the useful when working with higher enrichment nuclear and non-nuclear applications - made by Czech authorities who halted the deal the official, such as 20 percent enriched uranium,” he said, ‘International catastrophe’ the US-owned company Howden CKD who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the adding that precise specifications of the com- Foreign affairs and antiquities officials from 11 Arab coun- Compressors. A Czech state official and a Western total value of the contract would have been about pressors in question would be necessary to make tries gathered in Egypt to condemn the jihadists’ demolition of diplomat familiar with the case confirmed to 1.5 billion Czech koruna ($61 million). a definitive assessment. Iraq’s heritage, with sledgehammers, bulldozers and high Reuters that Iran had attempted to buy the ship- This was a huge amount for the company Iran has frozen production of 20 percent explosives. Abdulkarim said Syria had not been invited to the ment from Howden CKD in the Czech Republic, concerned, the previously named CKD enriched uranium, a move that Western officials conference and that he had not been contacted by any of those and that Czech authorities had acted to block the Kompresory, a leading supplier of multi-stage cite as one of the most important curbs on Iranian attending about the threat to Palmyra. He said that antiquities deal. It was not clear if any intermediaries were centrifugal compressors to the oil and gas, nuclear activities under an interim agreement in officials would try to ensure the safety of artefacts found in involved in the attempt to acquire the machinery. petrochemical and other industries. The firm 2013. Tehran rejects allegations by Western pow- archaeological digs over the years which are housed in an adja- There was no suggestion that Howden CKD was acquired by Colfax Corp of the United ers and their allies that it is seeking the capability cent museum. “We can protect the statues and artefacts, but we itself was involved in any wrongdoing. Officials at States in 2013 for $69.4 million. A spokesman for to produce atomic weapons and says its nuclear cannot protect the architecture, the temples,” he said. —AFP Prague-based Howden declined to comment on Colfax declined to comment. The United States program is for peaceful purposes. —Reuters 13 International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

For Colombian kids, classroom is jungle and family is FARC

BOGOTA: Aurora, who grew up doing back- 17 years old. But outraged Colombians called breaking work on a farm in central Colombia, on the group to go further and release all was 12 years old when she first set foot in a minors currently in its ranks. classroom, and the lesson was self-defense against “enemy combatants.” Her hometown Growing up in combat was in a stronghold of the Revolutionary Armed As a girl enlisted in the FARC, Aurora did not Forces of Colombia, the Marxist guerrilla group understand exactly what she was fighting for, that has been at war with the Colombian gov- she said. “You join up and... they tell you you’re ernment for half a century. When the rebels fighting for a cause, but I had no idea what it recruited her as a pre-teen, she ran away from was all about. They told me, ‘You have to go to home, where she had family problems, and was such and such a place,’ and I followed orders,” sent to the jungle for training. She studied mili- she said. She was firing mortar rounds on gov- tary tactics and learned to use AK-47 and R-15 ernment forces during a skirmish when the rifles. army detected her position and bombed it, “I was just about 13 when I used a gun for sending her flying through the air. Unconscious, the first time,” she said. “They taught us lessons she was operated on by FARC medics, who in a classroom. We learned a lot of stuff, like amputated her mangled leg. Her company left how to defend ourselves from the enemy.” She its wounded with families in the area and spent more than four years in the FARC, until retreated as the army moved in. Aurora was her left leg was blown off in combat when she placed in the same house as another comrade, was 16. Today, Aurora, whose name has been who convinced her they should flee. changed to protect her, is a petite, smiling 24- year-old who is studying to finish her high Moving on school degree. There are no precise figures on She enrolled in a government program for how many minors have been recruited in child soldiers, which provided psychological Colombia, whose tangled conflict has drawn in counseling and is helping her build a small multiple leftist guerrilla groups, right-wing house in Bogota, the capital. She is married paramilitaries and drug gangs since it erupted now, and wants to study cosmetics after getting in the 1960s. her diploma. But moving on after life as a guer- The state-run Family Wellbeing Institute says rilla has been difficult, she said. “I spent almost it has helped more than 5,000 child recruits five years with them. I grew up in the group, since 1999. Of these, 60 percent belonged to and it was very hard when I left, because I was the FARC; 20 percent to the United Self-Defense used to living under their rules,” she said. One Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramil- of the toughest moments was reuniting with itary group; 15 percent to the National her mother, she said. “She cried a lot. She said, Liberation Army (ELN), another leftist guerrilla ‘What happened to you? You were healthy, and army; and the remainder to other armed now you’re mutilated.’” Aurora goes to rehabili- groups. Ending the recruitment of minors has tation sessions with army soldiers who were been one of the issues on the table at peace also wounded in combat. She said she is not talks between the FARC and the government, bitter about what happened to her. “Little by lit- which began in 2012, seeking to end a conflict tle, I realized the army was doing what it had to. BOGOTA: Aurora, a former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) member, that has claimed 220,000 lives. In February, the They had to fight to keep from getting blown who had been recruited when she was 12 years old and was injured in an attack, puts on FARC pledged to stop recruiting minors under up too,” she said.—AFP her prosthesis at her house in Bogota. — AFP 14 International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Journalist trial puts Angola’s reputation in the dock LUANDA: An Angolan journalist who They are now accusing him of libel in cism from global rights groups who have and military were accused by opposition accused generals of human rights abuses in Angola. “This is a politically charged case accused dos Santos of limiting freedom of parties of killing hundreds of members of a the illicit diamond trade faces libel charges that has very little to do with the law,” speech and keeping a tight grip on the Christian sect in the Huambo central high- in court yesterday in a case that is putting Marques de Morais said this week. media. “I’m not afraid of prison,” Marques de lands. Authorities say only 13 sect members the spotlight on a major African oil-producer “There is only one outcome that would Morais said. “If they think it will break me were killed and only after they had killed 9 keen to improve its reputation abroad. serve justice and that is to send me home in they are wrong. Quite the opposite. It will police officers. The violence drew rare atten- Rafael Marques de Morais’ 2012 book “Blood peace,” added Marques de Morais, who has make me stronger.” tion to Angola’s well-funded security forces. Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in won international awards for his human The OPEC-member spent $6.5 billion in Angola” detailed more than 100 alleged rights activism. The court and prosecution Rebuilding reputation 2013, the biggest slice of its budget and killings and torture of civilians and workers lawyers did not respond to requests for com- Angola has been rebuilding since the end more than any other sub-Saharan country. at diamond mines owned by senior Angolan ment. Marques de Morais has been an out- of the war, often via huge oil-for-infrastruc- Most of Angola’s 21 million people live on army officers. The generals denied the alle- spoken critic of President Jose Eduardo dos ture deals with China. It is now looking to under $2 a day. “A trial of this nature brings gations and brought defamation charges Santos, who has ruled Africa’s second largest increase its sway on the world stage, gaining attention to the aspects of mis-governance against Marques de Morais in Portugal, oil exporter for 36 years, leading it out of a temporary seat on the U.N. security council that the Dos Santos administration doesn’t where the book was published, but the case nearly three decades of civil war in 2002. last year. The resumption of Marques de want the world to see,” said Crisis Group was dismissed because of a lack of evidence. Jailing Marques de Morais would draw criti- Morais’ trial comes a month after the police analyst Paula Roque.—Reuters

‘Petrodollars’ behind Senegal’s support for Saudi-led coalition

DAKAR: Senegal says it is sending troops to Saudi Arabia in an act of “solidarity” for the kingdom’s Yemen operation, but critics say the support has more to do with cold, hard cash. Unlike the other African countries that have offered back-up, Senegal is not in the Arab League, and its only military experience in the region was a deployment to the Gulf after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait 25 years ago. The Institute for Security Studies think-tank pointed in a recent analysis to a strong hint of a “mercenary motive” in Dakar’s support, and similar offers of help by Morocco and Sudan. Senegal has rejected the suggestion, however, pointing to its contribution to United Nations peacekeeping forces elsewhere. “Did we go into Mali for petrodollars?” government spokesman Oumar Youm said in a statement reacting to the accusation. A Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies on March 26 after they seized control of large parts of Yemen and advanced on the main southern city of Aden. Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye announced last week the country was sending 2,100 soldiers to join the force at the request of Saudi King Salman. He did not specify when the troops would be deployed, BUJUMBURA: Jean Claude Niyonzima, a suspected member of the ruling party’s Imbonerakure youth militia, pleads with but remarked that Riyadh had asked Dakar to contribute to soldiers to protect him from a mob of demonstrators after he emerged from hiding in a sewer in the Cibitoke district of the coalition at the beginning of April. A collective of activist Bujumbura, Burundi yesterday. — AP groups in Dakar had planned to march on Wednesday against the deployment but organizers say the demonstra- tion was banned. Malick Noel Seck, one of the campaigners, Burundi’s coup attempt ‘failed’ accused the government of “making Senegalese soldiers play the same role as the tirailleurs”-a term for infantry con- scripted in the French colonies in the 19th and 20th cen- Loyalist general’s troops control strategic points turies. BUJUMBURA: The head of Burundi’s army Burundi’s civil war that ended in 2005, the that carried Major General Godefroid ‘Suitcases stuffed with cash’ said yesterday that an attempted coup army was commanded by minority Tutsis Niyombare’s announcement on Critics have suggested that the government might be act- had failed and forces loyal to President who fought against rebel groups of the Wednesday that he had sacked ing in the hope of financial reciprocation from oil-rich Saudi Pierre Nkurunziza were in control. Army majority Hutus, including one led by Nkurunziza. Neither Niyombare nor his Arabia, the largest economy in the Middle East. Observers Chief of Staff General Prime Niyongabo’s Nkurunziza. The military has since been spokesmen were immediately available to say President Macky Sall, elected in 2012 and hoping for a announcement came a day after another reformed to absorb rival factions, but fault comment. While Niyongabo was in second term, is banking on the success of his Emerging general said he had sacked Nkurunziza for lines in its ranks have remained. Tanzania, the presidency dismissed the Senegal Plan (ESP) - a raft of infrastructure, agriculture, seeking an unconstitutional third term in It was not immediately clear if the gov- declaration by Niyombare, who was fired tourism and education improvements. But the head of state office. Gunfire could still be heard in the ernment was now fully back in control, as Nkurunziza’s intelligence chief in capital, Bujumbura, and whether the gov- although police had returned to some February, saying the coup had been is under growing pressure to come up with funding for the ernment had regained control was not streets which they had left on Wednesday. “foiled”. Niyombare had said on project, which is expected to cost $16.8 billion by its comple- clear. The president, who was in Tanzania In one suburb, which had been a protest Wednesday the capital’s airport and all tion in 2035. for an African leaders meeting on flashpoint, a group of young men who border crossings were closed. It was not Fadel Barro, a leader of the pro-democracy movement Wednesday when the attempt to topple tried to walk to the centre of the city were immediately clear if that was still the case. “Enough Is Enough”, said the government was aware that it him was announced, called on Burundians blocked by police officers, a Reuters wit- The East African leaders condemned needed to get hold of “money that does not stink”-or fund- to “remain calm” in a message delivered ness said. In another location, policemen the takeover attempt. “East African leaders ing untainted by its origins. “Saudi Arabia is one of the few via the presidential website and his were seen beating up a youth. A journalist are determined to find a lasting solution to places in the world you can go to and return with suitcases Twitter feed. at the state broadcaster said heavy gunfire Burundi’s crisis,” Tanzanian Foreign stuffed with cash,” political analyst Babacar Justin Ndiay said. There was no official confirmation being was heard around the state televi- Minister Bernard Membe told reporters. Western institutions and countries approached to fund about the whereabouts of the president, sion and radio station in the capital yester- “Africa does not want the leadership of the ESP have shown themselves to be “meticulous and who sparked more than two weeks of day, a Reuters witness said. Another any country to be assumed by the barrel finicky” when it comes to disbursing cash, said Ndiaye. protests by saying he would seek another reported loud blasts in the city. of a gun.” Underlining the problem, the International Monetary Fund five years in office. Two Tanzanian sources The continental body, the African has urged Dakar to take better control of its public wage bill said he was in Dar es Salaam. One said he Radio stations attacked Union, also condemned the attempted and broaden its tax base to fund the ESP. Sall first raised the was at a “secure location”. “The coup The Reuters witness said two private coup. AU Commission Chairwoman prospect of sending troops to Saudi Arabia, a country high attempt failed, loyal forces are still control- radio stations and a television station were Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma called for “the on the list of donors to the ESP, in April, according to gov- ling all strategic points,” Niyongabo said in attacked by unknown men in police uni- return to constitutional order” in a state- ernment documents viewed by AFP.—AFP a statement broadcast on state radio. In forms. The two stations were among those ment.—Reuters International15 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Commuter nightmare after Amtrak derailment

PHILADELPHIA: Thousands of travelers stranded by shuttle flight instead. “You get there around the same the deadly Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia on the time but it’s obviously way more expensive,” she said. nation’s busiest passenger rail line rushed on Still, she felt “lucky that I wasn’t on the train” that Wednesday to overcome a commuting nightmare and derailed, killing at least seven people. find other ways to reach their destinations. Would-be riders waiting to settle into reserved Amtrak seats were Adding flights stunned by announcements at stations in New York, A spike in demand prompted American Airlines Philadelphia and Washington that trips were canceled Group Inc to add two round-trip flights between New and service suspended indefinitely on much of York’s LaGuardia Airport and Washington’s Reagan Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor sector following Tuesday’s National Airport, spokeswoman Brianna Jackson said. derailment. Amtrak later said that modified service, Delta Air Lines Inc and US Airways websites showed no “with fewer frequencies than normal,” would be seats left on Wednesday’s shuttle flights between New restored starting today between Washington and York and Washington. Greyhound Lines Inc, owned by Philadelphia, between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and FirstGroup Plc, posted a sign at New York City’s Port between New York and Boston. Service was to remain Authority Bus Terminal saying it would honor Amtrak suspended between New York and Philadelphia, tickets and was adding buses in New York, Philadelphia though Amtrak said New Jersey Transit would honor and Washington. “I decided to suck it up and take a Amtrak tickets between Trenton and New York City. bus,” said Katherine Russ, 34, who was previously More than 750,000 passenger trips are taken daily scheduled to ride Amtrak on Thursday from on the Northeast Corridor, the main route of which runs Washington to New York. After finding all direct flights 457 miles (735 km) from Washington through sold out, she said, she will ride Greyhound. New Jersey Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York to Boston. Some Transit was also accepting Amtrak tickets for south- 260 million passenger trips are recorded each year, bound trains and on buses south of I-95. To handle Amtrak said. “You can see what I’m feeling right now - demand, it doubled up train cars on a light rail line to frustrated,” fumed Tareq Wagih, 26, an auto parts sales- get passengers from southern New Jersey closer to man from Sacramento, after learning his Amtrak train Philadelphia, said spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. from New York’s Penn Station to Harrisburg, Cavernous 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, nor- Pennsylvania, was canceled, disrupting his plans for mally a beehive of activity, was eerily quiet the day after work meetings and a family visit. the derailment, which took place less than 10 miles Fellow passengers scrambled to book flights, buses away. “No trains, no business,” said shoe shine man Jose and rental cars, often spending far more than they Cordeiro, 72, who normally buffs about 50 pairs a day anticipated to reach their final destinations. Melanie but on Wednesday shined only four. The normally Sloan, 49, a communications executive who was due to bustling Bridgewater pub, where customers typically take an 11 am train home to Washington from a busi- line up waiting for the doors to open so they can grab a ness trip to New York, which can cost less than $100, drink or meal before catching their trains, had one cou- PHILADELPHIA: Emergency personnel work at the ended up spending $429 for a seat on a US Airways ple on its bar stools. —Reuters scene of a deadly train wreck. —AP Boston bomber’s fate in limbo as jury deliberates Tsarnaev faces death or life without parole

BOSTON: Jury deliberations entered a second bombings, the subsequent murder of a police Either way, will die in prison day yesterday on whether to sentence Boston officer, a carjacking and a shootout. Tsarnaev would be allowed to exercise, bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death or life get a college degree, write a book, get visits, without parole, for carrying out one of the Deserves to die talk on the phone to family and exchange let- worst attacks in America since September 11. The defense disputed little evidence in the ters, they said. Judy Clarke, one of the coun- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev The 12 men and women, who last month con- guilt phase of the trial, but have deployed try’s leading anti-death penalty lawyers, dis- victed the 21-year-old of Chechen descent on dozens of witnesses in an attempt to save him missed the idea that he would enjoy life in all charges relating to the April 15, 2013 from the death penalty by portraying older “the most rigid, punitive prison in America,” 5 die in Arizona bombings, must reach a unanimous verdict if brother Tamerlan as the real culprit. Tamerlan, and urged the jury not to make him a martyr. they are to sentence him to death. Two pres- 26, was shot dead by police while on the run. She appealed on the jury to consider sure cooker bombs, hidden in backpacks and Government prosecutors say that Tsarnaev Tsarnaev’s young age, his brother’s domi- murder-suicide assembled with online instructions from Al- acted of his own free will as an adult. The neering influence, his parents’ return to TUCSON: A Tucson man gunned down four of his family Qaeda killed three people and wounded 264 defendant, a 19-year-old student at University Russia in 2012, the care of his friends, and his members, including his 17-year-old niece, before fatally others at the finish line of the northeastern of Massachusetts, Dartmouth at the time of reported remorse. “With either option ... shooting himself in a murder-suicide, police said city’s popular marathon. the attacks, has showed no emotion during Tsarnaev dies in prison. The question is when Wednesday. Police said Christopher Carrillo, 25, killed his Government prosecutors say Tsarnaev is a his trial, except for when an elderly aunt wept and how,” she said. “There’s no punishment, relatives in the family home in a blue-collar neighborhood remorseless terrorist who deserves to die for on the stand. He sat motionless, staring at the not even a death sentence that can balance on the south side of Tucson. The others killed were 58-year- inflicting carnage. The defense say he is a “lost table in front of him Wednesday as assistant the scales.” old Raul Carrillo, 53-year-old Karen Saari, 32-year-old Erick kid,” manipulated into the “heinous crime” by US attorney Steve Mellin said he deserved to “I ask you to choose life and impose the Carrillo and 17-year-old Isela Rodriguez. Police did not know his radical older brother. Jurors began deliber- die. The prosecutor referred to a bloody note sentence of life imprisonment without the what led to the shooting and an investigation was ongoing. ations Wednesday, meeting for less than an that he wrote, justifying the attacks to avenge possibility of release.” She portrayed an The bodies were found Tuesday evening by a man who hour before Federal Judge George O’Toole America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “No impressionable youth fed Al-Qaeda maga- went to the single-story house. Details remained sparse, but instructed them to return the next day. They remorse, no apology. Those are the words of a zines and lectures by Tamerlan, the true mas- all the people killed had signs of gunshot trauma, police must elect a foreman, then complete a 24- terrorist convinced he has done the right termind of the attacks, the ignored younger Sgt. Pete Dugan said. page, eight-part verdict form that requires thing. He felt justified in killing, maiming and son of a mentally ill father and an “intimidat- The home had a no-trespassing sign on the door, and two each to weigh aggravating and mitigating seriously injuring innocent men, women and ing,” radicalized mother. Since then, she said tricycles and a small basketball court in front. An abandoned factors, list any additional mitigating factors children,” Mellin said. The trial heard harrow- Tsarnaev had expressed genuine remorse home stood on one side of the residence. Neighbor Araceli and examine Tsarnaev’s motives. ing testimony from relatives of the dead, during prison visits by a Roman Catholic nun. Zatarain said a family of four has lived in the home for more They can decide to sentence him to death including the father of the youngest victim “Jahar Tsarnaev was not the worst of the than 20 years. Police officers arrived at the home with guns unanimously on all 17 convictions that carry eight-year-old Martin Richard and Mellin worst, and that’s what the death penalty is drawn and demanded that Christopher Carrillo come out, the death penalty, or on some, or sentence stressed the “excruciating” injuries of ampu- reserved for,” said Clarke, using his she said. Police later went inside and found the bodies. him to life in jail. “The choice between these tated survivors. Prosecutors rubbished any Americanized name. “Jahar would never have Zatarain and other neighbors said they thought there was very serious alternatives is yours and yours suggestion that America’s most maximum done this but for Tamerlan. The tragedy possible drug activity in the neighborhood. —AP alone to make,” O’Toole said. It took them security jail, ADX Florence in Colorado, would would never have occurred but for over 11 hours to convict Tsarnaev of the be a worse punishment than death. Tamerlan,” she said. —AFP International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

India awards Airbus $1.9bn 14 killed in Kabul military plane order guesthouse siege NEW DELHI: India’s defense ministry has 4 Indians, Briton, American among the dead agreed to buy 56 planes from Airbus for $1.87 billion, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi moves to modernize the country’s KABUL: military, an official said yesterday. The The Afghan Taleban claimed of President Ashraf Ghani. “The occupying guests gathered for a dinner at the guest ministry’s defense acquisition council, responsibility yesterday for an attack on a forces should realize that they are not safe house and others were arriving for a con- which approves big ticket orders, agreed popular guesthouse in Kabul that killed at from our attacks under any cover or in any cert. Airbus and India’s Tata Advanced Systems least 14 people, including foreigners location,” Mujahid said. The death toll rose The Taleban’s Mujahid said that the sin- would jointly build military transport air- attending a dinner and arriving for a con- from five to 14 yesterday as more bodies gle attacker armed with a pistol, AK-47 and craft to replace an ageing fleet. The deal cert. Four Indian nationals, a Briton and one were found. “It was one attacker and we are explosive materials was targeting the con- for the C295s worth 119.30 billion rupees American were confirmed among the dead still investigating how he got in,” police cert. “We have pinpointed the location pre- ($1.87 billion) was agreed late Wednesday by the council along with in a five-hour assault at Park Palace guest- criminal investigation chief Farid Afzali cisely and found out the exact time of the other orders worth $875 million, the house in an upscale neighborhood of cen- Kabul said. event,” he said in a statement. A spate of defense ministry official told AFP. “The tral Kabul. The attack heightened a sense of A Kabul security official put the number similar attacks in Kabul last year has damp- council has approved a joint bid by insecurity in the Afghan capital and of dead at 14, and the number was con- ened the city’s once-vibrant social scene. European giant Airbus Defense and Space throughout the country as the Taleban step firmed by the United Nations Assistance Late last year, a suicide bomber detonated and Tata Advanced Systems to supply the up attacks following the withdrawal of mission in a statement. The US and Indian at a French cultural centre performance, Airbus C295s,” the official said on condition of anonymity. most foreign troops. embassies confirmed their citizens were killing one person. In March 2014, Taleban India is in the middle of a major Kabul’s police chief said 44 people were among the dead, and an Afghan with gunmen killed nine people - including upgrade of its Soviet-era military, partly rescued. Taleban spokesman Zabihullah British nationality was also killed. “With three children - in the upscale Serena Hotel to keep up with neighboring rival Mujahid said in an emailed statement one regret we can confirm that a British dual in Kabul. Two months earlier, attackers Pakistan and big-spending China. Since of the insurgents’ operatives carried out the national was killed in last night’s attack on a stormed into a popular Lebanese restau- coming to power one year ago, Modi’s attack with the aim of killing foreign citi- Kabul guesthouse,” a British embassy rant in the capital and gunned down 21 government has approved a string of mil- zens in retaliation for the United States and spokesman said yesterday. The shooting people, including three United Nations staff itary projects that had stalled under the previous left-leaning Congress govern- its allies supporting the Kabul government started on Wednesday night as some and a senior IMF official.— Reuters ment, in part over corruption scandals. Modi, a hard-line nationalist premier, wants to end India’s status as the world’s number one defense importer and to have 70 percent of hardware manufac- tured domestically by the turn of the decade. His government lifted the cap of foreign investment in defense to 49 percent last year. The council last year deferred approval of the project for Airbus, which was the sole bidder. Under the project proposal, Airbus would build 16 twin-tur- boprop aircraft in “fly-away condition”, while Tata would assemble the remaining 40 in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in a technology transfer. Other orders approved include 145 BAE Systems ultra-light artillery how- itzers, Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise mis- siles for six warships and 197 Russian Kamov helicopters, the official said. The council, chaired by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, also set up a committee to work out the details for the already agreed purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. During a visit to France last month, Modi announced India would buy 36 Rafale planes in a deal estimated to be worth five billion euros following tortu- ous years-long negotiations. But the purchase agreement fell a long way short of previous proposals for India to buy 126 of the jets made by French firm Dassault. Frustrating negotiations for that deal stalled over costs and assembly guarantees.—AFP KABUL: Afghan police stand guard outside Park Palace guesthouse yesterday after being attacked by gunmen.— AP Indian couple beaten to death, burnt by relatives

