obama slams bigotry in first visit to us mosque - kuwait times

3 21 38 20

SUBSCRIPTIO

N

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016 RABI ALTHANI 25, 1437 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

Min 07ºMax 21ºHigh Tide09:23 & 19:37Low Tide02:42 & 13:3540

PA

GES

NO

: 167

7615

0 FI

LS

HRW: Limited progress for human rights in Kuwait

The Real Fouz: A healthy body and mind come first

Panthers beat Capitals 5-2 in clash of East division leaders

China’s biggest overseas buy seen in $43bn Syngenta offer

Obama slams bigotry in

first visit to US mosque President thanks Muslim-Americans, decries political rhetoric

conspiracy theories

The only solution ...

[email protected]

By Badrya Darwish

As I cannot lately write freely about manythings in Kuwait like faux budget deficits,rising prices and inflation, subsidy

removals and the effects on the nation, schooltuition fees, foreign relations and many othertopics, I’ve decided to focus on our beautifulKuwait environment.

In a recent report I read about the global envi-ronment, Kuwait ranked very poorly in all indica-tors. I was not surprised to see that the reportnoted we have poor air quality, pollution andother environmental problems. Actually, I didn’tneed the report to tell me this. When you live inKuwait, you know very easily the problems withthe environment including the savage heat, duststorms from our neighbors’ lands which land onour heads, pollution from the oil industry, etc.

Of course we have bad quality of air due tothe above-mentioned reasons, but in my opinionthere are solutions that we could consider.Forestation or the greening of Kuwait, which canbe easily done by the government and privatecompanies in partnership. It will firstly helpreduce the heat and dust and create more oxy-gen and beautify the country. And I don’t thinkit’s beyond our reach financially or scientifically.There are concerns about water resources, butthere are plenty of trees and plants that can sur-vive in semiarid climates and we seem to haveplenty of water for the oil industry. We can alsouse to some extent brackish water like they do atWafra farms mixed with potable water.

Before the invasion, Kuwait was working on aplan to develop green spaces. Unfortunately,that plan was halted after the liberation and nev-er revived in earnest. If we have serious inten-tions, we can find solutions. This affects not onlyour health, but our children’s health too, be theynationals or expats - the weather does not differ-entiate. I think this issue should be taken serious-ly to change Kuwait’s environment for futuregenerations - our future generations won’t onlyneed money, but a place to live as well.

BALTIMORE: US President Barack Obama yesterdayoffered an impassioned rebuttal of “inexcusable”Republican election-year rhetoric against Muslims as hemade his first trip to an American mosque, seven yearsinto his presidency. Obama, whose grandfather con-verted to Islam, made the short trip to the IslamicSociety of Baltimore mosque, where he met communityleaders and called on Americans not to be “bystandersto bigotry”.

Invoking Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and hailingthe tolerance shown by American political icons fromThomas Jefferson to Dwight Eisenhower, Obama hit outat anti-Islamic sentiment that is “not who we are”. “We’veheard inexcusable political rhetoric against Muslim-Americans that has no place in our country,” he said,lauding Muslim-Americans who were sports heroes,entrepreneurs and the architect behind the skyscrapersof Chicago.

His comments comes as a shrill election debate hassullied America’s image abroad, and jihadist attacks inSan Bernardino and Philadelphia threatened to shatterpost-9/11 religious solidarity at home. Six days after the2001 attacks in New York and Washington, thenRepublican president George W Bush visited the IslamicCenter of Washington, declaring “Islam is peace”. Today,Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump haswooed conservative voters by demanding a ban onMuslim immigrants, while frontrunner Ted Cruz hasadvocated Christian-only admissions and championed“Judeo-Christian values”.

Continued on 3WINDSOR MILL, Maryland: US President Barack Obama speaks at the Islamic Society of Baltimore yesterday. — AFP

DUBAI: A Gulf-based consortium willacquire Al Khair National for Stocks andReal Estate Company’s stake in Kuwait’sAmericana food company. Al Khair hasnotified Americana about its deal, andasked Americana’s board to cooperatewith the consortium led by UAE-busi-nessman Mohammad Al-Abbar. The dealmust still be approved by Kuwait’sCapital Markets Authority. The consor-tium said it is planning to offer a manda-tory acquisition of Americana as per therules and regulations of the CapitalMarkets Authority and Kuwait StockExchange.

In a statement, Abbar said:“Americana is a leading food group witha long and successful history, and we aredelighted to have the opportunity to bepart of Americana’s rich legacy that wasbuilt over the past five decades.” Headded: “We see a bright future forAmericana, and we look forward to thedevelopment of the group in the future.”

The value of the deal has not been dis-closed, but the company’s estimated val-ue in 2014 was $6 billion. According tothe company’s last annual report, also in2014, it saw annual sales of $3.2 billion.

Al Khair has been in numerous talksover the past years to sell its almost 69percent stake in Americana, starting inAugust of 2014. By Jan 2015, SavolaGroup Company, along with privateequity funds KKR and CVC, were seen asthe main bidders for the company.Saudi’s Kingdom Holdings Companyalso made an offer in 2014. According toits website, American is active in 13countries and employees over 63,000people. Americana Group’s main busi-ness includes KFC, Pizza Hut, CostaCoffee, Krispy Kreme outlets throughoutthe Middle East. It is one of the largestoperators of restaurant chains in theMENA region, with 23 in total. It alsomanufactures food products, includingthe California Garden and Koki brands.

Americana acquired

by Gulf consortiumMOGADISHU: A blast that ripped a holein a commercial airliner shortly aftertakeoff from Somalia’s capital was proba-bly caused by a bomb, aviation expertsand the pilot who landed it safely saidyesterday. The plane, operated by DaalloAirlines and flying from Mogadishu toDjibouti with 74 passengers, safely made

an emergency landing on Tuesday. Oneman was killed by the blast, officials said.Local authorities north of Mogadishusaid the body of a man, believed to havebeen sucked out through the hole in thefuselage made by the blast, was found intheir area.

Continued on Page 13

Blast on Somalia

jet points to bomb

MOGADISHU: In this photo taken Tuesday, a hole is seen in a plane operated byDaallo Airlines as it sits on the runway of the airport. — AP

BEIRUT: At a stall in a Beirut exhibitionhall, Syrian businesswoman Reem AbuDahab displays her workshop’s lacy pinkand white nightgowns, hoping to attractincreasingly elusive buyers. Syria’s textileindustry was once one of the country’seconomic bright spots, with its productscoveted throughout the region andbeyond. But the sector, like the economyin general, has been devastated by thewar that erupted in March 2011, with fac-tories destroyed, workers displaced and

sanctions hampering trade.The migrant crisis and outflow to

Europe have also depleted its workforce.“Buyers used to come from all around theworld but the war has scared them andnow very few come to Syria,” said AbuDahab, surrounded by products made ina small workshop in Damascus. AbuDahab’s family once owned a factory inHarasta, a Damascus suburb ravaged byfighting between rebels and the regime.


DUBAI: A Saudi court has commuted the deathsentence against a Palestinian poet convicted ofapostasy, to eight years’ jail and 800 lashes, hislawyer said. Ashraf Fayadh was detained by thereligious police in 2013. His conviction was basedon evidence from a prosecution witness whoclaimed to have heard him cursing God, ProphetMuhammad (PBUH) and Saudi Arabia. He was alsoprosecuted for the contents of a poetry book hehad written years earlier. Rights campaigners sayhe was targeted for speaking out on political andsocial matters.

Fayadh’s lawyer, Abdul-Rahman Al-Lahim, saidthat while the new court ruling had commutedthe execution, it had reconfirmed Fayadh’s guiltfor the crime of abandoning his Islamic faith. “Theaccused is sentenced to a punishment of eightyears in jail and 800 lashes divided into install-ments, 50 lashes for each installment,” the rulingsaid, according to Lahim on a Twitter posting. Aspokesman for Saudi Arabia’s justice ministrycould not be reached for comment.

Human Rights Watch said the new sentencewas still inappropriate. “No one should face arrestfor peacefully expressing opinions, much less cor-poral punishment and prison,” said Adam Coogle,a Middle East researcher for the rights group.“Saudi justice officials must urgently intervene tovacate this unjust sentence.” Fayadh had initiallybeen sentenced to four years in prison and 800

Continued on Page 13 BEIRUT: A woman checks dresses during a presentation of clothes and fashionfrom the Syrian textile industry at an exhibition center on Jan 20, 2016. — APP

Syria textile industry

hangs on for survival

LONDON: A British judge declared theinfamous Lord Lucan officially dead yester-day, four decades after he disappeared fol-lowing the murder of the family’s nanny ina lurid tale that has gripped Britain. “Thecourt must make the declaration that issought on this case,” Judge Sarah Asplintold a court in London following an appli-cation by Lucan’s son George Bingham,who officially becomes the 8th Earl ofLucan.

Bingham, 48, launched a High Court bid

to obtain a death certificate for his fatherlast year, bringing to an end one chapter ina story full of unanswered questions thatrevolves around London high society ofthe 1970s and its gambling underworld. “Iam very happy with the judgement of thecourt in this matter. It has been a very longtime coming,” Bingham told reporters afterthe hearing, flanked by his new wife Anne-Sofie Foghsgaard, the daughter of awealthy Danish industrialist.


Earl declared dead

42 yrs after killing

LONDON: George Bingham, the only son of the infamous British aristocrat LordLucan, and his wife Anne-Sofie Foghsgaard, leave the High Court in centralLondon yesterday. — AFP

Saudis commute

Palestinian poet’s

death sentence

LO C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday offered sincerecondolences to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulazizover the death of the wife of Prince Mamdouh binAbdulaziz Al Saud and mother of Prince Muqrin binMamdouh bin Abulaziz Al Saud. In his cable to theKing, His Highness the Amir prayed to God to bestowmercy on the deceased and patience and fortitudeon the Saudi Royal family. His Highness the DeputyAmir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sentsimilar cables to King Salman. — KUNA

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

Amir offers

condolences

to Saudi King

LONDON: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives yesterday Chairperson of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser(left) and Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam (right) at his residence in the United Kingdom. — KUNA

KUWAIT: National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem met yesterday FawazKhaled Al-Marzouq, Chairman of La’ala Al-Kuwait Real Estate company which istasked with building ‘Sabah Al-Ahmad SeaCity.’ Marzouq touted the city as the largestresidential project in the country, andexplained to Ghanem that the fourth por-tion of the project had been completed 15months ahead of schedule.

Ghanem hailed the project, saying thatit is an indicator of how the country’s pri-vate sector is capable of contributing to

development projects in the country.Moreover, the Parliament Speaker wishedthe company success in all of their projects,which aim to foster development andgrowth. Meanwhile, Ghanem met theregional representative of Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner forHuman Rights (OHCHR) in the Middle Eastand North Africa, Dr Abdul Salam SayyedAhmed. Ghanem also met with the visitingHead of Lebanese Editors Syndicate EliasAoun, in presence of MP MohammadTana.— KUNA

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meets regional representative ofOffice of OHCHR in the Middle East and North Africa, Dr Abdul Salam Sayyed Ahmed.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem meets Head of Lebanese EditorsSyndicate Elias Aoun.

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem is pictured with Chairmanof La’ala Al-Kuwait Real Estate company Fawaz Khaled Al-Marzouq. — KUNA photos

Parliament Speaker receives

La’ala Al-Kuwait Co Chairman

ROME: The State of Kuwait called onTuesday for an international compre-hensive yet realistic strategy, whichtook into considerations multi-faceted dimensions of the region, toeliminate so-called Islamic State (IS)and terrorism.

Deputy Premier and DefenseMinister Shiekh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah, addressing a meeting of theinternational coalition fighting IS, saidhe regretted the fact the meeting wastaking place as “the spate of terrorismis on the rise” in the region. He saidUN Security Council (UNSC) resolution2253 stated the responsibility of everycountry to prevent and eliminate allforms of terrorism, which posed agenuine threat to the internationalpeace and security.

“The escalation of terrorism and itsimpacts in the region reaffirms theimportance of having a comprehen-sive strategy to eliminate it,” saidSheikh Khaled. This strategy, headded, should take into considerationthe political, economic, social, reli-

gious and media realities of theregion.

The strategy, the Kuwaiti ministerwent on, should not be excluded tothe military and security aspectsbecause of the proliferation of socialmedia. Therefore, he said, it wasimportant to involve youths in deci-sion-making process to benefit fromtheir positive energies.

Sheikh Khaled said Kuwait hasamended some legislations to tight-en grip on terrorist groups, drying upterrorism financing, stopping foreignfighters from traveling to conflictzones, and confronting cyber-attacks.Sheikh Khaled said it was cruciallyimportant not to link terrorism andextremism with a faith, sect or eth-nicity.

