CR
IP
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Housemaids’
recruitment
firm referred to
financial panel
Replacing carpet
at Jerusalem
mosque reveals
religious rift
40 PAGES
NO: 16498
150 FILS
3
www.kuwaittimes.net
RAJAB 3, 1436 AH
8
Bargains and
bidding in
raucous Saudi
open-air market
Barcelona and
Bayern Munich
into Champions
League semis
40
20
Saudi-led coalition ends
Yemen military campaign
Operation enters new phase • National Guard mobilized
Crown Prince: Turmoil undermining security
KUWAIT: HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh
Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday warned
that grave political and security tensions in the region
and the world at large “pose a threat to our existence,
undermine our security and draw attention away from
essential issues”. Sheikh Nawaf made his statements during the opening ceremony of Kuwait’s heads of missions’
conference yesterday at Bayan Palace under auspices of
HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Crown Prince referred to regional events over
the past few years, known as the “Arab Spring”, which he
said drove the region into sophisticated calculations.
“But today,” he said, “we are ushering in a new stage to
adjust our course making use of past experiences and
facing powers that target our security, stability and
interests.” He stressed the role of Kuwaiti diplomatic missions overseas is to “convey to the world the bright
image of their country that enjoys democracy and freedom”, and whose diplomacy is based on constants of
international legitimacy as well as enforcing the basis of
peace.
According to Sheikh Nawaf, Kuwait’s heads of missions have to affirm to the world that their country is
keen on fulfilling its humanitarian commitments,
responding to efforts by the international community
to defend and maintain human rights and back sustainable development.
On Yemen, he said that the recent events in the
country threaten security and stability of the region,
besides being a warning sign of grave consequences.
He stressed the momentousness of the Gulf
Cooperation Council’s initiative and its executive mechanism, approved by all Yemeni powers and the UN
Security Council.
Continued on Page 13
KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (center) is received at the airport yesterday by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (left), National Assembly
Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem (right) and other senior officials after he returned home after a private visit to Germany and Morocco. — KUNA
Min 20º
Max 40º
High Tide
02:15 & 13:55
Low Tide
08:10 & 21:00
NAJRAN, Saudi Arabia: The Saudi-led “Decisive Storm”
air campaign targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen is over, a
spokesman for the coalition said yesterday, but a new
phase aimed at preventing the rebels from operating is
beginning. The announcement suggested that the nearly month-long campaign of heavy airstrikes would be
scaled down, but the spokesman, Brig Gen Ahmed Asiri,
did not say they would stop. He said the coalition would
continue to interdict rebel movements and protect civilians, without specifying how.
Speaking at a news conference in Riyadh, Asiri said
the campaign’s objectives have been met as the rebels’
military capabilities had been destroyed, and that the
operation would cease at midnight (2100 GMT). He says
the rebels, known as Houthis, no longer pose a danger
to civilians and that the new phase, called “Renewal of
Hope”, will focus on rebuilding the country while denying the rebels operational movement, protecting civilians, and supporting evacuation and relief operations.
“To implement this we will continue to have our
operation,” he said. “Inside a city like Aden we will continue to protect civilians to prevent these militias from
sustaining their operations,” he said, referring to the
southern port city which has seen fierce fighting in
recent weeks. Asiri added that Saudi Arabia’s ground
and naval forces would continue to guard its border
with Yemen and interdict any shipments to the rebels,
and he did not rule out future airstrikes against them.
Iran welcomed the announcement, saying it was a
“step forward” to reaching a political settlement in the
country. “The establishment of a ceasefire and a stop to
the killing of innocent and defenseless people is a step
forward,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh
Afkham said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.
The US-backed campaign by Saudi Arabia and its
allies, mainly Gulf Arab countries, is aimed at crushing
the Houthis and allied military units loyal to a former
autocrat, who have taken over Sanaa and much of
northern Yemen.
Continued on Page 13
Jaber Stadium to be ready by yearend
All approvals for Jaber Bridge secured
By B Izzak and Agencies
Egyptian poet
Abnoudi dies
TSURU, Japan: Central Japan Railway’s seven-car maglev train returns to the station after setting a new world speed record in a test run near Mount Fuji yesterday. — AFP
Japan maglev train
breaks speed record
TOKYO: Japan’s state-of-the-art maglev
train clocked a new world speed record
yesterday in a test run near Mount Fuji,
smashing through the 600 km per hour
mark, as Tokyo races to sell the technology
abroad. The seven-car maglev train - short
for “magnetic levitation” - hit a top speed of
603 km an hour, and managed nearly 11
seconds at over 600 kph, operator Central
Japan Railway said. The new record came
less than a week after the company recorded a top speed of 590 kph, breaking its
own 2003 record of 581 kph. The maglev
hovers 10 cm above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets.
About two hundred train buffs gathered for yesterday’s record-setting run,
with the crowd cheering as the train broke
through 600 kph per hour. “It gave me
chills. I really want to ride on the train,” an
elderly woman told public broadcaster
NHK as the carriage rocketed past her. “It’s
like I witnessed a new page in history.” An
AFP reporter who previously rode on the
super-speed train said the experience was
like taking off in a plane, with the feeling of
g-force gathering as the speedometer is
pushed ever higher.
“The faster the train runs, the more stable it becomes - I think the quality of the
train ride has improved,” Yasukazu Endo,
who heads the maglev test centre southwest of Tokyo, told reporters yesterday. JR
Central wants to have a train in service in
2027, plying the 286-km route between
Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya. The
service, which would run at a top speed of
500 kph, is expected to connect the two
cities in only 40 minutes, less than half the
present journey time in Japan’s already
speedy bullet trains.
By 2045, maglev trains are expected to
link Tokyo and Osaka in just one hour and
seven minutes, slashing the journey time in
half. However, construction costs for the
dedicated lines are astronomical - estimated at nearly $100 billion just for the stretch
to Nagoya, with more than 80 percent of
the route expected to go through costly
tunnels. Japan is looking to sell its
shinkansen bullet and maglev train systems overseas, with Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe acting as a travelling salesman in his
bid to revive the economy partly through
infrastructure exports.
Continued on Page 13
CAIRO: Egyptian poet Abdel Rahman Al-Abnoudi,
widely known for his revolutionary verse and criticism of two toppled presidents, died yesterday at
the age of 76, his wife said. Abnoudi, who underwent brain surgery at a Cairo hospital just days ago,
rose to prominence in the 1960s for his poems,
some performed by legendary Arab singer Abdel
Halim Hafez. In a career spanning four decades,
Abnoudi, known for his
leftist views, published
several volumes of
medieval poems on Arab
hero Abu Zeid Al-Hilali
and his tribe that travelled through the Middle
East and North Africa.
Born
in
1939,
Abnoudi’s fans affectionately called him “uncle”.
President Abdel Fattah AlSisi and Prime Minister
Ibrahim Mahlab offered
their condolences to
Al-Abnoudi
Abnoudi’s family. “Egypt
and the Arab world have lost a great poet... his contributions to poetry will remain a national and Arab
symbol,” Sisi’s office said.
In recent years, Abnudi openly criticized former
presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi,
both toppled after mass uprisings, but has supported Sisi. Abnudi’s wife, Nehal Kamal, said her husband would be buried in the canal city of Ismailiya,
where he moved years ago. — AFP
KUWAIT: Minister of Information and
State Minister for Youth and Sports Sheikh
Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah said yesterday that Jaber Stadium will be ready for
opening by the end of this year, after several years of delay. The stadium will follow
high technical standards and safety measures, said Sheikh Salman, responding to a
parliamentary question on the matter during a National Assembly session yesterday.The minister also said that the Cabinet
has decided to refer all parties responsible
for the stadium’s malfunction to the public
prosecution for investigation.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Ministry
has secured all official approvals required
for the construction of Jaber Bridge, formerly called Subbiya Bridge, including the
oil sector’s approvals, Minister of Public
Works and Minister of Electricity and Water
Ahmad Al-Jassar said yesterday. The minister was responding to a question raised by
an MP regarding allegations that Jaber
Bridge has been constructed on an oil well
in Kuwait Bay.
Regarding the repeated incidents of
burnt out electrical transformers, Jassar
said that the Ministry of Electricity and
Water’s statistics showed a drop in the
number of such cases, as the ministry has
been carrying out a campaign since 2008
on tackling such incidents, which resulted in a decrease from 12 cases earlier to
only two in 2013. The ministry has no
jurisdiction to where such electrical transformers can be installed, as the Municipal
Council is the sole body to decide, the
minister said.
KUWAIT: The Jaber Stadium is seen in this recent file photo.
Ousted Morsi jailed for 20 years
CAIRO: An Egyptian court yesterday sentenced ousted president Mohamed Morsi to
20 years in prison for abuses against protesters but acquitted the Islamist leader of
charges carrying a possible death penalty.
Morsi was convicted of ordering the arrest
and torture of demonstrators involved in
clashes in 2012 when he was president, in a
verdict Amnesty International denounced as a
“travesty of justice”.The reaction from the
United States was more circumspect, with the
State Department saying it was concerned by
the sentences. Fourteen others were convicted of the same charges, with most also sentenced by the Cairo court to 20 years in jail.
Morsi stood in a cage in court as judge
Ahmed Sabry Youssef read out the ruling
against him and other Brotherhood members,
including senior figures Mohamed Al-Beltagy
and Essam Al-Erian. The sentencing was
broadcast live on state television. The judge
acquitted the defendants of inciting murder
in connection with the deaths of a journalist
and two protesters during the Dec 5, 2012
clashes outside the presidential palace in
Cairo. Morsi, dressed in a white prison uniform, raised his fists when the verdict was
announced, an AFP correspondent reported
from the courtroom.
Continued on Page 13
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LOCAL
KUWAIT: (From left) Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Acting Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.
His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
greets Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Al-Sabah.
— Amiri Diwan photos
Heads of missions’ conference opens under Amir’s patronage
KUWAIT: The 8th conference of Kuwait’s
heads of missions (COMs) abroad opened
yesterday at Bayan Palace under auspices
of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HH the Deputy
Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah gave an address
at the beginning of the conference, which
discussed the regional conditions and
their impact on local security. He also
underlined the role of the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission overseas in conveying the
country ’s image as a democratic state
globally.
Leadership’s support
Addressing the opening ceremony,
Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad AlSabah voiced appreciation to HH the Amir
for sponsoring the 8th HOMs and conference, and HH the Deputy Amir and Crown
Prince for attending.
This manifests support by the political
leadership to the diplomatic corps and its
role to defend the nation’s causes on the
international arena, following HH the
Amir ’s sound direc tives as guidance,
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said. He stressed
Kuwait’s balanced political method and
leading economic and humanitarian role
Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah
makes his address.
on the world level.
Kuwait’s positive and constructive interaction with the global political, humanitarian and development issues has been a
major fac tor for placing the countr y
among the world pioneer states seeking
global security, stability and prosperity, he
said. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled referred to
the UN honoring of HH the Amir as a
‘Humanitarian Leader’ and Kuwait as a
‘Humanitarian Center’ as an outcome of
the “balanced and wise foreign policy
adopted” by the country, over the generations.
to the international efforts for achieving
security and stability, especially on the
humanitarian level. He noted in that
respect that Kuwait has hosted three conferences for Syria donors over three successive years, the last of which last march.
Grave ramifications
The Acting Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister pointed to the “critical and hazardous political and security conditions in
the region, which were the outcome of
unrest over the past four years, bringing
about chaos and grave ramifications.” He
added that Kuwait is hard at work with the
international community to remedy the
repercussions of the unrest, citing the terrorism phenomenon as an example.
Following the 7th HOMs conference in
2013, six new diplomatic missions have
been established, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled.
Thus, Kuwait came to have a total of 104
diplomatic missions through which “we try
to extend bridges of cooperation with
friendly and sisterly countries.” Also since
2013, Kuwait has received eight new
diplomatic missions and representation
offices.
According to Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled,
Kuwait has realized an elevated global status thanks to the country’s contributions
Regional summits
By the same token, Kuwait over two
years chaired the Third Africa Arab Summit
and the 34th GCC Summit in 2013, in addition to the 25th Arab Summit last year. The
country is hosting the 42nd session of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Foreign Ministers Council in May.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled underscored
the support to the diplomatic corps by the
government chaired by HH the Prime
Minister Sheik h Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah. The opening ceremony
was attended by HH Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy
Pr i m e M i n i s te r a n d I nte r i o r M i n i s te r
Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad
Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and
Defense Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah
A l - S a b a h a n d Ac t i n g M i n i s te r o f t h e
Amiri Diwan Affairs, Advisor Mohammad
Daifallah Sharar. Senior official from the
Amiri Diwan and the Diwan of HH the
Crown Prince were present. —KUNA
His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown
Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
greets Kuwait’s Ambassador to Jordan Dr
Hamad Al-Duaij.
Decisive Storm ‘necessary
to protect Yemenis’
Yemeni FM speaks at embassy
KUWAIT: The Saudi-led Operation
Decisive Storm is necessary to protect
the Yemeni people from a dark tunnel
and save Yemen, Yemeni Foreign
Minister Riyadh Yaseen said.
The majority of the Yemeni people
understand the military operations,
launched on March 26, as well as positions of all Arab and Muslim countries,
and friends to save Yemen, Yaseen told a
news conference at the Yemeni embassy
Monday.
“We are pursuing militias which
change their positions on the ground
very quickly and are thirsty for destruction and killing of innocent civilians,
namely in densly areas, and create problems and strike randomly with the
objective of blaming the Decision
Storm,” he said. The Houthi militias are
striking civilians at the same time of the
airstrikes launched by the coalition, he
said. Yaseen said Kuwait was one of the
biggest supporters of Yemen, contributing to construction of schools, hospitals
and infrastructure projects. Kuwait has
been ‘actively’ participating in Decisive
Storm, he said, coupled with humanitarian supplies to the needy in different
parts of Yemen, he said. Yaseen, who
arrived in Kuwait Sunday, met earlier
yesterday with Acting Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah
Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
Too late
Asked why the Iranian proposal to
mediate was rejected, Yaseen said the
proposal came too late and the Iranian
stance was ambiguous. “Yemen’s conditions for dialogue are clear. The Houthi
militia and the troops loyal to (ousted
president) Ali Abdullah Saleh must
accept all relevant resolutions of the UN
Security Council before the elapse of
the set ultimatum,” the foreign minister
reminded. On the Arab Marshall Plan for
Yemen, he said the donor countries, on
top of which are the GCC member
states, had already set aside $8 billion
for the post-conflict reconstruction
process.
“Preparations are underway for
another session of the friends of Yemen
conference. The previous sessions
resulted in pledges of $10 billion to the
reconstruction process which should
follow the completion of the political
process,” Yaseen noted.
He named Yemen’s development
project after King Salman bin Abdulaziz,
of Saudi Arabia, in appreciation of the
King’s donation of $274 million to the
emergency aid for the Yemeni people.
“This will be a mega socio-economic
development project to which all the
GCC states will contribute,” he said, noting that the Yemeni people suffered
from poor infrastructure over the last 33
years due to the deposed corrupt
regime.
Set targets
The minister expected that the
Operation Decisive Storm to achieve its
set targets and come to an end soon.
“Since 2011, we have been working with
the GCC states to reach a political solution to the crisis in Yemen. We held several rounds of the national dialogue
based on the GCC initiative and its executive mechanism.
“We offered painful concessions to
reach the Agreement on Peace and
Partnership with a view to warding off
the then looming specter of war, but all
KUWAIT: Yemeni Foreign Minister
Riyadh Yaseen speaks at a press
conference at the Yemeni embassy
Monday. —KUNA
to no avail. The deal gave the Houthis
more than what they deserve but they
stubbornly dug their heels in and resorted to the power politics,” Yaseen
explained. He affirmed that his government is working on a roadmap for political solution that starts with an end to
the current hostilities. “The top priority
now is to establish safe havens to
ensure provision of essential services,
including food and medical supplies for
the Yemeni citizens,” he went on.
Yaseen refuted the misconception
that the Houthis control Yemen, affirming that they only control 30-35 percent
of the country but they try to make a
media fuss by shelling the densely-populated areas. He added that the air
attacks of the coalition focus on the specific targets, such as the camps of the
Houthi rebels and the troops loyal to Ali
Abdullah Saleh as well as their arms
caches. —KUNA
Saudi Crown Prince receives
National Security President
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince and
Deputy Prime Minister Prince Muqrin
Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received yesterday Sheikh Thamer Ali Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah, President of Kuwait ’s
National Security Apparatus.
Sheikh Thamer conveyed the greetings and appreciation of His Highness
the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown
Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah to Prince Muqrin Bin
Abdulaziz. The two sides tackled dur-
ing their meeting bilateral ties and
issues of common interest. Kuwaiti
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh
Thamer Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, Director of strategic studies
and researches depar tment at the
National Security Apparatus Sheikh
Sabah Al-Bader Al-Sabah attended the
meeting.
Sheikh Thamer also met the Saudi
Deputy Crown Prince and Second
Deputy Premier and Minister of
Interior Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin
Abdulaziz. They discussed the latest
regional developments and reviewed
fraternal relations between the two
countries and ways of enhancing them
in various fields.
The meeting was attended by
Minister of Defense, Chief of the
Royal Court and Special Advisor to
the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques Prince Mohammed bin
Salman bin Abdulaziz, Sheikh Thamer
Jaber Al-Sabah and several other
officials. -—KUNA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LOCAL
British Embassy, Council
celebrate Queen’s Birthday
KUWAIT: In celebration of Her Majesty
the Queen’s Birthday, the British Embassy
Kuwait held a reception at the
Ambassador’s Residence, attended by
Guest of Honor Minister of Information
and Minister of State for Youth Affairs
Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. Also
present were current and former MPs,
Ministers, Ambassadors, business leaders,
civil society actors, media personalities
and representatives from both the British
and local community in Kuwait.
Addressing his guests, British
Ambassador Matthew Lodge thanked
partners and guests for supporting this
year’s celebration, and said: “We are here
to celebrate the birthday of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II, born on this day in
1926. I am honored to stand in the beautiful gardens of this historic residence as
British Ambassador. For nearly 8 months,
I have observed at first hand the close
relationship between our two countries
and have seen the depth and breadth of
the ties that connect us. Even if I were to
talk for hours, I could not cover the full
range of those ties. We are mark ing
another anniversary here today, in addition to Her Majesty’s birthday. The British
Council in Kuwait this year is celebrating
its Diamond Jubilee - 60 years of operation.”
This year ’s theme reflects the UK’s
commitment to Education through the
great work of the British Council in supporting Kuwait’s educational sector. The
British Council creates and provides international education opportunities for people in the UK and Kuwait through creating cultural and educational opportunities between people, which builds trust
and mutual understanding.
Hisham I Khalil, Marketing and
Communications Manager at British
Council Kuwait said, “As the UK’s international organization for cultural relations,
we aim to build trust, increase engagement and share knowledge and expertise
through developing collaborative projects
between partners in the UK and Kuwait.
We’ve been actively working with the
British Embassy and numerous partners in
Kuwait to deliver English language, UK
education, training programs and research
opportunities to young Kuwaiti students
and Kuwaiti professionals. In Kuwait, last
year we taught English to over 6500 students and delivered over 25,000 UK examinations.
We have a very successful partnership
with the Kuwaiti Higher Education institutions as a subgroup lead of the Joint
Steering Group. This year we will be celebrating our 60 year anniversary in Kuwait
by initiating a number of events and
activities to engage with the Kuwaiti community and reflect our work in Kuwait.”
The reception was attended by over
500 guests who were kept entertained by
the musical talents of local English school
students, a military band, and a performance by Anna Karadimitrova.
KUWAIT: MPs vote during a parliament session yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Maids’ recruitment firm
referred to financial panel
MPs assign panels to review bedoons, school textbooks
By B Izzak and Agencies
KUWAIT: British Ambassador Matthew Lodge and Information Minister
Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah cut the ceremony’s cake.
—Photos by Joseph Shagra
KUWAIT: The National Assembly
agreed yesterday to refer a proposal to set up shareholding companies to recruit domestic helpers to
the financial and economic affairs
committee after the health and
labor panel rejected the proposal.
The decision came amid strong
exchanges between MP Saadoun
Hammad, the head of the labor
panel, and a number of MPs especially MP Kamel Al-Awadhi, the
champion of the proposal.
Hammad strongly objected to the
motion to take the proposal away
from the labor committee claiming
this was a violation of the constitution and the assembly charter. But
MPs voted against a proposal to
discuss the issue in the assembly
on the basis of the health committee rejection.
MP Awadhi insisted that the
issue relates to establishing companies, which falls under the jurisdiction of the financial affairs committee and where the proposal should
be debated. He said that the
recruitment of domestic helpers by
existing offices has become
extremely expensive and reached
KD 1,200 although the actual cost is
just under KD 400. The proposal
calls to set up public shareholding
companies to be exclusively
responsible for the recruitment of
maids at reasonable prices.
Bedoons’ plight
The national assembly also agreed
to ask its human rights committee to
discuss a report by the central agency
of stateless or bedoons as several MPs
highlighted the plight of bedoons in
Kuwait. Several MPs said that the
government has said that as many as
34,000 bedoons qualify for Kuwaiti
MPs also raised the issue that a
large number of Bedoons have
obtained passports of other countries and many of them turned out to
be fake. MP Adnan Abdulsamad said
that there are cases when the father
is Kuwaiti, brothers are Kuwaitis while
only one brother is Bedoon and
questioned why are these cases not
MP Nabil Al-Fadhel reacts during the session.
citizenship and several years have
passed by without any solution.
Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad
Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that it does not
mean that all the 34,000 bedoons are
entitled to Kuwaiti citizenship, adding
that the government sticks to the
implementation of the law.
yet resolved.
The National Assembly also agreed
to ask the educational committee to
study reports that the education ministry plans to amend the school textbooks for Arabic language and Islamic
education with the aim to remove material deemed promoting extremism.
Agricultural law
In other issues, the National
Assembly approved in the second
and final round the agricultural law
in which strict rules for the distribution of state land for the purpose of
agriculture and animal breeding
have been introduced.
The assembly rejected an
attempt by some lawmakers to ease
the restrictions which ban those
who benefited from government
land to sell it before the lapse of at
least seven years. The new law also
requires people to prove that they
utilize the land for the same purpose they had obtained for and
there is no misuse.
Minister of Oil Ali Al-Omair, who
oversees the agriculture authority,
welcomed the passing of the law
and said it will be implemented on
all equally. A number of lawmakers
however claimed that the law is
being implemented on ordinary
people only.
Fadhel’s immunity
Also yesterday, the National
Assembly accepted a request from
the Public Prosecution to lift the
immunity of MP Nabil Al-Fadhel in a
misdemeanor case. The move will
allow the Public Prosecution to
interrogate the MP, Kuwait News
Agency (KUNA) reported. However,
the National Assembly refused to
lift Al-Fadhel’s immunity in a felony
case.
Saudi dairy company
seeks to hike prices
By A Saleh
British Ambassador Matthew Lodge and Information Minister Sheikh
Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah walk together at the venue.
KUWAIT: A major Saudi dairy products company threatened to
stop exports to Kuwait unless the ministry of commerce and industry approves a request it had made to increase its products’ prices
by 10 percent, said informed sources. The sources added that
according to the Saudi ‘Makkah’ newspaper, the company had been
demanding such increases for years and that it recently started
applying pressure and making threats. According to the sources,
the Saudi company justified its demands over the strengthening
dollar and loss of government subsidies that are lifted for exported
products, which led to considerable losses. The sources said that
the ministry of commerce was looking into the request and would
respond to it within a month.
Imam back
The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs yesterday allowed Dr
Hamed Al-Ali to resume his duties as a mosque imam, but prevented him from giving any sermons. The ministry also conditioned
that Ali will not hold any seminars or lessons in the mosque’s diwnaiya and that he would fully adhere to all regulations.
Jazzaf’s return to PAYS annulled
The court of cassation yesterday annulled a previous ruling
made by the court of appeal ordering returning former PAYS chairman Faisal Al-Jazzaf to his post on grounds that he had committed
some administrative and managerial mistakes during his tenure
and that this was reason enough to refer senior employees for
compulsory retirement.
Diplomats in attendance gather for a group photo.
Academy seeks help
fighting harassers
By Meshaal Al-Enezi
KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Applied Education and
Training (PAAET) asked for assistance from policewomen
and demanded deploying them at various colleges to help
arrest young men harassing female students.
Nurseries warned
Following up the illegal nurseries’ issue, Ministry of
Social Affairs and Labor’s Assistant Undersecretary for
Social Development Ali Al-Roumi said that during an
inspection tour in Andalus, two nurseries have been given
written warnings to stop receiving children, evacuate the
buildings and completely close down. He also noted that
two other nurseries prevented inspectors from getting in.
Guests pictured during the event.
Books distributed
In a bid to avoid any delay, the Ministry of Education has
started distributing school books for next year to various
schools, said informed sources.
KUWAIT: French Ambassador to Kuwait Christian Nakhle (center) is pictured
with the honored officers; Army Major-General Khaled Al-Foderi and Vice
Admiral Jassem Al-Ansari. —Photo by Joseph Shagra
Army officers decorated
with French national orders
KUWAIT: France decorated two armed
forces officers with the national orders with
the rank of a commander in recognition of
their education and leadership services in
the Kuwaiti Army. Army Major-General
Khaled Al-Foderi and Vice Admiral Jassem
Al-Ansari were decorated with the French
national orders at a ceremony held by the
French Embassy in Kuwait.
French Ambassador to Kuwait Christian
Nakhle said in a statement that the officials
in Kuwait were interested in further
cementing relations between the two
countries, including cooperation between
armed forces in France and Kuwait. He said
Foderi and Ansari worked closely with the
French advisors in the humanitarian field.
Real Admiral Antoine Busan, Commander
of the French Naval Forces in the Indian
Ocean, commended the military cooperation between Paris and Kuwait namely in
the joint exercises. —KUNA
Kuwait eyes greater
role for private sector
KUWAIT: The Secretary General of the
Supreme Council for Planning and
Development Hashim Al-Rifaai said that Kuwait
eyes an influential role for the private sector in
the national economy.
Rifaai stressed during a press conference
yesterday that there are strenuous efforts exerted to increase the private sector’s contribution
to the economic development, especially
through the state mega development projects.
On state subsidies, Rifaai stated that a special committee has been formed to consider
the financial burden of all kinds of state subsidies and their impact on the national economy.
He clarified that the committee studies not
only the food and fuel subsidies but also the
state-financed overseas and domestic scholarships. Such subsidies distort the national economy and do not serve the state financial situation on the long run, he said.
On the efforts of the Supreme Council to
help cut the time of paper processing at
Kuwait government bodies, one of the major
obstacles to investment in the country, he stated that some of the recently-passed laws have
good effect on this regard. Moreover, the government decision last year to suspend the offset program was also a great move that
encourages foreign investors to invest in
Kuwait, he said. —KUNA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LOCAL
In Brief
Boat show
Court HQs
KUWAIT: Up to 16 local companies took part in yesterday’s opening of a boat show for the general
public. The annual event attracted the sea-going
public interested in finding out the latest developments in boats and yachts. The companies seek to
show their products for sale as Kuwaiti buyers show
interest on buying large boats, in light of projects to
build boat docks and marinas that could accommodate large size boats and yachts. The show is open
through April 26. — KUNA
KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf
and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sane issued a decree
to form a committee to prepare the final version of
the headquarters agreement between the State of
Kuwait and the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The decree stipulated that the committee would
be headed by the Minister of Justice and includes
as members representatives from the Ministry of
Justice, the Foreign Ministry and the Fatwa and
Legislation Department. —KUNA
Zakat House
CAIRO: Zakat House Director General Ibrahim Al-Saleh
expressed his institution’s readiness to offer all support
to the newly-minted Egyptian Zakat (Alms) House. In
statements on the sidelines of his participation in the
fourth meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptians
Zakat House, Saleh underlined the Kuwaiti Zakat
House’s keenness to render the Egyptian counterpart a
success. To achieve this goal, he emphasized the need
for developing a comprehensive strategy to increase the
resource of the Egyptian charitable institution. — KUNA
Photo
o f
t h e
d a y
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team removed an oil pipe that washed ashore Khairan beach. The 70-meters long pipe contained large amounts of oil, which caused pollution near the southern beach of
Khairan, the team said in a statement. — KUNA
Kuwait participates in Dubai
Islamic Calligraphy exhibition
DUBAI: Chairman of Kuwait Islamic Arts
Center (KIAC) Fareed Al-Ali is participating
in the 8th Dubai International Islamic
Calligraphy Exhibition to be held from April
14 to May 15. Al-Ali said yesterday that he
was invited to the event by the Dubai
Culture and Arts Authority, which is organizing the exhibition, adding that he is participating with two paintings titled
‘Mashallah.’
Ali also noted that he is running a workshop on Kufic calligraphy for children in primary and intermediate schools as part of
the event. The exhibition is showcasing
thoroughly-detailed paintings of different
types of Islamic calligraphy, attracting all
tastes, the Chairman said.
The Dubai exhibition presents one of
the largest collections of calligraphy masterpieces by more than 50 accomplished
artists from across the Arab world. The
event showcases works of Vice President,
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh
Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum,
including unique pieces reflecting remarkable aesthetics and creativity in modern
Arabic calligraphy.
Moreover, it will display sections of the
Holy Quran of King Hussein bin Talal that
features engravings in Maliki Islamic style
calligraphy, which is being showcased in
coordination with Tiba traditional Islamic
Book Arts in Jordan.
Over 70 specialized workshops for all
ages are held as part of the event, patronized
by Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan
bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, to
learn of different techniques used in the art.
The exhibition aims to present calligraphy as
one of the most powerful art forms in the
Islamic heritage, as well as the regions cultural and social identity. — KUNA
CBK sponsors Radisson
Blu art competition
encourages students from different
schools in Kuwait to develop their
artistic talent and creativity. The topic
chosen this year highlights the importance of protecting the environment
by conserving water and saving energy. It should be noted that My First
Account is a savings account designed
for children aged 0 to 14 years old. The
account contributes in a perfect way
for parents who want to secure a better future for their children and saving
money for them from an early age. On
the other hand, @Tijari is a savings
account that can be opened with KD
10 and it is designed for youth customers aged 15 to 21 years old with
the intent to help establish their
future and pave the way to success.
KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of
Kuwait (CBK) is sponsoring Radisson
Blu’s 20th Annual Art Competition and
is inviting its My First Account and
@Tijari customers aged 10 to 18 years
old to participate. Children from numerous private schools in Kuwait will also
be participating. The theme for this year
is “Conserve Energy and Water” and the
twenty- five best paintings will each
receive a KD50 cash reward. The last day
to submit the paintings is May 5, 2015
and must be delivered to the Radisson
Blu Hotel.
The award ceremony will be held
on the 9th of May 2015 at the
Hashemi Ballroom. This unique competition has been going on successfully for the past twenty years since it
Abdulrasool Salman opens arts gallery
KUWAIT: Minister of Information, Minister of State
for Youth and Head of National Council for Culture,
Arts and Literature Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah said
that Kuwaiti formative artists have reached international acclaim. At the grand opening of Abdulrasool
Salman’s exhibition at the Kuwait Arts Associations,
the minister said that the Kuwaiti painter excelled in
DUBAI: Chairman of Kuwait Islamic Arts Center (KIAC) Fareed Al-Ali with one of his
works. — KUNA
portraying his country’s culture and heritage. The
NCCAL looks to these efforts with “admiration and
appreciation,” he added, while reiterating the government’s keenness on encouraging the cultural
and art movements in the country.
Abdulrasool Salman said meanwhile that the
exhibition was his 17th both locally and inter-
nationally. Through his works he has sought to
outline, in his own vision, the sense of belonging to the nation and the relationship between
the creator and his creation. He has done this in
an unfamiliar way, he added, aiming to safeguard the social reality of the past in a presentday portrayal. — KUNA
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LOCAL
Zain sponsors the 42nd
Arab Labor Conference
KUWAIT: The panel members are seen during the lecture at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST). — Photo by Joseph Shagra
Legacy of Palestinians
forgotten in Kuwait
KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, announced
its sponsorship of the 42nd Arab Labor
Conference hosted by the State of
Kuwait from 18 ñ 25 April 2015, under
the patronage of His Highness the Amir
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah.
The opening ceremony witnessed the
attendance of several prominent figures,
led by Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Sabah
Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Minister
of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister
of State of Planning and Development
Hind Al-Subaih, as well as representatives from government organizations
and experts in socio-economic development from across the Arab world.
Zain pointed out that the Arab Labor
Conference, organized by the Arab Labor
Organization, is considered one of the
most important events in the Arab world,
wherein it tackles a number of crucial
issues facing the labor market like unemployment, social dialogue in light of the
current turbulences in the region, in
addition to the settlement of labor disputes and its role in the stability of labor
relations. The conference works to provide adequate studies that contribute to
the social and economic development
across the entire region.
Zainís keenness in sponsoring this
conference arises from its core objectives
that aim at shouldering the advancement of the community as a whole on all
levels, indicating that through similar
sponsorships that company is reaffirming the principal of partnership and its
overall approach in the community that
it operates in, especially through one of
the largest conferences held in the
region.
GUST panel discusses role of this community
By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: An interdisciplinary panel at the
Gulf University for Science and Technology
(GUST) yesterday discussed how the historical presence of Palestinians in Kuwait constitutes a forgotten legacy, and how this is
symptomatic of a wider form of amnesia
responsible in part for current concerns in
Kuwait.
The beginnings
Prof Shafeeq Ghabra of the Department of
Political Science at Kuwait University talked
about how the Palestinians came to Kuwait
and what they have accomplished. “The first
Palestinian Arab immigrants to Kuwait arrived
in 1936 at the invitation of its ruler Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the positive
impression they made inclined Kuwait to
accept further workers, including many displaced by the 1948 war. Between 1948 and
1960, tens of thousands of refugee and nonrefugee Palestinians from the West Bank and
Gaza arrived in Kuwait while the sheikhdom
was still a British protectorate,” he said.
“There were two groups of Palestinians
that came to settle in Kuwait - the first group
were professionals like doctors, scientists, surgeons, administrators, etc, while the second
group were poorer men who traveled to sup-
port their families after the Nakba, including
teachers, civil servants and unskilled workers.
By June 1961, when Kuwait declared its independence, its Palestinian community had
grown to some 40,000, about 12 percent of
the state’s entire population of 321,621,”
Ghabra said.
Kuwait’s development
Ghabra said the Palestinians helped shape
Kuwait’s social, economic and political development. They came to play a formative role in
the development of Kuwait - the length of
their residence, the size of the community,
their dedication to work in both the public
and private sectors and their consequent
entrenchment in the bureaucracy, economy,
professions and the media enabled the
Palestinians in Kuwait to develop into one of
the most cohesive and active communities in
the diaspora. Ghabra added that approximately 180,000-200,000 Palestinians who had
fled Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation were
not permitted to return. Kuwait’s Palestinian
population has dwindled from a pre-invasion
strength of 350,000 to approximately 150,000
now.
Writer’s story
May Al-Naqeeb, Associate Professor at the
Depar tment of English Language and
Literature at Kuwait University, discussed
Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani’s life in
Kuwait. She said that the trope of Kuwait runs
through numerous stories by the Kanafani,
including his well-known novella ‘Men in the
Sun’. Using Deleuze’s clinical methodology,
“Kanafani in Kuwait: A Clinical Cartography”
maps Kanafani’s Kuwait stories symptomatically to determine what the legacy of the
Kanafani effect might be for contemporary
Kuwait. “It considers what his textual conjunction of affects and percepts did at the
time and whether they can do anything now.
Kanafani’s position as a seminal figure within
Palestinian national and resistance literature
is well-recognized - however, his specific location in Kuwait at a key period of its development is generally overlooked,” she explained.
“His clinical diagnosis of the relationship
between Kuwait and Palestinians in the 1940s
and 1950s can provoke a reconsideration of
that early period, especially relevant in light
of post-1991 events. In addition to his writing, his actual presence in Kuwait in the second half of the 1950s expresses an early
promise of Kuwait as an open and cosmopolitan place soon betrayed and today mostly
forgotten,” Naqeeb added. The seminar was
organized by the Department of Humanities
and Social Sciences at GUST and Saleh AlNafisi was the moderator.
KUWAIT: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State of Planning and
Development Hind Al-Subaih visits Zain’s booth.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Fr om the Arabic press
Al-Anbaa
Al-Jarida
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
We’re no better
than them
We don’t
drop chemicals
and barrel bombs
By Hassan Al-Essa
By Sami Al-Nisf
A
M
ost of those against the ‘Decisive Storm’
operation are the very same ones who
encouraged Nasser to go to war in 1967,
Assad to invade Lebanon in 1976 and Saddam to
invade Iran in 1980, strike his own people with
chemical weapons in 1988 and invade Kuwait in
1990. They had a finger in every pie and got addicted
to defeats and twisted thinking to the extent that
wisdom and victory taste very bitter in their mouths,
especially if achieved by the people of wisdom in the
Gulf, because for them, severe defeats under socalled revolutionary flags are far much better than
evident victory under Arab Gulf ones.
Such despicable hatred for whatever comes from
the Gulf has its own hidden as well as known reasons
and justifications. After promoting chaos and revolutionary leaders who only led the nation into more
devastation, defeats and non-constructive chaos
that almost wiped it off the map, their twisted minds
realized that the success of GCC’s political, military,
educational, developmental, agricultural, industrial
and touristic experiences mean that the whole Arab
nation would benefit from these experiences and
rise after long years of hibernation. Therefore, they
had to deliberately degrade all GCC achievements
and hail destructive thinking.
One of the reasons why our nation has been failing is that our representatives to the UN and various
international community organizations have let others phrase crucial international resolutions concerning them, such as when the British commissioner
Lord Carrington phrased the UN’s 242 resolution during the 1967 war and then got us all preoccupied
with a controversial discussion of whether Israel had
to withdraw from ‘occupied Arab territories’ or from
‘the occupied Arab territories’ until this very day!
This time, the remarkable military victory so far
achieved by Decisive Storm that changed all power
balances in favor of legitimacy without even dropping or losing a single fighter was also followed by
similar political and diplomatic victory at the
Security Council where the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s
efforts resulted in an Arab-tailored UN resolution
issued under chapter seven to realize all the coalition’s demands. It was unanimously passed by the
Security Council and not by a majority because
Russia’s abstaining from voting was a clear and
implicit approval, otherwise it would have used its
veto right.
So, it is high time for those failure addicts to reason if they have any minds or brains and realize that
the Arab coalition fighters and bombers have not
dropped any chemical weapons or banned barrel
bombs like those dropped by the people they support. —Translated by Kuwait Times
Al-Jarida
Al-Jarida
Hate speech and self-destruction
By Ghanim Al-Najjar
W
atching all the killing and bloodshed that
has gone on and is going on around the
world makes me think that societies and
civilizations are created by hatred. The amount of
hatred, its volume and its ability to move things is
much stronger than any other feeling. Despite people’s repetition of abstract talk about their religions,
traditions and values that bind them together, we
find them turning into wild merciless beasts in times
of distress and crises, and if their own fangs are not
covered with blood, they nevertheless rejoice when
enemy blood is shed, make sure it happens and work
on watching it on the ground. They rejoice with
death and mutilation of enemy corpses.
History rarely immortalizes tolerance advocates as
very few of them, like Gandhi, Martin Luther King
and Mandela have been remarkably mentioned by
modern history. However, their mention amongst
people only comes out of self-catharsis of sinful
hatred rather than attempts to tolerate and accept
others.
Let us have a look around and see how battles
and wars are run by religion-less leaders who only
believe in interest, domination and powers. We can
easily find that people would suddenly start taking
doctrinal, racial, ethnic and even lingual sides out of
historic reservoirs of hatred, forgetting all about
bright and good experiences with the ‘others’, who
suddenly turn into enemies that must be terminated
and hated till doomsday. And thus, policy turns into
a process of conflict between hate-exchanging parties and normal conflict reasoning would give way to
a series of stupid illusionary ones that are opted for
by absolute stupidity.
People kill themselves with hatred of friends and
neighbors. Daily life would then turn into endless
hatred and ‘hatred parties’ would dominate in a
tyrannical manner. Hateful people become leaders
while those with balanced thinking regress and fade
away. That is why some of us Arabs should probably
meet nowadays with support from the UN to discuss
how to confront the speech of hatred that is becoming the spark to igniting all evils.
—Translated by Kuwait Times
fishing boat with around 950 people onboard,
including women and children, sank off the
Italian shores where they were heading to
escape hunger, terrorism and tribal wars in their Arab
and African countries, which are the worst worldwide in terms of human standards. Those bodies in
the Mediterranean represent one of many crises that
recur in these deadly waters. Yet, such disasters were
not the creation of fate. They were the result of premeditated criminal acts committed not only by the
owners of the dilapidated boats, but also by the
mafias and regimes that forced those victims to flee
their countries’ hell.
In addition, European countries that had previously colonized these countries and reluctantly
received a few of those who managed to survive,
used their fighter planes to strike Gaddafi’s regime
with the excuse of avoiding ‘civil war and a human
disaster’, as they claimed. So, where did Libya end
up? The same logic was used in the Yarmouk refugee
camp in Syria that once used to accommodate two
million refugees and now only houses less than
18,000. Those refugees were besieged by three fighting groups - IS, the Syrian regime and Palestinian
troops of different affiliations.
Going to unhappy Yemen, the situation is not less
tragic than at the Yarmouk camp or than the refugee
smuggling boats. Hunger, destruction, ‘proxy’ and
tribal wars, in which Ali Abdullah Saleh and his
groups play the role of ‘princes of corruption’ like so
many of his likes across the Arab world, dominate
the entire scene. Saleh once said that he who rules
Yemen seems to be ‘dancing over snakeheads’, a
thing which he managed to do for over 30 years. So,
if he himself was not a vicious and corrupt dancing
snake, what else would he be?!
Has anyone felt pain on seeing IS demolish and
blow up over 3,000-year-old monuments in Iraq and
Syria? It seems as if they feared that people in the
lands they ‘liberate’ might worship those idols
instead of worshipping their own terrorism. Well, it
does not matter if they destroy Sumerian and
Babylonian heritage, blow up a mosque or raze a historic Sufi shrine, because man is more important as
long as he manages to survive the ‘halal’ decapitation.
However, the sufferings of the poor people in
areas liberated from IS by Shiite militias are not less
than those caused by IS. It seem as if these poor people have to be thankful for the blessings of the militias because they are less evil, just the way we now
say that tyrannical regimes that ruled our countries
are far less evil than revolutions and civil wars.
Anyway, we were brought up to so many sayings,
such as, “Tyrants are better than lasting tumults”!
Why write about these tragedies, then? Well,
maybe this will help awaken us a little to realize that
the world is much more beyond Kuwait and our oilrich Gulf. Countries are being destroyed, lands burnt,
houses pulled down and people related to us are displaced and living in hell after they were far better off
than us in the old days. We are no better than the
people of Aleppo, Idlib, Ramadi, Taiz or Benghazi we might someday be in their shoes. So why are so
many of us so snobbish about the whole issue, then?
—Translated by Kuwait Times
Crime
R e p o r t
Ex-husband charged
with battery
Burgan Bank hosts Turkish
Media Convention in Kuwait
KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently hosted an exclusive
media convention which consisted of meetings and
activities with a number of financial Turkish media personnel and senior executive management from Burgan
Bank Turkey.
A group of senior executives from Burgan Bank-Turkey
accompanied Turkish media during their visit to Kuwait,
who attended business forums, toured around Kuwait
and discussed business opportunities with executive
management from Burgan Bank Kuwait, Qurain
Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC) and KIPCO.
The meetings were headed by Burgan Bank Group
Chairman Majed Essa Al-Ajeel, Burgan Bank Group CEO
Eduardo Eguren as well as Burgan Bank Turkey Chairman,
and CEO. The two-day meeting involved an overview on
the Kuwaiti economy as well as a topline look at the
group’s performance, and investments. This was through
a series of presentations led by various Burgan Bank
Group officials, KIPCO senior management team as well
as QPIC officials.
Accompanied by the bank’s Group Corporate communications department, the Turkish media officials were
introduced to the Kuwaiti culture, history, people and
business operations which highlighted the development
of Kuwait as a financial center in the coming few years,
to boost the exchange volume and investments between
both countries in the near future.
As a leading and responsible financial institution,
Burgan Bank will continue maintaining a strong and
close relationship with key financial media personnel
across the region. It is worth mentioning that Burgan
Bank - Turkey is backed by a clear cut strategy that focuses on the upside geo-economic growth potential Turkey
provides, along with the benefits of the bank’s wider
group synergies across Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Algeria,
Iraq, Tunisia and Lebanon.
KILAW took part in JESSUP 2015
KUWAIT: Kuwait International Law School
(KILAW) is proud to welcome home its 5member legal advocacy team from the 56th
Philip C Jessup International Moot Court
Competition in Washington DC. This is the
fourth year KILAW has been represented at
this international competition. This year the
KILAW team participated in the competition
and for the previous three years it went as the
Kuwait National team. KILAW international law
professors Marcia Denny and Ardit Memeti
coach the team.
The Jessup International Competition is
the largest moot court competition in the
world, this year over 600 law colleges from
more than 90 countries competed, with over
130 teams participating at the international
rounds in Washington DC. The competition is
a simulation of a fictional dispute between
countries before the United Nations’
International Court of Justice. Students are
required to present oral and written arguments on a very complicated hypothetical
international case. This year’s case involved
issues of secession of a part of a country with
its subsequent annexation by another country, state sovereignty over natural resources,
and termination of a treaty between two
states. At the international rounds in
Washington DC, KILAW students had the
opportunity to appear before global legal
experts appearing in the role of judges and to
network with international law students from
around the world. The legal skill gained in the
preparation for and participation in this competition is unparalleled; as a result, the compe-
tition awards students an incredible lifetime
learning experience. The KILAW team worked
for more than 6 months in anticipation of this
event. In addition to the competition, KILAW
students attended seminars chaired by worldrenowned international law experts at the
annual conference of the American Society of
International Law. They also visited the law
colleges of both Georgetown University and
George Washington University, toured the
United States Supreme Court and Capitol
buildings.
KUWAIT: A female citizen accused her ex-husband of barging into her house in Sabah Al-Salem and beating and
injuring her, said security sources, noting that the woman
provided a medical report of her injuries. A case was filed
and the suspect is being summoned for further investigations.
Maid accuses employer’s son of rape
A housemaid accused her sponsor’s son of raping
her at the family house in Zahra when she went to his
bedroom to clean it in the afternoon, said security
sources. A case was filed and the suspect is being summoned for further investigations.
Female driver harassed
A female citizen in her twenties reported that three
reckless drivers, each in his own vehicle, forced her to
stop along King Fahd Highway, and that one of them
pointed a weapon at her while another smashed her vehicle’s windscreen when she rejected their attempts to talk
to her. The girl, who barged into Adan police station in a
hysterical state, added that she had to reverse and flee
the three harassers. A case was filed and a search for the
suspects is on.
Search for harassers
A search is on for two suspects in a vehicle with
GCC license plates for assaulting a pregnant expat
woman in Jahra after they failed to convince her and
her friend to escort them to spend ‘some good time’ in
return for whatever money they wanted. Case papers
indicate that the two women had emerged from a
Jahra building when the two suspects invited them to
a private party in return for money. However, the pregnant woman’s friend called her husband while she
photographed the suspects’ vehicle, which made them
step out and brutally assault her in front of passersby.
They then fled the scene. The woman was rushed to
ICU in critical condition.
Home thieves caught
Two Syrian men were arrested over robberies in over 5
apartments, said security sources. Case papers indicate
that after receiving several similar reports from expats living in Hawally about their apartments being burgled while
they were out, detectives first managed to identify one of
the suspects living in Maidan Hawally, and on arresting
him, he led the police to his accomplice, noting that he was
responsible for selecting the apartments to rob.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Old loyalties, religious
cohesion frustrating
Islamic State in Libya
Foreigners tell of being ‘hunted like dogs’ in South Africa
Page 10
Page 8
MALDA: In this file photo, an Indian groom puts vermilion, the holy mark believed the sign of Hindu marriage, on the forehead of his underage bride during a mass marriage program in the village of Malda, some 360kms, northeast
of Kolkata. —AFP
2,000 Indian girls
‘killed’ every day
Police on alert for child marriages
NEW DELHI: Two thousand girls are “killed” every day
due to a preference for sons in India with most aborted
or murdered just after birth, the country’s minister for
women and child development said. Despite laws that
ban parents having tests to determine the gender of
unborn children, sex selective abortions remain a common practice in parts of India, and have resulted in a
decline in the number of girls compared to boys.
“You have 2,000 girls who are killed in the womb
every day. Some are born and have pillows on their
faces choking them,” Maneka Gandhi told NDTV news
channel late on Monday. India’s 2011 census showed
that while the overall female -to-male ratio has
improved marginally since the last census a decade ago,
fewer girls were born than boys and the number of girls
younger than six plummeted for the fifth straight
decade.
A May 2011 study in British medical journal The
Lancet found that up to 12 million Indian girls were
aborted over the last three decades, resulting in a
skewed child sex ratio of 918 girls to every 1,000 boys in
2011, versus 962 in 1981. India’s traditionally male-dominated culture views sons as assets-breadwinners who
will provide for the family, carry on the family name,
and perform the last rites for their parents, an important
ritual in many faiths. Girls, however, are often seen as a
liability, with families having to dig deep for a substantial dowry to ensure a desirable match. In a culture that
views pre-marital sex as bringing shame to the girl’s
family, parents also worry about their safety.