NEW DELHI: An Indian schoolgirl and her older lover were boring village. India has long witnessed so-called honor killings - where beaten to death in eastern India and their bodies burnt by But relatives attacked the couple when they refused to couples are targeted because their families or communities a group of outraged relatives in a suspected “honor killing”, agree to the council’s request for some kind of compro- disapprove of their relationships - especially in rural areas. police said yesterday. Fifteen-year-old Parvati Devi and mise on their relationship, Maharaj said, adding that some They are carried out by relatives or village elders to protect Jairam Manjhi, 25, who was already married to someone of the family membetrs have been arrested. “They merci- what is seen as the family’s reputation and pride. Police in else, were attacked with sticks and stones in front of vil- lessly beat the couple and later burnt their dead bodies northern Haryana state have not yet made any arrests over lagers in impoverished Bihar state on Wednesday, police outside the village. There were more than 100 villagers the murder of a young couple whose naked bodies were said. Manu Maharaj, police chief of Gaya district, said the present when the couple was lynched,” he said. “It seems found last month stuffed in metal boxes in a park. India’s couple was brought before a council of elders by the girl’s to be an honor killing case. More than 15 people were Supreme Court in 2011 ruled those involved in honor family after they eloped and were found living in a neigh- involved,” he said. killings should face the death penalty.—AFP 17 International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Afghan clerics uneasy; rights movement gains momentum President caught between conservative, reformist forces

KABUL: Powerful religious leaders in Afghanistan are growing uneasy about the challenge to their authority posed by rare civil rights protests in Kabul and widespread anger over the lynching of a young woman wrongly accused of burning a Quran. The highest religious authority, the Ulema Council, exerts considerable influence in a country that remains deeply conservative despite significant changes since the hard-line Islamist Taleban fell in 2001. But a series of demonstrations in the capital Kabul promoting women’s rights has prompted the clerics to threaten to withdraw support for President Ashraf Ghani in a challenge to his new government. Some Ulema members say that Ghani, who took office in September, has failed to consult with them and seek their advice to the same extent that his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, did. Numbering some 3,000 clerics and scholars, and headed by a 150-strong National Council, the Ulema can sway public opinion significantly through mosques across the country that are still the main source of Afghan social cohesion. In recent months, a women’s rights activist walked around Kabul in a body suit with large breasts and buttocks. In another demon- stration, a group of men assembled in public wearing all-covering blue burqas worn by most women in Afghanistan. “We ask the government to tell them (civil rights groups) to stop. Otherwise, we know how to stop them,” Ulema Council member Enayatullah Baligh, an adviser to the president and university lecturer, told Reuters at his office. “I have 7,000 sup- porters who will obey any orders I give them. I can turn Kabul city upside down.” Baligh blamed the government, which has been hobbled by internal power struggles, for failing to enforce laws that would require it to punish those who offended Islam.

‘Death to mullahs’ While small, the protests have been unusually provocative XIAN: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks on as he visits The Terracota Warriors Museum in Xian. —AFP for Afghanistan, where few openly challenge what women’s rights activists say are customs and laws that discriminate against them and perpetuate abuses common under the Taleban. Further alarming the Ulema has been a much broad- China, India have many rivalries, er public outcry over the brutal killing of a woman in central Kabul in March. Farkhunda, a 27-year-old Islamic student, was wrongly accused of burning a Quran, Islam’s holy book. and some areas of cooperation She was beaten to death by an angry mob before her body was set on fire and thrown on to the banks of the city’s main BEIJING: India’s prime minister is visiting to derail ties between India and Sri Lanka. India’s growth could accelerate further river. During ensuing demonstrations, some people in the China this week to build friendship The two sides moved to reconcile after the if New Delhi addresses long-standing crowd shouted “Death to Mullahs”, language most often used between the two Asian giants despite a election of a new Sri Lankan government problems such as poor infrastructure and to denounce the United States. Religious council leader Abdul long history of disputes and rivalries, that put the Colombo port project under a strangling bureaucracy. In China, the Basir Haqqani recently told a gathering that the Ulema had along with some areas of cooperation, review. However, the US Defense central bank has cut interest rates to try to been more insulted during Ghani’s seven months in power especially in the economic sphere. Department predicts China will keep prevent the economy from slowing too than at any time in Afghanistan’s history. establishing “access points” in the area quickly. After two decades of double-digit “These episodes have angered the mullahs (clerics) and I Himalayan border disputes over the coming decade. growth that has raised incomes but also can see they are now drawing a line between this government India and China have disagreed for caused significant environmental damage, and the former,” said Borhan Osman, a researcher at the decades over which country controls two The Pakistan factor China is trying to nurture an economy Afghanistan Analysts Network. “They see the current govern- chunks of Himalayan territory. China says The longtime friendship between with greater reliance on service industries, ment as evil, a foreign conspiracy that is allowing a struggle the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal China and Pakistan, rooted in a time when which grow at slower but more sustain- against Islam.” Ghani’s office sought to occupy the middle Pradesh is part of China, while India insists both countries were deeply mistrustful of able rates. ground between religious conservatives and activists, saying China is illegally occupying Aksai Chin, a India, has long made New Delhi nervous. it had zero tolerance for religious offences but there had been rocky and largely empty region far to the The relationship has mainly gone one way, Rebuilding Nepal no evidence Islam was insulted during protests linked to the northwest. The two sides fought a brief with China providing economic assistance When a magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit killing. war in 1962 over the latter territory. But and political backing to Pakistan. Nepal on April 25, both China and India But the Ulema believes it may not have such a close rela- the disputes have been low key for years Islamabad is also anxious for an alliance it sent immense amounts of aid and military tionship with Ghani as it did with Karzai, who backed some of now, with both countries much more con- can use to balance the growing economic forces, and both pledged long-term sup- its ultra-conservative demands in return for support. Karzai cerned about boosting cross-border trade and political clout of India. But Pakistan port in rebuilding the impoverished did introduce the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law and investment. Diplomats from the two also offers China a gateway to South Asia, nation. Competition for influence in Nepal in 2009, and oversaw the return of millions of girls to schools countries now regularly discuss the territo- Iran and the Arabian Sea, one of the eco- has been brewing for years, with China after they had been banned under the Taleban. Yet he was rial dispute in scheduled talks, but even if nomic beltways that President Xi Jinping courting India’s traditional ally with infra- criticized in 2012 for endorsing an edict that called men “fun- little progress is ever made, neither coun- has sought to build through the region. structure projects like roads and damental” and women “secondary”, and saying they should try seems to care very much. Earlier this year, during a visit to hydropower dams. Chinese annual invest- avoid mingling with strange men in education, bazaars and Islamabad, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang ment overtook India’s in 2014, and Beijing String of pearls offices. Yi said China and Pakistan have an “all- persuaded Kathmandu to clamp down on India is deeply unsettled over China’s weather friendship.” anti-Tibet demonstrations. Dozens on trial growing presence in the Indian Ocean, a Nepal’s location between India and India accelerates, China slows On Wednesday, an Afghan judge sentenced four men to scenario some analysts call the “string of China makes it geopolitically strategic, as a death for their part in Farkhunda’s death, including the care- pearls” strategy linking China’s interests in India’s economic growth rate is finally buffer between the two Asian giants taker of a Muslim shrine who falsely accused her of desecrat- the countries surrounding India - Sri overtaking China’s - although the sheer which fought a brief border war in 1962. It ing Islam’s holy book. In all, 49 men, including 19 police offi- Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and size of China’s economy ($10 trillion) also shares a border with the fraught terri- cers, went on trial. Some of the police were accused of stand- Pakistan. In Sri Lanka, off India’s southern remains much larger than India’s ($2 tril- tory of Tibet, defusing tensions between ing by and allowing the mob to kill her in broad daylight. The tip, China began by building the port at lion). The World Bank expects India’s econ- China and India, where Tibet’s exiled gov- lynching shocked many Afghans and was condemned by Hambantota and significantly upped the omy to grow 7.5 percent this year com- ernment and Buddhist spiritual leader the Ghani. But before investigators declared Farkhunda innocent stakes with a massive development proj- pared with 7.1 percent for China. Last year, Dalai Lama are based. Its water resources of burning the Quran, some religious figures had defended ect off the coast of the capital, Colombo. India’s economy expanded 7.2 percent are also crucial to the region, with melt her attackers’ right to protect their faith at all costs.—Reuters Then, Sri Lanka allowed two Chinese sub- and China’s grew 7.4 percent, the slowest from its Himalayan glaciers feeding rivers marines to dock off its coast, threatening annual rate in nearly a quarter century. in both of the neighboring countries.—AP International FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Nail in the eye, a lucky landscaper left without a scratch

BOSTON: There must have been a four-leaf clover in We were worried that if we pulled it out, there would those weeds. A 27-year-old landscaper escaped with be bleeding” - a jet of blood that could damage the barely a scratch after a nearly 3-inch nail hurtled into other eye or the brain, or even prove fatal, Asaad said. his eye when he accidentally hit it with a weed whack- So they made an elaborate plan in case an artery rup- er. Doctors who removed the nail at Boston’s tured and had to be repaired: One surgeon was ready Massachusetts General Hospital describe the case in to operate through the head. A second surgeon was yesterday’s New England Journal of Medicine. “When ready to operate through the neck. As these two you looked at him, all you saw was the back end of stood by, a third surgeon carefully pulled out the nail. the nail” in his right eye, said Dr Wael Asaad, a neuro- They waited several minutes. No major bleeding surgeon now at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown occurred. They stopped sedating him and the patient University. was allowed to wake. After a tetanus shot and a pre- It happened about two years ago, and the man scription for five days of preventive antibiotics, he was wasn’t identified. Doctors couldn’t tell how long the on his way. nail was or its path, so radiologist Dr. Rajiv Gupta used A checkup eight weeks later showed his vision had a new type of CT scanner to get detailed images. “It returned to normal. Had the nail struck 1 millimeter reached almost to the tip of the other eye and the away, he likely would have had major damage, doc- brain. It was a very long nail,” he said. The good news: tors said. As dramatic as it was, “nails penetrating the It had not penetrated the globe of the eye, but was to skull are not as uncommon as you would think,” usu- one side. The bad news: It was lodged against one of ally from nail gun accidents, Asaad said. Gupta said the main arteries supplying blood to the head, and the lesson is clear: “Wear eye protection whenever another artery serving the other eye. operating heavy machinery” or power tools, even sim- “The tip of the nail was like the finger in the dam. ple ones used in gardening.—AP BOSTON: This undated image shows a CT scan with a nail in the eye of a patient. — AP Choppers, drone hunt for missing US Huey chopper Nepal’s earthquake death toll mounts

CHARIKOT: Military helicopters flew over quake, which struck 17 days after a huge eastern Nepal and a team sent up a drone earthquake killed more than 8,000 people yesterday to search for a missing US Marines and damaged or destroyed hundreds of thou- Huey chopper, as the death toll rose from the sands of buildings in the impoverished Himalayan country’s second big earthquake Himalayan nation. in less than three weeks. A Reuter’s corre- spondent flew on a Nepali military helicopter Second quake adds to pain along the Tamakoshi River that runs by the Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, visiting town of Charikot, in the mountainous Dolakha district, said massive landslides made Dolakha district worst hit by Tuesday’s 7.3 relief work difficult. “Still, we are fighting,” he magnitude quake that has killed more than said. Koirala gave up his seat on his helicopter 100 people. so that a woman with critical head injuries The river winds through rugged Himalayan could be evacuated from Charikot to the terrain in an area whose tallest peak soars over army hospital in Kathmandu. He only flew 7,000 meters. Hillsides are cloaked with lush back to the capital when it returned. The 70- KOH LIPE: Rohingya migrants swim to collect food supplies dropped by a Thai army heli- forest that would make it hard to sight the year-old woman underwent emergency sur- copter after they jumped from a boat (right) drifting in Thai waters off the southern chopper that went missing after the crew was gery and was then moved to an intensive care island of Koh Lipe in the Andaman sea yesterday. — AFP heard over the radio saying the aircraft had a unit and put on a ventilator. Asked about her fuel problem. In Koshikhet village, a two-man prognosis, an army doctor said: “We can only US civilian team was using a drone to search hope for the best.” Boat crammed with migrants for the missing Marine Corps UH-1Y, or Huey Medecins Sans Frontieres emergency coor- as the model is better known, which was car- dinator Dan Sermand said Tuesday’s tremors found adrift in Thai waters rying six Marines and two Nepali soldiers. “We caused serious damage to buildings in are using infrared vision to look for hotspots remote areas that had already been weak- OFF KOH LIPE: A boat crammed with scores of been scouring the area for a number of vessels and any signs of life,” said drone operator ened. “The first has done quite some damage. Rohingya migrants, including many young chil- laden with migrants adrift in the area. Eventually a Shepherd Eaton, from GlobalMedic, a US aid The second has finished the job,” Sermand dren, was found drifting in Thai waters yesterday, Thai Navy helicopter dropped food packages into agency that specializes in search and rescue. said by telephone from Kathmandu. MSF with passengers telling AFP that several fellow the sea and was later joined by other boats. Eaton and his partner wore cowboy hats, T- deployed two helicopters, each with two boatpeople had died over the past few days. Desperate scenes followed as several emaciated shirts and jeans and worked with a Nepali medical teams, to Dolakha to stabilize and Dozens of visibly weak-looking people were on men jumped into the sea to retrieve the packages, army team that had a helicopter. The search, evacuate the injured. Civilian helicopters the deck of the stricken vessel, which was found one of them eating handfuls of raw instant noo- involving US, Indian and Nepali military chop- were not asked to join the search for the miss- adrift several kilometers off the southern Thai dles in the water before swimming back to the pers and a battalion of 400 Nepali soldiers, has ing US chopper. Home Ministry official Laxmi island of Koh Lipe, in the Andaman Sea, according boat. been joined by two MV-22B Osprey, a tilt-rotor Prasad Dahal told Reuters on Wednesday he to AFP correspondents at the scene. “About 10 aircraft capable of taking off and landing verti- feared the search was diverting resources people died during the journey. We threw their Migrants abandoned cally. After two full days of searching, no sign from relief and rescue operations. bodies into the water,” one migrant shouted in Rights groups fear hundreds, possibly thou- had been found of the Huey, which was on an Relief workers and aid were only slowly Rohingya to a boat carrying reporters. sands, of Rohingya have been cast adrift on rickety aid mission in Dolakha district near Tibet reaching remote areas, where many roads “There are 300 of us... we have been at sea for boats in the Andaman Sea in recent days, aban- when it lost contact on Tuesday. “We are still have been cut by landslides - including the two months. We want to go to Malaysia but we doned by smuggling gangs spooked by a belated trying to locate it. There is no evidence to single-track road along the Tamakoshi River have not reached there yet.” A group of women crackdown on the thriving people-smuggling prove that it has crashed,” said Marines where no moving vehicles could be seen from wearing headscarves who were huddled on the trade in southern Thailand. Both the UN’s refugee spokeswoman Captain Cassandra Gesecki. the air. In Mabu village, the Nepali search heli- deck cried as reporters approached, one AFP cor- agency and the International Organization for The Huey was kitted out with a satellite copter stopped to find out if the locals there respondent said, many with young children and Migration have called for a coordinated search and location device, a radio and an emergency had any information about the missing heli- toddlers in their arms. “My children are sick and we rescue effort, something regional nations have so beacon. It may have come down in a “dead copter. “You are the only person we have haven’t had anything to eat for a week,” a mother far resisted. Instead Malaysia and Indonesia have zone” for radio signals, though, making it seen so far,” said Bhagawat Gurung, 18, a vil- of four who gave her first name as Sajida shouted vowed to bar boats bearing desperate migrants hard for searchers to locate it. “If it just landed lager, when asked whether any aid workers out. The words “We are Myanmar Rohingya” were from Myanmar and Bangladesh after nearly 2,000 in that forest, it would be lost,” said Bala had reached them. Tuesday’s earthquake, daubed in English on a black flag tethered to the boatpeople were rescued or swum to shore earlier Nanda Sharma, a retired Nepali army general, which was followed by several aftershocks, wooden boat, while a large tarpaulin had been this week. A Malaysian official, speaking on condi- gesturing to a hillside from the Charikot army struck as Nepalis were coming to terms with erected to protect the stricken and weak migrants tion of anonymity, said yesterday two vessels car- base from which helicopters were flying. The the devastation from last month’s 7.8 quake, from the blazing tropical sun. Many of the male rying a combined 600 migrants had been turned death toll from Tuesday’s tremor rose yester- which packed a punch more than five times migrants were topless and wearing only stained away. Thailand has long practiced a policy of day to 110, according to the home ministry. greater and was centered west of longyi cloth wraps. Initially there was no immedi- encouraging migrants to continue their journeys Another 2,428 people were injured in the Kathmandu. — Reuters ate sign of Thai authorities who have apparently towards Malaysia.—AFP California.—AFP May 13,2015inHollywood, Grand FinaleatDolbyTheatreon onstage during‘AmericanIdol’XIV Winner NickFradianiperforms FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 www.kuwaittimes.net 14th seasonchampion ‘American Idol’crowns Page 20 Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Ryan Seacrest, left, announces Nick Fradiani the winner at the American Idol XIV finale. Winner Nick Fradiani onstage with host Ryan Seacrest and American Idol finalists.— AP/AFP photos ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ CROWNS 14TH SEASON CHAMPION

ick Fradiani is the latest winner of “American Idol.” The 29-year- Nold rocker of Guilford, Connecticut, bested soulful 22-year-old vocalist Clark Beckham of White House, Tennessee, to win the 14th edition of the Fox talent competition. Fradiani joins such “Idol” champions as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Kris Allen, as well one more winner to be determined next year. Fox announced earlier this week that the next season would be the last for “Idol.” The two-hour extravaganza kicked off Wednesday with Fradiani and Beckham joining Fall Out Boy on their song “Centuries.” Before he was announced as the winner, Fradiani dueted with singer-songwriter Andy Grammer. The series’ penultimate finale also featured performances from Chic, Ricky Martin, NKOTB, Michael McDonald and Steven Tyler. — AP

Winner Nick Fradiani and American Idol judge Contestants congratulate Nick Fradiani, center, after he is announced as the winner. Jennifer Lopez onstage.

Quentin Alexander, left, and Vance Joy perform on stage. Andy Grammer, right, and Nick Fradiani perform on stage. Singer/songwriter Steven Tyler and finalist Jax perform onstage. Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Tyanna Jones arrives at the American Idol. Janelle Monae performs on stage. Daniel Seavey, left, and Joey McIntyre of NKOTB perform on stage.

Joey McIntyre, from left, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg, of Clark Beckham, left, and Michael McDonald perform on stage. Joey Cook, left, and Sydney Sierota of Echosmith perform on NKOTB, appear on stage . stage.

Clark Beckham, second from left, Nick Fradiani, second from right, Jordan Knight, from left, Danny Wood, Donnie Wahlberg, Jonathan Knight Keith Urban, left, and Nicole Kidman arrive at the and Fall Out Boy perform on stage. and Joey McIntyre, of NKOTB, and Daniel Seavey perform on stage. American Idol.

