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Kuwait’s my business Local Spotlight What’s Kuwait missing - The list Traffic deportation: Get real!
By John P Hayes
By Muna Al-Fuzai [email protected]
hich franchise would you bring to Kuwait?” That’s the it has an extraordinary taste profile. I like it because the meats are [email protected] question I’m asked most often by people who want to always fresh, not stored, and sliced in front of you. “Wbuy franchises. “What’s missing in our market?” people want to know. My list is too long for this column, so here’s my short NON-FOOD FRANCHISES hen I first read about it, thinking of it as just a list. Lest you think I think Kuwait only needs more food franchises, news item, I thought it was a joke. I honestly did Dairy Queen. think again. Here are some non-food franchises that ought to be in Wnot know if it was true or false. I have not seen or It was here years ago and failed. But it didn’t fail because con- Kuwait. With the number of events that occur daily in Kuwait, there’s read any document to ascertain whether this piece of sumers disliked the product. It failed due to poor management. This demand for Plan Ahead Events, which specializes in meeting and information was anything else, except what had appeared market thrives on frozen yogurt and ice cream - so why not frozen event management, but also includes trade shows, exhibitions and in the newspapers. So if any one has any additional infor- custard? It’s low in fat and calories and it’s been one of the most satis- incentive travel. It’s a low-cost franchise that doesn’t require a store- mation, please feel free to share. Now, today I really want fying treats in America since the 1950s. I got hooked to DQ as a child, front. There are numerous business coaching franchises including to discuss this idea which I have never seen in any other and wherever I go in the world today, I look for that brand. When I Action Coach, Executive Forums, and The Alternative Board. For peo- country. Does any other country do this? discovered DQ in Oman a few months ago, I was almost moved! ple who like to sell and influence others, business coaching is prof- I don’t think I know of any. I keep wondering who is Kuwait needs DQ, but it will take some convincing to bring it here itable and satisfying. And we need more of it in Kuwait. making all this calls, and why. If there is indeed any need again because the DQ folks are wary of the market. Surely there’s a to reduce the number of expats here, then this is not the convincing management team that would do well with this brand. TEACH KIDS ENGINEERING right way to do it. If this country doesn’t want more As engineering continues to trend in Kuwait, Bricks 4 Kidz might expats, then better not let them come in the first place. ANOTHER BURGER FRANCHISE? be a perfect match. This franchise teaches principles of engineering Don’t give them residency and work permit instead of For a country that’s crazy about burgers, why not Wendy’s? That to kids between the ages of three and 13 using LEGO bricks. Other keeping an eye on them and catching them and forcing brand also was here years ago, and failed, but not because of the children’s educational franchises would work here, too, including them to leave, all because someone committed a traffic product. A savvy management team could quickly build multiple Drama Kids International, Computer Tots, and Sylvan Learning, one violation which could be a minor offence. Don’t humiliate units in Kuwait and own a profitable business. By the way, Wendy’s of America’s leading educational franchises. people because they are expats. You have enough rules frozen dessert is called the Frosty. When I can’t find a DQ, I look for Many local businesses are looking for branding opportunities already for people of various nationalities. I personally Wendy’s! I rarely eat hamburgers, but I enjoy Wendy’s chili and sal- using products of all types from coffee cups to t-shirts to umbrellas. don’t see how these ideas can be justified. How can such ads. Smoothie King. It’s good for the diet, or so they say. I like Those businesses could use EmbroidMe, another well-established an idea be even sensible or logical? Smoothie King’s fresh blended fruit and protein based smoothies. American brand with international locations - perhaps eventually Any law that ordains to deport expats for traffic viola- The franchise requires small units that could easily pop up across to include Kuwait. The list goes on, but enough for now. Actually, I tions is the most unjustified law. If anyone threatens Kuwait. don’t really like the question all that much because what I think someone’s life or causes death, I can understand that that Kuwait needs doesn’t necessarily matter. If you’re going to buy a person will have to go to jail and then deported. However, YOU LIKE WINGS? franchise it’s most important to know if you’re a good fit for fran- using traffic violations as an excuse for deporting people Who doesn’t like chicken wings? That’s why Kuwait needs chising and most people are not. In a future column I’ll tell you is something I cannot make my peace with. If any of us Wingstop. This hugely successful American brand would like to why. were to and stay in a country and were to be caught for develop in Kuwait, and throughout the Middle East, and the right committing a traffic violation, and the authorities were to management team can grab this opportunity. Wingstop prepares Dr John P Hayes wrote the first book about how to buy a franchise in sent us back home on that account, we would call it a chicken wings in 10 different flavors - I’m hungry right now for 1986 and since then has worked with more than 100 franchised most unfair act. Then why don’t we see the situation in Lemon Pepper, or Jersey Mike’s! People in New Jersey know good brands internationally. He is the Head of Business Administration at case of others similarly? How are we any better? I hope food, and that’s where this sub sandwich franchise began in the late GUST where he teaches marketing. Contact Dr Hayes at that this was just a piece of false news, meant only to elicit 1950s. It’s not the largest sub franchise, but it’s one of the oldest, and [email protected], or via Twitter @drjohnhayes. people’s comments. It just can’t be true.
In my view Not in Kuwait
By Labeed Abdal
hen I see the main headlines in the newspa- sector is all about controlling the services and state’s plan to live and stay in this preferred home away from pers, including those about electricity power affairs concerning the citizens, the expats and the home. Wcuts, deportation of a million expats in 10 country. These include public health, defense, interior The public happiness must be a priority. I will feel years, the jumbo sized mistake with Dow Chemicals, communications and education etc. I really do not happy as a citizen and as an expat if I am emotionally huge delays in plans to make Kuwait green ever since want to be negative but it is just that first we must stick feeling good, and not disturbed. I must feel positive the times of late Sheikh Jabber Al Ahmad Al Sabbah, to promote effective measures against corruption. Only and satisfied at being in Kuwait. I want to tell myself expats facing problems with residency permits, choc-a- then will we be considered a country to reckon with. that I made a good choice in my life. It is about coming bloc parking spaces near complexes, I go numb some- We cannot just keep talking about corruption and back with a smile, not feeling sick or an unwanted bur- times. My entire thinking process comes to a grinding visa problems. We also need to remember that public den. All kinds of monitoring and record keeping must halt. I am just too overwhelmed. happiness is fading away, something that is underlined be aimed towards this end. Moreover, we must make Definitely, we all have an image of a Kuwait evolving by the fact that citizens take a flight to run away on any sure that such happiness is for real and not faked or into a better and more developed country. We all think holiday, even if it is a national day. Also, the expats transient. one day it will be more advanced and there will be no have increasing concerns when they see or hear about daily difficulties that cause stress. I know the public any sudden decisions that disturb them when they Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
In my view Jolie good decision MORNING NIGHTMARE: A traffic jam in Salmiya during school hours as parents stop along the By Priyanka Saligram road to drop their kids. — Photo by Yasser Al- Zayyat
ngelina Jolie is always in the news for usually all the right reasons - unlike a Lohan or Kardashian. And this Atime she really, like really, has become an icon for inspiration. Jolie wrote a brutally honest op-ed in the New York Times called ‘My Medical Choice’, and revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy (removal of tissues from both the breasts) to prevent breast cancer. She candidly spoke of losing her mother at the age of 56 and always had to explain to her kids in the best possible way that they weren’t going to lose her. But that was before she got tested and came to know that she had inherited a faulty gene. Doctors estimated that she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. This was the point she decided to take things into her own hands and opt for the preventative surgery. Now after the surgery, the risk has been slashed to 5 percent and she can get a good night’s sleep. Breast cancer alone kills 458,000 people each year, according the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. But tell that to the birds. We live in a world where looks are pretty much everything in life. If you aren’t born gorgeous, no sweat. That’s what plastic surgeons are around for. Who has the time or the patience to focus on health and fitness when all it takes is a simple lipo or silicone implants to go from flab to fab? Hollywood and almost every film indus- try - or any industry that caters to glamour - has a reputation for selling movie-star good-looks to the Average Joe, or should I say Jane? While some are born with great genes, the rest of them believe that the only way to get noticed or be successful and get ahead in life is by buying a new nose or a bigger rack or a smaller waistline. This wasn’t the case a decade ago. People - I like to believe - had more integrity. More attention was paid to personality, skills, intelligence, commitment and other big words. The world wasn’t brainwashed into paying attention to maga- zine-cover looks on a daily basis. People weren’t banking solely on their physical appearance to sell themselves - unless of course, they were working in the oldest profession in the world, but then again, that’s a different matter altogether. At a point in time where health has taken a backseat and there’s more focus on getting our bodies altered to look like somebody else’s, it’s extremely refreshing to see someone as iconic as Angelina Jolie speak about her decision to prevent cancer by getting her breast tissues removed. It’s easily the most treasured feature of a woman’s body but Jolie said “I do not feel any less of a woman; I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my feminity”. One would have expected someone of her stature to be more paranoid about safeguarding their image as one of the sexiest women in the world. For heaven’s sake, thousands of women are climbing over each other every day to get that coveted title by getting every centimeter of their bodies altered - probably to the extent where if they die a gruesome death, nobody would be able to recognize them, not even by their dental records, since in all likelihood, that’s also fake. Miss Jolie, you may be an actress, a director, UN ambassa- dor, a philanthropist and a hundred other things. But all that’s secondary. First, you’re a woman and then a mother. Your decision to undergo the surgery will convince other women in the world to focus on health first and beauty next. More importantly, it’s a rude awakener that any woman could be susceptible to cancer. The only weapon here is awareness. Getting tested for genetic probability of any cancer - breast, uterine, or ovarian - and then doing the right thing by keep- ing the family and loved ones in mind, is a good lesson to take away here. Her bravery will save many lives. Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
@Amna tariq
@Amna tariq
@Amna tariq @Robert Jandog @Gino Rapheal
SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beauti- ful picture? Sharing it with others! Let Wother people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram pho- tos, email us at [email protected]
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Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Which insurance covers a misplaced nose?
By Nawara Fattahova and insurance companies shy away from taking address obesity, it is still not covered. Even the the recovery period if proper procedures are any part of it. plastic surgeries that are needed after serious not done,” he added. ave you seen the after-image of a Ahmad, who works with a popular insurance accidents are not covered.” He also said plastic surgery options were woman who has undergone plastic sur- company in Kuwait, says that no company in Attorney Labeed Abdal advised patients to available locally and in neighboring markets at Hgery that has misplaced her nose terri- Kuwait or abroad covers plastic surgeries. always choose a well-known doctor with a a cheaper price but these could be very danger- bly? Well, that happens when the doctor per- According to him, health insurance only covers good reputation to avoid any potential compli- ous for the patients. “Any professional, or rather forming the operation is not an expert and the necessary health treatment, and plastic surgery cations. “The plastic surgery must be a decision unprofessional mistakes, in carrying out these patient very often needs a follow-up operation, is not considered a serious health problem made after a full review of the operation that procedures may affect any part of the body which could be costly. Who foots the bill in which the patient needs. He said, “Even if the the patient will go through. The patient should instead of producing the desired result, and such cases? There have been cases of surgeries plastic surgery was connected to health prob- consider the qualifications of the surgeon, could become a reason for misery after surgery. going wrong and causing irreversible damage lems, such as some weight loss surgeries to whether he is professionally licensed, and not While making a choice, people must remember to opt for the that are not in a zoo and if they want to look cheapest clinic,” he beautiful, there is no option except going to told the Kuwait the right doctor,” explained Labeed. Insurance Times yesterday. is definitely a must. “Insurance will help those “Insurance is one of individuals who undergo an operation that the factors that can could lead to suffering or could be associated help avoid any pro- with terrible surgery that can leave ruined their fessional negligence faces, bodies, or hair. An insurance decision which sometimes that has to be in favor of the patient in case may take place dur- anything was to go terribly wrong or negative,” ing the surgery or he concluded. Getting fit in Kuwait
By Catherine Joanna
ou may have noticed the surge in the opportunities for sports granted to women lately. With the recent launch of sports Yleagues for women in basketball and table tennis, and clubs offering training for women in football, Kuwait is indeed demonstrating how the position of women is improving and there are more prospects emerging for women. “We are taking baby steps towards progress,” Sheikha Naima Al- Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the chairwoman of the Kuwait Women Sports Federation, said in a recent statement to the media. “As with any society that is religiously strict, we need to test the waters and take small steps. Everyone in Kuwait now values sports. You see people walk- ing and jogging every day. There is this increasing interest in sports in general.” I have always fancied prioritizing and programming my daily sched- ule to slip in a few hours of physical sport and fitness every day. In fact, a recent discussion with friends revealed that women of all ages and backgrounds in Kuwait have constantly aspired to involve in sports leagues and other programs that promote sports activities. However, they find many impediments in accomplishing this. As women, we juggle a lot of things, having to handle household jobs, family relationships, timings and work-load at the office or other institutions and social life. Consequently, taking care of one’s physical health usually takes the backseat. Besides, women are generally dis- suaded from participating in sporting activities most likely due to the patriarchal tradition in Kuwait. One way that women can find time to fit in a few hours of exercise is by programming our priorities. Create a schedule that generates plenty of time for all your chores and alter it in such a way to fit in a few hours for physical activity. The peak traffic hours naturally do not merge well into the daily lives of anyone, let alone working women. Neither do the location of the sports clubs or the “unpredictability factor” that is very prominent in Kuwaiti culture. It is hardly uncommon to suddenly cancel an appoint- ment or postpone an event or take a rain-check. The lifestyle in Kuwait invariably demands flexible timings. Additionally, women are also limited by stringent rules when it comes to their outfit, so they cannot be seen by men while exercising in sweat pants. The inflexible, rigid hardliners therefore demote sports as they feel that it may advocate immoral behavior and uniforms inappro- priately revealing female bodies. We need to defend our causes and promote them vigorously to achieve better opportunities for women. Kuwait provides various sports facilities through the Kuwait Women’s Sports Association. Also, there are several gyms, clubs and fit- ness studios that promote aerobics and other workouts. These are spread out across the country and make available different hours of the day exclusively for women. There also are various Yoga and meditation clubs open around Kuwait, as well as teams that practice Yoga out- doors, early in the morning. There also are various clubs that offer other forms of sports such as martial arts, and pilates. However, the most accessible form of exercise is an early morning jog. There is a major change in trend regarding the participation of women in fitness. It is now taken very seriously and while heading out for an early morning jog, I find that it is very common to notice working women, plugged into music, on their way to a gym or involving them- selves in intense cardio work outs. This is a very encouraging sight and today’s society should support sport activities for women and evolve into a society that is more pro-women. We can spread awareness about the importance of physical exercise by setting up neighborhood watch- es and discussions about creating more opportunities for women. Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Woodworking businesses bend to readymade products
By Ben Garcia try as a place where all traditions thrive, more the old to modern. our chairs, cabinets and beds could be Having been in the business for more than from this woodworking company in a decade in Kuwait, he knows the taste of YShuwaikh. They make furniture cus- Kuwaitis when it comes to furniture. “I have tomized as per your wishes. If want a person- been in this company for 16 years and I know alized design, all you need to do is to show a the job well. I know what our customers model or a picture of the kind of furniture want,” said Aaalam. “Some Kuwaitis have a you want, and they will make it for you. They sophisticated taste when it comes to furni- only need photographs or samples of design ture. They want a touch of tradition, so we on the basis of which they mould the piece usually mix the modern and the traditional of furniture. An artist draws the design on a designs,” he added. His company deals only piece of cardboard and carving experts then with designs and giving these finishing bring it to reality using a specific kind of touches. The paint job and burnishing of the wood as per your preference. furniture is done at another woodworking The products are readied in a few days’ shop. time, depending on the quantity of your “What we do is design and assembling of orders. Now, wood is not easily obtainable in furniture only. For adding the finishing touch- Kuwait. It is imported from Europe, South es such as paint and burnishing, we give out East Asia or even from as far as the Americas. the work to another shop. We only have a Mohammad Musrhid Aalam, a woodworking license to assemble and do the design work, expert at the Al-Jazira Golden Furniture in and stick to that because it is a lot of hard Shuwiakh, spoke about the state of wood- work,” he admitted. By definition, woodwork- working business in Kuwait currently, ing is the process of building, making or carv- notwithstanding the growing competition in ing something using wood. Wood that is used the readymade furniture business. Aaalam in this furniture business is as per the cus-
admitted that the woodworking business in Kuwait suffered because of the rising tomer’s request. The type of wood you demand for readymade products. choose determines the beauty and strength “We are not only flooded with readymade of the finished product. products but also with companies dealing in Many varieties of wood are available, and furniture. Dajeej is not the only place to buy each has its own properties. “Mostly Kuwaitis furniture. Now one has hundreds of places like mahogany, cherry, cedar and fir. These where people can buy furniture of their are hard woods and that is why these are choice. Often, this furniture is even cheaper preferred,” he added. Traditionally, Kuwaitis than the rates at which we offer the same,” replace furniture at least once every two he admitted. Dajeej is located in Farwaniya, a years, but those who are wealthy replace few kilometers meters away from the airport. their furniture every year. The discarded fur- It is home to several companies that sell niture pieces land up in the Friday market. readymade furniture, from sofas, to beds to “That is why, you can buy a recycled piece of chairs and tables. furniture in Kuwait easily and at reasonable “Daleej was once home of readymade fur- rates, all thanks to the tradition of changing niture products, but nowadays there are sev- their entire household setting every year,” he eral companies that sell furniture such as added. Ikea, Home Center, The One, Midas, which are taking away much of our business. Earlier, these companies’ furniture could not be found in Kuwait. So, the indigenously run businesses, not only mine but many wood- working businesses, were very lucrative, but not anymore,” he disclosed. However, busi- nesses as his company’s are still surviving, thanks to few Kuwaitis who want their coun- — Photos by Ben Garcia Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Abu Ghaith’s lawyer 41 nations participate could end up in jail NEW YORK: Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law has hired a new in Hormuz maneuvers lawyer to defend him in the trial he faces in the United States, and the appointment stirred some controversy in the court on Wednesday. Suleiman Abu Ghaith, who US-led navies press Gulf maneuvers amid Iran tensions appeared in a video September 12, 2001 with the Al-Qaeda leader claiming responsibility for the deadly 9/11 strikes on ABOARD USS PONCE: Divers leap from US targets, is accused of conspiring to kill Americans. He a helicopter into the Gulf’s choppy has pleaded not guilty. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan set a waters to destroy a mine, while a US January 7, 2014 date to start his trial. The 47-year-old marine fires at a floating target, as forces Kuwaiti could be sentenced to life in prison if he is convict- from 41 countries gathered for naval ed. maneuvers facing Iran’s shores. The Meanwhile, a US judge has warned Osama bin Laden’s mine-sweeping exercise is being held son-in-law that a lawyer he hired to represent him on charges close to the Strait of Hormuz, the strate- he conspired to kill Americans could end up in prison himself. gic mouth of the Gulf that Iran has US District Judge Lewis A Kaplan told Sulaiman Abu Ghaith repeatedly threatened to block if that he could cause himself problems by choosing attorney attacked over its disputed nuclear pro- Stanley Cohen to defend him against charges that he con- gram. spired against Americans in his role as Al-Qaeda’s chief The US Navy’s 5th fleet invited a spokesman. Cohen was indicted last year in Syracuse, New group of journalists to attend part of the York, on federal charges that he failed to file individual and 25-day exercises which conclude on May corporate tax returns between 2005 and 2010 and committed 30. This operation is “purely defensive” other tax-related violations. A federal prosecutor in and targets no particular country, said Manhattan told Kaplan that additional charges may be filed Vice-Admiral John Miller, commander of against Cohen. the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. But Tehran Kaplan asked Abu Ghaith a series of questions designed to warned against “provocations” last week make sure the 47 year-old defendant understood the hazards as the US-led forces prepared for the of rejecting three public defenders to have Cohen and anoth- exercise in the Gulf. er attorney represent him. The judge said he wanted to make “All those present must be careful not ARABIAN SEA: US Navy personnel check a Blackhawk helicopter as it sits on the clear to Abu Ghaith that Cohen “has interests that are poten- deck of USS Ponce, an Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), somewhere in the tially in conflict with your own.” He also told him it was “quite to carry out provocative actions,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Arabian Sea on the second day of the biggest mine countermeasures exercise possibly ill advised” for a defendant to proceed with an attor- in the Arabian Gulf. — AFP ney who faces criminal charges himself, and he noted that Ramin Mehmanparast. A total of 35 ships Cohen might not be able to obtain security clearance from are in the Gulf for the International Mine mine to take it out. IMCMEX “is about for the exercise by pointing out that the government to view classified materials necessary to pre- Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX), increasing our capabilities working with waterways should be protected from pare for trial. including the USS Ponce, an amphibious our international partners... A defensive attempts to block maritime traffic. The Abu Ghaith insisted he wanted Cohen to represent him transport that has been modified to act exercise in nature,” said Lieutenant task is particularly significant in the case after his brother in Kuwait hired the veteran civil rights attor- as a floating base for mine-sweeping Commander Peter Abbott aboard USS of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a ney. “I understood he’s very enthusiastic about this case,” Abu operations. Ardent. third of global oil shipped by sea passes. Ghaith told Kaplan. “I thank you very much but I’ve made my Also present are the USS Ardent, a He said that in addition to mine coun- “International Waters need to remain decision.” The judge set a hearing for next week to further mine countermeasures ship, Britain’s termeasures, the exercise this year open,” Abbott said. explore the legal issue. He told the government to submit RFA Cardigan Bay landing ship, 18 included maritime infrastructure protec- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is tasked legal papers explaining its position on whether Abu Ghaith Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) tion, as well as protection for oil plat- with blocking the Strait of Hormuz in can be represented by Cohen and whether his understanding and 6,500 naval personnel. During the forms in the Gulf. the event of a conflict, but has never of his rights was sufficient to switch lawyers. Abu Ghaith has exercise, divers scaled down ropes from Alongside the US navy, forces from been called upon to do it. But in an pleaded not guilty to charges that he urged the death of Seahawk helicopters near floating mines, Britain, France and Germany and several apparent response to the exercise, Iran Americans after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Prosecutors say stuck explosives to the devices and deto- Arab countries are taking part. “For this launched its own mine-sweeping exer- evidence against Abu Ghaith includes a widely circulated nated them remotely. exercise, the French presence is more cise east of the Strait of Hormuz, in the video of him in early October 2001 sitting with bin Laden and For underwater mines, the UUVs, important than last year,” said Captain Gulf of Oman, state Fars news agency current Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahri and another in remotely controlled from the “war room” Frederic Benon, adding that the French said last week, adding that Iranian naval which he calls on every Muslim to join the fight against the aboard the USS Ponce, were sent to United States, declaring that “jihad is a duty.” —Agencies navy sent a ship and divers for the forces unveiled a “modern anti-mine” place an explosive device next to the manoeuvres. Abbott stressed the need system. — AFP
Kuwait showcases its IT experience
GENEVA: Kuwait’s experience and success in the sector of information technology were promoted at an exhibition of the World Summit Information Society where the Kuwaiti pavilion attracted a large number of visitors. Nadia Abul-Aziz Al-Suraye’, in charge of the administrative affairs and human resources of the Central Agency for Information Technology, said in a statement to KUNA that the national section at the fair “succeeded in presenting Kuwait’s experience and level of catching up with tremen- dous development in the realms of information technolo- gy and communications, not only at the local and Gulf lev- els, but also at the international level.” Kuwaiti personnel have succeeded not only in master- minding operation of rapidly developing technologies and applications but also employing them for equally serving the state and citizens, as well in making some innovations in the field, said Al-Suraye’. Visitors of the Kuwaiti pavilion at the exhibition were briefed about the national advancement in employment of modern IT tech- nologies, she said, affirming necessity of involvement in 25th Raft Race kicks off such international events to add to the national experi- ence in the sector. KUWAIT: Kuwait’s 25th Raft Race kicks this year’s race would be special due to gram presenter, Mustafa Al-Najjar would Kuwait had won award by the international event for off today at 2:30 pm, the marketing man- the participation of a large number of comment on the race in addition to DJ, top electronic personnel recruitment. — KUNA ager At Al-Jazeera Recreational Projects sponsors and good preparations. songs, TV coverage by KTV and other Co Mohammed Al-Enezi said, noting that Al-Enezi added that the famous pro- channels. Local FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Kuwait bars expats from morning treatment Activists slam Kuwait ‘racist’ move KUWAIT: Kuwait is to bar foreigners geon, ordered that the outpatient clinics Syria, and 1.2 million native Kuwaitis. Activists in the oil-rich Gulf state from attending public hospitals in the at the public hospital in Jahra, west of The new system will be applied at the condemned the move, and opposi- mornings, local media reported yester- Kuwait City, will only receive Kuwaiti clinics at Jahra hospital for six months tion lawyer and writer Mohammad day, in a decision activists labeled as patients in the morning from June 1. on a “trial basis before its application at Abdulqader Al-Jassem described it “racist”. The decision comes after com- Foreign residents will be able to other (government) hospitals”. as “racial segregation” on Twitter. plaints in parliament of Kuwaiti patients receive treatment in the evenings, said Kuwait provides free medical services Similar restrictions are in place at having to wait for treatment at public the decision published in Kuwaiti media to citizens but expats must pay an annu- other government agencies such as health facilities because of the large yesterday. Kuwait is home to 2.6 million al fee of $175 each besides paying the traffic department, which han- number of expatriates. Health Minister foreigners, mostly from India, Pakistan, reduced charges for certain procedures dles applications from Kuwaitis only Mohammad Al-Haifi, who is also a sur- Bangladesh, the Philippines, Egypt and like x-ray. in the morning. — AFP Kuwait Airways to buy 25 jets, inks deal with Airbus Airbus favored over Boeing due to price
By Nawara Fattahova and agencies 40 million and the A320 for KD 12 million,” Sami Al-Nasif, Chairman of the KAC, said at KUWAIT: State-owned Kuwait Airways said the conference. it had signed an initial agreement with The reason behind this accusation may Airbus to buy 25 new aircraft and take an be personal. “The company owned by MP Al- option on 10 more in the biggest overhaul of Bous, in which he is the GM, had previously its fleet since the 1990 Iraqi invasion. The submitted an offer to sell and rent aircrafts order for the new planes would include 15 for the KAC. After reviewing the offer, the A320neo narrowbody jets and 10 of Airbus’s expert committee felt the price quoted by new A350-900 XWB, Chairman Sami Al-Nisf him was much higher than the market price. told a news conference yesterday. Also, the KAC decided to deal directly with “We signed a letter of acceptance with the factory producing airplanes, which pro- Airbus,” he said, adding that this was the vided the best price, quality, and other pack- step before signing a memorandum of ages including training the staff and mainte- understanding with Airbus within the next nance services, among others,” added Al- couple of weeks. He declined to give a value Nasif. for the order. The airline expects Airbus, The KAC signed a letter of acceptance owned by aerospace and defense group with Airbus to buy a new fleet of different EADS, to start delivering the aircraft in 2019. airplanes. “According to the agreement, KAC KUWAIT: Doctors perform rare cardiac surgeries at Adan hospital A source said on Monday that Kuwait will buy 25 new aircrafts including 15 A320 Airways would pay around 850 million NEO and 10 A350 XWB, in addition to 10 dinars ($2.98 billion) for 25 new planes. Such optional jets. These aircrafts will be received Adan Hospital using new an order would be worth $4.38 billion at list in 2019/2020, and will be brand-new with prices, but aircraft are often sold at a dis- top of the line technology meeting approach to heart surgery count. European requirements. Also, in order to The airline judged Airbus’s offer the most save more, we decided to narrow down the KUWAIT: A team of surgeons from Adan diac surgery unit with assistance from the attractive based on price and technical spec- variety and thus, we are dealing with Airbus Hospital have just operated on five heart Canadian university, said Dr Al-Azmi, adding ifications in a tender that included Boeing and chose two models. Besides, this is a deci- patients using valve-replacement methods in that the hospital is currently adopting a new and Bombardier, the source said. The airline sion that was also related to maintenance Kuwait, said the hospital director Dr Marzouq procedure in receiving urgent medical cases, wants to take out of service 11 jets from its and training the pilots,” he further said, with- Al-Azmi yesterday. He said the heart valve where the seriousness of a case determines its old fleet of 17, in which the planes’ average out mentioning the exact price as that replacements had not been done in Kuwait attention by physicians on duty not its posi- age is 18 years. The options are for five more remains confidential. before, noting that these replacements work tion in the cue line as was the practice previ- A320neo and five more A350-900 XWB, Nisf Before these jets are received, KAC will just as well as natural ones the patients were ously. While he decried the unavoidability of said. He added that under the deal, which have new sparingly used aircrafts joining the born with. Assisting in the five operations was having crowded emergency rooms at hospi- has government approval, the airline would fleet. “The KAC will be renting 22 new and head of heart operations in Canada’s McGill tals worldwide, he said he was doing his best also lease a further 22 Airbus jets. used planes for eight years till we receive the University. at Adan to alleviate crowdedness at its emer- Adan hospital has recently opened its car- gency services. —KUNA The company is in talks with local and newly ordered airplanes. Two of them will international banks for part of the financing. join the fleet in July 2013, while the rest will Airbus is confident the A350, Europe’s be added later. These and the other expect- response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, can ed airplanes will help save a huge sum of Rights group blasts Kuwait make its maiden flight in the summer, it said money due to the new fuel saving technolo- earlier this week. The Kuwait Airways order gy. The A320NEO will save 15 percent due to proposed tough media law comes months after the Gulf Arab state was fuel efficiency, as this jet will use KD awarded $500 million by Iraqi Airways for 35,786,215 per year for fuel, compared to the KUWAIT: Human Rights Watch said yesterday tion so essential to any democratic society, not damage caused when former Iraqi President old A320 that is using KD 42,101,430 worth a proposed media law by Kuwait would throttle reporting and debate,” Sarah Leah Saddam Hussein’s forces seized aircraft and of fuel per year. This would mean a saving of increase state control and curtail the right to Whitson, Middle East director at HRW said. parts, ending a two-decade row over com- about KD 7 million per year. Multiply this free speech, as authorities suspended a popu- “The government should use the consultation pensation. with 15, the number of jets in service, and lar talk show program on a pro-opposition tel- period the prime minister announced to radi- Meanwhile, MP Saad Al-Bous has accused the amount will be more than KD 100 million evision channel. The draft law breaches inter- cally revise the draft and transform it into a law annually,” explained Al-Nasif. national standards protecting free speech as it that protects and promotes free speech,” she the KAC of buying aircrafts at a price far KAC is in talks with local and international would give the information ministry excessive said. The government’s submission of the draft expensive than the market price. The Board power, the New York-based HRW said in a law came during a crackdown on free speech, of Directors of the KAC held a press confer- banks for partially financing the deal. statement. HRW said. In recent months, the government ence yesterday at the KAC premises to clarify According to Amani Al-Bloushi, The draft legislation, which proposes a 10- has prosecuted opposition politicians, online the incorrect statements made by Al-Bous. Administrative and Financial Consultant of year jail term on religious offences and a fine of activists and journalists on charges such as “Al-Bous claimed that the KAC is buying the KAC, the company’s losses will be paid over $1 million for offending the ruler, was “offending the emir.”HRW’s criticism came as Airbus 340 for KD 60 million while the mar- for by the government and the agreement approved by the cabinet last month but was the information ministry suspended a popular ket price is KD 42.300 million, and Airbus 320 for the new fleet will be financed through a later frozen by the prime minister to allow fur- program titled “Talk Shawk” presented by for KD 16.5 million while it should cost KD certified loan. “The board of director set ther consultation. “Any press law should pro- opposition journalist Mohammad Al-Washeehi 14.9 million. However, these figures are not aside KD 900 million as the debts of KAC,” mote free speech and the free flow of informa- on Al-Youm satellite channel. —AFP correct as the KAC bought the A340 for KD she noted. FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Obama takes 15 killed Weakening up arms in Kabul cyclone against sea NATO leaves relief of15 scandal convoy16 blast in17 wake