The coalition meeting, which con-cluded while ago, was attended byItaly, the US, Kuwait, Austral ia,Bahrain, Belgium, Britain, Canada,Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany,I raq, Jordan, New Zealand, TheNetherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UAE,EU, and UN. The gathering takesplace as talks have begun in Genevato try to end the five-year Syrian civilwar, which has killed at least 250,000people, driven more than 12 millionfrom their homes. Kuwait will alsoparticipate in the 4th internationaldonors’ conference for Syria, due inLondon today. —KUNA

Kuwait calls for comprehensive,

strategy against IS, terrorism

Shiekh Khaled Jarrah Al-Sabah

Ooredoo pumps up the volume

of retail outlets with TrolleyKUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait, member ofinternational Ooredoo Group, is offer-ing customers 24/7 mobile services, inaddition to the latest services andpromotions at two locations withinTrolley stores located in Qurtoba andMassilah. This follows an agreementthat will see pumps outfitted with hi-tech Ooredoo Express Shops whichwill feature exciting promotions.

The Express Shops will be staffedby experienced Ooredoo Kuwaitensuring the highest quality, morning,noon or midnight.

Mijbil Alayoub, Director ofCorporate Communications atOoredoo Kuwait said: “At Ooredoo, weare been aiming at providing our cus-tomers with around the clock highlevel services, grateful to the manage-ment of Trolley stores for their selec-tion of Ooredoo as sole telecom oper-ator within their shops and helping usintroduce our Express Shops acrossthe country. We are sure our cus-tomers will appreciate being able totry and buy at any time, seven days aweek.”

Trolley is a chain of conveniencestores founded in 2010 catering to theniche markets located at private uni-versities. Currently Trolley is expand-ing into gas station to offer customerseasy and quick shopping experience.

Kuwait keen to

exchange

expertise with GCC

KUWAIT: Kuwait is eager to share experiences with GCCstates, especially in the field of municipal work, and to boostmutual cooperation, said Director General of KuwaitMunicipality Ahmad Al-Manfouhi yesterday. Manfouhi metwith Mohsen bin Mohammad Al Sheikh, chairman of MuscatMunicipality and his accompanying delegation, stressing theimportance of meetings that contribute to promoting munici-pal projects, including the development of Kuwait CityMarkets Project (Mubarakiya), according to a municipalitystatement. In addition, the delegation took a tour toMubarakiya fish market and fish markets in the eastern area tooversee efforts of the municipality. —KUNA

L O C A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

CrimeR e p o r t

Driver surviveshorrific accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A citizen narrowly escaped death and was leftwith minor injuries following an accident that happenedwhen her car collided with a lamppost and was broken inhalf. The accident took place on Seventh Ring Road yester-day near Subhan cemetery. Mubarak Al-Kabeer rescue andhazardous material teams responded and dealt with theaccident. The woman was taken by paramedics.

Bus driver injuredA transport bus and car collided on Salmi road, andJahra occupational firemen responded and freed thebus driver before handing him to paramedics.

No injuries in fireJahra occupational firemen put out a blaze that brokeout in a vehicle parked in an open area of Saad Al-Abdullah City. No injuries were reported in the fire.

Vehicles removedThe city cleanliness center of Kuwait Municipality car-ried out a campaign in industrial Sharq, resulting in theremoval of 10 abandoned vehicles and a truckload ofdebris.

A vehicle seen broken in half following an accident atthe Seventh Ring Road yesterday.

One half of the car.

Policemen pose behind suspects arrested for stealingpaint and construction material.

Workers deportedTen workers from an agricultural company were deportedfor violating the environmental law, as they cut irrigatedplants and trees near the airport bridge in Farwaniya, andwere caught by environment police.

WorkshopJahra governorate prevention department held a work-shop at the Salayel resort in Jahra on the safe use of haz-ardous materials and how to fight them for workers in hos-pitals and health centers.

Paint thieves caughtAhmadi police arrested four Bangladeshi nationals forstealing paint and construction material from housesunder construction and were sent to Mina Abdullah policestation.

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Human Rights Watch (HRW) not-ed some important improvements and set-backs for human rights in Kuwait this pastyear. Improvements in domestic labor lawswere considered among the most impor-tant achievements for human rights inKuwait in 2015. HRW held a press confer-ence Tuesday night to discuss the situationof human rights in Kuwait in 2015, follow-ing the World Report 2016 release. BelkisWille, Researcher Middle East and NorthAfrica, HRW, Joe Stork, Deputy Director forMiddle East and North Africa at HRW andMohammad Al-Humaidhi, Director ofKuwait Human Rights Society attended thepress conference.

Protection for domestic workersLaw no. 68 gives domestic workers

enforceable labor rights for the first timeever, including a weekly day off, 30 days ofannual paid leave, and a 12-hour workingday with rest periods. But it lacks key pro-tections in the general labor law. The newlaw prohibits employers from confiscatingworkers’ passports, a common abuse, butfails to specify penalties and does notinclude enforcement mechanisms, such aslabor inspections.

“In passing the domestic workers law,Kuwaiti legislators took an important stepin protecting domestic workers in Kuwait,”said Wille. “They should now look at revi-sions that would meet additional impor-

tant international standards.”

Bedoons, press restrictions and DNABut the 659-page World Report 2016,

now in its 26th edition, also noted thatthere remained many concerns regardingbasic human freedoms and rights in Kuwaitincluding a continued failure to provide forthe more than 100,000 plus bedoon com-munity (those without passports) here.

Kuwait has also cracked down on press

freedoms, passing cybercrime and e-medialaws that have far reaching implications forjournalists and activists in the oil-rich coun-try. “These include prison sentences andlines for insulting religion and religious fig-ures and for criticizing HH the Amir or thejudicial system, harming Kuwait’s relationswith other countries, or revealing classifiedinformation, without exceptions for disclo-sures in the public interest,” she stated.

“The government continued to limit free

speech, using provisions in the constitu-tion, the national security law, and otherlegislation to stifle political dissent. Courtsconvicted at least five people on speechcharges,” Wille, added during the press con-ference. Kuwait has also passed a lawrequiring the establishment of a DNA data-base after the June 26 suicide attack on theImam Al-Sadeq Mosque in Kuwait Citywhere 26 people were killed. Kuwaitbecame the first country to require allKuwaiti citizens and residents to provideDNA samples under a new counterterror-ism law. “DNA collection databases are notinherently illegal, but to meet internationalprivacy standards enshrined in theInternational Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights, which Kuwait has ratified,the law would need to be narrowed,” HRWnotes.

Over 90 countriesHuman Rights Watch reviews human

rights practices in more than 90 countries.In his introductory essay, Executive DirectorKenneth Roth writes that the spread of ter-rorist attacks beyond the Middle East andthe huge flows of refugees spawned byrepression and conflict led many govern-ments to curtail rights in misguided effortsto protect their security. At the same time,authoritarian governments throughout theworld, fearful of peaceful dissent that isoften magnified by social media, embarkedon the most intense crackdown on inde-pendent groups in recent times.

Limited progress for Kuwait’s human rights: HRW

KUWAIT: (From left) Belkis Wille, Researcher Middle East and North Africa at HumanRights Watch, Mohammad Al-Humaidhi, Director of Kuwait Human Rights Societyand Joe Stork, Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa at Human RightsWatch attend the press conference. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Education Minister Badr Al-Essaconfirmed that the coming school yearwould commence after the Eid Al-Adhaholiday.

He added that the ministry has alreadyadjusted the dates to make school start onSept 18 for all staff, Sept 21 for kinder-garten and grade one, Sept 22 for other pri-mary grades and Sept 25 for intermediateand secondary schools.

Speaking to reporters on attending aceremony at Sharifa Al-Awadhi School thatwas held jointly with the AmericanEmbassy to celebrate the liberationanniversary and honor the winners of acompetition for the best short movie onthe occasion of the liberation’s silverjubilee, Essa thanked all brotherly andfriendly countries, including the US, thatcontributed in liberating Kuwait. USAmbassador Douglas Silliman hailed bothcountries’ strong ties and urged students toalways remember their history, the sacri-fices made by their ancestors and theefforts by the US and allied forces to liber-ate Kuwait.

Tire dumpMunicipal Council Chairman Muhalhel Al-

Khaled announced that in its next meeting,the council would vote to remove the usedtire dump from South Saad Al-Abdullah toSheqaya so that a residential area could bebuilt in its place. “This dump is the largestdeterrent of building in South Saad Al-Abdullah residential area,” he added, notingthat all concerned government bodies werebeing contacted to end their respective con-struction activities on the site and hand itover to the Housing Authority as soon as pos-sible. Khaled added that the site would pro-vide space for building 20,000 housing units.

Fishermen assaultedAn Egyptian fisherman was seriously

injured and two others sustained minorinjuries when they were attacked byIranian infiltrators while fishing off Ahmadishores, said security sources. Case papersindicate that the assaulters used knivesand sharp objects in attacking the fisher-men, who resisted them and managed tocapture one of them after breaking his leg,while the others fled before coastguardsarrived at the scene.

Schools start afterEid holiday next year

KUWAIT: The Health Ministry’s medical emergencies department, in cooperation withKuwait University, carried out a mock evacuation of building 32 near the stadium atShuwaikh campus, with the participation of the National Guard, Interior Ministry trac-er department, Civil Defence, helicopters and KIMS. The exercise was about the col-lapse of a building following an explosion. The evacuation took five minutes and 13seconds with 21 injured. Assistant Undersecretary for Allied Medical Services DrJamal Al-Harby was on hand along with other officials. — By Hanan Al-Saadoun

By Meshaal Al-Enezi

KUWAIT: The lawyers of jailed opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak had informed the public prosecution that a visiting HumanRights Watch delegation wanted to meet Barrak, but the requestwas denied, said Awwad Al-Nasafi, Acting Secretary General of thePopular Action Bloc (PAB).

Court roundupThe administrative court yesterday ordered paying a group of

ministry of Commerce and Industry employees special incentivesfor working in distant areas retroactively, effective as of April 1,2012. Meanwhile, the permanent committee formed to prosecuteministers yesterday received a complaint referred from the publicprosecutor’s office on Jan 14 of a case filed by Khalifa Al-Jerriagainst the Finance Minister and Acting Oil Minister Anas Al-Salehfor not taking the needed measures towards an Audit Bureau’sreport on suspected squandering of KD 33 million on a touristicproject. Separately, the court of appeal yesterday seconded a ver-dict by the first instance court indicting former lawmakers andactivists for taking part in an unlicensed rally. In the meantime, thecriminal court acquitted a citizen who had been accused by thestate security department of joining a banned organization calledthe ‘Pride Falcons’ to fight in Syria. In another case, the court acquit-ted a blogger of state security charges of using slanderous phrasesagainst Saudi Arabia on his Twitter account. Also yesterday, a courtadjourned until Jan 24 hearing a case filed against a female bloggerfor slandering Islam and the Prophet (PBUH) on her Twitter account.Meanwhile, another court adjourned until March 2 hearing a casefiled by Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed against former MP Faisal Al-Mislem of posting slanderous remarks about the multimillion-dinarbank transfers case on his Twitter account.

Plastic surgery clinic suedLawyer Yousif Hussein Al-Taher yesterday filed a case against a

plastic surgery clinic accusing it of committing medical errors thatcost his client, a female citizen, all her hair and leaving her bald.Taher demanded examination of his client by forensic medicine toprove his allegations. Taher explained that his client had sufferedfrom partial genetic baldness and that she saw the clinic’s ad andvisited it, where the doctor decided to subject her to a 3-hour hairtransplant session on the very same day, costing her over KD 2,550,during which he was supposed to transplant natural hair. He addedthat despite following all the doctor’s instructions, abscesses andpus started appearing in the transplanted hair follicles. “My clientthen developed acute granulomatous dermatitis followed by dailyincreasing hair fall,” he explained.

Dust returnsKuwait meteorological centers expect dusty weather in some

areas on Sunday with cloudy skies and southeasterly winds thatwould later shift to northwesterly.

Municipality lawMunicipal council member Nayef Al-Sour slammed what he

described as sudden amendments to 14 out of 42 articles of themunicipality law that were recently approved by the Cabinet. “Thepoints we expected to be amended included municipality financialand administrative independence, which was ignored,” he said,pointing out that the current law was ‘excellent’ and does not needto be ‘crushed and blown away’. Sour also blasted the dissolution ofsome municipal departments and authorizing other governmentalbodies without any municipal experience to do their jobs. In othernews, Chairman of the state’s structural scheme at the municipalcouncil Ali Al-Mousa excluded the possibility of carrying out anyeconomic development plans according to the current structuralscheme because many of the concerned service ministries were notfully committed to what is in those plans.