Actor/musician Jamie Foxx and finalist Rayvon Owen perform on Tito Jackson, from left, Jackie Jackson and Marlon Jackson, of The Judge Jennifer Lopez greets fans. stage. Jackson Five, and Tyanna Jones perform on stage. Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Nicolas Cage’s ‘USS Indianapolis’ bought by Saban Films

aban Films has acquired North American the USS Indianapolis on the fifth day of their ordeal. consulting with survivors, the US Navy, the US rights to Hannibal Classics’ World War II movie To depict the actual planes involved in the real Coast Guard, Alabama Film Commission, the USS S“USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage,” starring rescue of the men, production has secured use of Alabama Battleship Memorial Association and the Nicolas Cage. Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt two fully operational WWII planes. Producers have City of Mobile Film Office. The film will use the USS Lanter and Brian Presley have joined the cast, with also been in contact with the Gwinn family. “The Alabama and USS Drum submarine to re-create the shooting starting in mid-June in Mobile, Ala. Mario Gwinn Family is pleased that the heroic story of the USS Indianapolis and the Japanese submarine. Van Peebles will direct from a script by Cam USS Indianapolis is finally being told on the Production will shoot in Alabama, San Francisco Cannon and Hannibal Classics principal Richard bigscreen,” said Jane Gwinn Goodall, daughter of and Kyoto, Japan. Walt Conti of Edge Innovations Rionda Del Castro. Producers are Rionda Del Castro the pilot. “We are humbled by the miraculous cir- will provide animatronic sharks. Warner Bros. is and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures, who is cumstances that brought our father Wilbur ‘Chuck’ developing an untitled drama about the sinking of financing “Men of Courage” with Hannibal Classics. Gwinn into the path of these men, leading to their the USS Indianapolis, with Robert Downey Jr and Ness Saban and Saban Films president Bill Nicolas Cage rescue.” Susan Downey producing through their Team Bromiley will exec produce along with Patricia Maria Eck Bullard, daughter of survivor Harold Downey banner and Tate Taylor directing. In 2011, Eberle, Timothy Patrick Cavanaugh, Dama Claire, went down with the ship, while the rest faced Eck, said, “I have personally been very impressed the studio bought life rights to Hunter Scott, whose Jamal Hanan, Mariusz Lukomski and Frederico exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and with the dignity and consideration that the team at research had helped exonerate McVay. Saban Films Lapenda. Cage, who starred in “Tokarev” for shark attacks as they waited for assistance. Only 317 Hannibal has given the story to ensure accuracy launched a year ago and released “The Hannibal, will take on the role of Capt. Charles sailors survived, and McVay was court-martialed, and respect for all factions concerned.” The film is Homesman” in November. It acquired several titles Butler McVay, whose ship was torpedoed in the then exonerated more than half a century later. scheduled to be released over the 2016 Memorial at Tribeca, including Adrien Brody thriller South Pacific in July 1945, after delivering parts for Sizemore, who has appeared in military dramas Day weekend. Van Peebles, who directed “New “Backtrack” and Simon Pegg-Lake Bell romantic the first atomic bombs. Their mission was classified, including “Saving Private Ryan,” “Pearl Harbor” and Jack City,” joined the project last year. Cage came comedy “Man Up.”— Reuters so the Indianapolis was not reported missing until “Black Hawk Down,” will portray McWhorter, one of on to the project during the Berlin Film Festival, and four days later. the men in the water with McVay. Jane will co-star Hannibal is selling international rights at Cannes. Of 1,196 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 as the pilot Chuck Gwinn, who spotted the crew of Hannibal has developed the film for five years, Fassbender on challenges of Singer Sarah Brightman ‘Macbeth,’ the future of ‘X-Men’ calls off flight to space station ichael Fassbender is having such a busy ly didn’t go to the gym. Did it cause you to look at ritish soprano Sarah Brightman called off year, he can’t even keep all his projects Mac products differently? It did. I’m still on my plans for a flight to the International Space Mstraight. This week, A24 releases “Slow iPhone 4. You don’t have the iPhone 6?No, the 4 is Station, citing family reasons, the singer West,” the Sundance indie in which he plays a cow- my favorite design. I also use something until it’s no B said in a statement on Wednesday. Brightman boy (he produced the film with his company DMC longer useable. Your phone looks broken.But it still began training in Russia’s Star City in January for and developed the script with director John works. The cover actually broke off my broken a ride aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and 10- Maclean). Then next week, he jets to the Cannes phone. day stay on the station, a $100 billion research Film Festival for the premiere of Justin Kurzel’s laboratory that flies about 260 miles (418 km) adaptation of “Macbeth” on May 23. He just fin- Where are you living now? above Earth. The trip would have cost her about ished playing Steve Jobs for Danny Boyle’s high- MF: I’m still in London, but I haven’t spent too $52 million, said Space Adventures, the privately profile biopic, and he’s about to reprise Magneto in much time there in the last year. I did think about owned US travel agency that arranged the expe- “X-Men: Apocalypse.” He also revealed to Variety LA before, but not so much now. I think I’m dition. that he wants to direct. “Slow West” is the first fea- European. I know I’m European. I’m happiest there. “Ms Brightman said that for personal family over her seat. Space Adventures did not immedi- ture you’ve produced. Do you still have to put yourself on tape? Luckily, reasons her intentions have had to change and ately reply to a request for comment. not for a while. I think the last audition I did was for she is postponing her cosmonaut training and Brightman was preparing for a September “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the Coen brothers film. flight plans at this time,” a statement on the flight. That launch was likely to be delayed fol- singer’s Facebook page said. Brightman was to lowing the announcement on Tuesday that Are you in that movie? Russia is postponing the next station crew’s MF: No, I’m not. Thanks for pointing that out. It was be the eighth paying tourist to visit the station, a project of 15 nations. One passenger, Microsoft launch two months until late July because of a an unsuccessful audition. I went up for Oscar Soyuz rocket accident investigation. It was not [Isaac’s] part. Corp co-founder Charles Simonyi, has made the trip twice. Japanese entrepreneur Satoshi known if Brightman’s decision to cancel her Takamatsu had been training as Brightman’s training and flight is related to the launch What are you shooting next? delay. — Reuters MF: “X-Men.” backup and presumably is in position to take

Will you do more after this one? MF: I will shoot a hundred of them. The contract is in three film deals, and this is the last of that. But I’ll Australia orders Johnny Depp be curious to see what happens next. How did the idea come about? Michael Fassbender: John and I started working Have you seen “Macbeth”? to send 2 pet terriers home together in 2007 or 2008 on this thing [a short film] MF: I have not. ustralian quarantine authorities have The department discovered that Depp had called “Man on The Motorcycle.” That worked out ordered Hollywood star Johnny Depp to fly “snuck them in” after reports that a handler had really well, and we thought, “Let’s continue this, Why won’t they show it to you? Ahis pet dogs Pistol and Boo out of the coun- taken the terriers in a handbag to a Gold Coast and we’ll aim one day of doing a feature film.” MF: Because they are mean. I’ll see it in Cannes for try by Saturday or they will be put down. dog groomer on Saturday, Joyce said. “Now Mr Around that time, he’s like, “I got this idea for a the first time. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce yesterday Depp has to either take his dogs back to California Western.” We started chatting about that and accused Depp of smuggling the Yorkshire terriers or we’re going to have to euthanize them,” Joyce developing the characters and then he went away Had you done Shakespeare before? aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia said. Depp’s spokesman did not immediately and wrote it. And then he’d show me a script and MF: Just in drama school, but not professionally. I on April 21 to resume filming of the 5th installment respond to a request for comment. Joyce’s I’d give him notes. Eventually, we got a script and had my Lady Macbeth and we got a scene or two. in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie series at spokesman Brett Chant said the dogs were in was like, “Let’s shoot it.” Here we are. It’s nice to see Gold Coast studios. “home quarantine,” but would not say where. The the goal fulfilled. I think he made a charming love Is Macbeth a hard character to play? The Agriculture Department on Wednesday filming of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell story within a Western. MF: It’s challenging because of the language, and gave Depp, 51, and his 29-year-old wife Amber No Tales” was disrupted in March when Depp, he’s going through quite a lot. Heard, 72-hour notice to start their pets on the who plays the pirate captain Jack Sparrow, cut his Were you a fan of Westerns growing up? 11,600 kilometer (7,200 mile) trip back to the hand on a glass door. He brought the dogs on his MF: Yes. Clint Eastwood is my favorite. The last Did you have to master iambic pentameter? United States. “If you start letting movie stars - even return flight from the United States where he Western that I saw that I really liked was MF: I didn’t. I never approached it that way. I don’t though they’ve been the sexiest man alive twice - underwent surgery to his hand. Chant said no “Unforgiven.” I was shooting [on the film] for about even know if I got that right. I’m a little dyslexic to come into our nation (with pets), then why don’t decision has been made on whether further action five weeks. All in New Zealand, which is supposed with the iambic pentameter. I just always tried to we just break laws for everybody?” Joyce said. will be taken against Depp for breaching quaran- to be Colorado. make sense of it, and hoped the rhythm would fol- “It’s time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back tine regulations. Joyce said the Agriculture low. —Reuters to the United States,” he added. Australia has strict Department would be responsible for putting the You recently finished playing Steve Jobs. Is it quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as dogs down if they do not leave Australia. “After dark? Like “The Conjuring”? rabies spreading to its shores. Bringing pets to that, I don’t expect to be invited to the opening of MF: No, is it a favorable adaptation? I think it is. You Australia involves applying for a permit and a quar- Pirates of the Caribbean,” he said. — AP look skinnier now.I didn’t lose weight. But I certain- antine period on arrival of at least 10 days. Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Actor John C Reilly, right, laughs as actress Salma Hayek Vincent Cassel, Salma Hayek and director Matteo Garrone, pose for photographers. speaks during a press conference for the film Tale of Tales, at the 68th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, yesterday. — AP photos Salma Hayek eats Cannes’ heart out n a movie filled with strikingly lavish images, those of Salma baroque weirdness at Cannes. throw up,” she said. There were other challenges, said Hayek, Hayek eating the heart of a sea monster in Matteo Garrone’s Hayek plays a queen desperate to have a child. Advised by a including wearing Massimo Cantini Parrini’s sumptuous cos- I“The Tale of Tales” are hard to shake - especially for the actress. warlock to eat the heart of a beast, her king husband (John C. tumes. “He never made me a dress that weighed less than 30 kilos “Disgusting!” Hayek exclaimed yesterday after it showed for critics Reilly) slays a monster, and Hayek subsequently chows down on (66 pounds),” said Hayek. Filming one scene repeatedly in which at the Cannes Film Festival. “The Tale of Tales” is based on the the massive organ. “Our director here wanted ... the inside of the she runs through a labyrinth, Hayek said she got so tired that her influential but little known 17th century Neapolitan fairy tales of heart to be identical to the real heart,” said Hayek. “Forbid I would heavy dress became stuck after Garrone told her to jump. Three Giambattista Basile. It’s a Brothers Grimm-like world of kings and take a bite and a doctor would realize an artery is missing.” men had to dislodge her. “Massimo was screaming, ‘The dress! princesses, ogres and witches, in a series of grotesque fables with It was actually made out of pasta and other things, but it still The dress!’” said Hayek. “It was humiliating.”—AP modern relevance. Critics mostly responded rapturously to its didn’t make for an appetizing meal. “I thought I was going to Amid male landscape of ‘Mad Max,’ Charlize Theron dominates he inhospitable desert landscape of “Mad Max: Fury Stewart and Patricia Arquette have all recently made strong Road” isn’t so different from today’s Hollywood: Low statements about gender inequality in the industry. And on Ton water and overrun by men. But amid the overflow- Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union asked US state ing testosterone of “Fury Road,” George Miller’s sequel to his and federal agencies to investigate what it claimed is wide- post- apocalyptic franchise, Charlize Theron dramatically spread gender discrimination in Hollywood. “It’s crazy that stands out. While “Mad Max” may star Tom Hardy as the titu- we live in a world, not just in Hollywood, where women get lar road warrior of “Fury Road,” it is effectively Theron’s film. paid less than men for doing the same job,” says Theron. She plays Furiosa, a warrior with a shaved head and pros- “And also just the representation of women in film, it hasn’t thetic arm, attempting to rescue a harem of wives held cap- been that authentic and true. So when something comes tive by a warlord. along where women are represented in a truthful manner, “When people first started talking about this film, this all of a sudden, people really respond to it. And it’s kind of loud whisper went around town that George was looking to like, ‘You guys, this isn’t anything new.’” Indian Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor and actress Anushka Sharma create a female character that can stand next to Max and answer questions during a promotional event for the forthcoming Hindi carry the journey with him,” Theron said in a recent inter- Extensive reshoots film ‘Bombay Velvet’ in Mumbai. — AFP view. “For a female actress, that always sounds intriguing. Channeling some rage into Furiosa came naturally: Look, we hear it all the time and very few filmmakers see “There were emotional things that I could connect to.” Some that through.” “Fury Road,” which received a premiere at the have even described “Fury Road” as a feminist film. “Vagina Bollywood blue blood Ranbir Cannes Film Festival yesterday before opening in theaters Monologues” writer Eve Ensler consulted on the movie, Friday, is an atypical summer action movie - essentially a working with the actresses playing the enslaved wives. takes walk on the wild side two-hour car chase - that’s literally and effectively driven by “Feminism is such a tricky thing to throw around because I a strong woman. don’t think a lot of people know what women mean when anbir Kapoor, the scion of he has enjoyed a string of successes play- Lately, a chorus of actresses has spoken out about what they speak in that articulation,” says Theron. “Really, what it ‘Bollywood’s First Family’, acknowl- ing “coming of age” characters. But now they’ve called inherent sexism in Hollywood and the lack of boils down to is just equal rights.”—AP Redges his latest role as a streetfight- in his mid-30s, Kapoor wanted to take on quality female roles. Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Kristen er in Mumbai’s underworld marks a dra- more challenging roles and approached matic departure for an acting heartthrob Kashyap when he heard that the director long regarded as being to the manor planned to make a movie out of a well- born. “But that kind of risk gets us all excit- known book called “Mumbai Fables”. ed,” says the 33-year-old ahead of Friday’s release of Hindi film “Bombay Velvet”. Web of lies “Even Spiderman has to take risks.” “Yes, there is pressure, but one should Directed by Anurag Kashyap, “Bombay feel the pressure otherwise the glory Velvet” is one of the most hotly-anticipat- would not be great,” Kapoor told AFP in ed Bollywood movies of the year with a an interview at a hotel in Goa. “I have cast that also includes Anushka Sharma, done all these coming-of-age films and girlfriend of Indian cricket star Virat Kohli. then to see me in this strata of society, in Set in the 1960s, Kapoor plays Johnny this character of Johnny Balraj, a boy con- Balraj, an angry young man who falls in sumed by the desire for a brighter future, love with a jazz singer (Sharma) in who wants to be a big shot in the big bad between illegal boxing bouts that leave world of Bombay but gets caught in this him black and blue. He hides his black web of lies, was what excited me. “I don’t eyes with sunglasses even in the darkest have any song or dance number, the film of nightclubs. Kapoor, the son of is challenging the norm, form and con- Bollywood legends Rishi and Neetu tent.” Kashyap has a reputation for direct- Kapoor and grandson of iconic director ing gritty movies such as the award-win- This photo provided by Warner Bros Pictures shows Tom Hardy, center, as Max Rockatansky and Charlize Raj Kapoor, studied film making in New ning “Black Friday” based on a series of Theron, right, as Imperator Furiosa in Warner Bros Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure York before making his screen debut in bombings in Mumbai in 1993 blamed on film, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. — AP 2007’s “Saawariya” (My Love). Since then an infamous mafia boss.—AFP FRIDAY 15 MAY, 2015

Seafood Delights: Simple prawn recipes you can try at home

resh or frozen, shelled or de-shelled, prawns are your taste buds, you are sure to find the perfect prawn small, pink, juicy, moist and possibly the easiest recipe for any occasion. Take a look at these easy to pre- Fthings to cook. You could have delicately flavored, pare prawn recipes and try your hand at some homemade grilled prawns on a cold wintery night or use them in a seafood dishes. classic, retro summer prawn cocktail. Whatever your suits Spicy King Prawns

his wonderful shrimp recipe is quite healthy and can be prepared very quickly. If you have all of Tthe ingredients ready ahead of time, you can prepare the dish quickly, as guests arrive. Ingredients 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1?2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

eat the olive oil in a very large skillet. Add the garlic, paprika H(one tablespoon plus one teaspoon), cumin, ginger and cayenne and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, 2 to 4 minutes. Season the dish with salt and stir in the cilantro. Transfer to a platter and serve. FRIDAY 15 MAY, 2015 Creamy Garlic Prawns his recipe is not only ‘to die for’ but is real simple to make. TPrawns sautÈed in fresh garlic and coriander cream sauce. Remember to use lite cream and only half the salt content for a healthier alternative. You can also add extra cream if you like lots of sauce! Ingredients

500 g green prawns 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup cream 4 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon fresh coriander 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil Preparation Peel and devein prawns and try to leave the tails on. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. In a heavy based skillet, melt butter and olive oil on a medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the prawns and garlic mixture and increase heat to ensure prawns are cooked quickly. Toss the prawns and mixture for 1-2 minutes or until prawns turn pink. Finish by adding coriander and toss for a further 30 seconds. Add cream, stir through and serve with jas- mine rice.

Spicy Prawn Skewers

popular Caribbean style prawn recipe that will instantly transport you to the sandy beaches of the Bahamas. Before you start, be sure Ato soak your skewers in a warm bowl of water. Ingredients 1/3 cup lime juice 1/3 cup honey 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk spice 3 dashes hot pepper sauce 1 kg large green prawns, peeled and deveined 12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour Preparation Stir together the lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and oil in a large bowl. Season with jerk seasoning, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the prawns and toss well to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for one hour to mari- nate. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat. Remove skewers from the water, pat dry, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Skewer the shrimp. Grill the shrimp on the grill on both sides until pink and opaque, about 5 minutes per side. Honey Sesame Prawns Ingredients 500 g peeled and butter fried green prawns 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cm fresh ginger, chopped 2 shallots, finely sliced or 1?4 Spanish onion, chopped 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon sesame seeds Preparation Have prawns ready and patted dry and have the pan hot and oiled. You will need a heavy based pan as you need to keep the heat up or you will stew the prawns. Add the ginger, garlic and onions; fry for 30 seconds moving constantly. Then, add the prawns and cook for 30 seconds moving and mixing with the paste. Add the sesame oil and honey and cook for further 30 seconds. Add some water and seeds to deglaze the pan and mix all together and place on a serving dish. This all should be done in about 2 minutes and on high heat and you need to keep the food moving in the pan. Serve with rice, soy sauce to taste. FRIDAY 15 MAY, 2015

What you need to know about Mad Max: Fury Road ad Max, and particularly the second film in the franchise, feel to it - and it looks completely insane, which is exactly what a car that looks like it’s a cartoon bomb that somehow drives. In The Road Warrior, remains one of the most beloved and Mad Max film should look like. So if you’re looking for a good short, all of these look very cool, and very original. Photos of some Mrevered film franchises in action movie history. A pinnacle movie to go for this week but ‘Fury Road’ hasn’t peaked your inter- of the cars from Fury Road began popping up online several years of the post-apocalyptic survival genre, its examination of tribal ests yet, then take a look at ten things you need to know about ago, and the cars themselves have been around for even longer. warfare and human savagery in a world where oil has all but run George Miller’s latest Mad Max. That’s what happens when production is repeatedly delayed. out was the prototypical film of its type and has never been surpassed. The cars were built years in advance Tom Hardy is the perfect Mad Max The new film, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ has just come out in Besides the good old V8 Interceptor, a number of cars were With Mel Gibson aging out, a new Max was required - although Kuwait’s cinemas. Miller’s appears intact, but ramped up to eleven; specifically constructed for the film, including a large tanker, taking the focus off of Max and bringing in another character was the movie, from what has been seen, has an epic, take no prisoners something best described as a porcupine on wheels, and another considered for a while. The job went to English actor Tom Hardy, who was announced as the new Max all the way back in 2009. That’s right, before he was Bane, he was already Mad Max. Hardy has shown a lot of versatility as an actor. Besides The Dark Knight Rises, he has been part of Inception, Warrior, Bronson, and Sucker Punch, among other films. Bronson, in particular, was a fantastic performance by Hardy.

Prior knowledge of the originals isn’t needed The entire production of Fury Road has been relatively secre- tive, and fans have often wondered if the film is a prequel, sequel, or reboot. The answer seems to be that it’s set in the world of Mad Max, but between some of the existing films. Charlize Theron told UKPA that it was a re-imagining, and that ‘It’s such an interesting world and how much it still resonates today after 20 years or whatever it’s been. We’re going back to that world but this is not a prequel or sequel or anything like that’.

The villain looks absolutely bonkers Immortan Joe is the antagonist of the film, a tyrannical warlord pursuing Theron’s Furiosa across the desert in an attempt to reclaim what has taken from him. He wears a skeleton mask with FRIDAY 15 MAY, 2015

protruding tubes over the lower half of his face, and has a very more spectacular.” tribal look to him. Post-apocalyptic tribal, at least. In Fury Road, Reshoots? Those are never good, right? Well, it turns out that in Immortan Joe runs a compound capable of repairing vehicles - this case they may be. According to reports, the studio was so hap- and modifying them, no doubt leading to some of the unique bat- py with a rough cut of the film that they gave director Miller more tle cars you’ll see in the film. He has also convinced his followers money to film a large action sequence they way he had originally that he has conquered death itself and returned from the grave, intended. That’s what Hardy was referring to when he talked hence his name. about “doing more.” That’s almost unheard of in Hollywood, but the advanced word on the film, from screenings has been very Max is completely revitalized positive. And let’s face it, the film looks insane! (www.whatcul- Charlize Theron once referred to Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky ture.com) as a completely different character who simply happened to share a name with the Mel Gibson’s Max of old, but take that with a pinch of salt, as she may only have been referring to how Hardy is going about the portrayal, and not talking about a literally different person. That said, this is not the Max we know. He seems a little less confident than he did in The Road Warrior. Keep in mind, of course, that if this film is in fact set between Max Mad and its first sequel, then it’s earlier along in the character’s development time- line. That said, while Max has been captured before, in this, he’s captured and tattooed with some sort of slave markings, including that he’s O-Negative, has “no lumps” “two good eyes” and “heals fast” - then is finally listed as a “universal donor.” The words “road warrior” as also branded on him. Throughout the trailers we have seen, he’s almost completely humiliated. At some point, however, expect Max to, well, go mad, and rise up against his tormentors.

The studio was so happy with the film they gave Miller more money Speaking on the Red Carpet and the BFI London Film Festival, Tom Hardy had this to say about Fury Road in 2013: “[Mad Max] is great, it’s a big old beast, and it’s a behemoth. I’m off out there next week to do some reshoots - well, not reshoots, actually, we’re doing more. Building more Mad Max that’s even

29 Travel FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 The ultimate guide to shopping in

veryone knows Hong Kong as a Eplace of neon-lit retail pilgrimage - all international brands worth their logo have outlets here, and they are sup- plemented by the city’s own retail trail- blazers. That said Hong Kong’s reputation as a bargain hunter’s paradise is pretty much a thing of the past. So what’s worth shopping for in Hong Kong? Clothing, luggage, jewelry and electronic goods are the city’s strong suits. Excellent shops and galleries specializing in Asian art and antiques also abound.

Bargaining Sales assistants in department or chain stores rarely have any leeway to give dis- Hong Kong counts, but you can try bargaining in owner-operated stores and certainly in markets. Some visitors believe that you can always get the goods for half of the price originally quoted. But if you can bargain something down that low, buying it from that shop might not be the best option. Remember that, though you might be getting that DSLR camera cheap, in turn you may also pay a high mark-up for the memory card, or worse, it may have missing components or no international warranty.

Guarantee & warranty Some imported goods have a Hong Kong-only guarantee. If it’s a well-known brand, you can return the warranty card to the Hong Kong importer to get one for your country. Grey-market items imported by somebody other than the official agent may have a guarantee that is only valid in the country of manufacture or none at all.

Defensive shopping Whatever you’re in the market for, make sure to always check prices in a few shops before buying. The most common way that shopkeepers try to cheat tourists is to simply overcharge. In some of the electronic stores in the tourist shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui, many goods do not have price tags. The best way to cir- cumvent being overcharged is to check around for prices in several shops before you buy.

Antiques Hong Kong has a rich and colorful array of Chinese antiques on offer, but serious buyers will restrict themselves to reputable antique shops and auction houses only. Forgeries and expert reproductions abound. Remember that most of the quality pieces are sold through auction houses such as Christie’s, especially at its auctions in spring and autumn. Most of Hong Kong’s antique shops are bunched along Wyndham St and Hollywood Rd in Central and Sheung Wan. The shops at the western end of Hollywood Rd tend to be cheaper paraphernalia, including propa- ganda posters and badges from the Cultural Revolution. For old-style Chinese handicrafts and other goods (ceramics, cloisonnÈ, silk garments), the main places to go are the large emporiums.

Art Most of the commercial art galleries in Hong Kong are also found along Wyndham St and Hollywood Rd in Central and Sheung Wan. Many sell paintings, sculptures, ceramic works and installa- tions by local, mainland Chinese and other 30 Travel FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Asian artists. Annual events like Art Basel, the Hong Kong Art Walk, Le French May Arts Festival and Fotanian Open Studios offer great opportunities to acquire art or simply acquaint you with the city’s interesting visu- al-arts scene. Clothing For designer brands and boutiques, some of the best places to find global designer brands and luxury stores are in malls, such as the IFC and the Landmark in Central, Times Square in Causeway Bay, Pacific Place in Admiralty, and Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui. Some of these shops, such as Prada, have outlets at Horizon Plaza in Ap Lei Chau selling off-season items at discounted prices. There’s also a heap of midrange malls showcasing second- or third-tier brands, fast fashion outlets and local retailers such as Giordano. If you’re more into Street markets and minimal clothing, try Tsim Sha Tsui street. The stalls are teeming with all things young and trendy, both locally designed or imported from the mainland or Korea. Usually you can negotiate a lower price when you purchase more than one item. And if you have a good eye, you can end up looking chic for very little. The best hunting grounds for low- cost garments are at the eastern end of Granville Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui, and Cheung Sha Wan Rd in Sham Shui Po. The street markets on Temple St in Yau Ma Tei and Tung Choi St in Mong Kok have the cheapest clothes.

Gems & jewelry The Jade Market in Yau Ma Tei is diverting, but unless you’re knowledgeable about jade, it’s best to limit yourself to modest purchases here as prices and options can be over- whelming. Hong Kong also offers a great range of pearls - cultured and freshwater. Retail prices for other precious stones are only marginally lower than elsewhere. The more reputable jewelry-shop chains - and there are many in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok catering mostly to tourists from the mainland - will issue a certificate that states exactly what you are buying and guarantees that the shop will buy it back at a fair market price.

Watches Shops selling watches are common in Hong Kong and you can find everything from a Rolex to Russian army timepieces and diving watches. Avoid the shops without price tags. The big department stores and City Chain are fine, but compare prices.