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama (second right) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan (left) hold a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House yesterday. — AFP Obama, Erdogan meet on Syria Turkish prez seeks ‘no-fly zone’, arms for rebel groups WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama elements,” a Turkish official said on condition of ernment but also among the Turkish public. The August, suggesting a weakening of international met Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip anonymity. “We are of course concerned more expectation in Turkey was very high that the support for Assad’s immediate overthrow. Erdogan yesterday as world leaders scramble to than anyone else, being a neighbor of Syria - but United States would intervene militarily some- Russia and China are veto-wielding perma- find a way to ease Bashar Al-Assad from power the way to deal with that problem is not with- how,” the Turkish official said. “The line in Turkey nent members of the US Security Council and and end Syria’s bloody civil war. The talks came holding your support. Not doing anything is not was wait for the (US) elections - once he is re- have stymied Western-led bids to ramp up the a day before another key player in the drama, a solution.” Obama has said that Washington elected, Obama will move against the Assad pressure on Assad to step down several times Russian President Vladimir Putin, was to meet has a moral and national security incentive to regime. It didn’t happen.” during the now three-year-old war. Now, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and after UN stop the killing, but has demanded more evi- Erdogan is now under even more domestic diplomatic tempo is increasing, with leader members voted to condemn an “escalation” by dence to stand up reports that Syrian forces pressure on Syria, following deadly attacks in shuttling between capitals to try to revive a plan Assad’s forces. In a sign of personal respect for have used chemical weapons, crossing a US red the Turkish border town of Reyhanli that Ankara agreed in Geneva last year for a ceasefire fol- Erdogan, and in recognition of Turkey’s crucial line. Turkey also seems skeptical that the peace has blamed on terrorists with links to the lowed by the formation of a transitional Syrian role, Obama planned to host him at a private conference Washington is planning with Assad’s Damascus regime. “The president and his team government. Putin is likely to press this point in dinner after their talks and a joint White House ally Moscow will produce the kind of road map are constantly evaluating the options available his talks with Ban on Friday at his Black Sea resi- press conference. to a political transition - while keeping Syria in terms of assisting the Syrian people and dence in Sochi, southern Russia, and Moscow Obama has made strenuous efforts to court intact - that Washington wants. “We have to be assisting the Syrian opposition,” said White bitterly opposed Wednesday’s General assembly the Turkish leader, and used his personal con- ... realistic and very careful as to not turn this House spokesman Jay Carney. “It is our position vote. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin nection to end a standoff between Turkey and into an open ended process which would give as of now that our assistance to the Syrian oppo- wrote to all 193 UN members ahead of the vote America’s other key regional ally Israel at the the opportunity to the regime to gain time and sition is non-lethal in nature.” saying that supporting the resolution would “be end of March. But, while Obama and Erdogan to continue its campaign of violence,” the offi- Washington and Moscow have issued a joint a serious blow to all attempts to bring the Syrian agree that Assad must be ousted to end the cial said. call to organize an international peace confer- sides to the negotiating table.” slaughter, their approaches are different and Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, of the German Marshall ence to halt the fighting in Syria, but a vote on Both Russia and Syria’s main regional ally Iran there are signs of frustration in Ankara at Fund of the United States office in Turkey, told Wednesday at the United Nations underscored said the vote would embolden the rebel forces Obama’s cautious approach towards the Syrian AFP Erdogan would ask Obama to enforce a “no- the bitter divide between them. Russia is a tradi- fighting Assad’s regime and lead to greater vio- rebels. Obama has balked at providing arms and fly zone” in Syria and to start directly arming tional ally of Syria and voted against a motion lence, although reports from the battlefield ammunition to the guerrillas, fearing they could rebel groups. Obama has resisted both requests before the US General Assembly to condemn were of loyalist forces advancing. According to fall into the hands of extremist elements linked before. Enforcing a no-fly zone would require what Arab and Western powers denounced as rights activists, more than 94,000 people have to Al-Qaeda, and is now pinning hopes on a him to deploy US forces into combat in the Assad’s “escalation” in attacks on civilians. The been killed in the conflict, which erupted in peace conference jointly organized by Russia. Middle East once again, after he ran for re-elec- vote passed despite Russian anger but the num- March 2011 when the regime unleashed a brutal “Everyone in the international community is tion boasting of having ended the US role in ber of states backing the motion was only 107, crackdown against what started out as a peace- very much concerned, worried about the radical Iraq. “There is frustration, both among the gov- down from 133 when a similar vote was held in ful uprising. — AFP International FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Palestinians decry jailhouse informers RAMALLAH: Former Palestinian prisoners are speaking the occupation, I told them what I did and how a friend given to the birds in court, but rather uses them to take out to warn those still held in Israeli jails about a group of and I burned the bus.” Three days later, he found himself them into interrogation again and question them about undercover informers seeking to trip them up, who are in court where he was convicted and handed a three- their admissions, and then get official confessions.” known as “birds”. The network apparently stretches far year sentence - all based on what he had said in the “bird The birds’ charm offensive, however, is not always and wide, with these “birds” tasked with wheedling out room” although none of it was brought up as evidence guaranteed to get results. And three months ago, confessions that lead to convictions through a mixture of due to the secretive nature of the system. Palestinian officials blamed the far more serious incident charm, camaraderie and favours. Often these Palestinians Fifty-year-old Musa Hassan, had a similar experience of the death of an inmate in detention on the use of “bird pose as militants jailed for anti-Israeli attacks. Ahmed 15 years ago when he was taken to one such cell after 10 rooms” by Israel. Arafat Jaradat, 30, died very suddenly in Azzam, 30, says his first exposure to the “birds” was after days of interrogation over his alleged affiliation with a an Israeli jail in late February following several days of several unsuccessful Israeli attempts at interrogating Palestinian militant group. “When you go into the cell, interrogation over stone throwing, with a Palestinian him. “When I was 18, I was arrested by the army and the men approach you and introduce themselves as minister alleging he had been tortured to death, despite charged with setting fire to an Israeli bus. I was interro- members of Fatah or Hamas,” he told AFP. “I already Israeli accounts of an apparent heart attack. gated by the security services but did not confess,” he knew about the bird rooms, or ‘rooms of shame’ as But his lawyer Kamil Sabbagh says his death said. “After three days of interrogation I was taken to a they’re also known, so I told them I hadn’t done anything occurred while he was in a bird room. “It seems that room with other Palestinian prisoners, who started talk- and had been wrongly accused,” he said. But based on a Jaradat was transferred from Jalame detention centre ing to me and getting to know me. confession by another member of his group, Hassan was to a special section for birds and died there,” he said in “One said he’d shot at Israeli targets, and another said given a two-year sentence. a statement. “There was no acknowledgement he was his brother had been killed, so I thought I was in a room Lawyers acknowledge birds are widely used to great taken there and no official recognition of the existence full of revolutionaries,” Azzam said. “I mentioned I was effect by Israel, although the evidence gleaned from of the birds section,” Sabbagh said in a separate report craving sweets, and the next day they got me some,” he them rarely comes up directly in court. “Birds exist in on the same incident. “But the majority of Palestinian said, noting it was a type that it was not possible to get Israeli prisons and are deployed among the prisoners,” prisoners who’ve been through interrogation have hold of in prison. “They treated me well.” And it worked. said Jawad Boulos, legal counsel for the Ramallah-based gone there and know it well, and often they confess “After this treatment and hearing of their heroics against Prisoners Club. Israel “doesn’t usually use confessions there,” he charged. — AFP Sinai militants abduct 7 Egyptian security men Morsi holds crisis talks over kidnappings CAIRO: Suspected militants in Egypt’s Sinai abducted seven security person- nel as they headed to Cairo for holi- days early yesterday, security officials said. It was the first such kidnapping of security forces in the lawless penin- A supporter of Samer Al-Issawi, a Palestinian prisoner who sula. The officials said masked gun- is on a hunger strike, is arrested by Israeli police as he men ambushed two taxis at gunpoint demonstrates outside the Magistrate’s Court which to rule outside the city of el-Arish, the capital on Issawi’s case, yesterday.—AFP of North Sinai governorate, fleeing with five policemen and one border Iraq market attacks, guard captive. None of those abduct- ed were in uniform, officials said, and shootings kill 17 one of the policemen was on holiday. The taxi drivers reported that a sev- BAGHDAD: At least 17 people were killed by bombs in mar- enth member of the security forces kets in Baghdad and attacks in northern Iraq yesterday, police was also kidnapped, but authorities said, adding to a surge of sectarian-tinged violence in the past said they are still trying to identify four weeks. Attacks on Sunni and Shiite mosques, security him. forces and tribal leaders have mushroomed since security Four of the policemen work in the forces raided a Sunni protest camp near Kirkuk a month ago, Rafah border terminal leading to the igniting clashes and fuelling worries of a slide back into all-out Gaza Strip, and one was in a riot police sectarian war. Iraq has grown more volatile as the civil war in unit deployed in Sinai. The border neighbouring Syria strains fragile relations between Sunni and guard was a member of the military. CAIRO: Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi (right) meets Palestinian President Shi’ite Muslims. Tensions are now at their highest since the Criminals and Islamic militant groups Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential palace yesterday. — AFP last US troops pulled out at the end of 2011. have exploited a security vacuum that authorized to discuss the new instruc- them in what was the most brazen Tthree car bombs exploded in busy markets in eastern and developed in the Sinai since the 2011 tions with the media. militant attack on Egypt’s military by northeastern Shiite districts of the Iraqi capital, killing at least uprising against longtime autocrat Egypt’s state news agency MENA in modern history. The perpetrators 14 people and wounding 26, police said. “When the explosion Hosni Mubarak. Security officials say reported that negotiations with the remain unidentified. happened, it was chaos. People were running everywhere to the kidnapping was carried out by kidnappers were underway through Complicating the situation is a evacuate the victims. I saw two bakery labourers who were militant groups known to the authori- mediators, but also didn’t elaborate. longtime resentment by local tribes completely burned,” said Hussein Mahdi, a shop owner at the ties who are hiding in North Sinai’s MENA said President Mohamed Morsi toward the central government, scene of a blast in Sadr City. In a separate incident, assailants rugged mountains. Two officials said held an emergency meeting with the which they accuse of discrimination, with silenced weapons shot dead a prominent Sunni tribal the kidnapping came after the mother defense and interior ministers to dis- neglect, and police brutality. Tribal leader in his car in southern Baghdad and seriously wounded of an imprisoned militant said that her cuss the kidnapping. In a statement, Bedouins have briefly kidnapped for- his driver, police said. In the northern city of Mosul, a suicide son was tortured in detention, causing his office said the presidency was eigners to use them as bargaining car bomber attacked a military checkpoint, killing two soldiers his eyesight to fail. The imprisoned closely following the developments in chips with authorities, urging them to and wounding three, and a separate car bomb wounded two militant is held on charges of attack- the case. The security officials said release imprisoned relatives. Drugs, soldiers on patrol. ing a police station in the early days forces in the Sinai were on high alert, immigrants and arms are smuggled No group immediately claimed responsibility for the latest after Mubarak’s ouster. particularly along the border with the through the mountainous terrain. violence, which followed bombings that killed more than 35 people in Baghdad and the north on Wednesday. According The officials said authorities were Gaza Strip. Movement was restricted Morsi had pledged to restore secu- to the United Nations, April was Iraq’s bloodiest month for sending the family to visit their son in for the multinational forces stationed rity to the peninsula. Officials from the almost five years, with 712 people killed. The Iraqi govern- prison again and provide him with in Sinai since the peace treaty presidency at one point negotiated ment is embroiled in power struggles between majority necessary medical attention in a bid between Egypt and Israel was signed with locals to ease off on the crack- Shiites, Sunnis and ethnic Kurds. Minority Sunnis, who lost to defuse anger over his treatment, in 1979, the officials added. down and the pursuit of fugitives. In their dominance when the US-led invasion toppled Saddam and secure the safety of the captive The volatile northern Sinai, where exchange, locals were to refrain from Hussein in 2003, have been protesting for months against security personnel. The officials said militants often target police stations attacks on authorities or cross-border Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. Emboldened by the contact was established with the kid- and security forces, borders Hamas- raids on Israel. The US has repeatedly Sunni-led revolt in Syria, Iraqi Sunni insurgents, some linked to nappers, but refused to elaborate fur- ruled Gaza as well as Israel. In August discussed the situation in Sinai with Al-Qaeda, have intensified attacks this year, threatening to ther. They spoke on condition of 2012, militants attacked soldiers near Egyptian authorities and offered secu- drag Iraq back into communal strife. — Reuters anonymity because they were not the border with Gaza, killing 16 of rity and border control advice. —AP International FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 French school survives in war-rattled Damascus
DAMASCUS: Angered over Bashar Al-Assad’s ple’s everyday life. The current situation has brutal repression of peaceful protests in Syria infuriated some members of staff, such as first two years ago, Paris closed its embassy in grade teacher Marie-Helene Saleh who has Damascus, virtually cutting off the lifeline to worked at the school for 30 years. “I condemn the capital’s once-thriving French school. But France’s attitude towards this school. From tenacious parents and staff, driven by their one day to the next, my country cut its finan- love for French culture and despite financial cial assistance, and we lost French teachers hardship, have kept the Charles de Gaulle who were part of our team,” said Saleh as she school open, and children continue to study picked out books for her pupils in the school their grammar despite encroaching war. library. “The school lives on, because we have Charles de Gaulle is still operating thanks to its students who trusted France and its school financial reserves and to the tuition parents system. I am here mainly for them and for their are able to pay, although 40 children of dual parents, who continue to support the school,” French-Syrian nationality do receive financial she added. aid. The school, which follows the French Dimitri Argherinos, who teaches literature national curriculum, once enrolled 900 stu- at the secondary level hails the tenacity of dents from kindergarten through high school. Syrian parents who are helping to keep the But its numbers have plunged. Barely 200 stu- school alive. “What is amazing is the parents’ dents now attend classes, said Zina Farra, who stubborn willingness to keep the school heads the management committee at the going, despite the difficulties Syria is going school, which has a staff of 80. “We are respon- through,” said Argherinos. “I am Greek, but I sible for keeping the school alive, because we admire French culture and literature,” he said, DAMASCUS: Students take notes during a French literature class at the Lycee Charles De are deeply attached to French culture and we taking a break from teaching the classic works Gaulle French school in the Syrian capital on May 9, 2013. — AFP do not want to break our links with France,” of Stendhal and Maupassant. she added. The school is located in Mazzeh, an upscale machinegun fire crackles in the distance, but it Studies. But the school council manager Farra Syria was once part of the Ottoman Empire, neighbourhood in western Damascus that is doesn’t seem to faze the students in is committed to carrying on. “Registration is which broke up after it came out on the losing home to embassies and government buildings Argherinos’ class. “When we are here (at open for next year, and even if we only have side in World War I. In 1920, France took over and has not been spared deadly violence. On school) we are in another world,” said 15-year- 10 students, we won’t close the school,” she rule of the country under a League of Nations April 29, a car bomb exploded in Mazzeh tar- old Doreen Hamoui. said. In the meantime a former headmaster mandate. The country gained its independ- geting the car of Prime Minister Wael Al-Halqi, France, in addition to closing its embassy in who retired in Syria was asked to take charge ence in 1946, but the love of everything who escaped unscathed but whose body- Damascus,” has also shut the French Cultural of the school, which follows the French school French continued to be a part of many peo- guards were killed. Outside the school heavy Centre and the French Centre for Near Eastern curriculum. —AFP
Jalili says nuclear Video shows Syrian talks ‘long, useful’
ISTANBUL: Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said yes- rebels executing 11 terday that nuclear talks with the EU’S foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton were “long and useful” and that both sides have decided to continue the discussions. “Last night, as Lady Troops repel rebel attack on Aleppo prison Ashton said, we had long, useful talks,” Jalili said in Istanbul. “We had the chance to go into details. We decided to contin- BEIRUT: A video published yesterday of activists in Syria. Such videos posted the alleged Banias massacre showed ue working and keep on our talks.” Ashton called the talks showed fighters of the Al-Qaeda-linked online are hard to verify due to govern- dozens of mutilated bodies, many of “useful” in a statement on Nusra Front in Syria executed 11 men ment restrictions on access for inde- them children, lying in the streets. Wednesday and said it was they accused of taking part in massacres pendent media. The Nusra video is the Meanwhile, Syrian rebels withdrew time to “reflect on how to go by President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces. second video to be published in the from a prison in the northern city of to the next stage of the The film is believed to be from eastern past two days showing executions by Aleppo yesterday after heavy fighting process”. Deir al-Zor province and dates from fighters who say they are from Al- with government troops, the The two top negotiators some time in 2012, according to the Qaeda-linked groups. A video issued on Observatory said, as it more than dou- were meeting for the first time Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an Wednesday from the northern province bled its tally of deaths from sectarian since fruitless discussions opposition monitoring group. The of Raqqa, which is controlled by Islamist killings in Banias earlier this month. It between Iran and six major Observatory’s head, Rami Abdelrahman, rebels, showed three blindfolded men raised the death toll from the May 3 sec- powers - the US, China, Russia, said the Nusra Front has recently been sitting on the curb of a central round- tarian killings in the coastal city to 145 Britain, France and Germany - releasing several videos of their past about before being shot in the head from 62. Activists said at the time that in April over Tehran’s contro- operations. He said the man seen exe- with a pistol. A man speaking in the troops and pro-government gunmen versial nuclear ambitions. That cuting the prisoners in the video - a video said the executions were revenge stormed the predominantly Sunni round in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nusra commander - had been killed in for killings in the coastal town of Banias Muslim neighborhood of Ras Nabeh and had ended with Ashton saying March 2013 in battles with local tribes in two weeks ago. Photos and videos of killed dozens. —Agencies the two sides remained “far the province. apart” despite the six powers known as P5+1 having sweet- Saeed Jalili The footage shows the commander, ened an earlier offer. But Jalili his face covered in a black balaclava, said yesterday that “our proposals in Almaty were very good”. shooting each prisoner in the back of He pointed out that the world powers had said they wanted the head as they kneeled, blindfolded to negotiate within the group before responding to Tehran’s and lined up in a row in the sand. “The offers. “We hope they will agree to those proposals. We hope sharia court for the eastern region in they will turn our proposal for cooperation into an opportuni- Deir al-Zor has sentenced to death these ty,” Jalili said, without elaborating. Jalili said Iran was “ready to apostate soldiers that committed mas- continue the talks any time” but insisted that Tehran’s right to sacres against our brothers and families peaceful uranium enrichment “should be recognised”. in Syria,” the executioner said on the Enriched uranium is at the heart of the international commu- video. Islamist militants with black flags nity’s concerns because it can be used to make a nuclear shouted “God is great” as each man was bomb, as well as for energy production. The UN Security shot. The executioner returned to some Council has passed multiple resolutions calling on Iran to sus- victims, firing more bullets into them to pend all uranium enrichment, imposing several rounds of make sure they were dead. sanctions on the Islamic republic. Additional US and EU sanc- Videos of executions and torture tions last year began to cause major economic problems by have become increasingly common in targeting the Persian Gulf country’s vital oil sector and finan- Syria, where more than 94,000 people cial system. Jalili said the world powers were proposing a have been killed in a conflict now in its An image grab taken on Wednesday from an undated shows a member of the “step by step” approach in the nuclear talks. But he noted that third year, according to the British- jihadist group Al-Nusra Front shooting blindfolded supporters of the Syrian Tehran wants any concessions it makes to be reciprocated by based Observatory, which has a network regime at an undisclosed location in eastern Syria. — AFP the West, particularly with regards to easing sanctions. —AFP International FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Anger over East German ‘human guinea pigs’
BERLIN: Germany is confronting another chapter from Beck this week demanded a full investigation into what A Novartis spokesman said the Swiss group was its past - allegations that Western drug companies used he called “the systematic circumvention of ethical and open to cooperating with an independent research more than 50,000 people in the former communist East legal standards in drug trials by pharmaceutical com- group, provided the transfer of sensitive patient data as “human guinea pigs” in 1980s medical trials. News panies in the GDR”. Health Minister Daniel Bahr urged to third parties complies with legal standards. And a magazine Spiegel this week reported that a who’s who drugs companies to financially support an inquiry, Roche spokesman said the company was completely of big German, Swiss and US pharmaceutical compa- while the Berlin Charite hospital announced it would committed to applying rules and guidelines but point- nies made deals with the dictatorship to test medi- search its archives to bring clarity. ed out that the “state of knowledge” had changed in cines, sometimes without the knowledge of the The commissioner for questions on the former East the past 30 years. patients. Several people were known to have died dur- Germany, Christoph Bergner, on Wednesday said he Critics charge that, even if strict guidelines exist on ing trials, and some tests involved infants and delirious had “promised financial support” to the Charite project, paper, carrying out drug trials in police states or poor alcoholics, said the report on the agreements with the without mentioning amounts or details. The Spiegel countries means rules may not be enforced, and that police state that collapsed with the 1989 fall of the report said some 600 clinical trials, including for blood even patients informed about the risks may have little Berlin Wall. pressure and depression drugs, were carried out in choice but to consent. Jahn told the Zeit weekly that “I Major drugs companies, some of which have taken more than 50 hospitals, according to previously am not aware that during GDR times anyone looked over other firms in corporate mergers since, insist they unpublished documents of the East German health into whether the tests complied with the rules”. “The stuck to the standards and laws of the times. But calls ministry, pharmaceutical institute and Stasi. State Security was tasked with covering up the drug have grown for full transparency into the agreements The German drug industry’s Association of tests. They were meant to secure the hard-currency overseen by the State Security (Stasi) secret police to Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies in a state- deals and prevent disruptions, and for that they set up earn the communist state tens of millions in hard-cur- ment said the tests met the common standards of the a spying system. We know that much from the files.” rency Deutschmarks. “It was a nasty German-German time. “GDR law had requirements for the conduct of For East Germany, the millions in profits aimed to deal” in which profits were made on both sides of the clinical studies that were comparable to those of “preserve the power” of the regime and “to get the Berlin Wall, Stasi Archives Commissioner Roland Jahn, Western countries including the United States,” said its ramshackle health system going”, he said. For victims who was a dissident-journalist in the former German chief executive Birgit Fischer. Several major drugs com- groups who suffered under the communist regime, the Democratic Republic (GDR), told the Zeit weekly yester- panies contacted by AFP said they would support an report revived some bitter memories. Rainer Wagner, day. “I am not surprised that medical tests were carried inquiry. Germany’s Bayer said it always applies equal chairman of the Union of Groups of Victims of out in the GDR that didn’t meet the standards of demo- standards in its medical trials worldwide, and that it Communist Tyranny, said it showed how “leaders of cratic countries. The dictatorship was capable of a lot.” presumed the GDR had followed its own laws at the the criminal state the GDR were chasing Western cash A senior member of the opposition Greens party Volker time. and therefore knew no moral scruples”. — AFP
Nigeria begins Britain moves closer offensive against Islamist insurgents to EU referendum law
KANO, Nigeria: More than 2,000 Nigerian troops have begun an offensive to retake territory seized by Islamist insurgents in Cameron orders all Tory MPs to give full backing the remote northeast, some of them raiding camps in a game reserve, a military source told AFP yesterday. The military has LONDON: Britain moved closer to a refer- launched a sweeping operation to flush out fighters from Boko endum on Europe after a eurosceptic law- Haram, a radical group which says it wants to create an Islamic maker said yesterday that he would put for- state in northern Nigeria. The offensive follows an admission by ward legislation backed by Prime Minister President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram had “taken David Cameron guaranteeing a vote by over” parts of the northeast and declared war against the 2017. Cameron ordered all Conservative Nigerian government, prompting him to impose emergency lawmakers to give their full backing to the measures in three states. bill, which the party rushed out earlier this A military source who requested anonymity told AFP that week in a bid to satisfy the increasingly operations had started in at least one area of Borno state, the rebellious eurosceptic wing of the party. epicentre of the insurgency. “Our men raided some terrorist Conservative MP James Wharton confirmed camps in the Sambisa Game Reserve,” in northern Borno, early he would table the centre-right party’s EU on Wednesday, he said. In January, the military stormed Boko referendum bill in parliament after he came Haram training facilities in the same area. The source added top of a ballot to see which lawmakers may that 2,000 troops had been deployed to Borno but declined to put forward so-called private members’ leg- comment on the number of forces sent to the two other affect- islation. ed states, Yobe and Adamawa. Army spokesman Brigadier Parliament will now formally debate the draft bill, probably in early July, although General Ibrahim Attahiru refused to discuss figures. LONDON: Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (left) talks Residents in all three states have reported seeing an under the complex British parliamentary system there is no guarantee that it will with Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram during a bilateral increased number of military personnel. Zangina Kyarimi, who meeting in central London yesterday. — AFP lives in the remote town of Marti in northern Borno towards reach a vote or become law. In January the border with Chad, told AFP that “large military teams” Cameron vowed to renegotiate Britain’s favour of a parliamentary motion on support it. Cameron’s spokesman con- arrived late Wednesday. “I saw dozens of military vans and troubled relationship with the European Wednesday night criticising the govern- firmed that said there would be a “three- trucks accompanied by tanks,” he said by phone from the town Union and then hold an in-out referendum ment for failing to include the referendum line whip” the strictest orders used by par- which is considered a Boko Haram stronghold. “We are afraid by the end of 2017, provided that he wins in its plans for the coming year. Cameron’s liamentary parties in Britain to enforce dis- of what might happen in the coming days. We are thinking of the next general election in 2015. But dis- spokesman said the prime minister would cipline - to get Conservative MPs to support leaving.” gruntled Conservative eurosceptics want give the bill his “full support”. “The prime it. The earliest that the bill can be debated The security forces yesteday told banks to close in the town him to enshrine that promise in law before minister is very happy that James Wharton in parliament is July 5. of Gashua in Yobe state, where suspected Boko Haram fighters the election to stop any backtracking, as has taken up the draft legislation published British parliamentary rules allow individ- attacked the police and a series of buildings on April 26, resi- well as to head off the rise of the anti-EU UK by the Conservative party on Tuesday and ual legislators to propose legislation, with a dent Musa Saminu said. “Around 30 military vans passed Independence Party (UKIP). “It is about time he intends to give it the full support of the ballot held to decide which lawmakers get through the town...They were heavily armed. Some of them that this issue was tackled head-on by par- Conservative party,” the spokesman told to do so. However private members bills went to the banks and asked them to close down as a precau- liament,” Wharton told the BBC. He admit- reporters. often sputter out because there is not tion,” he told AFP. Red Cross spokesman Nwakpa O Nwakpa ted the “arithmetic” of getting it to become Labour has accused Cameron of losing enough time in parliament to allow them said the organisation was prepared to offer relief to civilians law was “difficult” as it will likely be control of his party over Europe. The issue to become law. Cameron survived a vote impacted by the military operation. opposed by the Liberal Democrats, the pro- has long been toxic for the Conservatives, on Wednesday night on a rebel eurosceptic Nigeria’s security forces have been accused of massive EU junior partners in Cameron’s coalition leading to the downfall of late prime minis- motion expressing regret that the referen- rights abuses in campaigns against Boko Haram, which may government, and by the opposition Labour ter Margaret Thatcher in 1990 and weaken- dum was not mentioned in last week’s have amounted to crimes against humanity, according to party. The bill requires a referendum to be ing her successor John Major. The Queen’s Speech, which sets out the coali- Human Rights Watch. The US State Department on Wednesday held before Dec 31, 2017 on the question: Conservatives are having to rely on tion’s legislative plans. But a higher than warned that any “heavy-handed” tactics or disregard for “Do you think that the United Kingdom Wharton alone to put forward the bill - expected number of Tories voted for the human rights during the emergency operations could damage should remain a member of the European instead of putting it forward themselves as motion despite the fact that Cameron had bilateral relations. —AFP Union?” Wharton was among the one-third a government bill - because their coalition published the draft legislation as they had of Conservative lawmakers who voted in partners the Liberal Democrats would not wished. —AFP International14 FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Jury finds Arias eligible for death penalty