Gandhi said that the government’s “Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao” (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter)
campaign, which aims to reverse the declining number
of girls, had already shown results since its launch in
January. The initiative, which is being run in 100 districts
where the ratio of girls to boys is particularly low, aims
to better enforce laws that criminalize pre-birth gender
selection and improve girls’ access to education. “We
didn’t expect results to show for at least a year or two
years, if at all, as it’s one of those mindset change
things,” Gandhi said in her first television interview since
taking office in May last year.
She added that the campaign had led to an increase
in unwanted girl infants ending up in orphanages but
said this was a positive response as it meant they had
moved “from being killed to being thrown out”. “The
result is that hundreds of girl children are being thrown
into orphanages in these 100 districts. In Amritsar, they
have received 89 girls this month. In Tamil Nadu, they
said the same thing. In all the districts we have chosen,
they have a lot of girls going into palnas (state orphanages),” the minister said.
Police on alert
In another development, Police and social workers
were on alert yesterday across a north Indian state to try
to prevent hundreds of child marriages from taking place
on an auspicious Hindu day. Several raids were conducted on villages in the desert state of Rajasthan on the eve
of Akshaya Tritiya following tip offs from locals, an official
and an activist said. District collector Kailash Verma said
he halted one such wedding in Rajsamand district where
an impoverished family was making preparations to marry their 15-year-old daughter.
“I spoke to her. She was not willing to get married and
told me that she wanted to carry on her studies but could
not gather the courage to oppose her parents,” Verma
said, adding that 250 marriages were halted last year in
his district. Mangilal Khateek, her father, said he wanted
to marry his younger daughter at the same time as his
elder one in a bid to save what little money he had. “I will
not marry her (now) after the collector said it was illegal
and harmful to her health,” he said.
Child marriage is illegal in India but remains common
in poor, rural communities in which it is seen as improving the financial security of both families. Rajasthan is
among states with the highest number of married children, according to India’s census figures. Akshaya Tritiya,
which in Sanskrit means “never diminishing”, falls this
year on Tuesday and is considered a lucky day, with thousands of weddings taking place. Police in Rajasthan have
been asking villagers to inform on fellow residents planning such celebrations. “A control room has been set up
and people are being encouraged to inform the administration and police about the child marriages,” police
superintendent of Jodhpur city, Harendra Kumar said.
Another raid was conducted in Jaisalmer district
after a grandmother alerted authorities to the impending wedding of her 14-year-old granddaughter, activist
Ashok Bhati said. A campaign was held in the lead up to
Akshaya Tritiya, with priests, caterers and even wedding
tent operators under pressure to say no to families
wanting to hire them for child weddings. “All the 40,000
tent dealers across the state have been asked to refuse
to erect tents for child marriages. This initiative will help
in demoralizing the practice and send a good message,”
said Ravi Jindal, head of an umbrella group of tent dealers. Nearly half of all girls in South Asia marry before
they turn 18, according to a UNICEF report released last
year. — Agencies
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Shocked Ethiopians mourn Christians killed by Islamic State
ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia began three days of national mourning yesterday, with joint Christian and
Muslim prayers for more than 20 Ethiopian Christians
killed by Islamic State militants in Libya. The murders
have horrified Ethiopians and sparked global condemnation, including from Pope Francis who
expressed his “great distress and sadness”. “They are
animals, they are outside of all humanity,” said
Tesfaye Wolde, who saw his only brother Balcha
Belete executed on a video released by the militants.
“I saw him kneeling, a masked man pointing a gun
to my brother and his friend, with a knife to their
throats.”Abune Mathias, the patriarch of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, called the
killings “repugnant”. “We have a duty to raise our
voice to tell the world that the killing of the innocent
like animals is completely unacceptable,” he said.
Joint prayers were held along with Muslim leaders,
led by Sheikh Mohammed Jemal, head of Ethiopia’s
Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, who said the killing
of people like “chickens” had no place in Islam.
The IS video released on Sunday, showed militants
in Libya holding captives who they described as “followers of the cross from the enemy Ethiopian Church”.
A masked fighter in black brandishing a pistol makes
a statement threatening Christians if they do not convert to Islam. The video shows one group of about 12
men being beheaded on a beach and another group
of at least 16 being shot in the head in a desert area.
“If IS were religious, they would never have killed
human beings,” said Kedir Hussein, a Muslim who
attended the joint prayers. “The death of these young
people is like someone was killed in my family.”
Almost two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, the
majority of those Orthodox Copts-who say they have
been in the Horn of Africa nation since the first centu-
ry AD-as well as large numbers of Protestants. Islam
also has an ancient history in Ethiopia, brought to the
country by some of the earliest followers of the
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), who were sheltered
ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopians mourn for relatives and friends killed in Libya by the Islamic State group, as
they gather in streets of Addis Ababa yesterday. — AFP
there by the Christian king. Tesfaye described how his
brother Balcha, an electrician, as well as his friend
Eyasu Yekuneamelak-also seen killed on the video-left
Ethiopia two months ago seeking work and a better
life, heading first for Sudan and then to Libya, in the
hope to making the crossing to Italy.
But the pair, who left Ethiopia without telling their
family, were captured by IS fighters before they could
risk the dangerous sea crossing to Europe, where
thousands have drowned in rickety boats. “I am very
sad, I lost my brother, my one and only brother, but
there are many more Ethiopians who are losing their
lives - they are being dropped into the ocean,”
Tesfaye said. “Only God knows how this thing can be
stopped,” he told a small crowd who had come to
offer their condolences, outside his brick house in the
capital Addis Ababa.
“They wanted to change their lives, improve
their condition-life is very difficult here,” said
Mersha Mitku, a friend of both men. He said he
knows at least 25 others who took the same route
to Libya. Six made it safely to Italy, but he has no
news from the others. Europe’s southern shores
have been swamped with migrants fleeing war and
hardship, hundreds of whom have died in a string
of tragic shipwrecks. An estimated 800 people
drowned on Sunday off Libya in the
Mediterranean’s worst migrant disaster. More than
11,000 migrants have been rescued by Italian
authorities since the middle of last week alone.
“Maybe this story will discourage some for some
time, but not for long,” Mersha said. — AFP
Old loyalties, religious cohesion
frustrating Islamic State in Libya
Militia exploiting Libya’s lawlessness
JERUSALEM: Workers place new carpets at the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem. — AP
Replacing carpet at Jerusalem
shrine reveals religious rift
JERUSALEM: It began as a routine remodeling
project: Muslim authorities replacing an old carpet worn thin by masses of worshippers at the
Dome of the Rock, the iconic, gold-topped shrine
that overlooks the Old City of Jerusalem. But there
is no such thing as routine remodeling when it
comes to the most contested piece of real estate
in Jerusalem, where the presence of a mere screwdriver can threaten to ignite religious tensions.
The carpet has sparked a verbal holy war
over the hilltop compound, which is revered by
Jews and Muslims whose competing claims
often spill over into violence. Israeli archaeological authorities say the repairs were carried out
behind their backs, and an Israeli government
minister urged an immediate halt to the work,
claiming it might cause irreparable damage.
Frustrated Israeli researchers say previously
undocumented ancient floor designs were discovered when the old carpets were peeled off,
but they didn’t get a chance to document the
designs before workmen covered them up with
the new carpet.
‘Something is hidden there’
And some researchers claim the Bible’s deepest secrets may lie beneath some of the newly
exposed floor designs. “Something is there. I
don’t know what. But something is hidden
there,” said Israeli archaeologist Zachi Dvira, who
studies the site. Officials with the Waqf, the
Muslim authority that administers the Al Aqsa
Mosque compound, which includes the Dome
of the Rock, reject the Israeli accusations. Sheikh
Azzam Tamimi, the head of the Waqf, said the
work is long overdue and has defiantly proclaimed that he was forbidding any Israeli
involvement. “Our work in Al Aqsa is transparent,” he told The Associated Press. “We are only
putting down carpet and felt. Nothing more,
nothing less.”
The work quietly began more than a month
ago, and Israel facilitated the renovation project,
said Jamal Al Quda, a member of a group of
Jordanian carpet layers who received Israeli
visas for the job. A packing list dated March 11
from an Egyptian carpet company to the
Jordanian Embassy in Tel Aviv lists 80 bales of
carpeting for the Marwani prayer area located at
the compound, and the prayer area encircling
the rock slab inside the dome. Jordan’s King
Abdullah II financed the project, according to
Waqf. Israel captured Jerusalem’s Old City from
Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war, but under a
longstanding agreement, Jordan remains the
custodian of the area’s Muslim holy sites.
On a recent afternoon in a small cave underneath the shrine’s rock, Al Quda dribbled Israeli
all-purpose glue from a large tin onto an intricate stone tile decoration on the cave’s marble
floor. He said it was necessary to affix the base
layer of thin dark felt before rolling out the carpet above it. Some Israeli archaeologists are
alarmed about the glue used but Al Quda said
the glue wouldn’t damage the floor. “It comes
off my hand,” he said, rubbing his fingers. The
cryptic geometric designs have sparked the
imagination of some researchers about what
secrets may lay beneath.
Ark of the Covenant
Ancient Jewish traditions say the gold-cased
Ark of the Covenant, which contained the Ten
Commandments, may have been hidden away
in a chamber when the First Jewish Temple was
destroyed some 2,500 years ago. It’s an Indiana
Jones-type mystery that touches upon a holy
grail for biblical enthusiasts. While Jerusalem
may be the most excavated city in the world, the
Dome of the Rock and its hilltop plaza are an
archaeological gold mine that has never been
properly dug because of the political sensitivi-
ties surrounding the site, which is considered
Judaism’s holiest spot and Islam’s third holiest.
The Dome of the Rock enshrines the large
rock slab where Muslim tradition says the
Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Jews
believe the rock may be where the holiest part
of the two ancient Temples stood as early as
about 3,000 years ago - and where religious
Jews pray a third Temple will one day be built.
The adjacent Western Wall, believed to be one of
the last remnants of the Temple complex, is the
holiest site where Jews can pray. Palestinian officials reject Jewish historical ties to the site. The
competing claims have spilled over into violence. In 1999, the Muslim authorities who
administer the site dug an enormous hole 12
meters (40 feet) deep as part of construction for
an underground prayer area, dumping 10,000
tons of earth in a nearby valley and an east
Jerusalem dump.
‘Archaeological crime’
The director of the Israeli Antiquities
Authority at the time called it an “archaeological
crime.” For years, Dvira and veteran Israeli
archaeologist Gabriel Barkay have been leading
a team of archaeologists and volunteers in
combing through the dirt for historical finds.
The initiative, called the Temple Mount Sifting
Project, is conducted under the auspices of the
Elad Foundation, a group that also purchases
Arab homes in contested parts of East Jerusalem
and helps move Jews in. Critics say this nationalist agenda should not mix with archaeology.
Israel’s state comptroller wrote a scathing
report in 2010 about the Muslim authorities’
illicit work projects at the compound and
Israel’s failure at enforcing supervision there.
Israeli officials kept the report classified out of
concern that its publication could harm the
sensitive relationship with Jordan. Tens of
thousands of worshippers attend weekly
Friday prayers, and the carpets have been
replaced before - most recently 12 years ago,
at a time of heightened violence when Israeli
antiquities officials were granted limited
access to the site. Past renovation projects
were done quietly behind the scenes. Leaked
photos posted on social media sites - combined with the political influence of Israeli
nationalists monitoring the site - drew extra
attention and fueled the latest controversy.
Last week, Israel’s housing minister, Uri Ariel
of the nationalist Jewish Home party, sent an
alarmed letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu about the carpeting project. “There
is no need to elaborate on how important this
site is, where every modification, every excavation with heavy equipment can cause irreparable harm to the foundations of the Temple,” Ariel
wrote. Photos that were leaked to Facebook
from the off-limits restoration site showed a
number of geometric floor patterns never
before documented by archaeologists, said
Frankie Snyder, a researcher with the Temple
Mount Sifting Project.
Some apparently date to when the Crusaders
controlled the complex in the 12th century, she
said. “I’m worried about damage of the original
floors,” said Barkay, the archaeologist. “The patterns were never properly documented.” Israel
Hasson, the director of the Israeli Antiquities
Authority, said once the government body
learned about the renovation, it made arrangements with the Waqf to send an archaeologist to
document some of the floor patterns, but others
already had been covered by the maroon and
beige carpeting. “We got to part of them. We
didn’t get to it all. I won’t ask anyone to pull up
the carpets to document it,” Hasson said. “We
will wait for the next opportunity. We’re sure to
be here over the next 2,000 years.” — AP
CAIRO: Islamic State’s executions of Christians
show the group is exploiting Libya’s lawlessness
but tribal and political loyalties and the absence
of a sectarian divide mean it is unlikely to grow
as rapidly there as in Iraq or Syria. On Sunday,
the militant group published a video purportedly showing the execution of 30 Ethiopian
Christians in two locations in eastern and southern Libya, two months after it beheaded 21
Egyptian Copts there.
The video suggests Islamic State, which controls much of Syria and Iraq, has managed to further expand in the North African country after
establishing a limited presence in the eastern
town of Derna as well as in western and central
Libya. It is benefiting from chaos in oil-producing Libya, where two governments allied to
armed factions are fighting each other on several fronts four years after the fall of Muammar
Gaddafi. With neither side able to dominate, a
security vacuum exists. But Islamic State may
struggle to expand as it has in Syria and Iraq
because Libya has no Sunni-Shiite divide the
group could exploit to draw in supporters.
Libyans are Sunni Muslims.
The militant group also lacks strong ties to
large Libyan tribes, and must compete with former anti-Gaddafi rebel groups that have carved
out their own fiefdoms based on regional, tribal,
ethnic and political ties. “These groups are ultimately self-serving and self-interested,” said
Geoffrey Howard, Middle East and North Africa
analyst at Control Risks. “IS’s advances are likely
to pose a threat to their own political and economic agendas, as well as their control over territory and strategic assets.” That has left Islamic
State splintered into small units that can launch
high-profile attacks but whose grip on territory
is not firm enough to build up social services, as
the group has done to win over local people in
places like Iraq’s Mosul.
Unlike in Iraq and Syria, Islamic State insurgents have not occupied any oilfields in Libya to
generate revenues, and selling oil outside official
channels would anyway be more complicated in
Libya than in the two other Arab countries. With
oil storage facilities located in coastal areas,
Libyan oil is exported by sea. Some Libyan warring factions have tried to sell oil independently
from ports under their control but a UN embargo has deterred foreign shippers. Cross-border
oil smuggling would also be difficult as Islamic
State controls no Libyan land border.
TRIPOLI: A general view shows the damaged wall of the Spanish embassy in the Libyan capital,
Tripoli yesterday, after a bomb exploded outside the building during the night without causing injuries, a security source said. Several accounts linked to the Libyan branch of IS claimed
the attack on Twitter. — AFP
Foreigners joining
Videos showing executions and portraying
Christians as “crusaders” could help Islamic State
attract more fighters from abroad or from local
militant groups such as Ansar Al-Sharia. “They
want to send a signal to Libyan jihadists that
they are the really tough guys,” Mattia Toaldo,
policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign
Relations, told the Reuters Global Oil Forum.
“ The attraction of Tunisian and Sudanese
jihadists gives Islamic State a big potential.” But
the biggest security headache for Western powers would be an Islamic State expansion into
Libya’s southern Sahara, the apparent location
for part of Sunday’s video.
Neither Libyan government holds much sway
in the remote area bordering Niger, Chad, Sudan
and Algeria, which has been long neglected.
Gaddafi made local tribesmen promises of citizenship and development projects but never
delivered. Southern tribes make a living by
smuggling anything from subsidized petrol,
flour and weapons to African emigrants heading
for Europe across Libya’s porous sub-Saharan
borders. In January, Islamic State posted a
recruitment video in a Tuareg language, calling
on aggrieved tribesmen to join with their promised caliphate. Analysts say recruiting in the
south would help Islamic State co-operate with
other militant groups, such as Tuaregs fighting in
Mali or Nigeria’s Boko Haram as it tries to take its
battle to Libya’s neighbors Chad and Niger. The
militants also benefit from the reluctance of
Libya’s warring governments to tackle them,
analysts say, as each wants Islamic State to keep
the other busy. War planes belonging to the
internationally recognized premier Abdullah alThinni have made air strikes near the central city
of Sirte on forces loyal to the rival government,
which controls Tripoli. But they have spared militants inside Sirte, where Islamic State has taken
over government buildings.
Forces loyal to Tripoli have meanwhile moved
heavy guns to the outskirts of Sirte but not
launched a full assault on the Islamists fighting
Thinni’s forces in the east, although there have
been smaller clashes outside the city. While
Thinni misses no opportunity to warn about
Islamic State’s expansion, Tripoli officials tend to
downplay the group as Gaddafi loyalists with little power. “The terrorist groups cannot terrorize
the main cities. They only sneak into small
towns,” said Amina Mahjoub, an Islamist member
of the Tripoli-based rival parliament. — Reuters
Young Israelis shunning
Orthodoxy over dogma
JERUSALEM: They were already in their 20s the
first time they ever heard about dinosaurs or even
tried their hands at maths and English. Now a
group of young Israelis who left the closed world of
ultra-Orthodox Judaism are demanding answers
from the state which funded their strictly religious
education in Jewish seminaries, known as yeshivas.
Despite years of studying, all they were exposed to
was religious texts and their interpretation, leaving
them clueless about the basics of the national curriculum.
“I once heard them talk about the theory of evolution, very furtively, in the yeshiva when someone
said certain people think they are descended from
the apes,” said 26-year-old Yaakov Fink, a former
religious scholar. “It triggered a gale of laughter
and the rabbi said that anyone who believed that
must be a monkey,” said Fink, who now studies psychology. In place of the trademark ultra-Orthodox
attire of sidelocks, skullcaps and long black coats,
he is now dressed in sporty casual wear. Nothing in
his appearance or speech gives a clue that this
computer enthusiast who loves to have a beer with
his friends spent the first 21 years of his life as an
ultra-Orthodox Jew, cut off from modern thought
and learning.
No room for doubt
In the yeshiva world, he says, everything is
designed “to ensure that no doubt, however small,
can sneak in” that could challenge blind faith. Yet
nagging doubts did crop up for this young seminarian-and they never went away. “It happened
that one Saturday night after the end of shabbat I
simply couldn’t bring myself to go back to the
yeshiva-and I never did understand why,” he said.
Although leaving the ultra-Orthodox world was
hard, there was worse to come as Fink struggled to
integrate into the secular-and elitist-university system with extremely limited skills. In maths, he had
the ability of a 10-year-old, his English went no further than the alphabet and he had absolutely no
idea about history, geography or science.
What helped him was getting involved with a
group called “Out for Change”, which counts
around 300 members-all of them former ultraOrthodox. Formed with the express aim of taking
legal action against the state, the organization also
runs courses for people who want to integrate into
modern society. But its members are mainly
engaged in a lawsuit seeking damages from the
state, which provides 75 percent of the funds for
ultra-Orthodox education without demanding any
supervision over what its 400,000 students learn.
“What did we study in the yeshiva? The Torah
and its commentaries and that’s about all,” Fink said,
referring to the first five books of the Bible. —AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
US cracks down on female teachers who abuse students
800 school employees prosecuted for sexual assault
NEW YORK: A “Saturday Night Live” skit
about a male student having sex with his
female high school teacher painted the
relationship as every teen boy’s dream, but
drew a firestorm of criticism on social
media. The reaction to the comedy sketch
reflected a growing view among law
enforcement and victims’ advocacy groups
that it is no laughing matter when a
woman educator preys on her male students.
In US schools last year, almost 800
school employees were prosecuted for sexual assault, nearly a third of them women.
The proportion of women facing charges
seems to be higher than in years past,
when female teachers often got a pass, said
Terry Abbott, a former chief of staff at the
US Department of Education, who tracked
the cases. This year’s numbers are already
slightly ahead of last year with 26 cases of
female school employees accused of inappropriate relationships with male students
in January compared to 19 cases the previous January.
Female educators who sexually abuse
their students are facing tougher prosecution in part because there are more women
police officers. There is also a greater
awareness among prosecutors, judges and
the general public that students who are
victimized by an authority figure, regardless of gender, experience trauma with lifelong consequences. “Law enforcement is
increasingly feminized, and women are
much less prone to the old attitude: ‘Oh,
this is just some kid who got lucky,’” said
David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes
Against Children Research Center. “They
recognize the issues involved and they go
after women who violate the statutes.”
Depression, low-self esteem and difficulty maintaining future relationships are
among the long-term consequences that
male victims face, according to experts.
Those problems are sometimes compounded by confusion and guilt over whether
they are actually victims since their adolescent bodies involuntarily respond to physical contact.
‘Seismic shifts’
Child abuse experts agree it appears
female teachers are being prosecuted more
vigorously than in the past. The crackdown
is the result of “two seismic shifts,” said
Christopher Anderson, executive director
of Male Survivor, the largest US advocacy
organization for male sex-crime victims.
“One is a recognition that it does not matter who the perpetrator is or what the circumstances are. A teacher has absolutely
no business engaging in sexual contact
with a student,” Anderson said. “The second
is a shift in the culture where boys and their
parents are feeling empowered to come
forward to say that something has been
done.”
In recent weeks, a Stamford,
Connecticut high school English teacher,
Danielle Watkins, 32, whose case was prosecuted by a female state’s attorney, was
sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for
having sex with an underage male student.
In Michigan, a female judge sentenced
Madison High Spanish teacher Kathryn
Ronk, 30, to up to 15 years in prison for
having a sexual relationship with a 15-yearold boy, saying “the law does not recognize
a double standard.”
In New Jersey, a female prosecutor said
the most lenient plea deal she would offer
Nicole Dufault, 35, a Columbia High School
English teacher accused of sexual relationships with six teenage boys, was 15 years in
prison. There are contrary examples, such
as Pennsylvania’s Erica Ann Ginnetti, 35, the
Lower Moreland High School math teacher
who had sex with a 17-year-old student
and was sentenced to 30 days in jail by a
male judge who said, “What young man
would not jump on that candy?” That was
after a female prosecutor reportedly said in
court that the victim’s senior year became a
nightmare, his grades plunged and he still
struggles with social interactions.
‘Hot’ teacher
But the Twitter furor ignited by the April
“SNL” skit in which a male judge fist-bumps
a boy who had sex with his “hot” teacher
indicates how attitudes are changing.
“Appalled by the #SNL sketch glorifying
sexual abuse of a male student by female
teacher. Sends the worst message &minimizes real experiences,” tweeted Heather
Timmis @hnt108. An SNL spokesperson
declined to comment. There is no central
US reporting system for tracking female
teachers who prey on male students,
according to federal education officials, but
Abbott has been charting the crimes from
news coverage.
His research showed that female teachers
far more often than male teachers use social
media to lure students, creating an electronic “paper trail” that may aid prosecutions.
School districts are increasingly moving to
ban private social media contact between
teachers and students, sometimes in an
effort to prevent inappropriate relationships.
“Social media enables the behavior to start,”
Abbott said. “There is no way that a teacher
is going to walk up to a kid in the hallway
and say, ‘Hey, would you like to see a naked
picture of me?’ They won’t do it. But they will
do that on social media. It’s like it erases
what used to be that barrier.” — Reuters
LOS ANGELES: In this photo, students are served breakfast at the Stanley Mosk Elementary School in Los Angeles. — AP
Mexico govt investigates
alleged police massacre
MEXICO CITY: Mexican prosecutors and federal
police internal affairs are investigating claims
that officers killed 16 unarmed civilians in
January, authorities said Monday, in the latest
abuse allegations to hit security forces. Interior
Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong spoke a day
after a media report concluded that federal
police opened fire on people wielding nothing
more than sticks on January 6 in Apatzingan, a
city in the troubled western state of Michoacan.
The report by prominent journalist Laura
Castellanos, published Sunday by the magazine
Proceso and the news website Aristegui Noticias,
contradicts official accounts that nine people
died in the crossfire of a shootout between
police and former rural militiamen. “We hope
that the attorney general’s office will draw its
own conclusions and make them known,” Osorio
Chong said, adding that the police was cooperating and conducting an internal investigation.
“We are waiting for the results of the investigation and, with that, we will know what really
happened that day in Apatzingan,” he told
reporters.
The National Security Commission said
Saturday that it had given prosecutors a video it
received anonymously that appears to show “an
excessive use of force or abuse of authority by
federal police officers” in Apatzingan. But the
federal government’s special security envoy to
Michoacan at the time of the deaths, Alfredo
Castillo, defended his January account. “I’m at
peace and completely certain” of his account,
Castillo, who stepped down two weeks after the
shootings, told Milenio television. He said whatever appears in the video was “probably taken
out of context.” Castellanos’s report, based on 39
anonymous witness accounts, videos and audio
recordings, said officers opened fire in two incidents.
In the first event, the report said, officers shot
at some 100 people who were demonstrating in
front of city hall at 2:30 am, with some police
shouting “kill them like dogs!” The second shoot-
ing came hours later, when officers opened fire
on a dozen vehicles carrying people who were
chasing a police convoy, hoping to free their
comrades, the report said. Officials arrested at
least 44 people that day. The violence erupted as
the authorities planned to dissolve Michoacan’s
“rural force,” a unit comprised of vigilantes who
were deputized after they rose up against the
Knights Templar drug cartel.
‘Awful case’
President Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration is already under fire over an alleged army
massacre of gang suspects in central Mexico
last year, and the presumed slaughter of 43 students at the hands of a municipal police backed drug cartel in southern Guerrero state.
The allegations in Apatzingan could become a
new challenge for Pena Nieto, whose popularity has plummeted below 40 percent after the
September disappearance of the 43 students
sparked protests.—AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Foreigners tell of being ‘hunted like dogs’ in South Africa
BLANTYRE: Foreigners fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa yesterday
told of how they escaped marauding
death mobs and vowed never to return
to the country where they had sought a
new life. Holding her one -year-old
daughter in her arms, Agnes Salanje
from Malawi said she “faced death” during the wave of anti-immigrant violence
that has claimed at least seven lives. “We
could have been killed as these South
Africans hunted for foreigners, going
from door to door,” Salanje, who was a
domestic worker in the Indian Ocean
port city of Durban said.
Nearly 400 Malawians arrived
overnight in the city of Blantyre in the
south of the country, where they were
met by government ministers and officials. The attacks on foreigners have
sparked anger and protests against
South Africa across the rest of the continent. Salanje, who was paid $200 a
month, said she escaped the attackers
after being “tipped off by a good neighbor and we ran to a mosque to seek
shelter.” “I will not go back. It is better to
be poor than be hunted like dogs
because you are a foreigner,” she said. “I
lost everything. I only managed to grab
a few clothes for myself and my baby
Linda.”
‘Be killed or go home’
South African authorities have vowed
to crack down on mobs who have been
attacking foreigners from Zimbabwe,
Malawi, Mozambique and other African
countries in both the economic capital
Johannesburg and Durban. Defense
Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said
yesterday the army would be deployed
in parts of Johannesburg to prevent any
further violence. Foreigners are often the
focus of resentment among poor South
Africans who face a chronic jobs shortage. Chisomo Makiyi, 23, who worked at
a clothes factory in Durban, is still puzzled about why she was attacked. “Had I
not run away to safety, I would not be
here,” she said, on arrival in Malawi after
a three-day journey from Durban that
took six different buses. “I just don’t
know why all of a sudden they start hating foreigners and giving them two
choices-be killed or go home.
“My life is more important than a
good salary,” she said, vowing to never
return to South Africa, despite being
paid $280 a month there, “which back
home would be a dream.” Zimbabwe,
which has at least one million citizens
working in South Africa, said 400 arrived
by bus at the border late on Monday
after leaving camps in Durban, where
they had sought shelter. “Many of them
were distressed when our teams went to
the camps but they are now happy to be
back home,” foreign ministry spokesman
Joey Bimha said. Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe has expressed “shock
and disgust” at the violence, but those
who return to the country also face a difficult future, given Zimbabwe’s moribund economy.
Zulus accused
The first Mozambicans returned on
Friday, with 109 people accommodated
over the weekend at a transit camp
where they were given tents, blankets
and hot food. They said that the unrest
started when Zulus attacked “Shangaan”.
The Shangaan tribe lives on both sides
of the South Africa-Mozambique border
but “Shangaan” is also sometimes used
by South Africans as a loose term for foreigners. “They say we take their jobs, and
that our men take their wives,” Victoria
N’Gonhamu, 29, who worked in Durban
as a maid said.
Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini has
denied whipping up xenophobic hatred
in a speech last month when he blamed
immigrants for rising crime and said
they must leave South Africa. The king
insisted the media had misrepresented
JOHANNESBURG: The hands of displaced foreign nationals are photographed
as they stand outside a shelter for displaced foreigners in east of
Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday. — AP
his speech, which was widely seen as
inciting the attacks. Meanwhile, a magistrates’ court in Johannesburg yesterday
adjourned a case of four men accused of
stabbing to death a Mozambican man in
broad daylight. Graphic photographs of
the killing were published in many
South African and international newspapers. Reacting to the violence, the
biggest hospital of Botswana, the
Princess Marina, said it had halted routine referrals to medical fatalities in
neighboring South Africa due to safety
fears.— AFP
Auschwitz bookkeeper admits
‘moral guilt’ at Holocaust trial
LUENEBURG: A 93-year-old former bookkeeper at Auschwitz who is accused of
being an accessory to mass murder told a
German court that he felt morally guilty for
his work at the Nazi death camp, describing
in detail the grisly killings he had witnessed
there. Oskar Groening, in what could be one
of the last big Holocaust trials, is accused of
assisting in the murder of 300,000 people
although he did not kill anyone himself. “In
moral terms, my actions make me guilty,”
Groening told the court in the northern
town of Lueneburg at the start of the trial.
“I stand before the victims with remorse
and humility,” he said. “On the question of
whether I am guilty in legal terms, you must
decide.” Groening was 21, and by his own
admission an enthusiastic Nazi, when he
was sent to work at Auschwitz in 1942. His
case is unusual because unlike many of the
other SS men and women who worked in
concentration camps, he has spoken openly
in interviews about his time at the camp in
occupied Poland. Wearing a sleeveless
beige sweater over a white shirt, the whitehaired Groening was calm and composed,
leaning back in his chair and looking at
papers, as prosecutors read out the indictment.
He laughed when his lawyer asked the
judge to speak louder so that Groening
could hear him. At one point, taking a sip of
water, he joked: “I’ll do that like I drank the
vodka at Auschwitz”. His job was to collect
the belongings of deportees after they
arrived at the camp by train and had been
put through a selection process that resulted in many being sent directly to the gas
chambers. He inspected their luggage,
removing and counting any bank notes that
were inside, and sending them on to SS
offices in Berlin, where they helped to fund
the Nazi war effort. “By sorting the bank
notes he helped the Nazi regime to benefit
economically,” said Jens Lehmann, a lawyer
for a group of Auschwitz survivors and relatives of victims who are joint plaintiffs in the
case.
Demjanjuk case decisive
The case goes to the heart of the question of whether people who were small
cogs in the Nazi machinery, but did not
actively participate in the killing of 6 million
Jews during the Holocaust, are guilty of
crimes. Until recently, the answer from the
German justice system was no. In past years,
prosecutors in Frankfurt decided not to pursue the case against Groening and other
concentration camp workers, saying there
was no causal link between their actions
and the killings that occurred around them.
Prosecutors in Hanover disagreed,
emboldened by the case of Ivan Demjanjuk,
who in 2011 was convicted of being an
accessory to mass murder despite there
being no evidence of him having committed a specific crime during his time as a
guard at the Sobibor extermination camp.
“It is certainly not an easy trial for us,” the
judge Franz Kompisch told the court. “This
is a trial which is attracting and creating a
lot of attention and setting off emotions.”
The charges against Groening relate to the
period between May and July 1944 when
137 trains carrying roughly 425,000 Jews
from Hungary arrived in Auschwitz. At least
300,000 of them were sent straight to the
gas chambers, the indictment says.
Groening described some of the murders that he witnessed at Auschwitz. On his
first day on the ramp where Jewish prisoners exited the trains, he saw an SS colleague
grab a crying baby and slam its head
against a truck until it was quiet. “I was so
shaken. I don’t find what he did good at all,”
Groening said, telling the court that he later
went to his commander to request a transfer from Auschwitz. He also told of an incident in late 1942 when he witnessed naked
Jews being herded into a converted farm
house near the camp. A fellow officer shut
the door, put on a gas mask, opened a can
and poured its contents down a hatch.
“The screams became louder and more
desperate but after a short time they
became quieter again,” Groening said. “This
is the only time I participated in a gassing,”
he added, before correcting himself: “I don’t
mean participated, I mean observed.” In an
extensive interview with German magazine
Der Spiegel in 2005, Groening said he felt
“nothing” when he saw Jews being taken to
the gas chamber. “If you are convinced that
the destruction of Judaism is necessary,
then it no longer matters how the killing
takes place,” he said, describing his feelings
as a young SS officer.—Reuters
LUENEBURG: Former Nazi death camp officer Oskar Groening sits outside during a
break of his trial yesterday in Lueneburg, northern Germany. —AFP
CATANIA: This image shows Tunisian national Mohammed Ali Malek (left), and Syrian national Mahmud Bikhit, the captain and a crew member
of a capsized migrant boat, following their arrest on suspicion of people trafficking in Catania yesterday. — AFP
Migrant boat captain, crew
arrested; death toll hits 800
Boat skipper facing mass murder charge
CATANIA: The captain of a migrant boat that
capsized in the Mediterranean’s deadliest disaster in decades was arrested yesterday on suspicion of causing the deaths of an estimated 800
people. Prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Catania
said they believed Tunisian national Mohammed
Ali Malek, 27, was responsible for steering mistakes and the reckless overcrowding which led
to the horrifying shipwreck off Libya on Sunday.
Crew member and Syrian national Mahmud
Bikhit, 25, was also arrested in a probe into a
catastrophe that has evoked chilling comparisons with the slave trade and allegations of callous disregard on the part of European governments. The captain was held on suspicion of
multiple murder, causing a shipwreck and aiding
illegal immigration. Bikhit faces potential
charges on the latter count. Both men were to
be put before a judge later. Hundreds of the victims, including an unknown number of children,
will have died in hellish circumstances having
been locked in the hold or the middle deck of
the 20-metre boat which keeled over in pitch
darkness after colliding with a Portuguese container ship answering its distress call.
The Catania prosecutors said the collision had
been caused by steering mistakes by the captain
and the panicked movements of the hundreds
of passengers. “On the basis of what has
emerged, no blame can be accorded to the crew
of the merchant ship which came to rescue and
in no way contributed to the fatal event,” they
said in a statement. Italian Prime Minister Matteo
Renzi has described the traffickers who packed
their human cargo into the boat as akin to 18thcentury slave traders. The UN human rights chief
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said the horror at sea had
been produced by a “monumental failure of
compassion” on the part of European govern-
ments who are now under intense pressure to
address the humanitarian crisis on their southern shores.
Wheelchair survivor
The first of the 27 survivors who disembarked
in Sicily in the early hours did so in a wheelchair.
All of them were deeply traumatized, said
Carlotta Sami, spokeswoman for the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees. “They are exhausted, they have nothing left,” she said. “They are in
a state of shock, they look completely lost.” Most
of the survivors and the victims appear to have
been young men but there were also several
children aged between 10 and 12, she added.
“We have not yet been able to ask them about
this but it seems certain that many of them will
have had friends and family who were lost in the
wreck.”
At talks in Luxembourg on Monday, EU ministers agreed on a 10-point plan to double the
resources available to maritime border patrol
mission Triton and further measures will be discussed at a summit of EU leaders tomorrow.
Critics say Triton is woefully inadequate and are
demanding the restoration of a much bigger
Italian operation suspended last year because of
cost constraints. The survivors, who hailed from
Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Somalia, Eritrea and
Bangladesh, were all recovering yesterday at
holding centers near Catania on Sicily’s eastern
coast.
Sunday’s disaster was the worst in a series of
migrant shipwrecks that have claimed more
than 1,700 lives this year - 30 times higher than
the same period in 2014 - and nearly 5,000 since
the start of last year. In that time nearly 200,000
migrants have made it to Italy, mostly after
being rescued at sea by the Italian navy and
coastguard. Italian officials believe there could
be up to one million more would-be immigrants
to Europe waiting to board boats in conflict-torn
Libya. Many of them are refugees from Syria’s
civil war or persecution in places like Eritrea.
Others are seeking to escape poverty and
hunger in Africa and south Asia and secure a
better future in Europe.
Australia’s example
Despite the prosect of further loss of life, a
number of EU governments are reluctant to
expand search-and-rescue operations, arguing
that they only encourage migrants to attempt
the crossing. That view was endorsed by
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who said
Europe should follow his government’s lead by
deploying military forces to turn migrant boats
back to Africa. “The only way you can stop the
deaths is in fact to stop the boats,” Abbott said.
Australia’s policy has drastically reduced the
number of asylum-seekers arriving on its soil
and deaths at sea. Critics say this has been
achieved at the expense of the country breaching its international asylum obligations.
Ideas being looked at by the EU including trying to capture or destroy people-smuggling
boats and a pilot scheme for the fast-track return
of migrants to their home countries. Italy is
studying the possibility of mounting “targeted
interventions” against Libya-based people
smugglers-but experts are skeptical about the
likelihood of this ever happening. More than
1,000 people have been arrested in recent years
in connection with trafficking operations but
Italian officials acknowledge most of them are
small fry and that the gangsters making multimillion dollar profits from the trade are still
mostly at large. — AFP
In exile, Syrian Armenians feel echoes of genocide
BURJ HAMMOUD: For thousands of Syrian
Armenian refugees in Lebanon, the slaughter
and expulsion of their ancestors a century ago
is less a historical event than an ongoing trauma. Though their community is just one of
many caught up in Syria’s brutal conflict,
Syrian Armenians say their fate has been particularly painful because it echoes the tragedy
often termed the Armenian genocide.
Maggie Melkonian fights back tears as she
describes fleeing to Lebanon from her home
in the Sulamaniyeh district of Syria’s Aleppo
city more than two years ago. “Just as our
ancestors had to leave without anything, we
had to do the same,” she says. “We’re living a
second genocide now, our houses are all
gone... Our people are dying again,” she adds,
her voice breaking. Melkonian is safe now, living in the Armenian district of Burj Hammoud
with her daughter and son-in-law, and her
grandchildren.
But her husband remains in Aleppo, reluctant to leave everything behind, like so many
Armenians who fled their homes in 1915. The
facts of the tragedy that began 100 years ago
this month remain bitterly disputed. Armenia
and Armenians in the diaspora say 1.5 million
of their forefathers were killed by Ottoman
forces in a targeted campaign. They say the
campaign was ordered by the military leadership of the Ottoman empire to eradicate the
Armenian people from Anatolia in what is now
eastern Turkey. But Turkey takes a sharply different view, saying that hundreds of thou-
sands of Turks and Armenians lost their lives as
Ottoman forces battled the Russian Empire for
control of eastern Anatolia during World War I.
‘Guilty of genocide’
In Burj Hammoud, Lebanese and Syrian
Armenians have no qualms about labeling the
tragedy a genocide and holding Turkey
responsible for it. The streets are spray-painted
with profanities directed at Ankara and stenciled graffiti reading “Turkey, guilty of genocide”. In the run-up to the centenary, placards
and banners have been hung reading “We
remember and demand”, a reference to a longstanding call for Turkey to acknowledge the
murders as “genocide”. As the Lebanese
Armenian community plans events to mark
the tragedy, many Armenians who fled Syria
say they feel as though they are still living it.
They draw parallels between the experiences of their forefathers and incidents like
the targeting of the Syrian Armenian town of
Kasab and the destruction of an Armenian
church in Deir Ezzor province that contained
the remains of victims of the 1915 massacre. “I
feel that we’re seeing history repeating itself,”
says 30-year-old Maral Giloyan. “ We are
exhausted. For all these years, we have not
been able to feel comfortable, to relax.”
Giloyan is a refugee twice over. Her family left
Iraq’s capital Baghdad in 2005, fleeing the violence that followed the US-led invasion. They
settled in Aleppo, where Giloyan married a
Syrian Armenian man and had three children,
but fled last year after her husband was
wounded by mortar fire. “I want to live in
peace, but all I’ve known is war,” she says.
‘A double wound’
Alexan Keuchkerian, a member of
Lebanon’s Armenian Hunchak party, is at pains
to note that all Syrians, not just Armenians, are
suffering. More than 220,000 people have
been killed in the conflict, and nearly half the
population has been displaced, with more
than a million refugees settling in Lebanon.
“But for Syrian Armenians, this is a second
forced migration, it’s a double wound,” he says.
“The pain is being repeated.” Members of his
own family are among the recent arrivals from
Aleppo.—AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Pakistan hangs 15
Clashes kill two soldiers, five rebels
DHAKA: People attack the convoy of Bangladesh’s main opposition leader Khaleda Zia yesterday in Dhaka. — AFP
Bangladesh opposition fury
over attack on Zia’s convoy
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s opposition accused pro-government
supporters yesterday of trying to kill their leader Khaleda Zia
after her car was shot at and stoned by a mob while campaigning in Dhaka’s mayoral elections. Although Zia emerged
unscathed from Monday evening’s attack, which took place as
she stopped to tour a shopping district, supporters voiced
alarm at the lack of protection from the official security forces.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina meanwhile accused her arch rival
of making an unnecessary “drama” out of the incident which
has added to the tensions in the volatile capital ahead of
polling on April 28.
Zia, a two-time former premier who leads the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party, is hoping that a strong showing in next week’s
polls will add momentum to her long-running campaign to
force new national elections. After recently ending a lengthy
stint holed up in her headquarters, Zia has been campaigning
hard in the elections-the first her party has participated in since
it boycotted parliamentary polls in January 2014. Television
footage showed how scores of people attacked Zia’s convoy in
the Karwan Bazaar district, smashing the windows of a number
of vehicles with a combination of rocks, metals rods and staves.
Convoy attack
Fazle Elahi Akbar, a retired general who heads the BNP
chief’s private security team, said shots were fired at Zia’s bulletproofed car while she was inside but stopped short of calling it
an assassination attempt. Several of her own security personnel
were injured in the violence, although none seriously. “Her car
was hit by a bullet fired from a pistol from a reasonably close
range,” Akbar said, saying there were bullet marks on the vehicle. “If it penetrated it would obviously hit her. She survived
because she was in a bullet-proof car.” The BNP said that police
in the area had stood idle during the violence. “We are extremely concerned and we hope the government would take appropriate measures to ensure her security,” said Akbar who was
with Zia at the time of the attack.
Police confirmed they were investigating reports of a shooting and acknowledged Zia had not been accorded close protection. “Khaleda Zia did not get any police protection during
campaigning because she or her party never sought protection
from us,” Jahangir Alam Sarker, a deputy commissioner of
police, told the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. The BNP has previously accused the security forces of being behind attacks on its
members, including an apparent assassination attempt against
Zia’s advisor Riaz Rahman who was shot at in his car.
‘Drama’
Moudud Ahmed, another of Zia’s top lieutenants in the BNP,
said Monday’s attack was “planned and aimed to kill her”. “This
is a reflection of the government’s fascist and undemocratic
mentality,” Ahmed said in a statement. Hasina’s camp however
responded derisively to the accusations. “Khaleda Zia is staging
drama... She should stop such activities for the sake of a free,
fair and transparent election,” she was quoted as saying by The
Daily Star. Bangladesh has been plagued by political unrest in
the last two years, fuelled in part by Hasina’s controversial
walkover re-election.
Death sentences handed down to leaders of an Islamist party allied to the BNP over their role in the former East Pakistan’s
1971 independence war also fuelled the unrest. Scores of people have been killed in firebomb attacks on vehicles since the
start of the year when Zia called a transport blockade as part of
her efforts to force the government to hold fresh elections.
Bangladesh has a long history of deadly political violence,
much of it centered around the families of Zia and Hasina who
are known as the “Battling Begums”. Hasina’s father,
Bangladesh’s first post-independence leader, was assassinated
by a group of army officers in 1975. Zia’s husband, a hero of the
independence war who went on to become president, was also
assassinated by disgruntled officers six years later. —AFP
LAHORE: Pakistan hanged 15 people
yesterday, officials said, the largest
number of people executed on the
same day since an unofficial moratorium on capital punishment was lifted
in December. Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif lifted a de facto moratorium on
capital punishment on Dec 17, a day
after Pakistani Taleban gunmen
attacked a school and killed 153 people, most of them children. The
killings put pressure on the government to do more to tackle an Islamist
insurgency. Initially, it was only people
convicted of militant offences who
were executed but officials later said
any prisoner on death row whose
appeals had been rejected could be
executed. The inspector general of
prisons in Punjab province, Farooq
Nazir said 14 people who had been
convicted of “heinous crimes” had
been hanged in the province.
One person was hanged in
Baluchistan province, an official there
said. The executions brought the
number of people hanged in Pakistan
since December to 95, the Justice
Project Pakistan legal aid group said,
citing media reports. The moratorium
on executions had been in place since
a democratic government took power
from a military ruler in 2008. Human
rights groups say many convictions in
Pakistan are highly unreliable. The
country’s antiquated criminal justice
system barely functions, torture has
often been used to extract confessions and police are rarely trained in
investigation, rights officials say. There
are more than 8,000 Pakistanis on
death row.
Clashes in southwest
In another development, two paramilitary soldiers and five insurgents
were killed in gunbattles yesterday in
Pakistan’s restive southwestern
province of Baluchistan, officials said,
highlighting the challenges to a huge
Chinese investment project. The first
clash was in Gwadar district, where
Beijing has taken over a deepwater
seaport that will be the starting point
of a $46 billion “economic corridor” of
roads, pipelines and rail links to
Kashgar in western China.
Insurgents fired rockets at the air
traffic control tower of Pasni airport in
Gwadar district late on Monday, causing some damage but no casualties,
paramilitary
Frontier
Corps
spokesman Manzoor Ahmed said.
Security forces mounted a search after
the attack and this culminated in a
gunbattle with insurgents in the Zarin
Bogh area, some 80 kilometers north
of Gwadar. “Two soldiers were martyred and an insurgent was killed and
another captured in a clash with security forces,” Ahmed said.
Provincial home secretary Akbar
Hussain Durrani confirmed the clash.
Sarbaz Baloch, a spokesman for the
Baloch Liberation Army rebel group,
claimed responsibility for attack on
the airport in a call to journalists.
Separately, insurgents attacked security forces in the Mashqay area of
Awaran district, with troops killing
four insurgents, security officials said.
Earlier this month the Baluchistan
Liberation Front claimed an attack in
the province that left 20 construction
workers from elsewhere in Pakistan
dead, the bloodiest separatist incident since 2006. Resource -rich
Baluchistan is the largest of Pakistan’s
four provinces, but its roughly seven
million inhabitants have long complained they do not receive a fair
share of its gas and mineral wealth.
Rebels began their fifth insurgency
against the state in 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed
in the fighting since then. The desperately poor province is also riven
by sectarian strife and Islamist violence. — Agencies
Lanka opposition wants
anti-graft chief sacked
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s main opposition demanded yesterday the country’s anti-graft chief be sacked for summoning former president Mahinda Rajapakse to answer
bribery allegations amid renewed uproar in parliament.
Opposition lawmaker Bandula Gunawardane told parliament the director general of the Commission to
Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption,
Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe, should be dismissed for her
“arbitrary action”.
Wickramasinghe has summoned Rajapakse to appear
on Friday following a complaint that he paid a bribe of
more than 600 million rupees ($4.6 million) to a lawmaker from the then-opposition to defect ahead of the presidential election in January. “Today, 113 lawmakers signed
a petition asking the speaker to take action to remove
Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe,” said Gunawardane, who is
from Rajapakse’s faction. New President Maithripala
Sirisena has launched a series of corruption investigations against Rajapakse’s inner circle since ousting him at
the election after a decade in power.
Rajapakse’s opposition disrupted parliament for a sec-
ond day over the summons, holding up passage of
Sirisena’s promised reforms to roll back the president’s
powers, which were strengthened during the former
strongman’s rule. Hundreds of Rajapakse supporters
blocked a main road to parliament, demanding investigations against him be dropped. Speaker Chamal Rajapakse
told parliament that investigators would now visit the
former president, rather than insisting on him appearing
before the commission on Friday to answer questions.
After calling snap elections, Rajapakse was defeated
by his former ally, largely due to voter anger over corruption and cronyism claims. But Rajapakse’s party and its
allies still hold a majority in the parliament. Leader of the
house Lakshman Kiriella withdrew a political reform bill
that was due to be taken up and said it would now be
re-presented next week. Parliament was also adjourned
till Monday. However, Sirisena has promised to dissolve
parliament and call a general election as early as
Thursday in a bid to strengthen his numbers in parliament and bolster his mandate for sweeping democratic
reforms. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
I N T E R N AT I O N A L
News
US couple jailed over ‘sadistic’ Bali suitcase murder
DENPASAR: A US couple were given long
jail terms yesterday for the “sadistic” murder of the woman’s mother, whose body
was found stuffed in a suitcase outside a
luxury hotel on Indonesia’s Bali island.
Tommy Schaefer, 21, was found guilty of
the premeditated murder of Sheila von
Wiese Mack on the resort island and jailed
for 18 years. His girlfriend and the victim’s
daughter, 19-year-old Heather Mack who
was pregnant at the time of the crime, was
found guilty of assisting in the murder and
given a 10-year prison term. Schaefer wept
in the Bali court as judges recounted harrowing details of the case, in which he beat
the 62-year-old victim to death with a fruit
bowl during a blazing row in the five-star
resort, before he and his girlfriend dumped
the body in a taxi.
“The defendant’s actions disturbed the
public and can be considered sadistic,” said
Judge Made Suweda as he sentenced
Schaefer. The case sent shockwaves across
the tropical holiday island that welcomes
millions of foreign visitors each year.
Schaefer’s jail term was the same as that
recommended by prosecutors. He escaped
a death sentence, the maximum term for
premeditated murder in Indonesia.