Leather goods & luggage All the brand names such as Louis Vuitton, Samsonite and Rimowa are sold at Hong Kong department stores, and you’ll also find some local vendors in the luggage business. The popularity of hiking and travel has trig- gered a proliferation of outdoor products shops that carry high-quality backpacks. —(www.lonelyplanet.com) Leisure FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE (1902-1984). CROSSWORD 903 68. An informal term for a father. 70. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World. 73. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods. 74. Reprehensible acquisitiveness. 77. A strategically located monarchy on the southern and eastern coasts of the Arabian Peninsula. 78. Infectious disease caused by a species of chlamydia bacterium. 79. Stem of the rattan palm used for making canes and umbrella handles. 80. Ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water. 81. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots. 82. Heat beforehand. 83. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

DOWN 1. Twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in cone- like spikes. 2. (prefix) Indicating difference or variation. 3. Made of fir or pine. 4. English writer of macabre short stories (1863-1943). 5. Leave immediately. 6. An ancient city of Sumer located on a former channel of the Euphrates River. 7. Take something away by force or without the consent of the owner. 8. Chiefly tropical trees and shrubs and vines usually having a tall columnar trunk bearing a crown of very large leaves. 9. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria. 10. Spanish missionary who founded Franciscan missions in California (1713-1784). ACROSS 11. A historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia. 1. A pilgrimage to Makkah. 12. British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888). 5. Distinguish oneself. 13. Tropical starchy tuberous root. 12. A zodiacal constellation in northern hemisphere between Cancer and 14. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common Virgo. policy for the sale of petroleum. 15. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits. 23. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan. 16. The lean flesh of a saltwater fish caught along Atlantic coast of southern 25. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret. U.S.. 27. A frame attached to a wagon to increase the amount of hay it can carry. 17. Automatic data processing by electronic means without the use of tab- 28. The unit of plane angle adopted under the System International ulating cards or punched tapes. d'Unites. 18. An alluvial deposit that contains particles of some valuable mineral. 30. Expletives used informally as intensifiers. Yesterday’s Solution 19. A promotional statement (as found on the dust jackets of books). 31. A dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon. 20. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice. 34. An edilbe seaweed with a mild flavor. 21. (music) Composed or performed by a single voice or instrument. 35. A river in western Europe that rises in northern France and flows gener- 22. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens. ally east into Belgium where it joins the Neuse at Namur. 24. A narrow zigzag ribbon used as trimming. 36. A parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian 26. A great raja. Peninsula. 29. A software system that facilitates the creation and maintenance and use 38. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily. of an electronic database. 39. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain. 32. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy. 41. A bachelor's degree in religion. 33. Lower in esteem. 44. A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood 37. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to paper. click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance. 40. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity. 46. Chief port of Yemen. 42. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the 50. Breed of large wiry-coated terrier bred in Yorkshire. Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the 51. (Judaism) A period of seven days of mourning after the death of close Caspian Sea. relative. 43. Covered with paving material. 57. Leave a camp. 45. A sudden short attack. 58. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group. 47. An artificial source of visible illumination. 59. The slender arch formed by the temporal process of the cheekbone that 48. Type genus of the Amiidae. bridges to the zygomatic process of the temporal bone. 49. A member of a seafaring group of North American Indians who lived on 61. An anti-TNF compound (trade name Arava) that is given orally. the Pacific coast of British Columbia and southwestern Alaska. 63. (Old Testament) The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. 52. Located in or toward the back or rear. 64. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh. 53. German chemist who did research on high-speed chemical reactions 65. A constitutional monarchy on the western part of the islands of Samoa (born in 1927). in the South Pacific. 54. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail. 67. Any tree or shrub of the genus Inga having pinnate leaves and showy 55. A doctor's degree in religion. usually white flowers. 56. A public promotion of some product or service. 69. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces. 60. (Akkadian) God of wisdom. 71. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion. 62. A radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium 72. (prefix) In front of or before in space. with neutrons. 75. A unit of electrical power in an AC circuit equal to the power dissipated 66. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum when 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere. mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron 76. Take in solid food.

Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution Yesterday’s Solution TV listings FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:00 Is It Real? Wilmore 04:00 Ghost Dad 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:00 Lords Of War 01:30 Family Guy 06:00 Grown Ups 2 15:00 Man Fire Food 03:30 Lords Of War 02:00 Brickleberry 08:00 Oscar 15:30 Man Fire Food 04:00 The Border 02:30 You’re The Worst 10:00 See Spot Run 16:00 Chopped 05:00 80s Greatest 03:00 Hot In Cleveland 12:00 The Simpsons Movie 17:00 The Pioneer Woman 06:00 Traveler’s Guide To The 03:30 The Goldbergs 14:00 So Undercover 17:30 The Pioneer Woman Planets 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring 00:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 16:00 Oscar 18:00 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Great Migrations Jimmy Fallon 01:00 Good Morning America 18:00 Hello Ladies: The Movie 00:20 Fast N’ Loud 18:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 08:00 Helicopter Wars 06:00 Men At Work 03:00 The Newsroom 20:00 The World’s End 01:10 Treehouse Masters 19:00 Chopped 09:00 Situation Critical 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 04:00 Defiance 22:00 Wedding Crashers 02:00 The Pool Master 20:00 Guy’s Grocery Games 10:00 Is It Real? 09:00 Hot In Cleveland 05:00 Good Morning America 02:50 Tanked 21:00 Girl Eats World 11:00 Family Guns 09:30 Black-Ish 07:00 Emmerdale 03:40 Storage Hunters 21:30 Girl Eats World 12:00 America The Wild 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring 08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 04:05 Backroad Bounty 22:00 Bite This With Nadia G 13:00 Shark Men Jimmy Fallon 09:00 Switched At Birth 05:00 How It’s Made 22:30 Bite This With Nadia G 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 12:00 Men At Work 10:00 Emmerdale 05:30 How Do They Do It? 23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:00 Battleground Brothers 14:00 The Goldbergs 11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 01:00 Inescapable-PG15 06:00 Alaska: The Last Frontier 23:30 Chopped 16:00 Mystery Files 14:30 Black-Ish 12:00 How To Get Away With Murder 03:00 Prisoners-PG15 06:50 Fantomworks 16:30 Mystery Files 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 13:00 Crisis 05:30 Dawn Rider-PG15 07:40 Fast N’ Loud 17:00 Somewhere In China Stewart 14:00 Live Good Morning America 07:15 The Butler-PG15 08:30 Storage Hunters 18:00 Untamed Americas 16:00 The Nightly Show With Larry 16:00 Switched At Birth 09:30 The Fifth Estate-PG15 08:55 Backroad Bounty 19:00 Battleground Brothers Wilmore 17:00 How To Get Away With Murder 11:45 Dawn Rider-PG15 09:45 How It’s Made 20:00 Mystery Files 16:30 Men At Work 18:00 Crisis 13:30 The Last Days On Mars-PG15 10:10 How Do They Do It? 20:30 Mystery Files 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 19:00 Switched At Birth 15:15 At Middleton-PG15 20:00 How To Get Away With Murder 10:35 Treehouse Masters 00:35 The Jonathan Ross Show 21:00 Somewhere In China 18:00 Last Man Standing 17:00 The Fifth Estate-PG15 11:25 The Pool Master 22:00 Untamed Americas 18:30 New Girl 21:00 Crisis 19:15 How I Live Now-PG15 01:30 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of 22:00 The Newsroom 12:15 Tanked Dogs 23:00 Family Guns 19:00 Black-Ish 21:00 The Bag Man-PG15 13:05 Storage Hunters 02:00 Emmerdale 19:30 Fresh Off The Boat 23:00 The Iceman-18 13:30 Backroad Bounty 02:25 Emmerdale 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring 14:20 Alaska: The Last Frontier 02:55 Coronation Street Jimmy Fallon 15:10 Fantomworks 03:25 Murdoch Mysteries 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon 16:00 Fast N’ Loud 04:20 Murdoch Mysteries Stewart 00:00 Bad Country 16:50 How It’s Made 05:15 The Chase: Celebrity Specials 21:30 The Nightly Show With Larry 02:00 Grave Halloween 17:15 How Do They Do It? 06:10 The Jonathan Ross Show 00:20 I, Predator Wilmore 04:00 The Ring Two 03:00 Beautiful Creatures 17:40 The Island With Bear Grylls 07:05 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of 01:10 Anaconda: Silent Killer 22:00 Girls 06:00 The Package 18:30 Fast N’ Loud 05:00 Hyde Park On Hudson Dogs 02:00 I, Predator 22:30 Girls 08:00 The Recruit 07:00 My Last Day Without You 19:20 Misfit Garage 07:30 Murdoch Mysteries 02:50 Hunter Hunted 23:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 10:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange 20:10 Backroad Bounty 09:00 Jack And The Cuckoo Clock 08:25 Murdoch Mysteries 03:45 Shark Kill Zone 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers 12:00 Terminal Velocity Heart 21:00 Fast N’ Loud 09:20 Big Star’s Little Star 04:40 Secret Life Of Predators 14:00 Justice League: War 21:50 Misfit Garage 11:00 Up Close And Personal 10:15 Cook Me The Money 05:35 I, Predator 16:00 The Recruit 13:15 Gravity 22:40 Wheeler Dealers 11:10 Emmerdale 06:30 Hunter Hunted 18:00 Ice Soldiers 23:30 Fast N’ Loud: Demolition 15:00 Battle Of The Year 11:35 Emmerdale 07:25 Shark Kill Zone 20:00 Terminal Velocity 17:00 Jack And The Cuckoo Clock Theater 12:00 Coronation Street 08:20 Wild Sri Lanka 00:00 Parenthood 21:45 Homefront Heart 12:30 Coronation Street Catchup 09:15 World’s Deadliest 23:30 The Departed 01:00 American Idol 19:00 Life Happens 13:25 Cook Me The Money 10:10 Wild Colombia 21:00 Ray 03:00 The Strain 14:20 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of 11:05 Cobra Mafia 23:45 Her Dogs 12:00 Sharkville 04:00 White Collar 14:45 The Jonathan Ross Show 12:55 Attack Of The Big Cats 05:00 The Flash 00:00 Fashion Bloggers 15:35 Home Fires 13:50 Hunter Hunted 06:00 Parenthood 00:30 Christina Milian Turned Up 16:30 Who’s Doing The Dishes 14:45 Planet Carnivore 07:00 The Fosters 00:00 Grave Halloween-PG15 15:40 Wild Sri Lanka 00:55 Extreme Close-Up 17:25 Big Star’s Little Star 08:00 Graceland 02:00 The Ring Two-PG15 18:20 The Chase: Celebrity Specials 16:35 World’s Deadliest 01:25 Keeping Up With The 09:00 The Flash 04:00 The Package-PG15 01:00 Blood-PG15 Kardashians 19:05 Coronation Street 17:30 Wild Colombia 06:00 The Recruit-PG15 03:00 Belle-PG15 19:35 Coronation Street Catchup 18:25 Anaconda: Silent Killer 10:00 American Idol 02:20 E! News 12:00 Emmerdale 08:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG 05:00 Parkland-PG15 03:15 Giuliana & Bill 20:30 Who’s Doing The Dishes 19:20 Planet Carnivore 10:00 Terminal Velocity-PG15 07:00 Horizon-PG15 04:10 E!ES 21:25 Big Star’s Little Star 20:10 Wild Sri Lanka 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 12:00 Justice League: War-PG15 09:00 Robot & Frank-PG15 05:05 Beyond Candid With Giuliana 22:20 Coronation Street 21:00 World’s Deadliest 14:00 Graceland 14:00 The Recruit-PG15 11:00 Tinker Bell And The Pirate 06:00 Keeping Up With The 22:50 Emmerdale 21:50 Wild Colombia 15:00 Parenthood 16:00 Ice Soldiers-PG15 Fairy-FAM Kardashians 23:15 Emmerdale 22:40 Anaconda: Silent Killer 16:00 Emmerdale 18:00 Terminal Velocity-PG15 12:45 Postman Pat: The Movie-PG 23:30 Sharkville 06:55 Keeping Up With The 23:45 Cook Me The Money 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 19:45 Homefront-PG15 14:30 Mandela: Long Walk To Kardashians 18:00 Graceland 21:30 The Departed-18 Freedom-PG15 07:50 Style Star 19:00 Once Upon A Time 17:00 Robot & Frank-PG15 08:20 E! News 20:00 Grey’s Anatomy 19:00 The Internship-PG15 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 21:00 Draft Day-PG15 10:15 E!ES 21:00 Top Gear (UK) 23:00 Guardians Of The Galaxy- 11:10 E!ES 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon 22:05 Survivor: Worlds Apart 00:00 Helicopter Wars 00:00 Without Men 12:05 E! News 01:00 Situation Critical Stewart 23:00 The Strain 13:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 01:00 The Nightly Show With Larry 02:00 Friends With Kids 13:35 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 14:05 Fashion Bloggers 14:30 Fashion Bloggers 15:00 House Of DVF 01:00 A Turtle’s Tale 2: Sammy’s 16:00 Keeping Up With The Escape From Paradise Kardashians 02:45 Free Birds 17:00 Keeping Up With The 04:30 Unstable Fables: Goldilocks & Kardashians The Three Bears 18:00 E! News 06:00 The Nut Job 19:00 Pop Innovators 20:00 Giuliana & Bill 08:00 Luke And Lucy: The Texas 21:00 Fashion Bloggers Rangers 21:30 Fashion Bloggers 10:00 The Olsen Gang In Deep 22:00 E! News Trouble 23:00 Fashion Police 11:30 Shark Bait 13:00 Catch That Kid 14:45 Wheelers 16:00 Oggy & The Cockroaches: The Movie 18:00 The Olsen Gang In Deep Trouble 20:00 Top Cat: The Movie 22:00 Wheelers 00:30 Guy’s Big Bite 01:00 Rev Run’s Sunday Suppers 23:30 Oggy & The Cockroaches: The 01:30 Siba’s Table: Fast Feasts Movie 02:00 Farm Kings 03:00 Guy’s Big Bite 03:30 Guy’s Big Bite 04:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:00 Chopped 00:00 A Family Reunion-PG15 06:00 Guy’s Grocery Games 02:00 Planes: Fire And Rescue-PG 07:00 Man Fire Food 04:00 Snitch-PG15 07:30 Man Fire Food 06:00 Rio 2-FAM 08:00 Chopped 08:00 Heaven Is For Real-PG 09:00 Barefoot Contessa 09:30 Amazing Wedding Cakes 10:00 Labor Day-PG15 10:30 The Pioneer Woman 12:00 Snitch-PG15 11:00 The Pioneer Woman 14:00 Frozen-PG 11:30 Man Fire Food 16:00 Heaven Is For Real-PG 12:00 Chopped 18:00 Red 2-PG15 13:00 Guy’s Big Bite OSN MOVIES HD 20:00 RoboCop-PG15 13:30 Guy’s Big Bite GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ON 22:00 Rush-18 TV listings FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

00:00 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 01:00 Live MSNBC Politicsnation 02:00 Live NBC Nightly News 02:30 ABC World News With David Muir 03:00 Live MSNBC All In With Chris Hayes 04:00 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 05:00 Live MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 06:00 NBC Nightly News 06:30 ABC World News With David Muir 06:57 NBC Nightly News 07:18 ABC World News With David Muir 07:39 Live ABC Nightline 08:06 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 09:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 10:00 Live ABC World News Now 10:30 Live ABC World News Now 11:00 Live NBC Early Today 11:30 Live ABC America This Morning 12:00 Live ABC America This Morning 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:00 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 MSNBC First Look 14:00 Live NBC Today Show 17:57 MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 18:38 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 19:19 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 20:00 Live MSNBC Live With Thomas Roberts 22:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle 23:00 Live MSNBC Now With Alex Wagner ICE SOLDIERS ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