PHOENIX: An Arizona jury on Wednesday in prison, but she was returned to her jail cell shooting Alexander, with whom she was hav- would have prevented Alexander from feeling declared Jodi Arias eligible to receive the on Monday. The petite, 32-year-old former ing an on-again, off-again affair, but said she the pain of the knife blows, thus reducing his death penalty for the fatal shooting and stab- waitress from California had sought unsuc- opened fire on him with his own pistol after suffering. If the bullet wound to his forehead bing of her ex-boyfriend in 2008, saying that cessfully to convince the jury during her trial he attacked her in a rage because she came first, rendering him unconscious in sec- she had acted with extreme cruelty. The jury that she acted in self-defense. She admitted dropped his camera while taking snapshots of onds, then Alexander would not have suf- was due to return to court yesterday to weigh him in the shower. She said she did not fered, defense attorney Kirk Nurmi said. additional evidence in deciding whether to remember stabbing him. During the trial, Martinez cast Arias as manipu- actually sentence Arias to death or to life in The lurid circumstances of the case, which lative and prone to jealousy in previous rela- prison for killing Travis Alexander, 30. The went to trial in January and featured graphic tionships. He said she had meticulously same jury rejected Arias’ claims of self-defense testimony, photographs of the blood-sprayed planned to kill Alexander, a businessman and to convict her last week of the first-degree crime scene and a sex tape, became a sensa- motivational speaker. murder of Alexander, whose body was found tion on cable television news and unfolded in In making his case for premeditated mur- slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area live Internet telecasts of the proceedings. On der, Martinez had accused Arias of bringing home five years ago. He had been stabbed 27 Wednesday, prosecutors focused on the grisly the pistol used in the killing, which has not time, had his throat slashed and been shot in details of Alexander’s slaying in their bid to been recovered, with her from California the face. The penalty phase of the proceed- cast the crime as especially cruel - a legal stan- home to the scene of the crime. He said she ings moved swiftly on its first day on dard for aggravating factors that would quali- also rented a car, removed its license plate and Wednesday. After prosecution and defense fy Arias for the death sentence. bought gasoline cans and fuel to conceal her presentations, the jury deliberated for about Prosecutor Juan Martinez recounted how journey to the Phoenix suburbs to kill three hours before deciding Arias was eligible Arias attacked Alexander in his own shower, Alexander. Martinez said Arias also lied after for the death penalty and then recessed for repeatedly stabbing him for two minutes as the killing to deflect any suspicion that she the day. Arias appeared agitated and tearful at he tried to escape from the bathroom. She had been involved in his death, leaving a times during the proceedings, wiping her then followed the bleeding victim down a voicemail on Alexander’s cellphone, sending eyes and nose with a tissue and mostly keep- hallway and slashed his throat when he was flowers to his grandmother and telling detec- ing her gaze downward. But she kept her too weak to get away. Alexander knew he was tives she was not at the crime scene before composure during the reading of the jury’s going to die and was unable to resist his changing her story. Nurmi, meanwhile, verdict finding that she had committed the attacker at that point, Martinez said. “Each and argued that Arias had snapped in the “sudden murder in an “especially cruel” manner. PHOENIX: Jodi Arias reacts dur- every time that blade went into his body, it heat of passion” in the moments between a She had been placed on suicide watch in a hurt,” Martinez told the jury. “It was only death photograph she took showing Alexander psychiatric ward following her conviction a ing the sentencing phase of her that relieved that pain. It was only death that alive and taking a shower, and a subsequent week ago after saying in a television interview trial at Maricopa County Superior relieved that anguish, and that is especially picture of his apparently dead body covered that she would prefer the death penalty to life Court on Wednesday. —AP cruel.” The defense argued that adrenaline in blood. —Reuters Tornadoes tear through Texas towns, killing six Dozens injured as homes destroyed, trees uprooted DALLAS: At least six people were killed people were still missing and at least 45 the National Weather Service issued a and seven were missing after as many as injured, most from a single subdivision tornado warning for Granbury 26 min- 10 tornadoes ripped through north-cen- of homes in the town. “The main con- utes before the twister struck, according tral Texas Wednesday evening, leaving a cern is life safety and finding any victims to Mark Wiley, emergency response trail of destruction from the worst severe that still need our help,” Hood County meteorologist at the agency’s Forth storm outbreak in the United States so Sheriff Roger Deeds said at a press con- Worth office. This is an unusually long far this year. Authorities warned the ference yesterday. All six of the people lead time as the average warning time is LAS VEGAS: O J Simpson removes his glasses as he death toll could rise from the storms, confirmed killed were found in Rancho 10 to 12 minutes, he said. Wiley said the testifies during an evidentiary hearing in Clark which struck from early evening to Brazos, a neighborhood of around 110 rating of the deadly tornado would not County District Court Wednesday. —AP around dusk, flattening homes and mostly single family homes on the fringe be determined until later yesterday, but uprooting trees across at least four coun- of Granbury that bore the brunt of the “it was a strong tornado just based on OJ Simpson says ties near the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The winds, Deeds said. Video of the area the damage.” hardest hit area was around Granbury, a showed homes flattened, power lines More severe storms could be coming town of 8,000 people about 56 km down and roads blocked by debris in the to Texas, parts of Arkansas and northern didn’t break law southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth. area. Bulldozers were clearing roads so Louisiana later on Thursday, said Corey LOS ANGELES: Jailed sports star O J Simpson insisted Wednesday he In Hood County, where Granbury is people could be moved out of their Mead, forecaster at NWS Storm did nothing illegal on the night of a September 2007 casino hotel rob- located, spokesman Tye Bell said seven houses. Preliminary reports showed that Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. bery, and had no idea men with him had guns, as he sought a retrial. But he said the possible tornadoes The 65-year-old former American footballer and actor, who did not tes- would be in northeast Texas, not in the tify at his 2008 trial, appeared relaxed as he gave a blow-by-blow area hit on Wednesday night. Until account of the events of September 13, 2007 in Las Vegas. Simpson, Wednesday, the tornado season had who acknowledged that he had been drinking heavily ahead of the inci- been unusually mild so far in 2013 after dent, is seeking a retrial on grounds that his longtime lawyer Yale two years of intense activity. The torna- Galanter had botched his defense. do season in the United States typically Dressed in a blue prison outfit, Simpson said he did not knowingly starts in the Gulf Coast states in the late break the law on the day he and five associates seized what he believed winter, and then moves north with the were his own stolen belongings from two sports memorabilia dealers. warming weather, peaking around May “It was my stuff. I followed what I thought was the law... I didn’t break and trailing off by July. Several deadly into anybody’s room, I didn’t beat up anybody, I didn’t try to muscle the tornadoes have struck in recent years. guys,” he told the court in Las Vegas. “The guys acknowledged it was In March 2012, at least 39 people my stuff, even though they claimed they didn’t steal it.” were killed in a chain of tornadoes from Simpson - famously acquitted for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico. The Nicole Brown - said nobody discussed using guns before he and his following month, at least six people cohorts - two of whom turned out to be armed - entered the hotel room were killed by a twister in an Oklahoma to reclaim the belongings. “There was no talk about guns at all,” said town during a weekend outbreak of Simpson, who was shackled at the wrists and ankles when brought into dozens of twisters across the Great court, although one of the handcuffs was removed while he gave testi- Plains. In May 2011, a massive tornado mony. Simpson is serving nine to 33 years in a Nevada state peniten- struck Joplin, Missouri, killing 161 peo- CLEBURNE, Texas: Derrek Grisham (left) points out neighborhood dam- tiary, after being convicted in Oct 2008 of armed robbery, assault and ple and damaging or destroying 7,500 age to storm chaser Travis Schafer after a tornado damaged his mother’s kidnapping over the robbery, which was infamously caught on security homes. —Reuters house on Hyde Park Lane at Country Club Rd Wednesday night. —AP camera footage. —AFP International15 FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Researchers make embryonic stem cells from skin
WASHINGTON: US researchers have nuclear transfer. “A thorough examination destroyed. Since the birth of the sheep cloning,” they said. reported a breakthrough in stem cell of the stem cells derived through this tech- Dolly in 1996 in the United Kingdom, the Scientists hope that stem cell research research, describing how they have turned nique demonstrated their ability to con- first cloned animal, researchers have will offer new pathways in the fight human skin cells into embyronic stem cells vert just like normal embryonic stem cells, cloned some 20 species including goats against Parkinson’s disease, multiple scle- for the first time. The method described into several different cell types, including and rabbits, but never monkeys or pri- rosis, spinal cord injuries and blindness. Wednesday by Oregon State University nerve cells, liver cells and heart cells,” said mates whose biologies and reproduction Nonetheless, the US Conference of scientists in the journal Cell, would not Mitalipov. He added that since the repro- is more complex. Years of research on Catholic Bishops warned that other likely be able to create human clones, said grammed cells use genetic material from monkey cells using the same technique researchers will use the new technique to Shoukhrat Mitalipov, senior scientist at the the patient, there is no concern about have not successfully produced any mon- try to clone people. Cardinal Sean O’Malley Oregon National Primate Research Center. transplant rejection. “While there is much key clones. of Boston said this way of making embryos But it is an important step in research work to be done in developing safe and Since the human cells used in the study will be taken up by people who want to because it does not require the use of effective stem cell treatments, we believe appeared even more fragile, researchers produce cloned children as “copies” of embryos in creating the type of stem cell this is a significant step forward in devel- said it was unlikely that clones could be other people. “Whether used for one pur- capable of transforming into any other oping the cells that could be used in made. “While nuclear transfer break- pose or the other, human cloning treats type of cell in the body. regenerative medicine,” Mitalipov said. throughs often lead to a public discussion human beings as products, manufactured The technique involves transplanting Another advantage of this approach is about the ethics of human cloning, this is to order to suit other people’s wishes.” He an individual’s DNA into an egg cell that that it does not use fertilized embryos to not our focus, nor do we believe our find- added, “A technical advance in human has been stripped of genetic material, a obtain stem cells, a technique that raises ings might be used by others to advance cloning is not progress for humanity but its variation of a method called somatic cell major ethical issues because the embryo is the possibility of human reproductive opposite,” he said in a statement. —AFP
Pentagon pledges Obama takes up arms action after latest sex assault charge against sea of scandal WASHINGTON: The US military vowed Wednesday to address a wave of sexual assault cases after a soldier who worked in a rape pre- vention program was accused of forcing a subordinate into prostitu- Acting head of the IRS sacked tion. The latest revelation marked the second time in a week that a member of the military assigned to work in its sexual assault preven- WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama a cover up to disguise the involvement of Islamic terparts in other agencies that due to an tion program had been placed under investigation for alleged sexual launched a multipronged counterattack extremists in the attack and to head off damage ongoing criminal investigation, no public crimes. Following the new allegation, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Wednesday at Republicans who had painted a to his re-election campaign. The correspondence assessments should be made into who was ordered those working as recruiters and in sex assault prevention trio of alleged scandals as flagrant evidence of details a spirited debate between top US officials responsible. The White House also backed leg- efforts to undergo fresh screening and training, his spokesman abuses of power and cover-ups. Obama seized in several agencies about how to publicly islation to strengthen journalists’ rights to pro- George Little told reporters. “There is frustration on the part of this the initiative after days of incoming fire over the describe the attack, and its causes, in talking tect sources, after government agents secretly secretary,” Little said. “It’s not just about talking about this issue. We assault on a US mission in Libya, the targeting of points for members of Congress and the press. collected AP phone records in an apparent have to take action and we have to take action swiftly.” The Pentagon conservative groups by tax officials and a Justice But it appears to show that the CIA, and not search for national security leakers. “The presi- revealed on Tuesday that a US Army sergeant based at Fort Hood in Department trawl of reporters’ phone records. senior White House or State Department offi- dent has long supported media shield legisla- Texas faces allegations of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, mis- On a day of high drama, the White House cials, took the lead in developing the talking tion in the Senate, during the 2008 campaign, treatment of subordinates and pandering - the legal term for pimp- released 100 pages of emails which it said points and in omitting key information about and as president,” spokesman Jay Carney said. ing. The sergeant, who was not named, was working as a “sexual debunked Republican charges that it had cov- possible action by extremists. CIA Deputy Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who harassment or assault response and prevention program coordina- ered up the true circumstances of last year’s tor” at the huge base and has since been suspended from his duties. Benghazi attack, which killed four Americans. Last week, an Air Force officer in charge of his service’s sexual assault Then, Obama sacked the acting head of the prevention office was arrested near the Pentagon for allegedly Internal Revenue Service and pledged full coop- assaulting a woman in a parking lot, grabbing her breasts and but- eration with Congress over claims that the tocks. agency had unfairly investigated right-wing According to Little, Hagel discussed the sexual assault problem in groups hostile to his White House. And he also his weekly meeting with President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Both backed a “reporter shield” bill designed to agreed that urgent steps were needed and that anyone guilty of sex- strengthen the rights of journalists to protect ual assault had to be held accountable, he said, adding: “The presi- sources, as a firestorm intensified over the gov- dent has made very clear his expectations on this issue.” The embar- ernment’s seizure of Associated Press reporters’ rassing allegations have put the Pentagon under growing pressure call logs. The president sought to portray himself and provided ammunition to lawmakers and activists, who are push- as decisive and with nothing to hide, as he ing for major changes to military procedures to stem the problem. sought to sweep away several days of political There are growing calls in Congress to change the military’s legal wobbles which left his administration under code, which allows commanders to weigh in on criminal cases and siege. even to overturn verdicts or sentences. Hagel has proposed stripping After meeting senior Treasury aides, Obama commanders of the authority to toss out a verdict after a trial but had appeared in the East Room of the White House initially opposed more sweeping changes, which could remove sexu- just in time for evening news bulletins to al assault cases from the chain of command. Little said the Pentagon announce the acting head of the IRS, Steven chief is now ready to consider “all options”. Democratic Senator Miller, was out. “Given the controversy surround- Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee ing this audit, it’s important to institute new on Personnel, has blasted the Pentagon over the issue and demand- leadership that can help restore confidence ed an overhaul of its justice system. “It is time to get serious and get going forward,” Obama said. The president, who to work reforming the military justice system that clearly isn’t work- has dismissed Republican attempts to link him to ing,” the New York lawmaker said in a statement Tuesday. “I believe the scandal at the independent agency, also strongly that to create the kind of real reform that will make a differ- pledged to work directly with Congress as it car- WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama speaks on the Internal ence we must remove the chain of command from the decision mak- ries out oversight into the matter. Obama said Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scruti- ing process for these types of serious offenses.” that abuses, revealed by a report by a govern- ny in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday. —AP Senior military officers have been accused of failing to recognize ment watchdog released on Tuesday, were the gravity of the problem and the US Air Force’s chief, General Mark “inexcusable”. “Americans have a right to be Director Michael Morell is seen removing refer- reintroduced his shield proposal, said the bill Welsh, came under heavy criticism over his remarks at a hearing last angry about it, and I am angry about it,” Obama ences to Al-Qaeda, and Libya-based extremists would require prosecutors to prove to a week. Welsh told lawmakers sexual assaults in the ranks reflected a said, after meeting top Treasury Department offi- linked to the group, from the talking points, later judge that information sought would “pre- wider societal problem, saying troops were influenced by a “hookup” cials. used by US Ambassador to the United Nations vent or mitigate an act of terrorism or harm culture among young people. But the Pentagon distanced itself from The document release showed the develop- Susan Rice on television. The correspondence to national security”. Obama’s actions may his comments. “It really doesn’t matter if our (sexual assault) rates are ment of the administration’s narrative in the also appears to suggest that officials erred on the improve his political position as he seeks to similar to that of the rest of society, quite frankly,” Little said when frantic days after the Benghazi attack on Sept 11 side of caution on the question of whether the build traction for top second term initiatives asked about the remarks. “We must hold ourselves to a higher stan- last year, which killed US ambassador Chris attack was planned and carried out by extrem- like immigration reform and implementing dard, and that’s what the American people demand.” —AFP Stevens. Many Republican lawmakers and pun- ists. his health care law, but Republicans are dits have alleged that Obama’s aides engaged in In one email, a CIA official warns his coun- unlikely to be placated. —AFP International FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Bangladesh garment hub to reopen after unrest
DHAKA: Bangladesh garment manufactur- the “highest security” for the plants, Azim H&M, Tesco, Inditex and Carrefour, are the bottom in the global supply chain,” ers said yesterday they would reopen hun- told AFP. “We met the home and labour based at Ashulia. Angry workers have also Philip Jennings, UNI Global Union’s general dreds of factories in a hub outside Dhaka, ministers and representatives from the demanded a big rise in their minimum secretary, said in a statement. The full list of days after they were shuttered due to workers today. They assured the highest monthly wage, which was fixed at $38 in deal signatories released yesterday includ- unrest over the country’s worst industrial security for our factories,” he said. There Nov 2010, prompting Pope Francis to com- ed: H&M, Inditex, C&A, PVH, Tchibo, Tesco, tragedy. The manufacturers Monday has been virtually no work at Ashulia, home pare the pay to that of “slave labour”. The Marks & Spencer, Primark, El Corte Ingles, announced the shutdown of the factories to several hundred garment factories, since government last week set up a panel to and Mango. in the Ashulia industrial area after two the deadly collapse of the garment factory raise the salaries of the three million gar- The agreement binds retailers to hold weeks of protests over the death of 1,127 complex near the hub that highlighted ment workers and has approved changes in independent building and fire safety garment workers in the collapse of a nine appalling safety conditions in the sector. labour laws, making it easier for them to inspections and pay for repairs. US groups story complex. “We’ve decided to reopen “We incurred losses of at least $150 million form unions. Walmart and Gap have not joined the the factories from Friday,” Shahidullah due to labour unrest in the past two The announcement of the factory agreement. Walmart, however, has under- Azim, vice-president of the Bangladesh weeks,” Azim said. Police said tens of thou- reopening plans came as Swiss-based taken to inspect all 279 of its Bangladeshi Garment Manufacturers and Exporters sands of workers joined the protests and labour umbrella groups Industrial Global suppliers and publish the results, while Gap Association, said after meeting government dozens of factories and vehicles were van- Union and UNI Global Union praised top has underlined it launched its own drive and labour representatives. dalised. retailers for joining their drive to make last October. Bangladesh is the world’s sec- The association, which represents the Most of Bangladesh’s top garment facto- Bangladesh’s garment factories safer. “This ond-biggest apparel maker and the $20 bil- country’s 4,500 garment factories, took the ries, which make clothing for a string of accord is a turning point. We are putting in lion industry accounts for up to 80 percent decision after the government assured it of major Western retailers including Walmart, place rules that mark the end of the race to of annual exports. — AFP
21, including 15 killed in Kabul 8 Japanese, hurt in Nepal crash NATO convoy blast KATHMANDU: Twenty-one people were hurt, including eight Japanese tourists, when a small plane skidded off a Nepal airport runway yesterday Six Americans among dead and plunged into a river, police said. All 21 people aboard the Nepal KABUL: A suicide bomber in a car attacked Airlines Twin Otter aircraft were a convoy of foreign troops in Kabul yester- injured, five seriously, police day, killing at least 15 people including six spokesman Keshav Adhikari said. Americans, Afghan and foreign officials The plane’s brakes failed and it said, in one of the worst attacks in the crashed into the Kali Gandaki river in Afghan capital in months. Forty people the Annapurna mountain range in were wounded in the blast at around 8 a.m. (0330 GMT) during the morning rush-hour. Nepal’s northwest, Adhikari said. “At It caused heavy damage to mud-built hous- 8:30 am (0245 GMT), the plane was es in the vicinity. The Hezb-e-Islami insur- landing at Jomsom airport in gent group, which is allied with the Mustang district when its brakes Taleban, claimed responsibility For the failed. Half of the aircraft’s body is in attack on the two-vehicle convoy. NATO’s the water and the other half is on International Security Assistance Force the river bank,” Adhikari told AFP. (ISAF) said the bomber killed two of its “Five people, including a pilot, members and four civilian contractors. It have been seriously injured. They declined to give nationalities. But two sen- are being airlifted to Pokhara for fur- ior officials, one Afghan and the other from ther treatment,” he said, referring to ISAF, said the two ISAF soldiers and four the resort town where the flight contractors were all American. originated. The plane carried three Afghan officials said nine Afghan civil- crew members and 18 passengers. ians were killed, including two children. Eight passengers were Japanese “Some of the dead civilians were badly tourists en route to Jomsom, an air- burnt and cannot be recognised,” Kaneshka port town near Muktinath, a sacred Baktash, a spokesman for the Health Buddhist pilgrimage site at the foot Ministry, told Reuters. Helicopters buzzed of the Thorong La Himalayan moun- over Kabul’s diplomatic area after the attack tain pass while the rest on board and sirens whined. “We were in our home were Nepalese, police said. drinking tea when the we heard a blast and Nepal has a poor road network our windows shattered, the glass wounded and tourists, pilgrims and profes- all of us,” Zohra, a wounded girl who only KABUL: An Afghan man directs his children away from the scene where a suicide car sional climbers often rely on the gave her first name, said from a hospital bomber attacked a NATO convoy yesterday. — AP country’s 16 domestic airlines and bed. Her head was wrapped in a bandage. 49 airports to reach remote areas President Hamid Karzai condemned the and sisters from school. I saw five or six peo- But the political wing of the group, bombing, while ISAF said the insurgents’ ple covered in blood who were being taken founded by warlord and former anti-Soviet but its aviation sector has a bad claim of responsibility “proves that inno- away in police vehicles.” fighter Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has been in safety record. Last year, a passenger cent lives are meaningless next to their own A Hezb-e-Islami spokesman told Reuters exploratory talks with Afghan President plane crashed at the same Jomsom selfish aims”. “Terrorists detonated an US military advisers were the targets. “We Hamid Karzai on a peace deal to end the airport, killing 15 people including explosives-packed (Toyota) Corolla car near planned this attack for over a week,” the 12-year war. The National Directorate of 13 Indian tourists. Six people sur- a convoy of foreign forces,” Hashmat spokesman, Haroon Zarghoun, said by tele- Security, Afghanistan’s intelligence vived the crash. Stanikzai, the Kabul police spokesman, told phone. Last year, in a similar attack, the agency, says it thwarts a large number of Inexperienced pilots, poor man- AFP. Police added that at least 10 houses group killed seven South African and attacks on the capital on a weekly basis. agement and slack regulation are had been severely damaged. “I was at home Russian pilots on their way to work in Kabul. The last suicide bomb attack in Kabul was jeopardising air travellers’ lives in when I heard a terrible explosion and our Hezb-e-Islami, which means Islamic Party, is in March, when a man blew himself up at a Nepal, aviation experts have warned whole building shook,” Mustafa, a witness, a radical militant group which shares some Defence Ministry gate, killing nine in the wake of recent flight acci- told AFP. “All our windows are shattered. I of the anti-foreigner, anti-government aims Afghans, during a visit by US Defence dents. — AFP rushed outside to bring my little brothers of the Taleban. Secretary Chuck Hagel. — Agencies International17 FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Cambodia shoe factory collapse kills three
PHNOM PENH: Three people were killed when owned by Wing Star Shoes Co Ltd, a Taiwan the ceiling of a warehouse fell in at a shoe fac- company, employed about 7,000 people but tory in Cambodia, a government minister said only about 100 worked in the single-storey yesterday, adding to concern about safety stan- warehouse, according to staff. Work at the dards at Asian factories producing clothes plant stopped after the accident. A Reuters cheaply for Western consumers. Cambodia has reporter saw footwear bearing the name seen a rush of investment in recent years, espe- “Asics” scattered around the damaged ware- cially into the shoe and garment sector, with house, where a bulldozer was clearing away Western and Asian firms attracted by its low- rubble. A spokeswoman for Japanese sports- cost labour. The International Monetary Fund wear maker Asics Corp said the factory made says garments account for about 80 percent of running shoes for it. “Our prayers go out to the the Southeast Asian country’s exports. families of those who have died,” she said. Ith Sam Heng, minister of social affairs, told Asics relies on sports shoes for about two- Reuters another six people had been injured in thirds of its sales, which amounted to 57.33 bil- the incident at the plant in the Kong Pisei dis- lion yen ($560 million) company-wide in the trict of Kampong Speu province, 50 km west of year to March 31, 2013. Strikes over pay and the capital, Phnom Penh. “We will investigate poor working conditions are common in the the case and we will take measures against sector in Cambodia, also home to numerous those involved,” he said, meaning anyone who factories producing clothing cheaply for might be held responsible for poor safety stan- Western retailers. Ngeth Phat, 29, who was dards. He said no one remained trapped inside among those rescued yesterday, said Wing the building. Earlier, a trade union member at Star had been open for little more than a year KAMPONG SPEU, Cambodia: Cambodian rescue team and soldiers look the factory had said six people had died in the but there had already been two strikes by for workers after a factory collapsed in this provinc, some 50 kilometers collapse, which happened at around 7 am workers over poor working conditions and low west of Phnom Penh yesterday. —AFP (2400 GMT on Wednesday). The shoe factory, wages she put at $80 a month. —Reuters
Malaysian couple Weakening cyclone jailed for starving maid to death leaves relief in wake KUALA LUMPUR: A court yesterday sentenced a Malaysian couple to 24 years in jail for starving their Cambodian maid to death, one of many such abuse cases straining ties Mahasen buffets Bangladesh coast, 11 dead between the country and its neighbours. Hardware store owners Soh Chew Tong, 44, and his wife Chin Chui Ling, 42, CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh: A cyclone the one million evacuated in Bangladesh, Than Win, 38, was among those who were found guilty of culpable homicide at a high court in the slammed into the Bangladesh coast on 600,000 were in the Chittagong region, stayed to guard his tent. “Some of the IDPs northern state of Penang, said prosecutor Tan Guat Cheng. Thursday, forcing the evacuation of a mil- Abdullah said, adding many now have do not trust the authorities,” he said. “They The prison term will run from the day of their arrest in April lion people, but fears of devastating dam- moved back to their villages. Mohammad worry they will be kept elsewhere and will last year, shortly after their maid Mey Sichan was found dead age eased when the storm weakened as it Mehrajuddin, a government official in south- never be able to come back.” by paramedics. She weighed just 26 kg and had bruises on moved over land. Authorities breathed a ern Nijhum Dwip island, said many villagers Buddhist-Muslim clashes in the region her body. Police said she died from acute gastritis and ulcers sigh of relief after Cyclone Mahasen, which there had refused to move to shelters for last year left about 200 people dead and likely caused by lack of food over a long period. The 23-year- was packing winds of 100 km an hour fear their cattle would be stolen. There was a neighbourhoods burned to the ground. In old had been working for the family for eight months. when it powered into the low-lying south- similar reluctance to move among the Sittwe, where skies cleared by yesterday High court judge Zamani Rahim was quoted by local eastern coast, lost much of its punch after media as saying the case had damaged Malaysia’s image, making landfall. “We’re lucky,” scaring away other domestic workers. The evidence showed Shamsuddun Ahmed, deputy head of the the maid was denied food over a long period, he said. “In Bangladesh Meteorological Department, totality, the deceased did not receive enough food and had told AFP, adding it was not a severe sustained injuries that were inflicted over time,” Zamani said. cyclone and had been downgraded to a The couple initially were charged with murder, which carries tropical depression. the death penalty in Malaysia. But the charge was reduced But at least 11 people were killed by to culpable homicide punishable by a maximum 30 years in drowning and falling trees, officials said, jail, Tan said. The couple’s lawyer could not immediately be while tens of thousands of mud, tin and reached. straw-built homes were flattened by Cases of abuse of domestic workers, who come from pounding rains and flooding. A million poorer regional countries such as Indonesia and Cambodia, people spent the night in 3,000 cyclone have frequently surfaced in Malaysia. It is heavily dependent shelters, schools and colleges along on foreigners as domestic helpers as locals shun the work. “It Bangladesh’s winding long coastline which should be a lesson for all other employers. One of the viola- is home to 30 million people, Chittagong tions that are increasing is deprivation of food... as a form of district administrator Mohammad punishment. This is worrying,” said Glorene Das, an official Abdullah told AFP. “The number of casual- with migrant labour rights organisation Tenaganita. ties were minimum because of our prepa- In response to a series of abuse cases, Cambodia stopped rations,” disaster management minister sending its citizens as domestic workers to Malaysia in late Mahmud Ali told reporters in the capital. 2011, while Indonesia for years suspended sending maids. Jahangir Alam, 22, carried his paralysed Malaysia has promised to improve their welfare and protec- mother to the third floor of a Chittagong CHITTAGONG: Bangladeshis gather to watch the sea at a beach while tion, including giving them one day off a week. But activists school that became a makeshift shelter. Cyclone Mahasen heads towards landfall yesterday. —AFP say the hundreds of thousands of women remain vulnerable “We didn’t want to take any risk,” he said. to sexual abuse, overwork and exploitation. They say many Chan Mia, 50, who brought his family of Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, afternoon, Myanmar authorities said they maids, who live with the families where they work, still do seven to the same shelter, said the main reflecting a mistrust of security forces and of would order those most at risk to leave the not get a day off and many are not allowed to leave the worry was over storm surges “that can local Buddhists after communal violence last camps if the situation deteriorated. “But home. sweep the village within minutes”. Rain year. the wind’s not very strong and the rain is Tan, the prosecutor in the case of the Cambodian maid, and strong winds also lashed neighbour- Myanmar state media said that by not so heavy,” Hla Thein, chief justice of told AFP she was not confined to her employers’ home. ing Myanmar’s northwest coast, home to Wednesday 70,000 people had been evac- Rakhine state, told AFP. “As there wasn’t There was no explanation in court as to why she did not tens of thousands of displaced Muslim uated from the camps and vulnerable vil- much sign of a storm, some people think leave to buy food or seek help. Malaysian labour laws do not Rohingya, but the country was largely lages. Half the residents at a camp for inter- it’s too much trouble to move.” cover domestic workers. Activists say that while some spared the brunt of the storm. nally displaced persons (IDPs) on the out- Bangladesh and Myanmar have been fre- 200,000 women work in Malaysia legally, many more have About 50 Rohingya from Myanmar went skirts of the Rakhine capital Sittwe quent victims of cyclones that have killed been smuggled into the country. —AFP missing after their boat capsized Monday as appeared to have left overnight, according hundreds of thousands of people in recent they tried to escape the oncoming storm. Of to AFP journalists who visited yesterday. decades. —AFP International FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
China bird flu devastates Shanghai family
SHANGHAI: The virus has already according to the latest available been ill for five days by the time the stages. “(The doctor) hadn’t seen the killed her mother, and Kelly Gu’s national figures. The government and central government revealed the scanning result of my mother’s lung father lies critically ill with H7N9 bird World Health Organization (WHO) H7N9 outbreak, going twice to a dis- and he hadn’t asked her to take flu in a Shanghai hospital bed - the have repeatedly said there is no evi- trict-level hospital. The next day, hav- another one. He just judged it was a only couple both infected in China’s dence of sustained human-to-human ing trouble breathing and suffering normal fever and sent her back outbreak of the disease. As her moth- transmission, but Gu’s parents could from fever, she went to one of home,” Gu said. Her mother died on er lay dying Gu was urgently sum- be a rare “family cluster”. Shanghai’s finest hospitals, Huashan. April 3 of acute respiratory distress, moned back to Shanghai from her Experts of the US government’s But the emergency room doctor sent and was confirmed to have the H7N9 doctoral studies in chemistry in Centers for Disease Control public her home, ordering three days rest. virus a day later, one of Shanghai’s France, but she was too late, missing health agency say such clusters could She was dead in two. earliest cases. Her father had started the chance to say goodbye by a day. represent limited spread between Beijing has been praised by the showing symptoms on April 1. There In her first interview with Western people caused by prolonged, unpro- WHO for openness over H7N9, in con- are only two other such “family clus- media, she told AFP she knew her tected exposure. If the virus were to trast to its cover-up a decade ago of ters”, a father and two sons in mother was dead when her father, mutate into a form easily transmissi- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Shanghai and another father and son already showing symptoms of fatigue ble among humans it could trigger a (SARS), which originated in China and in Shandong province. Gu’s father has and fever, told her by phone: “It’s just pandemic. Gu, 26, said her father, who killed 800 people globally. But critics defied doctors’ expectations by cling- like winning a lottery, it’s a lottery of works in a property management question why it took the government ing to life, but is under sedation on a very bad luck.” office, was sad about his only child liv- three weeks to make an announce- respirator and does not respond when The Gu family’s experience por- ing overseas - a fact that may have ment after the first deaths, despite she tries to talk with him on a video trays a government-run health system saved her life. Her mother, a 52-year Internet postings describing a myste- link. She makes a daily trek to see him battling a new disease, while some- old housewife she described as an rious illness at a Shanghai hospital. at an isolation hospital in southwest times showing a lack of empathy for optimist with a knack for technology, And the case of Gu’s parents - she Shanghai, where green lawns give it victims and their kin. The H7N9 strain was probably infected on her daily declined to give their full names - the atmosphere of a country club, and of bird flu has sickened 130 people in trip to market near their home in reflects how the government-run consult with doctors who say there is mainland China and killed 35 of them, western Shanghai. She had already health system struggled in the early little they can do. —AFP Taiwan stages drill as Philippines row rages Manila decries treatment of its envoy