Heather Mack, who hid in the bathroom
while Schaefer attacked her mother, was
found guilty of the lesser charge of assisting in the murder. Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year jail term but Suweda
i n
said judges decided to give her a lighter
sentence as she needed to care for her
baby daughter, who was born last month.
Bali shocked
Von Wiese Mack’s badly beaten body
was discovered in a taxi outside an upmarket resort on Bali last August. After her
killing, the couple-from the Chicago areafled to another part of Bali where police
arrested them. Schaefer confessed to the
killing during his trial but claimed he was
defending himself during an argument
with von Wiese Mack, who was unhappy
that her daughter was pregnant.
Prosecutors alleged that Schaefer
“blindly hit” von Wiese Mack with the fruit
bowl in a fit of rage after she directed a
racial slur at him. Schaefer is black. While
her mother was being murdered, Mack hid
in the bathroom and the couple then
stuffed the body into the suitcase together, according to her indictment. The pair
were tried separately. Handing down the
verdict in Schaefer’s case, Suweda said he
was “legally and convincingly” guilty of
premeditated murder. Mack’s baby girl
Stella is staying with her in Bali’s notorious
Kerobokan jail, where prisoners live in
cramped, insanitary conditions and drug
abuse is widespread.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune
newspaper in February, Mack said she was
“petrified” and revealed that she was shar-
Saudi man beheaded
for killing housemaid
RIYADH: Saudi authorities executed a citizen yesterday
after convicting him of sexually harassing and brutally
murdering his Indonesian maid. Shayea Al-Qahtani was
found guilty of killing the maid by beating her with a
cane and pouring boiling water over her, the interior
ministry said. His execution in the southwestern
province of Abha was the 63rd in the kingdom so far
this year. That compares with 87 in the whole of 2014 in
what Amnesty International has called a “macabre spike”
in the kingdom’s use of the death penalty. The Londonbased human rights group ranked Saudi Arabia among
the top three executioners in the world last year. The
interior ministry has said that the death penalty provides an important deterrent. Drug trafficking, rape,
murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable
by death under the kingdom’s strict version of Islamic
sharia law.
BALI: Heather Mack of Chicago, carries her baby daughter inside a cell after her verdict trial in Bali, Indonesia yesterday. — AP
ing a cell with 10 other women. “I loved my
mom with all my heart and miss her every
day,” she said. The case involved a lengthy
investigation, with assistance from the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Locals and
foreigners alike were horrified at the rare
murder on Bali, a pocket of Hinduism in
Muslim-majority Indonesia famed for its
palm-fringed, pristine beaches. Foreign visitors sometimes run into trouble on the
tropical island, although they normally fall
foul of Indonesia’s tough anti-drugs laws,
which include the death penalty for smuggling narcotics. — AFP
Chinese and US
navies in sporting
confrontations
ZHANJIANG: US and Chinese sailors faced off on Chinese soil yesterday, in sporting clashes between their giant militaries aimed at
building trust against a backdrop of tensions over Beijing’s assertion of its territorial claims. The contests-the hosts claimed a 3-1
victory at football, but the visitors dominated on the basketball
court-came as the USS Blue Ridge, the flagship of the US Navy’s
7th Fleet, paid a rare visit to the base of China’s South Sea Fleet.
Its frigates are charged with defending Beijing’s claim to
almost all the South China Sea, against several Southeast Asian
neighbors. Chinese officers toured the hulking visiting command
ship, docked beside People’s Liberation Army vessels in Zhanjiang
in the southern province of Guangdong, and later eyed up their
US counterparts over lunch. On the Blue Ridge’s main deck, US
personnel patrolled with M-16 rifles a stones’ throw from the
palm-fringed Chinese shore, while on land staff from both navies
swapped jokes and rebounds.
The Chinese and US militaries-the world’s largest and most
powerful respectively-have been increasing exchanges even as
Beijing’s assertion of its South China Sea claims, most recently
through rapid building of artificial islands, rings alarm bells in
Washington. US Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US
Pacific Fleet of which the 7th Fleet is a part, said yesterday: “China
is responsible for the rise of tensions and provocations in the
South China Sea.” “I don’t think that there’s a likelihood of a major
force-on-force conflict in the South China Sea today,” he added
while visiting the Indonesian capital Jakarta. “But I have to be
ready for that.”
Dangerous ambiguity
The South China Sea is a vital strategic waterway and close
encounters between the two powers’ ships have led to fears of a
clash. In their most serious maritime incident for years, the US
guided missile warship Cowpens had to make a sharp turn to
avoid colliding with a Chinese naval ship that cut in front of it in
the South China Sea in 2013, according to the Pentagon.
The two navies “interact, often daily. So building this relationship is key”, Lt Charles Banks of the 7th Fleet told AFP, adding that
naval officials on both sides would discuss the implementation of
a “Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea” during the five-day visit.
“Ambiguity can lead to confusion and mistakes,” he said, as US soldiers in black vests and day-glo trainers teamed up with Chinese
sailors. “It’s to build good relations,” said Terrence Phillips, a
boatswain’s mate on the Blue Ridge and a centre on the basketball court. “Sport is about international camaraderie for everybody.” A female Chinese Navy engineer, who said she was not
authorized to give her name, ran to take a photo with Phillips and
said: “When we play basketball it’s very friendly.” The US Navy still
eclipses China’s fleet in terms of firepower-Washington currently
has 10 aircraft carriers to Beijing’s one. An 11th carrier, the Gerald R
Ford, is scheduled for delivery next year, according to the US
Navy’s website. Chinese media, meanwhile, have quoted officials
as saying a second carrier is under construction. China has had
double-digit military budget growth and President Xi Jinping
vows to build a “strong navy” capable of “fighting and winning
battles”.
The base in Zhanjiang was lined with posters repeating Xi’s
call. “The South China Sea has become a greater source of tension
in the US-China relationship since 2010,” said M Taylor Fravel, a
professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the
same time, the two sides have stepped up military exchanges,
which were set to continue Tuesday evening at a drinks reception
on board the Blue Ridge. “The fact that these exchanges are occurring faster and more broadly than before underscores that the USChina relationship has both elements of cooperation and competition,” Fravel added.-—AFP
B r i e f
Suicide bomber kills
10 in Somali capital
MOGADISHU: At least 10 people were killed when
a suspected suicide bomber rammed a car laden
with explosives into a busy restaurant in the centre
of capital Mogadishu yesterday, police said. The
attackers targeted a small restaurant at lunch hour
that is popular with government officials, about 1
kilometer from the presidential palace in the heart
of Mogadishu. The explosion also hit a small tea
shop next to the restaurant and sent a huge plume
of smoke above the city which lies on the Indian
Ocean. “The death toll is sure to rise,” said Police
Colonel Osman Ibrahim at the scene. Police said was
the attack was a suicide bombing. No group has
claimed responsibility but previous bombings in
Mogadishu have been carried out by the Islamist Al
Shabaab rebel group. “A policeman opened fire to
stop the car bomb but it was all in vain. The policeman died and the car bomb rammed into the gate
in the busy restaurant,” added Major Farah Hussein,
another police officer at the attack site.
Plane forced to turn
back over coffee spill
ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) shaking hands with National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz
Sadiq (left) as Senate Chairman Mian Rabbani looks on at the Parliament House in Islamabad. — AFP
Security fears linger at
China-Pakistan corridor
Pakistani, Chinese officials ink over 50 accords
ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Xi
Jinping said yesterday a $46 billion
economic corridor offered Pakistan a
“historic development opportunity”,
but security fears linger over the project which involves major construction
in some highly unstable areas.
Pakistani and Chinese officials on
Monday signed a series of more than
50 accords to inaugurate the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, which
will create a network of roads, railways
and pipelines linking China’s restive
west to the Arabian Sea through
Pakistan. The project is part of
Beijing’s “Belt and Road” plan to
expand its trade and transport footprint across Central and South Asia. It
will give China easier access to Middle
Eastern oil via the deepwater port of
Gwadar in southwest Pakistan.
The Chinese aid also aims to boost
Pakistan’s long-underper forming
economy, which the IMF projects will
grow 4.3 percent this year, and tackle
its long-running energy crisis. Beijing
and Islamabad have long enjoyed
close ties and Xi’s speech on Tuesday,
the first by a Chinese president to a
joint session of parliament, was full of
the flowery rhetoric that typifies their
official exchanges. “Today Pakistan
has a historic development opportunity. Prime Minister Sharif has crafted
the vision of the Asian tiger dream. It
outlines a great blueprint for Pakistan,”
he told lawmakers.
Rebel fears
But away from the handshakes and
backslapping, there are real security
concerns over much of the plan,
which relies on developing Gwadarcontrol of which was passed to a
Chinese company in 2013. The port
lies near the mouth of the Gulf of
Oman, east of the Strait of Hormuz
through which much of the Middle
East’s crude production passes. But
linking Gwadar to the rest of Pakistan
and on to the western Chinese city of
Kashgar, 3,000 kilometers away,
would involve major infrastructure
work in Baluchistan. This is one of
Pakistan’s most unstable provinces
and has been dogged for over a
decade by a bloody separatist insurgency. Ethnic Baluch rebels, who
oppose Gwadar’s development while
the province is not independent, have
in the past blown up numerous gas
pipelines and trains and attacked
Chinese engineers.
Earlier this month the Baluchistan
Liberation Front claimed an attack in
the province that left 20 construction
workers from elsewhere in Pakistan
dead, the bloodiest separatist incident
since 2006. Siddiq Baloch, editor of
the Balochistan Express newspaper,
said the rebels want to scare off
investors and developers who are
working with the Pakistani government-such as the Chinese. “There is
the thinking that by doing this, they
want to disrupt the working of the
economy, disrupt the administration,
challenge the administration in the
area,” he said.
Suppressing the rebellion by force
in Baluchistan’s desolate and sparselypopulated landscape, much of which
is desert and mountains, has proven
difficult. Abdul Malik Baloch, the
Baluchistan chief minister, said strenuous efforts were under way to try to
negotiate with the rebels. “I am trying
to convince them, but still there are
not convinced,” he said in the provincial capital Quetta. “This is my honest
opinion, this is the only way-to start
talking and bring the insurgents to
the table.” Xi wrapped up his two-day
visit yesterday before travelling on to
Indonesia for an Asian-African summit.— AFP
BELGRADE: Blamed initially on ‘engine failure’, it
emerged yesterday that a government jet carrying
Serbia’s president to Italy last week was forced to turn
back when the co-pilot spilled coffee on the instrument
board. Advisers to President Tomislav Nikolic described
being “thrown around the cabin” when the plane-a 34year-old French-built Falcon 50 - began tumbling
through the air on Friday. The plane landed safely back
in Belgrade, but Nikolic was forced to cancel his official
visit to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican, and his advisers
put the incident down to yet another malfunction on
the ageing, incident-prone aircraft. One adviser told
Reuters that she would “never step foot on that plane
again,” saying the fall had lasted “for what seemed like
an eternity”. An investigation determined that the copilot, Bojan Zoric, had spilled coffee on the instrument
board “due to ongoing turbulence”. “I began wiping the
board and accidentally activated the ‘emergency slat’
button,” which automatically turned off the automatic
pilot and the plane began losing altitude, Zoric said in
the report by Serbia’s Civil Aviation Directorate.
‘Grave-robbing’ monk
detained and disrobed
BANGKOK: A 65-year-old Buddhist monk being
held by police is accused of looting graves for skulls
to be used in black magic rituals, authorities said
yesterday. The monk, who was disrobed on April 19,
allegedly raided two cemeteries near the northeastern city of Udon Thani with accomplices. Police
accuse the monk and two younger disciples of digging up skulls to be used in rituals-which may
include making amulets said to protect the wearer
and confer power. “The monk took five skulls,
including of siblings-an eight-year-old girl and a sixyear-old boy-who died from drowning,” Santhan
Intharajak, commander of Kumpawapi Police
Station in Udon Thani province said. “He has been
conspiring to steal skulls and moving, destroying
and desecrating corpses,” said Santhan, adding that
the maximum penalty is five years in jail. According
to police the monk denies the charges, instead saying he visited the cemeteries at night to talk to spirits in an attempt to foresee lottery numbers. Rituals
led by monks claiming to foresee the numbers are
common among people in Thailand especially in
rural areas, Santhan said.
3 dead as wild weather lashes Australian state
SYDNEY: Three people died as the Australian
state of New South Wales was lashed by a
“once-in-a-decade” storm yesterday with
homes washed away, thousands hit by power
cuts and sand drifts sweeping inland off
Sydney’s iconic Bondi beach. Sea swells also
hampered shipping as the region around
Australia’s biggest city suffered its second day
of gale-force winds of up to 135 kilometers
per hour (83 mph) and torrential rain. The
SYDNEY: Joggers struggle against sand whipped up by strong winds at Bondi Beach
in Sydney yesterday. — AFP
Bureau of Meteorology said 172 millimeters
(6.8 inches) of rain had fallen in Sydney in 24
hours-the city’s wettest period since 2002.
The destructive winds blanketed parks,
pavements and roads with sand from beaches including Bondi, while trees were uprooted
and crashed onto cars and power lines blew
down. Dozens of flights were delayed and a
cruise ship was stuck at sea outside Sydney
Harbor. New South Wales state Premier Mike
Baird said 4,500 calls had been made to emergency services. “There is no doubt this is a
very severe storm event, indeed it is a once in
10-year event,” he said. “We have lost some
homes. There is a number of roofs taken off.
We have also lost life. It is a huge storm event
that is wreaking havoc across NSW at the
moment.”
New South Wales police said three people
died in the country town of Dungog, 215 kilometres (133 miles) north of Sydney, which
was soaked by 312 millimeters (12.3 inches)
of rain in 24 hours. “During the morning a
woman and two men were located deceased
within the Dungog township. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still to
be determined,” they said in a statement.
Video footage posted online showed a wood-
en house being swept away by flash floods,
although it was not clear if this was linked to
the deaths.
‘Just horrendous’
The Dungog Chronicle said four houses
had been washed away and the two men
and one woman who died, all elderly, were
trapped in their homes as floodwater surged
through the town. “The water came out of
nowhere, it just rose that quick,” Jarod Rits,
18, told the newspaper. “The water was just a
roar, really, just rushing through the streets.”
Another resident who gave his first name as
David told the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation the town “has been smashed”.
“The town is a mess. People have got nothing... it’s just been horrendous,” he said. Police
advised Dungog residents and others in surrounding areas to move to evacuation centres, or stay with family and friends.
Baird said the State Emergency Services
(SES) had carried out 47 flood rescues. “There
have been multiple persons trapped in vehicles, being trapped in buildings and being
trapped on top of buildings while trying to
take refuge from floodwaters,” SES deputy
chief Steven Pearce told reporters.—AFP
Indian villagers eat food as they stand in water during a protest in the village of Khandwa some 300kms
south-west of Bhopal. — AFP
Protesting Indian farmers
stand in chest-deep water
NEW DELHI: Farmers in central India continued yesterday to stand in murky, chest-deep water for the 11th
straight day in an unconventional protest over a land
dispute. Around 30 farmers have vowed to keep up their
protest by standing in their fields which have been inundated with water by a nearby dam in Madhya Pradesh
state, despite concerns over their health. “I will not move
out of the water even if I die. I am standing on my land,
which has been turned into a lake. The government has
cheated us,” Raja Ram, one of the farmers said. “We want
the water level to be decreased immediately and the
return of our land,” Ram said in Khandwa district, 300
kilometers from state capital Bhopal. Television footage
showed the group of men and sari-clad women looking
miserable as they held up banners against the state government’s decision to buy their land on the Narmada
river for a dam. Some of the protesters have developed
skin infections and a few are running high fevers,
according to an activist involved in the protest.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
NEWS
Cows cross a reservoir near the boundary of a wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka’s Udawalawe National Park yesterday. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by
the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir on the Walawe River. — AFP
Crown Prince: Turmoil undermining...
Continued from Page 1
The initiative was encountered by intransigence from the
Houthi militias that encroached on legitimacy through military power.
Kuwait’s stance on Yemen has been based on the GCC
and Arab joint defense agreements and Article 51 of the UN
Charter, he said, noting that the country is taking part with
other GCC and fellow Arab states in countering the aggression and attempting to restore legitimacy in Yemen. HH the
Deputy Amir and Crown Prince pointed to Security Council
resolution No 2216 adopted on April 14 as a reflection of
international support to the GCC’s move. He also delivered
greetings from HH the Amir to the senior Kuwaiti diplomats.
Saudi-led coalition ends Yemen military...
Continued from Page 1
The ground fighting and the airstrikes have pushed
Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, to the brink of
collapse. The fighting has also taken on the appearance
of a proxy war between Iran, the Shiite powerhouse
backing the Houthis, and Sunni-dominated Saudi
Arabia.
Earlier yesterday, the coalition pounded Houthis and
their allies, killing 20 fighters in the western city of Ibb
as the civilian death toll rose to 38 from airstrikes the
day before in the capital, Sanaa, officials said. The rebels
targeted in Ibb were assembling to head to Aden as
reinforcements in the battle against forces loyal to
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled the
country from Aden to Saudi Arabia last month, security
officials said.
In Sanaa, the death toll from airstrikes Monday targeting rebel depots and weapon caches in the Fag Atan
mountains overlooking the city rose to 38, medical officials said. The strikes flattened houses and sent villagers
fleeing for their lives. The rebel-controlled Interior
Ministry said 84 people were killed across the country in
Monday’s airstrikes. The casualty figures could not be
independently confirmed. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to
speak to the media.
Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming the Houthis - a
claim both Tehran and the rebels deny, though the
Islamic Republic has provided political and humanitarian support to the Shiite group. For its part, Shiite Iran
has long accused Saudi Arabia of supporting Sunni militants, including the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
In remarks yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
said the airstrikes in Yemen were prompted by the
Sunni kingdom’s failures elsewhere, causing what he
called a “mental imbalance”.
Speaking to reporters before heading to Indonesia,
Rouhani mocked Saudi Arabia by calling it a country
with dashed dreams in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. “All the
failures have accumulated and caused mental and emotional imbalance for that country,” Rouhani said. The
remarks came a day after the US Navy said aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt was steaming toward the
waters off Yemen to beef up security and join other
American ships that are prepared to intercept any
Iranian vessels carrying weapons to the Houthis.
The deployment comes after a UN Security Council
resolution last week imposed an arms embargo on
Houthi leaders. The Navy has been beefing up its presence in the Gulf of Aden and the southern Arabian Sea
in response to reports that a convoy of about eight
Iranian ships is heading toward Yemen and possibly carrying arms for the Houthis. Navy officials said there are
about nine US warships in the region, including cruisers
and destroyers carrying teams that can board and
search other vessels.
Later in the day, the official Saudi news agency
reported that King Salman has ordered the country’s
National Guard to take part in the Yemen operation.
There were no further details on the scope of the
deployment but it appeared to be another step toward
a possible ground invasion. The SPA news agency quoted National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah as
saying he was “honoured” by Salman’s “decision that
National Guard forces take part” in the operation. He
signalled the “complete readiness of all National Guard
forces to carry out this role alongside other military
bodies” in Saudi Arabia. The force is to “take part in
defending the security” of the kingdom, SPA reported,
without elaborating.
The National Guard is a parallel army in Saudi Arabia
separate from the armed forces run by the defence ministry. Recruited from tribes that have traditionally
backed Saud dynasty rule, it is a pillar of support for the
royal family. It is led by Miteb, the son of the late King
Abdullah and educated at the elite Sandhurst military
academy. The guard is a trained army of 100,000 men,
divided into infantry units, mechanised brigades, special units and military police.
Japan maglev train breaks speed record
Continued from Page 1
He is due in the United States this weekend, where
he will be touting the technology for a high-speed rail
link between New York and Washington. Last year, Abe
took US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy on a
test ride. “This technology is something that will bring
great benefits to Japan and hopefully the United States
one day,” Kennedy said after the ride.
The maglev train is a contender for US President
Barack Obama’s multi-billion-dollar national high-speed
rail project. Abe said Japan would not charge licensing
fees in the US for the train, a strong incentive for
Washington to select the system for a high-speed rail
line between Washington DC and Baltimore. The proposed 60-km link will represent the first phase in the US
government’s plan to connect the capital and Boston.
Japan started its study on the maglev train system as a
national project in 1962, and succeeded in running at a
speed of 60 kph a decade later. — AFP
Ousted Morsi jailed for 20 years
Continued from Page 1
Defence lawyers said they would appeal the convictions while rights groups voiced alarm at the ruling, the
first in a series of trials Morsi is facing.
“This verdict shatters any remaining illusion of independence and impartiality in Egypt’s criminal justice system,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s deputy
Middle East and North Africa director. She called for a full
retrial or the ex-president’s release. US State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf said Washington would “review
the basis” for the court’s decision, and that it was “concerned by these sentences”. “All Egyptians, regardless of
political affiliation, are entitled to equal and fair treatment
before the law, including full respect for their rights to due
process,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Leading Egyptian cleric Sheikh Youssef Al-Qaradawi,
who lives in pro-Brotherhood Qatar, criticized the ruling.
“The judiciary in Egypt is no longer one of the three
(branches of ) power. Instead, all the powers and the
country itself are now run by the military,” he said in a
statement. Displaying a four-finger salute symbolizing
resistance to the state’s crackdown on Islamists, defendants in a makeshift courtroom on the outskirts of Cairo
chanted “God is Greatest” after the verdict was read.
Amr Darrag, a Morsi-era minister, said the Brotherhood
would remain a powerful force, with younger members
taking up leadership roles made vacant by the state’s
crackdown. “The overall attitude of the Brotherhood (is)
more revolutionary because the generation taking it over
is young and more revolutionary and they saw what kind
of an Egypt we’d have if they don’t do what they have to
do,” he told Reuters in an interview in Istanbul. Morsi’s
son, Osama, said his father plans a comeback despite the
jail sentence State news agency MENA quoted a security
source saying Morsi was taken by helicopter back to Borg
al-Arab prison near Alexandria, where he has been held
for more than a year.
Egypt’s first freely elected leader, Morsi came to power
following the 2011 ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni
Mubarak in a popular uprising. But after just a year in
power, Morsi was himself toppled by then-army chief and
now President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi following mass street
protests. Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood has been blacklisted and targeted in a government crackdown that has
seen hundreds killed and thousands thrown in jail. Other
Brotherhood leaders have been sentenced to death and
yesterday’s decision to acquit Morsi on the incitement to
murder charge left some surprised.
“We were expecting them to be convicted of murder,”
Ramy Ghanem, a lawyer for an anti-Morsi protester who
was wounded in the clashes, told AFP. “But the sentences
are not bad. We were expecting life in prison, but then 20
years is not very different,” he said. A life sentence in Egypt
is 25 years. Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been sentenced to death in speedy mass trials which the United
Nations has called “unprecedented in recent history”.
The Muslim Brotherhood condemned yesterday’s verdict. “The illegitimate powers are trying to impose their
tyranny through invalid sentences. This oppression will
backfire as the revolution and public anger continue,” it
said in a statement. The Brotherhood had called for proMorsi protests yesterday but there were no reports of
major rallies. The movement has failed to mobilize supporters for several months following the government
crackdown. Morsi is facing two other trials in which he
could face the death penalty, including on a charge of
spying for foreign powers. Verdicts in those two cases are
due on May 16.
Sisi has vowed to “eradicate” the Brotherhood, an 85year- old movement that topped successive polls
between Mubarak’s fall and Morsi’s presidential election
victory in May 2012. The authorities designated it a “terrorist group” in Dec 2013, making even verbal expressions of support punishable by stiff jail terms. The crackdown has sparked a fierce backlash including from
jihadist groups, who have claimed a string of deadly
attacks on security forces. — Agencies
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
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Focus
Healthy eating
blurs line between
food and drugs
By Ben Hirschler and Martinne Geller
boom in “nutraceuticals” - food and drinks with
potential health benefits - is paving the way for a
rush of deals, as food and drug companies compete to dominate a market expected to be worth $280
billion by 2018. Consumers have been encouraged to
eat smarter by an obesity epidemic and a burst of fitness-focused technology like gadgets and apps to track
exercise and calorie intake. Now companies supplying
goods like probiotic yoghurt, advertised as being
healthier for the gut, and omega-3 biscuits, thought to
improve brain and heart function, have seen demand
rise sharply.
“It’s only a matter of time before the fight spills over
into corporate takeover wars,” consultancy KPMG predicted in a report released yesterday. Bankers said moving into nutraceuticals was an obvious move for both
food and pharma companies given the blurring line
between their sectors. “The space is ripe for M&A and I
think you are going to see more,” added Jeremy
Johnson, managing director of North Carolina-based
Bourne, which advises on deals.
Food companies are likely to take the lead, chasing
healthy products to improve their profiles while drug
companies, rocked by patent expiries and the rise of
biotech medicines, look to divest units, forecast Bourne
Partners, which estimated the market to hit $280 billion
in 2018 - double that of 2011. M&A activity so far has
been relatively small, but the pace is picking up. Bourne
counted 185 mergers and acquisitions involving private
and public nutraceutical companies in 2014, up from 95
in 2011.
“It’s an industry which has seen a lot of interest and is
likely to see a lot of deals,” said one consumer industry
banker, adding that many smaller companies were looking to deals with bigger players to help them reach their
potential customers. While the concept of nutraceuticals
is not new - the term was first coined in 1989 - KPMG
head of life sciences Chris Stirling believes the current
focus on health will spur more tie-ups as firms seek to
exploit increased consumer awareness. “The consumer
arms of pharma companies are going to have to look at
this area hard because there is so much public interest,”
he said. “They need to get on the bandwagon.”
A
Complementary Skills
Each industry can contribute considerable expertise
to a merger, while also needing to extract very specific
results. Food companies are highly skilled at low-cost
supply but want products that offer an edge - and a
price premium - in the face of changing eating habits
and a brutal retailer price war. Drug companies, meanwhile, have deep research expertise and understanding
of regulatory processes that food manufacturers can
only dream of. Many of them have opted to maintain a
strong consumer health business to blunt the inherent
risks of their drug research side.
There have already been several recent deals on the
food side, including Mondelez International’s February
purchase of a gluten- and allergen-free snack company
and Hershey’s January deal for a maker of high-protein
meat snacks. But no big food company has yet done as
much to blend food and medicine as Nestle. In 2011 the
company formed its Nestle Health Science unit, which
has since invested in companies that make products
such as drinks for people with metabolic disorders and a
medical food sold for the dietary management of
Alzheimer’s disease.
Late last year, Nestle restructured the unit to focus on
consumer care, medical nutrition and novel therapeutic
nutrition. Nestle Chief Executive Paul Bulcke said last
week the unit was now in “an excellent position to lead
the development of nutritional therapies that transform
the way people, patients and healthcare professionals
manage health”. “It’s a promising and interesting new
opportunity for Nestle,” he told the company’s annual
shareholder meeting.
On the pharma side, major names like
GlaxoSmithKline , Abbott, Pfizer and Johnson &
Johnson all have nutritional brands and dietary supplements that could play an expanded role as the
nutraceutical market evolves. Alliance Boots, now part
of Walgreens Boots Alliance , gave a glimpse of the
future in November when it announced the purchase
of PhD Nutrition, which makes protein powder and
nutrition bars.—Reuters
All articles appearing on these
pages are the personal opinion of
the writers. Kuwait Times takes no
responsibility for views expressed
therein. Kuwait Times invites
readers to voice their opinions.
Please send submissions via email
to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or
via snail mail to PO Box 1301
Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves
the right to edit any submission
as necessary.
Europe’s populists may be peaking
By Paul Taylor
t may sound counter-intuitive after the
Eurosceptic Finns Party grabbed second place in
Finland’s general election, but a surge by antiestablishment protest groups sweeping Europe may be
peaking. With the exception of Greece, where a fiveyear depression propelled far left, anti-bailout Syriza to
victory in January, radicals are unlikely to win power
outright in any other European Union state this year,
opinion polls suggest. A nascent economic recovery,
falling unemployment in many countries, cheaper fuel
and low interest rates should help mainstream centreright and centre-left parties regain some lost ground in
time for national elections.
In Britain, anti-EU insurgents who gave mainstream
parties a kicking in last year’s European Parliament
elections are struggling with the full glare of electoral
scrutiny. The UK Independence Party is on course to
win 14 percent of the vote on May 7 but will capture a
handful of parliamentary seats at best. In other countries such as in France, populist parties seem to have
hit a ceiling, barring some extraordinary crisis. “Voters
are more inclined to indulge themselves and cast
protest votes in secondary elections where the stakes
are less decisive,” said Christian Lequesne of the
Sciences-Po institute in Paris.
Fringe groups have already won a victory of sorts by
dragging mainstream parties onto their ground, particularly on immigration, European integration and euro
zone bailouts. The growth of rightwing protest parties
in Germany, the Netherlands and Finland has already
prompted governments to toughen their line on any
further financial aid to Greece. German officials say one
reason Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has struck
such a gruff posture with Athens is to ward off a
domestic challenge from the Eurosceptic Alternative
for Germany, which has won seats in the European
Parliament and state assemblies but not yet in Berlin.
In Britain and France, mainstream conservatives
have played up the fight against illegal immigration,
so-called “benefit tourism” within Europe and radical
Islam, partly to try to wrest those issues away from
Nigel Farage’s UKIP and Marine Le Pen’s National Front.
But with none outside Greece likely to win power
alone, the radicals face a choice of joining coalition
governments and moderating their demands - which
can cost them support - or eschewing power to stay
shouting from the outside.
I
“Those kinds of parties are probably better off staying outside and trying to exert influence,” said Tim
Haughton, an exper t on European politics at
Birmingham University in England. Janis
Emmanouilidis, director of studies at the European
Policy Centre in Brussels, is less convinced that the
populist wave has peaked, arguing that events could
give it new vigour. “A Greek default, if it happens,
would definitely be a game-changer in a number of
countries. The populists would say ‘I told you so’,” he
said.
Others argue that if Greece implodes, European voters will think twice about voting for parties like Syriza.
Mass drownings of illegal migrants trying to reach
Europe in the southern Mediterranean could also give
right-wing populists fresh wind by polarising debate
about migration, notably over sharing the resettlement
of migrants across the EU. More attacks by Islamist militants in Europe like January’s Charlie Hebdo shootings
in Paris could also fuel such political groups.
Majorities Harder
Even before the 2008 financial crisis, mainstream
centre-right and centre-left parties were losing voters
and members as traditional class-based affiliations fade
in an era of individualism, opening the way for upstarts
amplified by social media. A splintering political spectrum makes stable parliamentary majorities increasingly hard to find. In Britain, where a centre-right coalition
established in 2010 broke with a tradition of alternating single-party rule since World War Two, pundits see
little chance of either Prime Minister David Cameron’s
Conservatives or David Miliband’s opposition Labour
Party winning an outright majority.
Regional parties such as the Scottish Nationalists
and the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionists may
end up as kingmakers and some experts forecast an
unstable minority government possibly triggering
another election soon. Finland’s election on Sunday
was a test case for the fortunes of protest parties,
which face a dilemma when they have to choose
whether to compromise with mainstream politicians.
Timo Soini’s Finns party may enter government for the
first time as junior partner to election winner Juha
Sipila’s Centre party, having softened its anti-euro rhetoric since bursting onto the scene four years ago. The
Finns actually lost two percentage points of voting
share and won one fewer seat than in 2011.
How the charismatic Soini balances cabinet respon-
sibility with railing against aid for Greece, especially if
Athens needs a third bailout package, will be a big
challenge. Fed up with the political wilderness, the 52year-old feels he made a mistake by turning down a
cabinet seat four years ago. “It is important that the
party moves to a next stage,” Soini told Reuters. “The
power is in the government.”
Another test looms in Spain later this year when the
ruling centre-right People’s Party and opposition centre-left Socialists, both tarnished by mass unemployment, austerity and corruption scandals, face a twopronged insurgency from left-wing Podemos (We Can)
and the centrist Ciudadanos (Citizens). Podemos, led by
pony-tailed political scientist Pablo Iglesias, is close to
Greece’s Syriza and was born out of street protests by
young unemployed “indignados” (the angry). It briefly
overtook the two mainstream parties in opinion polls
this year after surging into the European Parliament.
But it came a distant third in the key southern
Andalucia regional election last month and polls show
its support slipping from the upper 20 percent range.
Ciudadanos, led by 35-year-old Albert Rivera, is gaining
ground by preaching moderation and clean government.
‘Detoxify’
In France, Marine Le Pen, whose National Front
topped the poll in the European elections, has worked
hard to “detoxify” the movement’s extreme-right
image. She has just won a power struggle with her
father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, forcing him to
bow out of regional elections this year after he repeated comments belittling the Nazi Holocaust. But
Lequesne said she was unlikely to gain critical mass in
her 2017 presidential bid as long as she advocates leaving the euro and the EU and closing France’s borders to
imports, scaring middle class voters worried for their
savings and property. Recent history shows that
novice populists can burn out fast if they rush into
government as junior partners without being able to
transform policy. Hard-right anti-immigrant parties
founded by the late Joerg Haider in Austria and the
late Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands fell apart and
came off worst after joining ruling coalitions respectively in 1999 and 2002. Yet in both countries, successor groups with a similar anti-immigration, anti-Islam
and Eurosceptic agenda have since risen in opposition, forcing the established parties to change their
discourse on those issues. —Reuters
Young prince leads Saudi war in Yemen
By Ian Timberlake
e wields enormous power and
leads a war against rebels in
neighboring Yemen for his father
King Salman, but Saudi Arabia’s defence
minister is still in his early 30s. Just weeks
after he was appointed to the key post in
January, Prince Mohammed bin Salman
assumed huge responsibility when the
kingdom sent its armed forces into conflict. The young prince has overseen
nearly a month of air strikes by a Saudiled regional coalition against the Yemeni
rebels. Eight Saudi troops have also died
in skirmishes along the border.
Prince Mohammed, part of a new generation of Saudi rulers, also heads the
royal court, is special adviser to his 79year-old father and sits on two key political and economic councils. “He is the
strong man in Saudi Arabia,” a Western
diplomatic source said. “Look what this
man is controlling,” including access to
the king. “He oversees everything important which is going on in this country.”
The exact age of Mohammed, who
sports a full dark beard, is uncertain. A
biography from the Saudi embassy in
Washington does not give his birth date.
Analysts and local media have reported
various ages but none higher than 35. As
H
chief of the royal court he holds “a position of immense power in an absolute
monarchy,” wrote Bruce Riedel, a former
Central Intelligence Agency officer who
directs the Brookings Intelligence Project
in Washington. He said Prince
Mohammed oversees the kingdom’s
security in conjunction with Interior
Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef,
who headed a crackdown on Al-Qaeda a
decade ago, and Prince Miteb bin
Abdullah - minister of the National
Guard, a parallel army.
‘Aggressive and Ambitious’
According to a biography from the
MiSK Foundation, which Prince
Mohammed established for youth development, he had “a professional career of
10 years” and was active in business and
philanthropy before entering public
service. In 2009 he became special adviser to his father who was then the governor of Riyadh, before heading his court
from 2013 after Salman was named
crown prince. In April last year Prince
Mohammed became a state minister and
cabinet member, before his appointment
as defence minister and chief of the royal
court on Jan 23, the day Salman became
king upon the death of his predecessor
Abdullah at the age of about 90.
“He has a reputation for being
aggressive and ambitious, as might be
expected,” Riedel said of the prince,
whose father also served as defence minister. The war in Yemen, which the UN
says has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded, has raised Prince
Mohammed’s profile even higher.
Newspaper photographs have shown
the defence minister receiving his foreign counterparts and, in one case, leaning over and clasping the hand of a
wounded Saudi soldier.
On Twitter, which is widely used in the
tightly controlled Islamic kingdom,
Prince Mohammed has won praise. “All
are impressed by him, he is irreplaceable”, one user wrote. Another called him
“a strong and brave personality ”,
although a detractor spoke of “the reckless Saudi who has no experience in war”.
The air raids are aimed at reversing the
advances of Iran-backed Shiite Houthi
rebels and their allies and restoring the
authority of President Abedrabbo
Mansour Hadi, who has fled to Riyadh.
Prince Mohammed is reputed to enjoy
good relations with his armed forces,
which comprise about 300,000 soldiers,
sailors and airmen. “There is a remarkable fluidity between the political leadership and the senior officer corps who are
Prince Mohammed
in charge of the day-to-day operations,”
said Nawaf Obaid, a visiting fellow at
Harvard University’s Belfer Center for
Science and International Affairs who last
year authored a proposal for a Saudi
defence doctrine. Prince Mohammed’s
star could rise even further, according to
the diplomatic source, “as long as the war
runs well”. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
S P ORTS
Saudi spitter ban reduced
SYDNEY: Saudi Arabia’s Nasser Al Shamrani has had his ban for spitting at
and head-butting Western Sydney Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic
after the Asian Champions League final reduced on appeal to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The prolific Al-Hilal striker was handed an eightmatch ban by the Asian Football Confederation for the incident, which happened in November after his club were beaten by the Australian side 1-0 over
the two legs of the final. CAS stayed the punishment in March and late on
Monday reduced the ban to two matches for the head-butt and four matches
for the spitting offence with a further two-match ban suspended for a probationary period of two years. The original ban, six for the spitting and two for
the head-butt, was the minimum Al Shamrani could have received for the
offenses. The AFC had attempted to delay the announcement of
their initial verdict to avoid embarrassment when they presented
Al Shamrani with their Player of the Year award, only for the news
to leak out. An appeal to the AFC failed but the regional body
allowed him to compete in the Asian Cup with Saudi Arabia in
January after restricting the ban to just ACL League
matches. Al Shamrani served two matches of
the ban before CAS granted the stay and
he returned to score his 26th goal in the
ACL as Al Hilal beat Iran’s Foolad 2-0 earlier
this month. —Reuters
Pakistan confident of
hosting Zimbabwe
LAHORE: Pakistan are poised to host top-level international cricket for the first time in six years with a short limited-overs series
against Zimbabwe next month.
Pakistan has been forced to play designated ‘home’ matches in
the United Arab Emirates since March 2009 following an attack by
militants on a Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore.
However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Shaharyar
Khan said he was assured of the tour by Zimbabwe counterpart
Wilson Manase on the sidelines of an International Cricket Council
meeting in Dubai last week. “He (Manase) told me they are coming
and they are coming with their full team, but for a week,” Khan told
reporters in Lahore. “They will send a security team to assess the
situation, following which they will confirm the tour. “So they will
come in middle of May and our efforts will be to host matches in
Lahore and Karachi.”
The matches would have international status and the ICC had
also granted Pakistan special dispensation to use local umpires to
officiate in them, PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad
added. —Reuters
Murray pleased with Queen’s
LONDON: World number three Andy Murray has welcomed the choice of the
Queen’s Club grass courts to host Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final against
France from July 17-19.
Britain, who were beaten in the last eight by Italy last year, will take on
Australia or Kazakhstan in the semi-finals if they beat the 2014 runners-up.
“Queen’s will be a perfect venue,” Murray said on the Lawn Tennis
Association’s website (www.lta.org.uk) yesterday. “I’ve been playing at Queen’s
for 10 years now, so I feel very at home there as do the rest of the British team.
Fingers crossed it’s a memorable summer for British tennis.”
Murray has a special fondness for the London venue, having
won the Wimbledon warm-up tournament there three times
in his career. Queen’s will be hosting a Davis Cup tie for the
first time since 1990 when Britain were thrashed 5-0 by
France. Britain reached the last eight with a 3-2 victory over
the United States in Glasgow last month, Murray spearheading
their efforts by beating John Isner and Donald Young in his singles matches. The hosts have also received a boost by
Slovenian-born Ajaz Bedene taking up UK citizenship at
the start of April, the world number 94 immediately
becoming Britain’s number two ranked player. —Reuters
Summer sports suspend
membership in protest
SOCHI: Summer Olympic sports suspended their membership in the umbrella body
for international federations yesterday after
its leader launched a blistering attack on
the IOC. The council of the Association of
Summer Olympic International Federations
said it decided unanimously to break off
ties with SportAccord pending a review
and clarification of its role and governance.
The move came a day after SportAccord
head Marius Vizer blasted the International
Olympic Committee and its president,
Thomas Bach, in a speech at the opening of
the conference in Sochi. With Bach looking
on, Vizer accused the IOC of lacking transparency, ignoring the federations and
blocking his plans for new multi-sport competitions.
The summer sports association said it
considers Vizer’s position “not compatible
with the role and mission of ASOIF as a
major stakeholder of the Olympic movement.” The issue will be discussed at the
ASOIF general assembly in Sochi today.
ASOIF represents the 28 sports on the program of the Summer Olympics. Among its
members is the judo federation, of which
Vizer is also the president.
The council said it respects “any decision
taken individually by its member international federations” regarding their relationships with SportAccord.
Track and field’s governing body, the
IAAF, has formally withdrawn from
SportAccord, as well as the international
shooting federation. IAAF President Lamine
Diack said Tuesday that Vizer resembled “a
chief or dictator coming from nowhere”
and telling major sports federations what
to do. SportAccord represents more than
100 Olympic and non-Olympic federations.
Vizer, who is demanding more power for
his organization, was re-elected Monday to
a four-year term as SportAccord president.
Vizer has been at odds with the IOC for
several years, ever since he first took over
SportAccord and sought to establish a
“United World Championships” every four
years for all the sports.
The plan has not materialized. The IOC
snubbed Vizer by deciding not to hold an
executive board meeting during the
SportAccord convention in Sochi. The
board has met during all the previous
annual conferences going back to 2003.
Major sports do not necessarily need
SportAccord to represent them because
“we are already organized” in other associations that do not have a strong presidential
figure playing politics, Diack said.
There is a place for a larger body such as
SportAccord, Diack said, “but it must be an
organization in which, I think, everyone
knows that we are (on) the same level.”
Another sticking point was Vizer’s proposal for federations to unite their world
championships under the SportAccord
umbrella, a clear challenge to the Olympics.
Diack said the move would usurp power
from the individual federations.
“The gentleman (Vizer) was complaining, was saying he was going to organize
the world championships of all the sports,”
Diack said. “So I go: ‘What, I am going to
disappear?’”
Along with the IAAF, at least 14 federation presidents, including FIFA’s Sepp
Blatter, signed letters of protest at Vizer’s
comments. Another influential federation
head, world swimming president Julio
Maglione, condemned Vizer’s comments.
“What President Bach is doing has the full
support of all of us,” Maglione told The
Associated Press, adding that Vizer is “a
good person but I don’t agree with what he
says.” “We must consider where we go with
SportAccord, where we go as international
federations,” Maglione said. “The international federations are independent and
they make their own job.”
Maglione also said a rift had also
opened between SportAccord leadership
and many of its federations over Vizer’s
decision to announce it would organize the
first international Beach Games in Sochi in
2019. The event would be better organized
by the Association of National Olympic
Committees, Maglione said, adding that it
could be held in Asia or in his native
Uruguay. — AP
CANADA: Ondrej Pavelec No. 31 of the Winnipeg Jets blocks a shot on goal in firstperiod action in Game Three of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the
Anaheim Ducks. —AFP
Ducks ground Jets
WINNIPEG:, Manitoba: Rickard Rakell
scored at 5:12 of overtime to lift the
Anaheim Ducks over the Winnipeg Jets 5-4
on Monday in Game 3 of their playoff
series. Anaheim leads the series 3-0.
Jakob Silfverberg scored and added two
assists for the Ducks in regulation. Ryan
Kesler, Corey Perry and Cam Fowler also
scored for Anaheim. Bryan Little, Tyler
Myers, Lee Stempniak and Blake Wheeler
scored for Winnipeg, which was hosting its
first NHL playoff game since 1996.
For the third straight game, Winnipeg
blew a third-period lead and in the process
became the first team in NHL history to
lose the first three of a series when leading
at the second intermission each time,
according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Game
4 is today in Winnipeg.
RANGERS 2, PENGUINS 1
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 23 shots and
New York regained control of its first-round
series against Pittsburgh Penguins with a
win in Game 3.
Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider scored for
New York, which dominated for two periods then held on late to take a 2-1 series
lead. Game 4 is today in Pittsburgh. Patric
Hornqvist scored his third career playoff
goal for the Penguins, but Pittsburgh
couldn’t overcome another slow start.
Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves, but the
Penguins couldn’t back up their strong play
in Game 2.
WILD 3, BLUES 0
Devan Dubnyk made 17 saves and Jason
Pominville and Zach Parise scored secondperiod goals as Minnesota earned a victory
over St. Louis in Game 3 of their Western
Conference series. Mikael Granlund had
two assists, Nino Niederreiter added an
empty-netter and the Wild had the edge in
every way, without being drawn into a single trip to the penalty box.
St. Louis’ Jake Allen stopped 21 shots,
with the over-capacity crowd taunting him
with chants of his last name throughout
the game, but the Blues lost on the road in
the playoffs for the ninth straight time.
Game 4 is in Minnesota today. — AP
CHICAGO: Jason Kipnis No. 22 of the Cleveland Indians is forced out by John Danks No. 50 of the Chicago White Sox during the third inning. — AFP
White Sox stop Indians
CHICAGO: Melky Cabrera capped Chicago’s four-run
ninth inning with an RBI single off Cody Allen, sending the White Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland
Indians on Monday night.
Six consecutive batters reached safely before
Cabrera drove a fastball into left-center for the
game-ending hit. Alexei Ramirez doubled home two
runs and Gordon Beckham had a tying RBI single.
David Robertson (1-0) worked a perfect ninth for his
first win with the White Sox. Allen (0-2) recorded just
one out in his first blown save in four chances.
Chicago had managed just four hits before the
big finish. Trevor Bauer pitched seven sparkling
innings for Cleveland, which has dropped seven of
nine. Ryan Raburn and Brett Hayes homered, and
Michael Brantley had an RBI double.
ROYALS 7, TWINS 1
Edinson Volquez dodged trouble for seven
innings as Kansas City scored two runs on wild
pitches before pounding bumbling Minnesota.
Alcides Escobar returned from a sprained knee to
score a run, and Kendrys Morales and Paulo Orlando
drove in a pair each as the Royals finally figured out
Twins nemesis Kyle Gibson.
The right-hander gave up four runs in five-plus
innings. Gibson (1-2) had earned the win in his first
four starts against Kansas City, including a dominant
performance in a 3-1 victory last week at Target
Field. Volquez (2-1) was more than his match
Monday night at Kauffman Stadium. He allowed five
hits while striking out five with only one walk, wiggling out of jams whenever he got into them.
RED SOX 7, ORIOLES 1
Justin Masterson benefited from five unearned
runs as Boston beat Baltimore in a soggy Patriots’
Day game shortened by rain. The first pitch was
thrown at 11:04 a.m. under cloudy skies on the
Massachusetts holiday after Boston Marathon runners already were on the course that passes close by
Fenway Park. Rain began falling steadily in the
fourth and intensified, and the game was called
after a 1-hour, 42-minute wait. With the score tied at
1, Boston scored four runs in the third when Wei-Yin
Chen (0-1) walked four and made an error, and third
baseman Manny Machado committed another error.
Masterson (2-0) allowed one run, three hits and
three walks in five innings with six strikeouts.
REDS 6, BREWERS 1
Anthony Desclafani pitched eight shutout
innings and Zach Cozart and Joey Votto homered to
lead Cincinnati. Desclafani (2-0) held Milwaukee hitless until Adam Lind’s double with two outs in the
fourth. Hector Gomez’s fifth-inning single was the
only other hit off Desclafani, who struck out five and
ran his scoreless innings streak to 15.
Desclafani and Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta (02) were locked in a scoreless battle through five
innings. The Reds got to Peralta in the sixth. Brayan
Pena drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly
and Cozart followed with a three-run homer. Votto
added a two-run homer in the seventh off Peralta.
Ryan Braun homered with one out in the ninth for
the Brewers.
CUBS 5, PIRATES 2
Kris Bryant turned his tiebreaking two-run double into a homer with some heads-up baserunng,
and the star rookie had three hits and three RBIs to
lead Chicago.
Bryant’s double off Arquimedes Camninero (0-1)
hit off the base of the left-center field fence in the
seventh inning and snapped a 1-all tie. He advanced
to third base on the throw home, and raced across
the plate when catcher Francisco Cervelli missed the
throw for an error.
Bryant, who tied the game with an RBI single in
the fifth, is 6 for 14 (.429) with four RBIs in four
games since his much-anticipated callup from
Triple-A Iowa on Friday. He was a spring training
sensation, hitting nine home runs in 40 at-bats for
the Cubs. Jake Arrieta (2-1) allowed only one run
and three hits in seven innings for the win while
striking out seven and walking none.
TIGERS 2, YANKEES 1
JD Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes hit consecutive
RBI singles in the seventh inning, and Joba
Chamberlain got Jacoby Ellsbury to hit into a crucial
double play in the eighth, helping Detroit beat New
York. CC Sabathia (0-3) faced the minimum number
of hitters through the first six innings, but with two
out and a man on second in the seventh, the
Yankees intentionally walked Victor Martinez. JD
Martinez followed with a sharp single that shortstop
Didi Gregorius was unable to keep in the infield, and
Cespedes’ single scored Martinez.
The Yankees had men on first and third with one
out in the eighth when Chamberlain relieved
Alfredo Simon (3-0). Ellsbury’s hard grounder went
right to second baseman Ian Kinsler, and the double
play ended the threat. Joakim Soria pitched the
ninth for his fifth save.
PADRES 14, ROCKIES 3
Matt Kemp had three hits and four RBIs as San
Diego scored nine runs in the first two innings and
went on to win for the fifth time in six games.
Derek Norris had three of San Diego’s 17 hits, Will
Venable homered and Odrisamer Despaigne got his
first major league hit.