14:30 Stalked At 17 03:00 American Pickers 10:35 Toddlers & Tiaras 13:40 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 10:00 Sofia The First 16:00 Thorne: Scaredycat 04:00 Ice Road Truckers 11:25 Something Borrowed, 14:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 10:25 Henry Hugglemonster 02:00 NRL Full Time 18:15 Wreck-It Ralph 05:00 Counting Cars Something New 14:30 On The Case With Paula 10:55 Calimero 02:30 Premier League Darts 20:00 Greenberg 05:30 Counting Cars 11:50 Something Borrowed, Zahn 11:10 Jake And The Neverland 07:00 Golfing World 22:00 Cars 2 06:00 American Restoration Something New 15:20 I Was Murdered Pirates 08:00 World Rugby 23:45 Pirates Of The Caribbean: On 06:30 American Restoration 12:15 Something Borrowed, 15:45 Stalked: Someone’s 11:35 Limon And Oli 08:30 ICC Cricket 360 Stranger Tides 07:00 Counting Cars Something New Watching 11:45 Loopdidoo 09:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 07:30 Counting Cars 12:40 Something Borrowed, 16:10 Fatal Encounters 12:00 Handy Manny 10:30 Live Super Rugby 08:00 American Restoration Something New 17:00 Blood Relatives 12:15 Sofia The First 12:30 Live Super Rugby 08:30 American Restoration 13:05 Something Borrowed, 17:50 I Almost Got Away With It 12:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:30 Champions Tour 09:00 Ultimate Wheels Something New 18:40 Forensic Detectives 13:10 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West 16:30 Live PGA European Tour 10:00 American Pickers 13:30 Oprah: Where Are They Now? 19:30 True Crime With Aphrodite 13:35 Zou 19:30 Super Rugby Highlights 11:00 Pawn Stars 14:20 Oprah’s Next Chapter Jones 13:50 Jake And The Never Land 21:30 This Is The President’s Cup 00:00 Lost 11:30 Pawn Stars 15:10 Little People, Big World 20:20 The Will Pirates 22:00 Live PGA Tour 01:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:00 Storage Wars 15:35 Little People, Big World 21:10 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 14:15 Doc McStuffins 02:00 Private Practice 12:30 Storage Wars 16:00 Little People, Big World 21:35 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 14:45 Henry Hugglemonster 03:00 The Block 13:00 Counting Cars 16:25 Little People, Big World 22:00 Whitey Bulger: The Making 15:10 Sofia The First 04:00 Da Vinci’s Demons 13:30 Counting Cars 16:50 Little People, Big World Of A Monster 15:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 05:00 The Simpsons 14:00 Shipping Wars 17:15 My Big Fat Fabulous Life 22:50 Serial Killers 16:00 Cars Toons 05:00 This Is President Cup 05:30 The Simpsons 14:30 Shipping Wars 17:40 My Big Fat Fabulous Life 23:40 Couples Who Kill 16:05 Lilo & Stitch 07:00 Gillette World Sport 06:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect 15:00 American Pickers 18:05 The Next Great Baker 00:30 Most Evil 16:30 Adventures Of The Gummi 07:30 Inside The PGA Tour Behavior 16:00 American Restoration 18:55 Cake Boss 01:20 Evil, I Bears 08:00 European Tour Weekly 07:00 Happy Endings 16:30 American Restoration 19:20 19 Kids And Counting 01:45 Evil, I 17:00 Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers 08:30 Asian Tour Highlights 07:30 Happy Endings 17:00 Storage Wars 19:45 19 Kids And Counting 02:10 Whitey Bulger: The Making 17:25 Ducktales 10:30 Web.Com Tour 08:00 Lost 17:30 Storage Wars 20:10 Little People, Big World: Battle Of A Monster 18:00 Sofia The First: The Floating 12:30 Live PGA European Tour 09:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 18:00 Pawn Stars For The Farm Palace 14:30 Golfing World 10:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Pawn Stars 21:00 19 Kids And Counting 18:55 Cars Toons 18:00 Super Rugby Highlights 10:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Ultimate Wheels 21:25 19 Kids And Counting 19:00 The Adventures Of Disney 18:30 Super Rugby Highlights 11:00 Private Practice 20:00 American Restoration 21:50 Little People, Big World: Amy’s Fairies 19:00 WWE Bottomline 12:00 The Block 20:30 American Restoration 50th 19:30 Jake And The Neverland 20:00 WWE Superstars 13:00 Da Vinci’s Demons 21:00 Storage Wars 22:40 Long Island Medium Pirates 21:00 WWE Main Event 14:00 Happy Endings 21:30 Storage Wars 23:05 Breaking Amish: The Shunning 19:45 Doc McStuffins 22:00 Live Top 14 14:30 Happy Endings 22:00 American Pickers Truth 03:00 Art Attack 20:00 Adventures Of The Gummi 15:00 The Great State Of Georgia 23:00 Storage Wars 23:55 Last Chance Salon 03:25 Julius Jr. Bears 15:30 The Great State Of Georgia 23:30 Storage Wars 03:35 Calimero 20:30 Sofia The First 16:00 Lost 03:50 Henry Hugglemonster 20:55 Cars Toons 17:00 Cougar Town 04:00 Zou 21:00 Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers 17:30 Criminal Minds: Suspect 04:15 Mouk 21:30 Ducktales 00:00 Indian Premier League H/L : MI Behavior 04:25 Jungle Junction 22:00 Lilo & Stitch v KKR 18:30 Criminal Minds: Suspect 04:35 Art Attack 22:25 Art Attack 01:00 ICC Cricket 360 Behavior 05:00 Julius Jr. 22:55 Limon And Oli 07:00 ICC Cricket 360 19:30 Lone Star Legend 05:10 Calimero 23:05 Zou 03:00 Blood Relatives 16:30 Indian Premier League H/L : MI 20:30 The Bridge 05:25 Henry Hugglemonster 23:20 Mouk 00:45 Oprah’s Next Chapter 03:45 Couples Who Kill v KKR 21:30 How I Met Your Mother 05:35 Zou 23:35 Jungle Junction 01:35 Long Island Medium 04:30 Extreme Forensics 17:30 Live Indian Premier League : 22:00 How I Met Your Mother 05:50 Mouk 23:50 Art Attack 02:00 Last Chance Salon 05:20 Nightmare Next Door SH v RCB 22:30 Cougar Town 06:00 Jungle Junction 00:15 Julius Jr. 02:50 Say Yes To The Dress 06:10 True Crime With Aphrodite 23:00 Cougar Town 06:10 Art Attack 00:30 Calimero 03:15 Something Borrowed, Jones 23:30 According To Jim 06:35 Julius Jr. 00:45 Henry Hugglemonster Something New 07:00 Nightmare Next Door 06:45 Calimero 01:00 Zou 03:40 What Not To Wear 07:50 Fatal Encounters 07:00 Jungle Junction 01:15 Jungle Junction 04:30 Cake Boss 08:40 I Almost Got Away With It 07:15 Zou 01:25 Art Attack 05:00 Little People, Big World 09:30 I Was Murdered 07:30 Calimero 01:50 Julius Jr. 05:30 Extreme Couponing 09:55 Stalked: Someone’s 01:00 Wreck-It Ralph 07:45 Loopdidoo 02:00 Calimero 06:00 19 Kids And Counting Watching 04:45 Owning Mahowny 08:00 Limon And Oli 02:15 Henry Hugglemonster 06:25 Cake Boss 10:20 Forensic Detectives 06:30 Secret Liaison 08:10 Jake And The Never Land 02:25 Zou 00:00 Pawn Stars 06:50 Cake Boss 11:10 On The Case With Paula 08:00 Barricade Pirates 02:40 Mouk 00:30 Pawn Stars 07:15 Cake Boss Zahn 09:30 Wreck-It Ralph 08:35 Doc McStuffins 02:50 Jungle Junction 01:00 Ultimate Wheels 07:40 The Next Great Baker 12:00 Blood Relatives 11:15 Love Potion No.9 09:05 Art Attack Disney XD 02:00 American Restoration 08:55 The Next Great Baker 12:50 True Crime With Aphrodite 13:00 Brave 09:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 06:00 Kid vs Kat 02:30 American Restoration 09:45 Toddlers & Tiaras Jones Stars FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Aries (March 21-April 19) COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22) Afghanistan 0093 Lithuania 00370 Much attention will be given to some special program, project Albania 00355 Luxembourg 00352 or other business matter. This is a time you will need to be a bit more flexible With much enthusiasm you could promote any idea, project or Algeria 00213 Macau 00853 and agree to be moved from your own duties to help another co-worker or even yourself. The results and reactions of others will be positive. The changes Andorra 00376 Macedonia 00389 higher-up. You have powerful energies spilling into your life today helping you have been thinking of making for today, tomorrow and the next day may Angola 00244 Madagascar 00261 you to make a positive difference with the choices you make and guiding you need to be thought through carefully. There are positive aspects now, but if Anguilla 001264 Majorca 0034 in ways that help others. Team spirit is valued, along with anything group ori- you act too quickly you could find yourself wanting to take back your ideas or Antiga 001268 Malawi 00265 ented. You may get away from the routine this afternoon by finding some- choices-have a plan ready. This is the time to push for a raise, new job or a Argentina 0054 Malaysia 0060 Armenia 00374 Maldives 00960 thing completely different to enjoy for a change-return of independence. vacation. A new romance may enter the picture as well. Expect interruptions and criticisms from others this afternoon-they will help and teach you. You Australia 0061 Mali 00223 However, make sure both your expectations and abilities are realistic before Austria 0043 Malta 00356 diving into something you may not be able to get out of without a great deal have a deep respect for knowledge and wisdom and may enjoy the insights Bahamas 001242 Marshall Islands 00692 of frustration. that an older person will bring into your life today. Bahrain 00973 Martinique 00596 Bangladesh 00880 Mauritania 00222 Barbados 001246 Mauritius 00230 Belarus 00375 Mayotte 00269 Belgium 0032 Mexico 0052 Taurus (April 20-May 20) Belize 00501 Micronesia 00691 Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Benin 00229 Moldova 00373 Bermuda 001441 Monaco 00377 Complete whatever unfinished business you can today. Your Bhutan 00975 Mongolia 00976 sharp mind and your awareness of your ability to grasp the overview of a sit- Although the workday flows easily enough, your mood may be Bolivia 00591 Montserrat 001664 uation are strong. Your ambition is solid and you have the right amount of pensive. Cleaning up your work area and organizing your thoughts may take up Bosnia 00387 Morocco 00212 discipline to get you where you want to go. This is aesthetic and imaginative much time this morning. There is some involvement in the promotion and pub- Botswana 00267 Mozambique 00258 lication of a booklet, memo or some other form of written material this after- Brazil 0055 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 to be sure, but it is also practical and materialistic: you develop a keen appre- Brunei 00673 Namibia 00264 ciation for the value of things, including the money it takes to buy them. noon. There are job improvements, safety hints and other ideas that members of a group, business or club have submitted recently. A round table discussion Bulgaria 00359 Nepal 00977 Consider investing in property. Take the social opportunities that are open to Burkina 00226 Netherlands 0031 you now and network with people that share a similar interest. A love of may produce a creative idea for future business opportunities as well as some Burundi 00257 Netherlands Antilles 00599 music, an appreciation for sensual pleasures and other fine things in life are incentives regarding employees. You will be helping to organize a creative idea Cambodia 00855 New Caledonia 00687 most important to you. There is a unique romantic interest for you soon. for profit. You find yourself feeling more private and in a stay-at-home mood Cameroon 00237 New Zealand 0064 this evening. This is a good afternoon to spend time with family. Canada 001 Nicaragua 00505 Cape Verde 00238 Nigar 00227 Cayman Islands 001345 Nigeria 00234 Central African 00236 Niue 00683 Chad 00235 Norfolk Island 00672 Chile 0056 N. Ireland (UK) 0044 Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) China 0086 North Korea 00850 Colombia 0057 Norway 0047 Your attitude is one full of optimism now making this an excel- This is a good time to complete projects or resolve business Comoros 00269 Oman 00968 Congo 00242 Pakistan 0092 lent time to work toward a raise or a promotion, to plan a trip or take a vaca- problems. The longer you wait, the more things can go wrong. You are filled Cook Islands 00682 Palau 00680 tion. You are likely to hear some good news regarding something of impor- with an urge to work hard and get things done. Do not put off tomorrow what Costa Rica 00506 Panama 00507 tance today. Your sensitivity to others has improved but there are possibilities you can do today-then you can be truly relaxed. During this time, additional Croatia 00385 Papua New Guinea 00675 of being deluded-pay close attention. You will gain great success and atten- responsibilities are placed on you in the context of the home setting-which Cuba 0053 Paraguay 00595 tion through your professional life. Being in the spotlight is common to you you actually will enjoy. Also, you should open up to relatives since it is a good Cyprus 00357 Peru 0051 during this time and you should realize that it is a good time to be humble and time to seek emotional support. Any previous conflicts between you and a Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Philippines 0063 see where you can be of most help. You may look to the social setting to family member will be healed this day. Understanding of loved ones is height- Czech Republic 00420 Poland 0048 improve your professional standing. You should rely on your natural abilities ened. Don’t be surprised if someone comes to you for help-you have learned Denmark 0045 Portugal 00351 Diego Garcia 00246 Puerto Rico 001787 to succeed in all your affairs. There is inner harmony in a love relationship now. to listen very well. This is a good evening to just listen to music. Djibouti 00253 Qatar 00974 Dominica 001767 Romania 0040 Dominican Republic 001809 Russian Federation 007 Ecuador 00593 Rwanda 00250 Egypt 0020 Saint Helena 00290 El Salvador 00503 Saint Kitts 001869 Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) England (UK) 0044 Saint Lucia 001758 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Saint Pierre 00508 Consciously plan and take extra time to stay organized with proj- Eritrea 00291 Saint Vincent 001784 You may expend a great deal of effort to secure finances now. Estonia 00372 Samoa US 00684 This may come about through associations you have with people in important ects for now. The instinct to be powerful and in control seems strong. This may Ethiopia 00251 Samoa West 00685 positions. Careful-it might be a little too easy to spend newfound finances lead to a greater interest in investing, and while investing is a good area to Falkland Islands 00500 San Marino 00378 unwisely during this time. Care and prudent thought must be given to the spend your energies, it is clear that you need to take your time to study, ask Faroe Islands 00298 Sao Tone 00239 practical use of money. This is also a day in which all relationships can be exalt- questions and review your findings before letting go of your savings. There are Fiji 00679 Saudi Arabia 00966 ed. Besides being creative and affectionate, you are very sociable. This is a peri- all sorts of communication interactions today along with lecturing, teaching or Finland 00358 Scotland (UK) 0044 od of personal growth. You want to reshape the world and help others. This learning a new technique. You seem to have a good command of the English France 0033 Senegal 00221 French Guiana 00594 Seychelles 00284 feeling will extend to love interests. There is deep self-understanding and this language with the willingness to excel. You could resist someone’s ideas today and it might be a good idea to look at your reasoning. A social gathering this French Polynesia 00689 Sierra Leone 00232 instills an element of practicality in romantic endeavors. You will not be delud- Gabon 00241 Singapore 0065 ed by this day. Companionship with others is most rewarding. evening will find you at your most elegant. Gambia 00220 Slovakia 00421 Georgia 00995 Slovenia 00386 Germany 0049 Solomon Islands 00677 Ghana 00233 Somalia 00252 Gibraltar 00350 South Africa 0027 Greece 0030 South Korea 0082 Leo (July 23-August 22) Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Greenland 00299 Spain 0034 Grenada 001473 Sri Lanka 0094 Guadeloupe 00590 Sudan 00249 You may not be able to communicate as clearly as you would Interaction with co-workers may bring about inspirations. Group Guam 001671 Suriname 00597 like today. This may be the day you are called on to teach or talk about some- discussions before beginning the workday may clear the air of any problems and Guatemala 00502 Swaziland 00268 thing about which you would like to have more understanding. Initiate any create inspirations leading to better business. Important acquisitions and proj- Guinea 00224 Sweden 0046 changes that you think would better serve your purpose. Financial gain ects demanding your attention will have the right direction with your care and Guyana 00592 Switzerland 0041 attention. Choose people to be on your team that have the winner’s circle in Haiti 00509 Syria 00963 through speculation looks positive but you must take care in how you allocate Serbia 00381 the benefits or money that you receive. Study and mental self-control are in their vision. You merge your natural ability of taking control with your sensitivity Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Taiwan 00886 the picture now. There is likely to be an emphasis on reading, writing, studying to create a positive result to any complicated matter. Plan a get together of co- Hong Kong 00852 Tanzania 00255 and all forms of information exchange. This will all serve as a path for personal worker friends at the noon meal-business matters can be left behind. This may Hungary 0036 Thailand 0066 as well as professional development. On the home front . . . An upcoming mar- involve the beginning of an exercise group or a sports team. There is a sense of Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Toga 00228 riage, birth or reunion may happen sooner than you think. harmony this evening while walking with nature. Iceland 00354 Tonga 00676 India 0091 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Indian Ocean 00873 Tunisia 00216 Indonesia 0062 Turkey 0090 Iran 0098 Tuvalu 00688 Iraq 00964 Uganda 00256 Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) Ireland 00353 Ukraine 00380 Italy 0039 United Arab Emirates 00976 Ivory Coast 00225 United Kingdom 0044 Your energy is magnanimous but fortunately this Sunday you Circumstances may seem to conspire to push you into successful Jamaica 001876 Uruguay 00598 have learned to limit your passion unless asked to expand upon your informa- creative efforts today. Your sense of humor shines and a drift between you and Japan 0081 USA 001 tion. There is something essential that starts or causes something else to hap- another employee disappears today. Do not push your point of view too strong- Jordan 00962 Uzbekistan 00998 Kazakhstan 007 pen-a reaction or response when you promote a product, instruct or give a lec- ly. There may be some serious decisions made about the future of a project, Vanuatu 00678 Kenya 00254 Venezuela 00582 ture. Others will benefit from your experience. You could be presented with investment or term of employment with your business at this time. The results of Kiribati 00686 Vietnam 0084 the unexpected this Monday; however, your lawyer-type mind will be able to your efforts are successful, mainly because of your infectious good attitude. If Kuwait 00965 Virgin Islands UK 001284 quickly size up most any problem in order to find a solution. Using your mind you concentrate on whatever task is at hand, you usually excel. Your artistic and Kyrgyzstan 00996 Virgin Islands US 001340 to negotiate obstacles and handle dilemmas-whether they are yours or not-is a creative side can be enjoyed this evening. You may be more interested in relax- Laos 00856 Wales (UK) 0044 great talent. Expect delays this Tuesday and pace your steps-all will work out ing and enjoying your surroundings, rather than passing them by in such a hur- Latvia 00371 Yemen 00967 ry. Enjoy music with a loved one this evening. Lebanon 00961 Yugoslavia 00381 for the positive. This evening your friends may just want to chat-one after Zambia 00260 another. Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Zimbabwe 00263 HEALTH FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Solar-powered ATMs to deliver clean drinking water in Pakistan

LAHORE: A Punjab province is set to Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and Faisalabad, all vided free of cost but beneficiary communi- to safe drinking water. The policy estimates launch an innovation for water-short areas with particularly serious water con- ties would pool money each month to pay that diseases related to water, sanitation Pakistan: Solar-powered ATMs that dis- tamination issues, experts said. for maintenance of the ATMs and filtration and hygiene issues cost Pakistan’s econo- pense clean water when a smart card is Each beneficiary family will be entitled plants. According to Pakistan’s national my about 112 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) scanned. to collect a maximum of 30 liters of clean drinking water policy, 35 percent of each year in health costs and lost earn- The two-foot-square prototype machine drinking water daily from the filtration Pakistan’s population doesn’t have access ings.—Reuters looks and functions like an ATM, but dis- plants with their unique identity card, penses water instead of cash. Users are Abbasi said. issued a card they can use to claim a daily “We are planning to install the machines share of water. at 20 filtration plants in the first phase that The project, a collaboration between the will benefit some 17,500 families,” he said. Octopus inspires Punjab Saaf Pani (Clean Water) Company He said that his organisation was seek- and the Innovations for Poverty Alleviation ing $23,500 in aid from the UK Department Lab (IPAL), a research centre in Lahore, aims of International Development to put the medical robotics to install a water ATM on each of a series of prototype into production and install more water filtration plants being established in of the dispensing machines at existing PARIS: Scientists in Italy said they had length, or bend in any direction at any rural and urban fringe areas of Punjab water filtration plants in Punjab. devised a prototype arm inspired by the point along the arm.” province. Similar card-based water dispensing sys- octopus that may one day lead to minimal- The prototype, designed to prove the The machine is designed to help the tems are already in use in neighbouring ly-invasive robotic surgery. concept of flexing and stiffening in man- government cut water waste and ensure India. Like the octopus’ limb, the slender made materials, is described in a British sci- people have access to clean water, said remote-controlled gadget can extend and entific journal, Bioinspiration and Jawad Abbasi, a programme manager at Push to improve water acccess bend and be either soft or rigid, the goal Biomimetics. It comprises a 32-millimetre IPAL. “The innovative machines will help According to Punjab Saaf Pani Company, being to enable surgery in the abdomen (1.25-inch) -wide silicon tube with inflat- the government maintain a record of the only 13 percent people in rural areas have and other cramped parts of the body. The able cylindrical chambers inside. exact quantity of clean drinking water access to tap water, compared to 43 per- arm would be able to slither between soft By varying or combining the inflation of being dispensed in a day in a specific locali- cent of people in urban areas of Punjab. organs or gently hold them to one side the chambers, the tube can be made to ty, besides ensuring its quality,” he said. The province, with 98 million people, is the while a miniature tool kit in its tip carries bend to up to 255 degrees and stretch to The quality and quantity of water being country’s most populous. out the operation, the inventors hope. up to 62 percent of its initial length. dispensed will be tracked in real time The government of Punjab aims to pro- “The human body represents a highly To stiffen the tube, the scientists insert- online, through a central server, he said. vide clean drinking water to over 35 million challenging and non-structured environ- ed a plastic core filled with light granules. people by the middle of 2017 and some 20 ment, where the capabilities of the octo- When air is sucked from the core, it How it works billion rupees (almost $200 million) is being pus can provide several advantages with becomes rigid, and the tube’s stiffness can The devices play an audio message allocated for the effort in the upcoming respect to traditional surgical tools,” be doubled. The arm has been put through upon authentication of a scanned card, budget, said Muhammad Farasat Iqbal, explained Tommaso Ranzani of the its paces, manipulating water-filled bal- after which they dispense water for the chief executive officer of Punjab Saaf Pani BioRobotics Institute in Pontedera, central loons to represent body organs in the user. Green and red buttons enable the Company. Italy. “Generally, the octopus has no rigid abdominal cavity. “Traditional surgical user to start and stop the flow of water. “It’s one of the top priorities of the structures and can thus adapt the shape of tasks often require the use of multiple spe- A flow control meter manages how provincial government, to ensure provision its body to its environment. cialised instruments such as graspers, much water is dispensed, and sensors of clean drinking water in each locality, as “Taking advantage of the lack of rigid retracters, vision systems and dissectors to measure the amount of water still available. access to clean water is a fundamental skeletal support, the eight highly flexible carry out a single procedure,” Ranzani said In its first phase, the project will cover human right,” he said. and long arms can twist, change their in a press release.—AFP three districts of Punjab including Iqbal said the clean water would be pro- FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

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Sabah Hospital 24812000 No: 16521 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Chest Hospital 24849400 Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Adan Hospital 23940620 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 Al-Razi Hospital 24846000 Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707 Rawda 22517733 Adaliya 22517144 Khaldiya 24848075 Kaifan 24849807 Shamiya 24848913 Shuwaikh 24814507 Abdullah Salem 22549134 Nuzha 22526804 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 Qadsiya 22515088 Dasmah 22532265 Bneid Al-Gar 22531908 Shaab 22518752 Qibla 22459381 Business

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Greece risks deep recession if talks with creditors fail Sanctions-scarred banks may hold back Iran’s economic relief PAGE 41 Page 40

BEIJING: Residents walk past a delivery bike for JD.com on a street of Beijing. —AP In land of fakes, China e-commerce giant sells trust

BEIJING: Before he became a billionaire in e-com- named Joy. Liu, 41, said his disastrous experience and are shifting to merchants that control their lion yuan ($14.2 billion). But JD.com sales rose 99 merce, Richard Liu was a failure. As a student, Liu operating a restaurant while studying at People’s supply chain and will help resolve complaints. percent, more than double Alibaba’s 40 percent started a restaurant in Beijing but went bankrupt. University in Beijing in the mid-1990s taught him a growth. For its part, Alibaba has responded to pres- He blames employees who he said stole from him, painful lesson about the role of honesty in business. JD.com’s workforce sure to help stamp out China’s rampant trade in and when he took a second stab at business by He said pilfering and phony receipts were common. Last year, JD.com raised its profile abroad with a fakes by increasing spending and assigning more opening an electronics store in 1998, Liu insisted on US stock market debut that raised $1.8 billion ahead than 2,000 employees to keeping counterfeits off its honesty. After seeing other shops overcharge cus- Rapid evolution of Alibaba’s IPO. Liu’s net worth has risen to $8.8 bil- sales platforms. tomers and pass off counterfeit goods, he says he “An employee would pay 2 yuan for bean lion. JD.com’s workforce of 68,000 includes inspec- sold only genuine merchandise. “I felt this was an sprouts but tell me he paid 4 yuan,” said Liu, whose tors who check product quality. A call center with a ‘No-win game’ opportunity to establish a new kind of business,” name in Chinese is Liu Qiangdong. “The cashier staff of 7,000 fields customer complaints. The com- Other Chinese online retailers need to set up said Liu in an interview. and other employees would sneak money into pany also operates an online mall with about 60,000 similar distribution and quality control systems if He said his shop became the first in northwest- their own pockets.” Liu is part of a wave of Chinese merchants that include clothing brands Uniqlo and they want to get out of the “no-win game” of com- ern Beijing’s Zhongguancun neighborhood, a cen- business leaders in fields from e-commerce to The Gap. It screens sellers before they are allowed peting on price alone, said Angela Wang, an expert ter for technology companies, to use price tags to tourism and mobile phones who are helping to onto the site and those caught dealing in counter- in retailing at the Boston Consulting Group. Liu avoid haggling with buyers. After Liu went online in drive the rapid evolution of the world’s second- feits can be fined 1 million yuan ($160,000). moved online after the outbreak of severe acute 2003 and expanded into selling home appliances, largest economy. Most prominent is Alibaba Liu keeps a lower public profile than Alibaba’s respiratory syndrome in 2003 kept shoppers away clothing and other goods, that focus on reliability founder Jack Ma, who became a media star in the Ma. Each June, Liu marks the anniversary of from stores, sending Chinese retailing into a tailspin. helped his company, JD.com, grow into China’s West after a record-setting $25 billion US stock JD.com’s founding by working for a day as a deliv- As it grew, the company was renamed 360buy biggest Internet-based direct retailer. It is a powerful offering last year. Another is Wang Jianlin, chair- ery driver. Chinese news reports say customers Jingdong Inc. and became JD.com in January 2014. selling point for Chinese consumers who have man of Wanda Group, which acquired US cinema often fail to recognize him when he shows up at JD.com has yet to report a profit but says its loss nar- endured repeated scandals over fake and some- chain AMC in 2012. their door. In person, Liu exudes quiet confidence rowed to 710.2 million yuan ($114.6 million) in the times deadly milk, medicines and other products. China accounted for 213 billionaires on Forbes rather than the exuberant energy of many Chinese first quarter, equal to about 1.9 percent of revenue. magazine’s global rich list last year, more than any entrepreneurs his age. He has a personable manner Its network is being expanded into the populous Alibaba Group other country except the United States with 536. and boyish face but an older man’s unwavering Chinese countryside. “By the end of this year, we will In contrast to China’s dominant e-commerce And while many of the Americans inherited their gaze. During an interview in his wood-paneled be ready to enter nearly 100,000 villages,” said Liu. brand, Alibaba Group, which provides platforms for riches, nearly all the Chinese are self-made. And office in a tower adjacent to the site of the 2008 “A logistics network covering the whole country will companies and consumers to sell directly to each young, too: JD.com’s Liu and some others passed Beijing Olympics, he chuckled at a question about have been completely built.” And JD.com is extend- other and leaves the handling of goods to outside $1 billion in net worth before turning 40. JD.com how he chose Joy the dog as JD.com’s mascot. ing its model abroad. In February, it launched a delivery companies, JD.com operates like a depart- has emerged as Alibaba’s strongest challenger in a “Don’t you think it’s cute?” he said. The logo, he French Mall that allows Chinese customers to order ment store, buying goods from suppliers and re- Chinese e-commerce market that consulting firm said, symbolizes JD.com’s loyalty to customers and wine, cosmetics and clothing directly from France. It selling them to shoppers. The Beijing-based compa- Forrester says could grow to $1 trillion in annual is meant to make a company founded on selling to launched a Korean Mall in March and Liu says it ny controls the flow of merchandise from the sup- sales by 2020. Its rise reflects the rapid emergence male tech nerds more welcoming to female shop- plans similar direct sales links to suppliers in the plier to the customer’s door. It operates its own dis- of more affluent and demanding Chinese con- pers. JD.com is a fraction of Alibaba’s size but grow- United States, Australia, Italy and Spain. The compa- tribution network of more than 100 warehouses sumers. Online shoppers used to look only at price ing faster. The total value of goods sold across ny plans one day to sell in other markets, Liu said. and a fleet of thousands of bright red delivery vehi- and took their chances with counterfeit or shoddy Alibaba’s platforms in the first quarter of this year “As Chinese brands go abroad, we want to take the cles emblazoned with its logo of a grinning dog goods. Today, they are willing to pay for quality was more than six times JD.com’s level of 87.8 bil- JD.com sales model to the whole world.” —AP Business FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