ABOARD MAKUNG DESTROYER: and said it was not immediately clear Taipei. “We have acted uprightly and Taiwan held a military exercise yester- whether the Taiwanese vessels were in decently as a respectable member of day in waters near the northern international or Philippine waters. The the international community.” Philippines in response to the killing of Philippines expressed some indigna- Perez is chairman of the Manila a Taiwanese fisherman, after rejecting tion at Taiwan’s treatment of its envoy Economic and Cultural Office which repeated apologies from Manila. Amadeo R Perez, sent by President handles relations with Taiwan in the President Ma Ying-jeou reiterated that Benigno Aquino to apologise personal- absence of diplomatic ties. The the Philippines should take formal ly to the victim’s family. Philippines, like most countries, formal- responsibility for the death of the 65- Perez left Taiwan earlier yesterday ly recognises China over Taiwan. year-old, shot last week by Philippine after Foreign Minister David Lin and Taiwan has deemed it “unacceptable” coastguards who said his vessel intrud- the fisherman’s family refused to meet that the Philippines described the fish- BEIJING: Greece’s Prime Minister Antonis Samaras ed into Philippine waters. Amid out- him. “I came to convey the president’s erman’s death as unintended. “I do smiles while talking with China’s Premier Li Keqiang rage in the island, Taipei has slapped and the Filipino people’s deep regret hope they will understand they have to during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the sanctions on Manila, including a ban and apology over the unfortunate and be responsible in the international People yesterday. — AP on the hiring of new Philippine work- unintended loss of life,” he told community. Shooting unarmed and ers, a travel alert urging Taiwanese not reporters at the airport before his innocent people in the open seas is not Greek leader stresses to visit the Philippines and the suspen- departure. Aquino’s spokesman Edwin an act tolerated by civilised nations,” sion of high-level exchanges. Manila Lacierda insisted the incident hap- President Ma said. culture in China talks said it had “gone the extra mile” to try pened in Philippine waters and said Taipei has repeatedly pressed to appease Taipei and expressed con- the government should not have to Manila to issue a formal apology by its BEIJING: Prime Minister Antonis Samaras of economically cern that a special envoy sent to the “appease” Taiwan. “We have gone the government, to compensate the fisher- troubled Greece met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang yester- island had been rebuffed. extra mile,” Lacierda told reporters, man’s family and to apprehend the day, hailing the contributions to global civilisation of their Yesterday Taiwan sent a destroyer, referring to Aquino sending Perez to killer. —AFP respective cultures. Samaras was greeted at the Great Hall two frigates and four coastguard ships of the People with military honours that included armed to waters near the Philippines’ Batan guards, a marching band and a 19-gun salute. Inside the island to press its territorial claims in hall, he told Li the two countries share “common culture the area, defence authorities said. The and values” based on their “ancient civilisations”. “Both our ships went as close as 21 nautical miles cultures have made significant contributions to the west of Batan but stayed within progress of humanity and with regards to language have Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone, said made great contributions to humanity,” he added, accord- Rear Admiral Lee Tung-pao. “The move ing to an official Chinese translation. is aimed to highlight our determina- Li said he expected the visit to strengthen relations. tion to safeguard sovereignty. The “Your visit to China will be help push forward political coastguards have vowed to protect our trust, real cooperation and cultural ties between Greece fishermen wherever they are, and we’ll and China,” he said. Later, the leaders watched as officials support them,” Lee said. from both nations signed agreements, including some The fleet did not encounter any maritime-related ones. Details were not immediately avail- Philippine naval or coastguard vessels. able. Greece has been beset by serious economic and Two Taiwanese Mirage 2000-5 fighters social woes in recent years due to mountains of public flew over the fleet at low altitude as the debt, forcing it to accept an international bailout. Its econ- warships tested their anti-aircraft capa- KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: An S70-C helicopter takes off from the stern of a omy shrank 6.4 percent in 2012 and has contracted by bilities. In Manila, a military spokesman Taiwanese Lafayette frigate during exercises off this southern city yester- more than a fifth since 2008. — AFP declined to comment on the exercise day. — AP Business
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Japanese economy KFC comes to Gaza via underground tunnels grew at 3.5% pace PAGE 20 Page 21
BRUSSELS: France’s President Francois Hollande addresses the media after a meeting with EU Commissioners at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. (Inset) People eat take away food as they have a break, in the business district of La Defense, Paris. France’s economy has fallen back into recession, spelling trouble for the region. — AP Hollande’s headache worsens France slips into second recession
PARIS: President Francois Hollande’s nagging headache to reboot unemployment by the end of the year. no region in the world are we seeing an activity pick-up, and the French economy has turned into a migraine as the economy The government’s woes come after Hollande last week for the Europe isn’t very robust,” said Philippe Waechter, an economist at slipped into its second recession in four years, fuelling speculation first time hinted at a reshuffle of ministers and with speculation Natixis investment bank. To curb unemployment, economists esti- of an impending cabinet reshuffle. Having just marked his first year intensifying after Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Tuesday said mate that France needs annual growth of around 1.5 percent. as French president, Hollande’s ambition to reverse the trend of the finance ministry lacked a proper “boss” to coordinate economic But on Wednesday, the president told a press conference in soaring unemployment is now deemed an impossible task by policy. In March, the number of unemployed French jobseekers Brussels: “It is likely that there will be zero growth in 2013”. He many economists who say the government’s efforts to create more reached a record-high, hitting 3.224 million. “Reversing the curve nonetheless added: “It is my view that we are past the worst.” jobs will at best limit the damage. by the end of the year is a mission impossible,” said Mathieu Plane, Earlier in the day, Moscovici had said in Paris that a tiny economic The national statistics agency, INSEE, said Wednesday the euro- an economist at the French Economic Observatory at the Sciences expansion of 0.1 percent was still expected this year. Hollande’s zone’s second-largest economy fell into recession-two consecutive Po university. government still expects a slight decline in jobless figures in the quarters of contraction-in the first three months of the year with Plane said that although the government might be able to pro- last quarter owing in large part to a gradual recovery of global the economy shrinking by 0.2 percent, just as the euro-zone posted duce one month of good news by applying a raft of measures to activity. its sixth straight quarter of economic contraction. The French boost employment, “an exit from the crisis is not in sight”. “The only Hollande met European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso opposition was quick to pounce on the news, with ex-prime minis- way to limit the damage is to offer part-time unemployment,” refer- and other commissioners in Brussels for talks on boosting euro- ter Francois Fillon of the right-wing UMP blaming the recession on ring to policies that allow employers to retain staff by reducing zone growth and France’s efforts to reach EU deficit limits of less Socialist government inaction since Hollande took power. their hours. The March jobless data was a real set-back for Hollande than three percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The EU has “Francois Hollande’s government stopped all reforms, cancelled who in September gave himself one year to reverse the curve. In signaled it will likely give France an extra two years, to 2015, to them, and did not replace them with any real initiative for competi- late December, he moved the goalposts, saying the trend would be bring its deficit back under 3.0 percent of GDP, although Paris will tiveness,” Fillon told news website lopinion.fr. But Finance Minister bucked by the end of this year. be obliged to undertake reforms in return. Yesterday, Hollande is to Pierre Moscovici insisted that the recession was “not a surprise” and “Clearly when Francois Hollande said ‘the trend will be reversed give a wide-ranging press conference when he is expected to sum was “largely due to the environment in the euro-zone”. He also at the end of the year’ he had in mind that activity could resume up his first year as president and respond to questions about a cabi- maintained the government’s promise of stemming the rise in before the end of the year, something which seems complicated. In net reshuffle. — AFP Business20 FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
KFC comes to Gaza via underground tunnels GAZA: Junk-food starved Gazans can now let in the Egyptian city of El-Arish, some 40 ade since 2007. Tight restrictions on Gazans “Whenever a KFC advert’s on TV, my wife order Kentucky Fried Chicken to go thanks kilometers away. “We place the order with entering Egypt mean those with a craving tells me she wants to go to Egypt and have to a new smuggling service which brings the restaurant in El-Arish, then drive it in a for chicken cooked to Colonel’s Secret some,” says the 34-year-old civil servant. takeout from Egypt via a network of under- car to the Egyptian side of Rafah,” said Recipe can’t just pop over the border and When his wife heard Yamama advertis- ground tunnels. It’s not exactly “fast”-taking Yamama director Khalil Al-Ifranji. “Someone pick up a bucket. ing its new KFC smuggling service on the several hours to arrive, with the Palestinian takes it from there through the tunnels to Instead, some residents seem quite hap- radio, she demanded he get some, saying delivery company behind it charging hefty (Gazan) Rafah. They then drive it to our py to shell out 130 shekels ($35/27 euros) she would wait forever if they saved up for a prices to cover the cost of fuel and trans- headquarters (in Gaza City).” for just 20 pieces of fried chicken-double trip to El-Arish. Yamama launched the serv- port. Motorbikes then deliver the food, with what it costs in El-Arish. There are no inter- ice just three weeks ago after several friends “Last chance to order for the Thursday the entire process taking three to four national fast food chains in Gaza. “There are came back from El-Arish with a KFC meal 6:00 pm delivery is Wednesday night,” says hours. Fast food is just the latest trend for many orders,” said Ifranji. “People can’t trav- and suggested turning it into a business the Yamama delivery firm on its Facebook smugglers seeking to turn a buck by bring- el regularly, and those who’ve tried this venture. Since then, the number of bulk page. Yamama then orders the meals, ing in hard-to-get products to the Gaza food really miss it. Those who haven’t, orders placed by the firm has been steadily about 30 on a typical run, from the KFC out- Strip, which has been under an Israeli block- dream of it.” For Iyad Jaber, it’s a great idea. climbing, due to popular demand. —AFP
Weak euro data, central bank Gold falls for support bolster dollar, shares sixth session European shares dip but still near multi-year highs LONDON: Gold dropped for the sixth consecutive ses- sion yesterday, hitting its lowest level in four weeks, on LONDON: Weak data fanned expectations 84.10 hit in July 2012. “The euro is being low interest rate environment and with quanti- a stronger dollar and battered investor sentiment. yesterday of more central bank action in caught in the crossfire here. The dollar’s tative easing measures in place, equities are Rallying stocks have also hurt bullion’s appeal as an Europe, keeping yield-hungry investors strength is going to be the dominant story of still the place to be,” Jawaid Afsar, sales trader alternative investment this year, leading funds to gener- focused on the region’s stock markets and the the second half of the year,” Chris Turner, head at SecurEquity, said. The sharp drop in annual ally liquidate their gold positions. Gold fell as much as dollar near a six-week high against the euro. of FX Strategy at ING said. euro-zone consumer inflation was led by lower 1.6 percent to a low of $1,369.29 an ounce and stood at With most markets trading in narrow ranges, Expectations of more central bank stimulus world oil prices, but the data also highlighted $1,374.46 at 1012 GMT. US gold for June delivery was how households are not spending and com- down 1.6 percent at $1,373.10 an ounce, having hit a panies are not investing, dampening hopes for low of $1,368. a recovery a day after data showed the euro- Traders said the fall below the psychologically signifi- zone was mired in its longest ever recession. cant $1,400 level in the previous session triggered heavy The main German bond futures contract was 6 selling and that the metal might retest two-year lows of ticks higher at 144.78 after the inflation data. $1,321.35 hit on April 16. A sixth consecutive daily fall for bullion would be its longest run of losses since JAPAN STIMULATED March 2009. It has fallen about 16 percent in 2013 after Earlier MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific gaining for the past 12 years. “It is possible that we will shares outside Japan dipped 0.3 percent and see further selling. This fall is reminiscent of what we the Nikkei index in Tokyo ended down 1 per- saw about a month ago during a sort of flash crash in cent after Japan’s economy grew 0.9 percent gold,” Mitsubishi analyst Jonathan Butler said. in the first quarter. The index hit a 5-1/2-year “Investors appear to be tired of gold as a safe haven high earlier in the session and is up a hefty 44 as they anticipate the end of those loose monetary poli- percent for the year to date. The growth rate cies, possibly by the end of this year or maybe early next was the quickest pace in a year and the eco- year, while there also seems to be a return of risk nomic stimulus program launched by Prime appetite.” The dollar was near a six-week high against Minister Shinzo Abe and the central bank. the euro and a 4-1/2 year peak against the yen on “There’s now proof that Abenomics is working prospects for more monetary easing in the euro zone and that the economy is on a solid footing.” and reduced asset buying in the United States, which said Yoshiki Shinke, senior economist, Dai-Ichi would undermine the argument for holding gold as a Life Research Institute in Tokyo. hedge against inflation. The growth in the world third largest econ- A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated BEIJING: A man rides a bicycle as a boy holds balloons on a road in omy contrasts with the ongoing recession in commodities more expensive for holders of other cur- Beijing yesterday. Inflation in China accelerated to 2.4 percent year- the euro-zone, worries about the health of rencies. The market is now turning its attention towards China’s recovery and follows a surprise drop in on-year last month, official data showed. —AFP US inflation data, later in the day, as well as the coun- US industrial output for April. The uncertain the dollar rose 0.1 percent against the euro to in the euro-zone reinforced by data showing outlook has weighed on commodity markets, try’s weekly jobless claims. Gold investment nearly around $1.2870, having hit a six-week high of annual inflation was a below-target 1.2 per- which were mostly weaker again yesterday. halved in the first quarter as a brighter view of the US $1.2843 on Wednesday. cent in April - kept shares near multi-year Brent crude was down 32 cents to $103.36 a economy prompted investors in the West to favour It gained 0.3 percent against the yen to highs. MSCI’s world equity index was down 0.1 barrel, and US oil was down 53 cents to $93.77, assets such as stocks over bullion, the World Gold 102.57 after the Bank of Japan’s efforts to percent, close to its best levels since mid-2008 gold dropped to its lowest level in almost a Council said yesterday. reflate the economy via a massive stimulus after gains of nearly 11 percent this year. The month at $1,374.99 an ounce and iron ore Soros Fund Management LLC joined funds including program were endorsed by unexpectedly FTSE Eurofirst 300 index of top European traded near its lowest since December. But Northern Trust and BlackRock in lowering its investment strong growth data from Tokyo. Against a bas- shares was down 0.2 percent at 1,243.50, also copper on the London Metal Exchange edged in the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed ket of currencies, the dollar was up 0.1 percent near a five-year peak. away from two-week lows to be up 0.13 per- ETF, in the first three months of the year, an SEC filing at 83.93, just shy of the multi-year peak of “Markets have rallied hard recently and in a cent at $7,207.25 a ton. —Reuters showed. Holdings in the SPDR fund fell 0.43 percent to 1,047.14 tons on Wednesday; the lowest since March 2009. However, lower gold prices have attracted physi- OPEC-style platinum cartel a pipe-dream cal buying in China. The world’s second-largest con- sumer after India bought a large amount of gold yester- JOHANNESBURG: South Africa is the Saudi South Africa’s Mines Minister Susan Talk has ranged from an OPEC-type model day. Premiums for gold bars rallied to record highs up to Arabia of platinum with steroids thrown in. But Shabangu spoke of “balancing” rather than to something far more modest, along the $5 an ounce over spot London prices in Hong Kong, Pretoria could never manipulate the platinum “controlling the market” while still expressing lines of marketing cooperation, but getting China’s main source for gold imports. price the way the Middle Eastern kingdom can concern about oversupply and prices. anything off the ground is unlikely as the In other precious metals, silver was down 1.5 percent influence oil’s and talk of a platinum cartel, Confusingly, Russian officials said influencing crude and platinum industries are like oil and to $22.24 an ounce, having earlier touched its lowest perhaps along the lines of the Organization of prices was not the aim. If not, then what would water. For starters, crude production in Saudi level since April 16 at $22.09. The metal fell 6.7 percent the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), is a be the ultimate aim of cooperation between Arabia is firmly in the hands of the state this week in its worst weekly performance for a month. pipe-dream. The world’s top platinum produc- the platinum powerhouses, especially if one of through the national oil company Aramco. Platinum fell 1.1 percent to $1,468.24 an ounce, but the ers, South Africa and Russia, agreed to attempt the parties’ stated goals is to “balance” the Over the past few years, it has been almost metal’s premium over gold reached its highest level to cope with excess supplies of the metal market? This has sparked speculation about alone in OPEC in actually curbing production since August 2011 as South Africa’s production worries through a memorandum of understanding how supplies could be reined in to lift prices intentionally as other members have continue. Palladium dropped 0.7 percent to $719.22 an signed in March during the BRICS emerging for the white metal used to build emissions- refrained from doing so because of concerns ounce. —Reuters market powers meeting in Durban. capping catalytic converters in automobiles. over lost revenue. —Reuters Business21 FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Chief executives and the itch to quit
LONDON: On approaching his 60th birthday recent years, and not just because of the bill. He has no plans to collect well-paid chair- tenure at four years. Only 16 percent of the this year, long-serving Tullow Oil boss Aidan tough economic times. manships and non-executive directorships, group have held on for 10 years and more. Heavey told staff he felt “like two 30 year- “The reality is it’s grueling. It’s really as many ex-CEOs have done in the past. The longest serving of them is Martin Gilbert olds”. A handful of recent shock departures tough, and there comes a point where you Former Tesco chief Terry Leahy has also resis- of the British fund Aberdeen Asset by 50-something chief executives at don’t want to do it any more,” said Ian ted that gravy train since he left two years Management. Though younger, at 57, Gilbert European blue chip companies - none of Butcher, who headhunts board-level and ago. pips the 28.3-year tenure of Tullow’s double them under any obvious pressure to quit - senior executives for MWM Consulting. “The As for the early starters, executive search thirty year-old Heavey, with 29.8 years at the suggest some of his peers either lack that quarterly reporting, the governance, the reg- industry professionals point at people like helm. vigor, or want to channel it elsewhere. Peter ulatory aspects, it just becomes very wearing Andrew Witty, the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, There are 17 top European CEOs who Voser is giving up one of the world’s most - the level of scrutiny, the pace at which who took on the job aged 44 in 2008 and have been in the job for less than six months, challenging CEO roles at Royal Dutch/Shell things are moving, the short-term nature of would have to stay in harness for another and the youngest of the 225 in the group for next year, before his 55th birthday, in pursuit how people look at any given situation. Even decade to reach 60 in the role. Blue-chip whom ages were available is Vitaly Nesis, 37, of a “lifestyle change”. over the past five years these things have bosses as young as Witty are still rare, but who runs Polymetal International, the Swiss engineering group ABB’s 55-year made CEO a tougher position to hold, and over a quarter of Europe’s current crop have London-listed Russian precious metals miner. old boss Joe Hogan is also going, for “pri- the travel that people have to undertake in less than two years in the job, and more than While the recent spate of quitters are looking vate reasons”. Pierre-Olivier Beckers, 53, is these jobs - it’s just something they run out half have less than four, according to data for something else to do, there are still some walking out on Belgian retailer Delhaize , of steam on.” from executive search specialists BoardEx. who appear to want nothing but. In the and Paul Walsh, 57, is waving goodbye to Some recent early retirees, while still well BoardEx group there are four over 70, and drinks multinational Diageo. All four are short of traditional retirement age, also got MEDIAN CEO AGE IS 55 YEARS the oldest by eight years is Albert Frere, CEO about average European CEO age. While to the top spot early. “They’re still in their ear- The BoardEx data, collected for Reuters of Group Bruxelles Lambert. Perhaps some the rising financial rewards of running a ly fifties, with energy and a desire to do from 238 companies in the main stock index- linger on for fear that the pension pot is still a modern multinational have been well publi- something, but they want to do something es of Germany, Britain, France, Spain, Italy, little light. Frere will have put such qualms cized, executive recruiters say the pressures different, something quite significantly differ- Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, puts behind him long ago. At 87, he is Belgium’s of the job have also been ratcheted up in ent sometimes,” says Butcher. Voser fits that the median CEO age at 55, and the median richest man. —Reuters Japanese economy grew at 3.5% pace Growth spurt ‘proves Abenomics is working’
TOKYO: Japan’s economy grew by a size of the economy and still growing as the ment in July, a vote that will determine his stronger-than-expected 3.5 percent in annual government struggles to revamp aging infra- Liberal Democratic Party’s chances for push- terms in the last quarter, giving Prime structure, rebuild from the March 2011 tsuna- ing through with other policy priorities, such Minister Shinzo Abe a boost as his govern- mi and meet the social welfare needs of its as revision of Japan’s war-renouncing consti- ment tackles tough reforms needed to increasingly elderly and shrinking population. tution. TOKYO: People walk on a concourse at a railway sta- ensure a recovery ends more than two However, top government spokesman, Critics of the Abenomics strategy question tion in Tokyo yesterday. Japan said yesterday that decades of malaise. Stronger consumer Yoshihide Suga, said the decision on raising whether the extra funding pumped into the its economy grew again in the quarter to March, spending and public works investment cou- taxes would hinge on how the economy per- economy will foster sustainable growth or pointing to a recovery as Tokyo and its hand-picked pled with aggressive monetary easing lent forms over the coming months. “Consumer just push up prices for shares and other central bank team set about stoking the world’s oomph to the recovery that began in the last sentiment seems to have recovered,” Suga assets. Key to the success of the policies will third-largest economy. —AFP quarter of 2012, when annual growth was 0.3 told reporters. “But at this point we should be increased spending by households and percent, according to revised data. The pre- not be overly optimistic.” corporations, partly due to expectations that liminary data for January to March showed “The Abe administration’s policies are prices will rise. So far, increases in spending the world’s third-largest economy grew 0.9 starting to see some results, but we need to have been attributed mainly to luxury pur- Market abuzz as percent on a quarterly basis, the fastest pace achieve economic growth with employment chases by share investors splashing out after in a year, according to figures reported by the and we will work to achieve this.” Apart from seeing gains in their portfolios. Malaysia’s IPO boom Cabinet Office yesterday. soaring share prices, Japan’s manufacturing Analysts had generally forecast a 2.7 per- Abe took office in late December after vot- and employment showed slight improve- cent to 2.8 percent increase in GDP in poised to resume ers fed up with years of economic misery ments in March, buttressing hopes that the January-March and quarterly growth of about KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia was among the world’s IPO leaders last returned his Liberal Democratic Party to pow- economy may be headed for a moderate 0.7 percent. Much of the growth in the first year and the pace looks set to pick up again with tense elections er. His policies have helped push share prices recovery. The government yesterday revised quarter of the year came from public out of the way and expectations that the government will push a to their highest levels in over five years, fueled upward its estimate for industrial production demand: government spending on recon- reform agenda. Malaysia’s exchange had a banner year for initial by strong liquidity and expectations of in March, saying it rose 0.9 percent rather struction from Japan’s March 2011 tsunami public offerings in 2012 as big issues capitalized on a rising share improved profitability for listed companies. than the earlier-reported 0.2 percent. disaster and other public works. Private index and perceptions that a government plan to revitalize the The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index slipped A sharp decline in the value of the demand has been fueled by a recovery in economy would spur new investor interest. 0.4 percent yesterday to close at 15,037.24, Japanese yen, brought on both by monetary housing investment, which has picked up Activity cooled in recent months, however, as investors held falling back on profit taking. But it has gained easing and by expectations of further easing, sharply as purchasers rush to beat the expect- their breath in the run-up to hard-fought May 5 elections, but the nearly 75 percent since November in a rally has helped some exporters and provided a ed increases in sales taxes. The sales tax 56-year-old ruling coalition once again retained power, promising linked to high hopes for Abe’s policies. windfall in yen terms for companies repatriat- increase, while needed to help reduce policy continuity. “The election may have held things up but a lot “Japan’s healthy-looking GDP data are the ing overseas earnings. But it is also raising Japan’s massive public debt, will amount to a of money is still trying to come into this region and Malaysia is see- first substantial piece of good economic costs for many companies that depend heavi- “major fiscal tightening,” said Jessop. ing good growth and is potentially attractive,” said Gundy Cahyadi, news under the Abe government,” said Julian ly on imports of natural gas and other com- To keep growth on track, the government an economist with OCBC bank in Singapore. A flurry of confirmed Jessop, an economist with Capital Economics modities. Exports rose 3.8 percent in the first will have to carry out fiscal and structural or rumored IPOs to emerge post-election has caused a buzz in the in London. He said it was unclear how much quarter, the first such increase in a year, while reforms - such as changes in labor, education market. In the biggest so far, IOI Corp., one of Malaysia’s top palm- of the rebound could be attributed to Abe’s consumer spending, which accounts for a and tax policies and administrative deregula- oil producers, said Tuesday it planned to spin off its real-estate policy blend, dubbed “Abenomics,” but that hefty 60 percent of total business activity in tion - to help improve Japan’s long-term holdings in a listing late in the year. Company officials said it could “the government can at least claim some Japan, climbed 0.9 percent as households competitiveness and adapt to its aging and raise $630 million. Among others, AirAsia X-the long-haul arm of credit for boosting confidence in the econo- bought more cars and other durable goods. shrinking population. In the near term, if successful budget carrier AirAsia-aims to raise up to $300 million in my.” The improvement makes it more likely The central bank, which is committed to 2 companies do not boost wages to help a possible July listing, a source close to the matter told AFP last the government will be able push ahead with percent inflation within two years, says it improve household purchasing power, infla- week. With the European and US economies struggling, the global pledges to raise sales taxes over the next two expects a moderate recovery by midyear but tionary policies could just discourage con- IPO market largely stalled in 2012 but Malaysia emerged as a years to help improve Japan’s deteriorating has warned that uncertainties in the domes- sumer spending. Data released Wednesday bright spot with several major listings led by palm-oil giant Felda fiscal health, said economy minister Akira tic and global economies could foil those showed consumer confidence fell slightly in Global Ventures’ $3.25 billion IPO last June. —AFP Amari. hopes. Abe needs fast results as ammunition April, though it has improved since late last Japan’s public debt is more than twice the in an election for the upper house of parlia- year.—AP Business FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Islamic finance ‘needs’ global sharia board
KUALA LUMPUR: The Islamic Development Mohamed Ali said at a conference in Kuala also requiring they abide by a code of con- which has its core markets in the Gulf and Bank (IDB), a Jeddah-based multilateral Lumpur. duct. Islamic scholars are experts in finan- Southeast Asia. institution, has called for the creation of a “This could include striving for the con- cial and religious law, but they are not certi- “This is very important as it gives a much global sharia advisory board that can offer cept of a globally accepted sharia commit- fied or accredited like other professions, so needed structure to the industry, thus greater uniformity for the Islamic finance tee or body, which would be able to assist regulators are increasingly developing enabling it to be more stable and allowing industry, its president said yesterday. A cen- all Islamic financial institutions and bring ways to ensure the hiring of experienced it to grow further,” Ali added. Ali also called tralized format to the supervision of sharia- them in line with a uniform standard.” and financially literate scholars. for the IFSB to assist the IDB and its mem- compliant banking products is gaining favor Malaysia pioneered the country-level sharia A global sharia board would also allow ber countries in providing technical assis- across the globe, as regulators seek to stan- board and in recent months several coun- the industry to address low penetration tance, while urging the industry to focus on dardize industry practices and improve con- tries have introduced central boards of rates in majority Muslim countries such as Islamic microfinance and youth employ- sumer perceptions. their own, including Dubai, Oman, Pakistan Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Egypt ment. The IFSB is one of the main bodies “IDB and IFSB (Islamic Financial Services and Nigeria. where the industry’s share of banking setting standards globally for Islamic Board) should study ways for creating glob- Countries like Oman have gone as far as assets remains below 10 percent. A glob- finance, although national financial regula- ally acceptable references for the industry imposing term limits on the sharia scholars al sharia board would provide a more tors have the final say on their implementa- for the benefit of all,” IDB president Ahmad who are members of these boards, while structured approach to the industry, tion and enforcement. — Reuters Vatican Bank to publish its accounts, launches website Bank tries to shed reputation as most secretive bank VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Bank, a His abrupt departure, along with has vowed to make changes to meet centre of scandals for decades, is to the arrest of Pope Benedict’s butler for the standards, and its bank will be launch its own website and publish its stealing confidential papal docu- reviewed again in July. Earlier this annual report in an effort to increase ments, came during a leaks scandal month, in another move towards transparency, its new president said. that shook the Vatican last year and transparency, the Vatican’s internal Ernst von Freyberg told the bank’s contributed to Benedict’s decision to regulator, its Financial Information employees of the changes, which resign. The Vatican has been trying to Authority (FIA), signed a memo of should be in place by the end of the shed its image as a murky financial understanding with FinCen, the US year, this week, according to Vatican centre since 1982, when Roberto agency that tracks suspicious financial Radio. Calvi, known as “God’s Banker” transactions. He also said the bank, formally because of his links to the Vatican, In 2010, Rome magistrates froze 23 known as the Institute for Works of was found hanging from London’s million euros ($33 million) held by the Religion (IOR) and dubbed the world’s Blackfriars Bridge. Calvi was head of IOR in an Italian bank. The Vatican said most secretive bank by Forbes maga- the Banco Ambrosiano, then Italy’s at the time that its bank was merely zine, had also hired an auditing firm to largest private bank, which collapsed transferring its own funds between its make sure it meets international stan- in a fraudulent bankruptcy. The own accounts in Italy and Germany. dards against money laundering. Vatican bank owned part of the The money was released in June 2011 Vatican Radio did not name of the Ambrosiano. In July, a European anti- but the investigation continues. Pope auditing firm. Freyberg was appointed money laundering committee said the Francis, who was elected in March to in February to take the place of Ettore Vatican Bank failed to meet all its stan- succeed Benedict, could enact a major Gotti Tedeschi who was fired last May. dards on fighting money laundering, restructuring of the bank or even Gotti Tedeschi said he was dismissed tax evasion and other financial crimes. eventually decide to close it, Vatican QARA ZAGHAN: Afghan miner Morad Ali, 30, stands because he wanted more transparen- The report by Moneyval, a monitoring sources have said. The bank primarily where he was searching for gold in a mountainside near cy but the board, made up of interna- group of the 47-nation Council of handles funds for Vatican depart- the village of Qara Zaghan in Baghlan province. — AFP tional financial experts, said he had Europe, found the Vatican had passed ments, Roman Catholic charities and neglected basic management respon- only nine of 16 “key and core” aspects orders of priests and nuns around the Afghan gold mine luring sibilities and alienated staff. of its financial dealings. The Vatican world. — Reuters modern-day prospectors QARA ZAGHAN: After scrambling up a steep mountain- Singapore Airlines results disappoint side in north Afghanistan, Morad Ali crouches beside a gap cut in the slope and touches some reddish-brown rock. SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Ltd reported weaker-than- have helped it boost traffic, but premium class travel, which “The gold is in here,” he says. Ali was one of generations of expected full-year results and warned of a deteriorating envi- makes up about 40 percent of revenue, has been hit by busi- local men who used chisels and pickaxes to extract small ronment as it struggles to cope with the rapid emergence of nesses cutting spending on travel. “They have competitors amounts of gold from the forbidding peaks above the vil- Gulf carriers and low cost Asian rivals. SIA is attempting a big who have strong financial backing and are also forming lage of Qara Zaghan on the edge of the Hindu Kush moun- strategy overhaul, pushing into the budget airlines segment alliances, so it’s getting to be a much tougher space,” said tains. Now a dirt track has been carved up to the spot, and and expanding its regional network. Kristy Fong, investment manager at Aberdeen Asset professional surveying is underway as part of efforts to State-backed Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Management, which holds about a 4 percent stake in SIA. “So assess how Afghanistan’s vast mineral wealth could be Airways are stitching deals, while Gulf states race to become the question is whether they can really keep that premium, exploited as the country seeks a more stable and prosper- regional hubs linking the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. which is sliding. I don’t think it’s an easy one,” Fong said ous future. Asia’s second-biggest airline, which has a market value of before SIA announced its results. Under Chief Executive Goh “I started mining when I was aged about 12,” said Ali, $11 billion, said yesterday net income rose nearly 13 percent Choon Phong, who took charge in January 2011, SIA is rely- now in his late thirties. “We would find tiny flakes of gold, to S$379 million ($304 million) for the year to March 31, ing on a multi-brand strategy and stepping up its exposure or we would crush rocks and then wash the powder to pan below an average forecast of S$409.6 million, according to to the budget airlines segment. It desperately needs growth: out little grains.” Ali’s knowledge of the landscape and its Thomson Reuters StarMine SmartEstimates. The fourth-quar- profit fell nearly 70 percent in its previous financial year and history of small-scale “artisanal” mining is a valuable asset ter profit of S$68.3 million was also below market estimates. margins slumped. Emirates and Qatar are fiercely challeng- for Afghan Gold and Minerals (AGM), the Afghan-owned Full-year operating profit fell nearly 20 percent, with the air- ing the company, controlled by Singaporean state investor company that in 2011 won the license to dig for gold in line blaming persistently high fuel prices and the global eco- Temasek, for the title of top luxury carrier as they invest mil- Qara Zaghan. nomic slowdown. “Yields are likely to remain under pressure lions in upgrading lounges and enhancing services. “We know from the locals that there is gold and our amid weak economic sentiment, and revenues will be further Singapore’s best known brand also faces stiffer competition own studies show good potential-now we need to explore diluted if key revenue-generating currencies continue to from Southeast Asian rivals such as Malaysian Airline System further,” said Dusko Ljubojevic, a South African geologist depreciate against the Singapore dollar,” SIA said in a state- Bhd and Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk PT, which are intro- working for AGM. “Doing the surveying on this type of ter- ment. SIA said the parent airline company and SilkAir were ducing newer aircraft and adding more connections in an rain is like mountaineering, but I am excited. We have only cutting capacity between April and June due to weak mar- attempt to win back some of their nationals who have previ- looked at a small part of our license area so far.” —AFP kets. SIA’s promotional fares on its mainstay long-haul routes ously flown via SIA and Singapore. —Reuters FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 THEY ARE THE 99!