Prosecution deniesHRW’s request

to meet Barrack

KUWAIT: Deputy PrimeMinister and InteriorMinister SheikhMohammad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabahopened the ModelResidency Affairs buildingin Jahra Governorate,where he was received byInterior Ministry’sUndersecretaryLieutenant GeneralSuleiman Al-Fahad andother officials.— By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Kuwait puts on hold Eurofighter purchase

KUWAIT: An $8.7 billion deal for Kuwait topurchase 28 Eurofighters from Italy has beenput on hold for “procedural” reasons, anunnamed Italian Defense official told DefenseNews website. According to the report pub-lished this week, the contract which wasbased on a memorandum of understandingsigned in September of last year, was sup-posed to be signed on Sunday. But the signingdidn’t happen due to “internal proceduralproblems” in Kuwait. Kuwait had agreed tobuy 22 single-seat and six twin-seat Typhoonsin an agreement with the Italian government,with Kuwait pilots trained by Italy.

Kuwait’s Finance Ministry has warned of asizable deficit for the fiscal year starting April1. The shortfall for the 2016-17 fiscal year isestimated at KD 11.5 billion due to a sharpdecline in oil revenues. It’s unclear, however, ifthis deficit will include the transfer of funds tothe Future Generations Fund. Kuwait bases itsbudget on oil revenues and does not includereturns on investments held in the country’ssovereign wealth fund.

KUWAIT: The State collected up to KD 40 million ($132 million) worthof fees and bills via the E-Government portal (www.e.gov.kw) in 2015,said a senior official of the Central Agency for Information Technology(CAIT) yesterday. Qusai Al-Shatti, CAIT Acting Director General, saidduring a news conference that number of services provided by theState agency, via the Payit system, reached 1,670, including 781 elec-tronic ones.

Up to 56 institutions were registered on the website in 2015, andnumber of visitors reached 8.3 million, said Shatti during the news con-ference, marking the launch of a “cooperation initiative” with the OneGlobal group. The value of e-payments in 2015 amounted to some KD615.4 (approximately $215,000), said Shatti, noting that 200 onlineservices were added following a Cabinet decision stressing necessity ofusing the State interface service. CAIT, since its launch in 2008, has notrecorded any electronic piracy, Shatti declared. He noted however thatcomplaints regarding such cases are received via the hot line 164.

On the cooperation with Global One, Shatti said the joint “initiativeis in line with the approach of increasing number of the online govern-ment services, in addition to increasing number of users and proceeds.”

Such cooperation is also within framework of the State approach forbacking up small and medium enterprises for citizens, namely theyouth, as well as creating work opportunities and a proper environ-ment to incubate their enterprises. —KUNA

Kuwait collects some$132 mln worth of

utility bills via e-govt


Photoo f t h e d a y

KUWAIT: Shoppers are seen inside the old Mubarakiya Market in Kuwait City. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUNA Chief receivesItalian Ambassador

KUWAIT: Chairman of the Board and Director Generalof Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Ibrahim Al-Sabah received yesterday ItalianAmbassador to Kuwait Giuseppe Scognamiglio.During the meeting, KUNA’s chief thanked theAmbassador for his continuous cooperation with theagency, stressing that KUNA was eager to play a vitalpart in enhancing Kuwaiti-Italian media relations. Theambassador, on his part, lauded KUNA’s efforts in cov-ering the news, stressing that his country was interest-ed in developing relations with Kuwait on all possiblelevels. —KUNA

Kuwait takes partin Saudi festival

KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Minister ofState for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman SabahSalem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah headed to Riyadhyesterday to attend the opening ceremony ofthe annual ‘National Festival for Heritage andCulture.’ The festival features an array of culturalevents and activities, as a bevy of internationalwriters and philosophers will be on hand. Thisyear’s installment of the festival will be dedicat-ed to Germany, as the European nation will bethe guest of honor. — KUNA

Crown Prince’sequestrian cup

KUWAIT: Farwaniya Equestrian Club will be holdinga special contest tomorrow dubbed ‘His Highnessthe Crown Prince Cup,’ where a fleet of 51 horses willbe participating. The contest will consist of five ses-sions, with the fifth christened ‘His Highness theCrown Prince Session,’ which will feature 12 horsesvying on 1600 kilometers, Mubarak Al-Daihani,Equestrian Club’s Chairman said during a press con-ference yesterday. The winners of the contests willbe the recipients of precious prizes, including mone-tary awards, Daihani announced. — KUNA

In Brief

By Labeed Abdal

[email protected]

Education vital forSyrian children

UNICEF’s call to raise $2.8 billion to help 43 mil-lion children suffering because of human crisesworldwide and allocating the largest portion of

this aid for education is a must in the 21st century thathas been afflicted by many threats, wars and humandisasters, which makes these funds a necessity to pro-tect entire populations in many countries worldwide.

Allocating one quarter of these donations for childeducation in afflicted areas, and the fact the totalnumber of children of school age who live in thoseareas went from 4.9 million at the beginning of lastyear to 8.7 million by the beginning of this year issomething of great significance, as five million Syrianchildren already lack schooling opportunities insideand outside Syria.

This cause is important, especially since the world’sattention is now diverted from the Syrians’ and otherpeople’s true needs, as the world is too busy with warsgoing on in various locations. Focusing on educationis vital to save those children’s lives because it givesthem the opportunity to receive education, avoid warthreats, ensure the continuity of their learning andgives them hope for a better future. What we protectand enhance today in the little minds of those chil-dren will surely be tomorrow’s harvest!

Today’s call is three times what the UNICEF calledfor three years ago when it decided that one out ofeach nine children lives in a war-stricken area world-wide, which calls the parties fighting to reconsider andseek other means to settle their conflicts and disputesother than war, destruction and bloodshed.

On the one hand, major countries have to be up totheir responsibilities for not asking various countriesnot to use WMDs or suchlike because by suchdemands, they, directly or indirectly, play an effectiverole in keeping such wars going on.

West-West, West-Orient, Orient-West and Orient-Orient competitions in this regard has surely paralyzedthe entire world including all countries following anyof the major players - countries that no longer knowwho holds the effective cards in a very vague gameand in view of unclear roadmaps. Disagreement, dis-putes and envy may have also reached major players’administrations and each is striving to qualify for thefinal match.

We are in dire international need to dedicate allefforts to international peace and security withoutdelaying any of the efforts exerted by internationalorganizations to activate and revive many internation-al treaties and conventions including an internationaljudiciary system that would reduce all sorts of interna-tional conflicts to give all people everywhere realchances to live in true peace.

In my view

KUWAIT: The fifth batch of relief aid mate-rials to the Yemeni city of Abyan was deliv-ered by members of Kuwait Red CrescentSociety (KRCS), an official said yesterday.KRCS Chairman Dr Hilal Al-Sayer said that4,000 food baskets were distributed toneedy families in the Yemeni province ofAbyan, in collaboration with local organiza-tions.

He added that (KRCS) is exerting hugeefforts to ease the suffering of Yemenis liv-ing in worsening conditions due to theongoing war, pointing out that despitedangers and difficulties, KRCS ensureddelivery of such aid to the needy. He also

underscored the significant efforts exertedby GCC Secretariat General to organize thehumanitarian assistance, besides unitingpositions towards the relief supplies,offered especially to Yemen.

Sayer noted that Kuwait’s relief effortsaround the globe have been testimonies toHis Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah’ wish to place humanitarianassistance at the heart of his country’s for-eign policy in support of those in need. Heconcluded by saying that the aid distribu-tion comes at the guidelines issued by theKuwaiti leadership since the start of theYemeni crisis. — KUNA

KRCS delivers 5th batch ofrelief aid materials to Yemen

GENEVA: Kuwait’s humanitarian strategy is dis-tinguished and well-known on the global andregional levels, Director for the Middle East andNorth Africa Bureau and Regional RefugeeCoordinator for Syria, at United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Amin Awadsaid yesterday.

He added, in remarks to KUNA before thelaunch of London Donors’ Conference on Syria,that the UN commission highly appreciated HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-

Jaber Al-Sabah humanitarian strategies and poli-cies which played a key role in helping the Syrianpeople. His Highness the Amir launched newhumanitarian concept not only in his contribu-tions to the Syria refugees, but also by setting asmodel example to be followed by regional andinternational humanitarian organizations, hesaid. This Kuwaiti approach offered great help tothe Syrian refugees and encouraged othernations to follow its steps, he added. Heexpressed hope that other Syria’s donor’s coun-

tries would offer the same care Kuwait gives tothe Syrian dilemma, he added.

The UNHCR encouraged financing projectswhich would offer job opportunities to theSyrian refugees, which will lead them to financialself-sufficiency. Continuing this strategic partner-ship between Kuwait and UNHCR is one of thepriorities that would contribute in alleviating thesufferings of the Syrian people. It would alsoshed light on their crisis international wise, hesaid. — KUNA

UN official lauds Kuwaiti leading humanitarian work

Amin Awad


PARIS: France is an important destination forKuwaiti investments abroad both on the gov-ernment and private sector levels, KuwaitAmbassador to France Sammy Al-Suleimansaid yesterday. He stressed the importance ofboosting bilateral ties between both nationsin the economic and commercial fields.

This came in remarks during theAmbassador’s meeting with Chairman of theParis Chamber of Commerce and Industry(CCIP) Jean-Paul Vermes. The Ambassador saidthat the commercial exchange was at around$1 billion in 2014, stressing that both nationswere eager to boost the number.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti side is studyinga number of new investment projects inFrance, the diplomat said.

Suleiman offered an official invitation forFrench companies to take part in the FirstI nvestment Forum to be organized inKuwait on March 8-9, 2016. — KUNA

KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing andmost developed telecom operator, announcedits sponsorship for the open day organized byAl-Nibras Model School for special needs, at theministry of interior’s camp on sixth ring road.

Corporate Communications’ team at VIVA dis-tributed gifts and prizes for more than 350 partici-pants. On this occasion, Ayman Al-Mutairi, SeniorCorporate Communications Manager at VIVA said:“Our corporate social responsibility toward the dif-ferent segments in the society is priority.

We strive at VIVA to support all the humanactivities inspired by the ‘Humanitarian Leader’ HHthe Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-

Jaber Al-Sabah.” VIVA is keen to continue itsongoing socially responsible role in the com-munity by spreading the spirit of goodnessamongst Kuwaiti society.

We believe at VIVA in taking a holisticapproach to our CSR activities, one thatengages our employees, and creates goodwillin our communities with a focus on helping togrow and develop the State of Kuwait. VIVA’sCorporate Social Responsibility ‘CSR’ activitiescan be reviewed on the company’s website athttps://www.viva.com.kw/csr . This offers adescription of each CSR initiative that VIVA hassupported, or taken on since its inception.

VIVA sponsors open dayfor special needs students

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) decorated its head office buildingwith lights, Kuwait’s flag and pictures chosen from its annual calendar, and that incelebration of Kuwait’s National Holidays.

Kuwait eyes investmentsin France: Ambassador

PARIS: Kuwait Ambassador to France Sammy Al-Suleiman (right) is pictured with Chairman ofParis Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) Jean-Paul Vermes. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governorate kicks off celebrations of this year’s National Holidays with a two-day ceremony that starts today afternoon.Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Fawaz Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah lauded the national holidays’ celebrations committee at the governorate fortheir two-month preparations for several activities which are set to take place during the event.

F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

There are specific conditions necessary for truffleto grow in soil, which are:

1. Rainfall during the locally known ‘Wassem’ seasonthat falls between Oct 16 and Dec 5, thoughbedouins have always said that ‘ten days duringthe Merbeaniya (Forty Days) season would growas much as the harvest grown during Wassem.

2. To have continued rainfall, even with intervals. 3. Truffles do not grow by seeds. They are rather the

product of a fungal soil in lands that have notbeen trodden beneath automobile tires or manip-ulated by mankind.

4. To have a relatively warm weather for a while.5. A year rich in truffles only comes every other year.

So, the bottom line here is that if you, people, wantto have enough truffles, you better dump gasolineinto the soil so that you do not have enough to driveinto the desert easily and leave unspoilt lands to restand avoid your manipulations. Oh, people of Kuwait.You are the descendants of glorious forefathers butyou are wearing yourselves out climbing too manyladders. You cannot have both truffles and fruits. Soyou have to decide which you want more: Fruits outof their normal seasons or truffles in due season?

—Translated by Kuwait Times

Truffle growingconditions

Al-Anbaa

By Dr Saleh Al-Ojairi

Al-Jarida

Ionce drove from the US East Coast to the WestCoast through northern states and on the wayback to the East Coast, I drove through southern

states. By the end of the trip, I realized the huge cul-tural and economic difference between the richindustrial north of America versus the poor south,which outside major cities, looks more like ThirdWorld countries where poverty and reliance on natu-ral resources like oil, cotton and livestock herdingprevails. The North has more than once tried drag-ging the South into the industrial age and wealth bybuilding various arms factories there, which limited-ly benefited the South that had greatly benefitedfrom the Arab oil boycott after the 1973 war and thehike in oil prices.

Northern strategic thinking and think-tanks inWashington still fear Southern states’ secession (bythe way, the word state means a country, not aprovince). Four days after electing the black presi-dent Barak Obama in 2012, representatives of 15American states, mainly Southern ones, demandedsecession and independence from the US to estab-lish their own ‘States’, but they failed to get enoughvotes to pass the project. Thus, the American Southremains conservative and its inhabitants, politiciansand militias have strong animosity to Washington’svalues and policies, which is unlike the liberal North.