IDB puts Islamic finance on AIIB drawing board

SARAJEVO: The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is in discussions with Chinese officials to study the use of Islamic financing in the planned Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the head of the Jeddah-based multilateral lender said. The move could spur the use of sukuk (Islamic bonds), which have gained prominence as funding tools for a range of countries in recent years, and among multilateral lenders to help fund some of Asia’s mounting infrastructure needs. A potential link-up between IDB and AIIB, which have 20 member countries in common, would also open a growing pool of capital in the hands of private-sector Islamic investors across the Middle East and Southeast ARBIL: Iraqi Kurdish men visit the 9th International Building & construction exhibition in Iraq yesterday in Arbil, the capital of Asia. “Our delegation has visited Chinese counterparts the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The event runs until May 17 with around 160 companies from 12 countries and we expect them to visit us soon,” IDB president attending the 2015ís edition. — AFP Ahmad Mohamed Ali said on the sidelines of an industry conference. “We are ready to collaborate with AIIB on this project and also to help them develop expertise in Islamic financing.” Most analysts believe the AIIB will have to Aldar profit buoyed work with established institutions for some of its initial investments, as it takes time to develop its own pipeline of deals. by rental businesses Developing countries spend about $1 trillion a year on infrastructure and an additional $1-1.5 trillion will be needed through 2020 in areas such as water, power and Q1 net profit rises 36% to 618 million dirhams transportation projects, according to the World Bank. The asset-backed nature of Islamic finance makes sukuk ideal DUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties reported a 36 percent rise in to continue,” he added. Quarterly gross profit from recurring rev- for such transactions, but until now the format has been first-quarter net profit yesterday as costs fell and earnings from its enue jumped 61 percent to 368 million dirhams. confined to handling mid-sized deals with shorter tenors. rental business surged. Aldar, like other developers in the United The IDB wants to change this, with the multilateral lender Arab Emirates such as Dubai’s Emaar Properties, has diversified its Debt cut now planning to set up a dedicated infrastructure unit. income away from property sales and into recurring revenue Aldar’s first-quarter revenue included 579 million dirhams “Our research unit is currently exploring ways on how to businesses - such as residential, office and retail rentals, plus from property development and sales, 453 million dirhams pursue these plans and formation of a special unit to deal hotels and hospitality. from investment properties - residential, office and retail with infrastructure projects is on the table,” Ali said. This has helped mitigate volatility in the country’s real estate rentals - and 157 million dirhams from its hotel business. Direct Even the Asian Development Bank, seen as a rival to sector - which has gone from boom to bust to boom again - and costs dropped to 737.5 million dirhams, from 1.37 billion the AIIB, is stepping up efforts to assist its member coun- Aldar has now reported rising profits in seven out of the last eight dirhams in the prior-year period. The company’s borrowing tries to use sukuk for infrastructure financing. The IDB is quarters. It made a net profit of 618 million dirhams ($168.3 mil- costs fell to an average of 2.75 percent, from 5 percent a year also coordinating with Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia lion) in the three months to March 31, it said in a bourse state- earlier, Fewer said, after it paid off some debt and ratings agen- to support efforts by the G20 group of nations which has ment. That compared with a profit of 453.4 million dirhams in the cies upgraded the company. included infrastructure sukuk in its annual agenda. The corresponding period of 2014. This enabled finance charges to fall 59 percent quarter-on- AIIB has yet to start operating, but it is designed to cater Analyst SICO Bahrain had forecast Aldar - builder of Abu quarter, Fewer said. The company booked property sales and to Asia’s growing appetite for infrastructure, with many of Dhabi’s Formula One circuit - would make a quarterly profit of reservations of 1.2 billion dirhams in the first quarter. Aldar its projects housed in IDB member countries. Besides the 509.2 million dirhams. Aldar’s first-quarter revenue fell 19.5 per- reduced its gross debt to 8.2 billion dirhams, from 9.2 billion three Muslim-majority G20 members, the AIIB counts oth- cent to 1.38 billion dirhams, year-on-year, but its quarterly gross dirhams at the end of 2014. This helped cut its net debt-to-equity er Muslim countries such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, profit margin rose to 47 percent, from 20 percent. The higher ratio to 16 percent from 25 percent at the end of last year. State- Jordan and Oman as founding members. All have issued margin was due to “a significant improvement in the quality of owned fund Mubadala Development Co owns 30 percent of or have plans to issue sovereign sukuk.— Reuters our earnings”, Chief Financial Officer Greg Fewer said. “This is set Aldar, Thomson Reuters data shows. — Reuters Fund managers make big bet on high-end malls via Simon

NEW YORK: Even as the rise of online retailers such as square foot - the highest of any US retailer - and boost sales and Wakefield report. Online commerce now accounts for 15 per- Amazon.com Inc leads analysts to predict the eventual death of growth for other retailers throughout the mall, Romano said. As a cent of retail sales - just 5 percentage points less than the per- the American shopping mall, real estate fund managers are bet- result, Simon has been able to post rent increases of 18.9 percent centage of retail sales that come from malls and gaining, accord- ting some will prosper - if they can lure the right kind of con- for new leases over the last 12 months, according to Paul Morgan, ing to a report from Green Street Advisors. sumer. Simon Property Group Inc, the largest high-end mall oper- an analyst at MLV & Co. Simon’s average rent per square foot - ator in the country with properties including Palo Alto, California’s which includes ongoing and new leases - rose 4.5 percent in the Demand for high-end rising Stanford Shopping Center and suburban Philadelphia’s King of first quarter compared with the year before, or about six times the Investor demand for high-end malls will rise even if consumer Prussia Mall is the top holding in 53 of the 71 US real estate funds 0.8 percent pace of inflation in the US Bloomingdale’s is the most spending overall flattens or starts to slow, said Jason Ko, a co- tracked by Lipper. The average real estate fund devotes 8.8 per- frequent anchor store at the highest-rated malls in the country, portfolio manager of the $2.1 billion JP Morgan Realty Income cent of its portfolio to Simon, a bigger average bet than the 7.6 followed by Nordstrom. fund who has 7.8 percent of his portfolio in Simon, his largest percent that tech funds invest in Apple Inc and almost one per- Those Americans in the top 20 percent of income - or Class A position. Macerich Co, the third-largest mall owner in the US, centage point more than the weight of Simon in the benchmark mall shoppers - have seen their household assets jump from rejected a $16.8 billion takeover offer from Simon Property on S&P U.S. REIT index. about $15 trillion in 2010 to $25 trillion in 2014, according to April 1, a merger that would give Simon an even larger hold of the Still a symbol of a car-based, middle-class suburban America, Green Street Advisors. Household assets for Class B and lower high-end mall market. Simon is not expected to come back with a malls are increasingly seen as viable only if they attract the afflu- mall customers rose from about $7 trillion in 2010 to a little over higher offer, analysts and fund managers said. “What that attempt ent. Fund managers are bullish on so-called Class A malls, $10 trillion in 2014. Class B malls are often saddled with strug- signifies is that high quality malls are irreplaceable: difficult to anchored by department stores like Bloomingdale’s and featuring gling department stores such as Sears or JC Penney as anchors, build and difficult to buy,” Ko said. retailers like Apple, reflecting how better-off consumers have making them less attractive to prospective tenants. Some 24 such Shares of Simon Property are down 5.5 percent since Macerich thrived since the end of the financial crisis while middle and lower malls have closed since 2010, and an additional 60 are on the rejected its takeover offer, while shares of Macerich have fallen 2.2 income consumers have struggled. “Class A malls are reposition- brink of closure, according to Green Street Advisors. percent over the same time. Over the last 12 months, shares of ing themselves to be destinations, with more restaurants, which is No REIT fund hold Class B or lower mall operators as their Simon are up 5.7 percent, or about 2 percentage points less than making them more resilient to what’s going on with the Internet,” largest holding, according to Lipper. JC Penney and Sears are the the 7.9 percent gain in the benchmark index. Simon shares closed said Rick Romano, a portfolio manager of the $3.8 billion most frequent anchor stores at Class C and lower malls, according Wednesday at $181.31, compared with the average target price of Prudential Global Real Estate fund, who holds 4.5 percent of his to Green Street. There are about 1,000 enclosed shopping malls in $217.05 among analysts tracked by Thomson Reuters. At that portfolio in Simon, his top holding. the U.S. Foot traffic at malls during the November and December price, Simon is selling at 39 times trailing 12 month earnings, Class A malls are also the only shopping centers able to attract holiday shopping season fell from approximately 35 billion visits slightly below the average 45 times earnings among its peers, an Apple store, which can post annual sales of more than $5,000 a in 2010 to 17.6 billion in 2013, according to an October Cushman according to Thomson Reuters data.—Reuters Business FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 39 Dollar sags after weak data, bonds resume retreat Bond market selloff dents relative appeal of equities SYDNEY: The US dollar was broadly lower yesterday after poor US retail sales figures proved a huge disappointment to those expecting a strong American economic rebound from a weather-weakened first quarter. Spreadbetters expected higher bond yields resulting in a slightly lower open for Britain’s FTSE, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC. Investors reacted by pushing back the likely lift-off date for a rate hike by the Federal Reserve, giving gold a steer to five-week highs above $1,218 an ounce. Yet in a bizarre turn, German and US bond yields still surged to their highest in over five months as a vicious selloff extended to its 10th session. “Global rates markets have seemingly nowhere to hide,” said Bill O’Donnell, head of Treasury strategy at RBS. “Rates flows illustrated that the resolve of sellers is still unyielding.” The startling rise in yields has made equities look more expensive in comparison to debt and kept Asian share markets subdued. Australian, Singaporean and Thai stocks declined, while Chinese and South Korean shares posted modest gains. Japan’s Nikkei underperformed and fell 1 percent. “I think the market is starting to price in an end of super-easy monetary policy around the world,” said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex Securities in Tokyo. The rise in bond yields would be among the biggest concerns for the market, Hiroki TOKYO: A man looks at an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo yesterday. Asian stock markets drifted yesterday after said, noting that US Federal Reserve Chair weak retail sales figures suggested the US economy is struggling to maintain growth momentum. — AP Janet Yellen and billionaire investor Warren Buffett have warned that stock valuations more bearish given an auction of new paper officials keep insisting that a hike could $1.1362. A star performer was the New would be expensive if interest rates rise. had drawn strong demand during the ses- come from June onward, markets are not Zealand dollar which flew higher after MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares sion and the data was so disappointing. convinced it will be able to move at all this domestic retail sale data blew away all outside Japan was virtually flat. Moves were Headline US retail sales were unchanged year. With higher rates seeming ever more expectations with a record rise of 2.7 per- far wilder in bond markets. Yields on in April as autos and fuel fell back as distant, investors bailed out of long US dol- cent. The kiwi was up at $0.7529, a dramatic German 10-year paper jumped to 0.727 per- expected, but what really hurt was that oth- lar positions and took its index down to turnaround from a two-month trough of cent, the highest close since early er sectors failed to bounce. The core control 93.589, bringing losses to nearly 7 percent $0.7318 hit earlier in the week. In commodity December, having been as low as 0.599 per- measure of sales favored by economists was from a 12-year peak of 100.390 set in March. markets, oil gave back a little of its recent cent at one stage on Wednesday. The sell- flat in the month, confounding forecasts for Against the yen, the greenback slid to a hefty gains after weak US data raised ing spilled over into markets globally, with a healthy rise of 0.5 percent. Investors react- two-week trough of 119.03, while the euro prospects of lower global demand. US crude 10-year Treasury yields also ending at five- ed by pushing back the likely lift-off date came within a whisker of a two-month peak futures were off 19 cents at $60.31 a barrel, month highs. That performance was all the for a hike by the Federal Reserve. While Fed of $1.1392 set last week. It last stood at while Brent lost 16 cents to $66.65.—Reuters Gold hits 5-week high Oil eases on economic LONDON: Gold hit a five-week high yester- European equities suffered from bond mar- worries, uncertainty day as the dollar remained under pressure ket jitters and a rebound in the euro. A weak- following sluggish US data that pushed back er dollar makes gold cheaper for holders of expectations of when interest rates in the other currencies, while softer shares lift the North Dakota posts surprise oil output jump world’s largest economy will rise. Spot gold metal’s appeal as a hedge against risk. “This LONDON: Oil prices eased slightly yesterday million barrels, following four months of rose to the highest since April 6 at $1,219.70 broad-based weakness in the US retail space an ounce and was trading up 0.3 percent at confirms our belief that the Fed’s hands are as weak data from the world’s top steady gains. Analysts had expected crude $1,218.05 an ounce by 1131 GMT. US gold tied at the moment,” said Howie Lee, an ana- economies raised concern about the outlook inventories to rise by 386,000 barrels. futures for June delivery were unchanged at lyst at Phillip Futures. Gold had dropped for global fuel demand. Uncertainty over the Despite the drop, stockpiles were still almost $1,217.60 an ounce. The metal was also when strong data last year heightened views strength of any decline in US oil output also 90 million barrels higher than this time last heading for its biggest weekly gain in five that the Federal Reserve would raise interest weighed. The larger economic picture offset year. A surprise increase in output in the No months, mostly aided by an almost 2 percent rates from record lows, starting in June. data that showed a large drawdown in US 2 US oil-producing state, North Dakota, in increase on Wednesday after the dollar tum- But US growth in the first quarter slowed crude stockpiles last week. June Brent crude March also added to supply concerns. bled to three-month lows. to a crawl. The Federal Reserve has said it was trading 10 cents down at $66.71 a barrel The data has raised concerns that US pro- Data on Wednesday showed US retail would raise rates only when data points to a as of 0917 GMT. US crude for June delivery, duction has not been hit as hard by the pre- sales were flat in April as consumers cut back strengthening economy. Bullion could also at $60.20, was 30 cents lower. China, the cipitous decline in oil prices since June last on purchases of automobiles and other big- find some support from the prospect of a world’s top energy consumer, saw its econo- year as some had thought. “Saudi Arabia ticket items, the latest sign the economy is disruption to supply in South Africa because my losing more steam in April despite easier might be declaring victory on the back of struggling to rebound. “I’m forecasting gold of a labor dispute over pay. An industry monetary policy, while Europe’s largest the drop of drilling rigs in the US, but the to average $1,200 this quarter, as a slightly report released yesterday showed that glob- economy, Germany, slowed in the first quar- Department of Energy weekly data is not yet weaker dollar will continue to be supportive al gold demand eased one percent in the until we see some stronger data points,” first quarter, due to a drop in Chinese jewelry ter. showing any significant drop of production,” Citigroup strategist David Wilson said. “Only demand. Despite the drop, China was the In the United States, retail sales were flat PetroMatrix’s Olivier Jakob said in a note. a rebound in employment data will start trig- world’s biggest consumer of gold in the first in April, dampening hopes of a sharp The International Energy Agency warned on gering talks about an imminent interest rate quarter, well above India. Silver rose to a sev- rebound in growth in the second quarter. Tuesday that the global oil glut is building. hike again because now expectations have en-week high of $17.38 an ounce. Platinum “We’re just taking a bit of a breather today,” Still, the market remained split as specula- been dampened.” was unchanged at $1,148 an ounce, while said Christopher Bellew, a trader with tive bets on higher prices pushed oil to 2015 The greenback was down 0.4 percent palladium was up 0.2 percent at $785.72 an Jefferies Bache. “Where we are now is proba- highs last week. A weaker dollar, forecasts of against a basket of leading currencies, while ounce.— Reuters bly coming back down.” Crude stocks in the lower US output and stockpiling across Asia United States fell for the second week, by 2.2 had also supported prices.— Reuters 40 Business FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

EBRD forecasts deeper economic slump in Ukraine

TBILISI: New forecasts from the European zone. Russia is expected to remain in a deep euro zone would be squeezed (by a lower the European Central Bank’s 1 trillion euro QE Bank for Reconstruction and Development recession as Western sanctions bite, though the euro) while its borrowing costs and pressures program. In contrast, Latvia and Lithuania, painted a marginally brighter picture for its EBRD now sees its economy contracting 4.5 for capital outflows would increase as US despite being euro-zone members, saw 35-country region yesterday, but predicted percent this year compared with 4.8 percent it monetary policy tightens,” the bank said. downgrades with neighboring Estonia also Ukraine’s economy would now slump by a forecast in January as global oil prices rebound. flat. The value of exports to Russia in the first more-than-expected 7.5 percent this year. That is still below last month’s IMF forecast. Russian chill two months of 2015 dropped by between 30 The EBRD, created in 1991 originally to invest “There is definitely scope for optimism espe- The deep recession in Russia is having a and 50 percent year-on-year in the three in the former Soviet bloc countries of eastern cially in countries closely tied to the euro zone,” larger-than-expected effect on countries with countries. Greece, the EBRD’s newest country Europe, is holding its annual meeting in the said acting EBRD Chief Economist Hans Peter which it has strong economic links, including of operation this year, is expected to see no Georgian capital Tbilisi against the backdrop Lankes. “But the Russian recession is cause for the eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central growth this year. That came with an added of the worst East-West standoff since the concern in many other economies.” Asia. Russia is expected to shrink close to 2 warning that the volatility created by its battle Cold War. In recent years, the bank expanded its percent next year, whereas almost every other to stay in the euro could have a region-wide Its latest forecasts pointed to a growing reach beyond eastern Europe and ex-Soviet country the EBRD operates in including impact in coming months. divergence in economic fortunes across the central Asia to include Mongolia, Turkey and Ukraine is forecast to see a pick-up. “(Russia) “The EBRD’s base case scenario is that region, with the impact of tensions over the the economies affected directly or indirectly may face a protracted period of slow growth Greece will ‘muddle through’, avoiding drastic Ukraine overshadowing tentative signs of by the Arab Spring such as Morocco, Egypt, or stagnation. Low oil prices and sanctions policy moves and with just enough reforms to improvement elsewhere. Whereas Ukraine is Tunisia and Jordan. Egypt is now expected to have taken their toll on an already weak econ- start growing and securing the continued sup- expected to contract even more than it did last grow at a slightly faster 4 percent while omy with deep-seated structural problems,” port of the international community,” the EBRD year and more deeply than the 5.0 percent the Turkey, where the EBRD now invests the the EBRD said. said. Growth in Georgia where the bank’s meet- EBRD forecast in January, core economies such largest proportion of its money after it It raised its 2015 forecast for the central ing is being held but where the government as Poland are expected to pick-up on the back stopped lending in Russia, is expected to track European and Baltic states to 2.9 percent from has just come close to collapse, is expected to of record low interest rates both domestically sideways at a below-par 3 percent for the next 2.6 percent, though that was mainly reflecting decelerate to 2.3 percent this year from a fore- and in their biggest export market, the euro two years. “Turkey’s competitiveness with the the stimulus spill over for central Europe from cast of 4.2 percent in January. —Reuters

Greece risks deep recession if talks with creditors fail: EBRD TBILISI: A failure by Greece to reach an agreement with creditors could plunge the country into another “major recession,” undermining the improving outlook in Central Europe, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said yesterday. The chances for the Greek government and its main creditors of resolving the impasse remain unclear, the London-based institution said in its latest economic forecast issued a day after official figures showed Greece had slipped back into recession following months of positive growth. The Greek economy, which grew by 0.8 percent in 2014, would show zero growth this year and expand by two percent in 2016, provided Athens reaches an agreement with euro-zone countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock the international loan’s last tranche of 7.2 billion Euros ($8.2 billion), the EBRD said. But “these forecasts would be rendered completely invalid in a negative scenario” the EBRD said in the report published during its annual meeting held in the Georgian ATHENS: A street musician plays an accordion as tourists and a Greek Orthodox priest walk outside the archae- capital Tbilisi. According to the report, “Greece would likely ological site of the Hadrian’s Library in Athens. Greece may have only a couple of weeks left before it faces real fall back into a major recession, the size and duration of problems meeting its financial commitments, the country’s finance minister conceded as talks with European which are difficult to quantify now,” if it misses sovereign creditors dragged on without agreement. —AP debt payments and introduces capital controls, limits on deposit withdrawals, and virtual currency to pay domestic obligations. Over the last six years, Greece lost a quarter of its gross domestic product in a recession rooted in the 2008 Yemen war could strangle global financial crisis. The country’s economy started to recover last year and registered three consecutive quarters of positive growth strategic sea trade routes before contracting by 0.4 percent in the last quarter of 2014 and 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2015. “Business confidence has been badly hit by widespread fears that Greece Shipping costs could rise prohibitively may default on its external debt obligations and perhaps, in an extreme scenario, even exit the euro-zone,” the EBRD LONDON: With Middle East giants Saudi Arabia sion appears to be between the navies - be it Changing routes? said in the first ever forecast provided for Greece, where it and Iran squaring up on opposing sides in the Iranian patrol boats or ships or other forces in the The likelihood of a sharp rise in the premiums started working in March 2015. It added that any volatility Yemen war, the dangers to vital oil tanker and area. That in some ways creates more uncertainty on voyages could be as much a deterrent to trade related to Greece would dampen positive trends in Central Europe and the Baltics (CEB), where growth forecasts were goods voyages are growing daily. Millions of barrels than dangers from Somali pirates as we saw previ- as the conflict itself. “The reality is that ships head- revised up thanks to the stimulus from the Euro-zone mone- of oil pass through the Bab El-Mandeb and Strait of ously, and - more worryingly - far more firepower ing to the Gulf, the Red Sea and the Eastern tary easing the positive impact of falling oil prices. Hormuz everyday to Europe, the United States and capability.” Mediterranean will be obliged to reconsider their The EBRD said it sees economies in the CEB region Asia - waterways which pass along the coasts of Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman was quoted movements not simply because of the widening expanding this year by 2.9 percent-against previously pre- Yemen and Iran respectively. Insurance costs for as saying on Wednesday that it would not led scope of the attacks on, and seizures of, commer- dicted 2.6-percent growth-and by three percent in 2016. It shippers are likely to jump. Saudi-led naval forces inspect an Iranian cargo ship cial vessels but also because of prohibitive insur- said the region’s best performers would be Poland, Last week Iran released Marshall-Islands con- bound for Yemen. Saudi-led forces have imposed ance premiums,” said Jonathan Moss of law firm Hungary, Slovenia, and Slovakia whose economies are tainer ship Maersk Tigris and its crew which were inspections on all ships entering Yemen in an DWF, who acts for insurers. Khalid Hashim of expected to grow by 3.4 percent, 2.6 percent, two percent, seized in the Strait of Hormuz. This prompted the attempt to prevent weapons being smuggled to Precious Shipping, one of Thailand’s largest dry and 2.8 percent respectively. Founded in 1991, the EBRD is United States to send vessels to temporarily accom- the Iran-allied rebel Houthi group that controls cargo owners, added: “If gets really bad, insurers an international financial institution owned by 64 countries, pany US flagged ships through the strait. Iranian much of the country. “The question for us is: could may altogether stop covering calls to the badly the European Union and the European Investment Bank. It patrol boats had shadowed a separate container the Bab El-Mandeb become so perilous to navigate affected areas.” Hashim said if the Iranian cargo was initially focused on building market economies in the ship earlier last month. “The whole area is a tinder that guns onshore - controlled by Houthis - might ship went ahead with its intention to deliver aid to former communist states in Central and Eastern Europe and box now,” said John Dalby of Marine Risk shoot at ships? ... If so, fasten your seatbelts, the Yemen despite a call by the US to deliver it to currently supports development in 30 countries in Central Management Ltd, which provides private armed insurance rates are going to go up,” said Michael neighboring Djibouti, it may lead to a response by Europe and Central Asia as well as in five countries in the security teams for ships in the area. “The main ten- Frodl, of US based consultancy C-Level Global Risks. the Saudi-led coalition. —Reuters Middle East and North Africa. —AFP 41 Business FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Sanctions-scarred banks holding back on Iran Major banks wary of heavy US penalties reluctant to restore ties

WASHINGTON: Major banks wary of heavy US penalties will be reluctant to restore ties with Iran even if sanctions are lifted in a possible nuclear deal, bank executives and advisers say, likely denting Iran’s ambition to attract foreign investment to revive its crippled economy. After years of being frozen out of the global banking system and most trade with the West, Iran is eager for sanctions to be lifted so it can draw in foreign companies and attract investment to upgrade its long- neglected energy sector. Yet without more bank financing and a means of transferring funds in and out of Iran, that commercial potential could remain largely untapped, stunting hopes for a post-agreement investment boom. Banks’ reluctance to deal with Iran highlights the risk that its economy will not get quick relief, possibly eroding support for the nuclear deal among Tehran’s leadership. Lured by the world’s fourth- largest oil reserves and second-largest natural gas reserves, oil majors such as Shell have expressed interest in entering Iran. Airlines and automakers are also interested, according to diplomatic sources and people close to the industries, eyeing Iran’s 80 million population-more than that of the combined six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. But about a dozen international banks, mostly European, have been stung by U.S. penalties for sanctions-busting totaling nearly $14 billion since 2009, raising industry fears that the risk of engaging Iran would overshadow any gain.