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www.the99.org The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2013, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Media Group, Inc. Teshkeel The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2013, Opinion FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Polish exports of halal, kosher meat in limbo
By Vanessa Gera says Jewish tradition has always been con- organization that represents the interests of “Poland can’t afford this. Most meat pro- cerned with the welfare of animals, noting, meat producers. duction facilities are in small places without or some, it was a barbaric way to treat for instance, that it bans hunting and any Choinski said there are no official figures other places for people to work and this is animals. For others, it was great busi- senseless suffering. “For close to 3,000 on the financial losses so far, but the num- dooming the economic prospects of peo- Fness. Until January, slaughterhouses years, Jewish slaughter practices have been ber is high: the industry is worth about ple,” he said. “But I think there will be a reso- across Poland - a deeply Catholic nation - followed that minimize pain to the animal,” ‚Ǩ500 million ($650 million) per year to the lution because no government can allow were the unlikely venues for the Islamic and Schudrich said. Polish economy and it has been largely 6,000 people to get laid off during an eco- Jewish slaughter of animals, which in both Polish meat industry officials are hesitant frozen for nearly half a year. About 100,000 nomic crisis.” For now, business is being religions involves a swift cut to the throat of to take sides on which slaughter method tons of kosher or halal beef and 100,000 picked up by producers in nearby countries, a conscious animal and death by bleeding. causes more suffering, with their focus firm- tons of poultry were exported annually including Latvia, Hungary and the Czech Millions of euros were being made export- ly on economics. The pro-market govern- before the ban - making up between 20 and Republic, Miskiewicz said. ing the halal and kosher meat to countries ment of Prime Minister Donald Tusk is also 30 percent of Poland’s beef exports and Bosnia is also working hard to position like Egypt, Iran and Israel, as well as to eager to get the business going again and about 10 percent of poultry exports, itself as an exporter of halal products. The Muslim and Jewish markets inside Europe. In a victory for a growing animal rights movement, activists succeeded in getting a ban on such religious slaughter. But with economic decline deepening and exports seen as a possible salvation, the govern- ment faces pressure to get the practice rein- stated legally - and is scrambling to do so. Though Poland’s own cuisine is heavy in pork, a meat banned by Jewish and Islamic laws, the country has cut out this niche business for itself in one example of the economic savvy Poland has shown since joining the European Union in 2004. Kosher and halal meat exports have grown between 20 and 30 percent per year in recent years as the largely agricultural coun- try has capitalized on its low labor costs and a reputation for healthy farm animals. “God gave us good food, good soil and good farm animals, and he gave the Muslim countries what they have under the surface - black gold,” said Mufti Tomasz Miskiewicz, the top Muslim leader in Poland. “There are nations with big populations - like Egypt, the Arab countries, Indonesia - that need this food and don’t have enough cattle to produce enough meat themselves.” The business has been overseen and encouraged by Poland’s Jewish and Muslim communities, minorities that are very small but with a presence going back many cen- turies. Polish Jews once made up the world’s largest Jewish population; though nearly wiped out in the Holocaust, the com- munity is growing. Tatars, a Muslim people, In this photo taken May 13, 2013, Bosnian workers prepare chicken in the ‘Ovako’ chicken factory that produces halal food prod- also settled here centuries ago, and have ucts near Bosnian town of Visoko, 35 km north of Sarajevo. — AP been joined recently by Arab diplomats, businessmen and students. The kosher and has recently drafted a law that would rein- Choinski said. He says there is currently no country opened its first halal fair halal business had boomed until January, state religious slaughter while also adding production at all of the religiously slaugh- Wednesday in Sarajevo, welcoming repre- when the ban took effect following a ruling some new protections for animals. The law’s tered meat, though Miskiewicz and others sentatives of the Islamic world to take a look by the Constitutional Tribunal. Though the fate now rests with parliament, which is due say there is some small-scale production at Bosnian products. Erdal Trhulj, Bosnia’s actual slaughter was carried out by specially to debate and vote on it in the coming taking place in a legal gray zone. regional industry minister, said the halal trained Muslim and Jewish officials, the weeks. It is expected to pass since the gov- Many of the Polish meat facilities which industry is growing worldwide, and that his industry also created thousands of support- ernment enjoys majority support in the handle kosher and halal meat - usually in country “aims to become a hub for halal ing jobs for others. assembly, but probably not without some addition to traditional slaughter - have had industry in this part of Europe.” Animal rights activists argue that killing heated debate. Lawmakers are under pres- to limit their overall production because of The debate surrounding the issue has animals without stunning them first causes sure from all sides, including from an animal the ban, while major contracts with traders lacked any overt anti-Jewish or anti-Islamic unnecessary suffering to the animals. rights movement that has grown stronger from the Middle East have been suspended, tones, though religious rights are also press- Jewish and Muslim leaders strongly dis- as the ex-communist country grows increas- Choinski said. ing concern for the minorities and a govern- agree, and insist that their method is actu- ingly Westernized. Poland had been close to sealing major ment that wants to maintain good ties with ally more humane, in part became it causes In the meantime, industry leaders warn long-term contracts with Saudi Arabia, but them. Miskiewicz says there is a degree of the animals to lose consciousness very fast. that millions of euros and thousands of jobs these were abandoned because of the unfairness in banning Jewish and Islamic They argue that standard industrial slaugh- could be lost if Poland doesn’t re-legalize unclear legal situation. Meanwhile, many slaughter when so many Polish Catholics ter involves pre-stunning that is some- religious slaughter soon. “Banning ritual Polish companies that produce halal and follow a similar practice themselves at times not effective, leading to even greater slaughter was a cardinal mistake with huge kosher meat are on the verge of bankrupt- Christmas, when carp are slaughtered in suffering. consequences,” said Witold Choinski, the cy, and up to 6,000 workers could lose their homes across the nation without any pre- Poland’s chief rabbi, Michael Schudrich, head of Polskie Mieso, or Polish Meat, an jobs, he said. stunning. — AP them sincethey weresmall.—AFP ple havehadthelionslivingwith Republic onMay15,2013.The cou- 50 kmsoutheastofBrno,Czech southern CzechvillageofStupava, Basista andhisgirlfriendinthe in thegardenofhouse Ales A lionnamedMiangalazysaround FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 www.kuwaittimes.net Food FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
rabic cuisine is mainly a combination of The common elements in Arabic cooking are the Lamb which is used in most of the Arabic coun- Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian following: tries, although some countries use veal more than Afood. It has been affected by the mingling of Bread which is highly regarded in the Arab world. If lamb. The most prized dish an Arabic house can serve Arab and non-Arabs over the centuries. European cul- anybody notices a scrap of bread on the street, they to their guests is baby lamb stuffed with spiced rice. tures such as the Spanish, Italian, French and Greek would pick it up and put on the side where no one The Bedouins use sheep and camel meat too. also had impact on the Arab cooking. Turkish cuisine can step on it accidentally. Bread is an essential ingre- Fresh and dried fruits and nuts are widely used. had impact on the entire Arab world, Persian and dient on the table in the Arabic cuisine. It is used on Example of the fruits and nuts used are; pomegran- Indian cuisine had impact on the eastern side of the the side, in salads, or in certain dishes such as the “fat- ates, lemons, dates, apples, figs, oranges, apricots, Arabic countries. teh”. mango, almonds and pistachios. You will find most of the time cinnamon, curry Yogurt made from sheep, cow or goat’s milk is Rice is a staple in all the Arabic countries. It is powder, fish (in coastal areas), garlic, lamb (or veal), used in many ways. One is it is diluted with water as a cooked in countless ways. It served alongside meat, mild to hot sauces, mint, onion, rice, saffron, sesame, refreshing drink or drained and thickened as a condi- fish, and stewed vegetables. Wheat is another staple yogurt, spices (similar to the Indian cuisine) due to ment. and is used as whole grain, cracked or as flour for heavy trading between the two regions. Tea, thyme bread and a variety of pastries. Bulgur is another (or oregano), turmeric, variety of fruits (primarily cit- favorite grain in some Arabic countries and is used in rus), variety of vegetables such as cucumbers, egg- breakfast in North African countries and cooked simi- plants, lettuce, tomato, green pepper, green beans, larly to rice in Iraq. zucchini and parsley. Olive oil is the most common for cooking and Sharing a meal with others is an old honored tradi- dressing. It is produced in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine tion in the Arabic World and an expression of hospital- and parts of North Africa. Sesame oil is also used in ity. Formal dinners and celebrations normally include some countries where olive oil is scarce. large quantities of lamb (or veal), chicken, rice, stewed Salads are always available whether at lunch or vegetables with tomato sauce and dishes seasoned dinner. They are made with a variety of fresh vegeta- with a variety of herbs and spices. Several other side bles and simple fresh dressing of lemon (or lime) juice, dishes and salads are included. salt (and pepper) and olive oil. Tea is inescapable and is the favorite hot drink and Spices are the essence of the Arabic cuisine. The is constantly consumed. Coffee would be included as most common spices used include but not limited to; well. The Middle Eastern diet consists of many ingredi- cinnamon, allspice, anise seeds, nutmeg, sumac, car- ents not normally used in the American kitchen, such damom, cloves, cumin, caraway, black pepper, saffron, as lentil soups, fava beans, olive and sesame seed oils, and turmeric. The Arabs have been long known in his- olives, feta cheese, and dates. Some of the Arabic tory for their spice trade with other countries. dishes need a lot of preparation time, such as the Vegetables are used raw and cooked. A wide vari- stuffed grape leaves, stuffed zucchini, green peppers ety of vegetables is used. The favorites are eggplant, or cabbage. zucchini, cauliflower, okra, green beans and spinach. A Food FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
world. Gulf States on their way to the Mediterranean states. Hummus Bi Tahina the famous dip made with Seafood, is used daily in stews or fried. “Kan’ad”, chick peas and sesame seed paste (tahina). Everyone king mackerel, “Hamour”, “Zubaydi”, similar to trout loves Hummus. It is the dip that can be served any- but only exist in the Gulf, “Crab”, “Lobster” and time you need a great appetizer, be it with pita bread, “Shrimp” are also widely used. Rubyian and rice is one or as a vegetable dip. Hummus makes every dinner example. Makboos Samak is a delicious and rich plat- table more enjoyable because of the flavor that is ter made with fish, lentil, and variety of herbs and loved by the young and old alike. It is easy and quick spices. to make, and it is for all seasons. Harees, soaked, dried and crushed wheat kernels Harira is basically chicken soup thickened with (jereesh) cooked with chunks of meat, chopped flour and eggs and flavored with saffron and cinna- onions and tomatoes. Custard with cardamom rose mon, but the recipes varies for harira from family to water; a traditional custard in The United Arab family. Shorabat Adas Wa Hummus; is another deli- Emirates, a holiday favorite. Harisa; is a condiment cious soup. Mjaddara a side dish of brown lentils with made from crushed hot peppers, garlic, olive oil, car- rice and caramelized onions. A fully nutritious meal, away seeds ,coriander seeds and salt. It is used almost Mjaddara is easy to make and very tasty. daily. It is the most important condiment used in Kunafa is a dessert made with shredded pastry and Algerian, Libyan and Tunisian cooking. cheese, prepared specifically for festive occasions. Harisa comes from the Arabic word for “to break Qatayef, sweet is prepared only during the Muslim into pieces,” which is done by pounding hot chilies in Holy month of Ramadan. You will find stands set up a mortar. Maraqat al-Safarjal (Quince and Lamb soup); everywhere you go in Palestine with a hot plate where this sweet recipe can be made with prunes or dried variety of fresh and dried beans and legumes is also they pour the batter and in seconds you have round apricots instead of the quince. Dried rose petals are used such as peas and lentils. qatayef (pan- cakes) which are placed on top of each traditionally used as a flavoring. This particular combi- Mazza are side dishes or appetizers that are made other and weighed according to the amount you nation of lamb and fruit appears to be derived from of assortment of little tidbits in small plates. They want to buy. As soon as you reach home, you need to the Persian cuisine via the Ottoman Turks. Although accompany the main dish. separate them and leave them to cool, otherwise they the Greeks know a similar dish called arni me Some of the terminology used in the Arab cuisine will stick to each other. kithouma. are Baba Ghannouj- eggplant puree with sesame but- Mansaf is a traditional meal in the central West Brik (Breek), a snack, it is somewhat like a turnover, ter, hareesi - wheat porridge, mahshi- any stuffed veg- Bank and Naqab region in the southern West Bank, but different. Like a soufflÈ, it must be served immedi- etables, mujaddarah- lentil, rice and pasta mixture. Some popular dishes of the middle east are as fol- lows: Kushari which is a combination of lentils and pasta served with spicy sauce. Melokhia (or Mulukhiyya); is made with crushed leaves of the melokhia (Jew’s Mallow) plant cooked with chicken broth, crushed and fried coriander and garlic. Melokhia could also be served with meat or rabbit instead of chicken. The melokhia is an herb in the larger family of the mint (called from the corchorus plant). It is a rather bitter herb with a natural thickening agent. Fattah made with chicken, rice and creamy yogurt sauce. And of course we must not forget the famous and delicious “Ta’mia” or “Falafel” the spicy patty made from dried beans, a great vegetarian dish. Makes a great sand- wich too. Masgoof is made with fire grilled “shabbout” fish unique to the Tigris River, served with lemon slices. The masgoof is a traditional Iraqi dish, it is an open cut fish grilled and spiced with salt, pepper and tamarind. While keeping the skin on, it is then brushed with olive oil. After marinating the fish, it is then placed on wooden sticks and then barbecued on a large flame. After the fish is well cooked and crispy, it is often sprinkled with the juice of a lemon, ready to be served. Traditional garnishes for Masgoof include chopped onions and tomatoes, as well as the clay- oven flatbreads common to Iraq and much of the Middle East. The “Dolmah” is made with stuffed grape leaves, having its roots from the Bedouin population of ately. A Tunisian brik always has an egg in it, but it can peppers, eggplant, tomato, onion, zucchini, and cab- Jordan. It is mostly cooked on occasions such as holi- have other goodies such as tuna, potatoes, capers and bage leaves. These vegetables are stuffed with a mix- days, weddings, births a large gatherings, or to hon- parsley. The casing is a cross between phyllo dough ture of minced lamb meat, rice, onions, and parsley. our a guest. Mansaf is cooked as a lamb leg or large and a spring roll sheet. A brik is deep fried, olive oil is Kibbeh is the national dish and is eaten in a variety of pieces of lamb on top of taboon bread that has usual- best, then drained on a paper towel. ways, including raw “Kibbeh Nayeh” made with ly been smothered with saffron rice. A type of thick Apricot, oranges, almonds, prunes and cherries are ground lamb and bulgur. Tabouleh, a salad of and dried cheesecloth yogurt from goat’s milk, called favored fruits in Tunisia. Wheat, fava beans, and chick- chopped parsley, tomatoes and bulgur is a typical side jameed, is poured on top of the lamb and rice to give peas are also other favorites. A wide variety of seafood dish well known all around the Middle East and the it its distinct flavor and taste. The dish is also gar- is used year around, including shrimp, tuna, sardines, nished with cooked pine nuts and almonds. red mullet and octopus. Lamb and couscous are Eggplant is widely used, in breakfast, lunch and always found on the Tunisian table. dinner. Its preparation is an art, and is used in many Batata Yakhni, a typical Yemeni meal that includes different ways, as diced and cooked with eggs, mari- rice, and broiled chicken, potatoes, tomatoes and cab- nated and tossed into salads “Fattoush Betinjan” deep bage cooked into a stew. Basboosa, a popular desert fried in Maklubit Betinjan (Maqluba) is an upside- made with semolina, eggs and yogurt. Saltah, this dish down rice and eggplant casserole, hence the name is served at lunch. It is very delicious and tasty. It stim- which is literally translated as “upside-down”, made ulates the appetite. Saltah is considered to be one of with braised lamb and tomatoes. When the casserole the main dishes for majority of Sana’a people. is inverted, the top is bright red from the tomatoes — Canadianarabcuisine.com that cover golden eggplant. Upside-down eggplant casserole makes a nice presentation and it is easy to prepare. It also makes a great idea for leftovers. Arabic cuisine makes great use of eggplant; it is pickled, sautÈed, stuffed, and cooked in a variety of sauces and salads and grilled for spreads in “Betinjan Muttabbal”. The Gulf States have a similar cuisine due to the shared geography and history. Indian spices are wide- ly used, due to the impact of the ancient traders who traveled from India carrying the spices through the Travel FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
ubai is one of the few cities in the world that has undergone such a rapid transformation, from a hum- Dble beginning as a pearl diving centre, to one of the fastest growing cities on earth. Dubai today is a tourism, trade and logistics hub and has earned itself the reputation of being the ‘gateway between the east and the west.’ It is also consid- ered as the dynamic nucleus of the Arabian Gulf region. Home to just over two million people from more than 200 nationalities, Dubai is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Living in Dubai has a lot to offer. It is safe, politically stable, centrally located, has a good education system and healthcare facilities, modern infrastructure and much more. The sun shines almost every day, the shopping and leisure facilities are impressive, and the salaries are tax-free. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a new project is announced, whether it is the launch of a sports stadium, a mega commer- cial tower, a residential enclave or yet another shopping mall! Dubai is constantly on the move, striving for greater heights and more facilities and comfort for its residents and visitors. Dubai is without a doubt a destination of the 21st century. Read any article about the fastest growing city in the region and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll see the words ‘ambitious’, ‘record-breaking’ and ‘staggering’. This meteoric growth has
not gone unnoticed, and each year thousands of expats arrive to claim a slice of the action. The famous beaches and parks in Dubai are Al-Mumzar beach park and Jumeirah beach park. The Al-Mumzar offers full beach facilities in addition to over 100 chalets rented out on a daily basis and large green area, swimming pool, in-park transport system, cafeteria etc and the Jumeirah offers full beach facilities with round-the-clock lifeguard service, desert garden, children’s playground, barbecue areas, Sports Facilities area, and a helipad. As a city, there is much more to Dubai than its iconic archi- tectural landmarks and malls. Dubai is also a proud cosmopol- itan city where cultural and artistic talent is encouraged, cele- brated and applauded. Culture, arts and heritage are vital to the success of Dubai’s expanding economy because they are the key building blocks of civil life and public dialogue. Encouragement of cultural activities in the community improves the quality of life of the city’s residents. It also improves the quality of education and fosters creativity, which leads to innovation in other areas such as hospitality manage- ment and entrepreneurship causing a positive impact on the economy. But above all, Dubai’s cultural scene defines this Travel FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
ticed in the UAE for centuries. Originally, falcons were used for hunting, to supplement the Bedouin diet with some meat, such as hare or houbara. In the time before the UAE was formed, and before the discovery of oil allowed the develop- ment of roads and communication systems, hunting expedi- tions were also frequently used as a way for the tribal sheikhs to ‘tour’ their territory and keep in touch with the latest devel- opments in areas which were otherwise incommunicado. The sheikh would hunt during the day, then a desert majlis would be held around the campfire in the evenings, when the Bedouin would come to pay their respects and raise with him any matters of concern. Sand skiing: If you have a taste for speed, a head for heights and an enthusiasm for an unusual sport, then strap on your skis and enjoy the descent down the steep but harmless sand dunes. Dune driving: The tour starts with a roller-coaster ride great city’s soul, building its reputation as a world-class cultur- Exploring the wadis: Explore the wadis (dry river valleys) al destination, thus enhancing the Dubai brand and the city’s that are formed by streams flowing down from the Hajjar current standing as the cosmopolitan hub of the Middle East. mountains. Within the enclave of the dry desert, you will sud- Some of the different things you can do in Dubai are as fol- denly notice rock pools that are filled with water and sur- lows: rounded by greenery all year round. Nature is truly at its sur- Bird watching: Dubai attracts ornithologists from all prising best here. around the world as almost 400 species of birds have been Some of the most popular places to visit in Dubai include observed in the emirate. Customized bird watching tours the Burj Kalifa, the world’s tallest building, the Dubai Museum range from one or two days to a week or more and cover the which includes artifacts of the world and not just of Dubai, the full extent of Dubai’s natural bird habitats, including parks, Miracle Garden which is one of the most beautiful garden of golf courses, desert, mountains and flamingo at the famous the world, Palm Islands which is an artificial archipelago, the Ras Al-Khor wildlife sanctuary, situated at the head of the Dubai waterfront the Dubai Mall, the Dubai fountain and the creek. Wild Wadi Water Park. — definitelydubai.com Dubai Desert Safari is a must do tour if you are in Dubai for business or pleasure, spare an evening for the Desert Safari to enjoy the life out of Dubai’s busy life. On a desert dune safari you will experience a thrilling drive in the Arabian desert’s sand dunes and enjoy a great BBQ Dinner over a live Belly dance show in a desert camp just outside the modern city of across the treacherous dunes in powerful 4x4s. Hold on to Dubai. your seatbelt while the expert driver slowly climbs a tall Dhow Cruise: Take a cruise along the Dubai creek and you mountain of sand, suddenly accelerates at the top and takes a can see the major Dubai landmarks. You will see the past and sharp turn down the dune cliff! Dangerous as it sounds, it’s present architecture of the area that is brought to its full absolutely safe and the adrenaline rush you feel through your beauty during this time, including the National Bank of Dubai, body makes it all worthwhile. Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Sheikh Saeed’s house, and the Trip to a Bedouin village: Take a glimpse into the village Heritage Village. This unforgettable romantic evening cruise life of Arabia as you walk through the narrow alleys of the includes a buffet dinner with a variety of dishes either conti- Bedouin village. Observe how elderly women dressed in tradi- nental, or oriental cuisine and vegetarian and non-vegetarian, tional clothes are engrossed in milking cows and sheep out- along with soft drinks and traditional coffee. side their tents, while children play nearby. The village is Stable tour: The Nad Al-Sheba stable tour begins with a famous for its Qahwa (Arabic coffee), Labneh (cheese) and its trackside view of the early morning gallops followed by a exquisite silver Bedouin jewellery, which make excellent sou- guided tour of the stables, a full breakfast, a walk through the venirs. jockeys’ facilities and stewards’ enquiry room, and a tour of Camel riding: Take a ride on ‘the ship of the desert’ and the Millennium Grandstand. Finally, a visit to the Godolphin experience how the Bedouins travelled in ancient times. While Gallery celebrates what the Maktoum family has achieved atop the camel, watch the evening sun cast its orange glow with their thoroughbreds and horse racing feats. on the picturesque rippling sands, which indeed is an unfor- Falconry is an integral part of desert life that has been prac- gettable sight. Health FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Honey is sweet news for your health
iscover the health benefits of one of in maintaining glycogen levels and improv- read Carrot Face Mask. the oldest sweeteners on earth, plus ing recovery time than other sweeteners. Different honeys have different Dsome interesting trivia, some great flavonoid profiles, depending on the floral recipes and a few cautions. Bees swallow, 5. Reduce cough and throat irritation: ‘My son, eat source of the nectar. digest and regurgitate nectar to make hon- Honey helps with coughs, particularly The different types of honeys are Alfalfa, ey; this nectar contains almost 600 com- buckwheat honey. In a study of 110 chil- thou honey, for Blueberry, Buckwheat, Clover, Manuka, pounds. We need our bees, so let’s do dren, a single dose of buckwheat honey Orange Blossom, Wildflower. There are at everything we can to save them and keep was just as effective as a single dose of dex- it is good’ - King least 40 types - each one has distinctive them here on this earth. tromethorphan in relieving nocturnal taste and unique properties. Honey is so good we have included it in cough and allowing proper sleep. Solomon Darker honey tends to have higher our list of power foods that should be in antioxidant levels. your kitchen right now. 6. Balance the 5 elements: Monofloral honey (honey from a single Honey has been used in Ayurvedic medi- molasses and agave, and discuss the plant species) usually has the lowest 1. Prevent cancer and heart disease: cine in India for at least 4000 years and is strengths and weaknesses of each.) glycemic index (GI). For example, locust Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants considered to affect all three of the body’s honey from the Black Locust tree has a GI of which help reduce the risk of some cancers primitive material imbalances positively. It 8. Heal wounds and burns: 32. Clover honey, which is used commer- and heart disease. is also said to be useful useful in improving External application of honey has been cially, has the highest glycemic index at 69. eyesight, weight loss, curing impotence shown to be as effective as conventional Honey Suggestions: If you want to get 2. Reduce ulcers and other gastroin- and premature ejaculation, urinary tract treatment with silver sulfadiazene. It is the goodness from your honey, make sure testinal disorders: disorders, bronchial asthma, diarrhea, and speculated that the drying effect of the it is pure and raw. Raw honey contains vita- Recent research shows that honey treat- nausea. Honey is referred as “Yogavahi” simple sugars and honey’s anti-bacterial mins, minerals and enzymes not present in ment may help disorders such as ulcers and since it has a quality of penetrating the nature combine to create this effect. refined honey. bacterial gastroenteritis. This may be relat- deepest tissues of the body. When honey is Honey Cautions: Best not to feed to ed to the third benefit. used with other herbal preparations, it 9. Probiotic: infants. Spores of Clostridium botulinum enhances the medicinal qualities of those Some varieties of honey possess large have been found in a small percentage of 3. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-fun- preparations and also helps them to reach amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes honey in North America. This is not danger- gal: the deeper tissues. up to 6 species of lactobacilli and 4 species ous to adults and older children, but infants “All honey is antibacterial, because the of bifidobacteria. This may explain many of can have a serious reaction of illness in the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen 7. Blood sugar regulation: the “mysterious therapeutic properties of first year. Do not add honey to baby food or peroxide,” said Peter Molan, director of the Even though honey contains simple sug- honey.” use as a soother to quiet a fussy or colicky Honey Research Unit at the University of ars, it is NOT the same as white sugar or baby. Most Canadian honey is not contami- Waikato in New Zealand. artificial sweeteners. Its exact combination 10. Beautiful skin: nated with the bacteria causing infant bot- of fructose and glucose actually helps the Its anti-bacterial qualities are particularly ulism, but it’s still best not to take the 4. Increase athletic performance: body regulate blood sugar levels. Some useful for the skin, and, when used with the chance. Honey is a sugar, so do not eat jars Ancient Olympic athletes would eat honeys have a low hypoglycemic index, so other ingredients, can also be moisturizing full of it if you value your good health and honey and dried figs to enhance their per- they don’t jolt your blood sugar. Watch this and nourishing! For a powerful home beau- want to maintain a healthy weight. It has a formance. This has now been verified with video Sweetener Comparison where I com- ty treatment for which you probably have high caloric value and will put you on a modern studies, showing that it is superior pare stevia, brown rice syrup, honey, all the ingredients in your kitchen already, sugar high and low. Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Music therapist Elizabeth Klinger, right, quietly plays guitar and sings for Augustin as he grips the hand of his mother, Lucy Morales, in the newborn intensive care unit at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago .— AP photos
s the guitarist strums and softly sings a But amid beeping monitors, IV poles and lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales plastic breathing tubes in infants’ rooms at Astops squirming in his hospital crib and Chicago’s Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s closes his eyes. This is therapy in a newborn Hospital, music therapist Elizabeth Klinger pro- intensive care unit, and research suggests that vides a soothing contrast that even the tiniest music may help those born way too soon adapt babies seem to notice “What music therapy can to life outside the womb. Some tiny preemies uniquely provide is that passive listening expe- are too small and fragile to be held and com- rience that just encourages relaxation for the forted by human touch, and many are often patient, encourages participation by the fami- fussy and show other signs of stress. Other ly,” Klinger said after a recent session in common complications include immature Augustin’s hospital room. Music therapist Elizabeth Klinger, right, quietly plays guitar and sings for Augustin as his lungs, eye disease, problems with sucking, and The baby’s parents, Lucy Morales and mother. sleeping and alertness difficulties. Alejandro Moran, stood at the crib and whis- Recent studies and anecdotal reports sug- pered lovingly to their son as Klinger played so sick and so frail, and music provides them Therapists in the study played special small gest the vibrations and soothing rhythms of traditional lullabies, singing in Spanish and something that they can still do,” Klinger said, drums to mimic womb sounds and timed the music, especially performed live in the hospital, English. “The music relaxes him, it makes him who works full time as a music therapist but her rhythm to match the infants’ heartbeats. The might benefit preemies and other sick babies. feel more calm” and helps him sleep better too, services are provided for free. Music therapists music appeared to slow the infants’ heartbeats, Many insurers won’t pay for music therapy Lucy Morales said. “Sometimes it makes us cry.” say live performances in hospitals are better calm their breathing, and improve sucking and because of doubts that it results in any lasting Some families request rock music or other high- than recorded music because patients can feel sleeping, Loewy said. medical improvement. Some doctors say the tempo songs, but Klinger always slows the beat the music vibrations and also benefit from see- Soozie Cotter-Schaufele, a music therapist at music works best at relieving babies’ stress and to make it easier on tender ears. ing the musicians. More than two dozen US Advocate Children’s Hospital-Park Ridge near helping parents bond with infants too sick to “A lot of times families become afraid of hospitals offer music therapy in their newborn Chicago, says soothing rhythmic sounds of go home. interacting with their children because they are intensive care units and its popularity is grow- music can mimic womb sounds and provide a ing, said Joanne Loewy, a music therapist who comforting environment for preemies. She directs a music and medicine program at Beth sings and plays a small harp or guitar, and says Israel Medical Center in New York. the sounds help calm tiny babies while they’re Dr Natalia Henner, a newborn specialist at undergoing painful medical procedures. Lurie hospital, said studies in nursing journals Cotter-Schaufele said she recently heard from a show music therapy for preemies “does help woman whose daughter was born prematurely with promoting growth. And there’s some at her hospital six years ago. She had played the good literature ... saying that the time to dis- 1960s folk song “Today” for the infant. The charge is a little bit shorter in babies who’ve mother reported her daughter “‘still loves that been exposed to more music therapy.” She said song,” She said ‘She didn’t learn that song from it “definitely facilitates bonding” between par- me, she learned it from you,’” Cotter-Schaufele ents of preemies and other babies too sick to said. — AP go home. Loewy led a study published last month in the journal Pediatrics, involving 11 US hospitals. Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 17 , 2013