For the second time this season every Padres
starter got a hit, including Despaigne (2-0), who led
off the third with a single. It was more than enough
for the Cuban right-hander, who allowed just two
runs on six hits in 6 2-3 innings
Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa struggled in his
2015 debut, lasting two innings. The left-hander
missed the first two weeks of the season with a left
groin strain and was activated from the disabled list
before the game.
ATHLETICS 6, ANGELS 3
Stephen Vogt hit a go-ahead three-run homer,
Marcus Semien also went deep against Matt
Shoemaker and Oakland won the opener of a fourgame series.
Athletics right-hander Kendall Graveman was
staked to a 5-3 lead in his third major league start,
but lasted just three-plus innings. Manager Bob
Melvin pulled him after he walked Erick Aybar and
C.J. Cron to open the fourth and ran his pitch count
up to 73. Dan Otero (1-1) retired the next three batters and gave up just one hit over a career-high four
innings. He has not allowed a run in 13 career
appearances against the Angels, spanning 19 2-3
innings. Tyler Clippard got the last three outs for his
first American League save and 35th of his career.
Shoemaker (2-1) threw 68 pitches in three-plus
innings, giving up five runs and seven hits.
ASTROS 7, MARINERS 5
Luis Valbuena hit two solo home runs, including
a go-ahead eighth-inning shot, to help Houston
beat Seattle. Valbuena, who started the scoring with
a blast in the first inning, opened the eighth with a
homer to right on 1-1 pitch from Danny Farquhar (01). It was his fifth this season. It was the first home
run allowed by a Mariners reliever this season. Jed
Lowrie added an RBI single in the inning. Colby
Rasmus also had his second home run on a 2-0 pitch
from starter Hisashi Iwakuma in the fifth. Tony Sipp
(1-0), who worked the seventh and eighth, picked
up the victory. — AP
MLB results/standings
Boston 7, Baltimore 1 (7 Innings); Chicago Cubs 5, Pittsburgh 2; Detroit 2, NY Yankees 1;
Cincinnati 6, Milwaukee 1; Chicago White Sox 4, Cleveland 3; Kansas City 7, Minnesota 1; San
Diego 14, Colorado 3; Oakland 6, LA Angels 3; Houston 7, Seattle 5.
American League
Eastern Division
W
L
PCT
Boston
8
5
.615
Baltimore
7
6
.538
NY Yankees
6
7
.462
Tampa Bay
6
7
.462
Toronto
6
7
.462
Central Division
Detroit
11
2
.846
Kansas City
10
3
.769
Chicago White Sox 5
7
.417
Minnesota
5
8
.385
Cleveland
4
8
.333
Western Division
Houston
7
6
.538
Oakland
7
7
.500
LA Angels
5
8
.385
Seattle
5
8
.385
Texas
5
8
.385
GB
1
2
2
2
1
5.5
6
6.5
0.5
2
2
2
National League
Eastern Division
NY Mets
10
3
.769
Atlanta
8
4
.667
Washington
6
7
.462
Philadelphia
4
9
.308
Miami
3
10
.231
Central Division
St. Louis
8
3
.727
7
5
.583
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati
6
7
.462
Pittsburgh
6
7
.462
Milwaukee
2
11
.154
Western Division
LA Dodgers
9
3
.750
9
5
.643
San Diego
Arizona
7
6
.538
Colorado
7
6
.538
San Francisco
4
10
.286
1.5
4
6
7
1.5
3
3
7
1
2.5
2.5
6
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
S P ORTS
Challenge Cup in Kuwait enters decisive stage
KUWAIT: The Ice Hockey Challenge Cup of
Asia, Kuwait enters its decisive stages with
three important matches for all participating teams. Kuwait will meet Oman, seeking
its third consecutive win, yet though
Kuwait’s players are more experienced, yet
they should not take it easy as the Omanis
showed good skill in their previous matches. In the second match Singapore will try
to stay on the winning path after losing to
Kuwait in the first match and are expected
Asia Harald Springfeld gave a memento to
Sheikh Jaber.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Higher
organizing Committee Fuhaid Al-Ajmi said
Kuwait’s team is now close to winning the
Challenge Cup due to its outstanding performance. He said Kuwait organized the
Cup before in 2011 and was so successful
that it gained the confidence of the IIHF to
host it once again.
He said that Kuwait aims to reach inter-
to beat Malaysia in waiting for the result
between Oman and Kuwait. The third
match will see Kyrgyzstan against India.
Honarary President of Kuwait Winter
Games Club Sheikh Jaber Bandar Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah held a luncheon in his Al-Reyah
Chalet, in Mina Abdallah for participating
delegations and members of the organizing committee. Sheikh Jaber welcomed
the delegations in Kuwait and wished
them a pleasant stay in Kuwait, as Director
of IIHF Ice Hockey Game Development in
national level as the game has developed,
and the establishment of a hockey school
where 400 players are enrolled. He said
there are plans to form a ladies team in
addition to an U-18 national team.
Al-Ajmi lauded Information Minister,
State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh
Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud AlSabah and Chairman of PAYS Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Mansour who support the
Winter Games and extends all support
needed.
GCC golf tourney for men
and ladies kick off today
KUWAIT: The 19th GCC men’s golf tournament,
8th for Youth and 1st for ladies will kick off today
at 7.00 am, at Sahara golf field with the participation of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia,
Oman, Bahrain, Qatar in addition to Kuwait,
under the patronage of Information Minister,
State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman
Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.
LAS VEGAS: At left, in a May 4, 2013, file photo, Floyd Mayweather Jr. exchanges
punches with Robert Guerrero (not shown) in a WBC welterweight title fight. At right,
in a Nov. 12, 2011, file photo, Manny Pacquiao exchanges punches with Juan Manuel
Marquez (not shown) during a WBO welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. — AFP
Pacmania sweeps Philippines
ahead of Mayweather clash
MANILA: Manny Pacquiao’s face is on shirts,
dolls and postage stamps, his life story is playing
in movie houses and millions are getting ready
to party as the Philippine boxing hero’s “fight of
the century” nears. Pacmania is sweeping the
Southeast Asian nation of 100 million people
ahead of the May 2 Las Vegas bout against
unbeaten Floyd Mayweather to decide who is
the best boxer of their generation.
“The mood is upbeat. Of course, it’s the fight
of the century,” Manila film producer Lucky
Blanco told AFP. Blanco is a co-producer of the
Pacquiao film: “Kid Kulafu”, now showing at
scores of theatres across the country and a highprofile scene-setter for the world’s richest fight.
For many, the 36-year-old Pacquiao, winner
of an unprecedented eight world championships in different weight divisions, symbolises
their hope of escaping the grinding poverty that
afflicts one in four of his countrymen.
The movie tells the story of the runaway high
school dropout who, years before becoming a
ring legend, sold doughnuts on the streets and
stacked shelves with “Vino Kulafu”, a cheap
Chinese wine brand. Years later, as he became one
of the world’s richest sportsmen and one of the
most famous Filipinos, a Manila television network
would give the left-hander another name: “The
National Fist”. Pacmania always sweeps the
Philippines ahead of his fights, but the intensity
dropped in recent years after Pacquiao lost an
unprecedented two straight bouts. He then had
three wins, reviving excitement and hopes
Pacquiao still has what it takes to be the world’s
best. But Mayweather is the opponent his fans
have always wanted him to fight.
SOUVENIR FRENZY
Millions of Filipinos will don Pacman paraphernalia to cheer their idol on live television
screens during the fight, which will take place
on a Sunday morning in the Philippines.
Baseball caps, T-shirts, $68 boxing gloves signed
by Pacman himself, and $565 vinyl dolls of
Pacquiao boxing against the Disney character
Mickey Mouse are flying off shelves.
“On fight day everyone wants to be seen
wearing something that will symbolise their
support,” Joy Saransate, manager of a Pacquiaoowned Team Pacquiao memorabilia shop in
Manila, told AFP. Government agencies have
even been swept up in Pacmania, with the state
postal authority this week releasing half a million stamps of a fighting Pacquiao. “This... is a fitting tribute to his exceptional character and
ability that truly unites the nation whenever he
fights,” postmaster-general Josie de la Cruz said.
Pacquiao, a sometime actor, politician and
professional basketball player on the side, also
released a video last week of a new song: “I Will
Fight for the Philippines”, to be used for his ring
entrance in Las Vegas, that is getting widespread publicity in the media.
Whetted by saturation newspaper and television coverage, and primed by training clips
fed through his official social media sites,
Filipinos are clearing their schedules to make
sure they will be able to watch the fight. It will
be shown live on pay-per-view television, while
local networks also struck an unprecedented
deal to air it without ads and on a slightlydelayed basis on free television. However, in
keeping with tradition throughout his career,
many Filipinos will prefer to watch the fight in
public places, including at gyms and parks
across the country or in restaurants and watering holes. A popular pizza chain in Manila is taking reservations for 200 seats at $16 each so fans
can cheer their hero on while swigging beer and
munching on buffalo wings.
“Pacquiao fights always pack them in, but
this time we expect even more people to come
because of the quality of the opponent,” restaurant manager Hershey Ebalo told AFP.
Blanco, the Pacquiao film producer, said he
expected the streets of the Philippine capital, a
sprawling metropolis of 14 million, to be empty
on fight day, with criminals also taking a day off.
“Definitely there will be no crime on the streets,
just like in past Pacquiao fights,” he said. — AFP
The first round will witness strong competition between participating teams especially that
each will be keen to collect as much as possible
points during the first day to make it easier to
reach top places.
Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud welcomed the
participating Golf brothers and lauded such
gatherings which he described as distinguished
as it aims at enhancing Gulf sports. He expressed
pleasure that Kuwait hosts the GCC golf tournament for men, youth and ladies, especially with
the participation of an elite group of players.
He said we hope that the tournament contribute to the development of the golf game
after being approved as an Olympic game starting from the upcoming Olympics in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil 2016.
Sheikh Salman praised the efforts of the
Higher Organizing Committee, as well as the
GCC Golf Organizing Committee in order to
ensure the success of the tournament
Meanwhile Chairman of the HOC Abdelaziz
Al-Mulla said the participating delegations commended the grounds that were well prepared
prior to the start of the tournament.
He said competition between Gulf teams will
be in the interest of all as it raises the technical
level of players in addition to polishing the skills
of the youth and ladies. He expected competition to be fierce until the last day as the technical level of all six teams are high .
He said the Kuwaiti team is in its three categories (men, youth, ladies) is well prepared and
ready for the competition.
World champ a marked man
WAREMME: World champion Michal
Kwiatkowski will be a marked man when the
205.5km Fleche Wallonne Ardennes Classic race
gets underway today.
The 24-year-old Pole comes into the race off
the back of a sensational victory at Sunday’s
Amstel Gold race. Not since Philippe Gilbert in
2011 has anyone managed to triumph in all three
Ardennes Classics in the same season but
Kwiatkowski has ridden into form at just the right
time and would seem a good bet for just such a
feat. The Etixx-Quick Step rider’s in bullish mood
to boot. “For sure, winning Amstel Gold Race in
the rainbow jersey (of the world champion)
means a lot to both me and the team, and it is
another example of how strong we are as a collective,” said Kwiatkowski.
“I built up really well for this race, and winning
(there), which was my goal, I cannot describe my
emotions. It’s really big for me at this point in my
career.” Last year he followed up a fifth placed finish in Amstel with third at both Fleche and LiegeBastogne-Liege.
That was a marked improvement on the year
before when he took fourth at Amstel and fifth
at Fleche before Liege proved a race too far for
such a young rider and he trailed in 92nd.
Kwiatkowski, though, has gone from strength to
strength since then and after winning Strade
Bianche last year in March, he ended the season
by winning the world title in September. Last
year at the infamous Mur de Huy finish to the
Fleche, he didn’t quite time his attack right,
going too soon and being easily overhauled by
Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who was second
behind the Pole at Amstel.
Valverde will likely be the main competition
once again as not only did he demonstrate his
form on Sunday, but he is the defending champion and a two time winner on the wall of Huy.
He was also in good form last month at the
Tour of Catalonia, winning three stages and taking second overall behind Richie Porte.
Valverde is in his element at the Ardennes
Classics having won in Liege twice as well and
claiming 11 podium finishes across the three
races. Last year he simply timed his attack perfectly while others had launched theirs too
soon. As ever with the Fleche Wallonne, winning is all about timing your effort just right on
the final of three ascensions up the infamous
Mur de Huy climb, which includes a section
with a 26 percent gradient. It’s also important
to be in the right position at the foot of the
climb or else you risk being boxed in and
forced to follow the wheel in front while waiting for a gap to open up.
The Fleche has almost always been won on
the Mur but organisers have thrown a spanner in
the works this year with a climb just 5km before
Huy that is almost as brutal.
Both are 1.3km long and although at an average gradient of 9.6 percent, the Mur is tougher,
the Cote de Cherave at 8.1 percent does at least
offer an opportunity to produce an initial selection of potential winners, or maybe even a
chance to breakaway for the win.
The pace is bound to crank up before the
peloton hits the Cherave and anyone caught
behind at that point will have no chance of getting back in the mix by the time the leading
group reaches the Mur. Previous winners such as
Spanish pair Joaquim Rodriguez and Dani
Moreno, or even Gilbert, may be looking at that
section to launch an attack. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
S P ORTS
Kuwait Open Tennis tourney a huge success
By Abdellatif Sharaa
KUWAIT: Kuwait Sixth Open Tennis
Tournament concluded Monday under the
patronage and presence of President of
Kuwait and Arab Tennis Federations Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Abdallah Al-Jaber AlSabah. The final match and closing ceremony was also attended by Chairman of the
GCC Organizing Committee, Secretary
General of Kuwait Tennis Federation
Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb, Czech Ambassador to
Kuwait, Deputy Chairman of the Board of
KTF Abdelsamad Al-Aryan, KTF treasurer,
Director of the Tournament Faleh Al-Otaibi,
member of the Board Ali Al-Daihani and
Yarmouk Sports Club Deputy Chairman of
the Board Younis Al-Ibrahim.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber expressed his
pleasure on the success of the tournament
enjoyed since its start because of the number of participants, particularly members of
the national teams. He said that players
showed higher technical level as the tournament gave them the opportunity to play
with players of high caliber.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber thanked the
ambassadors and members of the diplomatic
core in Kuwait who participated in the tournament. He gave special thanks to organizing
committee and the officiating team led by
Abdelraouf Al-Abdelsalam. Answering a
question about the awaited tennis complex
to be built in Kuwait he said that all obstacles
have been smoothed out and a new investor
has taken over and started work. He said the
complex is expected to be ready in two years.
He said the complex will include three covered main courts besides ten open ones, a 5
star hotel and shops, adding that it will state
of the art when it is completed.
Final results of the tournament were as
follows:
In the men’s singles Nasser Al-Obaidly
was first and Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb runner
up. In the professional men singles Ali
Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb won first place and
Abdelhameed Al-Shatti second.
In U17 juniors Tamim Al-Hallaq was first
followed by Hussein Jamal. U13 beginners
Ahmad Khamis followed by Ali Al-Shatti.
In the girls U18 Fareeda Al-Ayyat first followed by Benisa.
In women’s singles first place went to
Sarah Behbehani followed by Latifa AlSayyed Omar. In the men’s above 45
Mohammad Tooniya ended in first place and
Majdi Khamis second. In the pioneers singles
Avrim Garcia first and Ringan Ravi second.
In the doubles match the team of
Mohammad Al-Ghareeb and Mohammad
Seddiq defeated Ali Al-Sheikh and Abdelaziz
Maayouf to take first place.
In the diplomats singles first place went
to the Czech Ambassador and second place
went to his Belgian counterpart.
Hamilton still has
work to do in Europe
ITALY: Serena Williams of the United States returns the ball in this file photo. — AP
Serena says not ready
for claycourt season yet
NEW YORK: Twice French Open champion Serena Williams said her struggle to
beat Sara Errani in the Fed Cup on
Sunday had been a real “eye-opener” as
the claycourt season gets into full swing.
World number one Williams eventually prevailed 4-6 7-6(3) 6-3 against the
dogged Italian to take her career record
over her to 8-0 but the American was not
impressed.
The U.S. were beaten 3-2 as Williams
and Alison Riske were thrashed 6-0 6-3 in
the doubles rubber by Errani and Flavia
Pennetta, meaning they were relegated
to World Group II.
“Today has been a big eye opener,”
Williams said afterwards. “I’m totally not
as ready for the claycourt season as I
thought I was. Now I’m in the mindset of,
‘You know what, I’m not on hard court.’
I’m playing like I’m on hard court and I’m
not. “So I have to play and be ready to hit
a thousand shots if necessary.” Williams,
33, won her 19th singles grand slam at
the Australian Open and her dominance
has raised talk of her claiming all the
majors this year. The French has been her
least successful of the four though
despite claiming the title in Paris in 2002
and 2013.
Her doubles defeat on Sunday blotted
an otherwise flawless Fed Cup record
and left the U.S. facing a battle to get
back amongst the elite nations next year.
“We have to work harder,” U.S. captain
Mary Joe Fernandez said. “We came close
today and need to just keep plugging
away.
“The good news is that we have a lot
of players in the top 100 and, hopefully,
we can get two wins next year and get
back into the World Group.” — Reuters
LONDON: After winning three out of four
races and taking a 27-point lead in the standings, Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton
has a new challenge as he and Mercedes prepare for the start of the European season.
A third world title, which would lift the
Mercedes driver level with boyhood hero
Ayrton Senna and British great Jackie Stewart,
looks increasingly likely but Europe will play a
big part in deciding that.
Although Hamilton said after Sunday’s
Bahrain Grand Prix that he felt more comfortable and ‘powerful’ in the car than last year,
when he won 11 races, he actually has no
more wins at this stage than he did in 2014.
The biggest difference is better reliability,
and the failure so far of team mate Nico
Rosberg to raise his game. In 2014, Hamilton
started the season with a retirement in
Australia through no fault of his own and then
won in Malaysia, Bahrain and China. He also
started three of the four on pole position.
Rosberg, meanwhile, won the opener in
Melbourne and followed it up with three second places. That meant that it was the
German, not Hamilton, who headed to Spain
in the overall lead-albeit by a mere four
points. This season, Hamilton has started
every race on pole and won in Australia, China
and Bahrain while finishing second to Ferrari’s
Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia.
Rosberg, by contrast, has chalked up two
second and two third places. The German
needs to lift his game quickly, just as he did
last year after Hamilton reeled off four wins in
a row before being beaten in Monaco,
Canada, Austria, Germany, Hungary and
Belgium.
The title battle was, of course, kept alive
somewhat artificially due to the awarding of
double points for the final race in Abu Dhabi
but that unloved experiment has now been
scrapped.
Formula One’s commercial supremo Bernie
Ecclestone, who was a big advocate of what
others saw as a gimmick, said before the start
of this season that he feared Hamilton could
consequently have the championship won by
Monza in September.
But to do so, or at least wrap it up with several races to spare, the Briton will need to win
those races that eluded him last yearalthough Germany has since dropped off the
calendar.
“I don’t think it moves me up a gear, I’m
already in a pretty good gear,” Hamilton said
on Sunday as he contemplated the return to
Europe and the Spanish Grand Prix on May 10,
followed by Monaco on May 24. “Last year
obviously I was catching up (after the blank in
Australia) and then here I didn’t qualify on
pole but did get the win.
“This weekend I got the pole and did the
job. Now I’ve got to improve when I get to
Barcelona, I don’t want to be back where I was
last year.”
Monaco, a race Senna won six times, is a
particular favourite and target. Hamilton won
there with McLaren in 2008 but local resident
Rosberg will be going for a hat-trick after victories in 2013 and 2014. “I’ve come second
twice and fourth once. That’s not good, especially as Senna won it so many times,” said the
champion. “So I’ve got to get on it.” — Reuters
CHICAGO: Khris Middleton No. 22 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes up for a shot against Joakim
Noah No. 13 of the Chicago Bulls during the first round of the 2015 NBA playoffs. — AFP
Bulls see off Bucks
CHICAGO: Jimmy Butler set a playoff careerhigh for the second straight game with 31
points as Chicago beat Milwaukee 91-82 on
Monday to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round
series. After scoring 25 points in Game 1, Butler
was at his best down the stretch, scoring 14
points in the fourth quarter. Chicago’s Derrick
Rose scored all of his 15 points in the second
half after dominating in the series opener.
Pau Gasol added 11 points and 16 rebounds
and Mike Dunleavy Jr. scored 12 points for the
third-seeded Bulls. Khris Middleton led the
sixth-seeded Bucks with 22 points, and Michael
Carter-Williams scored 12. Game 3 is tomorrow
at Milwaukee.
WARRIORS 97, PELICANS 87
Klay Thompson scored 26 points and
Stephen Curry had 22 points and six assists as
Golden State regrouped from an early deficit to
take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
The top-seeded Warriors fell behind by 13
points in the first quarter after a strong start
by the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis and Eric
Gordon. A big burst before halftime pushed
the Warriors ahead, and they did just enough
in the closing moments to put away the
pesky Pelicans. Game 3 is tomorrow in New
Orleans. Davis had 26 points and 10
rebounds, and Gordon scored 23 points for
the Pelicans. — AP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
S P ORTS
Ooredoo concludes employees’ football tournament
KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait, a member of the
international Ooredoo Group, announced the
end of its first employees’ football tournament on Saturday. The tournament culminated in an awarding ceremony attended by
guest of honor former Kuwait National Team
captain Saad Al-Houti.
The winner of the final game was Retail
Team A, scoring three goals against one goal by
Alza’eem. Aside from awarding the two winning
teams, Ooredoo awarded the best player, best
goal keeper, and fair play award, and best scor-
Banned Butt to appear
before corruption unit
KARACHI: Disgraced former Pakistan Test
captain Salman Butt said yesterday he was
due to appear before the anti-corruption
unit of the game’s governing body next
week to try to have his spot-fixing ban
relaxed. The 32-year-old opener was
banned for ten years with five years suspended conditionally, along with
Mohammad Asif (seven years with two suspended) and Mohammad Aamer (five years)
in a spot-fixing case in England in 2010.
The trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed
were also jailed in Britain for receiving money in return for arranging deliberate noballs during the Lord’s Test against England.
The deal was struck by an undercover
reporter of the now defunct tabloid News of
the World in a sting operation which shook
the cricket world.
In January this year Aamer was allowed
to play domestic cricket in Pakistan after the
International Cricket Council (ICC) revised
its anti-corruption code allowing banned
players to make an early return to domestic
cricket a few months before their bans
expire. But the Pakistan Cricket Board said
Butt and Asif had not completed the rehabilitation processes necessary to allow the
relaxation to occur, a claim he contests.
“I am fighting to get the relaxation as I
have complied with all the regulations. So I
want to play domestic cricket,” Butt told AFP.
If allowed to play domestic cricket, Butt
will become eligible to return to international cricket after his ban expires on
September 2 this year. If the ICC agrees with
the PCB’s assessment that Butt has not completed his rehabilitation process-which
includes giving lectures to youngsters on
the perils of corruption and a confession
that he was the instigator of the deal-it may
mean that the five years of his ban that
were suspended become activated.
Butt said he has been fighting for the
last 24 months. “I am pleased that the anticorruption unit of the ICC has summoned
me for a meeting, which may take place on
April 28 where I will get a chance to have
my assessment,” he said.
At the time of his ban Butt was seen as a
long-term prospect to remain captain, having led Pakistan to a series-levelling win
over Australia in their neutral-venue series
in England in 2010.
Prior to that series Pak istan were
blanked 3-0 by Australia in their last four
series in 1999, 2002, 2004 and earlier in
2010. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said
last year that several current Pakistan
players have reservations about playing
alongside the banned trio once they are
cleared. — AFP
er. The awarding ceremony was attended by
Ooredoo General Manger and CEO Mohammed
bin Abdulla Al Thani, COO Hani El-Kukhn, CEO
consultant Hamad Alnuaimi and Chief of
Human Resources Saleh Al-Houti. Commenting
on the event, CEO Al Thani said: “I was delighted
to see the employees enjoy their time with
friends and family in a fun-filled atmosphere,
away from the routine work environment.”
The tournament stems from Ooredoo’s main
values: To care, connect and challenge.
Winning first place was Retail Team A, while
Alza’eem came in second. Thamer Al-Hajeri
from Sales won best player, Mohammed
Almulla from Sales won best goalkeeper,
Abudllah Al-Khattaf from Customer Care won
top scorer, while Essa Haider from Technology
won the fair play award.
Nishikori eases into
Barcelona 3rd round
BARCELONA: Defending champion Kei Nishikori
cruised into the third round of the Barcelona
Open with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Russian Teymuraz
Gabashvili yesterday.
The Japanese top seed was making his season
debut on clay but was largely untroubled by the
world number 85 as he broke early in each set
and faced just one break point on his own serve
before sealing victory. Nishikori will face either
Portugal’s Joao Sousa or 15th seed Santiago
Giraldo in the last 16 tomorrow. Seventh seed
Roberto Bautista Agut and fellow Spaniard
Tommy Robredo also booked their places in
round three with straight sets victories over
Thomaz Belluci and Mikhail Kukushkin respectively. Second seed Rafael Nadal will begin his
quest for a ninth title in Barcelona against Nicolas
Almagro or Paolo Lorenzi today.
Meanwhile,a red hot Novak Djokovic is being
tipped to end Rafa Nadal’s stranglehold at Roland
Garros in June but the Spaniard dismissed the
threat as being no different to those he has faced
before. The Serbian world number one has been
an unstoppable force in recent weeks, winning 17
matches on the bounce and becoming the first
man to win the season’s first three Masters title.
He comfortably beat Nadal on his beloved red
clay in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters semifinals, and the nature of Djokovic’s 6-3 6-3 mauling means plenty are backing him to complete
his collection of grand slam titles this year by winning his first French Open.
But as far as Nadal is concerned, 2015 is no different to 2013, 2012 or even 2011. “Djokovic was
good in 2011, in 2012, 2013 as well as in 2015.
Sometimes you win more and some you win less,”
Nadal, who has triumphed at the French Open in
nine of the last 10 years, told reporters at the
Barcelona Open.
“It is difficult to win everything all the time.
Djokovic was as good then in 2011 as he is now.
He had an impeccable year in 2011 as well as he is
having in 2015.”I have to congratulate him.
“The rest of the players have to accept that at
the moment he is the world number one with all
he has achieved this year,” added Nadal, who has
had a patchy year after making his comeback in
January following another lengthy injury and illness break. “This year I have to do things right, get
back to a very high level to face him on the court,”
Nadal said. “Tennis-wise, I feel a lot better than a
few weeks ago. I am going to try to get as far as I
can and to play as well as I can, topping the level I
showed in Monte Carlo.” — Reuters
Imran replaces Sohail
for Bangladesh Tests
KARACHI: Pakistan’s injury setbacks continued yesterday as paceman Sohail Khan
was ruled out of the Test series in
Bangladesh and was replaced by another
fast bowler Imran Khan, an official said.
Sohail, 30, suffered back spasm two days
before the team’s departure and was initially ruled out of the ongoing three-match
one-day series.
Yesterday the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) announced he would not recover in
time for the two-match Test series. “After
consulting with the PCB medical department it was confirmed that Sohail has still
not been able to recover sufficiently so the
selection committee was unanimous on
Imran as replacement for him,” chief selector Haroon Rashid was quoted as saying in
a press release.
Imran, 27, played three Tests against
Australia and New Zealand last year and
took seven wickets. Pakistan have been
badly hit by injuries on the current tour
with batsman Sohaib Maqsood also ruled
out before the tour started because of an
arm injury. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah meanwhile injured his thumb in a practice match
in Bangladesh, while paceman Ehsan Adil
suffered a hamstring injury.
Shah will remain part of the Test squad,
but Adil will return home. Left-arm spinner
Zulfiqar Babar replaced Shah and Umar Gul
replaced Adil for the one -day series.
Pakistan trail the three-match series 2-0
with the final match in Dhaka today.
Another paceman Rahat Ali was also
sidelined with a hamstring injury but the
team management said he is expected to
recover for the two Test series. The first Test
starts in Khulna from April 28. Pakistan
Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan
said Monday he was unhappy over the
spate of injuries. He said he would be questioning the team management over the
issue and wanted to know why half-fit players were selected for the tour. — AFP
SPAIN: Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori (right) gives his rackets to his coach in this file photo. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
S P ORTS
How Simeone
painted Madrid red
MADRID: In the dying moments of
Diego Simeone’s second Madrid derby in
charge of Atletico, a banner was lowered
behind the goal his side was defending
to display a stinging message: “Wanted:
A dignified rival for a decent derby”.
The display by the Real Madrid ultras
had more truth to it than the usual
chutzpah exchanged between rival fans.
It had been 13 years since Atletico had
beaten Real, a run that would stretch into
a 14th year and 25th match when Real’s
reserves won out once more at the
Vicente Calderon five months later.
Suddenly, though, on an unseasonably cold Madrid May evening, the tide
began to turn in the Spanish capital.
Having waited for so long for a derby
win, Atletico did so in style by beating
Real in their own backyard at the
Santiago Bernabeu to win the Copa del
Rey in what proved to be Jose
Mourinho’s last competitive game in
charge.
In 14 derbies in less than two years
since, Atletico have won six to Real’s four
and added the Spanish Supercup and an
unthinkable La Liga title to their trophy
haul in just over three years since
Simeone took over. Moreover, three of
the five trophies won under the
Argentine have been garnered by overcoming the vast gap in financial wealth
between Atletico and their neighbours,
as well as Spanish football’s other powerhouse, Barcelona. Simeone has revolutionised a club that once used to revel in
their label as “El Pupas” - the jinxed ones.
ADORING MASSES
Even the club’s own marketing campaign used to be based around a confused young boy asking his father “why
do we support Atleti?”
Now they have the charismatic leader
that means their faith is no longer blind.
On Atletico’s league title parade last season, Simeone addressed the adoring
masses with the symbolic message: “This
is not just a league title, ladies and gen-
tlemen, this is something much more
important that these boys have shown
you, that if you believe and you work,
you can achieve.”
The remnants of Atletico’s historic
ability to come up on the wrong side of
destiny were still to dog them, though, in
the Champions League final in Lisbon
against Real last May.
One minute away from winning a
first-ever European Cup, just as they had
been 40 years ago in their only previous
final against Bayern Munich, they conceded with barely a minute remaining.
Real went on to romp to a 10th
European Cup 4-1 in extra-time with
Simeone being sent off for storming on
to the field to confront Raphael Varane as
tempers flared.
Yet, it is a testament to the change in
mental strength around the club that
rather than be beaten down by that
experience, Atletico have rolled off a seven-game unbeaten streak in the derby
themselves this season, which leaves
Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg, tantalisingly poised
after a 0-0 first-leg stalemate last week.
“Atletico is a very different club now,”
said Fernando Torres on his return to his
boyhood club in January. ‘El Nino’ had
never scored at the Bernabeu in six years
in his first stint at Atletico; he did so
twice in his first visit in his second spell
as Atletico dumped Real out of the Copa
del Rey just days after his return.
However, as much as Simeone and his
players publicly try to deny it, there
remains unfinished business from
Lisbon. Simeone himself acknowledged
ahead of last week’s first leg that victories in the league, Cup or Supercup cannot be compared to Europe’s premier
club competition.
Now, presented with the chance to
land a knock-out blow to an injury-hit
Real in the competition they cherish the
most, another date with destiny awaits
Torres and the rest of Simeone’s men at
the Bernabeu today. — AFP
SPAIN: Atletico’s Arda Turan (centre) and teammates exercise during a training session in Majadahonda. Atletico Madrid will play Real Madrid
today in a Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match. — AP
Injury-hit Real tasked with
breaking down Atletico wall
MADRID: Real Madrid have the unenviable task
of beating city rivals Atletico Madrid at the
eighth attempt this season if they are to
progress to a fifth consecutive Champions
League semi-final.
The European champions have failed to overcome Atletico in seven games since beating Los
Rojiblancos in last season’s Champions League
final, including last week’s 0-0 draw in the firstleg at the Vicente Calderon, and have also been
struck by a series of injuries and suspensions to
key players.
Luka Modric and Gareth Bale will miss out
after limping off with knee and calf injuries
respectively in the 3-1 win over Malaga at the
weekend, whilst Marcelo is banned and Karim
Benzema faces a race against time to be fit due
to a knee problem. Given those absences, the
return to fitness and form of James Rodriguez is
a huge boost for Los Blancos. The Colombian
World Cup star has scored twice in four games
after a two-month injury layoff due to a broken
foot to take his tally to an impressive 14 in his
first season at the Bernabeu.
“Before I was out I was scoring goals, playing
at a good level and now I think it is the same,” he
told Madrid’s website. “I want to continue like
this, using my characteristics to help the team
achieve important objectives.
“We are all dreaming of getting through this
round and if I can score as well then it would be
great. The most important thing is to win and
get through this very difficult game, but we are
in our own stadium with our own fans. I think it
could be a great game.”
However, Real will be faced with arguably the
best defence in Europe on Wednesday. Atletico
have conceded just once in their last eight
Champions League games and have shutout
their local rivals in four of their previous seven
meetings this season.
“Atletico are an intense team that are very
good at the back,” added Rodriguez. “There is
always pressure. We have to manage it and we
are going to do everything we can to win an
11th European Cup.” By contrast, Atletico have a
clean bill of health with striker Mario Mandzukic
expected to shake off an ongoing ankle problem
to start alongside the in-form Antoine
Griezmann up front.
Diego Simeone’s men remain the underdogs in just their second Champions League
quarter-final in 18 years, but midfielder Raul
Garcia refuted the suggestion they have less to
lose than the holders.
“I don’t think we have less pressure. It is the
quarter-finals of the Champions League and the
two teams want to go through.”Time will give
more value to what we are achieving. Now it
seems normal to be in the quarter-finals, to get
to the semis would be very important.”
Garcia maintained the Atletico party line of
recent weeks in insisting there is no thirst for
revenge after losing out in heartbreaking circumstances to Real in the Lisbon final last May.
However, he also dismissed the idea that
Atletico now have a mental hold over Carlo
Ancelotti’s men having beaten them over two
legs in the Spanish Supercup and the Copa del
Rey already this season.
“Lisbon is forgotten. We don’t live in the past.
We would have loved to have won, but it doesn’t
change anything. If we had won, we would still
want to go through now. “We have to forget the
previous games this year too. They only serve to
know that we are doing the right things. We
always say the games that have already been
played don’t matter.” — AFP
Juve have semis in sight
against goal-shy Monaco
AUSTRALIA: Mu Kanazaki (left) of Japan’s Kashima Antlers fights for the ball with
Yusuke Tanaka (center) of Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers during their AFC
Champions League football match. — AFP
Guangzhou lead
charge into last 16
SYDNEY: Guangzhou Evergrande led a
trio of teams into the AFC Champions
League last 16 yesterday but Western
Sydney Wanderers’ title defence was left
hanging by a thread.
Fabio Cannavaro’s Guangzhou needed
only a 0-0 draw against FC Seoul to qualify top of Group H and reach the knockouts alongside Suwon Samsung and Al
Hilal.
But the Wanderers suffered a harsh
blow when Mu Kanazaki scored in injurytime to secure a 2-1, come-from-behind
win which dragged Kashima Antlers off
the foot of the table.
With one group game left, against
Guangzhou, the Australian side are now
bottom of Group H, a point adrift of FC
Seoul and Kashima and with their grip
on the title slipping. The Wanderers won
the competition in a fairytale debut last
year and they seemed to have kept their
unconvincing trophy defence alive with
Nikita Rukavystya’s strike on 24 minutes.
Matches on TV
(Local Timings)
UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid v Atletico
beIN SPORTS 1 HD
Monaco v Juventus
beIN SPORTS 2 HD
21:45
21:45
But Kashima pressed relentlessly for
the equaliser and they got their breakthrough on 66 minutes, when Shoma Doi
curled home a priceless goal which kept
them in the competition.
Kashima kept on coming and they
were rewarded with a deserved win
when Kanazaki converted Shuto
Yamamoto’s penetrating cross in the first
minute of injury time.
A home win against FC Seoul in a fortnight’s time would send Kashima
through, while Western Sydney need to
win at Guangzhou and hope Kashima
and Seoul draw.
In Group G, Brazilian substitute Kaio
grabbed a late winner as Suwon eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1 and
advanced to the knock-out rounds.
Zlatan Ljubijankic put Urawa ahead
after 69 minutes, but Ko Cha-Won headed the two-time Asian Club
Championship winners level before
Kaio’s clincher two minutes from time.
Beijing Guoan could have joined
Suwon in the knockout rounds but they
lost 1-0 at home to Australian champions
Brisbane Roar, through Andrija
Kaluderovic’s goal in the first half.
Despite the defeat, the Chinese side
remain three points ahead of Brisbane
and will go through if they avoid defeat
on their visit to Suwon for their final
game. Meanwhile, former Asian champions Al Hilal advanced from Group C after
the Saudi club beat Lokomotiv 2-1
thanks to second-half goals by Nawaf Al
Abid and Abdullah Zori. — AFP
MONACO: Juventus head to Monaco today for
the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final looking to clinch a place in the last four
for the first time in over a decade.
An immovable force at the top of the
European game in the 1990s, when they reached
three consecutive finals, including beating Ajax
in the 1996 showpiece, Juve were also
Champions League runners-up in 2003, losing to
AC Milan. But they have not got beyond the last
eight since, failing to translate their domestic
dominance to the European stage. Nevertheless,
while they close in on a fourth consecutive Serie
A crown, they are now primed to secure a spot in
the semi-finals in Europe after Arturo Vidal’s
penalty gave them a 1-0 victory against the
Principality club last Tuesday.
Crucially, Juventus did not concede an away
goal in that game, meaning Monaco will now be
obliged to come out and attack at home, something which is not their forte.
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has admitted
his team are better suited to playing away from
home, when they can hit teams on the break, as
they did so devastatingly in London in the last
16 when they defeated Arsenal 3-1, that result
allowing them to progress on away goals
despite losing 2-0 at home.
“I was not surprised by Monaco because we
didn’t underestimate them, but they played real-
ly well against us,” Juve’s veteran French international left-back Patrice Evra told Canal Plus. “I
think the second leg will be different and
Juventus will have a greater control of the
match. “I was really proud of Monaco when they
beat Arsenal because I saw them playing without fear. Some of the Monaco players say that
they are better away from home because the
stadiums and the atmosphere are different.”
HOME ADVANTAGE?
Evra knows that as well as anybody, having
spent four years in the Mediterranean
Principality, helping Monaco reach the
Champions League final in 2004 before eventually moving on to Manchester United.
Monaco are third in Ligue 1 and have lost just
one of their last 18 league games, but too many
draws at the Stade Louis II, where the lack of
atmosphere and crowds that rarely reach the
10,000 mark remove any sense of a home advantage, have held them back.
That was the case on Saturday, when they
managed just one shot on target, and that only
after a defensive error, in a disappointing 1-1
draw with Rennes.
Injuries and tiredness persuaded Jardim to
rotate his squad in that game, a decision which
did not pay dividends. “I rested three or four
players but the others were injured. Some of
those who played in Turin were not 100 percent.
But the Champions League game will be different. The stadium will be full,” insisted the
Portuguese coach.
The question remains as to whether they can
score the goals needed to go through. After all,
Monaco have netted just three times in four
Champions League home games this season.
At least they can call on one of the tightest
defences in Europe, although in midfield it
remains to be seen whether captain Jeremy
Toulalan (hamstring) and the powerful Geoffrey
Kondogbia (ankle) will recover from injury in
time to feature. Further forward, Jardim must
decide whether to select the experienced
Dimitar Berbatov or the exciting Anthony Martial
in attack, or go with both.
Allegri, meanwhile, is expected to stick with
the 3-5-2 formation that helped Juventus beat
Lazio 2-0 in Serie A at the weekend.
Paul Pogba is still out injured but Andrea Pirlo
will play in central midfield after returning from
a five-week injury lay-off in time for the first leg,
and playing 70 minutes against Lazio.
“I haven’t decided which formation I will use.
If the team defends well, I think it doesn’t really
matter if we have three or four at the back,”
Allegri said. “I’m happy about the success the
team is enjoying. The lads deserve praise
because they’ve shown a lot of maturity.” — AFP
ITALY: Juventus’ players take part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match Monaco vs Juventus. — AFP
Pacmania sweeps
Philippines
ahead of
Mayweather clash
16
Injury-hit Real
tasked with
breaking down
Atletico wall
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
19
Hamilton still has work to do in Europe
Page 17
GERMANY: Bayern’s Mario Goetze (left) and Porto’s Ricardo go for a header during the soccer Champions League quarterfinal second leg match. (Inset) Bayern’s head coach Pep Guardiola instructs his players. —AP
Bayern thrash Porto to reach semis
MUNICH: Robert Lewandowski scored
twice yesterday as Bayern Munich powered
into the Champions League semi-finals for
the fourth year in succession with a 6-1 second-leg routing of ten-man Porto.
Needing to over turn a two-goal deficit
after last Wednesday’s shock 3-1 first-leg
defeat at Porto, Bayern produced a devastating first-half display to claim five goals
and eventually won the tie 7-4 on aggregate. “It couldn’t have gone better,” beamed
goal-scorer Thomas Mueller.
“Sometimes it’s fun to play with your
backs against the wall. “We all had hopes,
but no one expected that.” Lewandowski
now has 22 goals in all competitions while
Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Thiago
Alcantara also grabbed first-half goals.
“Many people thought we couldn’t do it,
but we are FC Bayern Munich,” said
Lewandowski. “We knew we had to step on
the gas, but to go five goals up at half-time
is really crazy.” The game’s tempo dropped
after the break allowing Porto captain
Jackson Martinez to score a consolation
goal. Porto finished with ten men when
defender Ivan Marcano received a second
yellow card just before Xabi Alonso crashed
home a free -kick-their coach Julen
Lopategui was also sent from the touchline.
The scoreline matches Porto’s record away
defeat in Europe when they lost 6-1 at AEK
Athens in the defunct European Champion
Clubs’ Cup in 1978.
Having routed AS Roma 7-1 away in the
group stages and mauled Shakhtar Donestk
7-0 in Munich in the last 16, Bayern produced more clinical finishing in the first-half.
The Germans kept alive the dream of
repeating their 2013 treble of Champions
League, Bundesliga and German Cup
crowns by going into Friday’s semi-finals
draw. They can pick up their first silverware
of the season on Saturday if they beat
Hertha Berlin at home to have the
Bundesliga title confirmed for a third year
running. The victor y was all the more
impressive as it came without injured star
wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben,
while
Germany
captain
Bastian
Schweinsteiger stayed on the bench.
Bayern attacked from the outset, enjoying 75 percent possession early on, and
rarely allowed Porto into their half.
Lewandowski hit the woodwork with nine
minutes gone and the opening goal came
just five minutes later.
Spain defender Juan Bernat, a constant
threat on Bayern’s left wing, swung in a corner and Thiago, who scored their away goal
at Porto, headed home at the near post.
The crucial second goal came from
Bayern’s centre-backs as Holger Badstuber,
in for Dante in the only change from the
side who lost at Porto, headed on a corner
and Boateng powered the ball home on 21
minutes. Lewandowski compounded
Porto’s misery as Philipp Lahm’s cross from
the right was flicked on by Mueller and the
Polish striker was on hand to power home
his header. With Bayern scoring at will,
Fabiano was wrong-footed when Mueller’s
strike on 36 minutes took a deflection as the
hosts went 4-0 up.
Lewandowski added his second five minutes before the break to make it 5-0 with 50
minutes still to play. Mueller passed off to
the Polish striker, who took a couple of
touches to create space, then drilled the ball
low into the corner.
With the game effectively over as a contest, Martinez gave Porto some late hope
when substitute Evandro’s cross was headed home from close range on 73 minutes.
Marcano’s foul on Thiago led to the freekick which Alonso drilled home on 88 minutes to cap Bayern’s rousing night. The the
exitement got to their coach Pep Guardiola
who ended up splitting his trousers while
screaming sideline instructions. — AFP
Neymar brace eases
Barca past poor PSG
SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (left) fights for the
ball with PSG’s David Luiz during the Champions
League quarterfinal second leg soccer match. -— AP
BARCELONA: Barcelona cruised into their seventh
Champions League semi-final in eight years as a double
from Neymar handed them a 2-0 win over Paris SaintGermain to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory yesterday. Just as
in last week’s first leg in Paris, the Brazilian opened the
scoring after a sensational assist from Andres Iniesta.
Neymar then capitalised on some shoddy defending to
head home his 30th goal of the season from Dani Alves’s
cross.
Barca will now take their place alongside Bayern
Munich in Friday’s draw for the last four, the ties to be
played next month. “I am very happy with the season I am
having and we need to continue like this to achieve our
objectives. We need to keep going and get to the final,”
Neymar told Television Espanola.
“In my first goal Iniesta did everything. All I had to do
was dribble past the goalkeeper and score.” Only once in
European Cup history had a side come back from losing
the first leg at home 3-1 and there was little doubt about
the outcome as Barca dominated proceedings from the
off.
The opener arrived on 14 minutes as Iniesta collected
the ball inside his own half, spun past three PSG challenges and then rolled the ball through to Neymar, who
calmly rounded Salvatore Sirigu before slotting home. PSG
briefly threatened to respond as Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a
goal rightly ruled out for offside against his old club on his
return to the side from suspension.
However, Barca were soon back in command as Lionel
Messi fired just over from Luis Suarez’s knockdown before
Sirigu was forced into a flying save to turn away Alves’s
powerful drive before clutching Neymar’s follow-up effort.
There was nothing the Italian could do 12 minutes
SPAIN: Barcelona’s Neymar (left) drives the ball past PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to score the opening
goal during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match. — AP
before the break, though, as he was exposed by more
shocking defending from the French champions as Alves
was given plenty of time to pick out his compatriot and
the unmarked Neymar powered a header into the bottom
corner for his fifth goal in four games against PSG this season. Barca boss Luis Enrique could afford the luxury of
withdrawing Iniesta and Sergio Busquets at the start of
the second period for Xavi and Sergi Roberto respectively
with one eye on Saturday ’s Catalan derby away to
Espanyol. With the hosts taking their foot off the gas, PSG
did at least have the chance to add some respectability to
the scoreline, but unlike Barca’s star front three of Messi,
Suarez and Neymar, who now have 95 goals between
them this season, they were wasteful in front of goal.
Marco Verratti passed up the best chance when he
pulled his shot wide when well-placed at the edge of the
area, whilst Ter Stegen did well to repel Ibrahimovic’s
piledriver 18 minutes from time. Messi had one final
chance to move ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as the leading
scorer in Champions League history, but the Argentine’s
goal drought in the competition stretched into four
games as his shot flashed just wide. — AFP
Business
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Abu Dhabi to invest over
$25bn in offshore oilfields
Page 22
TPP deal still away
despite US, Japan urgency
Page 23
Warba Bank’s net
profit grows 148%
in Q1 2015
Page 25
Page 26
Mercedes-Benz retains World Car of the Year Title
JAKARTA: Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed (second left) receives a bell as a token with the next WEF forum to be held in Malaysia, as Chief Executive Officer of Bank Mandiri Budi Gunadi
Sadikin (center) and Executive Director of Lippo Group Indonesia John Riady (second right) applaud during the closing ceremony of the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Jakarta yesterday. — AFP
Gulf Bank posts 12% rise in net profit in Q1 2015
Operating profit up by 15% • Total assets at KD 5,394 million
KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced a
net profit of KD 9.8 million for the first quarter
of 2015 which is a 12 percent increase over the
same period in 2014. Over the same period,
the Operating profit before provisions
increased by 15 percent to KD 27.2 million
from KD 23.6 million, mainly due to an
increase in net interest income by 9 percent.
The bank’s key metrics have also witnessed
strong growth which contributed to the overall improvement in the performance of the
bank. The Capital Adequacy under Basel III is
at 15.2 percent against the regulatory requirement of 12.5 percent. The bank’s non -performing Loans (i.e ‘NPL’) ratio also continued to
improve to 3 percent at the end 1Q2015
decreasing from 6.5 percent at the beginning
of last year. The NPL coverage ratio also
increased to 290 percent at the end 1Q2015
against the 187 percent coverage at the beginning of 2014.
Commenting on the results, Omar Kutayba
Alghanim, Gulf Bank’s Chairman said: “With
the announcement of our first quarter results, I
can firmly state that Gulf Bank is a strong and
safe bank. Our goal in 2015 is to maintain the
financial discipline and investing in the bank’s
infrastructure to ensure we have robust internal controls in place at all levels of the operations. I am also proud that the bank has
embedded the Risk Adjusted Return on
Capital (RAROC) and value creation as a framework for measuring the performance of each
business group. Our next focus is improving
even further our clients experience via innovation.”
César Gonzalez-Bueno, Gulf Bank’s Chief
Executive Officer said: “I am pleased to report
the positive results Gulf Bank has achieved in
Saudi falls back, KSE
drops after tax news
MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS
Gulf Bank’s Chairman Omar Alghanim
the first quarter of the year. Our results are a
reflection of the hard work and dedication of
the Gulf Bank team. We were recently recognized as the Best Retail Bank in Kuwait by the
Asian Banker for the fourth time. Gulf Bank
also won “Best Customer Experience Overall
Branch” from Ethos Integrated Solutions and
the “Best Car Loan” and “Best Customer Service
(Retail)” from Banker Middle East.
“But there is more to come. Both retail and
wholesale banking are determined to provide
even better services and products. The first
result of that was the SME Fund launch in
cooperation with the Kuwait National Fund for
Gulf Bank’s Chief Executive Officer Cesar
Gonzalez-Bueno
small, medium size enterprises development.
The Board has given us a clear mandate: grow
via innovation and better products and services. Make Gulf Bank a reference in the region.