Therefore, the Republican presidential candidateTed Cruz, who hails from Texas, accused Republicancandidate Donald Trump, who comes from NewYork, that he ‘represents New York’s values’ of liber-alism which oppose the Republican Party’s conser-vative tendencies. This made the Democratic candi-date Hillary Clinton take Trump’s side in defendingthe culture and values of the people of New York,whom she had represented for years in Congress.

The fear from the South’s secession might beone of the hidden reasons behind the current inter-national fall of oil prices, because with the rise ofoil and gas prices, the collective budgets of the fiveSouthern ‘states’ overlooking the Gulf of Mexico -Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas -exceeded $2.3 trillion, which meant that if separat-ed and formed into a confederation, they wouldform the seventh largest world economy after theUS (that is expected to be re-ranked after seces-sion), China, Japan, Germany, Britain and France.This was the reason behind the sharp fall in oilprices to convince the people in those states, thesame way the British convinced the Scots not tocarry on with secession plans, that countries andpeoples do not live by oil alone. I wish we can learnfrom this simple lesson!

The best two movies Hollywood produced aboutthe major differences in the North and the Southcultures are ‘Gone With The Wind’ in 1939’ and‘Giants’ in 1956, that features how a Southernyoung man, Rock Hudson, gets married to a girlfrom the North, Elizabeth Taylor, who moves to livewith him in the South where a rebellious youngman, James Dean, demonstrates how racist theSouthern people were towards anyone withMexican origins before he strikes oil in his land.That film was the last film of Dean before he waskilled.

President George Bush Jr was the first AmericanSouthern Republican president in the history of acountry that is used to electing SouthernDemocrats like Johnson, Carter and Clinton (thehusband because his wife is from the North andwas born in Chicago).

—Translated by Kuwait Times

To prevent the 5 USGulf states’ secession

Al-Anbaa

By Sami Al-Nisf

Kuwait Airways has a special importance forevery Kuwaiti citizen, even expatriates livingon this good land, as it is the one that sees us

off if we decide to travel, and receives us when wereturn to our homeland. It is a moving Kuwaiti terri-tory that carries the flag of my country, and thisalone is enough for it to remain as one of the mostimportant establishments in the country.

Today, I am not going to talk about lands inArdiya that were sold below the market price, and Iwill not talk about an aircraft deal that cost us morethan KD 3 billion without any feasibility study,because we have become bored and it is clear thatthe “youth” path is greener. The youth in theNational Assembly believe that they reformed theaffairs of the people and country and “got every-thing right”, rediscovered gunpowder and con-quered Acre and Jaffa, when they created muchnoise talking about KD 10 million to boost theapplied education rewards, forgetting or ignoringthe billions that go somewhere else, but it seemsthat the issue is bigger than them, as usual.

Today we will talk about 490 employees whodecided to remain at KAC after others decided toaccept the golden cheque, voluntarily retired andleft the company, or went to other establishments.Those who remained lost all the advantages andtraining plans, and did not know their status follow-ing the government’s plan to privatize the compa-ny, and despite this they remained. As for thosewho went for safety and received the goldencheque, half of them returned, and the question is,how did they return, although they received theirdues? Why did the KAC administration accept themback, bearing in mind that the Audit Bureau object-ed towards this major violation of the law?! Whowill protect the rights of those 490 employees whoremained, in front of the irreverence of the“Qamshouh” group towards their rights?

We have an administration whose only concernis to remain and stay in charge of the aviation sec-tor, in the first row, in the first circle, and a govern-ment that does not know where to start and whatto do, and an Assembly that we all know the limitsof its ability.

May Allah help the youth of KAC, and I pray toAlmighty Allah to hasten your relief, and give youanother administration that listens to yourdemands, because all are preoccupied with “rich”areas that bring abundant returns.

Was the message delivered?! I hope so. —Translated by Kuwait Times

The golden cheque

Al-Anbaa

By Qais Al-Usta

CrimeR e p o r t

Crocodile found instable in Kabd farm

KUWAIT: Weapons detectives were surprised while carry-ing out raids in Kabd to find a crocodile inside a stable,prompting them to call the Public Authority forAgricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR). Thesource said specialists tranquilized the reptile and moved itto the zoo. PAAAFR said it is not legal to raise and keepthese types of reptiles according to international treatiesratified by Kuwait.

Maid threatens sponsor

An Asian expat was taken to Sabah Al-Salem policestation charged with threatening to kill her sponsor.The expat’s arrest was made following a call for helpfrom a citizen who said that her maid went hystericaland threatened to kill her. She locked the door withher three children. The maid said she did not make anythreat, but attempted to talk with her in regards tohousework she was asked to do.

Gun stolen

A Kuwait National Guard officer told police that anunknown person stole his 12mm shotgun from his Salamarea house. A case was field and investigations are ongo-ing. Meanwhile, a citizen from Qurain area told Reqqapolice that while he was in the coop, a person stole hiswatch and thinks the thief used magic with him, becausehe did not feel anything, and had looked at the time sec-onds before he entered the coop.

Drunk women beaten

A citizen told police that four women had a verbalexchange with a ‘muscular man,’ who then beat them.The four women were found to be drunk.

Waste

Woman swindled

Ethiopian told Salmiya police that a media personalityswindled her, and gave police his details, as they are inves-tigating.

Fireman jailed

The criminal court ordered a fireman jailed for report-edly showing up at a court hearing while being underthe influence of drugs. The suspect had arrived to thehearing in uniform and was acting strange. He wasreported to utter incomprehensible words as foul odorwas coming out of his mouth. He was using his phonewhile standing in front of the judge. —Al-Rai, Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: Three Kuwait Petroleum Corporation(KPC)officials recently handed over vehicles that had beenallocated for them by KPC, with the aim of cuttingdown expenses, said informed sources. These includeNizr Al-Adsani, KPC CEO, Hashim Hashim, the manag-ing director of Al-Zour refinery integrated petrochemi-cals complex, Bader Al-Sharad, the managing directorfor training and administrative affairs. The sources not-ed that KPC had made several decisions to cut downexpenses including, withdrawing seniors’ vehicles andpaying those seniors a KD 250 monthly allowanceinstead.

The sources explained that this measure would be

used in KPC, Kuwait Petroleum International andKuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, whilesenior officials in other subsidiaries would keep theirvehicles due to their jobs’ nature and having to moveto geographically remote areas.

Further, the sources said that daily travel allowanceswould be reduced to KD 300 for the minister, KD 220for senior officials and KD 180 for other employeesincluding managers. In addition, first class travel willbe restricted to the minister, CEOs and managing direc-tors, whereas deputy directors, deputy CEOs, managersand heads of teams will travel on business class andother employees on economy class. —Al-Rai

KPC leaders hand over cars to cut down expenses

No preschool license without

education degreeKUWAIT: Education and Higher Education Minister DrBader Al-Essa said from now on a basic requirement for a

nursery or preschool licensewill be teaching qualificationsand that anyone applying for alicense must be a teacher. Hesaid a committee was formedand chaired by MinistryUndersecretary Dr Haitham Al-Athari to study the issue andpresent a plan to create a lawgoverning nurseries andpreschools in Kuwait.

“We will not allow the saleof a private nursery licenseafter the moving of nurseriesfrom Social Affairs toEducation,” he noted. Therehas been an explosion of pri-

vate nurseries, preschools and daycares in Kuwait in thelast few years with dozens of new ones opening.

Kuwait’s nurseries, which typically take children fromaround six months to five years old, have previously fallenunder the authority of the Social Affairs Ministry but willnow be moved to Education Ministry oversight, thoughsome owners are opposed to this plan. In the 2013/2014school year, a reported 107 nurseries, preschools and day-cares accepted nearly 40,000 children and the sector con-tinues to see positive growth.

In another Education Ministry announcement, the tim-ings of workers and students of all stages has been set forthe next school year. Workers will report to work on Sept18, kindergarten and 1st elementary on Sept 21, the rest ofthe elementary Sept 22, intermediate and secondary onSept 25. —Al-Anbaa

New asphalt mix to address ‘flying pebbles’

KUWAIT: Ministry of Public Works Undersecretary AwatifAl-Ghunaim said a trial surface was laid on Jassim Al-Kharafi Road (Sixth Ring Road) with a new asphalt mixthat was designed by a British laboratory to solve theproblem of ‘flying pebbles.’ She said this mix will beadded to all future tenders for road maintenance. Shesaid that the trial road that was paved is located from sta-tion 10 to station 9 towards the east on Jassim Al-Kharafiroad that extends to Messila, adding that the mix wasspread in order to expose it to traffic loads and theatmosphere to check their effects on it. —Al-Anbaa

Education Minister Dr Bader Al-Essa

KUWAIT: Kuwait National Guard recently conducted the opening ceremony for the ground forces’ basic course, featur-ing participation of officers from Kuwait’s Army and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Companies draft law ready

KUWAIT: Finance Ministry ’s Undersecretary KhalifaHamada said the ministry has completed the first draft ofthe proposed companies law and is going through itsfinal review. “We are working with the concerned author-ities to complete this step so that we can get an integrat-ed law on company tax that fulfills the sought goals,” hesaid. When asked about the expected time to send theproposal to the National Assembly, which is preoccupiedwith subsidy rationalization proposals and finding newalternatives to increase nonoil revenues, he said “Theproposal will soon be sent to the Cabinet, then theNational Assembly.” —Al-Anbaa

UN scrambling to sustain Syria talks

Page 10

Japan on red alert over North Korean rocket launchPage 12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

ATLANTA: A 72-year-old man convicted ofmurdering a convenience store manager in a1979 robbery in Atlanta’s suburbs was execut-ed in Georgia early yesterday, corrections offi-cials said. Brandon Astor Jones, the oldestinmate on the state’s death row, died by lethalinjection at 12:46 am at Georgia Diagnosticand Classification Prison in Jackson. Heaccepted a final prayer and recorded a finalstatement, the Georgia Department ofCorrections said in a statement. Jones’ deathwas delayed nearly six hours following a flurryof appeals by his attorneys. The US SupremeCourt late on Tuesday denied Jones’ requestfor a stay of execution.

His execution was the fifth this year in theUnited States, and the first of two scheduledthis month in Georgia, according to the DeathPenalty Information Center, which monitorscapital punishment nationwide. Texas, Alabamaand Florida executed inmates last month, thecenter said. The Georgia Supreme Court andthe Georgia State Board of Pardons and Parolesrejected his petition to commute his sentenceto life without parole. Jones was the secondman executed in the shooting death of RogerTackett, 35, inside a convenience store in June1979, according to court testimony.

Jones was arrested in the store, along withco-defendant Van Roosevelt Solomon, by apolice officer who heard four gunshots,according to a Georgia Supreme Court casesynopsis. Jones later told another officer,“There is a man in the back - hurt bad,” courtrecords said. Police found a badly woundedTackett in a locked storeroom. Solomon, alsoconvicted of murder, was executed in 1985.Jones had spent decades appealing againsthis death sentence. A federal district courtoverturned his death sentence in 1989because a trial judge had allowed a Bible inthe jury deliberation room, finding it could

have improperly influenced jurors to basetheir decision on scripture instead of the law.

Another jury again sentenced Jones todeath in 1997. Jones had continued to appealthe verdict, saying his trial lawyers failed tointroduce evidence of his history of mental ill-ness and childhood sexual abuse. Jones, whodeclined to request a last meal, was to beoffered instead the standard prison menu ofchicken and rice, rutabagas, seasoned turnipgreens, dry white beans, cornbread, breadpudding and fruit punch, according to theGeorgia Department of Corrections. The exe-cution came about two weeks before theplanned execution of convicted murdererTravis Clinton Hittson, set for Feb 17.

Florida calls off executionIn another development, authorities in

Florida suspended Tuesday the upcomingexecution of a death row inmate, after the USSupreme Court found problems with how thestate sentences people to death. The south-eastern US state’s high court suspended untilfurther notice the lethal injection of CaryMichael Lambrix, scheduled for February 11, itsaid in an order.