Italy’s Marco Mengoni performs. Macedonia’s singers Esma & Lorenzo perform during a dress Finland’s singer Krista Siegfrids performs while wearing a wedding dress rehearsal of the second semifinal at the Malmo Opera Hall in during a dress rehearsal. Malmo prior to the Eurovision song contest. — AFP photos
rom Bonnie Tyler via a Ukrainian giant to a barefoot Dane, this neighbor a better place than last year, when the country came dan- take this in a new direction,” Oesterdahl said. “Even if we’d had year’s Eurovision Song Contest, hosted by Sweden, and prom- gerously close to suffering the dreaded fate of “nul points.” unlimited funds, there was nothing more to do. There was no big- Fises to deliver the type of glitzy spectacle that unites Europe Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet has accused the tall blonde of ger arena, there was no bigger LED screen to hang behind the like nothing else, short of the love of football. Sweden will pay less wearing skirts “so tight they create problems for the entire produc- scene than they did in Moscow.” Part of the strategy has been to than one 50th the astronomical cost spent by last year’s host tion”, drawing angry responses from Norwegian journalists that the make sure that as much as possible of every krona spent will be Azerbaijan, but even so it is expected that 125 million people will sit Swedes were simply being jealous. Sweden itself is one of the seen in front of the camera. “We’ve cut down on ancillary events glued to their TV screens at Saturday’s final. Power ballad queen countries that each year takes the contest incredibly seriously, such as different happenings around the city, and so on,” he said. Tyler will be representing Britain this year in Malmoe, the using an intricate system of semifinals over several weeks to allow Malmoe is buzzing with rumours that its biggest celebrity, Paris Scandinavian country’s third largest city, but despite the veteran the public to vote on its entry. It has also enlisted its own set of Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, will open Saturday’s singer’s name recognition her entry, “Believe In Me”, isn’t expected European jurors to ensure its entry does well with viewers on the show. to grab the top spot. continent. Asked about the former resident of the immigrant-heavy Instead, 18-year-old Emmelie De Forest from Denmark is the Meanwhile, organizers are hoping to produce a glittering show Rosengaard neighbourhood, Oesterdahl would only say: “We’ll bookies’ favorite in the singing contest Europeans love to mock, that rivals Azerbaijan’s record expensive production last year, but have to see. Tune in on Saturday.” Eurovision fans are also hoping with a dramatic pop tune about the state of the world. Other coun- for a fraction of the cost. “There are different cost estimates for last ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Bjoern Ulvaeus will make an tries predicted to do well are Russia, Norway and Ukraine. In year’s competition in Baku,” said the executive producer of this appearance, following the announcement that they’ve written a Tuesday’s semifinal the Danish singer was backed by drummers year’s Eurovision broadcast, Martin Oesterdahl, who also heads up special Eurovision anthem together with Swedish DJ and produc- and a flute player as she performed the infectious “Only Teardrops” the Swedish competition. “They regenerated the city for one billion er Avicii. Despite downsizing, the show will attract just under barefoot against a flaming backdrop. In a similar vein, Russia is dollars. We’ve said we’re going to do it for 125 million kronor (14.6 1,500 delegation members and staff, and 1,700 journalists. fielding a ballad about world peace-”What If”-sung by the winner of million euros, $18.7 million),” he said. By comparison, the cost was Viewers and professional juries in all 39 participating countries national reality TV singing competition The Voice, Dina Garipova. 150 million kronor when Helsinki hosted the event in 2007, produc- will pick the winner, with televoting and juries each representing Ukrainian entry “Gravity” provides the annual spectacle with ing only one semifinal instead of the two shows mandated by the 50 percent of the outcome. — AFP one of its more bizarre numbers as Zlata Ognevich is carried on current rules. stage by a 234 centimeter (7 feet 8 inches) tall “giant” meant to Sweden has so far escaped the worst of Europe’s economic cri- symbolize her inner strength. The trendy electro-pop sound of sis, but public broadcaster SVT said it wants to scale down the Norwegian Margaret Berger’s “I Feed You My Love” has yet to make event to prevent crisis-stricken European countries from having to it through today’s semifinal, but is expected to earn Sweden’s opt out of organizing it, should they win. “We felt that we have to
tories We Tell” is a documentary about Sarah ing around the dinner table - as well as the betrayals process, which creates an even greater sense of intima- Polley’s family: her father and mother, sister and losses that shaped and strengthened them. But cy. Her siblings squirm beneath a boom mic and hot “Sand brother and the sister and brother she while it’s incredibly specific in its detail and makes you lights, worrying about how they look. Her father, the has from her mother’s first marriage. It’s about moments feel as if you’ve known these people forever after spend- actor Michael Polley, stands at a microphone in a record- they’ve shared that are seemingly prosaic and universal- ing less than two hours with them, “Stories We Tell” is ing studio, reading in a rich, British accent his own poet- ly relatable, depicted through the grainy, faded nostal- also about every family. ic version of the family’s history that he wrote; Polley, sit- gia of Super 8 - splashing in the swimming pool, laugh- It reveals that we’ll all unreliable narrators of our own ting at a sound board on the other side of the glass, histories, especially after years and even decades have politely instructs him to repeat a line here and there. gone by. And it reminds us that the truth is a fleeting Their bond is obviously a warm and comfortable thing, constantly changing in the slightest of ways one, and has remained so despite the revelations that depending on who’s telling it. Polley, the Toronto-based the film recounts. (Do NOT do a Google search before actress-turned-filmmaker, has shown astonishing emo- you see this movie. Experience it for yourself.) “Stories tional depth and technical maturity at a young age in We Tell” sprang from a recurring joke within the Polley just two previous features: “Away From Her” and “Take family that Sarah didn’t resemble her father much. This Waltz.” Like those earlier films, “Stories We Tell” Relatives and longtime friends remember her mother, focuses on how a long-term relationship evolves over Diane Polley, who died of cancer when Sarah was only time. Now 34 and tackling a subject that’s so close to her 11, as a charismatic, fun-loving stage actress. But she heart, she reveals a whole new level of artistic mastery. also had secrets. Polley sat all these people down in Her meta, multilayered exploration of her own past front of a camera, one by one, and asked them to tell her combines interviews, archival footage and meticulous the family’s story as if she were meeting them for the reenactments so seamlessly, it’s hard to tell what’s real first time. (The fact that these anecdotes are sprinkled and what’s mythologized. And that’s the point. with healthy helpings of dry, self-effacing Canadian Even calling “Stories We Tell” a documentary seems humor makes us want to get to know these people even rather limiting and not entirely accurate; it’s also a dead- more.)—AP pan comedy, a juicy melodrama and a gripping mystery, This undated publicity photo released by courtesy of Roadside Attractions all cleverly blended together with great focus. But Polley shows a scene from the film, ‘Stories We Tell,’ directed by Sarah Polley. — AP pulls back the curtain from time to time to share her Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 17 , 2013
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt gestures after arriving at the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court to surrender Sanjay Dutt gestures before leaving his residence. in Mumbai yesterday.—AFP photos
ollywood star Sanjay Dutt surrendered yesterday to serve Analysts estimate about 2.5 billion rupees ($46 million) are rid- biggest stars, shot to fame in the 1980s in a string of action movies three-and-a-half years in jail for illegal possession of ing in Bollywood on the muscular star, who is best known for play- in which he performed his own stunts, earning him the nickname Bweapons, in a case linked to deadly bombings in Mumbai 20 ing a mobster with a heart of gold in the “Munnabhai” movie series. “Deadly Dutt”. Dutt, whose mother was Muslim and father Hindu, years ago. Accompanied by family and friends, the 53-year-old was Filmmaker and close friend Mahesh Bhatt, who joined Dutt on his was acquitted in 2007 of more serious charges of conspiracy in the greeted by a crowd of journalists at the gates of his home before journey to surrender, told AFP the actor was “crumbling” on deadly blasts, which also wounded more than 700 people. The travelling in a convoy of cars to a court in the city’s south, where Wednesday night but appeared much stronger yesterday. “There attacks were believed to have been staged by Muslim underworld another huge crowd swarmed around his vehicle. Dutt was initially was a new resolve in him to face with dignity the sentence and go figures in retaliation for religious riots in which mainly Muslims unable to leave the car because of the chaotic media mob that through it smiling, and that was a relief to everybody around,” said died, following the razing of an ancient mosque at Ayodhya in police struggled to control. He eventually entered the court with Bhatt. Uttar Pradesh state. Dutt was found guilty of possession of an auto- his sister and wife, and from there he was to be transferred to jail. On Wednesday Dutt withdrew a plea to give himself up in a dif- matic rifle and a pistol, which he insisted were only meant to pro- Dutt was convicted in 2006 of possessing guns supplied by ferent city, which he had made citing threats to his life. Officials said tect his family in the tense atmosphere in Mumbai following the gangsters who staged the 1993 bomb attacks that killed 257 peo- Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail had received an anonymous death mosque’s destruction. At a news conference following the hearing ple, but he was freed on bail after serving 18 months in prison. In threat letter targeting the actor, the Press Trust of India news in March, the father-of-three wept as he declared himself “a shat- March this year the Supreme Court upheld Dutt’s conviction but agency reported. A string of Bollywood celebrities visited Dutt’s tered man” and some prominent figures have called for him to be cut his jail term from six years to five. He was later granted four home in Mumbai’s trendy Bandra suburb before he turned himself pardoned. — AFP extra weeks of freedom to work on unfinished movies. The court on in. A Hindu rightwing group protested outside late Wednesday Tuesday refused to hear a plea of a film producer who sought more demanding he receive the death penalty, reports said. time for Dutt to surrender so he could complete two films still A heavy police presence stood guard at his residence and at the being shot. court yesterday. The actor, whose parents were two of India’s
arry Potter” star Emma Watson aban- music video. And when the ring is finally caught dons magic for pole-dancing and cat thanks to grainy security video at another star’s “Hburglary in Sophia Coppola’s latest home and their own selfies (photographs of one- movie, one of two Cannes contenders yesterday self taken with mobile phones) on Facebook, Nicki with twists on the girls-gone-wild theme. “The proves a master at media spin. With the aid of an Bling Ring” is based on true events in fame-fixated attorney and a publicist, she gives a riotous Los Angeles where a gang of teenagers in 2009 celebrity interview to Vanity Fair in which she broke into the mansions of celebrities including describes her “journey” from crime to redemption Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox. by way of the Los Angeles County jail. Opening Bundling up millions of dollars of jewellery and the festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar section for designer frocks, they sought to grab a piece of the edgy new cinema, “The Bling Ring” drew polite A-list lifestyle, becoming minor stars themselves in applause at a packed press screening ahead of its the process. red-carpet premiere. Hilton, who lent Coppola her The British Watson puts on a Valley Girl accent home for the filming, told trade journal Variety to play Nicki, the product of New Age home- she planned to attend. Britain’s daily Guardian schooling and flashy consumer culture who links gave the picture three out of five stars, calling it up with a group which learn that globe-trotting “an interesting surprise”. “It’s a bit self-conscious, stars don’t bother much with home security. Paris but it interestingly collapses the distinction Hilton, who leaves her keys under her doormat, is between fact and fiction; it puts you inside the an early victim and Coppola’s camera ogles her unwholesome opium den of celeb-worship, and slinky dresses, hip-hop-calibre baubles and a pri- when the gang infiltrate Hilton’s bizarre home, a vate nightclub festooned with animal prints. It is Tutankhamun’s tomb of kitsch, there is a real fris- (From left) Actors Emma Watson, Claire Julien, director Sofia Coppola, actors Israel there that Nicki gives Hilton’s dance pole a spin, son,” it wrote. —AFP Broussard, Taissa Fariga and Katie Chang pose for photographers during a photo call for prepping for nights out clubbing when she hopes the film The Bling Ring at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France, to get noticed by a producer and be cast in a yesterday. — AP Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Cannes is global shop window for fashion designers
(From left) actress and host Audrey Tautou, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Leonardo DiCaprio, director and jury president Steven Spielberg, actors Nicole Kidman, Daniel Auteuil and Vidya Balan acknowledge applause during the opening ceremony ahead of the screening of The Great Gatsby at the 66th international film festival, in Cannes, southern France. —AP
icole Kidman and “Amelie” star Audrey adding that having Tautou wear her dress repre- Tautou kicked off 12-days of red carpet fash- sented “a unique exposure”. “Few actresses have Nion at the opening of the Cannes Film confidence in young designers and turn instead Festival on Wednesday. The prestigious Riviera to the big houses,” she said Young Belgian design- Swatch’s Harry Winston buys movie meet provides both big fashion houses and er Cedric Charlier provided dresses for director up-and-coming designers with unparalleled oppor- Mia Hansen-Love and actresses Marine Vacth and $26.7m diamond at auction tunities to showcase their work before a global Nathalia Acevedo. audience. But between the couturier’s fitting room and restigious jeweller Harry Winston, which haps especially tickle the group’s chairwoman The race to dress the biggest names, who can the red carpet anything can happen. “They can was acquired earlier this year by Swatch Nayla Hayek, who was named chief executive of attract maximum publicity, starts in mid-April change their mind at the last moment” and not Group, bought a new colourless, flawless Harry Winston earlier this month. “Diamonds straight after the official announcement of the films wear the dresses, said a source at Cedric Charlier’s. P 101.73-carat diamond for a record $26.7 million are still a girl’s best friend,” she said following selected for Cannes. Pictures of Hollywood A-lister It is for this reason that some designers including at an auction in Geneva on Wednesday, auction the January announcement that Swatch would Kidman, a member of this year’s festival jury who Herve L. Leroux never disclose the name of those house Christie’s said. Christie’s representative buy the company, referring to the famous wore a strapless embroidered Dior gown to expected to wear their dresses before they actual- Raul Kadakia told reporters after the sale that Marilyn Monroe song that mentions Harry Wednesday evening’s opening ceremony, can be ly appear in them. “Two years ago Sarah Jessica Harry Winston was the buyer of the diamond Winston, from the 1953 musical film guaranteed to go round the world in minutes. But Parker came with several dresses and chose ours that Wednesday evening smashed the previous “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”. The American other actresses in the spotlight this year such as at the last moment,” said Legendre. auction-price record for a diamond in its cate- Institute of Gemology has handed the Harry “The Great Gatsby” star Carey Mulligan will also The photo of her in Elie Saab appeared in gory by more than $10 million. Legacy the top colorless grade “D” and the best have been much sought after. newspapers and on television all over the world. “Twenty-three million (Swiss) francs! Your clarity grade, “flawless”, which is characterized Some designers, however, have a policy of let- In the Elie Saab show room in a suite at Cannes’ last chance! Twenty-three million, sold!” shout- by its “absolute symmetry”, according to ting stars come to them. At the fashion house of Hotel Martinez around 60 dresses are stored ready ed Francois Curiel, the head of Christie’s jew- Christies. Lebanese couturier Elie Saab, a favorite with award for a turn on the red carpet. “We pay attention to ellery division shouted, referring to the $23.5 The diamond, sold at the auction by a dia- ceremony regulars, staff never make the first the dresses that we lend, so that they are not the million price before tax and commission, and mond merchant, was 236 carats in the rough move.Last year Elie Saab dressed China’s Fan same style or the same color,” Legendre said. clinching the deal in front of some 150 people when it was extracted from the Jwaneng mine Bingbing and France’s Virginie Ledoyen.”We don’t “Sometimes we dress an actress at the last gathered for the auction at a luxury Geneva in Botswana, before it was meticulously sculpt- contact them: they have to want to wear our moment, for example, because she thinks her hotel. As the first ever buyer of the new dia- ed for 21 months, Christie’s said. Wednesday’s robes,” said Elie Saab’s Emilie Legendre, adding that dress from another house doesn’t suit her,” mond, Harry Winston had the priviledge of sale marked the highest price ever paid for a a large number of fittings were done this year in Los she said. The show room also means last naming it and had decided to call it “Harry flawless colourless diamond at auction, Angeles, London and Paris. Tautou, who shot to minute alterations can be carried out. Over the Legacy,” Kadakia said, pointing out that this was although Christie’s had hoped the new dia- international fame in 2001 as the Pixie faced years, the number of photo opportunities at the diamond dealer’s first major purchase since mond-the largest of its kind to ever go under Montmartre waitress in “Amelie”, is this year’s Cannes has mushroomed. And at 12 days, the it was snapped up by the world’s leading the hammer-would rake in $30 million. The pre- maitresse de ceremonies at Cannes. festival provides even greater opportunities to watchmaker for $1.0 billion in March. vious auction-price record-holder in the catego- For Wednesday night’s opening ceremony, highlight a designer’s work than the one-night Switzerland’s Swatch Group, most known ry was the 84.37-carat Chloe round diamond, she opted for young French designer Yiqing Yin only Oscars. Cannes is “better than an adver- for its brightly colored plastic watches, has been snapped up at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva in who spent 400 hours creating her frosted mint tisement”, added Legendre. “Clients identify eagerly expanding its luxury offerings, and 2007 by Guess Jeans founder Georges Marciano organza and chiffon silk gown.”It’s an extraordi- more with an actress than with a model,” she Wednesday’s sparkling purchase should per- for $16.2 million. —AFP nary gift” from Audrey Tatou, said Yiqing Yin, said. —AFP Lifestyle FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Christie’s art auction sells nearly half billion dollars
blockbuster auction of Contemporary Newman’s “Onement VI” for $43.84 million art in New York, including a record and a Gerhard Richter photo-style painting A$58.4 million for a Jackson Pollock drip called “Domplatz, Mailand” for $37.1 million- painting, fetched nearly half a billion dollars the highest auction price for any living artist. on Wednesday-the biggest haul ever at an Christie’s Manhattan sale also saw Basquiat’s art auction. Christie’s said its sale raised a “Dustheads” sail past its $25 million to $35 “staggering” total of $495,021,500, with 94 million pre-sale estimate to the highest auc- percent of lots finding buyers. Nine of the tion price ever for the artist, who died in 1988 works sold went for more than $10 million of a heroin overdose in New York, aged just and 23 for more than $5 million. It wasn’t just 27. the most successful auction of Contemporary The painting depicts two grimacing, art at Christie’s, but the biggest haul from an brightly colored figures against a black back- art auction anywhere at all, the auction ground and “demonstrates Basquiat’s unique house said. ability to combine raw, unabashed expres- It was “the highest total in auction histo- sive emotion whilst displaying a draught- ry,” Brett Gorvy, head of post-war and manship that was unrivalled in modern Contemporary art, said. “The remarkable bid- painting,” Christie’s said. The previous auc- murals ding and record prices set reflect a new era in tion high for the street artist turned superstar In Philadelphia, the art market, wherein seasoned collectors had been $26.4 million last year. and new bidders compete at the highest lev- The other mega sale of the evening-yet el within a global market.” Leading the fren- again setting an auction record for the artist- breathe life into city zied charge were the Pollock and a work by was “Woman with flowered hat” by Pop Art one-time graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, master Roy Lichtenstein, going for $56.1 mil- which set another record at $48.8 million. lion. The work is unusual for Lichtenstein, n a scaffold five meters off the souvenirs. And it has more work than ever Pollock’s “Number 19, 1948, executed in who is best known for comic-strip style ground, artist Meg Saligman uses because some of the older murals have lost his iconic drip-paint style with a shimmering scenes, but this time used his meticulous O her paintbrush to carefully touch their luster over the years. That prompted mixture of silver, black, white, red and green, style to parody the Cubism of Picasso. The up an enormous mural covering an entire the program to launch a restoration pro- had been expected to sell for between $25 previous auction record for a Lichtenstein wall of a Philadelphia parking lot. “At first, gram about a year and a half ago. million and $35 million. But it shot up to set a was $44.9 million, also last year. Among the I was afraid of heights, but I’m not any- “The red has completely faded into new auction high for the artist. The previous few losers in Wednesday’s sale were Francis more. Now I actually love it,” Saligman said green,” Saligman observed, standing before top auction price for a Pollock had been Bacon, whose “Study for portrait,” estimated from her perch where she worked on refur- a mural wall that once had been a glorious $40.4 million last year, although his paintings at $18 million to $25 million failed to find a bishing the 500-square-meter (nearly riot of colors when it was first painted in are said to have sold for far more in uncon- buyer. Another work by Bacon, “Study for 5,400-square-foot) painting. Philadelphia, 1999. “We used a paint that didn’t last,” she firmed private deals. Portrait of P.L.,” had been expected to sell for located midway between New York and explained. Meanwhile, new murals financed Christie’s called the painting the fruit of “a up to $40 million on Tuesday at Sotheby’s, Washington on the US East Coast, has a by the program are created by individual legendary three-year burst of creativity but also flopped. Mark Rothko’s “Unititled staggering 3,800 enormous works of wall artists, each tending to his own studio and between 1947 and 1950 that completely rev- (black on maroon)” fetched $27 million, sur- art, from the historic district to the more creating the works with the assistance of olutionized American painting and reshaped passing the pre-sale high estimate of $20 mil- rough-and-tumble neighborhoods on the other artists. The images in some instance the history of twentieth century art.” lion, and Richter’s “Abstraktes bild, Dunkel,” city’s outskirts. are painted directly onto a building wall. But The exuberant sale at Christie’s came a estimated at $18 million, fetched just under Some of the massive paintings in the another technique that allows the artists to day after rival Sotheby’s sold Barnett $22 million. —AFP city’s Mural Arts Program-the largest pub- work indoors and year round has them apply lic art program in the United States-feature paint to swatches of parachute cloth which scenes from daily life, while others offer later are adhered to the wall in sections. colorful renderings of abstract themes. On “It’s basically wallpaper,” said Ernel one abandoned building, there is a giant Martinez, his sunglasses perched atop his portrait of basketball great Julius Erving. head, as he helped to install the first sec- Another has a profile in various shades of tions of another mural dedicated to the blue of singing legend Frank Sinatra, popular music group “The Roots,” whose sporting his trademark fedora. Program members are from Philly. Some of these director Jane Golden says the initiative murals are produced in part by had rather humble beginnings. “It actually Philadelphia’s disadvantaged youth, some started as an anti-graffiti program in the of whom are fresh out of prison. “We’re all mid-1980s,” she told AFP, explaining that 10-12 years older-we are sort of mentors for the huge paintings were a way “to re- them,” Martinez said. “It’s a really interest- channel the negative energy” of ing interaction.” Philadelphia’s impoverished neighbor- The wall of another workshop run by hoods. artist Jon Laidacker is completely covered The goal was to beautify the cityscape, with six such lengths of fabric, each about she explained, as well as to help the city’s one square meter in size. “Right now, you’re youth broaden their view of themselves. looking at a giant lemon and parts of car- “It wasn’t just about painting out the graf- rots,” says Laidacker, the lead artist, fiti,” Golden said. “It was about working describing his work “Cornucopia”-a giant with kids who had been doing graffiti... mural depicting fruits and vegetables. Once providing them with opportunities and assembled, it will be impossible to tell that options to think of themselves as artists, it was not actually directly painted onto the and then to think about what other oppor- building. Golden sees the involvement by tunities there were for them.” Three local residents as one of the program’s decades after its founding, the Mural Arts greatest successes. The fact that only a Program now hires some 200 artists each very small number of the works have ever year-some to restore or paint murals, oth- been defaced, she said, shows the degree ers to give classes. to which Philadelphia residents have The program has an annual budget of bought into the popular art project. “The File photo in New York city, shows the painting “Dustheads” by Jean-Michel some $6.5 million-about 30 percent of benefit to the city is huge,” she said. “It is Basquiat on display during a preview of Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art which comes from city coffers, but most of known as a city that cares about its commu- sales. —AFP which comes from donations or the sale of nities, that cares about its youth.” —AFP FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Hospitals Sabah Hospital 24812000 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 Clinics Rabiya 24732263 Rawdha 22517733 Adailiya 22517144 Khaldiya 24848075 Khaifan 24849807 Shamiya 24848913 Shuwaikh 24814507 Abdullah Salim 22549134
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SHARQIA-1 RISE OF THE ZOMBIES (DIG) 5:00 PM 360º- 1 BAIRAQ-2 PHANTOM (DIG) 12:45 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 7:00 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 1:30 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 12:30 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 2:45 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 9:00 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 3:45 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 2:30 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 5:30 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 11:00 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 6:00 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 4:45 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 8:15 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 1:00 AM PHANTOM (DIG) 7:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 8:15 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 9:45 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 10:15 PM NO SUN+ TUE+WED SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 10:30 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 12:30 AM PHANTOM (DIG) 1:00 AM MARINA-1 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 12:45 AM PLAZA SHARQIA-2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 1:30 PM 360º- 2 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 5:30 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) 1:45 PM JAVA HEAT (DIG) 4:30 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 12:45 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 8:15 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) 4:30 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 6:30 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 3:00 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 10:30 PM LAILA IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 7:15 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 9:15 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 5:15 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG-3D) 9:45 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 12:05 AM IRON MAN 3 (DIG) 5:30 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 7:30 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:30 AM NO SUN+ TUE+WED NO WED WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 9:45 PM MUHALAB-1 MARINA-2 THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 8:00 PM THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 1:45 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 1:30 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 12:05 AM NO WED AL-KOUT.1 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG) 10:45 PM JAVA HEAT (DIG) 4:30 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 3:45 PM NO WED THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 6:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 5:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 2:00 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 4:30 PM AJIAL.1 THE GREAT GATSBY (DIG) 9:15 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 8:00 PM EMMANUEL (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 6:30 PM MUHALAB-2 PHANTOM (DIG) 10:15 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 7:15 PM EMMANUEL (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 9:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 1:00 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 12:30 AM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM AJIAL.2 PHANTOM (DIG) 3:30 PM AVENUES-1 STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 12:30 AM TADAKHA (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:45 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 5:30 PM JAVA HEAT (DIG) 2:00 PM AL-KOUT.2 THU+FRI PHANTOM (DIG) 7:45 PM RISE OF THE ZOMBIES (DIG) 4:15 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 1:15 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 5:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 9:45 PM JAVA HEAT (DIG) 6:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 3:30 PM NO THU+FRI SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 7:45 PM FANAR-1 JAVA HEAT (DIG) 8:45 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 6:00 PM NO THU+FRI SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 1:15 PM RISE OF THE ZOMBIES (DIG) 11:00 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 8:15 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 10:00 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 3:30 PM JAVA HEAT (DIG) 1:15 AM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 10:30 PM METRO-1 THE CALL (DIG) 5:45 PM AVENUES-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 12:45 AM NERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) 6:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 7:45 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 1:45 PM BAIRAQ-1 NERAM (DIG) (TAMIL) 9:30 PM SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 10:00 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 4:00 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 12:45 PM METRO-2 SAMEER ABOO ELNEEL (DIG) 2:15 AM THE CALL (DIG) 6:15 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 3:30 PM TADAKHA (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:45 PM THU+FRI FANAR-2 WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 8:30 PM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 6:15 PM PHANTOM (DIG) 2:45 PM WELCOME TO THE PUNCH (DIG) 10:45 PM EMMANUEL (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 6:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 9:00 PM NO THU+FRI PHANTOM (DIG) 3:00 PM THE CALL (DIG) 1:00 AM STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (DIG-3D) 11:45 PM TADAKHA (DIG) (TELUGU) 10:00 PM 39Pets FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 Concrete cowboy creates peace with horse rescue