To that end we are deploying our best efforts.”
The international rating agencies Moody’s
and Standard and Poor’s have in their assessments, affirmed the Bank’s asset quality, solid
revenue generating capacity and deployment
of risk management systems and practices
together with comfortable liquidity metrics.
The bank has a ‘Positive’ outlook from both
these agencies.
Lower oil prices cooling Abu Dhabi property
DUBAI: Lower oil prices are likely to cause Abu Dhabi’s
residential property sector to stabilize in 2015 following a two-year price boom as sentiment weakens and
government spending in some areas slows, industry
consultants say.
A slew of new residential units was released in
2009-12, just when demand was hit by the global
financial crisis, creating oversupply and sending prices
tumbling. The sector then rallied in 2013-14 because of
broad economic growth and the United Arab Emirates’
status as a safe haven in the Middle East. Housing
prices across the UAE capital’s freehold markets rose
about 24 percent in 2014 after an increase of 31 percent in 2013, consultants Cluttons estimate.
But the rental market has been more sluggish, with
rents rising 2 percent in the first quarter of this year versus the preceding three months, according to a report
from CBRE. “Over the past year average rental growth
has been relatively consistent, ranging between 2-3
percent for each of the past four quarters,” CBRE wrote.
Abu Dhabi has reduced its dependence on oil, but
the energy sector still accounts for more than half its
gross domestic product, JLL estimates. While UAE
authorities have pledged to continue spending on
economic development, and have plenty of money to
continue doing so despite the oil price plunge, some
state spending may become more cautious. The drop
in crude prices has therefore led “to a softening of sentiment and there will be less (state) spending this year
than in the last two years,” David Denley, JLL’s regional
director, told an industry conference yesterday, predicting this would hurt property demand and lead to “midcycle stability”.
“It will be relatively flat this year, maybe the year
after, and we can then think about growth again,” he
said. “We still think there will be growth this year, but in
single digits.”
Abu Dhabi has about 244,000 residential units; over
the past six to seven years, about 10,000 units have
been handed over each year and a further 8,000 units
annually will be completed over the next few years, JLL
estimates. “If you talk about the actual schemes that
have planning consent, there’s scope for there to be
another oversupply situation,” Denley said.
Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council approved 76
projects and master developments covering about 11
million square metres of gross floor area across the
emirate during the first quarter, CBRE wrote.
LIVING COSTS
But while the supply of higher-end homes is
ample, Abu Dhabi has a shortage of affordable housing, Denley added.
The price spike in 2013-4 has meant “many residents are becoming increasingly concerned over the
escalating cost of living, particularly as utility rates
are also on the rise,” CBRE said.
Such concerns led Aldar Properties this week to
launch Meera, a development of 400 units near the
city centre for households with relatively moderate
monthly incomes of 20,000-30,000 dirhams ($5,4508,175). “Previously we did have products in that category, but were targeting corporations where we built
staff accommodation,” Talal al-Dhiyebi, chief development officer at Aldar, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer,
said. — Reuters
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s stock market pulled
back further yesterday after telecommunications operator Mobily posted a surprise firstquarter loss, while Kuwait fell on news of
potential tax reform. Other Gulf markets were
positive.
The main Saudi index slipped 0.3 percent
to 9,559 points as Mobily was the main drag,
tumbling 6.8 percent. The firm, whose scandal over the restatement of its 2014 earnings
led to the departure of its chief executive earlier this year, missed analysts’ forecasts widely
as it swung to a 199 million riyal ($53.1 million) net loss in the first quarter of 2015.
Two analysts surveyed by Reuters had
forecast Mobily would make a quarterly profit
of 470.1 million riyals and 515.0 million riyals.
Saudi petrochemicals were also weak after
several disappointing earnings reports. Saudi
International Petrochemical Co (Sipchem)
slipped 0.1 percent after reporting a 17.3 percent increase in first-quarter profit to 80.6 million riyals; analysts polled by Reuters had on
average forecast 98.3 million riyals.
Alujain, another firm whose assets are
mostly in petrochemicals, tumbled 4.8 percent after swinging to a 16.8 million riyal loss
in the first quarter from a profit of 14.8 million
riyals a year earlier.
But property stocks were positive after
Emaar Economic City posted a 70.9 percent
increase in first-quarter profit on higher sales
and lease income. The stock rose 0.8 percent.
The Saudi stock index faces major technical
resistance in the 9,572-9,745 point area,
where the 200-day average roughly coincides
with the March peak, and has been struggling in that area for three days. Kuwait’s
index underperformed the region and fell 0.7
percent after Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh
said on Monday that the cabinet was studying proposals to introduce the same tax rates
for local and foreign companies. This suggested last month’s resignation of the commerce
minister, who first revealed the plan, had not
derailed it - though it remains unclear
whether the cabinet can really push through
any politically sensitive step to tax local firms.
UAE, EGYPT
Dubai’s index rose 0.7 percent on its
strongest trading volume in 14 months as
developer Union Properties surged 10.7 percent to 1.45 dirhams, its highest close since
November.
Gulf Business magazine reported on
Monday that the firm had set up a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Naif Al-Rajhi
Investments to develop real estate projects in
the kingdom. Also, Emirates247.com news
website yesterday quoted a Union Properties
manager as saying the firm would start construction of a 430 million dirham ($117 million) project in Dubai this month.
Another property firm, DAMAC, rose as
much as 3.6 percent to a new intra-day high
of 3.43 dirhams early in the session but then
retreated and closed 6.3 percent lower ahead
of a board meeting which was to discuss firstquarter results and dividend policy.
Dubai-listed shares in Bahrain’s Gulf
Finance House surged 5.6 percent as they
resumed trading after a capital reduction
which may open the way for future dividend payments. Also, the firm said on
Sunday that it would maintain a listing in
Kuwait, along with those in Dubai and
Bahrain, but would delist from London.
Meanwhile, courier Aramex fell 1.1 percent after reporting a 10 percent rise in
first-quarter net profit, in line with analysts’
forecasts and its own guidance. The stock
had surged 5.5 percent to a fresh nine-year
high of 3.64 dirhams in the previous session.
Abu Dhabi’s index edged up 0.5 percent
and developer Aldar Properties was the
main support, surging 4.0 percent. The firm
announced the launch of three new developments in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Qatar’s
benchmark added 0.5 percent, buoyed by
banking stocks. Masraf Al-Rayan, the country’s second-largest bank by market value,
added 0.9 percent after posting an 18 percent increase in first-quarter net profit and
beating analysts’ expectations.
Net profit for the three months to March
31 was 511 million riyals ($140.4 million)
compared to analysts’ average forecast of
484.4 million riyals in a Reuters poll.
Another Qatari lender, Doha Bank, jumped
3.0 percent after reporting a 5.2 percent
increase in first-quarter profit, while analysts had expected a decline. It made 420.2
million riyals, well above the average estimate of 377.3 million riyals. Egypt’s index
slipped 0.2 percent, its fifth decline in a row,
although the pace of its decline slowed significantly compared with Monday’s 1.9 percent drop. — Reuters
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
BUSINESS
Abu Dhabi to invest over
$25bn in offshore oilfields
ADNOC seeks to boost output to 3.5m bpd by 2018
ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi plans to invest over $25 billion in
the next five years on boosting its oil production capacity
from offshore fields, a senior official of Abu Dhabi National
Oil Co said yesterday.
The plan is part of the United Arab Emirates’ strategy of
increasing its crude oil output potential to 3.5 million barrels per day by 2017-18. The UAE’s actual current production is around 2.8 million bpd.
“We want to build capacity from production and from
number of wells and infrastructure. Our current plan as
ADNOC (is to reach) 3.5 million bpd and to sustain it,”
Qasem Al-Kayoumi, manager of ADNOC’s offshore division
of the exploration and production directorate, told
reporters.
Speaking at the Middle East Petroleum and Gas conference in Abu Dhabi, he also said the investment plan for offshore drilling activities was $2.5 billion per year. ADNOC
plans to drill around 160 wells per year in the next couple
of years, Kayoumi said. “It is a considerable increase - the
number of rigs has built up considerably in offshore, it
could be more than a 50 percent increase.”
He also said current production for the ADMA-OPCO
and ZADCO oil fields was 1.2 million bpd and “in 2017-18
that figure will go close to, I would say around 1.6 million
bpd.”
One of the main UAE fields being developed by Exxon is
the giant Upper Zakum, for which the plan is to boost production capacity to 750,000 bpd by 2017-18; this may be
raised further to 1 million bpd by 2024. Kayoumi said
ADMA-OPCO was in an early phase of preparing for the
renewal of its offshore concession, due to expire in 2018.
“We hope that this concession will be renewed with our
(existing) partners and future partners.” —Reuters
b r i e f
Kuwait oil price up
14 cents to $58.01 pb
KUWAIT: Kuwait oil price rose 14 cents on Monday
and stood at $58.01 per barrel compared to
$57.87pb on Friday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
said yesterday. In international oil markets, price of
the crude forward deals dropped from the highest
level it reached this year, however it retained the
highest gains per week this year. Brent crude jumped
9.6 percent, during the week, posting the highest
gains per week since middle of October, 2009.
American crude posted the fifth consecutive gain
per week, climbing by 7.9 percent, the highest since
late February 2011.
Dubai courier Aramex
Q1 net profit rises 10%
Dubai’s Noor Bank launches
$500m 5-yr debut sukuk
ABIDJAN: An agency of the Guaranty Trust Bank in Abidjan where several banks have settled in
recent years. Demographic growth, emergence of a middle class and stabilization of public finance
attract many banking investors for whom Africa is the last reservoir of growth. —AFP
Yemen conflict keeps
Brent oil around $63
LONDON: Brent crude oil steadied
around $63 a barrel yesterday, not far
below the 2015 high, supported by
worries that a civil war in Yemen could
destabilize the Middle East, affecting
oil supplies.
Oil has climbed around 15 percent
this month due to concern over the
conflict in Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s
southern neighbor. The seaways
around Yemen are some of the most
important for the international oil
trade with access points to the Red
Sea and Suez Canal as well as the
Middle East Gulf.
The US navy said on Monday it had
sent an aircraft carrier and a guidedmissile cruiser into nearby waters.
Brent hit a 2015 high of almost $65 a
barrel on April 16, up more than 40
percent from a January low just above
$45.
i n
DUBAI: Dubai courier Aramex reported a 10 percent
rise in first-quarter net profit yesterday, in line with analysts’ forecasts and its own guidance. The company
made a net profit of 86.6 million dirhams ($23.6 million)
in the three months to March 31, up from 78.7 million
dirhams in the year-ago period, it said in a statement.
EFG Hermes and SICO Bahrain had forecast Aramex’s
first-quarter profit at 84.9 million dirhams and 83.1 million dirhams respectively. First-quarter revenue rose 9
percent year-on-year to 930 million dirhams. The courier’s chief executive, Hussein Hachem, said in February
that the company would likely post an annual profit
increase of 10 percent in 2015 and was targeting at
least two acquisitions this year as part of its growth
strategy.
UAE bank ADCB
Q1 net profit
rises 31%
DUBAI: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) posted a
31 percent increase in first-quarter net profit yesterday, beating analysts’ forecasts, boosted by strong
returns from fees and lending.
It made a net profit attributable to equity shareholders of 1.25 billion dirhams ($340.3 million) in the
three months ended March 31, versus 953 million
dirhams in the corresponding period of 2014, it said
in a statement. Five analysts polled by Reuters on
average forecast net profit for the quarter of 1.08 billion dirhams.
The fourth-largest lender by market value in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the fourth bank in the
country to report earnings so far this quarter, with all
registering double-digit profit growth.
Driving ADCB’s earnings growth was higher fees
from corporate and retail banking, which lifted overall net fee and commission income by 32 percent to
375 million dirhams in the first quarter from the corresponding period of last year.
Banks in the UAE have fallen back on fee income
growth as tough competition has pressured profit
margins in the lending market. Still, the bank said
total net interest and Islamic financing income
gained 19 percent to 1.64 billion dirhams over the
same time period. This was aided by a 7 percent year
on year increase in total lending, which stood at
141.1 billion dirhams at the end of March.—Reuters
News
Prices have also been supported by
speculation over falling US output
after data showing the number of US
exploration and production oil rigs fell
to their lowest since 2010. Brent crude
for June was down 30 cents at $63.15
a barrel by 1105 GMT. US crude for
May, which was due to expire later on
Tuesday, was down 10 cents at $56.28
a barrel.
“Geopolitics is supporting oil at the
moment,” said Tamas Varga, analyst at
London brokerage PVM Oil Associates.
But the global oil market is heavily
oversupplied and a rapid build of
inventories, particularly in the United
States, has been weighing on prices.
US commercial crude oil inventories are forecast to have increased by
2.4 million barrels last week, rising for
the 15th consecutive week, a preliminary Reuters survey showed.
Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi told
Reuters in Seoul this week that the
world’s top crude exporter expected
to produce at near record highs of
around 10 million barrels per day
(bpd) in
April. Analysts warn that OPEC’s
ability to cope with an unexpected
surge in demand is diminishing fast.
“If the demand and non-OPEC supply responses to lower prices are
similar to what was experienced in
the 1980s, the very low level of spare
capacity carries a risk of a price spike
in the not too distant future,” said
analysts at PIRA Energy. OPEC’s
spare capacity could halve to as low
as 1.7 million bpd this year, far
below the level of more than 10 million bpd in the 1980s, when Saudi
Arabia last opted for market share
over price. —Reuters
DUBAI: Dubai’s Noor Bank has launched a $500 million, five-year debut sukuk issue that will price later
yesterday, a document from lead arrangers showed.
The transaction was set to price at a spread of 130
basis points over midswaps, at the tight end of final
guidance of 130-135 bps over midswaps. Initial pricing guidance of around 140 bps over midswaps was
given earlier yesterday. The lender, which is issuing
sukuk with a wakala structure, had obtained orders
worth about $1.9 billion, an earlier document
showed. The bank, which counts state funds
Investment Corporation of Dubai and Dubai Holding
among its owners, has chosen Standard Chartered as
global coordinator and Al Hilal Bank, Barwa Bank,
Citigroup, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Qinvest
and Sharjah Islamic Bank as joint lead managers for
the issue.
Oman electricity to meet
investors on bond issue
DUBAI: State-owned Oman Electricity Transmission Co
(OETC) plans to meet fixed income investors starting today
for a potential debut US dollar bond issue, a document from
lead arrangers showed. The firm, which develops, operates
and maintains power transmission grids in Oman, has chosen Bank Muscat and J PMorgan to arrange investor meetings in the United States and Europe. No further details were
provided by lead arrangers.
The issue could be around $1 billion, rating agency
Standard and Poor’s said after assigning a preliminary BBBplus to the issue. Supporting the rating is OETC’s “very
strong” link to Oman’s government and its monopoly status
as the sole transmission system operator, S&P said.
It added that OETC was exposed to potential privatization risk, but: “We expect that, after any potential change in
ownership, the government would continue to maintain a
controlling stake in the company.” OETC is expected to invest
around 540 million rials between 2015 and 2019 to meet its
demand growth, rating agency Moody’s said in a note.
“OETC intends to fund its investments with third-party
debt that will result in a more levered financial risk profile with debt/capitalization in the 50-55 percent range - and will
require frequent access to the debt markets in the coming
five years,” Moody’s added.
It assigned a provisional A3 rating to proposed dollardenominated senior unsecured notes which would be
issued by Lamaar Funding Ltd and unconditionally guaranteed by OETC. OETC is expected initially to raise around 300
million rials from the debt capital markets to repay shortterm loans of 223 million rials, with the rest of the proceeds
earmarked for capital spending, Moody’s said. —Reuters
Jordanian Dinar
Egyptian Pound
Sri Lankan Rupees
Indian Rupees
Pakistani Rupees
Bangladesh Taka
Philippines Pesso
Cyprus pound
Japanese Yen
Syrian Pound
Nepalese Rupees
Malaysian Ringgit
Chinese Yuan Renminbi
Thai Bhat
Turkish Lira
US Dollars Mint
0.299200
0.303400
Bangladesh Taka
Chinese Yuan
Hong Kong Dollar
Indian Rupee
Indonesian Rupiah
Japanese Yen
Kenyan Shilling
Korean Won
Malaysian Ringgit
Nepalese Rupee
Pakistan Rupee
Philippine Peso
Sierra Leone
Singapore Dollar
South African Rand
Sri Lankan Rupee
Taiwan
Thai Baht
Asia
0.003548
0.047463
0.036980
0.004700
0.000019
0.002450
0.003222
0.000269
0.079568
0.003067
0.002821
0.006748
0.000066
0.220645
0.018875
0.001879
0.009614
0.009010
0.004148
0.050963
0.039730
0.005101
0.000025
0.002630
0.003222
0.000284
0.085568
0.003237
0.003101
0.007028
0.000072
0.226645
0.027375
0.002459
0.009794
0.0009560
Bahraini Dinar
Egyptian Pound
Iranian Riyal
Iraqi Dinar
Jordanian Dinar
Kuwaiti Dinar
Lebanese Pound
Moroccan Dirhams
Nigerian Naira
Omani Riyal
Qatar Riyal
Saudi Riyal
Syrian Pound
Tunisian Dinar
Turkish Lira
UAE Dirhams
Yemeni Riyal
Arab
0.796720
0.039340
0.000084
0.000192
0.423076
1.000000
0.000150
0.021754
0.001249
0.780481
0.082460
0.080110
0.001283
0.151732
0.114820
0.081460
0.001368
0.804720
0.042440
0.000085
0.000252
0.430576
1.000000
0.000250
0.045754
0.001884
0.786161
0.083673
0.080810
0.001503
0.159732
0.121820
0.082609
0.001448
Saudi bourse plans
foreign roadshows
RIYADH: The Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) will organize roadshows for foreign investors in the fourth quarter
of this year as it opens to direct foreign investment in listed shares, exchange officials said yesterday. Khalid AlRabiah, chairman of Tadawul, told a news briefing that
the roadshows would focus on North America and
Europe. Khaled al-Hosan, head of Tadawul’s markets
department, said they would include investment firms
and listed firms. The Capital Market Authority announced
last week that the market, which now has a capitalization
of $554 billion, would open to direct foreign investment
on June 15. Final rules covering the opening will be published on May 4. Tadawul chief executive Adel Al-Ghamdi
said in May last year that the exchange would apply
“extremely soon” to go public. —Reuters
EXCHANGE RATES
Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.
Japanese Yen
Indian Rupees
Pakistani Rupees
Srilankan Rupees
Nepali Rupees
Singapore Dollar
Hongkong Dollar
Bangladesh Taka
Philippine Peso
Thai Baht
Saudi Riyal
Qatari Riyal
Omani Riyal
Bahraini Dinar
UAE Dirham
ASIAN COUNTRIES
2.534
4.827
2.981
2.264
3.010
224.630
39.071
3.890
6.841
9.340
GCC COUNTRIES
80.779
83.221
787.000
804.570
82.484
ARAB COUNTRIES
Egyptian Pound - Cash
40.850
Egyptian Pound - Transfer
39.611
Yemen Riyal/for 1000
1.414
Tunisian Dinar
154.610
Jordanian Dinar
427.260
Lebanese Lira/for 1000
2.032
Syrian Lira
2.159
Morocco Dirham
30.741
EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES
US Dollar Transfer
302.800
Euro
324.750
Sterling Pound
451.780
Canadian dollar
247.590
Turkish lira
112.070
Swiss Franc
317.230
Australian Dollar
234.970
US Dollar Buying
301.600
GOLD
243.470
124.430
62.900
20 gram
10 gram
5 gram
UAE Exchange Centre WLL
COUNTRY
Australian Dollar
Canadian Dollar
Swiss Franc
Euro
US Dollar
Sterling Pound
Japanese Yen
Bangladesh Taka
Indian Rupee
Sri Lankan Rupee
Nepali Rupee
Pakistani Rupee
UAE Dirhams
Bahraini Dinar
Egyptian Pound
Jordanian Dinar
Omani Riyal
Qatari Riyal
Saudi Riyal
SELL DRAFT
236.80
250.50
319.79
326.29
303.00
453.30
2.57
3.890
4.818
2.265
3.009
2.983
82.37
804.24
39.60
430.52
785.82
83.44
80.72
SELL CASH
Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd
Rate for Transfer
US Dollar
Canadian Dollar
Sterling Pound
Euro
Swiss Frank
Bahrain Dinar
UAE Dirhams
Qatari Riyals
Saudi Riyals
Selling Rate
302.350
247.406
451.816
326.933
288.209
801.346
82.645
83.875
80.803
426.763
39.550
2.264
4.845
2.978
3.885
6.822
742.159
3.539
2.599
4.028
84.045
49.187
10.329
113.136
Bahrain Exchange Company
COUNTRY
Belgian Franc
British Pound
Czech Korune
Danish Krone
Euro
Norwegian Krone
Romanian Leu
Slovakia
Swedish Krona
Swiss Franc
Turkish Lira
Australian Dollar
New Zealand Dollar
Canadian Dollar
US Dollars
SELL CASH
Europe
0.007899
0.443978
0.003832
0.039465
0.319335
0.034319
0.073070
0.009025
0.030686
0.309872
0.114820
SELLDRAFT
0.008899
0.452978
0.015832
0.044465
0.327335
0.039519
0.073070
0.019025
0.035686
0.320072
0.121820
Australasia
0.224526
0.225258
0.236026
0.234758
America
0.241411
0.249911
0.249911
0.249911
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
BUSINESS
New risks as young Londoners priced out of housing market
LONDON: Last weekend, London couple Vicki
Clayton and James Renhard left behind
cramped bedrooms that smelt of smoke,
housemates who stole their food and a landlord who kept his deposit, and moved into a
rented flat of their own.
Buying a home is not an option. “I don’t
know where the extra money to put away for a
deposit is going to come from,” said Renhard,
34, a law graduate who works as a website editor. “Aside from a mystery benefactor or a lottery win.”
The couple is a relatively wealthy example
of London’s Generation Rent: people shut out
of the city’s housing market by high prices. The
problem has become a hot issue in national
elections due next month. To buy an average
house in London today, you need to earn over
100,000 pounds ($150,000) a year, according
to the National Housing Federation (NHF), a
trade body for affordable housing providers.
That’s more than three times the average
salary in the capital, and more than Clayton
and Renhard earn combined.
High prices are reshaping the housing market. By last year, one-third of all London households rented - double the level of a decade
ago, according to the Office for National
Statistics.
That’s a reversal of a century-long trend,
according to Toby Lloyd, head of policy at
Shelter, a homelessness charity. Since 1918,
home ownership grew, becoming deeply
ingrained in the British psyche. But in 2002, the
ownership rate started to decline. According
to one survey, more than half Britain’s young
people now say they are not even saving to
buy a home.
The main reason for high house prices is
simple: London, like Britain as a whole, is not
building enough homes. At the current rate 17,547 new homes a year - the capital could
face a shortfall of more than 700,000 homes by
2031, according to the NHF.
Even renting isn’t cheap, eating up about
53 percent of average London incomes,
according to the NHF. That’s a bigger share
than anywhere in the United States except the
New York borough of Brooklyn, where renters
pay 60 percent, figures from real estate agency
Zillow show. Business leaders say sky-high
prices are making it hard to attract workers. A
survey last year for London First, a business
lobby, found that two out of five employees
would consider moving out to find cheaper
housing. London’s housing supply and costs
are “a significant risk to the capital’s economic
growth,” said three-quarters of the decisionmakers questioned for the survey.
By itself, lower home-ownership is not necessarily a bad thing. Germany has an ownership rate of just 53 percent, but boasts a more
mobile workforce and lower rents. Rising
house prices also boost government revenues
and make people feel rich, which can encourage them to spend. London itself is booming,
its skyline evolving “like an accelerated ...
nature film about the return of Spring to the
Canadian tundra,” in the words of Mayor Boris
Johnson.
But as house prices rise out of reach of
more and more people, the downsides are
becoming obvious. “We’re turning the clock
back to the 19th century, which has huge
implications for the politics and society of our
country,” said Shelter’s Lloyd. “A whole generation is being priced out and losing out as a
result of a systemic failure to build enough
homes.”
LIVING IN A BEDROOM?
The average London house costs more
than 10 times average earnings, up from
around four times in 1993, according to the
Institute for Fiscal Studies. Real house prices but not real incomes - have grown faster in the
UK over the last 40 years than in any country in
the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD), a 2014 study in
Economic Journal showed. —Reuters
Luxury auto party over in
China as growth slows
Corruption crackdown bites
ATHENS: Two women exit the Bank of Greece headquarters, in Athens yesterday. Authorities from municipalities across Greece were to hold an emergency
meeting yesterday after the government ordered reserves from state enterprises to be placed in a Bank of Greece account to help the country meet its
financial obligations and avoid a default. —AP
Air Berlin follows IAG
in move to leave
European trade body
FRANKFURT: German airline Air Berlin,
part-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways,
has ended its membership of European
trade group AEA, citing what it said were its
protectionist policies.
The move comes only days after a similar
move by British Airways and Iberia, and
after the boss of Etihad Airways warned
Europe against protectionism in the airline
sector.
Air Berlin Chief Executive Stefan Pichler
joined British Airways owner IAG in calling
for aviation markets to be liberalized, saying
that would promote consolidation and
innovation, thereby benefitting all passengers. “With its current focus and representation of interests, the AEA is not fulfilling
these ideas, but allowing itself to be driven
by airlines which desperately try to erect a
new wall around Europe,” Pichler said in a
statement yesterday.
Etihad, which owns 29 percent of Air
Berlin, has struggled to gain German backing of its code share flights with the
German carrier. Under a bilateral traffic
agreement, carriers from the United Arab
Emirates may fly to only four airports in
Germany - Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and
Duesseldorf. Code shares allow it to offer
passengers bookings from other airports.
European carriers Air France-KLM and
Lufthansa , along with some US competitors,
have long complained that the Gulf airlines
are benefiting unfairly from interest-free
government loans and cheap fuel. The Gulf
carriers deny those accusations. —Reuters
Credit Suisse profits
jump nearly a quarter
ZURICH: Swiss banking giant Credit
Suisse said yesterday a strong performance by its investment banking unit
helped first quarter net profit rise by 23
percent to 1.05 billion Swiss francs (1.02
billion euros, $1.1 billion), outstripping
forecasts by analysts.
Its investment bank posted a 14 percent rise in pre-tax profits to 945 million
francs. CEO Brady Dougan said that while
trading revenue was higher than last
year, the bank had a “difficult start to the
year” due to a slowdown in underwriting
only to benefit from later volatility in the
markets.
The Swiss central bank shocked
domestic and global markets with its
decision on January 15 to end three
years of efforts to hold down the value of
the Swiss franc against the euro, sending
the currency soaring. “Our swift and
proactive response to the changed currency and interest rate environment post
the Swiss National Bank’s announcement,
combined with an improvement in market activity, mitigated the impact on our
results and led to higher revenues in our
Wealth Management Clients business,”
said Dougan.
“In our well-diversified Investment
Banking franchise, we achieved consistent strategic results and reported a
return on regulatory capital of 19 percent, despite further significant deleveraging.”
Dougan, who was presenting his last
quarterly results, sounded an optimistic
note on the coming three months and
the rest of the year. “Looking at the second quarter to date, the momentum in
the businesses has carried over from the
first quarter, with an improving trend in
underwriting and advisory,” he said.
“We remain committed to our capital
and leverage goals and expect to make
further progress in executing our strategic initiatives over the balance of 2015.”
Dougan will make way for the FrancoIvorian Tidjane Thiam, now head of the
British insurer Prudential, in June.
Restructuring expected
Investors are betting that Thiam will
downsize the bank, Switzerland’s second
largest, more decisively to focus on
wealth management.
“Following the appointment of the
new CEO Tidjane Thiam, we’ve been
hearing some rumors that, in June, he
could cut up to 3,000 jobs in the
Investment Banking department, which
would be in line with the deleveraging
strategy,” said Laurent Bakhtiari, a market
analyst at IG.
But he said the bank’s CET1 ratio-a
measurement of a bank’s core equity
capital compared with its total riskweighted assets-came out lower than
expected in the first quarter.
“The deleveraging measures should
have been stronger,” he said. “The new
ones, which will have to be implemented by Brady Dougan and then by the
new CEO, will be closely scrutinized, so
there is still more to come on that front
until the end of the year.” American
banks have recently reported solid first
quarters thanks to a rise in their brokerage activities, with Morgan Stanley
reporting a 59 rise in profits for the first
quarter, the highest since the financial
crisis of 2008. —AFP
SHANGHAI: When Italian luxury carmaker Maserati entered China a
decade ago, with a brand virtually
unknown to Chinese customers, it
sold fewer than 40 vehicles its first
year. Last year, the Asian giant was
Maserati’s second largest market as
sales of its sports cars-including the
Quattroporte, which can cost up to
$377,000 — reached 9,400, more
than doubling from 2013. But now its
chief executive acknowledges it will
struggle to even maintain that level
this year.
The party is over for the luxury car
market in China, with the country
facing the slowest economic growth
in a quarter of a century and a corruption crackdown orchestrated by
Communist Party chief Xi Jinping.
“Last year was fantastic,” said Maserati
boss Harald Wester, sipping a mineral
water on the roof of a Shanghai art
museum ahead of China’s premier
auto show.
“The target this year is to maintain
more or less the volumes of last year
a very difficult task. We all know
about the slowing down of growth,”
Wester said. The world’s secondlargest economy expanded 7.4 percent last year, its slowest since 1990.
So Maserati is buckling down in
China, servicing existing customers,
building its dealer network and
awaiting the arrival of its Levante SUV
(sports utility vehicle) in 2016.
Maserati executives say their Chinese
customers are young entrepreneurs,
nearly half female, and deny they are
selling to government officials who
might be caught in the much-publicized anti-graft campaign, now two
years long.
But the crackdown is making
ostentatious displays less popular,
which could affect sales. “When the
entire society is pointing at some
people as having much more than
others, potentially those (people)
hesitate to show it,” Wester said.
Daimler, Rolls-Royce
Photos posted online of the
wreckage of lime green Lamborghini
and red Ferrari that crashed drag racing on the streets of Beijing earlier
this month caused outrage, as people questioned who owned the luxury cars. Germany’s Daimler believes it
may have hit upon a solution with its
new Mercedes-Maybach S600, saying it is under-stated enough to find
a market in the new China.
“The Maybach is a really exclusive
vehicle, but still almost an understatement,” said Hubertus Troska,
member of the board of management of Daimler with responsibility
But parent BMW said it had
“adjusted” the production of RollsRoyce specifically because of slower
sales in China, which became apparent last summer.
“We have seen some headwinds
in the top luxury segment, not only
Rolls-Royce but very expensive
goods in this country,” said Peter
SHANGHAI: A man looks at a Maserati sports car on display at a luxury mall in Shanghai. When
Italian luxury carmaker Maserati entered China a decade ago, with a brand virtually unknown to
Chinese customers, it sold fewer than 40 vehicles its first year. —AFP
for China.
“We feel like it fits actual Chinese
times.” The slowdown did not stop
Britain’s Rolls-Royce from choosing
China for the launch of its new
Phantom Limelight, which has features including leather-covered
accessory boxes and handmade fragrance holders.
“This precious brand... occupies a
very special place in the hearts of our
customers here in China,” Rolls-Royce
CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told the
launch ceremony at another
Shanghai art museum.
Schwarzenbauer, member of the
board of management for BMW who
has responsibility for Rolls-Royce.
“We adjusted our production
because Rolls-Royce is the last brand
you want to push: you can’t sell a
Rolls-Royce, a Rolls-Royce has to be
bought.” At the same time, the luxury
and slightly lower-priced “premium”
segment-cars costing under
$197,000 — are facing more competition.
In the premium segment, traditionally strong German manufacturers are now being pitted against US
of both sides. As the row intensified, Seoul ordered
the firms not to yield to pressure, but the South’s
Unification Ministry said three firms had caved in
and signed Sunday a statement promising
Pyongyang to pay the increased wage in the
future. “They will face administrative punitive
action for complying with North Korea’s unilateral
demand,” a ministry official told AFP. Seoul was
also considering delaying monthly payment for
workers-usually made around 20th-until the dispute is settled, the official said. —AFP
ly predicted. Analysts said the topend luxury market might be better
placed to ride out the downturn,
since premier segment cars that are
favorites for government officials
and fleet-such as Audi-are now
being targeted by an austerity campaign.
“There is quite a large segment of
China, the young ultra-rich who
want a Lamborghini or Ferrari,” said
Namrita Chow, principal analyst for
IHS Automotive in London. “They’re
unlikely to be dented by these current scandals.” —AFP
TPP free-trade deal still away
despite US, Japan urgency
China’s bank move highlights US need to win in region
TOKYO: Japan and the US emerged from
marathon talks on a Pacific-wide free trade area
claiming to be within reach of a deal yesterday,
but analysts say they remain far apart on a project
that neither can afford to see fail.
China’s unexpected success courting dozens
of nations for its Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) has highlighted its rising power and
the need for Washington to get a win in the
region, after years of criticism that its so-called
“pivot to Asia” was empty rhetoric.
Tokyo needs the cover that the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) affords to force through reforms
to its sclereotic agriculture sector, one key element of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bid to revive
his country’s economy.
After talks that lasted until 3:00 am in Tokyo,
US Trade Representative Michael Froman told
reporters that gaps over the biggest sticking
points of agricultural imports and auto sector
access have been “substantially narrowed”.
Abe told the Wall Street Journal: “We think that
S Korea to punish firms who
bowed to North’s wage pressure
SEOUL: South Korea said yesterday it would punish three factory owners for bowing to North
Korean pressure in a wage dispute over workers at
the Kaesong joint industrial zone. The North unilaterally announced in February a wage hike for
the more than 50,000 North Korean workers
employed by South Korean firms operating in
Kaesong, just north of the inter-Korean border.
South Korea demurred, insisting that under a
previous accord, employment conditions in the
zone could only be adjusted with the agreement
brands, such General Motors’
Cadillac and Ford’s Lincoln. Lincoln,
which only launched in China in late
2014, showed off a concept for its
Continental sedan at the Shanghai
auto show, as well as two SUVs.
“This year, next year, China could
become the biggest luxury car market,” Ford CEO Mark Fields confident-
TOKYO: US Trade Representative Michael Froman (front left) leaves after talks with
Japanese counterpart in Tokyo early yesterday. The US and Japan need further work to
resolve differences on autos and farm exports that are hindering progress toward a
Pacific Rim trade deal, Froman said yesterday. —AP
an agreement between Japan and the US is close,
but we’re hoping that even more progress will be
made.”
“It would be good if I could reach an agreement during my meeting with the president, but
when you climb a mountain, the last step is always
the hardest,” Abe said, referring to his summit next
week in Washington with Barack Obama.
The ambitious 12-nation TPP would, if realized,
encompass 40 percent of the global economy,
largely through the participation of the United
States and Japan-the world’s biggest and third
biggest economies, but not China, the second
largest. Negotiations on the pact have been
bogged down for more than 18 months, with
agreement between Tokyo and Washington proving elusive. For Tokyo, getting around its powerful
agricultural lobby is tricky-but it is an end as well
as a means because reducing farmers’ collective
political power would bring economic dividends
for Japan.
‘Tough hurdles’
Despite the positive noises coming from both
camps yesterday, analysts say the gap remains
wide, particularly on rice and autos-sacred cows
for Japan and the US, respectively, with neither
keen to give up tariffs that protect important
domestic industries.
But both are now feeling “a sense of urgency”
about the accord, with China flexing its muscles in
the wings. Beijing has countered with its own rival
bid for a common trade region in east and southeast Asia. “The growing Chinese presence in the
region has prompted Japan and the United States
to speed up talks,” said Masayuki Kubota, chief
strategist at Rakuten Securities in Tokyo. —AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
BUSINESS
European stocks struggle on data, Greek fears
LONDON: European stocks mostly slid yesterday, with Athens plunging after the
Greek government ordered all public agencies to hand over financial reserves to help
meet urgent debt repayments.
The ATHEX benchmark index of top
companies slumped 3.40 percent to 704.89
points in volatile trade, making it the worst
performer in the region.
Elsewhere, London’s FTSE 100 index slid
0.06 percent to 7,048 points in late morning deals and in Paris the CAC 40 reversed
0.12 percent to 5,181.30 points. Frankfurt’s
DAX 30 index trimmed earlier gains but
held in positive territory to stand at 11,946
points, up 0.46 percent from Monday’s
closing level.
And the euro retreated to $1.0675 from
$1.0741 late in New York on Monday.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s cashstrapped government had launched an
appeal in March for public agencies to turn
over their reserves on a voluntary basis.
But the call now looks set to become com-
pulsory and will also affect local authorities. “ Yet again, the focus for markets
turned towards Greece as anxiety mounts
over the threat of Greece leaving the eurozone,” said dealer Amir Khan at traders
Currencies Direct.
“Liquidity problems in Greece have
turned acute and in a hastened move,
Prime Minister Tsipras passed a law that
requires state entities to provide funding
to banks to shore up their reserves.
“Not surprisingly, the euro continued to
make losses and markets are positioning themselves ... as Greece could
default on debt repayments.”
Greece is struggling to unlock some
7.2 billion euros in bailout funds. But
Athens and its international creditors
have so far been unable to find an
agreement on the reforms that need
to be undertaken in exchange for the
rescue package.
‘Collecting coins’
“Despite the looming Eurogroup
meeting at the end of the week to discuss Greece’s finances, traders are
confident the indebted nation will be
given yet another chance,” added IG
trader David Madden.
“Athens has been hoovering up any
spare cash from local authorities to
show ... it means business; however,
this is the political equivalent of collecting coins that have fallen down
the back of the couch, but it may save
them yet.”
Across in Frankfurt, a leading survey showed that German investor sentiment fell for the first time in six
months in April as weak global growth
weighed on confidence.
The widely watched investor confidence index calculated by the ZEW
economic institute slipped by 1.5
points to 53.3 points in April, disappointing analysts’ expectations for a
further increase this month, ZEW said
in a statement. “The German economy
is in good shape. A stable labor market and increasing wages are
strengthening confidence and boosting consumption,” said ZEW president
Clemens Fuest.
“However, the current weakness of
the world economy is dampening
export prospects and reducing the
scope for further improvements of the
economic situation in Germany.”
European indices had rebounded
Monday after China announced a raft
of stimulus measures to bolster
growth.
Asia higher
Asian equities mostly rose yesterday after overnight gains on Wall
Street, with investors also keeping an
eye on Europe as Greece struggles to
pay off its debts.
Hong Kong surged 2.79 percent,
Tokyo stocks jumped 1.40 percent and
Shanghai rallied 1.82 percent. The
gains reversed some of the losses suffered on Monday, partly on fears
about Greece’s future in the euro-
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
BUSINESS
Mercedes-Benz retains ‘World Car of the Year’ title
Luxury carmaker earns triple success at 2015 World Car Awards
KUWAIT: Following a successful start
to the year globally, Mercedes-Benz
garnered three awards at the recent
World Car Awards, including the coveted 2015 World Car of the Year, this time
for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The luxury automotive marquee scooped the
same award in 2014 for its flagship SClass. The M ercedes-Benz S- Class
CoupÈ was also declared the 2015
World Luxury Car, while the MercedesAMG GT earned its rightful accolade as
the 2015 World Performance Car. The
2015 World Car Awards are organized
in association with New York
International Auto Show, Bridgestone
Corporation and Autoneum and
judged by an international jury panel.
The Mercedes-Benz C- Class was
chosen from an initial entry list of 24
vehicles from around the world, progressing to the short list of twelve,
before being selected as one of three
finalists. The World Car Awards jurors
recognized the C-Class for taking its
design and technological cues from
the S- Class but at the same time
employing an all-new aluminium/steel
hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrain that delivers levels of
refinement, luxury, safety, ride and
handling to challenge the best-inclass.
“We’re really proud of our accomplishments - being the only automobile manufacturer to make it into the
final round of the awards with five
models nominated and being selected
for three awards is a remark able
achievement for us. The MercedesBenz C-Class embodies modern automotive luxury, delivers top performance and offers high levels of quality,
comfort and safety. We’re also proud to
see the S-Class Coupe named the 2015
World Luxury Car and the Mercedes-
AMG GT as the 2015 World
Per formance Car,” said Dirk Fetzer,
Direc tor of Sales & M arketing at
Daimler Middle East & Levant.
Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to the
World Car Awards program - now in its
11th year. This is the second consecutive year that Mercedes-Benz has won
the World Luxury Car title. The company won last year’s inaugural award for
the S-Class when the new category
was created to acknowledge higherpriced premium models selling in
more limited numbers worldwide. The
company has also won t wo World
Green Car awards for the S 250 CDI
Blue EFFICIENCY in 2012 and for the
Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec in 2007.
S-Class: True design and
technological icon
This year’s World Luxury Car winner
was chosen from an initial entry list of
12 prestigious cars from all over the
world, with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Coupe reaching the finals against the
BMW i8 and the R ange Rover
Autobiography Black LWB. The World
Car Awards jurors deemed the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class CoupÈ the 2015
World Luxury Car for its exceptional
marriage of design and technology.
Mercedes-AMG GT: Driving performance for sports car enthusiast
Candidates for the World
Performance Car award are required to
demonstrate a specific and over t
sports/performance orientation while
meeting the same availability criteria
as for the World Car of the Year award.
The Mercedes-AMG GT was chosen
from an initial entry list of 12 cars from
all over the world, shortlisted to 10
cars, before reaching the finals against
the BMW M4 Coupe/M3 Sedan and
Jaguar F-Type R Coupe. Its on-road
presence alone is almost enough to
qualify it as a ‘ Top 3’ finalist, but in
addition to its ruggedly handsome
looks it has an impressive spec sheet
comprising biturbo 4.0-litre V8 engine,
seven speed dual-clutch transmission,
456bhp (minimum) and much more.
Vehicles are selected and reviewed
by a panel of judges comprised of 75
top-level automotive journalists from
22 countries around the world. Each
juror was appointed by the World Car
Steering Committee on the basis of his
or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically
drives and evaluates new vehicles on a
regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective
outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide. The
international accounting firm KPMG
tabulates the jurors’ ballots.
Russia adapting to new
economic reality: PM
MOSCOW: Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev said yesterday Russia was suffering significant economic problems because
of international sanctions, but the situation
could have been much worse and Russia
was adapting.
Referring to Western sanctions imposed
last year because of Russia’s actions in
Ukraine, Medvedev told parliament: “Losses
from the restrictions which were introduced are significant.
“According to the estimates of some foreign experts, Russia has suffered losses of
25 billion euros ($26.7 billion) in total,
which is 1.5 percent of gross domestic
product, and in 2015 it could increase several times,” he said in an annual speech to
parliament about the government’s record.
Medvedev said Russia’s economy had
contracted by around 2 percent in the first
quarter, but that the economic situation
could have been far worse and was stabilizing.
He linked the sanctions to Russia’s
takeover of the Ukrainian province of
Crimea a year ago, but said the “historic”
step had been justified. “For many the
return of Crimea was the restoration of historic justice, which in its significance is
equivalent to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the
reunification of Germany or the return to
China of Hong Kong and Macao,” he said.
Although the economic situation was
stabilizing, “there should not be any illusions” about the difficulties, which had
been made worse by the collapse in international oil prices and “by several domestic
problems that we weren’t able to solve”.
However, Russia had seen worse in the past
and could cope, Medvedev said. “If external
pressure intensifies, and oil prices remain at
an extremely low level for a long time, we
will have to develop in a new economic
reality,” he said.
“I am convinced that we will be able to
live even in such a reality. The experience of
the recent period has shown that we have
learnt how to do this.” — Reuters
Venezuelan delegation visits
Iran, Saudi in OPEC price push
KHOBAR: Venezuela’s oil minister heads a
delegation to meet Saudi Arabian oil officials yesterday, coming from talks in Iran, in
an OPEC diplomatic tour as its need for
higher oil prices gains urgency.
Suffering from a slowing economy, soaring inflation and shortages, producer
Venezuela is among the members of the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries most deeply wounded by the oil
price fall. Its need for OPEC to cut supply to
support prices has failed to shift the stance
of Saudi Arabia and its Gulf OPEC allies,
which are focusing on protecting market
share.
An industry source told Reuters a visiting oil sector delegation from Venezuela
will meet Saudi Deputy Oil Minister Prince
Abdulaziz bin Salman in Saudi Arabia yesterday. Iran’s state news agency IRNA
reported yesterday that Venezuelan Oil
Minister Asdrubal Chavez had met Iranian
Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran, for
talks that included the prospect of higher
Iranian supplies.
“We expect the members of OPEC to
pave the ground for (an) increase of Iran’s
oil production that will reach global markets when sanctions are lifted,” Zanganeh
said during the meeting, the agency
reported.
The Venezuelan delegation will meet
Prince Abdulaziz because Saudi Oil Minister
Ali Al-Naimi had been visiting South Korea.
No further details were immediately available, and there was no immediate comment from the Saudi government.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry said on
its Twitter account on Monday that the oil
minister, plus Foreign Minister Delcy
Rodriguez and Finance Minister Rodolfo
Marco Torres had arrived in Saudi Arabia “to
hold bilateral and working meetings”. It did
not elaborate. Oil prices have almost
halved since June last year in a drop that
deepened after OPEC refused to cut production. The price slide is more painful for
countries such as Venezuela and Iran than
the wealthier Gulf states.
In January, a diplomatic tour by
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro tak-
ing in Saudi Arabia as well as fellow OPEC
members Qatar and Algeria failed to soften
the refusal of the Gulf OPEC countries to
cut output. OPEC meets on June 5. Iran and
a Libyan OPEC official have urged the
group to consider output cuts, while
Kuwait - in a view expected to be that of
the other Gulf OPEC members - has said
the policy will remain unchanged. - Reuters
FRANKFURT: Investor sentiment in
Germany fell for the first time in six months
in April on concerns about weak global
growth, a survey showed yesterday, but
analysts were confident that recovery in
Europe’s biggest economy remains intact.
The widely watched investor confidence
index calculated by the ZEW economic
institute slipped by 1.5 points to 53.3
points in April, disappointing analysts’
expectations for a further increase this
month, ZEW said in a statement.
But the think tank insisted that the shallow dip was no cause for alarm. “ The
German economy is in good shape. A stable labor market and increasing wages are
strengthening confidence and boosting
consumption,” said ZEW president Clemens
Fuest.
“However, the current weakness of the
world economy is dampening export
prospects and reducing the scope for further improvements of the economic situation in Germany,” Fuest explained.
For the survey, ZEW questions analysts
and institutional investors about their current assessment of the economic situation
in Germany, as well as their expectations
for the coming months.
And confidence about the current situation is improving sharply. The sub-index
measuring financial market players’ view of
the current economic situation in Germany
jumped by 15.1 points to 70.2 points in
April, its highest level since July 2011.
“The April reading of ZEW only disappointed at first glance,” said BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar. “Overall, the data are
positive. The German economy remains on
a recovery path and the framework conditions-a weak euro and low oil prices-continue to be favorable,” Kipar said.—AFP
ATHENS: CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller (center), gestures as he speaks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (left) and
Greek Environment Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis (right) during their meeting in Athens yesterday. — AFP
Euro-zone steers away from
new deadlines for Greece
BRUSSELS: Euro-zone finance ministers will not set
any deadline for Greece to come up with reforms
to get more funding because such time limits lead
to brinkmanship in negotiations, a senior euro
zone official said yesterday.
Greece, which is quickly running out of cash,
pledged to its euro zone partners in February that
by the end of April it would agree with creditors on
a comprehensive list of reforms to get 7.2 billion
euros remaining from its bailout. Euro-zone officials had expected the list to be presented to euro
zone finance ministers this Friday in Riga. This
would allow for a faster disbursement of cash to
Athens, helping the debt-laden country avoid
default on loan repayments on May 12.
But no package will be ready by then and it is
also unlikely it will be ready by the end of the
month. This is mainly because in the past weeks
Greece has not been providing the creditors with
the financial data they seek or saying clearly what
reforms it plans.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet
German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a European
Union summit on migration tomorrow and the two
are expected to discuss the funding crisis. Speaking
in Vienna, European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker urged Greece to step up efforts to
strike a deal with its, warning that talks were not
advanced enough to find a quick solution.
A senior euro-zone official involved in the talks
said there had been some improvement in negotiations very recently, but not enough for a deal.
“There is a clear pickup in activity, there is a
clear pick up in engagement, but we are a significant way away from a signal that a result is in sight,”
the official said.
“(But) the use of deadlines, which leads to certain brinkmanship and unnecessary excitement,
will not be done again.”
CASH CRUNCH
In a sign of how extreme the financial constraints have become, Athens on Monday ordered
state entities, ranging from municipalities to a fund
meant for future generations, to park idle cash at
the central bank. The official said such a step would
help Greece’s liquidity.
“With the decree that was passed yesterday the
situation, within the limits that there are, is well
manageable,” he said. But reaching an agreement
with creditors on a comprehensive package of
reforms by the end of April was unlikely, despite
one more week left after the Riga meeting.
“If you want to present some kind of comprehensive agreement to the authorities and the institutions, analyse it, send it to the Euro Working
Group to work on it, which then filters out the
political questions for the Eurogroup to debate, it
will be extremely difficult to keep the deadline of
April 30,” he said. The problem was not ideological
differences between Tsipras’s left-wing government and the euro zone, but rather lack of information.
“I do not see any ideological fights,” the official
said. “We need to know exactly what out of the
whole program are the 70 percent which Greece
has said was acceptable, or which are the 30 percent that are not, and once we have a firm picture
of that, we can start discussing that,” the official
said.