It was the first such move by court officialssince the US Supreme Court last monthdeclared Florida’s capital punishment systemunconstitutional since the state was not guar-anteeing the people’s right to an impartial trialon whether the death penalty is imposed.Unlike other US states, Florida state lawallowed a jury to recommend execution, ornot, but it left the deciding authority with thejudge. Lambrix, 55, was convicted of the 1984murders of a man and a woman. He hasalways maintained his innocence. His lawyerssought the stay of execution as Lambrixmarked more than three decades on deathrow. — Agencies

Georgia executes oldest death row inmate Inmate was 72 years old; 5th execution this year in US

JACKSON: A small group of protesters against the death penalty gather outside of the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prisonin Jackson, Ga. (Inset) Photo shows death row inmate Brandon Astor Jones. The US state of Georgia executed its oldest death row inmateyesterday, just days before his 73rd birthday, in a move critics denounced as emblematic of capital punishment’s excesses. — AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A L


People wait in front of police barricade near the Sur district of Diyarbakiryesterday. Vowing to flush out the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) fromTurkey’s urban centers, the authorities have in recent weeks enforced cur-fews in three locations in the southeast to back up military operations thatactivists say have killed dozens of civilians. —AFP

GAZA: The collapse of a tunnel in the GazaStrip has killed two militants from Hamas’sarmed wing, officials said yesterday, as concerngrows in Israel over the rebuilding of tunnelsthat can be used for attacks. The collapse onTuesday night was the second such incidentsince last week. A tunnel collapse on January26 killed seven militants from Hamas, theIslamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said a local commander wasamong the two members killed in Tuesday’scollapse in the area of the Nuseirat refugeecamp in the central Gaza Strip. Ismail Haniya,Hamas’s chief in Gaza, has vowed to continuebuilding tunnels that have in the past beenused to stage attacks against Israel and storeweapons. Israel destroyed a large number oftunnels in the 2014 Gaza war, the third conflict

to hit the Palestinian enclave since 2008. IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu haswarned that “if we are attacked from tunnelsfrom the Gaza Strip, we will take very strongaction against Hamas.”

Shooting and stabbingIn another development, three Palestinian

assailants were shot dead yesterday while car-rying out a shooting and stabbing attack thatwounded two Israeli paramilitary policewomenat an entrance to Jerusalem’s walled Old City,Israeli police said. It was the latest in a spate ofstabbings, shootings and car-rammings byPalestinians that has killed 26 Israelis and a UScitizen since October. Israeli forces have killedat least 155 Palestinians, 101 of them assailantsaccording to authorities. Most of the othershave died in violent protests.

A pol ice spokeswoman said thePalest inians launched the attack at theDamascus Gate, a busy plaza in EastJerusalem, after being stopped by police foran identity check. All of the three attackerswere carrying concealed weapons and at leastone of them opened fire with an automaticrifle, critically wounding one of the police-women before they were shot dead by Israelisecurity forces, the spokeswoman said. Theother policewoman was stabbed and wound-ed, and two pipe bombs were found at thescene, the police spokeswoman said. Thesurge in attacks has been partly fuelled byPalestinian frustration over the collapse of US-sponsored peace talks in 2014, the growth ofJewish settlements on occupied land theyseek for a future state, and Islamist calls for thedestruction of Israel. —Agencies

AL-MOGHRAGA: Palestinian members of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement carry thebody of fellow militant Ahmed Al-Zahar during his funeral in the village of Al-Moghraga near the Nuseirat refugee camp in thecentral Gaza Strip yesterday. —AFP

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Kurdish leader MassudBarzani has declared that the “time hascome” for the country’s Kurds to hold a refer-endum on statehood, a move likely to raisetensions with Baghdad. But even if the vari-ous political challenges to independenceare resolved, the major economic problemsthe region faces due to low oil prices areanother bar to Kurdish independence. “Thetime has come and the conditions are nowsuitable for the people to make a decisionthrough a referendum on their future,”Barzani said in a statement released yester-day.

“This referendum would not necessarilylead to (an) immediate declaration of state-hood, but rather to know the will and opin-ion of the people of Kurdistan about theirfuture,” said Barzani, who has remained inpower despite the expiration of his term aspresident. Barzani, who has made similarcalls in the past, did not specify when thevote would take place. Iraq’s Kurds are a keyUS partner in the war against the IslamicState group and have been some of themost effective forces fighting the jihadists.

But both the referendum on independ-ence-which Iraq’s federal governmentopposes-and the issue of which areas it cov-ers will raise tensions between theautonomous Kurdish region and Baghdad,potentially complicating anti-IS efforts. Theregion officially includes three provinces,but Kurdish forces now hold parts of fourmore over which the federal governmentwants to maintain control.

Economic challengesFederal forces fled positons in various

northern areas in the summer of 2014 whenfacing an offensive by IS, allowing Kurdishforces to gain or solidify control over areasclaimed by both them and Baghdad.Oil-richKirkuk province, which is mostly held byKurdish peshmerga forces, will be a particularpoint of contention due to the wealth of natu-ral resources there. Turkey’s assent would alsobe essential for moves toward Kurdish state-hood to proceed, as Ankara is a key economicpartner of Iraqi Kurdistan, both in terms of oilexports and other trade and investments.Barzani has a close relationship with the Turkishgovernment, but Ankara is also battling theKurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebel group, andhaving a Kurdish state on its southern border,or even moving toward one, could increasecalls for similar action within its territory.

Economic challenges are also a majorobstacle to Kurdish independence. IraqiKurdistan has been independently exportingoil via Turkey from four northern provincessince a deal between it and Baghdad on oiland revenue sharing collapsed last year. BothBaghdad and Kurdistan are facing a financialcrisis due to plunging oil prices, on which theyrely for the vast majority of governmentfunds. But the Kurds do not have the sameaccess to the loans and bond markets thatBaghdad can turn to in order to stay financial-ly afloat. Salaries for some Kurdish govern-ment employees are months in arrears, andsome have gone on strike to protest unpaidwages. —AFP

Kurd leader: Time has come for statehood referendum

CAIRO: An Egyptian Appeals Courtoverturned yesterday death sentencesfor 149 pro-Islamists accused of killingpolicemen in a mob attack on their sta-tion, a judicial source said. The courtordered a retrial for the defendantsover the attack, which killed 13 police-men near Cairo on August 14, 2013, theday police shot dead hundreds ofIslamist demonstrators in the capital.The initial ruling in February 2015 cameamid a series of death sentences inmass trials that were criticized interna-tionally, as the government crackeddown on supporters of ousted Islamistpresident Mohamed Morsi. The courthad also sentenced 37 people to deathin absentia, but they would have tohand themselves in for a retrial.

The grounds for the appeals courtruling were not immediately available,but the court has overturned hundredsof death sentences over the past year,to the relief of rights advocates andfrustration of some in the governmentwho have urged fast track executions.Seven people have been executed forpolitical violence since Morsi’s ouster,including six who were convicted ofbelonging to an Islamist militant group.

The military overthrow of Morsi, thecountry’s first freely elected president,ushered in the worst domestic blood-shed in the country’s modern history.Morsi ruled for only a year, deeplydividing the country, and his removalwas met with escalating protests byIslamists that police dispersed with liveammunition.

On August 14, 2013, less than twomonths after his overthrow, policebroke up two protest camps in Cairo,killing about 700 protesters. Morsi’ssupporters around the countryattacked police stations, killing dozensof officers, and torched the churches ofCoptic Christians. Morsi himself is fac-ing several trials and has already beensentenced to death in one case. Severalleaders of his Islamist MuslimBrotherhood movement, including itschief Mohamed Badie, have been sen-tenced to either death or lengthy jailterms. The movement has been black-listed as a “terrorist organization” andits assets confiscated. The police crack-down that initially targeted Morsi sup-porters was later widened to includesecularist and leftist leaders andactivists. —AFP

Egypt’s court overturns death sentences for 149 pro-Islamists

BEIRUT: In nearly five years ofconflict in Syria, sieges havebecome a key weapon of waremployed primarily by theregime, but also rebel forces andthe Islamic State group. Here aresome key questions and answersabout sieges in Syria:

How many under siege?The United Nations said last

month that an estimated 486,700people in Syria were living undersiege, more than half of them inareas besieged by the regime.They are among 4.6 million peo-ple in so-called “hard-to-reach”areas and locations, subject torestrictions that severely limittheir access to services andhumanitarian assistance, the UNsaid.

What are key areas undersiege?

GOVERNMENT SIEGE: Theareas under government siegeare mostly clustered around thecapital Damascus, with regimeforces surrounding nearby townsthat are controlled by rebels.Some of the worst affectedinclude Douma, Arbin andZamalka in Eastern Ghouta, andMoadimayat Al-Sham and Darayain Western Ghouta.Further afieldin Damascus province areZabadani and Madaya, whichgrabbed international attentionrecently after reports of starva-tion there. Activists accuse thegovernment of using the siegesto force rebels to lay down arms,and in some cases the siegeshave been lifted or temporarilyeased during truces. InMoadimayat al-Sham, for exam-ple, a siege that began in 2013was eased the following yearafter a truce. But the area wasreclassified by the UN as besiegedin January 2016 after the govern-ment once again tightenedrestrictions, causing food short-ages.

REBEL SIEGE: Rebels have alsoemployed siege tactics, mostinfamously against the Shiite vil-lages of Nubol and Zahraa in

Aleppo province, as well as Fuaaand Kafraya in Idlib. They havesought to tie the fate of Fuaa andKafraya to that of Zabadani andMadaya, insisting any aid to thegovernment-held villages bematched with aid to the rebel-held towns. Islamist rebels includ-ing Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-NusraFront have also laid siege since2014 to the Kurdish town of Afrinin Aleppo province, having beenunable to capture it from Kurdishforces.

Islamic State group siegeThe jihadist group has laid

siege since January 2015 to theeastern city of Deir Ezzor, wheremore than 200,000 people live.The group controls most of thearea in the surrounding province,but the government has clung toparts of the provincial capital.

Unlike in rebel areas under gov-ernment siege, the regime hasbeen able to deliver some aid toareas it controls like Deir Ezzorand Fuaa and Kafraya by airdrop-ping supplies. Russia has alsoflown in aid for Deir Ezzor, land-ing supplies at the adjacent mili-tary base still held by the regime.

Where has aid been delivered?Aid has been delivered sporad-

ically to many of the areas undersiege, but humanitarian groupssay such piecemeal access isinsufficient. Aid groups enteredMadaya, Fuaa and Kafraya severaltimes in January, but the DoctorsWithout Borders charity said lastweek that 16 more people haddied in Madaya despite the addi-tional assistance. And organizingsuch deliveries is a sensitive andcomplicated process, with con-

voys often cancelled at the lastminute when permissions arewithdrawn or fighting flares.According to the UN, almost 75percent of its requests to the gov-ernment to deliver aid wentunanswered.

What is being saidabout sieges?

The UN Security Council hascalled several times for unfet-tered humanitarian accessthroughout Syria and the liftingof all sieges, most recently in itsDecember 2015 resolution2254.Syria’s main oppositionumbrella group is demanding theresolution be implementedbefore it engages in peace talksbeing convened by the UN inGeneva.”We need to see the lift-ing of sieges,” a spokesman forthe group said on Tuesday. —AFP

In Syria, sieges by all sides cause suffering

DIYARBAKIR: Smoke rises over the district of Sur in Diyarbakir. Four Turkish soldiers were killedin clashes with Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) militants in Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey, as acontroversial curfew order was expanded to new areas in the Kurdish-dominated city. —AFP

Gaza tunnel collapse kills Hamas militants3 Palestinians shot dead after carrying out attack

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army killed six gun-men and arrested 16 suspected mili-tants, including a commander from theIslamic State group, in a raid in thetown of Arsal near the border withSyria yesterday, it said. An army state-ment said soldiers carried out a specialoperation against what it called a ter-rorist cell that was planning to attackarmy posts and kidnap people in Arsal.Another army unit stormed an IS-runfield hospital in the same area anddetained 16 militants, it said, includinga man named Ahmad Noun who wasdescribed as a “dangerous terrorist”.

A security source said earlier thatthe army had arrested Abu Bakr Al-Raqqawi, a local commander of theIslamic State group, and three highprofile insurgents. It was not immedi-ately clear if Raqqawi was Noun’s nomde guerre. The source said the armyhad originally detained 27 people but

has released 11 who were not relatedto the cell. Nusra Front and IslamicState fighters have staged regularincursions into Arsal from the barrenhills just outside the town.

They overran the town briefly in2014 before withdrawing to the hillsafter clashes with the army. But secu-rity sources say that Nusra Front andIs lamic State groups co nt inue tohave a strong presence in the town,where thousands of Syrian refugeesl i ve i n d i re co n d i t i o n s . Th e y s aysometimes the insurgents descendinto the town at night to threaten orkill those who oppose them. NusraFront freed 16 Lebanese soldiers andpolicemen in December in exchangefor the release of jailed Islamists. Ithad captured the soldiers during theArsal incursion in 2014. Islamic Stateis believed to still be holding ninesoldiers it captured. —Reuters

Lebanon army kills 6, arrests 16 militants

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

IOWA: Republican presidential candidate Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla talks withvoters at a caucus site in Clive, Iowa. —AP

DES MOINES: Man of the moment MarcoRubio hit the ground running Tuesday,eager to capitalize on his strong Iowashowing and convince US voters he is thesingular Republican who can defeat HillaryClinton in November. The charismatic sena-tor from Florida did not win Monday night’sIowa caucuses but he definitely exceededexpectations. Arch-conservative senatorTed Cruz came in first, while Rubio finisheda strong third, just a percentage pointbehind Donald Trump. Barely after mid-night, Rubio was on the ground in NewHampshire, preparing for a manic one-week sprint to the state’s primary onFebruary 9 and declaring himself capableof uniting the fractious Republican Party.