hese days, when Victor Cutino puts his hand under 6-year-old Dreamer’s stomach, he no Tlonger grips both of the thoroughbred’s sides at once. A former racehorse who had competed under the name Remainstobeseen, Dreamer was 300 to 400 pounds underweight when she was rescued in January. Dreamer, along with a 16-year-old brood- mare named Haven, was discovered standing in sev- eral inches of feces and urine in a tiny stable. The woman who found them persuaded the owner to give them up, Cutino said. Both horses are still thin, but their hair no longer falls out in dull clumps when he touches them. Each has gained about 250 pounds since their arrival at Peaceful Ridge Rescue, the Davie, Fla., ranch Cutino founded in December to care for abandoned horses. “The way they eat, they don’t come up for air,” he said. “And they look at you and it’s like their eyes are saying, ‘Thank you.’” Cutino, a “concrete guy” from the Bronx, moved to Davie 14 years ago to be the CEO of Home Medical Equipment in Aventura, Fla. He didn’t have any hors- es and didn’t want any. But his wife, Ann Cooper- Cutino, did. “That was my dream, to have horses,” she said. And Davie, with its extensive trail system, is horse country. So they fenced in the yard and got a white Arabian they called Baby Girl. Then they got her a companion, and in 2004, Cutino stopped work- ing full time at the medical equipment company to found Horse Tales Ranch, where he begins his days with 4 am feedings, working until 9 at night. Word soon got out that he had land and barn space and wouldn’t turn away an animal that needed a home. “I’ve picked up horses when they’re nothing Victor Cutino with rescued horses, Haven (left) and Dreamer. —MCT photos but a skeleton,” said Cutino. “People lose their homes, so they take their furniture, they take their and by the time Cutino founded Peaceful Ridge moved to apartments that wouldn’t take pets, and At Peaceful Ridge, he said, each horse costs about kids, and they leave their horses in the backyard. And Rescue last December and set aside pasture space horse and cattle owners lost their land or couldn’t $2,500 a year in feed, shots and hoof care. The res- they don’t tell anyone.” People started coming to and stalls in Horse Tales’ hurricane-proof barns for pay for their animals’ feed. cue ranch makes up the cost through donations, him with the ones they couldn’t afford to keep - not the rescue ranch, he’d already taken in more than 50. “There were a lot of people in a position where horse sponsorships, riding lessons and adoptions. only horses, but rabbits, goats, chickens and the dogs Since January, he’s rescued another 10. they had to give up their pets, and that includes Costs can be steeper for horse owners who don’t that bay when a visitor pulls up to the ranch. The economic crisis didn’t only hurt people, it also dogs, cats and horses,” said Pringle. “With a horse, have their own land and need to pay monthly stable Cutino took in eight rescued horses his first year, hurt their animals, said Valerie Pringle, equine protec- they might not be able to afford board, or if they fees. and spent about $15,000 of his own money on their tion specialist with the Humane Society of the United were on a farm, they might have lost the farm.” “Cutino just has his heart in this,” said Davie care. More came in after the economic downturn, States. Across the country, cat and dog owners Horses are expensive animals to keep, said Cutino. Mayor Judy Paul, who attended the ranch’s grand opening earlier this year. “It’s a great operation. They’re doing their part to keep Davie an equestrian, green community.” Cutino works in jeans, a T-shirt, and cowboy boots that bear a light coating of stable dust in the best weather and a rim of mud in the worst. Some of the horses Cutino rescues are afraid of people, he said, and can’t be ridden when they arrive. They cower in the far end of their stalls or trot to the opposite side of a pasture when anyone walks toward them. “Rehabilitation is difficult with an abused horse,” said Peaceful Ridge volunteer Karen Baldwin, 73. “Some have been beaten and burned with cigarettes. You have to gain their trust.” Baldwin spent most of her adult life working with horses. She’d loved them ever since she was a little girl, and when she couldn’t have one, she put reins on her bicycle and pretended. At Peaceful Ridge, she mends fences, cleans stables and, sometimes, teach- es a horse that’s terrified of human touch to love it. It’s a painstaking process. Baldwin sits near the horse for hours until it is used to a human presence. She does it every day, sometimes for more than two weeks. It doesn’t always work, she said. Some horses never recover, but Peaceful Ridge keeps them anyway. Late one afternoon, Cutino went to check up on a thoroughbred named Adele. She was very wary, he said. When he got her in mid-January, she fled every time he tried to get near her. But Baldwin and other volunteers have been working with her. Now when Cutino walks up to her paddock, Adele, a chestnut with a white stripe down her muzzle, walks toward him and puts her nose over the gate. “I couldn’t do this before,” Cutino said, as he touched the side of her face. Cutino stroked the horse for a minute, and patted her on the side. Leaving the barn, he checked the time. It was Victor Cutino shows off rescued horse, Dreamer’s thoroughbred tattoo on the inside of her lip at his horse rescue organiza- evening, and tomorrow would begin at first light tion called Peaceful Ridge Rescue in Davie, Florida. with the smell of horses and hay.—MCT Stars FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Aries (March 21-April 19) COUNTRY CODES Libra (September 23-October 22) You are really connected somehow to other people's atti- Afghanistan 0093 Kuwait 00965 tudes today. Perhaps you are taking a survey or you are This could be one of your more stressful days but it could Albania 00355 Kyrgyzstan 00996 just particularly sensitive at this time. Your negotiation skills are in top just as well be one of your most productive times. Ask Algeria 00213 Laos 00856 form; however, if you hesitate too long before taking action, you could questions, stop to think things through and weigh your options before Andorra 00376 Latvia 00371 run into snags. Think about your decisions and then stay focused. Do not jumping into something you could regret. If a situation does not feel Angola 00244 Lebanon 00961 let others sway you from your goals. There will be a great deal of conver- right at this time, delay, compromise or ask opinions. Listen to advisers Anguilla 001264 Liberia 00231 sation in the work arena today and your contribution can make a positive who have been accurate in the past. You might like to ignore responsibil- Antiga 001268 Libya 00218 difference. This proves to be a busy day and outdoor exercise with your ities and do some socializing, but realities may demand that you tend to Argentina 0054 Lithuania 00370 friends will be welcomed this afternoon. Enjoy these times with your business. This evening would be a good time to take a little trip, or get Armenia 00374 Luxembourg 00352 friends as you tend to boost each other's confidence. Young people and outside. You may want to break that routine and try something new or Australia 0061 Macau 00853 family members join in the celebrations. different. It is highly likely that you will enjoy some time with a loved one Austria 0043 Macedonia 00389 this evening. Have fun being creative tonight. Bahamas 001242 Madagascar 00261 Bahrain 00973 Majorca 0034 Bangladesh 00880 Malawi 00265 Barbados 001246 Malaysia 0060 Belarus 00375 Maldives 00960 Taurus (April 20-May 20) Belgium 0032 Mali 00223 Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Belize 00501 Malta 00356 An important relationship, perhaps with an older person or Benin 00229 Marshall Islands 00692 someone in authority, may come into focus today. There This is an active day with an exchange of ideas in the work- Bermuda 001441 Martinique 00596 could be some tension or sense of opposition requiring some compro- place. Creating money is easier than in the past, but spend- Bhutan 00975 Mauritania 00222 mise. Although this could be an opportunity for understanding and ing it is also easier--think about your choices. The most important action Bolivia 00591 Mauritius 00230 growth, it could be important to show your appreciation of his or her now is to have an objective and a plan for your future investments and Bosnia 00387 Mayotte 00269 time and efforts toward your growth, education or professional develop- goals. Last, but not least, you must keep your attitude to succeed. You Botswana 00267 Mexico 0052 ment. Today focuses more on relationships. You do not tend to lavish seem to be enjoying the way in which your life is taking shape. You may Brazil 0055 Micronesia 00691 affection; you tend to keep your comments short and simple. You are be encouraged to widen your scope of friends through some new organ- Brunei 00673 Moldova 00373 being prepared for future successes. Express your creativity and sense of ization you join or a new neighbor you get to know. It may be time to Bulgaria 00359 Monaco 00377 style. Smile, it will do marvelous things for the people that are blessed by plan a party or get-together with these new friends. You are more recep- Burkina 00226 Mongolia 00976 Burundi 00257 Montserrat 001664 it. This evening you will more than likely enjoy a good movie. tive in your love relationships now. You may realize that holding on to the past no longer suits your purpose. Cambodia 00855 Morocco 00212 Cameroon 00237 Mozambique 00258 Canada 001 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Cape Verde 00238 Namibia 00264 Cayman Islands 001345 Nepal 00977 Central African Republic 00236 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Chad 00235 Netherlands Antilles 00599 Chile 0056 New Caledonia 00687 You could find yourself expressing your ideas deliberately You enjoy and value your own life situation today. An today--with little waste of words. You have a natural sense China 0086 New Zealand 0064 authority figure will value your input with regard to some group issues Colombia 0057 Nicaragua 00505 of organization and come across as disciplined and careful, perhaps a lit- today. You may be surprised at the support you receive. A friend may tle too sober. An inner vision, coupled with the ability to see the big pic- Comoros 00269 Nigar 00227 want to get your feedback on very personal and emotional issues. You Congo 00242 Nigeria 00234 ture, may find you working as a mediator with others. You could even will be able to be understanding and handle this very volatile material. Cook Islands 00682 Niue 00683 have a special gift for spanning the generation gap, bringing older and You are able to cut through the red tape and help them to see the truth. Costa Rica 00506 Norfolk Island 00672 younger spirits together--a healer. A love of animals, children, older peo- As this week winds to a close, you may be putting some finishing touch- Croatia 00385 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 ple and the needy is a lifelong trait that is visible today. It is easy for you es on some vacation plans or a weekend trip. If you have kids, be sure to Cuba 0053 North Korea 00850 to work with groups and teams of people. You would make a good man- include them in the decision making. If anything is left unplanned, prom- Cyprus 00357 Norway 0047 ager. There are opportunities to enjoy some outdoor activity with friends ise to complete your plans before leaving on the trip. Include in your gear Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Oman 00968 this afternoon. Laughter and fun is easy to find. some binoculars and a star map. Czech Republic 00420 Pakistan 0092 Denmark 0045 Palau 00680 Diego Garcia 00246 Panama 00507 Djibouti 00253 Papua New Guinea 00675 Dominica 001767 Paraguay 00595 Dominican Republic 001809 Peru 0051 Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Ecuador 00593 Philippines 0063 Egypt 0020 Poland 0048 Opportunities may go against your own sense of security You can make practical decisions concerning group issues El Salvador 00503 Portugal 00351 and responsibility. Career choices may require that you and others tend to lean toward your intelligent summations England (UK) 0044 Puerto Rico 001787 take a chance and neglect the home front now. This is a tough call and in how things should be run. You have a natural sense of what the public Equatorial Guinea 00240 Qatar 00974 some compromise is perhaps the best way to a workable solution. Your wants at this time and can be one of the best salespersons in your com- Eritrea 00291 Romania 0040 career, practical vision and skills are of central importance to you. You pany. If you are not in sales, whatever profession you enjoy, your hard Estonia 00372 Russian Federation 007 feel a waste of time if there is no organization and your actions are delib- work will be recognized. You could come up with new solutions to diffi- Ethiopia 00251 Rwanda 00250 erate in this area of your life. Your reputation and image are a source of culties that others would not even try to solve. You have an appreciation Falkland Islands 00500 Saint Helena 00290 concern and you do everything you can to make them solid now. You of life and you enjoy chatting with friends about each other's accom- Faroe Islands 00298 Saint Kitts 001869 appear perhaps more charming and refined than usual today. Making a plishments. You make a good friend and it isn't long before you are the Fiji 00679 Saint Lucia 001758 good impression and putting your best foot forward take on a greater one doing the listening. This whole evening may be about friends. There Finland 00358 Saint Pierre 00508 importance as a new cycle gets underway in your life. is time to dine, dance and enjoy good conversation. France 0033 Saint Vincent 001784 French Guiana 00594 Samoa US 00684 French Polynesia 00689 Samoa West 00685 Gabon 00241 San Marino 00378 Gambia 00220 Sao Tone 00239 Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Georgia 00995 Saudi Arabia 00966 Leo (July 23-August 22) Germany 0049 Scotland (UK) 0044 You are enterprising and dependable and when problems Ghana 00233 Senegal 00221 You are brilliant when it comes to insights of the mind, Gibraltar 00350 Seychelles 00284 psychology and motivation--the intensity is obvious. Your happen in the workplace, higher-ups can depend on you to find an answer or to reveal a truth. Because of your insight, a higher-up Greece 0030 Sierra Leone 00232 analytical powers are superb and you enjoy finding new avenues of inner Greenland 00299 Singapore 0065 growth. You have a great mental drive and lavish much gusto on mental is able to make clear decisions. You are valued for your ability to make practical decisions and you could find yourself representing co-workers Grenada 001473 Slovakia 00421 pursuits of all kinds. Ideas, words, books, etc., can be pursued with great Guadeloupe 00590 Slovenia 00386 gusto. Since you are such a social animal, opportunities will be available in a particular issue today. You will find that by next week there will be opportunities, or at least an availability of ways in which you can invest Guam 001671 Solomon Islands 00677 to communicate in groups. Teamwork will advance successfully now. Guatemala 00502 Somalia 00252 This is a lucky day for making plans or decisions and finding your way your money. Ask questions--know the risks--take your chances--begin now to plan. This is a great time to reflect and understand where you are Guinea 00224 South Africa 0027 through just about any problem you may discover. You feel successful Guyana 00592 South Korea 0082 and you are able to contend with the difficulties you may find whether in the process of reaching your goals. Emotions of others, as well as your own, can be very clear now. Haiti 00509 Spain 0034 you are at work or in the home. Holland (Netherlands)0031 Sri Lanka 0094 Honduras 00504 Sudan 00249 Hong Kong 00852 Suriname 00597 Hungary 0036 Swaziland 00268 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Sweden 0046 Iceland 00354 Switzerland 0041 Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) India 0091 Syria 00963 Indian Ocean 00873 Taiwan 00886 Self-sacrifice and an understanding attitude could have far- You will be extremely busy today. There will be many times Indonesia 0062 Tanzania 00255 reaching effects on your life-path and career during this where you will have to supply a solution to a particular Iran 0098 Thailand 0066 time. A little restraint just now could delay results. The planets are all problem. Be prepared to work hard! This is not a great time for contem- Iraq 00964 Toga 00228 favorable and it should be easy for you to push forward with any ongo- plation. If you need to increase your energies, try walking up and down Ireland 00353 Tonga 00676 ing projects. Life may seem almost magical in the way things work out in stairs or around the building or some other short exercise routine. You Italy 0039 Tokelau 00690 your favor. Now is the time when personal insight into your most secret may find yourself feeling blocked and unable to express yourself, particu- Ivory Coast 00225 Trinidad 001868 and psychological self may be possible. Breaking with what went before, larly in a group situation, unless you take a little time to stretch or do that Jamaica 001876 Tunisia 00216 you may find new ways to transform yourself. With a little change in sub- little spurt of exercise. Take care to examine all aspects of your work or Japan 0081 Turkey 0090 ject this evening, your concentration may be on your favorite animal. You dealings today--it will be successful. These afternoon conversations with Jordan 00962 Tuvalu 00688 are either teaching an old dog new tricks or babysitting a family mem- family will be more relaxed. A positive dialogue with an older person may Kazakhstan 007 Uganda 00256 ber's new pet this evening. take place. This evening is for reading. Kenya 00254 Ukraine 00380 Kiribati 00686 United Arab Emirates00976 Leisure FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Word Search 2. Enthusiastic approval. 3. Rock star and drummer for the Beatles (born in 1940). CROSSWORD192 4. A doughnut-shaped chamber used in fusion research. 5. Evergreen Indian shrub with vivid yellow flowers whose bark is used in tanning. 6. A state in midwestern United States. 7. A trite or obvious remark. 8. Ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure = 1.5 gallons. 9. Of or located in the upper part of a town. 10. A condition requiring relief. 11. A change in the electrical properties of the skin in response to stress or anxiety. 12. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 13. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike. 14. God of love and erotic desire. 19. Taken dishonestly. 24. A cylindrical drawstring bag used by sailors to hold their clothing and other gear. 27. Goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment. 31. Jordan's port. 33. Arranged in or consisting of laminae. 34. The town was taken from the Turks by the Russians in 1877 after a siege of 143 days. 35. A cotton fabric with a satiny finish. 37. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829). 38. A South American shrub whose leaves are chewed by natives of the Andes. 39. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light. 41. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. 43. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders. 44. The time of life between the ages of 12 and 20. 46. Not only so, but. 47. A kiln used to reduce naturally occuring forms of calcium carbonate to lime. ACROSS 48. A port city of south central Ukraine on an arm of the Black Sea. 1. An affirmative. 51. Green algae common in freshwater lakes of limestone districts. 4. A city in Taiwan. 55. Small spiny outgrowth on the wings of certain insects. 12. Inquire about. 56. One of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind. 15. The administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to 58. A genus of Platalea. induce convulsions and coma. 59. A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll. 16. A genus of Portunidae. 61. A genus of Ploceidae. 17. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar. 62. A slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water. 18. A state in northwestern North America. 66. Interchangeable with `means' in the expression `by dint of'. 20. (prefix) Between or among or in the midst of. 67. Panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differently from 21. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked). the rest. 22. Relating to or derived from or resembling tartar. 69. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms 23. A doctor's degree in optometry. and yielding a yellow dye. 25. The dense colorless framework of a chloroplast. 71. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma. 26. A spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus. 72. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric. 28. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element. 75. The use of bacteria or viruses of toxins to destroy men and animals or food. 29. A rapid escape (as by criminals). 76. The azimuth of a celestial body is the angle between the vertical plane containing it 30. An inactive volcano in Sicily. and the plane of the meridian. 32. A large mountain system in south-central Europe. 36. A diacritical mark (an inverted circumflex) placed above certain letters (such as c) to indicate pronunciation. Yesterdayʼs Solution 40. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret. 42. Very dark black. 45. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States. Yesterdayʼs Solution 49. The elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length. 50. Situated in a particular spot or position. 52. The content of cognition. 53. (meaning literally `born') Used to indicate the maiden or family name of a married woman. 54. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing. 57. (Old Testament) The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. 60. A covered cistern. 63. Slightly open. 64. South American shrub or small tree having long shining evergreen leaves and pani- cles of green or yellow flowers. 65. A resource. 68. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers. 70. Being one more than fifty. 73. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 74. French philosopher and theologian. 77. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land. 78. An associate degree in applied science. 79. A festival featuring African-American culture. 80. (prefix) Outside or outer.
DOWN 1. Irish poet and dramatist (1865-1939).
Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 NBA owners Miami turn up reject Kings’ move to Seattle heat on Bulls DALLAS: NBA owners voted Wednesday to reject the Sacramento Kings’ proposed move to Seattle, the latest in a long line of cities that have tried to land the franchise. The Heat, Grizzlies move to conference finals vote followed a recommendation made last month by the NBA’s relocation committee and may have finally brought MIAMI: Miami and Memphis are headed to the NBA confer- a couple shots from forcing the reigning champions to fly an end to an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly ence finals after beating Chicago and Oklahoma City respec- back to Chicago for a Game 6. “We’ve got warriors here,” three years. A group led by investor Chris Hansen has a deal tively on Wednesday to complete 4-1 series victories. Miami’s Boozer said. “If we’re healthy next season, we’re going to be to buy the team. Hansen hoped to move the franchise to LeBron James scored 23 points and Dwyane Wade added 18 pretty good.” Seattle and rename it the SuperSonics. The original Sonics for the Heat, which won a see-sawing game. The hosts led 22- The Heat say they have more than a few of those warrior- were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 and were renamed 4 but were then outscored by a whopping 29 points over the types as well, including Wade, who has been battling bone the Thunder. Commissioner David Stern said the league will next 27 minutes before snatching back the initiative and sco- bruising on his knee for weeks but was still a pivotal player in spend the next 24 to 48 hours talking to the Maloofs, the ing 25 points to 14 in the final quarter. The Memphis Grizzlies the fourth-quarter surge. “I’ll go on and on about how great team’s owners, about working out a deal with a competing advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in he is,” James said. “I really don’t care for the trash talk that he ownership group in Sacramento. franchise history by beating Oklahoma City 88-84. receives.” Shane Battier opened the fourth quarter with a 3- The Maloofs reached an agreement in January to sell a pointer to get Miami within five. Another 3-pointer from 65 percent controlling interest in the team to Hansen’s Battier came not long afterward, and he connected on a pair group at a total franchise valuation of $525 million, topping of free throws after being fouled on a 3-point try to cut the NBA-record $450 million for Joe Lacob and Peter Guber Chicago’s lead to 81-79. to buy the Warriors in 2010. Then Hansen increased his offer Norris Cole had a pair of baskets, the second being a left- to $550 million, which implies buying the 65 percent stake handed driving dunk, to put Miami on top, and the Heat found for about $357 million. Following the relocation commit- a way to close it out from there, even though it wasn’t easy, by tee’s unanimous recommendation on April 29 to deny the any measure. Robinson’s 3-pointer with 1:43 left got the Bulls move to Seattle, Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to 94-91. No one scored again, even though there were plenty dug deeper into their pockets in a final attempt to sway the of chances both ways. “I had a good couple of minutes,” Wade NBA Board of Governors. They raised the valuation of the said. “I knew they’ve seen a lot of LeBron and Norris. I knew Kings to $625 million, or $406 million for the Maloofs’ inter- they weren’t prepared for me to attack which is what I was est in the franchise, and offered a $115 million relocation able to do.” fee, nearly four times what Clay Bennett paid to move the The Heat will be big favorites against either Indiana or New Sonics. York, though it’s certain either opponent would enter a series Hansen’s group also guaranteed owners that the fran- against Miami with plenty of confidence. The Knicks went 3-1 chise would pay into the league’s revenue-sharing system against the Heat this season, outscoring them by 11.5 points in Seattle and not collect money as it has in Sacramento. per game and winning both of their games at Miami convinc- They were aggressive and bold public statements that had ingly. The Pacers went 2-1 against the Heat, winning twice in been lacking from the Seattle group through much of the Indianapolis and losing their lone game in Miami. “It only gets process while Sacramento openly made its case in the pub- more difficult and more challenging,” coach Erik Spoelstra lic eye. As a backup, the Seattle group negotiated a plan to said. “That’s what competitors want.” Memphis’ Zach buy a minority stake in the Kings with the Maloofs retaining Randolph had 28 points and 14 rebounds and Mike Conley majority ownership and keeping the team in Sacramento. added 13 points and 11 assists as the Grizzlies showed some It’s the second time since 2011 that the Maloof brothers trademark grit and grind to see off the Thunder. have made plans that would have ended in relocation for “This is the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I’m happy, the Kings. The first target was Anaheim, Calif., but but we’ve still got work to do,” Randolph said. “I want to win a Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former All-Star guard, ring.” The Grizzlies, who got swept out of the playoffs in their convinced the NBA to give the city another chance to first three trips and had won just one postseason series before finance a new arena. this season, have already made it farther than ever before but Johnson delivered on a promise for a plan for a new still aren’t satisfied. “We’re trying to do something really spe- downtown arena with help from Stern, but the Maloofs cial. We want to go as far as we can go,” coach Lionel Hollins backed out, saying it didn’t make financial sense. The said. “To get there, we had to get through Oklahoma City. And Maloofs had another surprise when they announced a deal now, we have to get through either Golden State or San with Hansen’s group, which includes Ballmer and members Antonio to get further.” of the Nordstrom department store family. Johnson fought In a series filled with games that went down to the wire, the back again, this time lining up an ownership group led by finale was fitting - even though the Thunder trailed by 12 with TIBCO software chairman Vivek Ranadive and getting the 3 minutes left. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant missed a 16-foot Sacramento City Council to approve a non-binding financ- jumper from the left wing that would have tied the game with ing plan for a $447 million arena with a $258 million public 6 seconds left, finishing off a miserable shooting night for the subsidy. The potential Sacramento ownership group also three-time NBA scoring champion. Durant ended up with 21 includes 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov, former points on 5-for-21 shooting, the third-worst performance of Facebook senior executive Chris Kelly and the Jacobs family his playoff career. that owns communications giant Qualcomm. “I gave it all I had for my team. I left it all out there on the Seattle has been without an NBA franchise since the floor,” Durant said. “I missed 16 shots, but I kept fighting, I SuperSonics moved. Led by star Kevin Durant, the Thunder kept being aggressive. That’s all I can ask for.” The Thunder, have made the playoffs four straight seasons, reached the MIAMI: Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler shoots over Miami who made it to the NBA Finals last season, were top seeds in Western Conference finals in 2011 and lost to Miami in last Heat’s Mario Chalmers (15) during the second half of the West but went 2-6 after All-Star guard Russell Westbrook year’s NBA finals. The NBA’s relocation committee, coinci- Game 5 of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifi- had knee surgery two games into the first round. dentally headed by Bennett, voted unanimously last month nal. — AP “I believe in our guys. I’m disappointed we didn’t win this to reject the bid to move the Kings. In a letter sent to the series. I felt that we were good enough to win this series,” relocation and finance committees during its April 17 meet- Memphis’ Chris Bosh scored 12 points and Udonis Haslem coach Scott Brooks said. Serge Ibaka had 17 points and eight ing, the Maloofs said they preferred to sell to the Seattle added 10 for the Heat, which will play the winner of the rebounds before fouling out with 1:26 to play during a desper- group and expressed discontent with Sacramento’s latest Indiana-New York series, which the Pacers lead 3-1. Carlos ation comeback try for the Thunder. Reggie Jackson’s 3-point- bid, saying it falls “significantly short.” Stern has said the Boozer finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls, er finished off the 16-6 rally, cutting the deficit to 86-84 with offers are in “the same ballpark,” and has reiterated his long- who were without Derrick Rose for the 99th straight game. 14.3 seconds remaining. held stance that expansion is unlikely right now. Hansen Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler missed potential tying 3- Randolph missed both free throws with 11.3 seconds on spent nearly two years working to get an arena plan pointers on the final possession of the season for Chicago, the clock to give the Thunder one last chance to save their approved by the city and county governments and spent which dropped the last four games of the series. season. Durant got the ball beyond the 3-point line on the left more than $65 million buying land in Seattle’s SoDo neigh- “We’re disappointed in losing the series,” Bulls coach Tom wing and navigated around Tony Allen before missing the borhood where the arena would be built. Hansen has a five- Thibodeau said. “But I was never disappointed in our team. jumper. “That’s the shot that we wanted... That’s the shot I will year memorandum of understanding with the city and Our team fought hard all year long. There was no quit in live with 100 times out of 100 times,” Brooks said. Allen got county on the arena plan. — AP them.” A team that played without the 2011 NBA MVP in Rose, the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws to close it and dealt with a slew of other issues along the way, was within out. — AP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
NL Capsules AL Capsules Lester leads Red Sox to overthrow Rays 9-2
NEW YORK: Raul Ibanez again treated Yankee Stadium as his personal play- ground, hitting a grand slam and two-run homer Wednesday night to help the Seattle Mariners rout New York 12-2. Ibanez’s slam came during a seven- run first inning. Yankees backup shortstop Alberto Gonzalez got the final out in the ninth inning in his first professional pitching appearance. The Mariners chased Phil Hughes (2-3) after he got only two outs in the first. Trying to pre- serve his bullpen, Yankees manager Joe Girardi had Brett Marshall throw 108 pitches in his big league debut, then brought in Gonzalez. Ibanez has con- nected three times in the first two games of his return to the ballpark in which - last year at 40 years old - he electrified crowds in late September and October with several key homers in the Yankees’ run to the AL championship series. The first-inning burst made it easy for Hisashi Iwakuma (5-1).
RED SOX 9, RAYS 2 ST PETERSBURG: Jon Lester stayed unbeaten, Stephen Drew hit his second career grand slam and the Boston Red Sox roughed up AL Cy Young winner David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays. Price (1-4) departed from the marquee pitching matchup because of left triceps tightness during Boston’s eight-run third inning, which Drew finished with his towering homer off Jamey Wright. Coming off a one-hit, complete game shutout of Toronto, Lester (6-0) allowed PHOENIX: Atlanta Braves’ Ramiro Pena (14) is safe at second as Arizona Diamondbacks’ Didi Gregorius, two runs in seven innings to help end the Rays’ season-best six-game winning (right) drops the ball while trying for the force out during the eighth inning of a baseball game. — AP streak. The Red Sox, meanwhile, stopped a three-game losing streak.