“We are not there yet, and if there ever were to
be such a ‘fight’, the preconditions for it have not
been created,” he said. The bailout and the financing it offers expires on June 30. — Reuters
German investor sentiment slips slightly
FRANKFURT: Investor sentiment in Germany fell
for the first time in six months in April on concerns
about weak global growth, a survey showed yesterday, but analysts were confident that recovery in
Europe’s biggest economy remains intact. The
widely watched investor confidence index calculated by the ZEW economic institute slipped by 1.5
points to 53.3 points in April, disappointing analysts’ expectations for a further increase this month,
ZEW said in a statement.
But the think tank insisted that the shallow dip
was no cause for alarm. “The German economy is in
good shape. A stable labor market and increasing
wages are strengthening confidence and boosting
consumption,” said ZEW president Clemens Fuest.
“However, the current weakness of the world
economy is dampening export prospects and
reducing the scope for further improvements of
the economic situation in Germany,” Fuest
explained.
For the survey, ZEW questions analysts and
institutional investors about their current assessment of the economic situation in Germany, as well
as their expectations for the coming months.
And confidence about the current situation is
improving sharply. The sub-index measuring finan-
cial market players’ view of the current economic
situation in Germany jumped by 15.1 points to 70.2
points in April, its highest level since July 2011.
“The April reading of ZEW only disappointed at
first glance,” said BayernLB economist Stefan Kipar.
“Overall, the data are positive. The German economy remains on a recovery path and the framework
conditions-a weak euro and low oil prices-continue
to be favorable,” Kipar said.
“Germany is doing fine,” agreed Berenberg Bank
economist Holger Schmieding. “In fact, it may now
be doing so well that some observers believe it
can’t get much better,” he said.—AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
BUSINESS
Warba Bank’s net profit
grows 148% in Q1 2015
Bank on path for sustainable growth: Al-Thaqeb
VIVA launches new data plan
for postpaid customers
KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing
and most developed telecom operator,
announced yesterday the launch of its new
KD 11 Data Plan, presented through a specially tailored package.
Upon subscribing to this offer, VIVA customers are presented with a daily capacity
of 3.5 GB, a free 4G LTE mini router and a
free iPad Mini. The monthly postpaid plan
will be for only KD 11 with a 24-month contract. Customers can also subscribe to the
new plan through VIVA’s E-Store, whereby
customers will be able to conveniently
select a preferred delivery date for the
products they purchased which will be
delivered right to their door step.
VIVA continuously presents its customers, both prepaid and postpaid, with
the exciting packages that offer excellence
in quality of service with added value for
money. As a market leader, VIVA is committed to providing differentiated services that
grants its customers a unique experience.
VIVA is the fastest-growing telecom
operator in Kuwait. Launched in December
2008, VIVA makes things Possible for its
customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market
through its customer centric approach.
VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of
choice in Kuwait by being transparent,
engaging, energetic and fulfilling. VIVA
continues to take a considerable share of
the market by offering an innovative range
of best value products, services and content propositions; a state of the art, nationwide network and world-class service. VIVA
offers internet speeds of more than 100
Mbps, due to the implementation of the
most advanced fourth generation (4G LTE)
network in Kuwait resulting in superior coverage, performance and reliability.
KUWAIT: Warba Bank announced
its financial results yesterday for the
three -month period ended March
31, 2015, indicating strong growth
across the bank’s business. The
bank achieved operating revenues
at 32 percent growth rate amounting KD 5.017 million by the end of
the first quarter 2015 compared to
KD 3.805 million for the same period 2014. During 1st Q 2015, Warba
Bank achieved net profit at growth
rate of 148 percent amounting KD
77 thousand dinars compared to a
loss of KD 162,000 for the same
period 2014.
The Bank’s total assets increased
in the 1st Q 2015 at 46 percent
reaching KD 627 million compared
to KD 429 million for the same period 2014. The customers and banks’
deposits increased at 59 percent at
the end of the 1st Q 2015 reaching
KD 531 million compared to
deposits of KD 334 million as on
March 31, 2014.
The Bank’s financing portfolio
reached KD 392.1 million at the end
of the 1st Q 2015, at an increase of
44 percent compared to the 1st Q
2014. The high quality of the Bank’s
financing portfolio is attributable
to the low ratio of default finances
at only 0.25 percent while the coverage ratio reached 565 percent at
the end of the 1st Q 2015.
Revenues from financing and
deposits increased in the 1st Q
2015 to reach KD 4.42 million compared to KD 2.74 million for the
same period 2014 at an increase of
61 percent. This is one of the key
positive indicators illustrating the
Bank’s robust operations. It should
be noted that the net profit for the
1st Q 2015 represents 67 percent of
the net profits for the whole 2014.
Warba Bank has a strong financial position and high quality
assets. This is clearly reflected by
the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR),
exceeding the required limit as per
Basel III and Central Bank of Kuwait
(CBK) instructions. This will drive
Warba’s future business growth and
enhances its capacity to seize
appropriate investment opportunities yielding the highest returns to
enhance the Bank’s position in the
Islamic banking sector in the
region, we have prepared our new
strategy for the next three years till
2017. This strategy will serve as an
ambitious roadmap to enhance the
Bank and develop its performance
Emad A Al-Thaqeb
Jassar Al-Jassar
shareholders.
Commenting on the results,
Emad A Al-Thaqeb, Warba Bank
Chairman, said: “ The outstanding
performance of the Bank during
the 1st Q 2015 reflects Kuwait
strong economy and the great
potentials for the banking sector in
the Country. Despite the tough
conditions at the region, the huge
challenges at local, regional and
global markets, and the intense
competition among banks, Warba
could convert to profitability illustrating the significant improvement
in the Bank’s per formance and
assets’ operational efficiency.”
He added: “During the past
three years, Warba Bank has been
able to achieve the key objectives
of the adopted sustainable growth
strategy within the framework of
sound corporate governance practices and risk management. As part
of our continuous pursuit to
and competitive capabilities by
implementing best practices in the
sector, innovating banking products and services, developing the
Bank’s role in the local market and
maintaining a solid financial position that safeguards the Bank’s
shareholders. This is in addition to
our endeavors for expansion in the
domestic market and entering into
new ones in the region that will
contribute in our search for lucrative investment opportunities to
boost Bank’s growth for the benefit
of both shareholders and customers alike.”
Jassar Al-Jassar, Warba Bank Vice
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
said: “Our performance during the
first quarter this year is remarkable
in terms of financial growth indicators and enhancing the our capital
position. Profits have been the outcome of increased revenues from
the operational activity. The capital
adequacy ratio exceeded the limit
mandated by both CBK and Basel III
instructions thus enhancing the
Bank’s position in the local market
and driving it to achieve the set
goals.” He added: “While we look
forward to the coming months of
2015, we will continue to develop
and introduce innovative new
products and services that meet
our customers’ various needs and
contribute in strengthening the
Bank’s position and path to sustainable growth to ensure that Warba
continues in playing a leading and
effective role in driving the development of Kuwait economy.”
Warba strives to implement an
ambitious growth plan for expanding in Kuwait market, enhancing its
online banking services, developing web portal and launching
smart phone applications aiming to
save customers’ time and efforts,
facilitate their banking transactions
at the highest safety and security
standards. In addition, the Bank
improves free SMS Alert and provides Warba POS devices.
In addition, the Bank continuously endeavors to develop the Call
Center, increase its efficiency and
applications and train its staff. This
resulted in Warba’s winning “Best
Call Centre Award -2014” from
Banker Middle East Magazine for
Banking Products and Services in
Kuwait. This Award is an addition to
the Bank’s achievements record.
In addition to the Bank’s operational activity, Warba continuously
focuses on investing in human
resources and the recruitment of
national talents. The Bank managed to attract and train young
Kuwaiti cadres to work at various
sectors. The Bank also places significant stress for employing best
Kuwaiti calibers at the executive
management level, which actually
exceeds 75 percent.
Al-Mazaya Holding completes
3,131 residential apartments
KUWAIT: Al-Thurayya winner receiving the car from Venkat Menon, Burgan Bank
Chief retail Banking Officer.
Hamad Al-Dhuwaihi
Burgan Bank’s new winner
in Al-Thuraya draw
KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently announced
its Thuraya Account winner of the Audi R8
sports car. The winner Hamad Abdulaziz AlDhuwaihi expressed his excitement for
being the new winner of the Audi R8 with
Al-Thuraya Salary Account from Burgan
Bank. Al-Thuraya Account is the only salary
account in Kuwait that provides its customers with the chance to win Audi R8 Car
on a quarterly basis. The account aims at
raising the frequency of customers winning
one of the world’s most admired sports
cars.
Al-Thuraya Account’s features range
from the option to hold money in Kuwaiti
dinar and any other major currency, access
to account-related services such as standing orders, loans and credit cards and much
more. The account has been further developed in response to offering more benefits
and increasing customers’ chances to win.
Opening an Al-Thuraya account is simple;
customers are required to visit their nearest
Burgan Bank branch and obtain all the necessary details, or simply call the bank’s Call
Center 1804080.
Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the
youngest commercial Bank and second
largest by assets in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and financial
institutions sectors, as well as having a
growing retail, and private bank customer
base. Burgan Bank has five majority owned
subsidiaries, which include Jordan Kuwait
Bank, Gulf Bank Algeria, Burgan Bank Turkey, Bank of Baghdad, Tunis
International Bank, in which Burgan Bank
owns a majority stake. Burgan Bank Group
has one of the largest regional branch networks with more than 231 branches across
Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan, Algeria, Iraq, Tunis,
Lebanon and Palestine.
The Bank has continuously improved its
performance over the years through an
expanded revenue structure, diversified
funding sources, and a strong capital base.
The adoption of state-of-the-art services
and technology has positioned it as a
trendsetter in the domestic market and
within the MENA region. Burgan Bank’s
brand has been created on a foundation of
real values - of trust, commitment, excellence and progression, to remind us of the
high standards to which we aspire. ‘People
come first’ is the foundation on which its
products and services are developed.
Aramco board visits
S Korean shipbuilder
SEOUL: Board members of Saudi Aramco
visited the headquarters of South Korea’s
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd yesterday,
as the shipping arm of Saudi Arabia’s state
oil firm looks to buy up to 10 tankers, four
industry sources said.
Saudi Arabia has been supplying more
crude to Asian markets and Saudi Aramco’s
shipping arm has tendered to build 5 very
large crude carriers (VLCCs) plus up to 5
optional vessels for 2017 delivery, said one
of the sources. All of the vessels the
National Shipping Company of Saudi
Arabia (Bahri) is seeking are 320,000 deadweight tons.
The deal could be worth about $1 billion, based on data from Clarkson, the
British shipbroking house, which puts the
price of the tankers of this size at $96.5 million. Hyundai Heavy, the world’s biggest
shipbuilder, is favorite to secure the deal,
said three sources, who declined to be
identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
A spokesman for STX Offshore &
Shipbuilding Co Ltd confirmed it had competed in the final round of bidding, but
declined to elaborate. Saudi Aramco said it
could not immediately comment, while
Bahri was not immediately available for
comment.—Reuters
KUWAIT: Al-Mazaya Holding announced the
launch of Q-Line, a new residential project for middle income groups in Dubai. The announcement
was made in a press conference that was held in
The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dubai, yesterday. The
launch of Q-Line comes on the back of the success
made by Al Mazayaat Queue Point located in
Dubai Land, which consists of 52 buildings for
middle income groups.
The press conference was attended by Rashid
Al-Nafisi, Chairman of Al-Mazaya Holding, Eng
Ibrahim Al Soq’abi, Group CEO of Al-Mazaya, Eng
Salwa Malhas, Chief Marketing and Business
Development Officer and Khalid Abdul Latif,
Acting CEO of Al Mazaya Company in Dubai.
The conference began with a welcome speech
delivered by the Chairman of Al-Mazaya Holding,
in which he commended the Dubai market and
spoke about how Al-Mazaya was welcomed in a
warm reception and supported by government
authorities and the private sector in Dubai. He
launched the company’s new project “Q-Line”
then, attendees watched a video about Al
Mazaya’s achievements, with a particular focus on
the new Queue Point project.
The Group CEO delivered a detailed presentation about the company’s services, projects and
achievements in 2014 and the upcoming projects
in 2015. Al-Soq’abi pointed to the company’s positive results in the first quarter of 2015, which was
announced only a week ago. The company
achieved a 16.6 percent growth in its profit, compared to the corresponding period in 2014 and a
175 percent increase in operating revenues generated from sale and lease operations.
At the end of the press conference, Al Mazaya
honored its strategic partners, including a number
of officials in Dubai government departments and
media representatives from the GCC countries in
recognition of their outstanding efforts which
have significantly contributed to the success of Al
Mazaya Holding in recent years.
In his speech at the press conference, Rashid
Al-Nafisi, Chairman of Al-Mazaya Holding,
expressed his pride of the tremendous achievements made by Al-Mazaya in different markets
over the last few years, reiterating that these
achievements will have a positive short-term
impact on the company’s financial results. He said:
“Al-Mazaya Holding is striving to raise its profile in
the real estate market as one of the Middle East’s
leading real estate developers. The company is
keen to seize the best and most feasible opportunities to generate the best returns on investments,
while ensuring the delivery of the best services in
accordance with the highest international standards in this vibrant sector. We have an increasing
demand from end users in the thriving real estate
market in the UAE in general and Dubai, in particular”.
He added: “Al-Mazaya has made new additions
to its project portfolio by launching large-scale
projects that meet the demand of local markets
and enable different social groups to own residential units at reasonable prices. Most prominent of
these offerings are the Queue Point which targets
the middle income group and the Q-Line residential project which is set to complete the resounding success made by our projects in the UAE”.
Eng. Ibrahim Al-Soq’abi, Group CEO of AlMazaya Holding, said: “Q-Line comes on the back
of the increasing demand for residential units in
Queue Point by investors and buyers, being a
leading project that offers an integrated residential environment, with high quality services, state
of the art infrastructure and vibrant facilities that
meet the aspirations of a large group of buyers.
The project boasts a strategic location on the junction between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road
and Al Ain Road”.
Location
Al-Soq’abi added: “Q-Line reflects Al-Mazaya’s
commitment to meet the market demand by
offering projects for all groups of society and providing high quality residential projects at reasonable rates Q-Line is a high end multi-building project strategically situated in the heart of Dubai
Land, the future tourism destination in Dubai, at
the junction between Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayed Road and Al-Ain Road, neighboring Dubai
Academic City and Dubai Silicon Oasis. The project
is inspired by the urban architecture model of San
Francisco City, comprising of four buildings, ranging in height from 9 to 14 stories tall. It spreads
over a total area of 150,000 square feet, consisting
of residential units at affordable prices, ranging
from studio, one bedroom and two bedroom
apartments with stunning designs that combine
convenience with elegance. The project is surrounded by green spaces that reflect the lovely
modern lifestyle. Studio apartments ranged from
369 to 970 square feet, one bedroom apartments
from 780 to 1485 square feet and the two bedroom apartments from 1109 to 1462 square feet.
The project is scheduled for completion in 2017”.
Queue Point is a 52-residential building project
located in Dubai Land and targets middle income
groups. Moreover, Al-Mazaya owns 29 plots of
land being developed by third party investors.
Construction of the projects is progressing in full
swing and Al-Mazaya has already sold 80 percent
of the residential units in Queue Point and completed 75 percent of the units. The project is developed in Al Liwan in Dubai Land over a total area of
13 million square feet.
Recognizing and honoring success partners:
During the press conference, Chairman of AlMazaya accompanied by the Group CEO honored
the successful partners, and presented commemorative plaques to them in recognition of their
outstanding contribution to real estate sector and
developers in the UAE. The list of honorees included Dubai Lands Department, Real Estate
Regulatory Authority (RERA), Dubai Properties
Group, Mashreq Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank,
Dubai Islamic Bank, Place Community Managers,
Harbor Real Estate, FAM Properties, Options
Furniture and Sahara Media Consultancies.
Al-Mazaya has also honored a number of GCC
media conglomerates in the region, in recognition
of their outstanding efforts and the significant role
they have played in serving the real estate sector
and disseminating the truth to audience in a
straightforward, unbiased and professional manner.
SAP Q1 profit in line as sales surge, aided by cheap euro
FRANKFURT: German business software maker
SAP reported a 15 percent rise in operating profit
helped by a cheap euro, even as rising investment
in newer cloud-based software squeezed its profit
margin. Europe’s largest software company said
on Tuesday first-quarter operating profit, excluding special items, rose to 1.06 billion euros ($1.13
billion), matching the average expectation in a
Reuters poll.
First-quarter revenue rose 22 percent to 4.5 bil-
lion euros, helped by currency effects, solid business in European markets and the $7.3 billion
acquisition of Concur, the expenses software maker. That beat the average analyst expectation of
4.25 billion euros in the Reuters poll. SAP shares
are indicated to open 1.1 percent higher, outperforming the German blue chip index, which is
seen opening 0.6 percent higher, according to
premarket data from brokerage Lang & Schwarz.
“Top-line really strong, but bottom-line disap-
pointing,” a Frankfurt-based trader said.
SAP’s results were in some ways the mirror
opposite of US technology services giant IBM,
which on Monday posted its twelfth quarter of
revenue decline as it sheds unprofitable businesses to focus on cloud computing. Excluding the
effect of currencies, SAP operating profit dropped
2 percent, while operating margin fell to 23.5 percent from 24.8 percent in the same period last
year.— Reuters
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
TECHNOLOGY
Americans say cellphone cameras not changing police conduct
NEW YORK: Americans are evenly divided on whether the widespread use of
smartphone cameras will improve police
behavior and think it has done little to
change police conduct so far, according
to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday. Against the backdrop of such
footage as that of a white South Carolina
police officer fatally shooting a black
man in the back earlier this month, 42
percent of Americans said police behav-
ior would improve and an equal number
said it would not, the poll found.
Among respondents, 56 percent said
police were not behaving better so far
because they could be caught on video,
the poll said.
A series of incidents in the United
States in which white police officers
killed unarmed black men prompted
protests in many cities and sparked
debate over police conduct toward
blacks and other minorities.
Some incidents were captured on
video. One showed Walter Scott being
shot in the back while running from
police in North Charleston, South
Carolina, after a traffic stop. Another
showed Eric Garner, who died after New
York City police put him in a chokehold
while trying to arrest him.
The online poll of 2,446 US adults
showed Americans remained ambiva-
lent on the impact of cameras on their
own behavior. Fifty-nine percent agreed
with the statement: “I like how camera
phones make people more accountable
for their actions.”
At the same time, 47 percent agreed
it was an invasion of privacy for people
to be constantly filming with their
phones.
The poll showed most respondents
did not think people were generally
behaving better because of omnipresent
cameras, and most said they were not
behaving better either.
Neither are politicians behaving better, or likely to do so in the future,
because of cellphone cameras, according to poll respondents. The poll was
conducted April 10 through April 17. The
credibility interval, used to measure its
precision, was plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. — Reuters
UK chip designer ARM hits
a high after iPhone 6 boost
LONDON: ARM Holdings, the British chip
designer favoured by Apple, beat expectations for first-quarter profit thanks to
demand for the iPhone 6, and said its royalties would grow as its latest technology is
used in more smartphones.
Shares in the Cambridge-based company rose to an all-time high of 1,233 pence
after it posted a 24 percent rise in firstquarter pretax profit to 120.5 million
pounds ($179.1 million).
That beat analysts’ expectations of 115
million pounds, according to a companyprovided consensus.
The shares were up 4.6 percent at 1,204
pence at 0717 GMT.
“In the second half of 2015 we expect to
benefit from the increasing deployment of
ARMv8-A technology, our latest generation
of processors, in the newest smartphones
and tablets,” Chief Financial Officer Tim
Score said yesterday.
“These chips typically have a slightly
higher royalty rate than the previous generation.”
Royalty revenue, collected a quarter in
arrears from a record 3.8 billion chips
shipped, rose 26 percent on an underlying
basis, ARM said.
Analysts at Citi said they expected fullyear consensus expectations for ARM’s revenue would edge up to reflect the encouraging performance in royalties.
ARM’s processor licensing revenue
dipped 2 percent, missing market forecasts,
but Score said he expected licensing revenue to rise 5-10 percent in the longer
term. Industry-wide revenues had slipped
after a busy fourth quarter, in line with normal seasonal trends, which would be
reflected in its second quarter, Score said.
But overall second-quarter revenue would
be in line with market expectations, which
stand at $354.6 million. —Reuters
Microsoft to launch first
flagship store outside US
SYDNEY: Microsoft yesterday said it will
open its first flagship store outside the
United States in Sydney, as the technology
giant expands its physical footprint to take
on global rivals Apple and Samsung.
Microsoft Australia’s managing director
Pip Marlow said the shop, to be located in
Sydney’s main Pitt Street shopping district,
was a “significant development” for the
American firm.
“This is a significant development for
our business locally as well as globally,”
Marlow said in a statement on the company’s website. “This will be much more than
a store. It will embody the world class innovation that you have come to expect from
Microsoft and be a space where consumers... can visit and learn how to make
the most of their technology.”
A flagship store is commonly seen as a
way for firms to showcase their brand’s
products and have more recently been
adopted by technology companies keen to
establish direct contact with their customers in large, downtown outlets.
The store will be just several hundred
metres from Apple’s flagship shop and a
Samsung outlet, and will reportedly take
up 581 square metres (6,254 square feet)
over two floors.
Marlow did not say when it would open
but The Australian Financial Review said it
would be in time to capture the busy
Christmas shopping period.
The Redmond, Washington-based company announced last year its first flagship
store would be on Fifth Avenue in New
York. The firm has 110 physical stores in the
US, Canada and Puerto Rico and 17 storein-store locations in China. Along with the
flagship shops, they are a reflection of
Microsoft’s push towards a more visible
presence.
Apple said in March it has 453 physical
stores in 16 countries. Microsoft is seeking
to take on the mobile operating systems
space dominated by Apple’s iOS and
Google’s Android. The Windows operating
system for PCs, which was launched in the
1990s, has been a cash cow for Microsoft,
but the platform is lagging in mobile.
Microsoft has also launched its own
mobile devices such as Surface tablets and
Lumia smartphones. —AFP
GREENBELT: A mirror, similar to the one that will be installed on the James Webb Space Telescope is displayed in a clean room at the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. — AFP
Hubble, the telescope that
revolutionized our view of space
GREENBELT: Hubble, the first telescope to revolutionize modern astronomy and change our
view of the universe by offering glimpses of distant galaxies, marks its 25th year in space this
week.
“Hubble absolutely has changed the way
humans look at the universe and our place in it,”
said astronomer Jennifer Wiseman, one of the
telescope’s senior scientists at NASA’s Goddard
Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“It shows us that the universe has been
changing over time, that stars in fact are an integral part of producing the type of element that
we need for life, for planets, for our well-being,”
she told AFP.
Launched on April 24, 1990 aboard the Space
Shuttle Discovery, Hubble orbits the Earth. It
doesn’t travel to faraway stars but instead snaps
incredible pictures of them.
The telescope is the fruit of a collaboration
between NASA and the European Space Agency.
Hubble is celebrated as a triumph these days,
but almost as soon as it was launched, a major
problem was discovered with its main mirror
and it did not become operational until three
years later. Its repair required a special space
shuttle mission in 1993.
After that, the Hubble space telescope
became a veritable legend in its own right,
exploring the depths of space from its circular
path around Earth and transmitting astonishing
images of supernovas, or massive explosions
that occur with the death of a star, and other
celestial bodies.
One of Hubble’s best known images is of the
vast Carina Nebula, an interstellar cloud of dust,
hydrogen gas, helium gas and plasma that lies
some 6,500 light years away from Earth.
Hubble, which is named after the pioneering
American astronomer Edwin Hubble (18891953), has also shown us black holes at the heart
of galaxies scientists did not previously know
existed. The 24,000-pound (10-ton) telescope
has taken more than a million pictures, including
some that have allowed astronomers to more
precisely calculate the age of the universe-about
13.8 billion years old.
Major player
Observations from the Hubble combined
with powerful telescopes on Earth helped astrophysicists confirm in 1998 that the universe
appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate,
which earned two Americans the Nobel Prize for
Physics in 2011.
Other Hubble discoveries include the first
detection of an organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet circling a distant star far from
our galaxy, the Milky Way, and the fact that planetary formation is a relatively common process.
Closer to home, Hubble has advanced knowledge of our own solar system. In March, NASA
announced that Hubble had detected a vast
ocean under the surface of Ganymedes, Jupiter’s
biggest moon, widening the range of known
celestial bodies on which life forms may exist.
“Hubble has been a major player in enabling
people around the world to have a sense of
wonder about the universe that we live in,” said
Wiseman. The spectacular images that Hubble
has sent back have been described as “the most
flamboyantly beautiful artworks of our time,”
according to British art critic Jonathan Jones.
Hubble’s images have made their way into
popular culture, and can be seen in countless
books and even on a Pearl Jam album cover.
Wiseman believes that Hubble still has a few
good years ahead of it, as it is in perfect working
condition since the last visit by space shuttle
astronauts in 2009.
It will continue to operate alongside its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, which
will be 100 times more powerful and should
launch in 2018.
“Just as Hubble rewrote all the astronomy
texts, Webb will rewrite it again,” said NASA
astronomer Matt Greenhouse. —AFP
Sweden opens world’s first
remote air control tower
FUNABASHI: A man rides the newly developed electric motorcycle “Zecoo” during a
test drive event at the Nihon University in Funabashi in suburban Tokyo. The motorcycle can drive 160 kilometres after a 4 hour charge and has a maximum speed of
160kph. Japanese auto maker Autostaff Suehiro started to sell 50 limited units in
Japan, Asia and the Middle East market. — AFP
Uber face lawsuit claiming
bias against blind riders
SAN JOSE: Uber Technologies Inc must
defend against a lawsuit accusing the
popular ride-sharing service of discriminating against blind people by refusing to
transport guide dogs, a federal judge
ruled.
In a decision late Friday night, US
Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in
San Jose, California, said the plaintiffs
could pursue a claim that Uber is a “travel
service” subject to potential liability under
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The judge rejected Uber’s arguments
that the plaintiffs, including the National
Federation of the Blind of California,
lacked standing to sue under the ADA and
state laws protecting the disabled.
Uber was given 14 days to formally
respond to the complaint.
Aaron Zisser, a lawyer for Disability
Rights Advocates in Berkeley, California,
which helped bring the case, said the
plaintiffs are pleased with the decision.
“Uber is a very popular service, and it is
important for riders with service animals
to be able to use it like anyone else,” he
said in a phone interview.
In a statement, Uber said drivers are
told that company policy is to comply
with all laws regarding transportation of
service animals. “The Uber app is built to
expand access to transportation options
for all, including users with visual impairments and other disabilities,” the company
said.
In seeking to dismiss the case, Uber
also said the individual plaintiffs were
required to arbitrate their claims.
Valued at an estimated $40 billion,
Uber says it offers its mobile phone taxihailing service in more than 270 cities and
geographic areas in 56 countries, and can
charge varying prices based on demand.
But the San Francisco-based company
has faced complaints around the world
over how it pays drivers, treats passengers
and ensures safety.
In the discrimination case, the plaintiffs
said federal law requires operators of taxi
services such as Uber to carry service animals
for blind riders, but it knows of more than 40
instances in which Uber drivers refused. They
cited two instances in which Uber drivers
allegedly yelled “no dogs” at riders, and
another in which a Uber driver allegedly
refused a blind woman’s plea to pull over
once she realized he had locked her guide
dog in the trunk of his car.— Reuters
STOCKHOLM: Sweden yesterday inaugurated
the world’s first remote air control tower at the
northern Ornskoldsvik airport, air traffic authorities said.
“The first Remote Tower Services landing!,”
Sweden’s Air Navigation Ser vices (LFV )
announced on Twitter, under a picture taken
from the plane before it landed around noon
(1000 GMT).
The plane flew from the town of Sundsvall to
Ornskoldsvik, around 150 kilometres (95 miles)
to the north. Both the take-off and landing were
guided by the air traffic control tower in
Sundsvall.
According to LFV, cameras and sensors collect live-time information at the Ornskoldvik airport’s remote tower, which is relayed to air traffic controllers in Sundsvall.
.” We are the first in the world to have a
remote tower ... The pilots in the plane were in
contact with the tower in Sundsvall,” LFV’s communications director Elisabeth Lindgren told
public radio SR.
Pilots experienced no difference in their
communication with the tower. “With the help
of technology, air traffic is controlled the same
way as in a traditional tower,” LFV said in a statement.
“It went very safely!,” a SR journalist on board
the first flight told the radio with a laugh after
the landing, one of the 50 passengers on board.
“I held on to the armrest tightly but there
was no problem. And if I understood correctly,
for the pilot it made no difference,” she added.
The two airports were chosen “for geographic
reasons”, Lindgren said without providing further details. The technology is expected to be
gradually rolled out in other airpor ts in
Sweden. —AFP
ABIDJAN: People attend a computer training course, as part of the “Afrique Innovation, reinventer les medias” (Africa innovation, reinvent
media) programme, at the Ecole Superieure Africaine des Technologies et des Communications in Abidjan. In Ivory Coast, only 200,000 out of
23 million inhabitants have an internet subscription, according to the government. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
H E A LT H & S C I E N C E
Mindfulness therapy as good as medication for depression
LONDON: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) may be just as effective as antidepressants in helping prevent people with
chronic depression from relapsing, scientists
said yesterday.
Depression is one of the most common
forms of mental illness, affecting more than
350 million people worldwide. It is ranked by
the World Health Organization as the leading
cause of disability globally.
Treatment usually involves either medication, some form of psychotherapy or a combi-
nation of both. Yet many patients fail to get
better and suffer recurring bouts of illness.
MBCT was developed to help such people
by teaching them skills to recognise and
respond constructively to thoughts and feelings associated with relapse, aiming to prevent
a downward spiral into depression.
In the first large study to compare MBCT
and anti-depressants, researchers found little
difference in outcomes.
In terms of cost, mindfulness training-often
viewed as more costly because it requires
more time with a trained therapist-was not significantly more pricey, particularly when given
in group sessions, the study found.
Richard Byng, a professor at Britain’s
Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of
Medicine and Dentistry, said that, while current
standard treatment for chronic depression is to
keep taking anti-depressants, many people
don’t want to take them for long periods and
others want to avoid side-effects.
In this study, 424 adults with recurrent
major depression who were on maintenance
anti-depressant drugs were randomly
assigned either to come off their anti-depressants slowly and receive MBCT or to stay on
their medication.
While 212 patients continued taking their
anti-depressants, the other 212 attended eight
group mindfulness therapy sessions and were
given daily home practice as well as an option
to have four follow-up sessions over a 12month period.
Study results published in The Lancet medical journal showed that after two years,
relapse rates were similar in both groups-at 44
percent in the therapy group versus 47 percent
in the anti-depressant drug group.
“Whilst this study doesn’t show that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy works any
better than maintenance anti-depressant
medication in reducing the rate of relapse ...
these results suggest a new choice for the millions of people with recurrent depression on
repeat prescriptions,” said Willem Kuyken of
Oxford University, who worked with Byng on
the research. —Reuters
Sierra Leone chimps back
in swing as Ebola retreats
Third of worldwide population killed by Ebola
FREETOWN: In the rising afternoon
humidity 30-year-old Tom sits in the
shade, picking fleas off his neighbour, unaware of how close he came
to losing his home to Ebola.
Tom is a chimpanzee-one of
around 5,000 in Sierra Leone for
whom the tropical fever poses as
deadly a threat as it does to humans.
His rainforest sanctuary in the
verdant hills around the capital
Freetown suddenly found itself
forced to close in August last year as
the virus overwhelmed the human
ping back down to double figures,
and eventually single figures, and
Sierra Leone was able to end curfews, lift travel restrictions, reopen
borders and welcome back
tourists.
“We have had many enquiries
from local and overseas wildlife
lovers asking when we would
reopen and, taking into consideration the falling number of Ebola cases in recent weeks, we have decided
to open up,” programme director
Bala Amarasekaran told AFP.
mates that around a third of the
worldwide population of chimpanzees has been killed by Ebola
si nce it f ir st em erged i n t he
1970s.
The sanctuary-which was losing
almost a third of its income-was
finally able to open on Thursday last
week, and Tom was among the residents welcoming the public back.
“He had been kept as a pet since
a baby and had not interacted with
other chimps since birth,” said
Amarasekaran.
BETHESDA: In this Oct. 24, 2014, file photo, Patient Nina Pham speaks outside of National
Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md. A Texas district judge yesterday, put on hold a hospital operator’s efforts to seek a worker’s compensation claim for Pham who contracted Ebola
while caring for the first US patient to succumb to the deadly disease. —AP
population, killing thousands.
With money running out and
only a skeleton staff looking after
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary,
Tom and around 85 companions
were facing homelessness as the
closure began to look permanent.
“We were all worried about what
our lives would be like if the sanctuary was not opened again,” staff
member Abdul Koroma told AFP,
adding that he and his fellow workers saw the park as “a baby we have
nurtured”. And then one day in
January, everything changed.
Weekly infections began drop-
‘Strongest chimpanzee ever’
The 100-acre (40-hectare) centre
was set up in 1995 to rescue chimpanzees whose families had been
stolen for the pet trade or wiped out
by bushmeat hunters, habitat
destruction and the civil war that
raged until 2001.
“After the outbreak, we decided
not to accept any new chimps due
to the potential risk of bringing the
disease into the sanctuary, which
would have been catastrophic for
the chimps,” said Amarasekaran, a Sri
Lankan.
The Jane Goodall Institute esti-
“He was gradually rehabilitated
in 2014, fed with natural food and
familiarised with the surroundings
and sounds of other chimps. Now
he is just like the man next door.”
The Ebola outbreak is just the latest tumultuous chapter in the
reserve’s 20-year history of heroism,
heartbreak and villainy.
Among a colourful cast of characters to have stayed at Tacugama,
undoubtedly the most infamous is
Bruno, described on the website as
“charismatic, spectacularly imposing
and physically the strongest chimpanzee we have ever had”.
Controversy
Amarasekaran bought the alpha
male for $20 in 1988, when he was a
just a few months old, and named
him after British heavyweight boxer
Frank Bruno.
The centre was plunged into controversy in 2006 when Bruno and a
pack of 31 chimps escaped, attacking
a group of US tourists and killing their
Sierra Leonean driver, according to
witnesses.
Hope for future Most of the chimps returned of
their own accord, but Bruno-who was
said to have personally killed the driver-was never seen again.
“Bruno was never traced and we
can’t say whether he is alive or dead,”
Amarasekaran told AFP.
The reserve also housed Pinkie,
thought to be the world’s only albino
chimpanzee, whose lifeless body was
found in her enclosure in 2002,
although no cause of death has ever
been established.
Unrelated to Pinkie’s case, the
reserve has also been struggling for a
number of years with the mysterious
sudden deaths of a number of chimpanzees.
Staff believe a toxic plant endemic
to the region, identified with the help
of scientists from the Royal Botanic
Gardens in London, may be the culprit but have not ruled out other possibilities.
One positive outcome of the Ebola
crisis, as far as the sanctuary is concerned, is that it has curbed the traditional practice of killing chimpanzees
for bushmeat.
But habitat destruction is a larger
threat to the wild population, with
forest cover barely five percent of
what it was 100 years ago.
The story of Sierra Leone’s chimpanzees may yet get a happy ending,
as conservation efforts helped the
population to double to around 5,500
between 1980 and 2010, according to
the country’s first chimp census.
“We are delighted that we have
bounced back, as it was difficult to
take the decision to shut down. It was
like cutting a life line and it was not
easy,” Amarasekaran said.
“As we prepare to celebrate our
20th anniversary in September, protecting wild chimpanzees and their
habitats through sustainable development remains the key to our
future and this is the legacy we aim
for.” —AFP
WASHINGTON: This September 25, 2013 file photo illustration shows a woman
smoking a ‘Blu’ e-cigarette (electronical cigarette) in Washington, DC. The use
of electronic cigarettes has tripled among young Americans in just a year and
for the first time exceeds that of conventional products. From 2013 to 2014,
the number of students who at least once used the electronic cigarette in the
last month, rose from 4.5 percent to 13.4 percent, from 660,000 to two million
students, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention(CDC). —AFP
Type, frequency of e-cigarette
use linked to quitting smoking
LONDON: Two new studies looking at
whether electronic cigarettes help smokers to quit their deadly habit have found
that while some of them can, it depends
on the type and how often it is used.
The research-welcomed by experts in a
field marked by a dearth of good scientific
evidence and intense lobbying- suggests
daily use of so-called “tank” e-cigarettes,
designed to be refilled with nicotine-containing liquids, is most likely to help smokers quit.
Many experts think e-cigarettes, which
heat nicotine-laced liquid into an inhalable
vapour, are a lower-risk alternative to
smoking, but questions remain about their
use and safety.
The charity Action on Smoking and
Health says more than 2 million adults in
Britain use e-cigarettes. So-called “cigalike”
e-cigarettes are disposable or use replaceable cartridges, while “tank” models look
quite different and have refillable containers of nicotine “e-liquid”.
Researchers who conducted the two
new studies, published in the journal
Addiction and Nicotine & Tobacco, said
they show that smokers wanting to use ecigarettes to quit should use them daily
and try “tanks” rather than “cigalikes”.
“Our research indicates that daily use of
tank models that can be refilled with liquid
may give smokers a better chance of quit-
ting smoking,” Ann McNeill, a professor at
the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology &
Neuroscience at King’s College London
who was involved in both studies, told
reporters.
The two studies were based on a survey
of around 1,500 smokers in Britain in
December 2012, followed up one year later.
The first found 65 percent of daily e-cigarette users in December 2012 tried to quit
smoking in the next year compared with
44 percent of non-users. Some 14 percent
of daily e-cigarette users had cut their consumption of tobacco cigarettes by at least
50 percent over the previous year, compared with only six percent of non-users.
In the second study, researchers found
that of 587 people using e-cigarettes at
the one year follow-up, 76 percent used
“cigalikes” and 24 percent used “tank” models. Almost a third of daily tank users had
quit smoking, compared with 13 percent
of smokers not using e-cigarettes.
“At this point we don’t know why people who use tank type e-cigarettes daily
are more likely to have quit,” said Sara
Hitchman, who led the second study.
“Research suggests that tanks might
deliver nicotine more effectively and perhaps be more satisfying ... but there may
also be other factors, including price and
the ways that tanks allow the user to adapt
the product.” —Reuters
New US mammogram guidelines
stick with screening from 50
CHICAGO: New mammogram screening
guidelines from an influential panel of US
experts reaffirm earlier guidance that breast
cancer screening should begin at age 50 for
most women, but they acknowledge that
women in their 40s also benefit, something
experts say is a step in the right direction.
“ They made it really clear this time
around, unlike 2009, that the discussion
between a woman and a clinician about
breast cancer screening should begin at 40,”
said Dr Richard Wender, chief cancer control
officer at the American Cancer Society.
The Department of Health and Human
Services provided for mammogram coverage
for women age 40 to 49 after the health panel made its recommendation in 2009. The
department said on Monday that the guidelines are only in draft form and that nothing
has changed regarding access to mammograms or other preventive services.
Critics stressed that keeping 50 as the
starting age for screening - a change first
introduced by the panel six years ago - could
threaten insurance coverage for millions of
women age 40 to 49.
“If this becomes the final guideline, coverage of mammograms would no longer be
mandated under the ACA,” said Wender.
President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care
Act (ACA) requires preventive medical services with a grade of “B” or higher be covered,
unless the administration specifies otherwise.
Under the draft guidelines released on
Monday, mammogram screening every two
years for women 50 to 74 got a grade of “B”,
meaning doctors should offer the service.
Screening for women in their 40s remained a
“C” grade, meaning doctors should offer the
service for select patients, depending on
individual circumstances.
The draft guidelines from the government-backed US Preventive Services Task
Force also prompted renewed debate over
when women should be screened for breast
cancer, as patients parse conflicting advice
from health experts and advocacy groups.
Some prominent physician groups welcomed the shift in the panel’s language after
its abrupt change in screening recommendations in 2009, in which it recommended
women should have mammograms every
other year starting at age 50 rather than
annual tests starting at age 40.
Many groups including the American
College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
(ACOG) and the American College of
Radiology recommend annual mammograms start at age 40. The American Cancer
Society shares that view, but is reviewing its
guidelines.
The health panel’s updated recommendations are now “more closely in line with
ACOG’s,” said Dr. John Jennings, ACOG president. Both groups recognize that the decision to screen women in their 40s is a personal one that reflects potential benefits of
detecting cancer early and the harm of
receiving a false positive, he said.
Weighing the evidence
The new health panel guidelines are
based on a review of scientific evidence
showing the benefits of cancer screening
outweigh the risk of overtreatment for
women age 50 to 74.
They acknowledge that mammograms in
women 40 to 49 may reduce the risk of dying
of breast cancer, but say that the number of
deaths averted is “much smaller” and the
“number of false-positive tests and unnecessary biopsies are larger.”
Women with a parent, sibling, or child
with breast cancer may benefit more than
average-risk women from beginning screening between the ages of 40 and 49 years.
“The value of mammography increases
with age,” said Task Force chair Dr. Michael
LeFevre, a professor of family medicine at the
University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Dr. Daniel Kopans, a professor of radiology
at Harvard Medical School, said the task force
should still emphasize the potential for saving lives by beginning screening at age 40.
“They should support screening annually
beginning at the age of 40 while providing
women with accurate, scientifically derived
information so that each woman (not the
panel) can decide for herself whether or not
to participate in screening,” Kopans said in a
written statement.
The panel’s review included clinical trials
that showed over a 10-year period, mammography prevents four deaths per 10,000
women age 40 to 49 years, five to eight
deaths for women age 50 to 59, and 12 to 21
deaths for women age 60 to 69.
The panel also considered new simulation
models from six independent research teams
that analyzed data from digital mammograms, the cost commonly used technology.
That modeling unanimously projected
that screening every two years from age 50
to 74 would, over a lifetime, prevent seven
breast cancer deaths per 1,000 women
screened. Starting screening every two years
from age 40 would prevent one more death
from breast cancer and generate 576 more
false positive tests. —Reuters
In this artist rendering released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or
JAXA, Monday, the space explorer named SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating
Moon) lands on the moon. Japan’s space agency is considering an unmanned mission to the moon by 2018 or early 2019, part of an effort to beef up aerospace technology and keep pace with China and other emerging powers. The JAXA included
the possibility of a lunar landing in the fiscal year that begins April 1, 2018, in its
summary of moon exploration plans by Japan and other countries. —AP
Bird flu takes biggest toll
as virus hits chicken farms
MINNEAPOLIS: Poultry producers and scientists
have been hoping warmer weather would
knock down a virulent strain of bird flu that has
hammered the Midwest, but the virus recently
took its biggest toll yet, hitting a farm in Iowa
that held nearly 10 percent of the state’s egglaying chickens.
Here are some questions and answers about
the outbreak:
WHAT’S THE LATEST?
The US Department of Agriculture said
Monday that the deadly H5N2 bird flu virus was
found at a farm in northwest Iowa’s Osceola
County. The confirmation means up to 5.3 million
hens there must be destroyed in a state that produces one in every five eggs consumed in the
country. Seven other Midwestern states have
been hit by the virus, dooming nearly 7.8 million
turkeys and chickens since March.
WHAT’S THE OUTLOOK?
US Department of Agriculture officials say the
virus could be a problem for several years. The
USDA’s chief veterinary officer, Dr. John Clifford,
also said last week that while new cases should
drop to close to zero once the weather warms up
and kills off the virus, there’s “very likely” to be a
resurgence this fall when the wild waterfowl that
are natural carriers of avian influenza fly south for
the winter.
WHAT KIND OF FLU IS THIS, EXACTLY?
H5N2 is a highly contagious virus that kills
commercial poultry quickly once it gets into a
barn. But the risk to the public is considered
low, and infected birds are kept out of the food
supply. —AP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
H E A LT H & S C I E N C E
Environmentalists contest broadened use of new herbicide
KANSAS CITY: Environmentalists are
contesting the federal government’s decision to allow more widespread use of a
new version of a popular weed killer to be
used on genetically modified corn and
soybeans.
Motions filed Monday in the 9th Circuit
US Court of Appeals in San Francisco challenge the Environmental Protection
Agency’s handling of a 2,4-D weed killer
called Enlist Duo, a new version of the
popular herbicide used since the 1940s. It’s
aimed at use with seeds that are engi-
neered to resist the herbicide, so farmers
can spray the fields after the plants
emerge and kill the weeds while leaving
crops unharmed.
But the Natural Resources Defense
Council and a coalition of five environmental groups, including the Center for
Food Safety, claim in separate lawsuits that
it could endanger wildlife and public
health. The groups first sued after the EPA
in October approved the herbicide’s use in
six states:
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South
Dakota and Wisconsin. The latest motions
were filed after the EPA decided last
month to allow its use in nine more states:
Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota,
Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma
and North Dakota.
“Our concern is the same as we’ve
had all along, which is that this is a powerful chemical that has demonstrated
harm to human health and to wildlife,
and the EPA has simply not done an adequate job of assessing it before letting it
loose,” said Paul H. Achitoff, an attorney
representing five of the groups.
Demand for Enlist promises to be
strong because many weeds have become
resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide commonly used on genetically modified corn
and soybeans now. Enlist includes a combination of both the new version of 2,4-D
and glyphosate. Groups that unsuccessfully lobbied the EPA to prevent its expanded
use say they are concerned about 2,4-D’s
toxic effects and the potential for it to drift.
The EPA, which has said previously that
the herbicide meets safety standards, said
in written statement Monday that it would
review the petition and “respond appropriately.” Dow AgroSciences, which manufactures Enlist, has said that the new version
has been engineered to solve potential
problems, like drift before and after the
herbicide hits the plant.
But Sylvia Fallon, the wildlife director
for the New York-based Natural Resources
Defense Council, wrote in a blog posted
on the group’s website Monday that the
use of “increasingly toxic pesticides” is
“unsustainable.” —AP
Air pollution levels
drop in China cities
BEIJING: Air pollution levels in some of
China’s smoggiest cities fell by nearly a
third in the first quarter of this year, environmental campaign group Greenpeace
said yesterday.
But pollution levels remain a major public health threat, linked to thousands of early deaths, and the group said they continue
to increase in other parts of the country.
In Beijing, levels of PM2.5 — airborne
particulates with a diameter small enough
to deeply penetrate the lungs-fell about 13
percent in the first three months of 2015
compared to the same period a year earlier,
Greenpeace said.
The organisation collated data released
by China’s environmental protection ministry, which makes live figures available but
does not publish full historic or comparative statistics.
The main drivers were “the government’s strict measures to control air pollution, which have drastically reduced pollution from heavy industry in places like
Hebei and Beijing,” Zhang Kai, Greenpeace
East Asia Climate and Energy Campaigner,
wrote in an e-mail to AFP.
Among the 74 cities that have monitored air pollution for more than a year,
some saw decreases as much as 48 percent.
Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing
and contributes to much of the pollution
seen in the capital, saw PM2.5 levels plunge
by 31 percent.
“Our expectations for the immediate
future is that PM2.5 concentrations in
coastal cities will continually improve
thanks to measures that the government
has put in place to control pollution,” he
added.
China’s cities are often hit by heavy pollution, blamed on coal-burning by power
stations and industry, as well as vehicle use.
The issue has become a major source of
popular discontent with the Communist
Party, leading the government to vow to
reduce the proportion of energy derived
from fossil fuels.
Kai warned that elsewhere, there were
“ever-increasing PM2.5 concentrations in
cities in China’s central and western
provinces, where such measures do not yet
exist.” Despite drops in pollution levels in
some areas, about 90 percent of 360 cities
now being tracked by Greenpeace exceeded government limits on yearly particulate
averages. Shanghai, China’s financial hub,
saw roughly a 13 percent increase in PM2.5
levels.
China’s Premier Li Keqiang said last
month that the country was falling short of
its people’s expectations in battling smog
after a popular documentary drew attention to dismal air pollution levels. —AFP
First infant MRI study finds
babies feel pain ‘like adults’
LONDON: The brains of babies “light up” in
a similar way to adults when exposed to
the same painful stimulus, suggesting they
feel pain much like adults do, researchers
said yesterday.
In the first of its kind study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists
from Britain’s Oxford University found that
18 of the 20 brain regions active in adults
experiencing pain were also active in
babies.
Brain scans of the sleeping infants
while they were subjected to mild pokes
on the bottom of their feet with a special
rod-creating a sensation “like being poked
with a pencil”-also showed their brains
had the same response to a slighter “poke”
as adults did to a stimulus four times as
strong, suggesting babies have a much
lower pain threshold.
“Obviously babies can’t tell us about
their experience of pain and it is difficult to
infer pain from visual observations,” said
Rebeccah Slater, a doctor at Oxford’s paediatrics department who led the study.
“In fact some people have argued that
babies’ brains are not developed enough
for them to really feel pain... (yet) our study
provides the first really strong evidence
this is not the case.”
Even as recently as the 1980s it was
common practice for babies undergoing
surgery to be given neuromuscular blocks
but no pain relief medication.
Last year, a review of neonatal pain
management in intensive care found that
although these babies experience an average of 11 painful procedures per day, 60
percent do not receive any kind of pain
medication.
“Our study suggests that not only do
babies experience pain but they may be
more sensitive to it than adults,” Slater said.
“If we would provide pain relief for an older child undergoing a procedure, then we
should look at giving pain relief to an
infant.”
The research looked at 10 healthy
babies aged between one and six days
and 10 healthy adults aged 23 to 36.