“When I’m our nominee I will bring theparty and the conservative movementtogether. I will unify us so we can win,” hetold about 700 people packed into theExeter town hall. Rubio begins what hecalled “the greatest eight days in Americanpolitics” as the undisputed leader amongthe four more traditional candidates. “Heoutperformed them 10 to one,” CaryCovington, a political science professor atthe University of Iowa said of his establish-ment rivals John Kasich, Jeb Bush and ChrisChristie. “That is very important to theRepublican Party establishment, (because)they ’re looking for someone to rallybehind.”

The establishment largely finds Trumpand Cruz objectionable, with concerns thatthe party will lose the general election ifone of the two wins the nomination. “Theydidn’t know who was going to put a chal-lenge to the two, and Rubio is providing ananswer,” Covington said. Rubio raced outonto the campaign trail early Tuesday,pressing the flesh at an airport diner andmaking other stops in the small state thatholds the political spotlight for the nextweek. Cruz is also in the Granite State,polling in second place after Trump,according to the RealClearPolitics poll aver-age. But Rubio is only a point or so behind,and Cruz may actually face a tougher roadthere than his rival.

Cruz won Iowa because of his ability todraw conservative evangelicals, his breadand butter voters, to the caucuses. The firstand second states on the primary calendarhave dramatically different electorates and“history suggests that momentum doesn’t

carry over from Iowa to New Hampshire,”said Fergus Cullen, a former Republicanstate chairman in New Hampshire. If Iowa isamong the most evangelical of US states,New Hampshire is the opposite, with amore secular streak, Cullen said.

That provides better odds for those inthe crowded establishment lane. With bil-lionaire frontrunner Trump, whose entirebrand is all about winning, seen as suffer-ing a setback in Iowa, Rubio has emergedwith mainstream momentum. But thatleaves him with a figurative target on hisback and New Jersey Governor Christie,who has spent week after week campaign-ing in New Hampshire, was already launch-ing political grenades. In Bedford, heslammed Rubio as “the boy in the bubble”whose handlers keep him to his scriptedspeech and away from reporters and who“ran away from his own immigration billwhen it got too hot.”

‘Turn America around’Rubio insisted he remains the best

opportunity for Republicans to snatch backthe White House, and that embracingTrump’s divisiveness or Cruz’s extremes willlead to four more years of a Democrat atthe helm. “This sense of frustration andanger that you feel is justified, because notonly has Barack Obama taken us in thewrong direction, but to be frank, leaders ineither party have not done enough to stopit,” Rubio said. If he is the nominee, “we’regoing to beat Hillary Clinton and we’regoing to turn America around.”

Clinton, the Democratic frontrunner fac-ing a fierce challenge from anti-billionaireBernie Sanders, downplayed the prospectsof a Hillary-Marco general election show-down. “I’m not thinking that far ahead,” shesaid. “My time frame is next Tuesday,” theNew Hampshire primary. Cullen, who lastweek endorsed Kasich, said that despiteRubio’s uplifting oratory and rags-to-political-riches personal story, his is not themost optimistic message. “Rubio has gottenangrier as the campaign progressed,” warn-ing about an increasingly dangerous world,he said. “Kasich is betting there’s a significantnumber of American voters who think theworld isn’t going to hell.” Next week it will beNew Hampshire voters who determinewhether Rubio indeed is carrying majormomentum deeper into the race. —AFP

Rubio leading the Republican mainstream lane after Iowa

NEW YORK: It may be the narrowest victoryin Iowa history, but Hillary Clinton’s win overBernie Sanders puts her on course to clinchthe Democratic nomination even if it’s moreof an uphill battle than she once hoped. Theformer secretary of state took 49.8 percent ofthe vote compared to 49.6 percent forSanders, allowing her to breathe “a big sigh ofrelief” in the Midwest heartland that ditchedher for Barack Obama eight years ago.

“Make no mistake we are in a fight to thefinish,” she told voters in New Hampshire asthe Republican field edged into a three-horserace between evangelical Ted Cruz, billionaireDonald Trump and telegenic MarcoRubio.Sanders, who just months ago posedno threat as a fringe firebrand, declared amoral victory for his brand of progressive pol-itics, brimming with confidence as polls givehim a double-digit lead for next week’s pri-mary in New Hampshire. “For Clinton, it wasclearly a case of surviving and advancing,”said Dante Scala, associate professor of politi-cal science at the University of NewHampshire, which hosts the next Democraticdebate on Thursday.”That narrow a win-it’stough to take. I’m sure it’s a sigh of relief...because I think a loss would have gone a longway to changing the conventional wisdomabout Sanders’s ability to win the nomina-tion.” The 74-year-old senator from Vermont

has inspired a passionate following amongyoung voters with his Scandinavian-inspiredanti-Wall Street, poverty busting, democraticsocialist agenda.

Clinton loses youth vote His surge of support may have taken the

establishment by surprise, but in Iowa he failedto match what Barack Obama achieved in 2008,when he shocked Clinton by snatching 37.6 per-cent of the vote to her 29.5 percent. “He’s clearlysomeone to contend with, however I don’t thinkhe managed, though he came awfully close, toshock the national political media with theresults and it was in a state where Clinton didlose eight years ago,” said Scala. Neither would adefeat in New Hampshire ruffle too manyClinton feathers in a predominantly white stateneighboring Sanders’s home base of Vermont.“They never voted against anybody from nextdoor except when an incumbent presidentasked them to do something else,” Clinton’s hus-band, former president Bill noted drily at thestart of the week.

What is more unsettling, say some, is thesupport Sanders enjoys among moderate, bluecollar Democrats in New Hampshire traditional-ly expected to vote Clinton. Perhaps most dis-concerting for Clinton in Iowa, was Sanders’scrushing victory among Democratic votersaged 17 to 29, who gave him 84 percent of

their vote. The 68-year-old Clinton-by contrast-did best among caucusgoers aged 65 and over,a turnout likely to fuel criticism that her mes-sage shaped during two decades on the publicstage is not geared toward the future.

Elite, minorities back ClintonBut the more decisive test will come in

racially diverse states in the west and south,such as Nevada and South Carolina, whereClinton’s support among blacks and Latinos isexpected to defeat Sanders on February 20and 27. “If you look at the national polls thusfar, she is pretty consistently and noticeablyahead of Bernie, although the gap is narrow-er,” said Robert Shapiro, political science pro-fessor at Columbia University. “If Sanders cando better than expected in those places, he isgoing to be in for the long haul.” Others aremore cautious about Sanders’s performancein Iowa, arguing that he could have expecteda clear victory among a liberal Democraticelectorate.

“The fact that she managed to eke outeven a narrow victory is testament to hercampaign’s ability to hone its ground gameand that will be a huge advantage movingforward,” said Costas Panagopoulos, a profes-sor of political science at Fordham Universityin New York. Sanders’s left-leaning politicsalso alarms the party elite, who see Clinton as

the best prospect of keeping the Republicansout of the White House. “They don’t wantSanders as their nominee and so they’re will-ing to give Clinton the benefit of the doubt,”

Scala said. “They’re not going to talk downClinton just because she barely won Iowa. Forthem they’re very happy to say ‘a win’s, a win,let’s move on.’” —AFP

Clinton’s White House dream lives despite Bernie surge

WASHINGTON: Air force officialsand Boeing engineers have startedthe years-long process of replacingAir Force One, the legendary aircraftthat whisks the American presidentand his entourage around the world.The Pentagon last week approvedthe first of a series of contracts withBoeing, the US aerospace giant cho-sen to convert a pair of its 747-8jumbo jets there are actually two AirForce Ones-into state-of-the-art, lux-ury command centers. That first con-tract, worth a relatively small $25.7million, is for Boeing to look for costsavings and get a better sense of thescope of the massive task at hand,the Air Force said.

Air Force One is an instantly rec-ognizable emblem of Americanpower. The majestic, light blue-and-white liveried jets have “UnitedStates of America” emblazonedalong their fuselage and a large USflag stamped on the tail fin. But thecurrent double-decker 747-200s,first ordered by Ronald Reagan andput into service in 1990, are gettingold. Spare parts are increasinglyhard to source and the hulking air-craft require ever longer times beingserviced. The Air Force in Januarylast year announced it had chosenBoeing to build the new planes, butequipping the wide-bodied double-deckers for the role is a complexundertaking.

The total cost of buying and con-verting the two planes is unknown,but the Air Force has requested $3 bil-lion over five years for the program.The work should be done by 2024.“We are focused on ensuring this pro-gram is affordable,” said Colonel AmyMcCain, the manager of thePresidential Aircraft Recapitalizationprogram. “This contract gets us start-ed on determining how to modify a747-8 to become the next Air ForceOne, and finding opportunities for

cost reduction through detailedrequirements choices.”

$180,000 an hourThe new planes will doubtless be

very different from the current AirForce One incarnation, though theAir Force has yet to say much aboutits specifications. Air Force One costsabout $180,000 an hour to fly andprovides the president with a spa-cious office, a meeting room and a

health center that can even be con-verted into an operating theater.The planes must also carry theSecret Service agents who protectthe president, as well as advisersand journalists that follow himwherever he goes. The kitchens canserve up to 100 people simultane-ously.

Air Force One is equipped withthe latest in communications tech-nology, allowing the president to

continue working wherever he is,even if the United States is underattack. The aircraft also boasts anarray of defensive technologies,including electronic countermea-sures and anti-missile flares. And itcan be refueled while still flying,enabling it to stay airborne fordays at a time. The new planes willhave super-powerful engines thatwil l let the planes nudge thesound barrier at Mach 0.92, faster

than the current 747-200s. Therewill not, however, be an escapepod like the one depicted in the1997 hijacker movie “Air ForceOne” featuring Harrison Ford aspresident.

Marine One fiasco The first contract announce-

ment with Boeing illustrates offi-cials’ desire to tread carefully andavoid ballooning costs. A project

to replace the Marine One helicop-ters that ferry the president provesa cautionary tale. In 2009, BarackObama stopped the developmentand purchase of 28 new choppersordered in 2005, after costs soaredto nearly $11.5 billion. Among themany design specifications Obamabalked at were built-in cookingfacilities that could withstand anuclear strike.

“If the United States of America

is under nuclear attack, the lastthing on my mind will be whip-ping up a snack,” Obama laterquipped. Obama has also said thatthe perk he will miss the mostwhen his term expires will be AirForce One. “An amazing plane withan amazing crew, they clear outairspace so you don’t have to wait.And you land anytime, you leaveanytime,” he told GQ magazine inNovember. —AFP

US Air Force, Boeing begin work on new Air Force OnePlane equipped with latest communications technology

MARYLAND: Photo shows Air Force One, a Boeing 747-200, during a snowstorm at Andrews AirForce Base in Maryland following the return of US President Barack Obama. Air force officialsand Boeing engineers have started the years-long process of replacing Air Force One, the leg-endary aircraft that whisks the American president and his entourage around the world. —AFP

JACKSON: Tornadoes touched down in Mississippi andAlabama as thunderstorms swept through the areaTuesday, while a powerful snowstorm buried parts ofColorado and Nebraska in more than a foot of snowbefore crawling into the Upper Midwest. Greg Flynn,spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency ManagementAgency, said a confirmed tornado was reported justbefore 3:30 pm in eastern Newton and Lauderdale coun-ties, largely rural areas in the eastern part of the state.Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said the stormdamaged homes, toppled trees and knocked out power.In Alabama, the National Weather Service in Birminghamreported a “confirmed large and destructive tornado” onthe ground near the city of Aliceville, about 45 mileswest of Tuscaloosa. Minor injuries were reported. Later,in west Tennessee, high winds damaged several homesand school buildings in Crockett County. Public schoolsthere were to be closed Wednesday as officials surveyedthe damage. Law enforcement officials believed a torna-do had passed through, but Weather Service meteorolo-gists in Memphis said late Wednesday they couldn’t con-firm a touchdown, The Jackson Sun reported. The com-bination of snow in one part of the country and severethunderstorms in another isn’t unusual when a powerfulsystem moves across the country, said Greg Carbin withthe National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center.“February can feature some exciting dynamics in theatmosphere,” Carbin said. “This system we’ve had our eyeon since it was in the Pacific.”