Bit by penalties Banks recently hit by penalties include BNP Paribas and Commerzbank while several others including Deutsche Bank, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole are under investigation, according to people familiar with the matter. BNP Paribas had to forfeit $8.9 billion. “Given all the anti-money laundering issues, anyone who thinks they can go into Iran has CHABAHAR: Iranian vendors sell items on the street outside the old bazaar in the southern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar yesterday. —AFP got to be insane,” an executive with a major US bank said, asking not to be identified giv- Iran. It ended up paying US and state authori- the risks, because they have less business in nobody will risk it,” said one lender with a en the sensitivity of the topic. “There’s just not ties $667 million in fines that year for sanc- the United States and do not believe their Dubai-based bank. “I don’t think it will be enough business in Iran” to risk one payment tions violations, and deferred prosecution own countries would re-impose sanctions on banks that move in first, it will be our cus- causing a massive penalty, the executive agreements are still in effect. BNP Paribas, JP Iran. These banks could expand their Iran tomers going in and we will follow.” A added. Morgan, Barclays, Commerzbank, HSBC, business in the event of a deal, said Gary spokesman for Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest Under a framework agreement reached Citigroup, and Credit Suisse declined to com- Hufbauer, a former Treasury official and sanc- bank, declined to comment on potential between six major powers and Tehran in ment. Deutsche Bank declined comment on tions expert at the Washington-based opportunities in Iran, noting the ongoing April, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear the investigation as well as on how the bank Peterson Institute. Iran last month became a nuclear negotiations. The kind of long-term activity in exchange for sanctions relief. would react if sanctions are lifted as part of founding member of the new China-led Asian investments crucial to revamp oil infrastruc- Crucial details, including the timing of sanc- the nuclear deal. A Credit Agricole spokes- Infrastructure Investment Bank, whose remit ture will be difficult without the participation tions removal, still need to be worked out woman said the investigation was ongoing is to finance infrastructure development in of major international financial institutions, ahead of an end-June deadline for a final deal. but declined further comment. Lloyds the region, although the bank has yet to experts said. In the country’s most recent five- But the deal would only lift nuclear-related Banking Group, ING Group, Unicredit, and launch and its priorities are unclear. year plan, Iranian officials called for $230 bil- measures, leaving in place a host of mainly US Societe Generale did not respond to requests A senior banker at the state-owned China lion of investment in the petroleum sector, sanctions related to human rights and for comment. Development Bank said its lending relation- mostly to expand oil and gas production. Tehran’s support of militant groups in the Banks targeted by US authorities have gen- ship with Iran “has always been very good” Western sanctions have cut Iran’s oil Middle East. erally been accused of knowingly moving mil- and its business will continue regardless of a exports by more than half to around 1.1 mil- The US Treasury’s designation of the entire lions of dollars through the US financial sys- nuclear deal. But many others remain cau- lion bpd from a pre-2012 level of 2.5 million Iranian financial sector as a “primary money tem on behalf of Iranian, Sudanese, and other tious. Banks have shied away even from legiti- bpd, hurting investment in new develop- laundering concern”, alleging terrorism entities subject to economic sanctions. The mate trade with Iran. The existing sanctions ment. Development of gas reserves has also financing and pursuit of weapons of mass banks hid the transactions, in part by strip- include waivers for food and medicine been long delayed. Iran shares the world’s destruction, would likely remain. While that ping wire information identifying sanctioned imports. State Bank of India, the nation’s top largest natural gas field with Qatar. The itself does not prohibit transactions, it would entities so they would not raise red flags. lender and the only Indian lender to have resource has made the neighboring Gulf discourage banks from re-opening business Companies have already experienced difficul- presence in Iran, said it does not have imme- country the world’s largest exporter of lique- with Iran, bankers and sanctions experts said. ties operating in Iran due to banking prob- diate plans to expand in Iran, or convert its fied natural gas. Iran, by contrast, has often Standard Chartered, among the few interna- lems. MTN Group, a South African mobile representative office in Tehran into a branch. turned a net importer of gas to meet its tional banks with a license to operate in Iran, phone operator, has struggled to get money Among Gulf banks, memories are fresh of a needs. One chief executive of a large is not looking to go in, according to its from its Iran unit out of the country since US sanctions crackdown that forced Dubai- European bank said it could help his country’s spokeswoman, Julie Gibson. 2012 due to sanctions. It still has about $1 bil- based Noor Islamic Bank, now known as Noor major companies with payments and loans if lion in accumulated dividends and a loan Bank, to stop channeling billions of dollars they go into Iran. Other than that, the bank Rogue institution repayment stuck in the country. from Iranian oil sales through its accounts in has no interest and will not pursue any pri- In 2012, New York’s financial regulator 2011. vate client business in Iran, he said. “Am I threatened to revoke Standard Chartered’s China, Dubai to the rescue? waiting at the border to go in as soon as the state license, calling it a “rogue institution” Banks based in countries such as China Dubai’s largest bank ink is dry? No,” he said, asking not to be iden- that hid $250 billion in transactions tied to and India are likely to be less worried about “The cost of non-compliance is high so tified.—Reuter Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Netherlands set to get 2019 European Games

PARIS: The European Olympic Committee will tomor- in the sporting calendar, the EOC has been anxious to negotiations with all interested parties, to ensure we row nominate the Netherlands to host the 2019 settle the hosts for the second event. have a 2019 plan that fits the needs of the European European Games as it seeks to build the event into a “The host city selection process for the 2019 Olympic family and the needs of the host country. major international date, officials said. European Games is firmly on track. “While the EOC has identified our preferred hosts for The EOC will hold a special assembly in Turkey on “The EOC has identified its preferred hosts, the 2019, we will continue to have conversations in parallel Saturday to hear final proposals from Dutch Olympic Netherlands Olympic Committee, and they will present with other national Olympic committees who have officials and give approval, said EOC president Pat their proposed European Games concept to the general expressed an interest in bringing a European Games to Hickey. More talks are to be held with the Dutch gov- assembly in Belek on Saturday,” said Hickey. their country.” ernment however on financial guarantees and other “The general assembly will then vote on whether to European officials had said six candidates were details, officials said. ratify in principle the Netherlands as hosts of the next interested in hosting the 2019 Games. But the Dutch Amsterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven are expect- European Games. bid is the only serious one remaining. ed to be the centrepiece of a nationwide bid for the “If the Netherlands’ proposal is ratified, the EOC will The EOC has sought to group European champi- Games. Rotterdam and Utrecht have withdrawn howev- continue its private negotiations with all stakeholders - onships for various sports at the Games. But it now er because of the cost, according to Dutch media. including the Dutch government - until a definitive faces competition from sports-including athletics, European sports chiefs are keeping other countries sporting, commercial and financial plan is finalised.” cycling and swimming-who plan to hold a European in mind in case a replacement is needed. Hickey said the EOC had sought “flexibility” in find- Sports Championships in Glasgow and Berlin. Hickey The first European Games are to be held in ing a host for 2019. has said the European Sports Championships is not a Azerbaijan in June and as it faces growing competition “We have taken a collaborative approach to our threat as it is a different year and fewer sports. — AFP

Joshua is fast learner but tougher tests loom

LONDON: As flashbulbs illuminate his cast-iron torso in a gym wedged under a railway arch near London Bridge, Anthony Joshua paws at a punchbag with considerably less force than he used to demolish his first dozen opponents. The 25-year-old then levers himself into the ring and is intro- duced as “the future heavyweight champion of the world” by a suit- ed executive from the latest company to sign up the Londoner her- alded as British boxing’s next big thing. With 12 knockouts in 12 fights, all inside three rounds, since leaving the amateur ranks and moving into the shark-infested waters of professional boxing in 2013, Joshua is hearing those kind of endorsements quite often. Reigning three-belt world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, another former super-heavyweight Olympic gold medallist, recently sparred with Joshua and described him as the “future” of the division. With the heavyweight section crying out for a box-office fighter TURIN: Wissen, captain of the rugby union team “La Drola Rugby”, a team exclusively composed of inmates, poses in his cell prior after years of unspectacular dominance by Wladimir and Vitali the match against the Rugby Club Biella for the Italian championship (regional C series), on May 9, 2015 at the penitentiary ‘Lorusso Klitschko, no wonder eyes are turning to Joshua. e Cutugno’ near Turin. La Drola takes part in a regular season playing real matches against real teams made by free players. — AFP Two metres tall, packing 106 kilos of pure muscle and a smooth mover, he looks the part. He says, however, that he is a learner in the toughest of all trades. “I’m not going to start piping up and shouting myself from the Blues face coaching rooftops,” he told Reuters in an interview. “Whatever Klitschko says about me it’s all just potential until I make it a reality. “I’ve got a world champion backing me so that’s great. I must be crisis in Super Rugby doing something right but my job now is to do something extra to make that a reality,” he added at an event arranged by ORS WELLINGTON: Hydration Tablets. The Blues will try to ease a mounting controversy Kirwan said. “It doesn’t worry me. “I’ve presented. I’m confident in the around coaching appointments when they face the Pretoria-based process,” he added. “I’m concentrating daily to get the boys ready for “Right now I’m crawling, they’re seeing if I can walk and once I’ve Bulls today in the opening match of the 14th round of Super Rugby. the Bulls.” started to walk they’ll see if I can run, then after that we’ll see how The Auckland-based Blues and the Bulls are each three-time champi- high I can fly.” Joshua handed out his latest beating to Brazil’s ons, though the Blues successes are distant memories and their cur- Out of contention Zumbano Love last weekend but his next fight, against seasoned rent season is looming as the worst in their history. They won the The Blues are last in the New Zealand conference and the only American Kevin Johnston at London’s o2 Arena this month, is the Super Rugby title in each of the tournament’s first two years and, Kiwi team out of contention for the playoffs. The first-place Hurricanes start of phase two of the Briton’s education. most recently, in 2003. The Bulls won three championships between have a chance to extend their already formidable lead atop the con- Knockout prediction 2007 and 2010. Blues management is expected later this year to ference and the overall championship standings when they play the announce the reappointment of John Kirwan as head coach, though second-place Chiefs on Saturday. Johnson, 35, went 12 rounds with Vitali Klitschko in 2009, has the franchise has won only two of 12 games this year after finishing The Hurricanes have a 10-point lead over the two-time champion never been stopped in 36 fights and predicts he will knock out the 10th under Kirwan in each of the last two seasons. Chiefs in the conference ahead of their last home game in Wellington Londoner. Joshua seems genuinely excited by the prospect of At the same time, the Blues are reported to have approached for- in the regular season, and a win would go a long way to securing being able to showcase more than just his power, even if he knows mer All Black Tabai Matson - currently an assistant coach with the home matches throughout the playoffs. “I’d like to think we do the in the professional game “you cannot afford to lose”. Christchurch-based Crusaders - to join Kirwan’s coaching team. The business and come back here with a playoff game,” captain Conrad “He is just another guy I’m going to knock out,” he said of his mid-season approach is believed to have angered the Crusaders, Smith said. “That’s a massive motivator for me.” 13th opponent. “But Johnson is someone I can work with. making Matson’s position tenuous while doing little to silence calls for The defending champion New South Wales Waratahs need to “He will cause me some difficulties but I will be able to prevail. I Kirwan’s removal. recover from last weekend’s surprise loss to the last-place Western can’t display my attributes in a round or two. If we start going four The Crusaders backline has been inconsistent under Matson’s Force when they host the Durban-based Sharks on Saturday. Veteran or five and he’s in my face then we’ll see that. I actually wanted my watch, despite containing three All Blacks flyhalves, and he is not con- backrower Wycliff Palu said the Waratahs aren’t shocked to find them- last fight to go longer. “I was a latecomer. I’m still learning my trade. sidered as a short-term solution to the Blues’ form problems. selves still struggling for a playoffs place near the end of the regular But then there is pressure to advance isn’t there? I’m between a rock Kirwan is an immensely respected figure in New Zealand - knight- season. “I wouldn’t say it shocks us,” he said. “We always knew it was and a hard place. The main thing is to win because pro boxing is a ed last year for his services to sport and to the public - but his critics going to be harder (this season than last). “We are more disappointed lot different to the amateurs, you can’t afford to lose. believe he has had long enough to effect change at the Blues. with the way we have been playing really. There are still five games to “If Johnson knocks me out, they’ll say ‘Look I told you, he’s not Kirwan on Wednesday said no decision on his future is likely to be go. There are a lot of points up for grabs. We should be pretty confi- that good after all’.” There is a cautionary tale. That of Audley made before the season ends in August. If the Blues can find a little dent still.” Elsewhere in Round 14, the struggling Queensland Reds Harrison. He claimed the super-heavyweight Olympic gold medal at form in their remaining matches against the Bulls, Hurricanes, host the Melbourne Rebels on Friday in an Australian derby and the Sydney 2000 and then won his first 19 pro fights against a motley Crusaders and Highlanders they might lessen pressure on Kirwan, two matches in South Africa on Saturday feature the Lions at home crew of no-hopers and journeymen before the losses started piling though his reappointment already seems inevitable. against the ACT Brumbies and the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein against up.—Reuters “That’s up to the board. August is the date and we’ll stick with it,” the Highlanders. — AP 43 Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Independent review to probe Hughes death

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia has commis- to prevent injuries. “When this tragedy place soon after Phillip’s passing such as ing up towards the batsman’s head, sioned an independent review into the happened, I said that it was a freak acci- increasing the medical presence at all which caused the injury to Hughes. cause and circumstances of last year’s dent, but it was one freak accident too CA matches and working very closely Cricket Australia’s website said no death of test batsman Phillips Hughes in many,” Cricket Australia chief executive with our helmet supplier to investigate player or official would be obliged to a bid to prevent anything similar hap- James Sutherland said in a statement. the suitability of protective head equip- testify in front of the review. “We fully pening in the future. Australia was “This is not an exercise designed to ment offered to all players,” Sutherland recognise that undertaking a process engulfed in a wave of mourning after apportion blame on any individual for said. such as this may be a traumatic experi- Hughes, 25, died from catastrophic what took place. It is about making sure “This review will help determine ence for some and we will be as respect- injuries on Nov. 27 last year, two days that as a sport we are doing everything whether we need to implement further ful and understanding as possible after he was struck in the neck by a ball in our power to prevent an accident of measures before the 2015-16 season.” throughout that time,” Sutherland during a domestic Sheffield Shield this nature happening again.” In addi- The review will not look at the rules of added. “As such Cricket Australia and all match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. tion to looking at protective equipment, the cricket except where they pertain to states continue to make available coun- The review, which will be chaired by it will assess the level of medical sup- the issues of protective equipment and selling and support to any players and senior lawyer David Curtain, will have a port on hand during matches, the med- the management of players who suffer staff who feel they need help at any wide brief to make recommendations ical screening of contracted players and head or heart injuries. That means there time.” on the safety of matches organised by Cricket Australia’s approach to players will be no recommendations on the use The findings of the review are likely Cricket Australia, including on the who suffer head and heart injuries. by bowlers of the sort of bouncer, a to be published later this year, Cricket design and mandatory use of helmets “There were certain measures put in short delivery which sends the ball rear- Australia said. —Reuters Rangers reach conference finals with Game 7 OT win NEW YORK: The resilient New York Rangers did it the hard way once again, capping an historic comeback with a 2-1, Game Seven overtime win over the Washington Capitals to reach the NHL Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday. Derek Stepan blasted home a rebound off a blistering Dan Girardi shot at Caps goalie Braden Holtby with 8:36 left in overtime to lift the Rangers to a 4-3 series triumph and set off wild celebrations at Madison Square Garden. “It’s a special feeling,” said Stepan, who was mobbed along the boards after his series-winner. “Both teams back and forth, momentum swings. For most of the overtime they have the puck and we just find a way to stick with it.” The Rangers overcame a 3-1 series deficit to take their place in the Stanley Cup semi-finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the only NHL team ever to erase 3-1 playoff deficits in suc- cessive seasons. Last year, New York overtook the Pittsburgh Penguins in a decisive Game Seven in the second round on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a fitting end to a tight series in which every game was decided by a margin of one goal. The win gave goalie Henrik Lundqvist the sixth Game Seven victory of his career in succession, tying Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy for most Game Seven victories in the NHL. Washington scored in the first period on a goal by Alex Ovechkin, who collected a perfect back- hand pass from Marcus Johansson, skated across the middle and LOUISVILLE: In this photo taken Saturday, May 2, 2015, jockey Gary Stevens (10) and Firing Line, lead even- whipped a top shelf shot over Lundqvist just inside the right post. tual winner American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, left, during the 141st running of the Kentucky New York’s Kevin Hayes supplied a power play equalizer in the sec- Derby horse race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Stevens nearly won another Derby two weeks ago ond period to make it 1-1. aboard Firing Line. —AP Swede Lundqvist stopped 35 of 36 shots to notch the victory, withstanding a barrage of chances by the Caps in the first five minutes of sudden-death. Firing Line seeks to end “We’ve been through so many things over the last few years. You learn from it,” Lundqvist said. “In this situation we are confident in this group and how we play. —Reuters runner-up stigma in Preakness

BALTIMORE: His horse has amassed nearly $1 his first foray into the Triple Crown. It’s not as if American Pharoah drew the rail and Dortmund million in earnings over six races, so owner Firing Line doesn’t know how to win. The dark will line up beside him, inside of Mr. Z at No. 3. “I Arnold Zetcher found no need to lament Firing brown colt’s two career victories are by a total of told Mr. Zetcher prior to that I’d love to have the Line’s reputation for finishing second in big 18 1/2 lengths. But, as Zetcher pointed out, outside,” jockey Gary Stevens said. “With the events. “He’s an unbelievable horse,” Zetcher Firing Line lost twice to Dortmund by a head, by way everybody else drew, with those three said. “If you take all of his seconds and add a half-length in his debut last October and in the being inside, it gives me a lot of options.” That’s them up all up, it’s one or two lengths. And the Kentucky Derby by one length. one potential advantage for Firing Line. fact he came in second in the Kentucky Derby, Another is that this will be only his second race I’m really excited about that.” Zetcher was Potential advantage since March 22. American Pharaoh ran in the wearing a broad smile Wednesday at the Maybe that bridesmaid thing will change at Arkansas Derby on April 11 and Dortmund cap- Preakness post-position draw, where Firing Saturday’s Preakness. “Always when you look tured the Santa Anita Derby on April 4. All of Line drew the outside No. 8 post and was back and you’re a close second, you kind of this is part of Callaghan’s master plan. made a 4-1 choice behind his biggest rivals, the think what if,” Callaghan said. “But I think the “For a guy that’s never been through the Bob Baffert-trained duo of American Pharoah horse has kind of progressed from race to race, Triple Crown before, Simon was sorting this and Dortmund. Coming into the Derby, Firing and his last race was his best race.” stuff out prior to (the Kentucky Derby),” NEW YORK: Evgeny Kuznetsov No 92 of the Washington Line had twice finished second behind Still, Baffert again got the best of Firing Line. Stevens said. “He knew just what he was get- Capitals fights for the puck against Martin St. Louis No 26 of Dortmund. Firing Line finally beat Dortmund at But the Hall of Fame trainer has deep respect ting into. He felt the six weeks would be to his the New York Rangers in the third period of Game Seven of Churchill Downs, which would have been for the horse. “He was tough to get by and is benefit. We had the freshest horse going into cause for celebration except that American going to be tough,” Baffert said. “A lot of quality the Derby and I think of the top three Derby the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2015 NHL Pharoah finished first. there, a lot of class. Dortmund and him, they’ve finishers, we may have come out of the race Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on “He just got run down by a very good horse,” had their battles. My job is to keep beating with the freshest horse going into the Wednesday in New York City. — AFP said trainer Simon Callaghan, 32, who’s making him.” Firing Line got a break at the draw. Preakness.” —AP Sports44 FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Deadline looms for Horford’s late follow gives Brady’s appeal of Hawks 82-81 win over Wizards 4-game suspension ATLANTA: Atlanta’s Al Horford FOXBOROUGH: Tom Brady’s challenge to his four-game swooped in to snatch an offensive suspension by the NFL is set to begin. rebound and dropped in a shot from The star quarterback of the defending Super Bowl right under the basket with 1.9 sec- champions is expected to appeal by the deadline of 5 pm onds remaining to give the Hawks an Thursday. The suspension was issued Monday for his part 82-81 victory over Washington on in the deflation of footballs below the league-mandated Wednesday and a 3-2 lead in the NBA minimum for the AFC championship game. Eastern Conference semifinals. His agent, Don Yee, said shortly after the suspension Golden State also took a 3-2 series was announced that the appeal would be filed. The New lead, but in more comfortable style, as England Patriots have not said if they’ll appeal their penal- the Warriors beat Memphis 98-78. ty - a $1 million fine and the loss of a first-round draft pick Atlanta went more than 7 minutes next year and a fourth-rounder in 2017. in the fourth quarter without making Yee has criticized the suspension that was based on a a basket, then ripped off 14 straight 243-page report of an investigation headed by NFL- points to take the lead. Then there appointee Ted Wells. On Tuesday, Wells was critical of Yee was another sudden shift as Atlanta in a conference call with reporters. That report issued April went cold again, and it looked as 29 said that it was “more probable than not” that Brady though Washington’s Paul Pierce had “was at least generally aware” of plans by two team doomed Atlanta for the second time employees to prepare the balls to his liking. They inflated in the series. Having already made a the balls below the league minimum of 12.5 pounds per buzzer-beating winner in Game 3, he square inch. got open in the corner and swished a It also said Brady and the team were not fully coopera- 3-pointer with 8.3 seconds left, put- tive with the investigation, which contributed to the ting the Wizards up 81-80. penalties. Pierce taunted the Hawks bench The NFL will go against an experienced foe in labor and home crowd on his way back lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. He has won other appeals against down the court before bowling over the league and is helping Brady. teammate John Wall, who was playing On the other side would be NFL Commissioner Roger for the first time since Game 1 after Goodell or a person he designates. That person would be fracturing several bones in his left chosen in consultation with NFLPA executive director hand. Wall didn’t mind, throwing up DeMaurice Smith. Brady’s appeal only deals with the sus- his hands in celebration. The Wizards pension and must be heard within 10 days. were on the verge of heading home If it is upheld, he would miss the first four games. The with a chance to wrap up the series. Patriots open the NFL season at home against Pittsburgh Atlanta had one more chance. on Sept. 10, then travel to Buffalo before a home game The Hawks gave the ball to backup against Jacksonville. After a bye week, their fourth game point guard Dennis Schroder, who will be in Dallas. Brady would be eligible to return for the ignited a fourth-quarter rally and fifth game on Oct. 18 at Indianapolis. The probe began stayed in the game at the suggestion after the Colts complained that Brady used deflated of All-Star Jeff Teague, who watched footballs in their 45-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title the closing minutes from the bench. game. — AP Schroder drove down the lane and put up a shot, which was swatted off the backboard by Wall. But Horford yanked the ball away from Nene, who tumbled to the court, leaving the Hawks center all alone under the basket. Horford, who had 23 points and 11 rebounds, put it the easy shot on a night when both teams struggled ATLANTA: Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford hits the game-winning shot offensively. “I wasn’t supposed to be against the Washington Wizards in Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern involved in the play at all,” Horford Conference semifinal series, Wednesday, in Atlanta. — AP said. “When I saw the ball go up, I just ran in there.” and missed the next three games, points and 10 boards for the Grizzlies. The Wizards threw up a wild shot wound up with 15 points, seven from halfcourt that didn’t come close assists and four steals. Bradley Beal Warriors 98, Grizzlies 78 as the horn sounded. The sellout led the Wizards with 23 points. Stephen Curry turned in an MVP- crowd nearly stormed the court, held Golden State’s Stephen Curry worthy performance, Klay Thompson back by security while the Hawks cele- turned in an MVP-worthy perform- snapped out of his shooting funk and brated. Horford screamed and ance to lead the Warriors to a home Golden State rolled past Memphis to pumped his fists, having put the victory over Memphis. take a 3-2 lead in their Western Hawks one victory away from advanc- Curry scored 18 points on six 3- Conference semifinal series. ing to the third round of the playoffs pointers and added a career-playoff Curry scored 18 points on six 3- for the first time since the team high six steals to go with seven pointers and added a career-playoff moved to Atlanta from St. Louis in rebounds and five assists. high six steals to go with seven 1968. Klay Thompson snapped out of his rebounds and five assists. Thompson About 10 minutes after the Wizards shooting funk and scored 21 points, scored 21 points, and Harrison Barnes lost, there was more heartbreak for and Harrison Barnes had 14 for the had 14 as the Warriors won their sec- D.C. sports fans. The Capitals were Warriors, who will travel to Memphis ond straight game in impressive fash- eliminated from the NHL playoffs with for Game 6 on Friday. ion. Golden State can close out the a Game 7 overtime loss to the New With defensive stopper Tony Allen Grizzlies in Game 6 on Friday night in York Rangers. At least the Wizards still sidelined with a left hamstring injury, Memphis. have a chance. Game 6 is Friday night the Grizzlies struggled to contain With defensive stopper Tony Allen FOXBOROUGH: New England Patriots quarterback Tom in Washington. “These guys are fight- Golden State’s streaky shooters. The sidelined with a left hamstring injury, Brady looks to pass during the first half of the NFL football ing. I love it,” Washington coach Warriors made 14 of 30 shots from 3- the Grizzlies struggled to contain AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in Randy Wittman said. “They made one point range, while Memphis made just Golden State’s streaky shooters. The Foxborough, Mass. The NFL suspended Brady for the first more play than us.” four of 15 from long distance. Warriors made 14 of 30 shots from 3- four games on Monday, for his role in a scheme to deflate Wall, who fractured several bones Marc Gasol had 18 points and 12 point range, while Memphis made just footballs used in the AFC title game. — AP in his left hand in the series opener rebounds, and Zach Randolph had 13 four of 15 from long distance. —AP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 45 Kluber strikes out 18 as Indians top Cardinals 2-0

CLEVELAND: Corey Kluber struck out 18 and allowed his only hit in the seventh inning, getting his first win this season in style, and the Cleveland Indians beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Wednesday night. The reigning AL Cy Young winner didn’t yield a hit until Jhonny Peralta grounded a clean single to center with two outs in the seventh. A small crowd of 12,313 on a crisp night at Progressive Field gave Kluber (1-5) a warm ovation and he finished the inning by striking out Jason Heyward. Kluber’s 18 strikeouts tied the club record for a nine-inning game held by Hall of Famer Bob Feller (1938.) It’s also the most strikeouts by an AL pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1998. Kluber didn’t walk a batter and had a chance to break the major league mark of 20 strikeouts shared by Clemens and Kerry Wood. But he was pulled before the ninth after 113 pitches for closer Cody Allen, who got his fifth save.