During the study the babies, accompanied
by their parents and by doctors, were put
in an MRI scanner where most of them fell
asleep. —Reuters
VALLE DEL CAUCA: This July 16, 2013 file photo shows a Humpback whale as it jumps in the surface of the Pacific Ocean at the
Uramba Bahia Malaga natural park in Colombia. The humpback whale has long been considered an endangered species, but the
US government said yesterday that the population has rebounded in most areas and no longer needs protection. —AFP
Agency to lift protections
for most humpback whales
After 45 years of protection and restoration efforts
HONOLULU: The humpback whale became the
unofficial symbol for the conservation movement in
the last century. The iconic whale that can be found
across the planet was on the verge of extinction. The
international community banned whaling the
species in 1966, and the US government put it on
the endangered species list four years later.
On Monday, federal officials said removing most
of the world’s humpback whales from the endangered species list, noting that the massive mammals
have rebounded after 45 years of protection and
restoration efforts, is a national success story.
“To be able to bring a species to a point where
their population is doing well and they no longer
meet those requirements to be on the endangered
species act, I think that is a really important success
for us as a nation,” Donna Weiting, the director of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
Office of Protected Resources said during a news
conference.
“So I think it’s quite a big deal,” she added. The
agency is proposing dividing up the population of
humpback whales into 14 separate categories, and
fisheries managers say 10 of those should be
removed from the endangered list. Two will remain
listed as threatened, and two others will be listed as
endangered.
But just because the animal could soon be off
the endangered list doesn’t mean there will soon be
hunting seasons again. All the whales remain protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act,
and the United States is still an active member of
the International Whaling Commission, which
banned commercial whaling in 1966, said Angela
Somma, chief of NOAA Fisheries’ endangered
species division.
Killed for research
There are only a few places in the world that still
allow hunting of humpback whales, and that is for
aboriginal subsistence only, according to the
International Whaling Commission’s website. Three
nations, Japan, Norway and Iceland, still allow the
animals to be killed for scientific research.
Humans hunted the whales in much higher
numbers before their listing as endangered.
Humpbacks were listed as endangered in 1970, four
years after the International Whaling Commission
banned commercial humpback whaling. The commission put a stop to all commercial whaling in
1986.
Humpbacks are found around the world, and
officials say protection and restoration efforts have
increased their numbers in many areas. Among
those recommended for delisting is the population
that migrates each year from Hawaii to Alaska.
Decisions on which whale groups to recommend
were based on many factors, including the risks they
face, NOAA officials said. The single largest threat to
humpbacks is fishing activities that result in the
whales becoming tangled in fishing gear and
drowning.
The most important considerations in determining if populations will remain on the list are their size
and growth rates, Weiting said. “Ten of these populations are no longer in danger of extinction, which is
our criteria for an endangered listing, nor are they
likely to become so in the foreseeable future, our criteria for a threatened status,” she said.—AP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
W H AT ’ S O N
Costa Coffee celebrates Earth
Day with educational workshops
C
osta Coffee celebrated Earth Day on Saturday the
18th of April at their newest branch in Al Salam
Mall Salmiya. Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated today, on which day events worldwide are held to
demonstrate support for environmental protection. To
mark the occasion, the new branch hosted ‘Costa Coffee’s
Acts of Green’ an event that attracted over 300 participants including children and adults.
In line with its commitment to the environment, Costa
Coffee joined forces with local initiatives Funhouse and
Artspace to offer a four-hour interactive workshop, which
included painting with coffee grains and seed planting.
During the event children were taught the importance of
the environment and sustainability in their everyday
lives.
Environmental sustainability is a large part of the
Costa Coffee ethos, the brand prides itself on its
Rainforest Alliance status, all of Costa Coffee’s Mocha
Italia beans come from Rainforest Alliance Certified
farms, which ensures that both the farmers and the land
they grow on is supported and sustained, helping coffee
growers and their respective communities. In addition
Costa Coffee’s iconic red cups are 100% recyclable, made
using only certified sustainable pulp and vegetable ink.
The Costa Coffee branch at Al Salam Mall is one of the
chain’s newest locations. Since its acquisition by
Alghanim two years ago, the British coffee shop has been
making significant strides in making its handcrafted coffee more accessible to customers.
Costa Coffee currently operates in 36 locations across
Kuwait, including recent openings in Shaab Al Bahri,
Kuwait International Airport, and kiosk rollouts within
The Sultan Centers in Kuwait.
Gulf Bank
celebrates the
45th anniversary
of Earth Day
T
o commemorate the 45th anniversary of
Earth Day which falls on April 22 (today), Gulf
Bank will sponsor an ‘Earth Day’ event organized by the students of the Environmental
Technology Management club-O2. The event will
take place today at Kuwait University.
The Environmental Technology Management
department is the first of its kind as a scientific
major-College of Life sciences aims to educate students on fields of environmental science locally
and globally. Earth Day event will give the opportunity to more than 35 specialized associations,
centers, volunteer groups, interested individuals
and activists to showcase their role in protecting
the environment and encourage doing more
towards the future of our planet and the survival of
life on earth.
Gulf Bank is keen to support humanitarian global initiatives that contribute positively to both the
Kuwaiti community and the world as a whole. It is
worth mentioning that Gulf Bank had recently
organized a special awareness campaign to support Earth Hour, a global initiative led by the World
Wildlife Fund. The campaign included releasing 60
lanterns and switching off the lights in addition to
other internal activities on March 28th to raise
awareness in the Global warming and Climate
change.
The upcoming Earth Day 2015 is going under
the theme of ‘It’s Our Turn to Lead’ to redefine
what progress looks like. Earth Day takes place
every year on 22 April to focus on global warming
and to push for clean energy.
British Business Forum
announcement
B
ritish Business Forum will have April members
meeting at Ibis Salmiya Hotel today. Baruch
Speigel, Consultant Behaviour Analyst will be
speaking on Collaborative Learning: Bridging the Gap
between Education and Industry.
Nubian Architecture
J
oin us for a fantastic journey through time and place
to the cradle of civilization; Egypt. This journey leads
us South to the Egyptian Jewel known as Nubia. Our
spotlight will focus on the unique culture of Nubian architecture & our tour guide is Architect, Salah Abdullah. This
event begins on Tuesday, April 28 at 7pm.
7th annual ASDA’A Burson-Mursteller Arab Youth survey
EMBASSY OF INDIA
T
he Embassy of India in Sana’a, Yemen has been closed
temporarily and relocated to Djibouti with effect from 15
April 2015. The Embassy is functioning from Hotel
Djibouti Palace Kempinski. Their contact number is Tel: 00253325555 Ext-2755. The officers and staff members of the
Embassy can be contacted on the following:
(1) AmritLugun, Ambassador-00967 736 333 786 (or) 0025377199669. (2) T. Rajagopal, SS (PPS) to Ambassador 00967-764
000658 (or) 00 253 77199369. (3) S.L. Vaiphei, GA - 00 253
77196685 (4) Mohd Tariq, Accountant - 00 253 77196875
E-mails mb.sanaa@mea.gov.in (or) ambassador@eoisanaa.org,
hoc.sanaa@mea.gov.in (or) hoc@eoisanaa.org,
admin@eoisanaa.org
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Top ten findings
1. With the legacy of the Arab Spring waning, Arab
youth are uncertain whether democracy could ever
work in the Middle East.
Confidence that the Arab Spring would bring positive
change across the region is declining. In 2015, just 38
per cent agree that the Arab world is better off following
the Arab Spring, compared to 72 per cent in 2012. As a
result, Arab youth are uncertain about whether democracy could ever work in the Middle East with 39 per cent
agreeing with the statement “democracy will never work
in the region,” 36 per cent think it will work while the
remaining 25 per cent are unsure.
2. The rise of ISIS is seen as the biggest obstacle facing the region and fewer than half of Arab youth are
confident their national government can deal with it.
The rise of ISIS is a major worry for Arab youth with
nearly three in four (73 per cent) “concerned” about the
extremist group’s growing influence and almost two in
five (37 per cent) citing it as the biggest obstacle facing
the region. At the same time, fewer than half (47 per
cent) are confident their national government can deal
with this new threat
3. As unemployment remains a major concern in the
region, many young Arabs are keen to start their own
business.
When asked to comment on how concerned they are
about unemployment, the majority (81 per cent) say
they are “concerned”. Nearly two in five (39 per cent)
young Arabs are looking to start a business within the
next five years.
4. Arab youth remain cautiously optimistic about the
future despite the number of issues facing the region.
When thinking about the last five years, three in five
(57 per cent) believe their country is heading in the right
direction. Eighty-one per cent of Gulf youth believe
things in their country are heading in the “right direction” compared to 57 per cent in North Africa and only
29 per cent in Levant.
5. While youth view the Arabic language as central to
their identity, many believe it is losing its value and converse more in English.
Three in four (73 per cent) of Arab youth agree that
the Arabic language is central to their identity but almost
half of those polled (47 per cent) say it is losing its value.
Sixty-three per cent agree that “knowing English can
advance one’s career more than knowing Arabic.”
6. The UAE remains the country that most Arab youth
would like to live in and is seen as a model for their
country to emulate for the fourth year running.
When asked to name a country where they would like
to live, Arab youth cite the UAE as their top choice for
the fourth year running ahead of 20 other countries,
including the United States, Germany and Canada.
Likewise, when asked to think about which country they
would like to emulate, almost a quarter (22 per cent)
consider the UAE as a model nation, followed by the
United States (15 per cent), Germany (11 per cent),
Canada (8 per cent) and France (8 per cent).
7. Saudi Arabia is seen as the top ally in the region,
followed by the United States and the United Arab
Emirates.
When asked to think about their country’s biggest
ally, Arab youth cite Saudi Arabia for the fourth year running and continue to view the UAE and United States as
their biggest supporters in the region. One in three (30
per cent) consider the Kingdom their biggest ally, while
23 per cent cite the United States and 22 per cent the
UAE.
8. The majority of Arab youth, particularly in the OPEC
countries, are concerned about the falling energy prices,
but most also believe the drop is temporary.
With few young Arabs believing the drop is permanent, youth are split on whether or not oil producing
countries should lower production.
9. A brand’s country of origin matters to many young
Arabs and four in five do not rule out the possibility of
boycotting a brand for political reasons.
Almost half (44 per cent) say a brand’s country of origin matters to them and one in five (21 per cent) say
they would boycott a brand for political reasons.
10. While digital plays an increasingly central role in
the daily lives of Arab youth, television is still king.
While television remains the most popular source of
news (60 per cent), 40 per cent of young Arabs get their
news from online sources and 25 per cent from social
media, significantly more than newspapers and radio.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
W H AT ’ S O N
Joyalukkas opens biggest jewellery store in Kuwait in Al Rai
T
he world’s favourite jeweller, Joyalukkas
opened their biggest jewellery showroom in Kuwait, Al Rai near Lu & Lu
Hypermarket & Friday Market. The showroom
was inaugurated by Sri Sunil Jain, Ambassador
of India to Kuwait, in the presence of John Paul
Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, Joyalukkas
Group, Sonia John Paul, Director, Joyalukkas
Group, Mohammed Ismail Safar Behzad many
local dignitaries and VIP’s. Joyalukkas with the
presence across ten countries around the
world i.e Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Singapore, London,
Malaysia & India is the world’s favourite jew-
ellery chain, renowned for offering over one
million choices of breathtaking jewellery at
each of their showroom.
“Firstly a big thank you to Sri Sunil Jain for
taking time from his precious schedule and
inaugurating the Kuwait’s biggest Jewllery
store also would like to thank the residents of
Kuwait for a very warm welcome. We have
opened a state-of-the-art jewellery showroom
for Kuwait residents and are giving them the
best experience in jewellery shopping.” said Mr.
Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, Joyalukkas
Group.
Joyalukkas, Al Rai showroom is the biggest
showroom in Kuwait and features the widest
range of collections in gold, diamond, precious
stone, platinum and pearl. The mix of jewellery
offered is the largest choice of traditional and
contemporary jewellery design to meet all the
needs of jewellery lovers.
John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director,
Joyalukkas Group said “We are extremely
grateful to the country and its lovely residents
for the warm welcome they have given us. Our
team in Al Rai is eagerly waiting to serve the
residents here. Also as part of auspicious
Akshaya Tritiya we have launched a special
gifting initiative to ensure our customers feel
lucky and blessed during the celebration period. Our offers and choice of products have
been designed to meet all jewellery shoppers’
expectation and make the occasion very special for them.”
Also to commemorate with the auspicious
period of Akshaya Tritiya Joyalukkas is offering
an exciting choice of free gold coins and
exquisite collections to double the joy of
shoppers during the celebration period.
Akshaya Tritiya, is considered as a very auspicious occasion and it is believed that gold &
jewellery purchased on this special day will
help bring home prosperity, good luck and
success. Joyalukkas is also offering exclusive
collections at very special prices during the
celebration period.
Joyalukkas is committed to offering the
best prices on the over one million choices of
jewellery designs it offers at its showroom. The
global jewellery retail chain also ensures 100%
transparency of the prices on all jewellery sold
at their showrooms. “We have opened in Al Rai
so that jewellery lovers here get a world of never before seen choice in jewellery. We have created an array of exquisite and ethnic choices to
make the jewellery shopping a great experience for people here.” added Joy Alukkas.
Inter School Abacus competition - 2015
A
chievers Academy conducted their first Inter School Abacus competition in the second week of April 2015 at Indian Central School,
Abbassiya. Four prestigious Indian Schools participated, namely
Indian Central School, Kuwait Indian School, Carmel School and Fahaheel Al
Watanieh Indian Private School. More than 1000 students participated, 54
cracked the preliminary rounds. The second round of written exam was
qualified by 12 students who made it to the final day of the competition.
The competition among these 12 students was worth watching. It was all
about their accuracy skills, mental agility, aptitude and presence of mind.
The students were given only the ABCAUS tool, use of pencils or papers
were not allowed.
The host then fired the questions rapidly without any pause and the students gave cut throat competition. Principals of all four schools and Director
of Achievers Achievers Academy were amazed with their kids performance.
Out of these 12 students, Mohd Ayan of Kuwait Indian School and Dia
Elizabeth Renish from Carmel School won the Certificate of Merit with their
breathtaking performance. Director of Achievers Academy, Ashish Jain, congratulated the students for their excellent performance. It was a fun experience to watch the kids doing their best and stiving for excellence. An amazing platform given to the students by Achievers Academy to bring out their
hidden talent across.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
TV PROGRAMS
00:15
00:45
01:15
02:05
02:55
03:45
04:15
05:00
05:25
05:50
05:55
06:10
06:25
06:50
07:15
08:00
08:55
09:25
09:50
10:20
11:15
12:05
12:55
13:25
13:45
14:40
15:30
16:00
16:30
17:00
17:45
18:05
19:00
19:30
20:00
20:45
21:30
22:00
22:50
23:35
Doctors
Eastenders
New Tricks
Mistresses
Pride And Prejudice
Up The Women
The Weakest Link
Show Me Show Me
Teletubbies
Woolly & Tig
Gigglebiz
Boogie Beebies
Show Me Show Me
Teletubbies
The Weakest Link
Pride And Prejudice
Doctors
Eastenders
Up The Women
New Tricks
The World Of Stonehenge
Pride And Prejudice
Up The Women
Gates
New Tricks
The World Of Stonehenge
Up The Women
Doctors
Eastenders
The Weakest Link
Gates
New Tricks
Doctors
Eastenders
Stella
Stella
Cardinal Burns
Spooks
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
The Weakest Link
00:15 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
00:40 Masterchef: The
Professionals
01:35 Antiques Roadshow
02:25 The Restaurant Inspector
03:10 Come Dine With Me
03:35 Baking Mad With Eric
Lanlard
04:00 Beat My Build
04:50 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen
Notebook: Cosmo Cook
05:15 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
05:40 Masterchef: The
Professionals
06:35 Baking Mad With Eric
Lanlard
07:00 Antiques Roadshow
07:50 Come Dine With Me
08:15 Beat My Build
09:05 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen
Notebook: Cosmo Cook
09:30 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
09:55 Rick Stein’s Spain
10:45 Masterchef: The
Professionals
11:40 Antiques Roadshow
12:30 Come Dine With Me
12:55 Beat My Build
13:45 Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen
Notebook: Cosmo Cook
14:10 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
14:35 Bargain Hunt
15:20 Masterchef: The
Professionals
16:10 Antiques Roadshow
17:05 Come Dine With Me
17:30 Beat My Build
18:15 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style
19:05 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic
Cookery
19:30 Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
20:00 Sweet Baby James
20:25 Masterchef: The
Professionals
21:20 Bargain Hunt
22:05 Come Dine With Me
22:35 The Hairy Bikers USA
23:00 Kirstie Allsopp’s Home Style
23:50 Tareq Taylor’s Nordic
Cookery
00:20
01:10
02:00
02:50
03:40
04:05
04:30
05:00
05:30
06:00
06:50
07:40
Fast N’ Loud
Bear Grylls: Breaking Point
Survive That!
Marooned With Ed Stafford
Storage Hunters
Dallas Car Sharks
Storage Wars Canada
How It’s Made
How It’s Made
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Kindig Customs
Fast N’ Loud
08:30
08:55
09:20
09:45
10:10
10:35
11:25
12:15
13:05
13:30
13:55
14:20
15:10
16:00
16:50
17:15
17:40
18:30
18:55
19:20
19:45
20:10
20:35
21:00
21:25
21:50
22:15
22:40
23:30
Storage Hunters
Dallas Car Sharks
Storage Wars Canada
How It’s Made
How It’s Made
Bear Grylls: Breaking Point
Survive That!
Marooned With Ed Stafford
Storage Hunters
Dallas Car Sharks
Storage Wars Canada
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Kindig Customs
Fast N’ Loud
How It’s Made
How It’s Made
Close-Up Kings
Deadly Dilemmas
Deadly Dilemmas
What Happened Next?
What Happened Next?
Dallas Car Sharks
Storage Wars Canada
Deadly Dilemmas
Deadly Dilemmas
What Happened Next?
What Happened Next?
Man vs Expert
Close-Up Kings
00:05 How It’s Made
00:30 The World’s Strangest UFO
Stories
01:20 How Do They Do It?
01:45 How Do They Do It?
02:10 Through The Wormhole With
Morgan Freeman
03:00 Food Factory
03:24 Food Factory
03:48 Superhuman Science
04:12 Superhuman Science
04:36 Sport Science
05:24 The World’s Strangest UFO
Stories
06:12 How It’s Made
06:36 How It’s Made
07:00 Game Changers
07:25 Gadget Show - World Tour
07:50 Superships
08:40 Food Factory
09:05 Food Factory
09:30 Superhuman Science
09:55 Superhuman Science
10:20 The World’s Strangest UFO
Stories
11:10 How Do They Do It?
11:35 How Do They Do It?
12:00 Game Changers
12:25 Gadget Show - World Tour
12:50 Superships
13:40 How It’s Made
14:05 How It’s Made
14:30 Superhuman Science
14:55 Superhuman Science
15:20 Through The Wormhole With
Morgan Freeman
16:10 How Do They Do It?
16:35 How Do They Do It?
17:00 The World’s Strangest UFO
Stories
17:50 Sport Science
18:40 Food Factory
19:05 Food Factory
19:30 Strangest Weather On Earth
19:55 Strangest Weather On Earth
20:20 Space Pioneer
21:10 How Do They Do It?
21:35 How Do They Do It?
22:00 Strangest Weather On Earth
22:25 Strangest Weather On Earth
22:50 Through The Wormhole With
Morgan Freeman
23:40 How It’s Made
00:00 Violetta
00:45 The Hive
00:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
01:15 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
01:40 Wolfblood
02:05 Wolfblood
02:30 Violetta
03:15 The Hive
03:20 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
03:45 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
04:10 Wolfblood
04:35 Wolfblood
05:00 Violetta
05:45 The Hive
05:50 Mouk
06:00 Dog With A Blog
06:25 Binny And The Ghost
06:50 Girl Meets World
07:15 H2O: Just Add Water
07:40 Jessie
08:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place
08:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place
08:55 Austin & Ally
09:20 Austin & Ally
09:45 Gravity Falls
10:10 Gravity Falls
10:35 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
11:00 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
11:25 Jessie
11:50 Jessie
12:15 Austin & Ally
12:40 Austin & Ally
13:05 Good Luck Charlie
13:30 Good Luck Charlie
13:55 Gravity Falls
14:20 H2O: Just Add Water
14:50 Evermoor
15:20 Spooksville
15:45 Girl Meets World
16:10 Violetta
17:00 Girl vs Monster
18:40 Liv And Maddie
19:05 H2O: Just Add Water
19:30 Violetta
20:20 Binny And The Ghost
20:45 H2O: Just Add Water
21:10 Good Luck Charlie
21:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place
22:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place
22:25 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
22:50 Sabrina: Secrets Of A
Teenage Witch
23:10 Wolfblood
23:35 Wolfblood
00:00 Escape Club
00:55 Extreme Close-Up
01:25 Keeping Up With The
Kardashians
02:20 Giuliana & Bill
03:15 Christina Milian Turned Up
04:10 E!ES
05:05 E!ES
06:00 Kourtney And Kim Take
Miami
06:55 Kourtney And Kim Take
Miami
07:50 Style Star
08:20 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
08:45 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
09:15 Giuliana & Bill
10:15 Giuliana & Bill
11:10 Fashion Bloggers
11:35 Fashion Bloggers
12:05 House Of DVF
13:05 Extreme Close-Up
13:35 E!ES
14:30 Style Star
15:00 Keeping Up With The
Kardashians
16:00 Keeping Up With The
Kardashians
17:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
17:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
18:00 E! News
19:00 Good Work
20:00 Christina Milian Turned Up
21:00 Keeping Up With The
Kardashians
22:00 E! News
23:00 Good Work
00:30 Guy’s Big Bite
01:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
02:00 Man Fire Food
03:00 Guy’s Big Bite
03:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
05:00 Chopped
06:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
06:30 Siba’s Table
07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin
07:30 Roadtrip With G. Garvin
08:00 Chopped
09:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To
Basics
09:30 Farm Kings
10:30 The Big Eat...
11:00 Mexican Made Easy
11:30 Chopped
12:30 Siba’s Table
13:00 Guy’s Big Bite
13:30 Guy’s Big Bite
14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
15:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
16:00 Chopped
17:00 Guy’s Big Bite
17:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
18:00 Siba’s Table
18:30 The Big Eat...
19:00 Chopped
20:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
20:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
21:00 Chopped
22:00 The Next Iron Chef
23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
23:30 Chopped
00:35 Big Star Little Star
01:30 Paul O’Grady: For The Love
Of Dogs
02:00 Emmerdale
02:25 Emmerdale
02:55 Coronation Street
03:25 Vera
05:15 The Chase
06:10 Big Star Little Star
07:05 Paul O’Grady: For The Love
Of Dogs
07:30 Vera
09:15 Eggheads
09:45 Eggheads
10:15 May The Best House Win
11:10 Emmerdale
11:35 Emmerdale
12:00 Coronation Street
12:30 The Chase
13:25 May The Best House Win
14:20 Paul O’Grady: For The Love
Of Dogs
14:45 Big Star Little Star
15:30 Eggheads
16:05 Eggheads
16:30 Love And Marriage: A 20th
Century Romance
17:25 Mr Selfridge
18:20 The Chase
19:00 Coronation Street
19:30 Eggheads
20:00 Eggheads
20:30 Love And Marriage: A 20th
Century Romance
21:25 Mr Selfridge
22:20 Coronation Street
22:50 Emmerdale
23:15 Emmerdale
23:45 May The Best House Win
00:00
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
17:30
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
21:30
22:00
23:00
Beyond Magic with DMC
Crimes Against Nature
America The Wild
Inside
Inside World War II
Air Crash Investigation
Years of Living Dangerously
Jurassic C.S.I.
Beyond Magic with DMC
Crimes Against Nature
America The Wild
Amazonia’s Giant Jaws
Doomsday Preppers
Battleground Brothers
Britain’s Greatest Machines
Shark Men
Jurassic C.S.I.
Brain Games
Brain Games
Years of Living Dangerously
Shark Men
Jurassic C.S.I.
Brain Games
Brain Games
Years of Living Dangerously
Amazonia’s Giant Jaws
00:30 The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
01:00 Hot In Cleveland
01:30 The League
02:00 Veep
02:30 Friends With Better Lives
03:00 Community
04:30 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers
09:00 Community
09:30 The Simpsons
10:00 Marry Me
11:00 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
14:30 The Simpsons
15:00 Marry Me
15:30 The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
16:00 Hot In Cleveland
17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers
18:00 Community
19:00 Modern Family
19:30 Modern Family
20:00 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
21:00 The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
21:30 Hot In Cleveland
22:00 Mixology
22:30 Mixology
23:00 Friends With Better Lives
23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers
08:00 Rake
12:00 Emmerdale
12:30 Coronation Street
14:00 Rake
16:00 Emmerdale
16:30 Coronation Street
18:00 Rake
19:00 Glee
20:00 Marvel’s Agents Of
S.H.I.E.L.D.
22:00 Outlander
01:00
05:00
07:30
09:00
10:30
12:00
14:00
16:00
17:00
20:00
22:00
Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Coronation Street
Royal Pains
Coronation Street
Covert Affairs
Live Good Morning America
Royal Pains
Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs
Bates Motel
00:00 Dragon Eyes
02:00 Monika
04:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange
06:00 Street Fighter
08:00 The Mortal Instruments: City
Of Bones
10:15 Marvel’s Doctor Strange
12:15 Kill Em All
14:00 American Warships
15:45 The Mortal Instruments: City
Of Bones
18:00 Hunt To Kill
20:00 Kill Em All
22:00 Police Story
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES-ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD
00:00 Monika-PG15
02:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG
04:00 Street Fighter-PG15
06:00 The Mortal Instruments: City
Of Bones-PG15
08:15 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG
10:15 Kill Em All-PG15
12:00 American Warships-PG15
13:45 The Mortal Instruments: City
Of Bones-PG15
16:00 Hunt To Kill-PG15
18:00 Kill Em All-PG15
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS ON OSN MOVIES PREMIERE HD
20:00 Police Story-PG15
22:00 Blade II-PG15
00:30 National Lampoon’s
European Vacation
02:15 Breathless
04:00 Stand Up Guys
06:00 HairBrained
08:00 Standing Ovation
10:00 Se Puder... Dirija!
12:00 Struck By Lightning
14:00 Never Been Kissed
16:00 Standing Ovation
18:00 Every Day
20:00 AmeriQua
22:00 John Dies At The End
01:00 Won’t Back Down-PG15
03:00 Ashes-PG15
05:00 Europa Report-PG15
06:30 Mandela: Long Walk To
Freedom-PG15
09:00 My Last Day Without You
11:00 Europa Report-PG15
13:00 A Secret Promise-PG15
15:00 Emperor-PG15
17:00 My Last Day Without YouPG15
19:00 The Letter-PG15
21:00 White Bird In A Blizzard
23:00 Crawl-PG15
01:15
03:15
05:00
07:00
09:15
11:30
13:30
15:15
17:15
19:30
22:00
The Glass Man
The Last Harbor
Not Fade Away
Annie
Up Close And Personal
The Sapphires
Hyde Park On Hudson
My Piece Of The Pie
Up Close And Personal
Sense And Sensibility
For Greater Glory
01:00
03:00
05:00
07:00
09:00
10:45
13:00
15:00
17:00
19:00
21:00
23:00
CBGB-18
The Great Ghost Rescue-PG
Last Passenger-PG15
The Croods-PG
The Legend Of Hercules
Saving Mr. Banks-PG15
Heaven Is For Real-PG
Dawn Rider-PG15
The Legend Of Hercules
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Parkland-PG15
We’re The Millers-18
01:15 The Ugly Duckling And Me
02:45 Tad, The Lost Explorer
04:30 Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs.
Hare
06:00 Barbie Magic Of The
Rainbow
08:00 Barbie In The 12 Dancing
Princesses
09:30 Dudley Do Right
11:00 The Nameless Warrior
12:45 Tad, The Lost Explorer
14:30 Titeuf, Le Film
16:15 The Legend Of Sasquatch
18:00 Dudley Do Right
20:00 Barbie Fairytopia
21:45 Titeuf, Le Film
23:30 The Legend Of Sasquatch
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
10:00
12:00
14:00
16:00
18:00
20:00
22:00
Not Safe For Work-PG15
Holidaze-PG15
47 Ronin-PG15
Madagascar-PG
Killer Reality-PG15
Christmas In Conway-PG15
47 Ronin-PG15
Rio 2-FAM
Killer Reality-PG15
Peeples-PG15
Delivery Man-PG15
Seven Psychopaths-18
07:00 Golfing World
07:30 Gillette World Sport
11:00 Golfing World
12:00 Live Snooker World
Championship
16:00 Gillette World Sport
16:30 Live Snooker World
Championship
20:00 Trans World Sport
21:00 Live Snooker World
Championship
00:00
03:00
07:00
09:00
10:00
13:30
16:30
18:00
19:00
20:00
Golfing World
Live NHL
NRL Premiership
Golfing World
Premier League Darts
Super Rugby Highlights
Volvo Ocean Race
Golfing World
WWE Vintage
Super Rugby Highlights
01:30 ICC Cricket 360
02:00 Indian Premier League H/L :
RR v KXIP
13:30 Live Indian Premier League :
SH v KKR
17:00 ICC Cricket 360
17:30 Live Indian Premier League :
RCB v CSK
21:00 Indian Premier League H/L :
KXIP v DD
22:00 Indian Premier League RPT :
SH v KKR
00:45 Body Bizarre
01:35 Long Island Medium
02:00 Too Ugly For Love?
02:50 Say Yes To The Dress
03:15 Something Borrowed,
Something New
03:40 What Not To Wear
04:30 Cake Boss
05:00 Little People, Big World
05:30 Extreme Couponing
06:00 18 Kids And Counting
06:25 Your Style In His Hands
07:15 Say Yes To The Dress
07:40 Something Borrowed,
Something New
08:05 Oprah’s Lifeclass
08:55 Oprah’s Next Chapter
09:45 Cake Boss
10:10 Little People, Big World
10:35 Extreme Couponing
11:00 Toddlers & Tiaras
11:50 Kate Plus 8
12:40 Your Style In His Hands
13:30 Kate Plus 8
14:20 Say Yes To The Dress: The
Big Day
15:10 Cake Boss
15:35 Little People, Big World
16:00 Toddlers & Tiaras
16:50 Say Yes To The Dress
17:15 Something Borrowed,
Something New
17:40 18 Kids And Counting
18:05 Extreme Couponing
18:30 What Not To Wear
19:20 Oprah’s Lifeclass
20:10 Your Style In His Hands
21:00 Medical Anomalies
21:50 Extraordinary Pregnancies
22:40 Long Island Medium
23:05 Too Ugly For Love?
23:55 Medical Anomalies
03:00 Double Cross
03:45 Dates From Hell
04:07 Dates From Hell
04:30 Blood Relatives
05:20 True Crime With
Aphrodite Jones
06:10 On The Case With Paula
Zahn
07:00 Deadly Affairs
07:50 Fatal Encounters
08:40 Murder Shift
09:30 Great Crimes And Trials
09:55 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
10:20 Forensic Detectives
11:10 True Crime With
Aphrodite Jones
12:00 Blood Relatives
12:50 On The Case With Paula
Zahn
13:40 Who On Earth Did I
Marry?
14:05 Who On Earth Did I
Marry?
14:30 True Crime With
Aphrodite Jones
15:20 Great Crimes And Trials
15:45 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
16:10 Murder Shift
17:00 Blood Relatives
17:50 Fatal Encounters
18:40 Forensic Detectives
19:30 On The Case With Paula
Zahn
20:20 The Will: Family Secrets
Revealed
21:10 Who On Earth Did I
Marry?
21:35 Who On Earth Did I
Marry?
22:00 Unravelled
22:50 Solved
23:40 Dates From Hell
00:05 Dates From Hell
00:30 Deadly Devotion
01:20 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
01:45 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
02:10 Unravelled
03:00
03:25
03:35
03:50
04:00
04:15
04:25
04:35
05:00
05:10
05:25
05:35
05:50
06:00
06:10
06:35
06:45
07:00
07:15
07:30
07:45
08:00
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Jungle Junction
Zou
Calimero
Loopdidoo
Limon And Oli
08:10 Jake And The Never Land
Pirates
08:35 Doc McStuffins
09:05 Art Attack
09:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
10:00 Sofia The First
10:25 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West
10:55 Calimero
11:10 Jake And The Never Land
Pirates
11:35 Limon And Oli
11:45 Loopdidoo
12:00 Justin Time
12:15 Sofia The First
12:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
13:10 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West
13:35 Zou
13:50 Jake And The Neverland
Pirates
14:15 Doc McStuffins
14:45 Limon And Oli
14:55 Loopdidoo
15:10 Sofia The First
15:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
16:00 Cars Toons
16:05 Lilo & Stitch
16:30 Adventures Of The
Gummi Bears
17:00 Chip n Dale Rescue
Rangers
17:25 Ducktales
18:00 Art Attack
18:30 Sofia The First
18:55 Cars Toons
19:00 The Adventures Of Disney
Fairies
19:30 Jake And The Never Land
Pirates
19:45 Doc McStuffins
20:00 Adventures Of The
Gummi Bears
20:30 Sofia The First
20:55 Cars Toons
21:00 Chip n Dale Rescue
Rangers
21:30 Ducktales
22:00 Lilo & Stitch
22:25 Art Attack
22:55 Limon And Oli
23:05 Zou
23:20 Mouk
23:35 Jungle Junction
23:50 Art Attack
00:15 Julius Jr.
00:30 Calimero
00:45 Henry Hugglemonster
01:00 Zou
01:15 Jungle Junction
01:25 Art Attack
01:50 Julius Jr.
02:00 Calimero
02:15 Henry Hugglemonster
02:25 Zou
02:40 Mouk
00:20 Dead Or Alive
01:10 Dangerous Encounters
02:00 World’s Deadliest
02:50 Built For The Kill
03:45 Caught In The Act
04:40 Monster Croc Hunt
05:35 World’s Deadliest
06:30 Built For The Kill
07:25 Caught In The Act
08:20 Ultimate Animal
Countdown
09:15 World’s Deadliest
10:10 World’s Deadliest Killers
11:05 Dead Or Alive
12:00 Hooked
12:55 Speed Kills
13:50 Built For The Kill
14:45 Caught In The Act
15:40 Ultimate Animal
Countdown
16:35 World’s Deadliest
17:30 World’s Deadliest Killer
Three
18:25 Dead Or Alive
19:20 Caught In The Act
20:10 Ultimate Animal
Countdown
Classifieds
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
Kuwait
SHARQIA-1
CHILD 44
CHILD 44
KILL ME THREE TIMES
CHILD 44
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
12:00 PM
2:45 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
10:15 PM
12:15 AM
SHARQIA-2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
1:00 PM
3:00 PM
5:00 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
SHARQIA-3
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
ASWAR AL QUMAR- Arabic
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
MUHALAB-1
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
ASWAR AL QUMAR- Arabic
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
BIG GAME
MUHALAB-2
CHILD 44
CHILD 44
LAST KNIGHTS
CHILD 44
LAST KNIGHTS
CHILD 44
Kncc Programme From Thursday To Wednesday (16/04/2015 To 22/04/2015)
11:45 AM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:15 PM
8:30 PM
10:45 PM
12:45 AM
12:15 PM
2:15 PM
4:15 PM
6:15 PM
8:15 PM
10:30 PM
12:30 AM
11:30 AM
2:15 PM
5:00 PM
7:15 PM
10:00 PM
12:15 AM
MUHALAB-3
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
12:30 PM
2:30 PM
4:30 PM
7:00 PM
9:30 PM
12:05 AM
FANAR-1
CHILD 44
CHILD 44
CHILD 44
ASWAR AL QUMAR- Arabic
ASWAR AL QUMAR- Arabic
CHILD 44
11:30 AM
2:15 PM
5:00 PM
7:45 PM
9:45 PM
12:05 AM
FANAR-2
BIG GAME
LAST KNIGHTS
BIG GAME
CINDERELLA
LAST KNIGHTS
BIG GAME
LAST KNIGHTS
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:45 PM
5:45 PM
8:00 PM
10:30 PM
12:30 AM
FANAR-3
KILL ME THREE TIMES
PRESERVATION
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
PRESERVATION
KILL ME THREE TIMES
12:45 PM
2:45 PM
4:45 PM
6:45 PM
8:45 PM
10:45 PM
PRESERVATION
12:45 AM
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FANAR-4
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
12:00 PM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:15 PM
8:15 PM
10:15 PM
12:15 AM
AVENUES-5
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
NO THU
Special Show “PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2”
LAST KNIGHTS
Special Show “BIG GAME”
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
FANAR-5
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
FAST & FURIOUS 7
MR. X -Hindi
NO THU+FRI+SAT
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
MARINA-1
CHILD 44
BIG GAME
CHILD 44
BIG GAME
CHILD 44
BIG GAME
12:15 PM
3:00 PM
5:15 PM
8:00 PM
10:00 PM
12:45 AM
MARINA-2
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
1:00 PM
3:45 PM
6:30 PM
9:15 PM
12:15 AM
1:00 PM
3:00 PM
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
MARINA-3
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
LAST KNIGHTS
12:45 PM
3:00 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
9:45 PM
12:05 AM
AVENUES-1
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
CINDERELLA
CINDERELLA
CINDERELLA
FAST & FURIOUS 7
12:00 PM
2:30 PM
5:00 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
AVENUES-2
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
JUNGLE MASTER
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
KILL ME THREE TIMES
11:45 AM
1:45 PM
3:45 PM
5:45 PM
7:45 PM
9:45 PM
11:45 PM
AVENUES-3
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
LAST KNIGHTS
11:45 AM
2:15 PM
4:45 PM
7:15 PM
9:45 PM
12:15 AM
AVENUES-4
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
CHILD 44
FAST & FURIOUS 7
11:30 AM
2:00 PM
4:45 PM
7:30 PM
10:15 PM
12:45 AM
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:45 PM
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
8:15 PM
8:15 PM
10:30 PM
1:00 AM
AVENUES-6
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
12:30 PM
2:45 PM
5:00 PM
7:15 PM
9:30 PM
11:45 PM
360º- 1
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:45 PM
6:00 PM
8:15 PM
10:30 PM
12:45 AM
360º- 2
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
11:45 AM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:30 PM
8:45 PM
11:00 PM
1:15 AM
360º- 3
CYMBELINE
CYMBELINE
CAKE
CYMBELINE
CAKE
CYMBELINE
RUN ALL NIGHT
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:30 PM
5:45 PM
8:00 PM
10:15 PM
12:30 AM
AL-KOUT.1
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
FAST & FURIOUS 7
12:45 PM
3:15 PM
5:15 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
AL-KOUT.2
CHILD 44
CHILD 44
CINDERELLA
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
ASWAR AL QUMAR- Arabic
CHILD 44
12:00 PM
2:45 PM
5:30 PM
7:45 PM
9:45 PM
12:05 AM
AL-KOUT.3
BIG GAME
LAST KNIGHTS
BIG GAME
BIG GAME
LAST KNIGHTS
SKIN TRADE
LAST KNIGHTS
11:45 AM
1:45 PM
4:00 PM
6:00 PM
8:00 PM
10:15 PM
12:15 AM
MATRIMONIAL
Parents invite suitable proposals for their daughter
(RCSC, 24yrs, 163cms, fair,
B.Com, MBA) hailing from
ancient family,
Changanacherry archdiocese, and working in Kuwait
- from parents of well settled BE/B.Tech RCSC boys of
reputed family working in
India or abroad. Email:
dominickal@gmail.com
Deepika matrimonial.com
ID: DM - 26205 Bethlehem
matrimonial.com ID:
BETH53863
(C 4968)
CHANGE OF NAME
JAGADESH, son of PERUMAL bearing an Indian
Passport No. G0846093
having an address No.28/13
Pillaiyar Kovil Street,
Sathuma Nagar,
Thiruvottiyur, Chennai,
Tamilnadu 600019 had
embraced Islam and
changed the name as
MOHAMMED JAVID.
(C 4969)
15-4-2015
FOR SALE
Mitsubishi 2009
Registration til Jan 2016
103,000km
KD 1300 negotiable
Call 9694-2874 after 5pm
20-4-2015
Cherokee Liberty, 6 cylinder, white color, model
2003 in good working condition. KD 850, call
60982737. (C 4970)
Pajero 2007 for immediate
sale, V6, metallic gold, good
condition and well maintained, expected price KD
2,600, please contact:
66832848. (C 4971)
19-4-2015
Prayer timings
Fajr:
03:51
Shorook
0515
Duhr:
11:47
Asr:
15:22
Maghrib:
18:18
Isha:
19:39
Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)
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Arrival Flights on Wednesday 22/4/2015
Route
Doha
Istanbul
Amman
Beirut
Dammam
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Mangalore/Bahrain
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Time
00:05
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00:20
00:30
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11:20
11:25
11:40
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GFA
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ETD
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AIC
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JZR
BBC
FDB
JZR
JAI
FDB
KLM
221
500
742
540
788
472
135
645
462
127
857
640
621
051
512
1072
526
1180
787
303
562
510
357
215
177
777
343
944
065
483
786
502
618
542
1080
166
875
217
063
123
606
572
774
684
061
102
647
674
480
402
636
919
049
792
229
859
307
073
1074
975
219
546
309
764
125
044
059
185
526
071
411
Bahrain
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Dammam
Sharm el-Sheikh
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Abu Dhabi
Muscat
Madinah
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FNJ/Islamabad
Dubai
Mashhad
Doha
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Mashhad
Riyadh
Abu Dhabi
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Riyadh
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Dubai
Jeddah
Damascus
LCA
Dubai
Istanbul
Jeddah
Beirut
Doha
Cairo
Doha
Paris/Rome
Dubai
Bahrain
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Sharjah
Luxor
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19:00
19:05
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20:00
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20:10
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21:10
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Departure Flights on Wednesday 22/4/2015
Flt
Route
988
Hyderabad/Chennai
044
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981
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573
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072
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637
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773
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621
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854
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068
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1077
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306
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613
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342
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7695
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406
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560
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765
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1085
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643
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212
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771
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070
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164
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156
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054
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539
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1087
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619
Doha
787
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117
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482
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126
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856
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302
Abu Dhabi
511
Mashhad
1181
Mashhad
664
Shiraz
056
Dubai
943
LCA
1071
Doha
501
Beirut
175
Frankfurt/Geneva
561
Amman
214
Bahrain
356
Mashhad
741
Dammam
405
Beirut
541
Cairo
874
Dubai
103
London
776
Jeddah
402
Alexandria
685
Sohag
158
Al Najaf
785
Jeddah
1189
Mashhad
076
Dubai
176
Dubai
890
Mangalore
786
Riyadh
4168
Mashhad
611
Cairo
767
Istanbul
DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION
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03:45
04:00
04:05
04:05
04:15
04:25
04:40
05:00
05:00
05:05
05:20
06:35
06:50
06:50
07:05
07:15
08:30
08:30
08:50
08:55
09:30
09:30
09:40
09:40
09:45
09:50
10:00
10:20
10:25
10:25
10:40
10:55
11:00
11:00
11:15
11:25
11:35
11:40
11:50
11:55
12:05
12:10
12:10
12:15
12:20
12:40
13:00
13:00
13:10
13:10
13:10
13:15
13:20
13:30
14:00
14:10
UAE
SVA
CLX
KAC
QTR
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OMA
RJD
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FDB
QTR
IRC
UAE
ETD
IRM
SVA
JZR
GFA
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JZR
JZR
GFA
SYR
FDB
JZR
GFA
FDB
QTR
KAC
ABY
MSR
UAE
JAI
FDB
AGY
KAC
OMA
DLH
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MEA
GFA
DHX
ETD
FDB
KAC
ALK
ETD
UAE
KAC
KAC
QTR
GFA
ETD
KAC
KAC
KAC
872
2333
792
545
1079
222
058
481
617
673
503
773
473
463
791
646
136
128
641
266
052
1073
527
858
304
1187
511
184
216
563
538
238
944
344
066
124
218
064
1081
361
124
619
876
571
062
681
1543
648
636
331
283
351
461
554
403
049
171
308
074
381
230
920
860
301
349
1075
220
310
205
203
415
Dubai
Jeddah
Hanoi
Alexandria
Doha
Bahrain
Dubai
Taif
Doha
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Dubai
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Bahrain
Dubai
Doha
Colombo
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Alexandria
Dubai
Mumbai
Dubai
Alexandria
Cairo
Muscat
Dammam
Trivandrum
Dhaka
Kochi
Riyadh
Alexandria
Beirut
Istanbul
Bahrain
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
Delhi
Colombo
Dubai
Dubai
Mumbai
Kochi
Doha
Bahrain
Abu Dhabi
Islamabad
Lahore
Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta
14:15
14:25
14:45
15:00
15:05
15:05
15:05
15:10
15:15
15:20
15:45
15:55
16:00
16:00
16:00
16:05
16:10
16:15
16:55
17:05
17:10
17:25
17:30
17:40
17:40
17:50
18:15
18:20
18:20
18:30
18:40
18:45
18:45
18:55
18:55
19:20
19:50
19:50
19:55
20:00
20:00
20:30
20:35
20:35
20:35
20:50
20:55
21:00
21:00
21:00
21:05
21:05
21:10
21:15
21:15
21:30
21:50
22:05
22:10
22:20
22:20
22:25
22:25
22:30
22:30
22:40
22:45
23:00
23:05
23:10
23:50
34
stars
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
CROSSWORD 880
STAR TRACK
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Firm decisions in a group meeting this day may be surprisingly successful. If you
can, provide for this meeting a few snacks and water with a lemon or lime wedge for the glass.
By sharing your perspective, and listening to the other ideas, a new plan will develop. You may
be delighted at the progress and just want to take in the view of everything coming togethersimilar to an artist that sees the picture before the brush hits the canvas. The energies of this day
are toward progress and growth. This energy can be used for healing and planning or steady
activity of any positive sort. Later this day you may find your responsibilities double where relationships are concerned and this may mean babysitting or just responding to the need of others on short notice.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
This should be one of those wonderful days when you feel that everything is aokay. Your confidence is high, you have nothing to fear and you look at the bright side of
everything and everybody. If you have to deal with the public today, you will have them eating right out of your hand-particularly in sales. If the weather is good, enjoy taking your walk
or daily exercise with a friend after work today. This is a great opportunity to get updated on
each other’s activities. There may be an opportunity to attend a movie or a live performance at
a theater tonight. Praise others for their thoughtfulness. Marriage and other partnerships
could be a key arena for the harmony in your life. Enjoy the celebration of life!
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
ACROSS
1. A female person who has the same parents as another person.
4. Any sea anemone or related animal.
12. A nurse who has enough training to be
licensed by a state to provide routine
care for the sick.
15. The compass point midway between
west and northwest.
16. The part of a wharf that is next to a ship.
17. A strong emotion.
18. Deciduous round-headed Asiatic tree
widely grown in mild climates as an
ornamental for its heart-shaped leaves
and fragrant yellow-green flowers followed by hanging clusters of fleshy
orange-red berries.
20. An international organization of
European countries formed after World
War II to reduce trade barriers and
increase cooperation among its members.
21. Russian choreographer (1834-1905).
23. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
(trade name Clinoril).
25. A city in west central Washington on an
arm of Puget Sound south of Seattle.
26. Occupied or in the control of.
27. Oldest known reptiles.
30. A summary that repeats the substance
of a longer discussion.
31. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.
34. Excluded from use or mention.
37. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of
the alkali metal group.
38. A white metallic element that burns
with a brilliant light.
39. A port city in northwestern Algeria and
the country's 2nd largest city.
41. Of or relating to Aram or to its inhabitants or their culture or their language.
44. A unit of astronomical length based on
the distance from Earth at which stellar
parallax is 1 second of arc.
47. A communist nation that covers a vast
territory in eastern Asia.
48. 100 avos equal 1 pataca.
49. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.
50. A card game in which players bet
against the dealer on the cards he will
draw from a dealing box.
52. An island in the Indian Ocean off the
east coast of Africa.
55. An agent capable of activating specific
genes.
57. A very poisonous metallic element that
has three allotropic forms.
58. A heavy odorless colorless gas formed
during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances.
59. A silvery ductile metallic element found
primarily in bauxite.
60. A mystical or allegorical interpretation
(especially of Scripture).
69. An archaic term for a boundary.
72. An Arabic speaking person who lives in
Arabia or North Africa.
73. Wrap us in a cerecloth, as of a corpse.
74. Put into a proper or systematic order.
77. The starting place for each hole on a
golf course.
78. Block consisting of a thick piece of
something.
79. Small arctic whale the male having a
long spiral ivory tusk.
80. Experiencing or showing sorrow or
unhappiness.
DOWN
1. (informal) Elegant and fashionable.
2. Give qualities or abilities to.
3. (informal) Very good.
4. The seventh month of the Hindu calendar.
5. A cloth used as a head covering (and veil
and shawl) by Muslim and Hindu
women.
6. A light strong gray lustrous corrosionresistant metallic element used in strong
light-weight alloys (as for airplane parts).
7. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting
(especially in cases of drug overdose or
poisoning).
8. A committee in the executive branch of
government that advises the president
on foreign and military and national
security.
9. Being one more than one.
10. A Hindu goddess who releases from sin
or disease.
11. A state in the western United States.
12. A floor covering.
13. A formal dance held for a school class
toward the end of the academic year.
14. A river in northwestern Russia flowing
generally west into the Gulf of Finland.
19. English actress noted for her performances in Shakespearean roles (17551831).
22. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of
the genus Acacia.
24. Administer an oil or ointment to.
28. A republic on the Isthmus of Panama.
29. A cut of pork ribs with much of the
meat trimmed off.
32. A card game for 2 players.
33. A performer who dances.
35. An anti-TNF compound (trade name
Arava) that is given orally.
36. A nobleman (in various countries) of
varying rank.
40. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.