The weather system that blew in from Californiasteadily dumped snow on the Denver area Monday andcontinued overnight. Heavy snowfall and powerfulwinds on Tuesday knocked out power, prompt schoolsand businesses to close, and triggered flight cancella-tions across a swath of states from Colorado to northernMichigan. Parts of major interstates were closed in east-ern Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado and Kansasthroughout the day. “No one is really on the road,” saidDean Habhab, who manages a truck stop in Iowa, whereDemocrats and Republicans gathered for caucuses

Monday night. Habhab said he couldn’t see more than ahalf-mile outside his Sioux City location. After some earlycancellations at Des Moines International Airport, flightswere running as scheduled by late Tuesday morning, air-port officials said. All the candidates made it out, begin-ning the weeklong trek to the New Hampshire primary.Delivering the mail in such bad weather stinks, said lettercarrier Mark Rettele from his post office in Ralston,Nebraska, which he reached after a perilous 30-minutedrive from his home seven miles away. “There are partsof my route I won’t be able to get to until tomorrow or

possibly the day after,” Rettele said.In Nebraska, the brunt of the storm dropped more

than a foot of snow on areas to the north and west ofOmaha. The wind created drifts several feet deep, andthunderclaps could be heard amid the snowfall. GregDial with the National Weather Service’s StormPrediction Center said warm air from the Gulf of Mexicokept the snow at bay farther south and was bringingunusually high winter temperatures to many states. Thetemperature in Evansville, Indiana, for example, was fore-cast to peak at 69 degrees on Tuesday. —AP

Tornadoes in the South; snow in Plains and Upper Midwest

HAMPTON: Democratic presidential candidate former Secretary of StateHillary Clinton speaks during a “get out the vote” event at WinnacunnetHigh School in Hampton, New Hampshire. —AFP

LAUDERDALE: Debris lies on the ground near First Baptist Church of Collinsville inLauderdale County, Miss after it was severely damaged during a storm. —AP

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump made a lateplay for evangelical voters in Iowa’sRepublican presidential caucus, but he ulti-mately couldn’t wrest the group away fromwinner Ted Cruz, according to entrance pollstaken at the start of Monday’s caucuses. Thepolls, conducted for national media includ-ing The Associated Press, also suggest thatlate-deciding Iowans trended toward Cruzand third-place finisher Marco Rubio, whoalmost nipped Trump for a surprise second.

And perhaps the most perilous indicatorfor Trump: He got just one out of 20 votesamong caucus attendees who said their toppriority was a candidate who shares their

values. The Iowa results don’t necessarilypoint to an eventual nominee: Just twice in40 years has the GOP caucus winner goneon to the claim the nomination in cam-paigns with no incumbent Republican pres-ident. But the details behind Cruz’s victoryand Rubio’s climb raise new questionsabout Trump’s turnout operation and hisability to turn his consistently front-runningpoll numbers into actual votes; and thatincreases pressure on Trump to deliver a vic-tory next Tuesday in New Hampshire or riskdamaging his strategy of campaigning asthe inevitable nominee at the head of a frac-tured field. —AP

In Iowa, evangelicals and late deciders sided against Trump

DRESDEN: Chairwoman of German Populist Party Alternative for Germany(AfD) Frauke Petry is pictured said at the Saxony state parliament inDresden. —AFP

GENEVA: The United Nationsstrained to keep faltering Syrianpeace talks alive yesterday asDamascus tried to press home gainsagainst rebels and its ally Russiasaid its air strikes would go on until“terrorists” were defeated. UN envoyStaffan de Mistura announced theformal start on Monday of the firstattempt in two years to negotiatean end to a war that has killed250,000 people, caused a refugee

crisis in the region and Europe andempowered Islamic State militants.But both opposition and govern-ment representatives have sincesaid talks have not in fact begun,and fighting on the ground hasraged on without constraint.

De Mistura acknowledged onTuesday that a collapse of theGeneva talks was always possible. “Ifthere is a failure this time after wetried twice at conferences inGeneva, for Syria there will be nomore hope. We must absolutely tryto ensure that there is no failure,” he

said. The opposition cancelled ameeting with him on Tuesday after-noon, accusing Russia of puttingthe process at risk with an “unprece-dented” bombing campaign onAleppo and Homs. Rebels describedthe ongoing assault north ofAleppo as the most intense yet. Onecommander said opposition-heldareas of the divided city were at riskof being encircled entirely by thegovernment and allied militia, and

appealed to foreign states that backthe rebels to send more weapons.

“How can you accept to enter anegotiations when you haveunprecedented military pressure?The Russians and regime want topush the opposition out of Genevaso the opposition bears the respon-sibility for the failure,” said a seniorWestern diplomat. Despite callsfrom the US and its allies forMoscow to stop the bombing dur-ing the peace process, RussianForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov saidhis country had no intention of end-

ing its campaign. “Russian strikeswill not cease until we really defeatterrorist organizations like JabhatAl-Nusra. And I don’t see why theseair strikes should be stopped,” hesaid at a news conference in Oman’scapital Muscat.

‘Unrealistic’ ceasefiresDiplomats and opposition

members said they were also takenby surprise when de Mistura called

for immediate efforts to beginceasefire negotiations despitethere being no official talks orgoodwill measures from the Syriangovernment. The opposition hassaid it will not negotiate unless thegovernment stops bombardingcivilian areas, lifts blockades onbesieged towns and releasesdetainees. “The level of confidencebetween both sides is close tozero,” de Mistura told the BBC lateon Tuesday.

“A ceasefire for me is essential.In fact it is the test that shows the

talks are successful,” he said, urgingRussia and the United States towork with other major powers tobring it about. The opposition ten-tatively said it would resume meet-ings with de Mistura yesterday. Itschief coordinator Riad Hijab, whodiplomats say is a unifying figurefor the fragmented opposition, isexpected to arrive in Geneva laterin the day. De Mistura called onMonday for the International SyriaSupport Group, which bringstogether major powers who backand oppose Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad, to tackle the issueof ceasefires immediately. Thegroup is scheduled to meet inMunich on Feb. 11.

Opposition delegate NazirHakim said a general ceasefire inthe current climate was “unrealis-tic”. “Regarding a ceasefire, we havepragmatic ideas and we talkedwith the Americans who head theSyria support group and we lookforward to discussing these ideasat the meeting on February 11,”Lavrov said. The attack north ofAleppo that began in recent days isthe first major government offen-sive there since Russian air strikesbegan on Sept 30. The area safe-guards a rebel supply route fromTurkey into opposition-held partsof the city and stands betweengovernment-held parts of westernAleppo and the Shi’ite villages ofNubul and al-Zahraa, which areloyal to Damascus.

The Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights, which monitors theviolence in the country, saidRussian and Syrian war planes car-ried out dozens of air strikesagainst the rebel towns of Hayanand Hreitan in northern Aleppoyesterday. A pro-governmentsource in the area said that thearmy and its allies were aroundtwo km from Nubul and Zahraa,which have been under rebel siegefor around three years. SeniorSyrian opposition negotiatorMohamed Alloush, representingJaish al-Islam (Islam Army), a majorrebel group, said he was not opti-mistic given the events on theground. “Our answer will come intwo days,” he told Reuters withoutelaborating. —Reuters

UN scrambling to sustain Syria talks

Russia vows to crush ‘terrorists’

LONDON: Two children whose school was bombed in Aleppo pose for pictures in a mockdestroyed classroom outside the Houses of Parliament during a photocall arranged by charitySave the Children, in London yesterday. The charity aims to raise awareness of the destruction ofschools in the war in Syria, which it says has left 2.8 million Syrian children out of school. —AP

BERLIN: Germany’s AfD began life as an anti-euro party, but it has morphed into a right-wing populist outfit suggesting that policeshould be allowed to shoot migrants seekingto enter the country. Despite the uproar overchairwoman Frauke Petry’s comments over theweekend, the reality is that the party is enjoy-ing its biggest support since its birth, scoring arecord 12 percent on a public opinion poll pub-lished Sunday by the tabloid-style Bild newspa-per. Riding on a rising wave of mistrust over the1.1 million asylum seekers who arrived inGermany in 2015, Alternative for Germany(AfD) appears to have struck a chord with somethrough its anti-migrant calls, posing a realthreat to centrist parties.

The AfD is now clearly a “party of the radicalright,” Hajo Funke, a political scientist at Berlin’sFree University, told public broadcasterDeutschlandfunk. Given its Nazi past, Germanyhas over the decades since the end of the warkept far-right parties to the fringes of politics.The AfD’s ability to anchor itself as a radical par-ty is therefore “something new”, Werner Patzelt,political science expert at the TechnicalUniversity of Dresden said. After all, the party’smembers have repeatedly raised eyebrowsover what critics say is inflammatory speech.

Take the comments of member BjoernHoecke in early December, when he said thatthe “reproductive behaviour of Africans” couldbe a threat for Germany. Most recently, partyleader Petry herself said in comments carried bythe Mannheimer Morgen regional daily onSaturday: “We need efficient controls to preventso many unregistered asylum seekers from con-tinuing to enter via Austria.” She added: “Nopoliceman wants to fire on a refugee and I don’twant that either. But as a last resort thereshould be recourse to firearms.”

Petry’s comments earned a swift rebukefrom political heavyweights including ViceChancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who said Germany’sdomestic security watchdog should keep aneye on the AfD. Even Bernd Luecke, the formerleader of the party himself, has said that “theway the question of refugees is being dealt

with by the AfD is inhumane and unbearable”.But far from alienating voters, these provoca-tive comments have had the opposite effect,the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung’s HeribertPrantl wrote in an editorial. In turn, that haspushed the AfD to “become even more viru-lent”.

Third political forceIn fact, it was the ouster of Luecke at a party

congress in July last year that saw the AfD setitself firmly on the right-wing populist path.This “congress marked the end of the internalstruggle on the choice of its orientation in theGerman political landscape,” Patzelt said. Givenits initial anti-euro platform, the party couldhave positioned itself as a new liberal partyrivaling the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP),said Patzelt, but its agenda had finally beenhijacked by its right-leaning members.

Crucially, that shift coincided with thebeginning of a record influx of asylum seekersto Germany over the summer. Initially, the AfD’sopposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel’sopen-door stance to war refugees wasdrowned out as public opinion was firmly onthe side of giving new arrivals a warm wel-come. But as asylum seekers have continued toarrive in their thousands daily, disgruntlementand doubts have grown over Germany’s abilityto take in so many. AfD’s popularity also beganto climb. From four percent in September,backing rose to six percent in October, and 10percent in December, according to the coun-try’s main political survey DeutschlandTrend.

On Sunday, another poll published by Bildam Sonntag said AfD had now a record score of12 percent. Although that is still far behindMerkel’s conservative alliance with 34 percent,and the Social Democratic Party’s 24 percent, itmeans AfD has become the third political forcein the country. With its clear positioning to theright of Merkel’s conservative alliance, the AfDposes a particular threat to the alliance’sBavarian party the CSU, which once declaredthat there is “no democratically legitimate partyto its right” in Germany. —AFP

Germany’s populist party eyes gains despite ‘shoot the migrants’ uproar

LONDON: The battle over Britain’s future in theEU intensified yesterday as Prime Minister DavidCameron braced for a barrage of attacks fromeurosceptics over proposed reforms theEuropean Commission defended as a “fair” dealfor all. Speaking at the European Parliament inStrasbourg, Juncker said the proposals due to beput to a key summit this month were “fair” forBritain and its 27 partners. EU president DonaldTusk unveiled proposals to avoid Britain leavingthe club on Tuesday, firing the starting gun ontwo weeks of tense negotiations to reach a dealat the summit of EU leaders.

The plans include a four-year “emergencybrake” on welfare payments for EU migrant work-ers, protection for countries that do not use theeuro and a “red card” system giving national par-liaments more power. Cameron on Tuesday saidTusk’s plans showed “real progress” and made itlikely that he would campaign to stay in theEuropean Union in a referendum expected inJune. But he will likely face tough questions fromBritish lawmakers in a debate due to start at 1230GMT. Many have greeted the plans with scorn,with UK Independence Party head Nigel Faragedismissing them as “pathetic,” while Conservativelawmaker Steve Baker said the prime ministerwas just “polishing poo”. Former defense secre-tary Liam Fox warned that up to five members ofCameron’s cabinet could campaign to leave theunion having seen the proposals. London’s flam-boyant mayor Boris Johnson has been named inthe press as a potential rallying point foreurosceptic ranks. However, the prime ministerreceived a boost by winning the backing of inte-rior minister Theresa May, a known eurosceptic.

Turmoil Britain’s newspapers yesterday poured cold

water on the plans, with popular tabloid The Sunsplashing “Who do EU think you are kidding MrCameron?” across its front page, saying the dealwas a “farce”. The Daily Mail called it “The GreatDelusion” and the eurosceptic Daily Express “AJoke” on their front pages. The proposals are alsoexpected to be a hard sell for some EU states,which fear Cameron is winning too many conces-sions ahead of a February 18-19 summit.

Negotiations are set to begin at the EuropeanParliament yesterday, while Cameron is set topresent the plans to parliament after the weeklyPrime Minister’s Questions session. He thenbegins a charm offensive that will take him toPoland and Denmark on Friday then Germanynext week. London’s bid to transform its EUmembership has added to turmoil in the bloc asit struggles with its worst migration crisis sinceWorld War II and the fallout from the euro-zonedebt saga. The British premier said Tusk’s propos-al showed he had “secured some very importantchanges”. “If I could get these terms for Britishmembership I sure would opt in for being amember of the EU,” Cameron said in a speech insouthwest England.