Marlins 5, Dodgers 4 Dee Gordon had four hits against his former team, Giancarlo Stanton had a decisive two-run single in the seventh and the maligned Miami bullpen finished the win over Los Angeles. Gordon, who was traded from the Dodgers to the Marlins in December, had two doubles and scored twice for his first hits and runs against the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 2008. The Marlins (16- 19) rallied from a two-run deficit by stringing together five consecutive singles in the seventh, capped by Stanton’s hit that made it 5-4. CLEVELAND: Cleveland Indians Jose Ramirez hits a sacrifice bunt off St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher John Lackey in Relievers Sam Dyson, Bryan Morris, Mike Dunn and A.J. Ramos the sixth inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, in Cleveland. Ramirez was out at first base.— AP combined for 3 2-3 shutout innings after starter Jarred Cosart departed with a tight right hamstring. Ramos pitched a perfect Astros 4, Giants 3 solo homer, his seventh of the season and fifth in his last 10 games. ninth for his first career save since Steve Cishek lost his closer job. George Springer hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth and The Reds won the rubber match of the three-game series and sev- Houston rallied past San Francisco. Springer had come off the seven-game season series between the teams. Rangers 5, Royals 2 en-day concussion disabled list prior to the game. He sent Jeremy Prince Fielder homered and had three hits, Shin-Soo Choo hit a Affeldt’s (0-2) pitch over the yellow line in left-center. It was his lone The Braves have lost five of their last six. leadoff home run for the second straight game and Texas beat hit and broke a 0 for 10 slump. Chad Qualls (1-2) threw a perfect Iglesias (1-0), a Cuba native, was recalled from Triple-A Louisville Kansas City. Choo pulled a 98 mph fastball from Yordano Ventura eighth for the win and Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for his before the game. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Pinch-hit- into the right-field seats, and Fielder gave the Rangers a 4-0 lead eighth save. ter Eric Young Jr. broke it up with a leadoff bloop single to shallow with a two-run homer in the second inning. center field. Texas rookie Delino DeShields had three hits, including his first Buster Posey had three RBIs for the Giants. triple, and scored twice. Yovani Gallardo (3-5) took a shutout into Giants starter Tim Hudson allowed three runs on six hits in 5 1-3 Orioles 6, Blue Jays 1 the seventh inning before allowing run-scoring doubles by Kendrys innings. Brett Oberholtzer lasted three innings in his first start of the Miguel Gonzalez scattered three singles and allowed just one Morales and Salvador Perez. Gallardo snapped a four-start losing year, allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts before leav- unearned run while pitching into the eighth inning, and Baltimore streak that matched a career worst. ing with a blister on his left hand. beat Toronto. Alejandro De Aza reached base four times for the The first five Texas hitters reached against Ventura (2-3), who Orioles on a single, double, hit by pitch and a walk. Rookie Rey gave up at least four runs for the fourth time in five starts. Nationals 9, Diamondbacks 6 Navarro got his first career home run with a solo shot to lead off the Michael Taylor hit his first career grand slam in the ninth after eighth. Gonzalez (4-2) struck out five and walked two in 7 2-3 Rays 3, Yankees 2 Bryce Harper was ejected two innings earlier, lifting Washington to innings to improve to 7-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 12 career starts against Asdrubal Cabrera got his 1,000th hit during a two-run second the win. Taylor entered the game in the seventh after Harper and Toronto. The Blue Jays’ only run came on a passed ball in the eighth. inning and Tampa Bay rebounded again from an early deficit to beat Nationals manager Matt Williams were ejected for arguing a check The Orioles, who won for just the third time in nine games, held New York. Tampa Bay went up 3-2 in the second when Cabrera swing call. Arizona took a 6-5 lead on pinch hitter Yasmany Tomas’ Toronto without an extra-base hit for the first time this season. drove in a run on a double off Adam Warren (2-2) and scored on run-scoring single in the eighth off Aaron Barrett (2-2), but the Joey Butler’s single. The Yankees took a 2-0 lead for the second Nationals loaded the bases in the ninth against Addison Reed (0-2). Twins 6, Tigers 2 straight game in the first inning on RBI singles by Mark Teixeira and In his first career at-bat with the bases loaded, Taylor sent the ball Torii Hunter homered and Joe Mauer hit a bases-loaded triple, Brian McCann. The Rays scored twice in both the seventh and eighth over the yellow line in center for his first slam. leading Minnesota past Detroit. Ricky Nolasco (3-1) allowed two Tuesday night to beat New York 4-2. Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer and Tyler Moore added a unearned runs in 5 1-3 innings for the win. Nolasco came in with a Nathan Karns (2-2) gave up two runs and seven hits in five two-run shot for the Nationals, who have won five straight series. 9.00 ERA, but gave up only four hits and three walks while striking innings. Brad Boxberger, the fourth Tampa Bay reliever, pitched the Drew Storen worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save. out seven. Kyle Lobstein (3-3) allowed six runs and seven hits and a ninth for his 10th save. walk while only recording seven outs. The Tigers lost outfielder J.D. Red Sox 2, Athletics 0 Martinez to a back injury. He singled in his first two at-bats, but Rajai Angels 2, Rockies 1, 11 Innings Wade Miley dueled with Oakland ace Sonny Gray and worked Davis hit for him in the sixth. The team announced he had lower Mike Trout made two spectacular defensive plays in extra out of jams all game to end a three-start skid and Boston took two of back tightness and is day-to-day. Hunter got things started for the innings, Albert Pujols hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the 11th, and three in the series. Facing the A’s for the first time in his five-year Twins in the first, homering against his former teammates. Los Angeles sent Colorado Rockies to its 11th consecutive loss. career, Miley (2-4) allowed the leadoff batter to reach in four of his Minnesota blew it open in the third, highlighted by Mauer’s three- Pujols’ bases-loaded fly to left easily scored pinch-runner Taylor first six innings. The left-hander won for the first time since April 21 run triple. Featherston for the Angels, who climbed back to .500 (17-17) with at Tampa Bay, allowing four walks and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Gray their sixth win in eight games to close a nine-game homestand. (4-1) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter for the first time all sea- Padres 4, Mariners 2 Trout leaped at the wall in the 10th to take a homer away from Troy son. But the A’s dropped to 1-11 in the daytime with their seventh James Shields became the first San Diego pitcher since 2007 to Tulowitzki, making a potentially difficult catch look routine. In the loss in eight games. start the season 5-0, Will Middlebrooks homered for the first time in 11th, the AL MVP made a running catch on Daniel Descalso’s fly and nearly a month, and the Padres ended Seattle’s four-game win uncorked a perfect throw to get Carlos Gonzalez at the plate. Phillies 3, Pirates 2 streak. Middlebrooks’ solo homer leading off the third inning was his Umpire Phil Cuzzi initially called Gonzalez safe, but it was over- Cole Hamels struck out nine over seven strong innings, Jeff fourth of the season and first since April 19. Cory Spangenberg turned by video review. Francoeur threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the added a sacrifice fly in the third and Abraham Almonte had an RBI game and Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh. single in the seventh as the Padres split the brief two-game series. Cubs 2, Mets 1 Helped by Francoeur’s throw, Jonathan Papelbon surpassed Jose Shields (5-0) struggled to get through six innings, but became Chris Coghlan drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the Mesa to become the Phillies’ all-time saves leader with 113 after fin- just the sixth pitcher in Padres’ history to win his first five decisions ninth inning to give Chicago a victory over New York. ishing for his seventh save in as many tries. Papelbon also is Boston’s and first since Justin Germano in 2007. The Cubs, who have won three straight, scored twice in the final franchise leader with 219 saves. Hamels (3-3) allowed two runs and two innings after being shut out for seven innings by Mets ace Matt five hits to snap Philadelphia’s four-game losing streak. He out- White Sox 4, Brewers 2 Harvey. Harvey allowed only three hits and struck out nine. Harvey pitched Matt Harvey in the Phillies’ previous win last Friday night. Jose Quintana struck out 10 in seven solid innings, and Avisail blended a blistering fastball with a heavy dose of off-speed pitches. Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano (1-3) was a hard-luck loser again. He Garcia and Adam LaRoche hit back-to-back home runs in the first Mets reliever Carlos Torres (1-2), however, couldn’t close the deal. gave up three runs and six hits, striking out six in seven innings. inning to lead Chicago past Milwaukee. Torres gave up back-to-back hits to Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro Liriano has a 2.96 ERA, but only one win. Chicago, which had a major-league worst three road wins enter- to start the ninth inning before intentionally walking Miguel ing the game, won their first road series of the season after taking Montero. After Mets manager brought in Jeurys Familia with the Reds 5, Braves 1 two of three from last-place Milwaukee. The Brewers made things bases loaded and no one out, Coghlan drew a walk to give the Cubs Rookie Raisel Iglesias pitched eight innings of two-hit baseball in interesting in the ninth after Carlos Gomez hit a solo homer off the win. Hector Rondon (2-0) earned the win for the Cubs after his second career start and Todd Frazier connected for his 12th David Robertson. Adam Lind then walked to put the tying run at the pitching a scoreless ninth. home run of the season, leading Cincinnati. Marlon Byrd added a plate with one out. —AP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015

Planned strike by top Spanish players suspended

MADRID: A potential strike by top who argued the action was illegal. The their website (www.rfef.es). season 2016-17, and remove some of the Spanish footballers has been suspended national soccer federation (RFEF) are also La Liga leaders Barcelona can now visit weighting towards the richest and most after a petition filed by the league (LFP) unhappy with the law but, following Atletico Madrid on Sunday when a win successful clubs such as Real Madrid and against planned action by the players’ Thursday’s court ruling, they reversed would secure a fifth title in seven years for Barca. union (AFE) was upheld by the High their decision to suspend competition the Catalan giants. The new TV law, The AFE support the idea of collective Court yesterdayday. indefinitely across Spanish football from approved last month and backed by the bargaining but are less than pleased with The strike threatened to disrupt the Saturday. LFP, would replace the current system the share of cash set aside for lower divi- final two matchdays in La Liga, and the “Taking into account the order made under which rights are marketed by indi- sion clubs. King’s Cup final at the end of the month, by the High Court today, the Spanish foot- vidual clubs, unique among Europe’s top The RFEF believe the law will rob because the AFE were unhappy with a ball federation lifts the measure (suspen- leagues where collective bargaining is the federation of powers and are new law mandating collective bargaining sion) ... so the competitions can be played used. opposed to what they say are plans to for the sale of television rights. according to the schedule and times origi- The measure aims to share out cash use money from football to fund other That provoked a challenge by the LFP nally planned,” the federation said on more fairly between teams, starting from sports. —Reuters Nadal advances in q-finals as Murray, Serena pull out ROME: Number four seed Rafael Nadal admitted suffering from the Real Madrid blues as he advanced to the quarter-finals of the Italian Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win over American John Isner. Nadal came into the event looking to make amends for his defeat to Andy Murray in the final of the Madrid Masters last week, when the Scot took his victory streak to a remarkable 10 wins out of 10 on clay this season. The Spaniard’s hopes of seeing his beloved Real Madrid go all the way in the Champions League, however, were kept in check when the record 10-time champions were ousted from the semi-finals of the competition by Juventus on Wednesday. While Nadal now meets Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (6/3), 6-4, for a place in the semi-finals, he admits-at least publicly-he will be sitting on the fence when Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona take on Juventus in the June 6 final of Europe’s premier club competition in Berlin. “I’ve lost a lot of times, and Real Madrid lost yesterday. That’s just part and parcel of sport,” said the Spaniard, who beat Isner 6-4, 6-4 to extend his winning streak over the tall, big-serving American to 6-0. “I have a good friend at Juventus in Fernando Llorente - I will be happy for him - and also Alvaro Morata. “At the end of the day, if Barcelona win I will be happy for them, but if Juventus win I will also be happy because I have friends there as well.” In the meantime, Nadal said he was happy with his game but said he was not “consistent enough” to be considered the main favourite for the French Open next month, when he will be bidding for a record 10th title in Paris. Andy Murray and Serena Williams pulled out of the Italian VANCOUVER: Vancouver Whitecaps’ Jordan Harvey, right, pulls FC Edmonton’s Lance Laing’s jersey during the Open yesterday ahead of their third-round matches. second half of a Canadian Championship soccer semifinal in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Wednesday. —AP Murray said he was tired, while Williams claimed she was suffering with an elbow injury. “I practiced 40 minutes and felt pretty exhausted,” Murray told a news conference ahead of his match against Belgian David Goffin. Stuttgart, Hamburg primed “It didn’t make sense for me to keep going because when you feel like this it becomes a risk to play.” Murray recently won back- to-back tournaments in Munich and Madrid, the first claycourt for survival showdown titles of his career. —Agencies

MUNICH: Former Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart and Hamburg now have a good starting position and I am confident that we will have SV will make what could be their last roll of the dice to remain in the top a happy ending.” division when they face each other in the penultimate match of the sea- Stuttgart, champions as recently as 2007, have also shown signs of son tomorow. life recently to close the gap on the sides above but defeat against Former European champions Hamburg have gathered some Hamburg could prove fatal. momentum under new coach Bruno Labbadia with two wins and a Should they lose and Freiburg, Paderborn and Hanover 96 win it draw in his four matches in charge, moving up from last place and into would seal their relegation. 14th on 32 points. Huub Stevens’ team have picked up four points in their last three However, with last-placed Stuttgart just two points behind, matches and last week’s victory over Mainz 05 left Stuttgart sporting Hamburg are far from safe as they bid to remain the only team that has director Robin Dutt imploring fans not to get too excited. played in every Bundesliga season since its foundation in 1963. “It is not impossible to expect to win against Hamburg,” Dutt said. “We have managed to put our fate in our own hands,” said keeper “We believe we can stay up but we must not become complacent.” Rene Adler, who has been reinstated as number one under Labbadia. “Before the Mainz game we were mired in doom and gloom but “We want to win at Stuttgart so that we can have a final at home now we are heading towards the other extreme.” against Schalke 04 on the last matchday.” Borussia Dortmund will look to continue their climb up the table and Labbadia is the fourth coach this season after Mirko Slomka, Joe secure a Europa League spot when they face Cup final opponents VfL Zinnbauer and interim coach Peter Knaebel but his arrival could not Wolfsburg, who are sitting in second place and have already secured a have been timed any better with the team battling to protect top three finish. ROME: Spain’s Rafael Nadal returns the ball to US Hamburg’s storied top flight status. Borussia Moenchengladbach will seal their maiden Champions “Stuttgart are a tough opponent but for us it is a huge chance to League group stage spot if they beat Werder Bremen or if fourth-placed John Isner during the ATP Tennis Open tournament take that next step,” sporting director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said. “We Bayer Leverkusen drop points against Hoffenheim. —Reuters at the Foro Italico in Rome yesterday. —AFP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 47

Asian football body suspends general secretary Soosay

KUALA LUMPUR: The Asian Football ing him to wrongdoing under disgraced for- under investigation for conflicts of interest during the adit. Confederation suspended general secretary mer president Mohamed bin Hamman to be and financial mismanagement at the AFC “He suddenly said ‘protect me’ and I was Alex Soosay on Wednesday amid allegations concealed. In a statement on its website, the and was later expelled from football by FIFA. surprised,” the newspaper quoted Kuan as he ordered a cover-up during an investiga- AFC said: “A video statement conducted as In 2012, Pricewaterhouse Coopers conduct- saying in the video. “He said based on (what) tion into the organization in 2012. part of a FIFA investigation was passed to ed an internal audit of the running of the they (PwC) have found out, have ‘I commit- Local newspaper The Malay Mail last media recently, and the AFC has now been AFC under Bin Hammam and questioned the ted any crime and will they blame me for month reported it had obtained a video from able to verify its authenticity.” awarding of TV rights and millions of dollars anything? Anything that you have . is it pos- July 2012 which showed AFC financial direc- The AFC said deputy general secretary of payments into AFC accounts “purportedly sible to either tamper or hide it some- tor Bryan Kuan Wee Hong telling a FIFA Windsor John will take over from Soosay in for the personal use of its president.” where?’” Soosay recently said that there was investigator that Soosay had asked for any the short term while an investigation is con- Soosay, who became AFC general secre- nothing in the allegations and claimed it was incriminating evidence potentially connect- ducted. Bin Hammam resigned in 2011 while tary in 2009, reportedly asked for Kuan’s help a smear attempt. — AP With strike off, Barcelona can clinch title at Atletico

MADRID: With the Champions League and Copa de Rey still to come, Barcelona can wrap up the Spanish league title on Sunday. The league leaders will play at Atletico Madrid this weekend after Spain’s National Court suspended a planned strike. Last year, Atletico won the title by earning a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou in a winner-take-all match on the final weekend of the season. Barcelona can now take the title back at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. If Barcelona fails to win, it will have a second and last chance on the season’s final day against Deportivo La Coruna. Here are some things to know about this weekend’s matches:

Humbled Madrid Real Madrid is facing a season without a major trophy after Juventus ended its quest to defend its Champions League title on Wednesday.Juventus rallied for a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium to go through on aggregate and meet Barcelona in the final. Madrid started the season well, winning the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup while finishing 2014 with a Spanish record 22-match winning streak. But last week’s 2-2 draw at home against fourth-place Valencia left the team four points behind Barcelona. HULL: Hull City’s Paul McShane, left, battles for the ball with Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez during the English Premier League Madrid will visit Espanyol needing to win while hoping for soccer match at the KC Stadium, Hull, England, May 4, 2015. — AP back-to-back stumbles by Barcelona to salvage the season. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will not be on the bench after being suspended for two games for his supposedly ironic From Europa League to applause of the referee’s performance last week. “I don’t have to talk to the club at the end of the season, I want to stay,” Ancelotti said after the loss to Juventus. “But the club has the right to take decisions and change coaches if relegation for Hull they are not satisfied with me. That’s the rule in football.” MANCHESTER: Hull started the season striker Abel Hernandez and also brought Champions League qualifiers all but con- Treble in sight competing in Europe for the first time in in Hatem Ben Arfa, Mohamed Diame and firmed, most of the focus in the last two Barcelona would love to wrap up the title at third-place its history, and could end it by dropping Gaston Ramirez - big names for a club the weeks of the Premier League will be on Atletico to avoid any late jitters. out of the English Premier League. size of Hull - to bolster the squad for a sea- the fight to avoid relegation. That would also put coach Luis Enrique on course to match The offseason last year was full of opti- son in Europe. Pep Guardiola’s outstanding first season at Barcelona, when mism for the northeast club, which spent That didn’t work out, though - Hull did- NEARLY THERE he led the Catalan club to the league, Copa del Rey and freely in the summer transfer window and n’t even progress past the Europa League Manchester United needs just a point Champions League titles. was buoyant after qualifying for the qualifiers. from its final two games to secure a top- Barcelona beat Guardiola’s Bayern Munich 5-3 on aggre- Europa League through reaching the FA Of the four other teams battling to four place and a return to the Champions gate in the other Champions League semifinal match, despite Cup final. avoid the drop, Leicester, Aston Villa and League after a one-year absence. losing 3-2 in Germany on Tuesday. However, the side managed by former Sunderland have started to pick up form However, United could go into its Barcelona is set to play Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey Manchester United defender Steve Bruce and victories. Leicester, for example, has home game against Arsenal on Sunday final on May 30. It will then face Juventus in Berlin on June 6 has struggled to meet rising expectations won six of its last seven matches to climb already back in Europe’s top competition for the European Cup. and fell into the bottom three last week- off last place and move three points clear if fifth-place Liverpool fails to beat Crystal end. Hull has two games to escape relega- of trouble. Palace on Saturday. Liverpool is six points Champions fight tion - and its chances are bleak. behind United and has a much inferior Valencia and Sevilla have been vying all season to secure a Hull is third from bottom, above Dragged down goal difference fourth-place finish and Spain’s final Champions League berth. already-relegated Burnley and Queens Newcastle, which is fourth to last, is the “Tuesday and Wednesday watching Valencia has a three-point advantage over Sevilla, which Park Rangers, and two points from safety side most likely to get dragged down if other teams compete (in the Champions with games remaining away to Tottenham Hull can earn an unlikely win in its final League) broke my heart all this year,” said could also earn a spot in Europe’s top-tier competition by and at home to Manchester United. games. Newcastle visits QPR on Saturday United group managing director Richard repeating as Europa League champion. Valencia hosts Celta “We have got a mountain to climb,” and finishes at home to mid-table West Arnold, who added that the team’s Vigo, while Sevilla gets relegation-threatened Almeria on said Bruce, who last summer broke the Ham. absence has been more painful in football Sunday. — AP club’s transfer record to sign Uruguay With the title wrapped up and the terms rather than economically.—AP