RANGERS 6, ATHLETICS 2 Dodgers beat Nationals OAKLAND: Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer, leading Alexi Ogando and the Texas Rangers over Oakland. Ogando (4-2) didn’t allow a hit until Eric Sogard’s leadoff double in the sixth inning. Lance Berkman hit a two-run single and 3-1 in Greinke’s return Adrian Beltre added an RBI single a day after hitting a 10th-inning home run as the Rangers won their first series in Oakland since Sept. 20-22, 2011. Dan MIAMI: Shin-Soo Choo hit two homers and four pitchers pitched eight strong innings for his first win since open- Straily (1-2) took the loss. combined on an 11-hit shutout Wednesday night to ing day and the Cubs beat the Rockies. David DeJesus help the Cincinnati Reds extend their winning streak to a led off the first inning with a home run and Anthony ASTROS 7, TIGERS 5 season-best five games by beating Miami 4-0. Choo hit Rizzo had two hits for the Cubs, who won back-to-back DETROIT: Brandon Barnes caught Miguel Cabrera’s bases-loaded drive solo homers in the fourth and sixth inning, giving him series for the first time this season. Reid Brignac hit a against the wall in right-center field for the final out, and the Houston Astros nine this season. The multihomer game was his second pinch-hit homer for the Rockies, who finished a 2-4 road avoided a season sweep against the Detroit Tigers. Carlos Corporan hit a in eight days and ninth of his career. Mike Leake (3-2) trip. The Rockies have not won back-to-back games tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth for the Astros, who lost their first six went 6 2-3 innings and pitched around nine hits. The since a season-high eight-game winning streak April 12- meetings with the Tigers by a combined 50-12. Jose Veras pitched the ninth Marlins had 14 baserunners but stranded 12 and hit into 20. They have not won a three-game series at Wrigley for his fifth save in seven chances. Hector Ambriz (1-2) got the win. Al two double plays. That gave the crowd of 14,866 little to Field since Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2006. Samardzija (2-5) Alburquerque (0-1) gave up Corporan’s hit. cheer about, and the biggest roars came when high- allowed two runs and five hits. He struck out seven and lights of the Miami Heat’s playoff victory over the walked two. Colorado starter Jon Garland (3-4) allowed WHITE SOX 9, TWINS 4 Chicago Bulls two miles away were shown on the video three runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out MINNEAPOLIS: Adam Dunn homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs, scoreboard. Alex Sanabia (2-6) took the loss. four and walked one. powering the Chicago White Sox past Minnesota. Dunn hit a pair of two-run shots for his 35th career multihomer game. He’s hit three home runs in the PIRATES 3, BREWERS 1 CARDINALS 4, METS 2 last two games and has nine this year. Dayan Viciedo also went deep for the PITTSBURGH: Wandy Rodriguez allowed one run over ST LOUIS: Rookie Shelby Miller followed up his nearly second straight day, helping Dylan Axelrod (1-3) pick up his first victory this seven strong innings and Neil Walker hit a two-run sin- perfect one-hitter with 5 2-3 scoreless innings and the season. Mike Pelfrey (3-4) was hit hard yet again, failing to record an out in the gle as the Pirates beat the Brewers. Rodriguez (4-2) gave Cardinals scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a fifth inning. up six hits, walking one and striking out five. Jason Grilli wild pitch in a victory over the Mets. Rick Ankiel’s two- worked the ninth for his National League-leading 16th run homer off rookie Seth Maness (3-0) tied it in the top ROYALS 9, ANGELS 5 save as the Pirates moved six games above .500 for the of the seventh and was his first against the team that ANAHEIM: Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run double and Billy Butler capped his first time this season. Walker, playing his third game converted the former left-handed pitcher to an outfield- most productive series of the season with a two-run single, leading Kansas since returning from a stint on the disabled list with a er in 2005. Shaun Marcum (0-4) made it out of the fifth City over Los Angeles. Wade Davis (3-3) was charged with four runs and nine hand injury, lined a single to center with one out in the for the first time in four starts since beginning the year hits over 5 1-3 innings in the rubber game of the series. Barry Enright (0-2) sixth off Yovani Gallardo for his first RBIs in nearly a on the 15-day disabled list. He left the game with two on gave up four runs, five hits and two walks in two-plus innings, leaving with the month. Gallardo (3-3) walked four and struck out four in and two out in the seventh and Scott Rice’s wild pitch to bases loaded and none out in the Royals’ seven-run third. six innings, allowing just three hits. Rickie Weeks hit his pinch hitter Ty Wigginton allowed Daniel Descalso to third homer to provide Milwaukee’s only run. Norichika score the go-ahead run. INTERLEAGUE Aoki had two hits for the Brewers. Milwaukee has PADRES 8, ORIOLES 4 dropped 10 of 12. DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 1 BALTIMORE: Alexi Amarista homered and doubled twice as the San Diego LOS ANGELES: Zack Greinke pitched 5 1-3 strong Padres matched their season-high with 17 hits, beating Baltimore for a two- DIAMONDBACKS 5, BRAVES 3 innings in his first start since April 11 and the Dodgers game sweep. Everth Cabrera had four hits and a walk, and Jedd Gyorko had PHOENIX: Paul Goldschmidt hit three doubles, Eric beat the Nationals. Greinke came off the disabled list three singles for the Padres, who are 13-6 after a 5-15 start. John Baker hit a Chavez drove in three runs and the Diamondbacks beat earlier in the day, returning three weeks sooner than go-ahead, two-run single in the second against Freddy Garcia (0-2). JJ Hardy Tim Hudson and the Braves. Cody Ross added an RBI expected from a broken left clavicle after a confronta- and Matt Wieters homered for the Orioles off Jason Marquis (5-2), who won double as the Diamondbacks won the final two games tion with San Diego’s Carlos Quentin last month. The his fourth straight start. Manny Machado had four hits. of the series after a 10-1 loss in the opener. Hudson (4-3) right-hander was expected to be out eight weeks. He had been 7-0 in nine career starts against Arizona before underwent surgery on April 13 to fix the injury with a BLUE JAYS 11, GIANTS 3 he got tagged. He allowed five runs and eight hits in five metal plate used to stabilize the break. Greinke (2-0) TORONTO: JP Arencibia and Adam Lind each hit two-run home runs, Ramon innings - he’s given up 11 runs over 8 2-3 innings in his made one rehab appearance last Friday for Class A Ortiz won for the first time since 2011 and the Toronto Blue Jays won their last two starts. Ian Kennedy (2-3) yielded three runs and Rancho Cucamonga, and the Dodgers decided he was season-high fourth straight game, beating the San Francisco Giants. Ortiz (1-1) five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked ready to rejoin them. Ross Detwiler (2-4) gave up two allowed one run and six hits in seven innings for his first win since beating the three. Heath Bell pitched the ninth for his sixth save in runs and six hits in three innings - his shortest outing of Mets in a relief appearance with the Cubs on Sept 11, 2011. He had not won as eight chances. the season. The left-hander walked two and struck out a starter since pitching for Minnesota in April 2007. Ryan Vogelsong (1-4) none. The Nationals fell to 3-5 when he starts. Detwiler allowed a season-high eight runs, three earned, in two innings. He has an 8.06 CUBS 6, ROCKIES 3 is 0-6 in six career road starts against NL West oppo- ERA this season. — AP CHICAGO: Jeff Samardzija hit a two-run home run and nents.—AP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 44 Blackhawks hammer Red Wings in series opener Hossa scores opening goal
CHICAGO: Chicago’s Johnny Oduya and Detroit still lost to rival Chicago for the from the point and sent Sharp’s pass past Marcus Kruger scored in the third period eighth straight time dating to last season. Howard on the glove side with 12 minutes as the Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red The series resumes tomorrow after- left. Kruger then jumped on a loose puck Wings 4-1 in the opener of their NHL sec- noon at the United Center. The 75th all- and sent a backhander into the upper ond-round playoff series Wednesday. time playoff game between the right corner to make it 3-1. IRVING: In this photo, Guan Tianlang, 14, from China, Detroit almost pulled a goal back but tees off on the 18th hole during a practice round at Damien Brunner’s rebound attempt went Byron Nelson Championship golf tournament. —AP off the crossbar and straight down before it was swept away with about three min- utes left. The game was fast and frenetic 14-yr-old plays 2nd PGA from the start. Two similar teams more than familiar with the other’s style, ener- Tour event post Masters gized by their first playoff meeting in four IRVING: Guan Tianlang is one of five amateur players being honored years. The Blackhawks struck first, taking this week for the Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Awards. While advantage of the first power-play oppor- the other four award recipients will be watching the Byron Nelson tunity of the game. With Gustav Nyquist in Championship, the 14-year-old Guan - already the youngest player to the box for hooking, Sharp forced a make a cut on the PGA Tour - is playing in the tournament. This is the turnover along the boards and Jonathan second PGA Tour event for the school student from China since making Toews sent the puck to Hossa, who one- the cut last month at the Masters. He also made the cut at New Orleans, timed it past Howard at 9:03. where he first spoke with Nelson officials about playing this week. Detroit needed less than two minutes ‘Always a challenge, every tournament, because this is another big to respond, tying it when Brunner poked event ... this is only my third start and everything is still new to me,’ in a rebound for his third career playoff Guan said Wednesday, a day before the Nelson’s opening round. ‘I goal. The Blackhawks killed off two power have to play my best and make some good score.’ The youngster’s plays created by penalties on Andrew impressive performance at Augusta has led to invitations to play in Shaw. They killed off another one when other events. He hopes to again be playing in the weekend rounds. Nick Leddy was sent off for delay of game ‘For this week, I want to enjoy the experience, great experience in the second period, making them a per- here,’ Guan said. ‘And hope to, yeah, make the cut. And if I make the fect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill in the cut hope to play better and better.’ There are two sponsor exemp- postseason and sinking Detroit to 1 for 18 CHICAGO: Marian Hossa No. 81 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates a tions playing in this year’s Nelson: Guan and 19-year-old Jordan on power plays against Chicago, including first period goal with teammate Patrick Sharp No. 10 against the Detroit Spieth, the Texas native playing at TPC Four Seasons for the third the regular season. Red Wings in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals. —AP time. After Leddy’s penalty, the Blackhawks Spieth is playing as a pro this time, having made six of nine cuts controlled most of the action for a while. and already won nearly $700,000 this season. As an amateur at the Goaltender Corey Crawford made 20 Blackhawks and Red Wings was tied 1-1 They had a 17-5 advantage in shots in the Nelson, he tied for 16th as a 16-year-old in 2010, then played on the saves, Marian Hossa scored the opening after two periods, and Howard made a period. They just couldn’t beat Howard, same day as his high school graduation two years ago when he tied goal, and Patrick Sharp had an empty-net- great stop on a breakaway by Dave who made a great glove stop on a wide- for 32nd. He played one season at the University of Texas before turn- ter and two assists to give him nine points Bolland 41/2 minutes into the third. open Hossa with 6:39 remaining. Detroit ing pro. —AP in the playoffs. Jimmy Howard finished Chicago kept working and went in front to also killed off two Chicago power plays to with 38 stops in a terrific performance, but stay on smart play by Oduya. He drifted in keep it tied headed to the third. —AP Rossi targets Brit hero faces ‘biggest 80th win LE MANS: Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi targets an 80th career MotoGP win on Sunday at the French Grand Prix, where he also challenge’ since London hopes to break his duck for the season. The Italian Yamaha star currently sits at fourth in the world championship, 18 points behind surprise leader Marc Marquez on a Honda. Rossi is in the middle of an alarming winning SHANGHAI: British long jump hero Greg Rutherford said men’s 110m hurdles, Olympic champion Aries Merritt of the drought with his 79th and last triumph coming in Malaysia in October he’s facing his “biggest challenge” since taking London US faces compatriot Jason Richardson, who claimed silver in 2010 before he switched to his unsuccessful two-year spell at Ducati. But Olympics gold yesterday when he goes up against his two London. China’s national athletics hero Liu Xiang, who won his career statistics are still beyond the reach of his title rivals. Dani predecessors at Shanghai’s Diamond League meet. the 110m hurdles at the Athens Olympics, remains out of Pedrosa, the Spanish Honda rider who won in Jerez last time out, is next Rutherford, one of seven current Olympic champions in action after his dramatic injury exit from the London Games. on the list of all-time winners on 23. “Le Mans is a good track for me, also Shanghai, will face Beijing 2008 winner Irving Saladino and Three double Olympic champions are among the because in the last two years I was able to arrive on the podium in the dry America’s Dwight Phillips, the Athens 2004 gold-medallist women’s stars with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce com- and also in wet conditions,” said Rossi, who has won three times at Le who has been sidelined with injury for the last two years. peting in the 100m against world title-holder Carmelita Mans in the elite class. Australia’s world 2011 and Olympic 2012 silver medallist Jeter, whom she beat into second place in London. “We hope to do the same and also better with Yamaha because this Mitchell Watt is also vying for victory in Saturday’s meet in Ethiopia’s two-time Olympic champion Meseret Defar heads is a good track for the bike. In Le Mans the weather will be very impor- Shanghai, the second leg in this year’s Diamond League a talented 5,000m field, and Yelena Isinbayeva, considered tant, because usually the weather is quite bad. It can be cold and wet so series. “For me this is definitely going to be the biggest chal- the greatest ever woman pole vaulter, is another headliner. we will see. We will have to work well like always and try to understand lenge since the Olympics,” Rutherford told reporters in The Russian failed to become the first women in history to the weather and the conditions of the track. We will try to do the maxi- Shanghai. “Mitch is going to be here which is going to make win three successive Olympic crowns when she took bronze mum as always.” Rossi was second at the circuit in 2012 and third the it quite interesting. Dwight is obviously here. It is a stacked in London, a result which led her to postpone her retirement year before-performances which represented his best rides during his ill- field for us, so by far the biggest competition we have all plans. She indicated that she may decide to end her career fated stay at Ducati. This year, he has been in the shadow on world cham- had so far.” on home soil at the world championships later this year. pion teammate Jorge Lorenzo who captured the season-opener in Qatar Rutherford beat Watt at the Melbourne World Challenge “About my retirement, it is going to be a difficult deci- and is third in the championship. Lorenzo is a three-time winner at Le in April, but said he could not recall the last time all four sion, and you know it is difficult to say right now what I am Mans, including in 2012 when victory was achieved in torrential rain. long jumpers had faced each other. The long jump is one of going to do after the world championships in Moscow. It Marquez, the 20-year-old Spaniard who only graduated to MotoGP from four re-runs in Shanghai between gold and silver medallists will depend on my performance there,” she said. Men’s Moto2 this season, admits Friday practice will be key to his chances. “We from London 2012, including a men’s 400m duel with javelin star Andreas Thorkildsen will also hope to claim vic- go to Le Mans and again we arrive there starting from zero, as I haven’t Olympic champion Kirani James from Grenada, and tory in Shanghai after a disappointing London 2012. The done any tests there,” said Marquez, the winner in Texas last month. “I’ll Luguelin Santos of Dominican Republic. Norwegian gold-medallist from Athens and Beijing is fac- do my best and I’ll try to make the most of the situation. I hope it doesn’t The pair also come up against the bronze medallist from ing off against 19-year-old Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad, rain so we can prepare the bike on a dry track; this is very important in London, Trinidad and Tobago’s Lalonde Gordon, and who surprised the world by winning the Olympic title last order to find the right set-up.” Pedrosa, meanwhile, has tasted victory at LaShawn Merritt of the US, who took gold in Beijing. In the summer. —AFP the famous French track, but only in the 125cc and 250cc classes. —AFP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 UEFA wants standard rules on tackling racism
AMSTERDAM: UEFA is seeking to Mr Rocchi for what he did. Respect for dardise (rules), so that what we do in mates who also left the field in sup- implement Europe-wide rules on tack- differences is more important than our competitions also happens in the port, was hailed by anti-racism cam- ling racism at football matches, the winning,” Platini told AFP in an inter- leagues.” UEFA secretary-general paigners. But it prompted differences organisation’s president Michel Platini view in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Gianni Infantino last month outlined of opinion about whether his action has revealed, following a string of “Stopping matches, making an tough new sanctions both on and off was correct and renewed debate high-profile incidents this season, par- announcement via the tannoy, even if the pitch to rid the game of the about whether the existing system of ticularly in Italy. Platini said that it means halting the match completely scourge of discrimination and abuse. sanctions, particularly fines for players European football’s governing body if it (the chanting) doesn’t stop, is They include a minimum 10-match and clubs, were an effective deterrent. will push for agreement when its what we’ve recommended for a long ban for players found guilty of racial Platini’s counterpart at world gov- members meet in London later this time. “It’s worked. You stop the abuse, plus forcing clubs to play erning body FIFA, Sepp Blatter, said he month on steps to take in the event of match, you make an announcement behind closed doors in the event of could not condone the idea of players offensive chanting from the terraces. and if (the chanting) stops, you restart. proven racism by fans. Racism has or teams abandoning games to Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi had If it doesn’t, the referee abandons the been an unwelcome hot topic in protest racism. On Monday, the Italian given a textbook example of how to game. European football this year, notably league said it applauded Rocchi’s handle such a situation by temporarily “It’s what we’ve done in our after AC Milan star Kevin-Prince actions and backed UEFA plans to stopping the match when AC Milan European competitions for four years. Boateng walked off in protest at close whole sections of grounds in the striker Mario Balotelli was subjected to We’re going to propose guidelines in taunts during a friendly match in Italy event of incidents similar to those racist taunts from Roma fans last London at the UEFA executive com- in January. against Balotelli at Milan’s San Siro weekend, he added. “I congratulate mittee meeting (on May 24) to stan- His decision, backed by team- stadium. — AFP Sreesanth in Indian trio arrested for spot-fixing BCCI suspends them, warns of stricter punishment NEW DELHI: Indian police said yesterday they had arrested arrests as “unfortunate” and called on the authorities to take three cricketers including Test bowler Shanthakumaran strict action against the players if they are found guilty. Sreesanth, after they allegedly accepted tens of thousands of A mechanism must be put in place “to prevent such unethi- dollars for spot-fixing. Eleven bookmakers were also arrested cal activities and ensure clean sports in the country”, he said. in connection with the inquiry, said Delhi Police Commissioner Spot-fixing hit the headlines when three Pakistani players Neeraj Kumar, as he gave details of three games in the ongo- were banned for contriving no-balls in return for money in a ing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the centre of the corruption 2010 Test in England. Former captain Salman Butt got a 10- probe. year ban, with five years suspended, and Mohammad Asif was ROME: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic eyes the ball during his Kumar told a news conference that more bookmakers were barred for seven years, with two suspended. Mohammad Rome Masters tennis match against Ukrainian Alexandr expected to be arrested as part of the inquiry which has Aamer was banned for five years-the minimum punishment Dolgopolov yesterday. Djokovic won 6-1, 6-4 to qualify for already seen the accused players suspended by the Indian under the International Cricket Council code. All three, along the quarter-finals. — AFP cricket authorities. Spot-fixing is an illegal activity where a spe- with their agent Mazhar Majeed, were also jailed by an English cific part of a game, but not the outcome, is fixed. Sreesanth, court in 2011 for spot-fixing. The three players were released Djokovic into who has played 27 Tests for India, is alleged to have been paid last year. — AFP four million rupees (about $75,000) to give away around 14 quarters, feels for runs in an over while playing for the Rajasthan Royals against the Kings XI Punjab on May 9. injured Murray His teammate Ankeet Chavan had also allegedly agreed to give away the same number of runs in a match on Wednesday ROME: Top seed Novak Djokovic played without ankle pain yester- night against the Mumbai Indians in exchange for six million day in a routine 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Alexandr Dolgopolov for a quar- rupees ($110,000), police said. A third player, Ajit Chandila, ter-final place at the Rome Masters, and then spared a thought for was believed to have been paid two million rupees ($36,000), the injury plight of rival Andy Murray. Djokovic dispatched for giving away a set number of runs in a match between the Dolgopolov in an hour, with five aces and 13 winners in a contest Rajasthan Royals and the Pune Warriors, police said. which began 45 minutes late due to morning rain. “This much money has exchanged hands. This money was The two-time Rome champion will play Czech Tomas Berdych, a given to them by the bookies,” Kumar told a press conference. winner over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 7-5, 6-2, in the last eight. “The modus operandi included asking the bowlers to give pre- Djokovic said that he had almost forgotten about his ankle injury decided signals with the help of their accessories like watches, since winning the title in Monte Carlo over Rafael Nadal last month wrist bands, neck chains and towels. “The bowlers were asked while carrying the problem. “I’ve been pain-free for a week but I’m to concede at least a given number of runs in a pre-deter- still very cautious in my warm-up and recovery. I want to do the mined and mutually decided over. After receiving the signal best for it as possible. I don’t think it will bother me anymore and I from the bowler, the bookies would bet heavily and make don’t think about it when I’m on the court.” That was not the case huge profits.” for Murray, though. Kumar said the fixing was organised by members of the The Scot is on the verge of withdrawing from the French Open Mumbai mafia, adding that the overall mastermind was “sit- starting a week from Sunday after quitting his opening match in ting abroad”. “There is definite proof that the underworld is Rome with the chronic back pain which has bothered him for involved but it would be wrong to take names. There is no almost 18 months.Djokovic, a few seasons ago known as injury- concrete evidence on the basis of which I can name any mem- prone, is now an iron man who stands atop the world rankings. His ber of the underworld,” he said. Sreesanth, 30, and his two most recent niggle, the ankle problem from early April, is now a teammates, who have yet to play for India, were arrested by thing of the past, according to the 25-year-old Serb. Delhi police in Mumbai after Wednesday night’s match and Djokovic said that he is sorry to hear of the plight of Murray. were brought to the national capital for questioning, Kumar “That is not the kind of news you want on your birthday,” he said of said. Murray, one week his elder, who turned 26 on Wednesday. “It Angry fans burnt posters of the players during a protest in would be a pity if he doesn’t play. “He’s one of the top players, it is a the southern city of Bangalore. The Rajasthan Royals said they loss for any tournament for him to be missing. I don’t know the level would co-operate fully with police in the investigation. “We of his injury, he is the best one to know how he feels. “But perhaps are completely taken by surprise... we will fully co-operate he will have time to recover, we will know more in the next few with the authorities to ensure a thorough investigation,” said a days. There is the most value in the Grand Slams, that’s where you statement. “The management at Rajasthan Royals has a zero- want to make your mark and play your best.” In the women’s draw, tolerance approach to anything that is against the spirit of the unseeded two-time Foro Italico champion Jelena Jankovic upset game.” 2011 Roland Garros winner Li Na, the Chinese fifth seed, 7-6 (7/2), 7- Sreesanth, whose last Test match was against England two BANGALORE: Demonstrators hold posters and shout slo- 5. Italian seventh seed Sara Errani, runner-up in Paris a year ago to years ago, is no stranger to controversy, and was famously gans against Indian cricketer Sreesanth and two other Maria Sharapova, advanced to the quarter-finals as Russian Maria slapped by his teammate Harbhajan Singh during an IPL domestic Twenty20 cricketers during a protest against their Kirilenko quit trailing 6-3, 2-0 with a knee injury. — AFP match in 2008. Sports Minister Jitendra Singh described the alleged involvement in match fixing yesterday. — AFP Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013
Spanish League Preview Madrid to play Atletico in Copa del Rey finals Sociedad visit Sevilla, Valencia play at Getafe BARCELONA: With a return to England away from opposing coaches and refer- our fans don’t like the situation, but I looking likely, Real Madrid coach Jose ees and onto his very own players. He don’t think it will influence the match,” Mourinho can go out a winner when his started with benching Spain goalkeeper Atletico forward Diego Costa said. “We team plays crosstown rival Atletico and captain Iker Casillas, and most know it’s a final and we have to be at Madrid today in the Copa del Rey final. recently mocked one of his physical on- our best to win. The key is to stick Luckily for Mourinho and Madrid, the-field enforcers in Pepe after he together as a great team and for each Atletico has been incapable of winning broke ranks and supported Casillas. one of us to give it his all.” Neither side Jupp Heynckes a Spanish capital derby so far this mil- This belittling of his own players will play in the league over the weekend lennium. Atletico’s last victory over its together with Madrid’s loss of the after playing last week to make room for city rival came 14 years ago, in 1999. Spanish league title to Barcelona and its the final. With Barcelona, Madrid and Heynckes bids Since then, Madrid has won 19 times failure to win an elusive 10th European Atletico having locked up the top three with Atletico managing only six draws. Cup would probably have been enough spots, fourth place and the final Madrid can also count on the goal- to get a coach of lesser standing fired. Champions League berth is still up for farewell to scoring prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo, But Mourinho has gone one step further grabs between Real Sociedad and who will go head-to-head with Atletico and insisted that he is not “loved” in Valencia. Both are level on points before Bundesliga striker Radamel Falcao. Ronaldo headed Spain like he is in the Premier League, Valencia visits Getafe and Sociedad trav- home Madrid’s winner in the 2011 final saying he will discuss his future with els to Sevilla tomorrow. FRANKFURT: Jupp Heynckes will end his Bundesliga career against Barcelona. Falcao, meanwhile, Madrid president Florentino Perez when Barcelona, which clinched the league where he started it five decades ago, in his hometown of has a knack of rising to the occasion, the season finishes in early June. title last weekend, can still match Moenchengladbach. In his 1,011th game as player and coach, scoring to win two Europa League finals All combined, Mourinho should Madrid’s record point haul of 100 if its Heynckes will guide his Bayern Munich team for the last time in a for Atletico last year and for FC Porto in expect a noisy reception from the home wins its remaining three games, begin- Bundesliga match tomorrow - then turn his attention to what are 2011. “It’s a trophy that we are very fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, ning with Valladolid on Sunday. likely to be his two last appearances on the bench: the excited to win,” Ronaldo said of the where he has been jeered in recent Barcelona will be without top scorer Champions League final on May 25 and the German Cup final Copa del Rey. “We know it will be a matches. Nevertheless, Mourinho could Lionel Messi after he re-injured his right one week later. hard-fought match against a rival of the lift the Copa del Rey trophy as a conso- hamstring. Seven points separate the Bayern can finish the season with a record 91 points, having same city and it will be quite a show for lation prize. If not, this season will be bottom six teams. Osasuna, Granada sealed the title with a record six matches to spare. In the process, the fans. considered a complete flop for a club and Real Zaragoza are still in danger of Heynckes’ team has broken a series of Bundesliga records and “I go into the match with a sense of that boasts one of the most expensive going down, while Deportivo La Coruna, could finish the season with a unique treble for a German club. great responsibility. I face all games the squads in the world. Atletico has a Celta and Mallorca are currently in the The 68-year-old Heynckes will be replaced by former Barcelona same way, but this is a final. It’s a special unique opportunity to wipe away years relegation zone. coach Pep Guardiola as of next season. match, but my ambition is always the of misery by finally beating Madrid with Granada hosts Osasuna tomorrow “This is like a good screenplay,” Heynckes said of his return to same, to help Real Madrid the best way I a title at stake. To do so, the Atletico with the winner going a long way to Moenchengladbach. “It is not going to be like any other match. know how, by playing well, scoring players will have to find a way to shake securing its place in the topflight. The circle is closing, Moenchengladbach is my hometown.” goals, and setting up my teammates.” off the psychological advantage Madrid Deportivo hosts Espanyol on Sunday, Heynckes, a star forward with the champion Borussia Ronaldo’s buoyant mood contrasts has over them. while Zaragoza welcomes Athletic Moenchengladbach team, began his professional career there in completely with the stink Mourinho has In their most recent meeting on April Bilbao. Mallorca hosts Real Betis on 1963. He was on the West Germany team that won the 1974 made of things lately. In his third season 27, Madrid came from behind to win 2-1 Monday. Rayo Vallecano visits Levante World Cup and took four Bundesliga titles with at Madrid, Mourinho has turned his ire even without Ronaldo’s help. “Of course on Sunday with both mid-table. — AP Moenchengladbach, as well as the UEFA Cup in 1975. As coach, he won three Bundesliga titles in two stints with Bayern and clinched the Champions League for Real Madrid as he was being fired in 1998. Italian League Preview Tomorrow’s match will be a dress rehearsal for Bayern’s biggest match of the season when it faces Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German final on May 25 at Wembley. Heynckes’ link to Allegri doubts cloud Moenchengladbach explains his slip of the tongue earlier this week. Looking ahead to the Champions League final, he said “I have great respect for what Borussia Moenchengladbach - sorry, I Milan’s decisive match mean Borussia Dortmund - has achieved.” assimiliano Allegri’s future as AC Milan coach hangs in His departure from Bayern was not entirely voluntary, but the the balance as his side visit relegated Siena on the last club did not want to let Guardiola slip away while he was avail- day of the season on Sunday, still needing a win to clinch able. After being coy about his future plans, Heynckes indicated M third place in Serie A and a berth in the Champions League playoff strongly that he would indeed retire. It made no sense to take round. Allegri’s players have voiced their support for the coach, over another Bundesliga club after the record-breaking season who has overseen an impressive revival in the second half of the with Bayern and, Heynckes said, he was too old to start a new season with only one Serie A defeat since the winter break. The challenge abroad. While Bayern can look forward to a relaxed phlegmatic Allegri, who won the Serie A title in his first season at match in Moenchengladbach, Dortmund’s warm up for the Milan and led them to second place last term, had to cope with a Wembley showdown could be a much more intense affair. firesale of players in the close season amid belt-tightening at the Dortmund hosts Hoffenheim, which needs a win to have a club. Boosted by the signing of Mario Balotelli in January, Milan’s chance of avoiding relegation. Two more teams are in danger of joining Greuther Fuerth in going down: Fortuna Duesseldorf and performance has been better than expected, yet rumours still Augsburg. swirl around the club that owner Silvio Berlusconi has had enough Augsburg is two points ahead of Hoffenheim in 16th, which of the coach. On Tuesday, Milan denied suggestions that Allegri means a two-leg playoff with the third-place team from the sec- was in talks with ambitious AS Roma. Meanwhile, midfielder ond division, Kaiserslautern, for a slot in the Bundesliga next sea- Kevin-Prince Boateng and forward Stephan El Shaaraway have led son. Duesseldorf is ahead of Augsburg on goal difference, by the chorus for him to stay. “He has done a great job in these three MILAN: ACMilan’s Brazilian forward Robinho fights for five. Augsburg hosts Greuther Fuerth, while Duesseldorf travels years and needs to stay,” Boateng told Italian media. “For me, the ball with AS Roma forward Francesco Totti (left) dur- to Hannover. Another key match is in Freiburg, where the home there isn’t a Milan without Allegri. “Next year we have to do better, ing their Serie A football match between AC Milan and team can seal a slot in qualifying for the Champions League if it as there were so many new players this time. We need to work AS Roma at San Siro Stadium. — AFP beats Schalke. Schalke is only one point ahead in fourth. together so we can win the Scudetto,” he added. El Shaaraway Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to make sure of a place in the told Milan Channel: “We are a good group of players, led by a points clear of fourth-placed Fiorentina, who visit bottom club Europa League when it hosts Wolfsburg. Hamburg, which hosts great coach, and I hope we can all be here together next season.” Pescara and have the better head-to-head record. Champions Bayer Leverkusen, also has a chance of slipping past Frankfurt. However, Chief Executive Adriano Galliani would not be drawn on Juventus visit Sampdoria while Napoli, who have guaranteed sec- Stuttgart hosts Mainz and Werder Bremen travels to Nuremberg, Allegri’s future. “I just want to talk about Sunday, the match ond place and Italy’s only other direct place in the Champions in the first match since the departure of longtime coach Thomas against Siena. We are confident and expect to qualify for the League group stage, are at Roma. With relegation also settled and Schaaf on Wednesday. All matches of the final round are tomor- Champions League and, before Sunday evening, we will not talk Palermo, Siena and Pescara heading to Serie B next season, the row. —AP about the transfer market nor the coach,” he said. Milan are two only other issue are the two Europa League places. —Reuters Sports FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 David Beckham Photo of the day set to retire
LONDON: David Beckham is to retire from professional foot- ball at the end of the season, his representative announced yesterday. The 38-year-old midfielder has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan, as well as winning 115 caps for England, and recently won the French Ligue 1 championship with Paris Saint- Germain. “I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to con- tinue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, play- ing at the highest level,” he said, in comments reported by the BBC. “If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club, Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times, and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. “I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams.” Beckham’s title triumph with PSG made him the first British player to have won league championships in four different countries, after previous successes in England, Spain and the United States. He won six league titles, two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League with United, before joining Madrid in 2003, where he won the Spanish league title four years later. Beckham moved to Los Angeles in 2007, winning two MLS Cup titles with the Galaxy, but spent two loan spells at Milan and then returned to Europe in January this year, when he signed a short-term deal with PSG. He captained England between 2000 and 2006, played at three World Cups, and has played more times for his country than any other outfield player. — AFP Mad Mike performs a drifting show during Red Bull Car Park Drift in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. www.redbullcontent- pool.com Lyon can secure Boca overthrow Corinthians Champions League return Riquelme goal gives Boca 2-1 aggregate win SAO PAULO: Boca Juniors advanced to the quarterfinals of the end. On Tuesday, newcomer Tijuana of Mexico upset 1999 cham- PARIS: Third-placed Olympique Lyon will be pleased to grab Copa Libertadores by holding defending champion Corinthians pion Palmeiras in Sao Paulo, winning 2-1 after a 0-0 draw at home one point at fellow Champions League hopefuls Nice in Ligue to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, eliminating the Brazilian club 2-1 on in the first leg. The match was marked by a mistake by Palmeiras 1 on Saturday, although victory could secure their return to aggregate. Veteran Juan Roman Riquelme scored a remarkable goalkeeper Bruno, who let a very weak shot get past him for the the competition next season. With leaders Paris St Germain goal to open the scoring in the 25th, finding the far corner with a first Tijuana goal. The Mexicans will face Ronaldinho’s Atletico already crowned league champions and Olympique Marseille curling long-range shot from near the sidelines. Brazil midfielder Mineiro in the quarterfinals. On Thursday, Santa Fe of Colombia certain to finish second, the race for the third and final Paulinho equalized for Corinthians in the 50th, but the champi- hosts Gremio of Brazil trying to rebound from a 2-1 loss in Porto Champions League spot is on with two games to play. ons needed two more goals to move on in the Latin American Alegre. Olimpia of Paraguay also has to erase a 2-1 first-leg loss Lyon, who missed out on the competition for the first time tournament. when it hosts Tigre of Argentina. Defending Brazil champion in 12 years this season, occupy the coveted berth with 63 Corinthians loudly complained of two offside calls that led to Fluminense and Peru’s Real Garcilaso also had already advanced points, three ahead of fourth-placed Lille, who visit disallowed goals, in addition to a penalty not called by the refer- from the round of 16. —AP Montpellier, and Nice in fifth. St Etienne are sixth with 59. The ee. Boca Juniors will now play fellow Argentine club Newell’s Old team who finish third will go through the Champions League Boys. The match was the most anticipated in the round of 16, pit- preliminary rounds while the fourth-placed finishers qualify ting the titleholders against the six-time champions in a rematch for the Europa League playoffs. of last year’s final. “We will be happy if we take all three points but if we only Riquelme caught Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio by surprise manage a draw, we’re not going to complain,” Lyon’s Gueida with his long shot from the right side. The ball flew a long time Fofana told reporters. “We know that we can widen the gap across the area before going over the goalkeeper and hitting the with Nice but the league won’t be over,” the midfielder side-netting near the top corner. It wasn’t clear if Riquelme meant added. Champions League qualification is critical for Lyon, to shoot on goal or cross the ball into the area. Just a minute the only French club listed on the stock exchange, after they before Riquelme’s goal, Corinthians striker Romarinho, who posted a 12.7 percent fall in revenue for the first three quar- scored in last year’s finals, had a goal disallowed because of off- ters of their fiscal year despite more than doubling earnings from transfers. side, but television replays showed he was in good position. The seven-times French champions, whose early chal- Corinthians had another goal ruled out because of offside in the lenge to PSG in the title race faded, have bad recent memo- 59th. The Brazilians also applead for a penalty when Boca defend- ries of Nice, where they slumped to a 3-1 defeat in the er Leandro Marin touched the ball with his hand inside the area League Cup last 16 after conceding three goals in the open- early in the first half. After Riquelme’s goal, Corinthians needed to ing quarter. “It will be a highly charged game,” said Fofana, score three times, so coach Tite brought on former Milan striker who has played in the right back position in the past few Alexandre Pato as part of a more attacking formation in the sec- weeks as France’s Anthony Reveillere has been dropped from ond half. Corinthians nearly scored less than two minutes into the the squad. second half, but Boca Juniors goalkeeper Agustin Ignacio Orion Lille hope to leapfrog Lyon into third after beating Stade made a difficult save on a close-range shot by midfielder Danilo. Reims 3-0 last weekend when all their rivals lost. “It was a per- Defender Paulo Andre also came close with a header in the 48th, fect weekend,” forward Ronny Rodelin told the club’s website and Paulinho finally put Corinthians on the board in the 51st, (www.losc.fr). “It has brought us back in contention. We know heading in a long cross by Emerson. that we can beat every team. The squad still believe we can Boca Juniors had a chance to seal the victory in the 58th after clinch (the third spot). We have to win our games, then see Cassio couldn’t hold on to a Riquelme shot, but Nicolas Blandi what the others do.” missed the open net from close range. Pato missed a golden St Etienne, who have already qualified for next season’s opportunity in the 75th minute, missing his attempted shot with Europa League preliminary round thanks to their League Cup the open net just in front of him. Earlier Wednesday, Newell’s Old victory last month, host Marseille. PSG, who clinched the title Boys secured its place in the quarterfinals by beating Velez with victory at Lyon last weekend, host Stade Brest and hope Sarsfield 2-1 in an all-Argentine matchup in Buenos Aires. SAO PAULO: Juan Roman Riquelme of Argentina’s Boca to have a calm day after violence marred Monday’s title cele- Newell’s advanced on away goals after losing the first leg 1-0. Juniors (left) fights for the ball with Paulo Andre of Brazil’s brations in Paris.—Reuters Milton Casco and Ignacio Scocco each scored in the first half, Corinthians at a Copa Libertadores soccer match in Sao while Velez’s lone goal was netted by Victor Ferreyra near the Paulo, Brazil, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. —AP Sreesanth in Indian trio arrested for spot-fixing Page 45
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2013 MAY FRIDAY, www.kuwaittimes.net
Beckham to hang up his boots Page 47