42. Sweet pulpy tropical fruit with thick
scaly rind and shiny black seeds.
43. Surpassing the ordinary especially in
size or scale.
45. American inventor.
46. A rounded thickly curled hairdo.
51. (pathology) An elevation of the skin
filled with serous fluid.
53. The capital of Croatia.
54. (informal) Of the highest quality.
56. 10 grams.
61. Period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6.
62. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or
bright light) that precedes the onset of
certain disorders such as a migraine
attack or epileptic seizure.
63. Wild or seedling sweet cherry used as
stock for grafting.
64. An imperfection in a device or machine.
65. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly
aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking
true stems and roots and leaves.
66. Studies intended to provide general
knowledge and intellectual skills (rather
than occupational or professional skills).
67. The United Nations agency concerned
with atomic energy.
68. In bed.
70. To make a mistake or be incorrect.
71. A transuranic element.
75. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in
uranium ores.
76. Angular distance above the horizon
(especially of a celestial object).
Energy and self-assurance are rather low, so use the time to evaluate your sensitivities and leave the deep discussions for another time. Do not negotiate the signing of contracts today. This is, however, an opportune time to sit down alone and get many things accomplished. You will find a shift in energy as you head for home this afternoon and as you look back
on your workday you will be most pleased at your accomplishments. If the weather is not suitable for working in the yard this afternoon, clean the garage. This will leave you by yourself to
think, work and clean and hum a happy tune. Show your appreciation of others and celebrate
life in general by treating yourself and someone you know to a dinner or a fun nature walk, etc.
Group activities are good.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You enjoy doing some research in the workplace. During this day there are also
opportunities to listen to a book on tape, take long walks, pet animals, enjoy brief visits with children and have long philosophical conversations. This is your day to do many things. One thing
about you is that you do not become preoccupied with one idea and accept it as gospel-you have
an open mind. Considering all sides of a story may be most beneficial just now. Take stock of what
you have accomplished in your life and share your expression of gratefulness with a dear friend.
Co-operative activities now should be both well-attended and successful. Perhaps a light dinner
and movie is the perfect activity for tonight. Your focus this evening is on healing and love.
Leo (July 23-August 22)
This is a great day for personal achievement as well as making plans. Your personal
goals are clearly visible and you should make great strides in reaching them. Be careful not to
alienate friends or loved ones who may be following a different path. You attract many opportunities right now, but you must choose which to pursue. Faith in your own self is the key. This is a
time of major transition in your life, one that is usually quite beneficial. Today, your job is to find
ways in which you can enhance your creative abilities and lift or raise your psychic energy. Carefulthere are opportunities to be lazy, as well as expressive. Consider signing up for a class or teaching
a class. This will promote a healing in yourself and others.
Virgo (August 23-September 22)
Libra (September 23-October 22)
You may be pleased, if not a bit surprised, at how many projects have
already been completed this year. Four months into the last year was less fulfilling but
now-you realize your potential. Of course, you have come to understand that the more
you experience or know the more there seems to be to learn and experience. You are
refreshed with new enthusiasm to continue your work and reassess new ways to branch
out and be expressive. It does not matter whether you are the least paid person in the
business or the business owner . . . You are encouraged and look forward to new accomplishments. This is a good day. Your generous and warm mood creates opportunities to
shine in the social circles; you can melt any heart.
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)
You may want to feel more secure through a better financial income now. A
part-time job could be considered this Wednesday. You are able to entertain and express
your talent in successful ways, which could be how you decide to increase your income. If
you are in a family that has a hard time budgeting, you might teach budgeting through
games, rewards and incentives. Whatever the case, you have to be the one to set the
example, so you might want to rethink your own budget. Creativity comes into play nowenjoy this time of learning-it can be one of the more important times in your life. Your
mood improves as the day moves forward. This evening you and your family members
will cheer each other as you all share in expressing your dreams, goals and plans.
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)
There is a little extra time today for solving puzzles and answering problems that may have been pushed aside for another time. Communicating
feelings becomes important as you may uncover important matters that need attention.
Consider the facts and report the results of your evaluation. Matters can then be considered in a timely manner without emotional comments. Teams of people are made up of
personalities and a good boss is aware and will understand your thinking. Appropriate
communications will prove positive. Be sure to keep an open mind about new ideas and
pay attention to the responsibilities a new plan may require. Friends are the keys to your
emotional satisfaction this evening and a movie or meal together may be just the tonic.
Capricorn (December 22-January 19)
You seem empowered with a clear and inquisitive mind. Discussing ideas with coworkers or in meetings with your boss can be most beneficial and rewarding. Anyone taking a noon
break with you usually finds the most interesting conversations. You have an easygoing manner to
all. Relations with members of the opposite sex are strengthened at this time. This is a good day to
ask favors from someone close or to return a favor. However, it may be best to just take it easy and
plod along with whatever you were doing. Staying on an even keel with business, friends or a
romantic partner is kind of nice at this time and may find you whistling a happy song. You could be
encouraged to become involved in volunteer work this evening-perhaps with children.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18)
Mental motivation from others is enjoyed now; it is a good idea to make every effort
to cooperate and compromise with others. Any project today should be a success. You may want to
take on a mentally difficult project or approach a subject with someone you were too shy about
before. You could ask for a raise or-speak publicly at this time. Energy and self-confidence are strong!
Past fears should melt away. This evening presents an opportunity to enjoy some social activities.
Because of past tension and hard work, you might really consider joining the group-family or friendsin some fun adventure. There is desire for intimacy and love with a partner this evening-with the
expression of affection being most satisfying.
Pisces (February 19-March 20)
Today, clear communications and young people go together. You will find this a
good time for decision making with lots of talking to others about their dreams and goals and the
process of achievement. You could be teaching, lecturing or finding yourself a guest speaker. The
accent today is on communication. A gathering of people after your speech will be easy to navigate
and it will leave you feeling that you have helped others. Trading points of view with others should
be informative. Travel is favored, especially if it is for your own rest and relaxation. Find a good
bookstore, museum or concert for tonight. You may see value in or feel love for an older person or
someone in authority. You appreciate the positive things around you.
A balance in your life would consist of work and volunteer aid, rest and relaxation,
exercise and nurturing with chores and hobbies in each week. This will help bring your energies into
balance and reduce the possibility of physical problems later. Learn how to relax and clear your
thoughts through art or music. This will really help your peace of mind. Music is also a wonderful tool
with which to rest, entertain yourself or exercise. This is a suitable time to get to know someone better. Additionally, there is a chance you may hear from a long-lost chum. Mental incentive from others is a good thing and it’s a good idea to make every effort to lend your support and encouragement to others, as well as yourself. This is a productive day.
WORD SEARCH PUZZLE
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s Solution
Daily SuDoku
Yesterday’s Solution
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
i n f o r m at i o n
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Tokelau
00690
India
0091
Trinidad
001868
Indian Ocean
00873
Tunisia
00216
Indonesia
0062
Turkey
0090
Iran
0098
Tuvalu
00688
Iraq
00964
Uganda
00256
Ireland
00353
Ukraine
00380
Italy
0039
United Arab Emirates 00976
Ivory Coast
00225
United Kingdom
0044
Jamaica
001876
Uruguay
00598
Japan
0081
USA
001
Jordan
00962
Uzbekistan
00998
Kazakhstan
007
Vanuatu
00678
Kenya
00254
Venezuela
00582
Kiribati
00686
Vietnam
0084
Kuwait
00965
Virgin Islands UK
001284
Kyrgyzstan
00996
Virgin Islands US
001340
Laos
00856
Wales (UK)
0044
Latvia
00371
Yemen
00967
Lebanon
00961
Yugoslavia
00381
Liberia
00231
Zambia
00260
Libya
00218
Zimbabwe
00263
Lithuania
00370
36
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LIFESTYLE
G o s s i p
Adele undecided over
producer for new album
A
dele still hasn’t chosen a producer for her new album. The 26-year-old singer
- who initially hinted the follow up to her hit 2011 record ‘21’ would be
released in 2014 - is reportedly still undecided over who to team up with on
her latest offering and may be forced to push back the album’s release even more.
Producer Emile Haynie - who met up with Adele in February to discuss the possibility of working together on the record - said: “Adele was awesome, but I don’t know
if we’ll be working together.” We got along well as friends when we met in February
and I hope we can cut some songs, but Adele is taking her time. “I’d push for it to
happen, but we’ll have to wait and see.” Emile, 34 - who has worked with Kanye
West and Bruno Mars in the past - also admitted he sought help from pal Lana Del
Rey when it came to releasing a record of his own. The producer - whose album
‘We Fall’ features the 29-year-old singer as well as Florence Welch and The XX penned the record following a break up and Lana was quick to offer him advice on
how to turn his heartbreak into a song. He told the Daily Star newspaper: “Lana
came by a couple of days after the breakup when it was still hellish.”She gave me
loads of advice and the next thing you know we’re cutting the song.”
Carly Rae Jepsen: Sia is
so humble and rad
C
arly Rae Jepsen has praised Sia for being “so humble and rad”
after she collaborated with the ‘Elastic Heart’ singer on her
upcoming album. The ‘Call Me Maybe’ hitmaker is a big fan of
the Australian singer/songwriter and was desperate to have her on
her her new LP ‘E∑MO∑TION’. Carly insists it was great to work with
Sia and she is very excited about the song they have created
together. Speaking in the latest issue of Notion magazine - on
which she is the cover star - Carly said: “Sia is so humble and rad ...
I was so nervous that day.” Sia is among a host of big names that
feature on the LP, with Carly’s other collaborators including “Greg
Kurstin, The Cardigans’s Peter Svensson, Dev Hynes, Arial
Rechtshaid, Tegan & Sara, Jack Antonoff and Vampire Weekend’s
Rostam Batmanglij”. Carly is really pleased with the track ‘All That’
which she recorded with Dev because it represents a departure
from her usual sound. Discussing the song, she said: “It’s got an
amazing Prince-y vibe to it, it’s very evocative, a total slow jam.”
Carly’s first single from the album, ‘I Really Like You’, is out on April
26 and the video features a cameo appearance from Tom Hanks,
and she admits she wanted the Oscar winner to be in it so it
wouldn’t become too “sickly sweet”. She said: “Look, I’m a cheesy,
nerdy Broadway girl at heart. It’s a very flirtatious, adorable song but
... we felt like if we had a sickly sweet video it would just overkill ... My
favorite bit (video) is where we sent ‘running guy emoji’, ‘tree emoji’ and
‘running guy emoji’ to Tom Hanks. Run, Forest, Run!”
Spears receives the
Best of Last Vegas award
B
ritney Spears has won the Best Of
Last Vegas and Best Bachelorette
Party awards for her Las Vegas residency. The 33-year-old pop star - who’s
been starring at the Planet Hollywood
Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas since it
opened on December 27, 2013 - has
earned rave reviews for her ‘Piece Of Me’
residency and has taken to Twitter to share
her success with her 41.6 million followers
on the social media site. Britney - who was
pictured holding the awards backstage at
Planet Hollywood’s Axis auditorium, where
she performs three nights a week - tweet-
ed: “Look what I got over the weekend!
Thank you @BestOfLasVegas, my dedicated
team & POM crew, @phvegas, and all of
YOU! (sic)” The singer was actually told
she’d won the coveted prizes at the end of
March, but only collected her prizes at the
weekend. In March, she tweeted: “Just
heard some AMAZING news!! POM was voted Best Show for @BestofLasVegas!!!
BEYOND grateful to have such loyal fans.
“THANK YOU to everyone who voted! Your
support means the world. I am so proud of
this show & can’t wait to see what the
future holds! Xoxo. (sic)”
Zane confirmed
Will Spider-Man make
a cameo in Avengers:
Age of Ultron?
to appear in
Zoolander 2
A
n online leak has suggested Spider-Man will make a
cameo appearance in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’. The iconic
comic book character recently joined the Marvel
Cinematic Universe and in a clip that has appeared on the internet over the last few days, Spider-Man can be seen interacting
with a window cleaner and joking that he’d missed a spot of dirt.
However, the reported appearance of Spider-Man comes amid a
casting change and a redesign of the character’s suit. Last week,
meanwhile, Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel, confirmed that
the studio’s ‘Spider-Man’ movie will not be an origin story. He
revealed the new movie will work on the assumption that its
audience already knows the “specifics” of Peter Parker’s life. He
said: “In Spider-Man’s very specific case, where there have been
two retellings of that origin in the last whatever it’s been - [13]
years - for us, we are going to take it for granted that people
know that, and the specifics.”It will not be an origin story, but
with great power comes great responsibility. It is inherent to
who his character is. But we want to reveal it in different ways
and spend much more time focusing on this young high school
kid in the Marvel Comic universe dealing with his powers.” He
also said the Marvel Spider-Man will wear a distinctly different
outfit to previous on-screen incarnations. Kevin explained:
“We’ve already designed the costume, which is different than
any of the ones that have come before. And yet ours is classic
Spidey, as I think you’ll see.”
B
illy Zane is to make an appearance in ‘Zoolander 2’.
The 49-year-old actor, who’s previously starred in
‘Titanic’ and ‘Back to the Future’, has been cast in the
eagerly-awaited sequel to the 2001 comedy film, in which
Ben Stiller plays dimwitted male model Derek Zoolander.
Billy made a cameo as himself in the original film and his
appearance in the sequel has been confirmed in the latest
on-set teaser for ‘Zoolander 2’, which shows Ben Stiller
appearing to approach his co-star Owen Wilson and saying: “Hey Hansel, wouldn’t it be cool if Billy Zane was in
Zoolander 2?” At that stage, the blonde-haired man turns
around to reveal himself as Zane, who responds: “Yeah,
that’d be great.” Other big-name stars rumored to appear in
the much-hyped sequel include Naomi Campbell, Cara
Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn, as well as rap star Kanye
West. What’s more, Kanye is reportedly requesting that his
wife Kim Kardashian West be given a cameo or small part
in the comedy movie. A source said: “Kanye is friends with
Will and appeared briefly in ‘Anchorman 2’ but he wanted
to be in ‘Zoolander 2’ even more. It’s very likely that Kim
will also appear in some capacity.”
E
mma Stone will star opposite Steve Carell in ‘Battle of The Sexes’. The
‘Birdman’ actress and Steve, 52, will reportedly play iconic tennis rivals
Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in the movie which recreates the legendary 1973 meet between the former pro and 29-year-old sportswoman,
which drew in an audience of 50 million. The pair - who previously played a
father and daughter duo on screen in the rom-com ‘Crazy,
Stupid, Love’ - will be directed by ‘Little Miss
Sunshine’ helmers Johnathan Dayton and Valerie
Faris. The film is based on a script by Simon
Beaufoy and is set to begin filming this year in
time for a 2016 release, reports Empire
Online. Emma, 26, is also set to team up
with her other ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ co-star
Ryan Gosling after the pair entered into
negotiations to star in ‘La La Land’. The
pair are in talks with director Damien
Chazelle and Lionsgate to appear in the
upcoming romantic musical after Miles
Teller - who played the lead in Chazelle’s
Oscar-nominated film ‘Whiplash’ - dropped
out. Although neither Stone, 26, nor
Gosling, 34 - who also appeared alongside
one another in ‘Gangster Squad’ - have officially signed up for the film, production is
scheduled to begin in autumn with the studio
hoping to have the Hollywood stars on board.
Sia feels ‘hunted’
by the paparazzi
Cara Delevingne:
I’m not a role model
Emma Stone reunites
with Steve Carell?
C
ara Delevingne doesn’t want to be a role model to her fans. The supermodel
accepts her behavior and statements will have an effect on the people who follow
her career but she doesn’t accept she is a role model and she doesn’t want the
responsibility of being someone they should look up to. Cara - who has 2.51 million followers on Twitter - said: “I hope that I can influence young people and teach them that it
is important and necessary to preserve your individuality.
Look, you can admire people and be guided by them,
but you should never imitate them.” The catwalk
queen has now embarked on an acting career and
can currently be seen in Michael Winter bottom’s
psychological thriller ‘The Face of An Angel’ and
has roles in DC Comics blockbuster ‘Suicide
Squad’ and ‘London Fields’. The 22-year-old star
admits the biggest difference she’s noticed
from being a model to being an actress is that
she’s now aware that cameras are shooting
her. In an interview in Germany’s Vogue magazine, she said: “I always wanted to be an
actress from an early age. Drama and music,
that was always my plan A; the modeling was
rather random (for me). “As a model, I was never
particularly aware of the camera. If you are an
actor you have to put the camera out of your
mind. That was difficult for me in the beginning but
slowly I got cool with it.”
T
he ‘Elastic Heart’ singer hates the harassment she gets because she’s a
famous pop star and says her friends were shocked when they got a taste
of what her daily life is like dealing with the unwanted attention from the
snappers. Speaking on Australian TV network Seven, Sia - who is famous for covering her face in public - said: “It’s unpleasant. It makes
me feel hunted. My friends were with me the other
day when the paps were at the airport and it was
like they all got diarrhoea and I had to explain
... you go into fight or flight (mode). You feel
like prey and they’re the predator and you’re
being hunted. “Would you like to spend
your life feeling like prey? Probably not.” As
well as being a successful solo artist, Sia
has also written hits for a galaxy of stars,
including Rihanna, Flo Rida and Rita Ora.
The 39-year-old songwriter has always
been determined to try and live a “regular
life” while working in the music business,
but accepts it’s tough. She mused: “It’s just
wanting to have a regular life, just like a regular person but still be able to make music
and sing. But to do that without having to
sacrifice having just a regular life, that’s all (I
want).” —Bangshowbiz
37
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
LIFESTYLE
G o s s i p
Lovato has praised her
boyfriend Valderrama
D
emi Lovato has praised her boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama for inspiring her to beat her substance abuse problems and eating disorder. The 22-year-old pop star has been very open
about her rehab treatment for drugs, alcoholism, self-harming and bulimia in 2010 and
she has revealed Wilmer, 35, refused to “enable” her behavior when they were together at the
time. In an interview on the ‘Kyle And Jackie O Show’ KIIS 106.5 FM, she said: “There were some
moments when it was off and on when I was struggling with my issues. What he would do is he
wouldn’t enable me so he’d say, ‘I can’t be around if you’re not going to get your stuff together.’ It
made me fight for it. He’s a very, very good guy.” The ‘Really Don’t Care’ singer is currently in
Australia for her ‘Demi World Tour’ and after completing her dates Down Under she then moves
on to the Far East leg of the tour. Demi recently claimed she believes she has a responsibility to
raise awareness of mental health issues. The ‘Skyscraper’ hitmaker said: “My whole life - all I’ve
wanted to do is help. And I knew that singing could be a platform. And I thought that singing
was the loudest I was going to get. It wasn’t until I started talking and sharing my story that I
realized it was really reaching people. So that’s what I believe I’m here to do.”
Martin’s ‘parting gifts’
for Gwyneth
C
hris Martin has given Gwyneth Paltrow some intimate “parting gifts”, including handwritten song lyrics
inspired by her. The former couple - who have children Apple, 10, and Moses, nine, together - filed for
divorce this week, over a year after they separated, but are doing everything they can to stay friends and
keep their relationship amicable. A source told the new issue of Grazia magazine: “They will share joint custody as
a children and agreed they will always
spend Christmas, birthdays and significant
holidays as a family. “Chris has even given
Gwyneth parting gifts, including handwritten lyrics of Coldplay songs that are about
her. “He knows they will be worth a lot of
money in the future and he wants her and
the children to have them.” Things are so
amicable between the ‘Iron Man 3’ star and
the Coldplay frontman - who are now dating Brad Falchuk and Jennifer Lawrence
respectively - they are even planning a
divorce party for when the legal process is
complete. The source added: “Gwyneth
and Chris have been regularly speaking on
the phone to ensure it all goes through
with ease. “They’ve even joked about having a divorce celebration with friends and
family once it’s complete.” It was previously
claimed Gwyneth, 42, and Chris, 38, will
divide their £200 million fortune equally,
and they are even planning to waive any
child support arrangement. A source said:
“They’re worth pretty much the same
amount so are planning to halve everything. They have too much dignity to row
about who has what, who should have the
most money and who should see most of
the kids.” It is believed that Gwyneth will
remain in the family home in Brentwood,
Los Angeles whilst Chris will move to
Malibu so the pair are not too far apart.
Royal baby won’t be named Charlotte
B
ritain’s Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge reportedly won’t be naming their second child
Charlotte. According to top historian Clarissa Campbell Orr from Anglia Ruskin University, who specializes
in the British monarchy, the couple are unlikely to choose the name for the newborn if the child is a girl
due to the unfavorable fates of previous royal figures with the moniker. She told the Daily Express newspaper:
“There is a popular tide of opinion hoping that if it is a daughter she will be named Charlotte. However, from the
point of view of the Royal Family, this is unlikely to be a particularly favorable name. “George III’s wife, Sophie
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was a very successful consort and weathered the disturbing episode of her
husband’s apparent madness, although her hair turned white with shock.” The couples eldest daughter
Charlotte was also deemed a disappointment to the Royal Family after she married a Duke of Wurttemberg in
Germany against their will. The odds on the name being chosen still stand at 40/1, with Alice, Elizabeth and
Diana also prove popular amongst betters if the 33-year-old royal gives birth to a Princess. James currently
stands as the favorite if the baby is boy. Sam Smith “would chop off his toe” to be able to live like a “hobbit” in
Hobbiton.
Mulligan
Huntington-Whiteley:
Jason Statham
is my ‘best mate’
doesn’t care
about clothes
C
R
osie Huntington-Whiteley says her partner
Jason Statham is her “best mate”. The 28-yearold model has been romancing the 47-year-old
action star for almost five years and Rosie believes
their relationship works well because they are such
close friends as well as lovers and he can always make
her giggle. In the new issue of Self magazine, Rosie
said: “We’re best mates. He makes me laugh every day.
I almost feel like I never had a proper boyfriend
before!” The catwalk superstar has made the move
into acting in recent years and can next be seen in
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. Rosie decided she wanted to
become an actress because she wanted to challenge
herself in a new professional field. The blonde beauty
said: “I don’t always want to be the face of everything.
I think you have to take risks in life and scare yourself.
You have to push beyond your comfort zone in order
to grow.” Speaking about the six-month location
shoot for ‘Mad Max’ - which also stars Tom Hardy and
Charlize Theron - she added: “You have to be fit and
healthy and strong. Your mind has to be strong, too.
Not only for the stunts but also for the number of
hours you’re spending on-set.”
Harding to have her own
fashion line out this year
S
arah Harding wants to have her own fashion line “out this year”. The former Girls Aloud
star - who recently just landed a role in TV soap ‘Coronation Street’ - is very interested
in creating a clothing collection and has hinted she already has one in development.
The 33-year-old beauty told BANG Showbiz: “I can’t
really say too much about what I’ve got coming up, it’s
a bit of a secret project! “I would like to have my own
fashion line out this year. That’s definitely something
I’m considering.” Sarah’s current fashion love is the reemergence of 70s style, because it’s “easy-wear”.
Speaking at the Florence & Fred Autumn Winter collection launch in London today the blonde bombshell
said: “I’m loving the whole 70s comeback, I’d probably
wear the majority of Florence and Fred. The fit is really
great and flattering on the clothes. I’m wearing it now
and it’s very easy-wear!” Sarah had to face an embarrassing fashion faux par at the event as both she and
Saturdays singer Vanessa White both turned up in the
exact same white jumpsuit outfit. Dealing with the
massively awkward situation like a true professional,
Sarah laughed: “It’s actually really funny to see Vanessa
and I wearing the same outfit this morning, great
minds think alike!”—Bang Showbiz
Panettiere describes motherhood
as an o‘ ut-of-body experience’
H
ayden Panettiere says becoming a mother has been like an “out-of-body experience”. The ‘Nashville’ star gave birth to daughter Kaya - her first child with her
fiancé Wladimir Klitschko - last December and since she welcomed her baby
into the world she has re-prioritized her entire life. Musing on motherhood in an interview with ‘Good Morning America’, Hayden, 25, said: “It’s out of body ... As long as your
kids are happy and healthy and all good - it’s fabulous.” She then added: “You just reprioritize ... You hear that they’re healthy, and you just don’t care about yourself any
more. It’s the most out-of-body experience, where you go, ‘I will completely lay myself
on the line for my child. Without even a hesitation.’“ The arrival of Kaya has had a similar effect on world heavyweight champion boxer Wladimir. The 39-year-old pugilist
previously said: “It has changed my life completely. I’m so happy to have Hayden in my
life. She’s the best mom I could even imagine. She’s a true, amazing mom ... I think
[having] children is something that connects you until the end of your days no matter
what. And I think that, Kaya, our daughter, has connected us forever. And that’s the
most amazing thing. Everything else is coming, it’s something that needs to be
planned ... but the connection with the child is better than any marriage!”
Roseanne Barr is going blind
T
he 62-year-old actress is suffering from eye diseases macular degeneration and glaucoma but is determined to continue doing the things she loves while she still can. Speaking
of how macular degeneration is causing her field of vision to narrow, she said: “My vision
is closing in now. It’s something weird. But there are other
weird things. “That one’s harsh, ‘cause I read a lot, and
then I thought, ‘Well, I guess I could hire somebody to
read for me and read to me.’ But I like words and I like
looking. You do what you have to do. I just try and enjoy
vision as much as possible-y’know, living it up.”And the
‘Roseanne’ star revealed the problem runs in her family.
She added: “My dad had it, too.” Roseanne has previously
confessed to smoking marijuana and says the drug helps
ease the discomfort of glaucoma, a build-up of pressure in
the eye. She told The Daily Beast website: “It’s a good
medicine, you know. “I have macular degeneration and
glaucoma, so it’s good for me for that because I have pressure in my eyes. It’s a good medicine for a lot of things.”
And the actress admitted she enjoys the narcotic for other
reasons too. She added: “It’s expansive. It opens your
mind. You’re like, ‘Wow’, you’re in awe. You look up into the
stars. It makes you wonder. It doesn’t close that down.”
arey Mulligan doesn’t care what
she wears when she isn’t working.
The ‘Great Gatsby’ actress - who is
married to singer Marcus Mumford feels she is a “better person” when she
isn’t worried about her clothes or putting on make-up, so makes minimal
effort when she is at home on her farm
in Devon, South West England. She said:
“I like waking up in the morning and
putting on whatever’s by the side of my
bed, and putting on Wellington boots
and walking up a steep hill. And not
wearing any make-up. “When you’re
working, everything’s so busy and so
aesthetic. When all of that angst isn’t on
you, you’re just kind of a better personmore focused on other people rather
than worrying about yourself.” The 29year-old actress also admitted she frequently changes her hair style because
she thinks it makes it easier for audiences to accept her in a new role if she
looks different. She explained to the new
issue of America’s Vogue magazine: “I
have always felt that the less people
know about me, the better. “The more
similar you look job to job, the more
they relate to you from your previous
roles. That’s why I’ve done loads of really
stupid things to my hair in the past to try
to not look the same.”
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
lifestyle
F E A T U R E S
Geneva rekindles its long-term
association with the GCC
Geneva Tourism to participate in ATM 2015 and focus on GCC tourism
G
eneva Tourism, one of Switzerland’s official tourist boards, has announced, yet
again, its participation in the Arabian
Travel Market, taking place on May 4, 2015.
Geneva Tourism has been associated with the
GCC for many years and is happy be to back to
participate in one of the biggest travel events
in the region. As an active player in the in the
GCC, Geneva Tourism plans to focus on endorsing the city as a leisure and corporate travel
destination.
Conveniently located in the heart of Europe,
Geneva is the perfect gateway to Switzerland.
It not only has one of the country’s most spectacular landscapes, it is also well known for its
excellent quality of life. The city knows how to
welcome its guests with great activities, ultimate shopping experiences, as well as
Switzerland’s most refined dining tables.
Geneva has much more to offer than what
people come to expect from it. Not many people know, but it is known as the gastronomy
capital of Switzerland and has 140 ethnic
restaurants representing 5 continents and
more than 30 nationalities (including halal).
With 55 restaurants awarded by the Michelin
and Gault Millau guides, Geneva definitely has
great taste. And that’s not all. Each March,
Geneva becomes one of the automobile capitals of the world, hosting one of the biggest
automobile exhibition - the Geneva Motor
Show. The city also has many boutiques where
you can discover all the prestigious interna-
Missing wedding
ring plucked
from dog doo,
returned to owner
Nikki Balovich shows her platinum wedding ring that had gone missing in
January, after it was returned to her. — AP
A
n Alaska woman suspected her
family’s dog snatched her wedding
ring, but she couldn’t find proof until the diamond-encrusted platinum
band turned up months later at a local ball
field. Nikki Balovich lost her ring in
January, when she was pregnant and
often took it off her swollen finger, the
Daily Sitka Sentinel newspaper reported.
The Sitka woman suspected Halli was
the culprit because the 90-pound mastiff
puppy often carries household items in its
mouth. She spent time searching for the
band, including checking Halli’s poop outside. “I gave up, I thought it was long
gone,” she said. “We take the dog everywhere with us, on hikes, on the boat what were the chances we’re going to find
it?” Balovich had no evidence of the dog’s
involvement until last week, when she saw
a post on a Facebook sales site about a
ring being found in an “unusual place.”
Balovich had a gut feeling and contacted the poster, Bob Potrzuski. Turns out, his
wife found the ring while picking up dog
poop at a local ball field. Balovich also
recently volunteered at the field, and
brought along Halli.
Potrzuski and his wife previously tried
unsuccessfully to find the owner by putting
an ad in the Sentinel. They also called police.
Balovich was reunited with her ring on
Thursday, her husband’s birthday. “It’s been
on my hands ever since,” she said. “My hand
was feeling naked without it.” — AP
tional brands and a choice of watches you will
not find anywhere else. Geneva also offers a
host of outdoor activities like water sports,
nature parks and much more.
Last year, Geneva was nominated as
Europe’s Leading City Break Destination at the
World Travel Award and was voted Europe’s
Leading City Break Destination, 2014. Facing
prestigious competitors such as Paris, London,
Madrid, Rome or Dublin, the award proves that
Geneva has all the assets to be an attractive
leisure destination.
GCC’s tourist outflow to Europe has witnessed a steady increase over the past few
years and the number of GCC tourists visiting
Geneva in 2014 saw a 9.7% increase compared
to 2013. During this period, there was a total of
219’812 overnights. The highest percentage of
these tourists were from Saudi Arabia, followed
by the UAE. Saudi tourists have also been
ranked first in terms of daily tourist expenditure worldwide.
“We have a strong affinity with the GCC and
we’re happy to see an increase in GCC tourism
to Geneva”, said Philippe Vignon, General
Manager at Geneva Tourism. “Geneva has welcomed people from the GCC for the last few
decades and, as a result, we understand the
changing needs of this market and have
evolved accordingly. With our participation in
the Arabian Travel Market 2015, we plan to
showcase Geneva in all its glory”, he added.
The Arabian Travel Market has been the
region’s most popular travel event for 21 years,
helping travel houses interact and network to
enhance their businesses. ATM 2015 promises
to be bigger than ever, with the theme of
‘Family Travel’, focusing on Travel technology,
luxury and wellness.
Swiss hotel schools eye
another century as ‘world best’
I
t feels like a luxury restaurant, with starcheduniformed waiters pouring pricy wine and
explaining the intricate details of a gourmet
menu as diners gaze out at a spectacular mountain view. But all the servers, the impeccably
dressed guests and even the kitchen staff sending out elaborately decorated plates are in fact
students at one of Switzerland’s famous hotel
management schools. “This is part of the student’s learning experience,” said Stephane
Bernard, a service instructor at the Glion school,
overlooking the picturesque town of Montreux
on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The school is ranked among the top three
such establishments in the world, all in
Switzerland. For more than a century, hotel management schools in the wealthy Alpine nation
have been considered the best and draw students from around the globe. Glion alone has
some 100 nationalities attending, with French
the biggest group followed by Chinese, Russian
and Swiss. But these schools are facing a range of
new challenges, with competing, less expensive
establishments surfacing in Asia, the Middle East
and elsewhere, in step with shifting global travel
patterns.
Sky-high tuition
The soaring value of the Swiss franc, meanwhile, has made already sky-high tuition at the
Swiss schools around 20 percent pricier for students writing their cheques in euros. The Swiss
schools acknowledge that worried parents have
enquired about price cuts, but insist that is not
the way to go. “I will never do that, because the
increase of the quality is more than the increase
of the price,” said Michel Rochat, who heads the
Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL). EHL, the
world’s first hotel management school which
opened in 1893 and still tops global rankings,
charges around 150,000 Swiss francs for its
three-year bachelor program for international
students.
Far from cutting the price, Rochat said he
plans to raise it in September to reflect the
school’s annual revamp of 15 percent of its curriculum to keep up with an ever-changing global
hospitality market. And despite growing competition from new schools in Asia especially, he says
Switzerland’s reputation for innovation and
excellence, its stunning nature and stable economy provide an atmosphere that cannot be emulated. “We’ll still be on top 100 years from now,”
Rochat said. Glion student Palita Lee agrees. “In
Switzerland, the standards are at the top,” she
said, explaining why she had chosen to travel
from Thailand for the program. The 19-year-old
graciously tops up a glass of sparkling water and
suggests a good wine to go with the chicken
ordered by a classmate.
she aims to manage hotels for a large chain so
she can travel the world.
Her Glion classmate, Federico Pironti, a 20year-old Italian-Austrian student, says he has set
his sights higher. “My big dream is to own hotels,
not manage them. To own a hotel chain. It’s an
expensive dream, I know,” he said, smiling underneath his chef’s hat as he prepares desserts in the
kitchen. These students view the tuition at Glion,
a fully private institution charging around
Future industry leaders
She and the others work hard to carry out
their tasks professionally, but they do not plan to
be waiters or kitchen staff : they are being
groomed as future industry leaders. “The important thing is that they try everything, that they
learn the needs of each profession and each
service in the hotel so they can manage teams of
specialists,” explained Alain Brunier, president of
the Swiss Association of Hotel Schools and also
head of the Geneva hotel school EHG. Lee says
A student takes orders.
185,000 Swiss francs for its three-and-a-half-year
bachelor program, as an investment that will certainly pay off.
While an increasing number of students in
other fields are graduating into unemployment
and uncertainty, students targeting the still
booming global tourism industry have a wealth
of options, Brunier said. A graduate may not
immediately land a job managing a five-star
Students work during noon rush hour at the Glion school, one of Switzerland’s famous hotel management schools. — AFP photos
Geneva hotel, “but if they are willing to travel to
say Shanghai or Dubai they can easily find not
just work but a position of responsibility,” he said.
Glion director of campuses Peter Cross says
85 percent of graduates “have between two and
three job offers at graduation,” while the others
are either entering a family business or not looking for work for other reasons. “There is a strong
guarantee of getting a job at the end of the program,” he said. Lucile Falguieres, who graduated
from Glion in 2005 and is currently associate
sales and marketing director at the five-star
Fairmont Montreux Palace hotel, said she was
hired right out of school to manage a team of 30
people at a luxury hotel in Dubai. And she says
she has since hired her share of graduates from
Glion and other Swiss schools. “As soon as you
see a Swiss school, you tend to hire the person,”
she said. — AFP
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
lifestyle
M U S I C
&
M O V I E S
AC/DC drummer’s kill threat just an ‘angry call’
A
C/DC drummer Phil Rudd yesterday made
a surprise guilty plea on a charge of
threatening to kill, with his lawyer describing the veteran rocker’s offence as “just an angry
phone call”. Rudd had previously denied all allegations against him, but changed his plea on the
first day of his trial at Tauranga District Court in
New Zealand, also admitting two minor drug
possession charges. As a result, judge Robert
Woolff adjourned the matter after just 10 minutes and extended Rudd’s bail until a sentencing
hearing on June 26.
While threatening to kill carries a potential jail
term of seven years, Rudd’s solicitor Craig Tuck
said the 60-year-old would apply for a discharge
without conviction. “What we can see now is that
this matter was essentially just an angry phone
call that resulted in police getting a search warrant... that was it,” Tuck told reporters outside the
court. Rudd was arrested in November at his
waterfront mansion in the North Island coastal
town of Tauranga, with court documents revealing he was accused of threatening to kill a former
employee.
He was allegedly upset about poor organization at a function to launch his solo album “Head
Job” in August, calling an associate four weeks
later to say he wanted the ex-employee “taken
out”, then phoning the man and threatening his
life. He allegedly offered the associate
“NZ$200,000 ($153,000), a motorbike, one of his
cars or a house”. When police raided Rudd’s
home, they found 0.478 grams of methamphetamine and 91 grams of cannabis, the documents
said. Rudd initially faced another charge of
Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd stands in the dock flanked by security facing charges at
the District Court in Tauranga, New Zealand yesterday. — AFP photos
“attempting to procure murder”, but it was
dropped after prosecutors decided there was
insufficient evidence. A second charge of threatening to kill-relating to the ex-employee’s
daughter-was dropped yesterday.
‘Incalculable damage’
Australian-born Rudd, who has lived in New
Zealand since 1983, arrived at court in a luxury
gullwing Mercedes and was dressed conservatively in a blue jacket and tie. He said nothing to
a waiting media throng, in contrast to previous
appearances when he had dressed casually and
made rude gestures to reporters. Rudd’s lawyers
have previously said the dropped murder-forhire charge caused “incalculable damage” to the
drummer. Asked yesterday how his client’s reputation has suffered as a result of the case, Tuck
spreads wings with
genre-merging sound
L
ena Dunham is one of Variety’s Power of Women New
York honorees. For more profiles on the honorees, click
here. Lena Dunham wasn’t aware of the horrors of sex
trafficking until recently. But from the moment she heard
about Gems from her friend Audrey Gelman, Dunham knew
she wanted to shine a spotlight on the non-profit that helps
victims of commercial sexual exploitation in New York.
“What attracted me so much to the cause is that I’m a feminist and I’m a sexual assault survivor,” says Dunham, the star
of HBO’s “Girls.” “I felt that it was important to me to not just
call attention to the circumstances (around) which I was
assaulted on a college campus, but also to call attention to
sexual abuse survivors who have far less of a public voice.”
Girls Educational & Mentoring Services was started
in 1998 by British activist and author Rachel Lloyd. “There
hasn’t been enough awareness and education,” says Lloyd.
She notes that society often considers these women lazy
outcasts instead of helpless victims. Once a low-income
I
Diverse upbringings
Latin rock is hardly a new genre in the United
States. Guitarist Carlos Santana in the 1960s and 1970s
pioneered the fusion of Latin influences in rock, while
east Los Angeles-bred Chicano rockers Los Lobos won
mainstream appeal a decade later. But coming from a
more recent generation in Los Angeles, Chicano
Batman represents a greater array of musical influences. Bassist and singer Eduardo Arenas recalled
growing up with a love of gangsta rap and blaring Ice
Cube from his car.
“That’s how you would represent yourself, that’s the
vibe you give out. But then you go home and you’re
listening to the things that your parents are listening
to,” Arenas said, citing as examples the Mexican pop
stars Los Bukis and Spanish romantic crooner Julio
Iglesias. The band also brings together backgrounds
from within Latin America. Drummer Gabriel Villa grew
up in Colombia with a love of salsa, meringue and vallenato. The different musical education is witnessed in
Villa’s style-notably his love of cowbells.
Martinez-who sings and plays keyboards and guitar,
and also came up with the band’s attention-grabbing
name-is half Mexican and half Colombian. He said that
he grew up on his father’s music collection that included everything from 1980s pop superstar Cyndi Lauper
to Eric Clapton’s classic blues rock outfit Cream. One
key difference that sets apart US-raised musicians,
Martinez said, is the instruments that they pursue. “In
LA, you’re not going to grow up playing a conga,” he
said, referring to the Cuban drum.
“In Cuba there will be a million percussionists and a
few guitarists, but here it’s the opposite,” he said. With a
new album in the works, the band members have mixed
views on whether to focus on Spanish- or English-language lyrics. Arenas said that Spanish was more meaningful to him due to the personal connection. But
Martinez said that English felt natural. “Part of it is that I
want to hit people as hard as I can,” Martinez said. “So if it
takes writing a song in English, so be it.” — AFP
replied: “We’ve got a team of lawyers looking at
that right now.” Rudd first joined AC/DC in 1975
and left in 1983, only to return 11 years later.
He was part of the AC/DC line-up inducted
into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 and won
a Grammy for best hard rock performance with
the band for “War Machine” in 2010. But the legal
woes threaten to end his involvement with the
hard rockers permanently, as a conviction would
make it difficult for him to tour with the band.
Chris Slade-the band’s drummer in the early
1990s-has replaced Rudd in recent appearances
and is set to play on AC/DC’s upcoming “Rock or
Bust” world tour. It was the second major line-up
change for AC/DC. Malcolm Young, the rhythm
guitarist who founded the band with his brother
Angus, was placed in a care facility late last year
as he suffers dementia. — AFP
Dunham helps victims
of sex trafficking find hope
Chicano Batman
Bardo Martinez of the Latin-infused psychedelia
group Chicano Batman performing on day three of the
Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California. — AFP
n their ruffled tuxedo shirts, the Los Angeles musicians Chicano Batman sport a retro look that evokes
decades past of performers in the working-class
Latino neighborhoods of their hometown. But with
influences that range from psychedelia to tropicalia to
funk, Chicano Batman offers a glimpse at a future direction of Latin music as the band builds off the diversity
of traditions in the multicultural metropolis. After performing for years in the city’s Latin indie scene, Chicano
Batman has recently won a broader following. The
band opened this year on a tour of rocker Jack White
and played at Coachella, the influential music festival in
the California desert that closed on Sunday.
The band members welcome the growing audience
but bristle at being pigeon-holed as a Latin band.
“We’re doing this on our own merits. It’s not like this
weird affirmative action type thing,” frontman Bardo
Martinez said of playing Coachella. “I feel that we play
very tight and we provide a solid and very defined aesthetic, which not a lot of artists do,” he told AFP at the
festival. Chicano Batman’s sound, for all of the diversity
of influences, is consistent and identifiable. Working off
an energetic but even-paced rhythm section, keyboards conjure up psychedelic rock while the extended
guitar stretches bring to mind jam bands. The lyricism,
both in Spanish and English, is similarly evocative with
a focus on sensory imagery. The song “Itotiani” is a reference to an Aztec dancer and the music, and words,
cast a smooth, calm atmosphere. “Her heart is beating
fast / Feeling the soul reborn,” Martinez sings in
Spanish. “She has an air of Teotihuacan,” he sings of the
ancient Mexican city, and, in reference to the peanutbased sweet: “Her skin has the color of mazapan.”
Phil Rudd arrives to face charges at the District Court .
teenager falls into the world of sex trafficking, it’s almost
impossible to start a new life, but that’s where Gems comes
to the rescue. Last year, 371 women and girls sought the
organization’s services, which includes counseling, housing,
legal help and job coaching.
“There are so many girls, particularly in urban areas, who
are born to parents who may be drug addicted and violent,”
Dunham says. “These pimps are waiting at the bus to tell
these girls, ‘You seem amazing. I love you and want to be
your boyfriend.’ What feels like a loving relationship turns
into them being forced to go out and make a living. What’s
happening is rape. It’s statutory rape by the most basic definition.”
Dunham has been working with Lloyd to build a library
for Gems. “This is an important organization,” Dunham says.
Lloyd is grateful for Dunham’s voice. “It’s helpful because she
has a platform,” Lloyd says. “Our young women, while traumatized and abused, have incredible potential.” — Reuters
Lena Dunham
Gyllenhaal, Miller,
Marceau on Cannes jury
Passion Pit
feeling the ‘Kindred’ spirit
Music Review:
A
merica’s reigning synthpop king, Passion
Pit, is out with a third studio album,
“Kindred,” a passable offering of tidy little
electro ditties. For their heartfelt lyrics, Passion Pit
(aka Michael Angelakos and whoever is playing
live with him at any given gig) remains a musical
tastemaker’s dividing line. You’re either all in with
Angelakos’ sparkling lead vocals and sprightly
melodies, or you’re likely off the train. Take “Five
Foot Ten (I),” for example. It’s ripe for a deeper club
remix, but as delivered it is little more than an
aural glitter bomb. “I want to be all alone with
you/ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh” goes the cloying refrain to
little resolution.
Lead single “Lifted Up (1985)” is better, soaring
higher and reaching far more artistically. Still, I
can’t help but feel that beneath Passion Pit’s wellpolished tracks there are even better songs lurking behind one too many layers of production. I
like “Kindred.” Just not enough. — AP
Sophie Marceau
F
ilmstars Sienna Miller, Jake
Gyllenhaal and Sophie Marceau,
as well as cult director Guillermo
del Toro are among the members of
this year’s Cannes film festival jury,
organizers announced yesterday.
Other members of the jury for the May
festival, which is being presided over
by the Coen brothers, are Canadian
director Xavier Dolan, Spanish actress
Rossy de Palma and Malian composer
Rokia Traore. The jury will choose the
winners in a range of acting and filmmaking categories, including the top
prize, the Palme D’Or, presented at the
closing ceremony on May 24.
Among this year’s crop of competition entries is American film “The Sea
of Trees” starring Matthew
McConaughey and Naomi Watts. Also
in the running is a film starring Emily
Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro,
“Sicario”, about a CIA operation to
bring down a Mexican cartel. Cate
Blanchett heads up another entry,
“Carol”, a lesbian love story set in New
York, while Rachel Weisz will be in two
movies: the Italian-directed “Youth”
also featuring Michael Caine and Jane
Fonda, and Greece’s “The Lobster” with
Colin Farrel.
Other movies chosen included
several Asian picks-”The Assassin”
from Taiwan, “Umimachi Diary” from
Japan, “Mountains May Depart” from
China, and an Australian version of
“Macbeth” starring Michael
Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The
Cannes Film Festival will run from
May 13 to 24. — AFP
enhaal
Jake Gyll
Sienna Miller
Close fights to end mental illness
stigma with bring change 2 mind
G
lenn Close still remembers the
day that her younger sister
approached her with a terrifying
secret: “I can’t stop thinking about killing
myself,” Jessie Close confided to Glenn
roughly 10 years ago. Billy Kidd for
Variety After doctors diagnosed Jessie
with bipolar disorder, and Jessie’s son,
Calen Pick, with schizoaffective disorder,
Close was determined to learn more
about mental illness. She volunteered at
the New York recover y center
Fountain House, and in 2010 started the
nonprofit Bring Change 2 Mind to raise
awareness.
“We thought the best thing to do was
work against the stigma that surrounds
mental illness,” Close says, noting that
one in four people are affected by it. “It’s
a chronic illness like anything else.”
Bring Change 2 Mind aims to start a
conversation. Close tapped her friend
Ron Howard to direct the org’s first PSA,
which stars the Oscar-nominated actress
alongside Jessie, as well as other people
wearing the names of their diseases on T-
shirts. Since then, an estimated 1 billion
have viewed online the PSAs, which have
featured Wayne Brady and NFL wide
receiver Brandon Marshall sharing their
stories. The Close sisters have used many
forums to talk about their mission, from a
Washington, DC, summit to NPR to
People magazine.
Close says she recently had an
epiphany when she saw her nephew.
“He would wear these dark glasses. He
had this frightening look in his eyes. I
was telling him, six months ago, he had
lost that look. He said, ‘Do you know
what that was? I was terrified.’ “Jessie
says she couldn’t be more proud of her
big sister, adding, “I would say Glenn is
really my hero as far as stepping up to
the plate and doing something about
the stigma.” Adds Pamela Harrington,
the executive director of Bring Change 2
Mind: “She was really one of the first
public figures to speak out in mental
health advocacy world. She’s been a
really great beacon of hope for so many
people.” —Reuters
AC/DC drummer’s
kill threat just
an ‘angry call’
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
39
Traditional coffee pots, left, and colorful clay dishes are on display at Al-Aqeeliya open-air auction market.
Bargains and bidding in a
raucous Saudi open-air market
Dagger vendors sit together, one of them reciting poetry about traditional Saudi daggers, at Al-Aqeeliya open-air auction market, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Centre) A Saudi buyer talks to a vendor. (Right) Misfer Al-Qahtani, a 70 yearold retired National Guard officer wears his traditional Saudi dagger. — AP photos
A
t an open-air market in Saudi
Arabia’s capital, haggling for a
good deal is not just part of the
experience - it’s also part of the fun.
The Al-Aqeeliya market in Riyadh is far
from the upscale malls and designer
boutiques found in the capital, where
arguing over the price would be considered un-chic. Inside the market’s
twists and turns, Yemeni and Saudi
merchants smile to visitors, eager to
sell the fragrant incense that burns
outside their stalls and fills the air with
a strong musk.
A group of elderly Saudi women
have their own corner in the market
where they sell cotton dresses worn by
women around the house. Dusty metal
jewelry sits in piles inside woven baskets for buyers to rummage through,
most of it made in Pakistan.
Families stroll around the market,
looking for the best bargain in stalls
packed with toys, makeup, kitchenware and traditional abayas and
thobes - the black robes worn by
women in the Arabian Peninsula and
the long white gowns worn by men
across the region.
At an auction in an empty quarter
of the market, dozens of men drink
tea, smoke cigarettes and yell out
prices over one another in bids for
handmade Arabian swords, old mobile
phones, wooden chests, copper and
gold-colored tea kettles - even a
stuffed hawk.
One man came with a suitcase full
of beaded jewelry and sold the whole
bag to an auction winner, who had
just a few moments to inspect its contents before buying. Souvenir swords
that sell as decorative pieces can go
for more than 40 Saudi riyals ($10) in
one of the market’s stalls, but at the
auction 10 or more together sells for
100 riyals ($27). — AP
Saudi men
haggle at AlAqeeliya
open-air
auction market.
Saudi
vendors and
buyers
gather at the
market.
Traditional coffee pots are lined up for sale.
Clothes
on display
for sale.