Opinion polls splitBut British eurosceptics were unconvinced,

with Johnson saying he had “doubts” about theireffectiveness. Opinion polls are split on whetherBritons would back leaving the EU in their firstvote on the subject since 1975. Tusk’s most con-troversial proposal is an “emergency brake” thatwould allow any EU state to limit the welfare pay-ments migrants from other European countriescan claim for up to four years after their arrival. Topull the brake, states would have to prove an“exceptional situation” in which their welfare sys-tem and public services are overwhelmed, getapproval from the European Commission andthen from other bloc leaders in a majority vote.

Despite concerns in France, Tusk’s plan alsoincludes a “mechanism” by which the nine coun-tries that are not in the euro can raise concernsabout decisions by the euro-zone. But hestressed that the mechanism could not delay orveto urgent decisions by the 19 countries in theeuro. The “red card” system would allow a grouprepresenting 55 percent of the EU’s national par-liaments to stop or change draft EU laws.Although Cameron has only set a deadline of theend of 2017 to hold a referendum on whetherBritain should stay in the EU, sources have said heis keen to push a vote through by June. Thatwould avoid the fallout from any new flare-up inEurope’s migration crisis this summer and Britisheurosceptics becoming even more unruly. —AFP

Cameron, Juncker defend EU reform plan in ‘Brexit’ battle

SOFIA: In a fine balancing act, Bulgaria seeks to benefitfrom a spat between Turkey and Russia to revive weak-ened economic ties with Moscow-its main gas supplier-without offending Ankara, an important ally in themigrant crisis. In a sign of thawing relations, Sofia lastweek hosted a meeting of the Bulgarian-Russian eco-nomic cooperation committee-the first since the 2014failure of the South Stream pipeline project.

The multi-billion-dollar plan had aimed to deliverRussian gas to Europe via the Black Sea and the Balkanswhile bypassing conflict-ridden Ukraine. But EU andNATO member Bulgaria, under pressure from bothBrussels and Washington, ended up suspending thedeal. Reacting to the snub, Russia redrew plans to trans-port its gas via a new undersea pipeline calledTurkStream. But these too were shelved after the down-ing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish fighter jet on theSyrian border in November.

Bulgaria-the only bloc member to get almost all of itsnatural gas from Russia via Ukraine-has now seized uponthe row to propose yet another deal: building a depotthat could channel Russia’s gas to Europe via Bulgaria.“We presented Moscow our project for building a newgas distribution centre that we are also coordinating withthe European Commission,” Bulgarian Energy MinisterTemenuzhka Petkova said last Thursday at the end of thebilateral talks. Russia cautiously welcomed the proposal.“What keeps us from being too optimistic at this stage isthe fact that we are still awaiting the sorting-out of aseries of technical questions with the EuropeanCommission,” Deputy Justice Minister Sergei Gerasimovsaid after last week’s bilateral meeting.

‘Incredible pressure’ In the short term, a rapprochement with Moscow

could also help fuel Bulgaria’s fledgling tourism industry.Last summer, its Black Sea resorts were hit by a steepdrop in Russian visitor numbers as the ruble slid alongwith oil prices. Gerasimov last week touched on the pos-sibility of “diverting Russian tourists from Turkey” toBulgaria. Sofia, meanwhile, promised to ease its visaregime for Russians. But Bulgaria is walking on thin ice asit seeks to also maintain good relations with Turkey.

Sofia notably counts on its southeastern neighbor to

prevent an influx of migrants through their shared 275-kilometre (170-mile) porous land border. “Regarding thedowning of the Russian plane by Turkey (...) we showedthat we are a loyal member of the EU and NATO,”Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said in earlyJanuary. However, he also admitted to being subjectedto “incredible pressure” by both sides. “Now that the twotitans have clashed, they want us to say whether we arepro-Russian or pro-Turkish. We are neither pro-Russiannor pro-Turkish. We want to be loyal neighbors,” he said.

Putin ‘loves us’During its 45 years of communist rule, Sofia was

Moscow’s staunchest ally and surveys indicate that many

Bulgarians continue to feel strongly pro-Russian. A pollconducted last March showed that 61 percent of partici-pants maintained a positive attitude towards Russia,even at the height of the Crimean annexation crisis.Experts point out that this “Russophile stereotype” wascultivated long before communism, finding its roots inRussia’s liberation of Bulgaria from five centuries ofOttoman domination in 1878. Moscow, meanwhile, hasalso been sending friendly signals in Bulgaria’s direction.Russian President Vladimir Putin included in his 2016 cal-endar a picture with his Bulgarian shepherd dog Buffy,received as a present from Borisov. “Well, he loves us,” saidBorisov, grinning, as he commented recently on the pho-to. —AFP

Bulgaria seeks to benefit from Russia-Turkey spat

PERNIK: Dancers, known as ‘Kukeri’ perform during the International Festival of theMasquerade Games in Pernik near the capital Sofia. The three-day festival, whichstarted on January 29, has participants sporting multi-colored masks, covered withbeads, ribbons and woolen tassels while the main dancer, ladened with bells to driveaway sickness and evil spirits, sways like a wheat spikelet heavy with grain. —AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s PresidentJacob Zuma will pay back some of the publicfunds used to upgrade his private home, hisoffice said yesterday, attempting to end atwo-year scandal that has plagued his govern-ment. Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, thecountry’s ombudswoman, ruled in 2014 thatZuma and his family had “benefited unduly”from the work on Zuma’s rural residence ofNkandla. Among the supposed securityupgrades were a swimming pool described asa fire-fighting facility, a chicken run, a cattleenclosure, an amphitheatre and a visitors’ cen-

tre. “To achieve an end to the drawn-out dis-pute... the president proposes that the deter-mination of the amount he is to pay should beindependently and impartially determined,”said a presidential statement. The exact sumwill be determined by the treasury and policeministry, it added. Zuma had previouslydenied any wrongdoing over the upgrades,with opposition lawmakers often disruptinghis parliamentary speeches by chanting “Payback the money!”

His change of position came ahead of aConstitutional Court hearing next week as

opposition parties the Democratic Alliance(DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)unite in a bid to force him to refund the cash.The upgrades were valued in 2014 at about216 million rand (then worth $24 million, 22million euros). The DA vowed to go ahead withthe legal case, despite Zuma’s apparent climb-down. DA leader Mmusi Maimane told jour-nalists that Zuma had “done everything toundermine the work of the public protectorand the constitution” over the Nkandla contro-versy. All parties are jostling for advantageahead of municipal elections due later this

year that could see a fall in support for Zuma’sAfrican National Congress (ANC) party, whichhas ruled since the end of apartheid. Zuma’sstatement stressed that he “remains critical of anumber of factual aspects and legal conclu-sions” contained in the damning publicombudsman report. The president, who hasoften been accused of allowing corruption toflourish since he came to power in 2009, isunder pressure over South Africa’s sharplyslowing economy. He will make his annualstate of the nation address in parliament nextThursday. —AFP

Zuma to pay back money for home upgrade

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

BEIJING: Authorities in China’s unruly far-western region of Xinjiang have reducedthe sentences of 11 people jailed forthreatening state security after declaringsuccess of a de-radicalization program,state news agency Xinhua reported.Hundreds of people have been killed inviolence in Xinjiang in the past few years.

The government blames the unrest onIslamist militants who want to establish anindependent state called East Turkestanfor minority Uighurs, a mostly Muslimpeople from Xinjiang who speak a Turkiclanguage. Seven of the convicts had theirlife sentences reduced to jail terms rang-ing from 19.5 years to 20 years, includingpeople convicted of instigating “seces-sionist activities” or participating in terrorattacks, Xinhua said late on Tuesday. Theother four had their jail terms cut by sixmonths from initial sentences rangingfrom 8 to 15 years, it added.

A spokesman for the main Uighur exilegroup dismissed the report as “politicalpropaganda”. Xinjiang’s governor, ShohratZakir, was quoted by Xinhua as saying thatthe region’s jails had been very successfulin recent years at their de-radicalizationefforts, with a “majority” of convictsbecoming law-abiding citizens. Effortsneed to continue in this regard with afocus on those convicted for harmingstate security, he added. Xinhua said thishad been accomplished by inviting reli-gious leaders and scholars to talk to pris-oners about “correct religious belief”.

One of those whose sentence wasreduced was identified as YushanjiangJilili, the Chinese spelling for HuseyinCelil, a Uighur-Canadian jailed in 2007 forterrorism. China considers him a Chinesecitizen. “My crimes caused serious dam-age to my country, Xinjiang, my familyand children that can never be made upfor,” Xinhua quoted him as saying.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman LuKang said he did not know any detailsabout the sentence reductions, but thatall the people involved were Chinese. TheCanadian Embassy in Beijing did notrespond to requests for comment.Reuters was also unable to reach officialsin Xinjiang for comment, or any familymembers of the convicts to verify theirstories.

Exiles and many rights groups say thereal cause of the unrest is heavy-handedChinese policies, including curbs onUighur culture, and a dearth of econom-ic opportunity, rather than any cohesivemilitant group. Dilxat Raxit, spokesmanfor the main exile group the WorldUyghur Congress, said news of the com-mutations was a “political propagandatool” to cover up the government’s useof the term extremist to repress theUighur people. “Be aware that China isusing the so-called commutations tomislead the international communityand continues to use anti-terrorism tostep up its repression,” he said in anemailed statement. —Reuters

Declaring de-radicalization success, China authorities

reduce eleven sentences


NEW DELHI: Four years after Shishir Chand’sbrother died when his heart condition wasallegedly misdiagnosed as gas, his fight forcompensation has barely begun in India’snotoriously slow justice system. Chand recallsracing 33-year-old Vishal to a private hospitalin eastern Jamshedpur city, as he clutched hischest in agony. After monitoring Vishal’s heartfunction, doctors sent him home with anti-flatulence medicine. He died the next day of aheart attack, according to Chand. “So far, allthey have done is issue a mild warning to thedoctor, asking him to be more careful in

future,” he said.Malpractice is a major problem not only in

India’s overburdened public health systembut also in the burgeoning private sector,according to health activists. A complex andineffective compensation system, along withthe medical community’s reluctance toexpose colleagues’ wrongdoing, are hugebarriers for families seeking justice, they say.“Negligence cases are widespread in publichealthcare particularly in rural India, wherepatients have little understanding of malprac-tice and erring doctors almost never get pun-

ished,” Arun Gadre, a doctor turned activist inIndia, said. “Similar issues are cropping up inthe private sector.”

Consumer dispute tribunals initially han-dle many malpractice cases, but according toactivists, its members lack the expertise todeal with complex medical issues. India’smain doctors’ body acknowledges that thetribunal system appears skewed, with theassociation’s figures showing only one in1,000 complaints lodged with the tribunalsby families win any kind of compensation.“Most of the cases of negligence cannot beestablished,” Narender Saini, general secretaryof the Indian Medical Association said. “Weneed a fresh look at the system to avoid con-fusion. Doctors are not gods and inadvertent-ly do commit mistakes,” Saini said.

Families can appeal to higher courts butthey face the difficult task of having to showsubstantial evidence of wrongdoing beforetheir cases can proceed, according to Chand.In 2013, the Supreme Court, hearing anappeal from a tribunal, awarded an Americanman 110 million rupees ($1.6 million) in com-pensation over his wife’s death from an over-dose of steroids given at a private hospital inKolkata. The figure set a record in India, but itcame 15 years after the woman died and onlyafter tireless campaigning by her husband,himself a doctor.

Doctors rarely suspendedExperts say a key problem is that doctors

are reluctant to testify against colleagues in

India where they are considered, especially intraditional rural areas, to be above reproach.Chand, who volunteers for advocacy groupPeople for Better Treatment, said he searchedfor two years to find a doctor willing to giveevidence in his brother’s case. “Doctors areafraid to testify against their colleaguesbecause they feel vulnerable. There is a gener-al understanding not to testify as it may openfloodgates against each other,” activist Gadresaid. Chand has appealed to a tribunalagainst the Medical Council of India’s decisionto only issue a warning to the doctor. Aspokesman for the hospital involved said itscase has been presented to the tribunal, butdeclined to comment further as a verdict ispending. Experts say under pressure doctorsare bound to make mistakes at some pointsince public hospitals are often stretched tobreaking, with India spending just one per-cent of GDP on healthcare. India also has onedoctor for roughly every 2,000 patients,according to the WHO, which recommendshalf that number. And India has just 900,000registered doctors compared to China’s esti-mated 2.4 million, according to watchdog,the Medical Council of India. The council saysit investigates doctors whenever complaintsare filed with the body, but health advocatesargue that its hearings are endlessly delayedand adjourned.

‘Our lives on hold’ Muzaffar Ahmad, chairman of the coun-

cil’s ethics committee, defended the delays,

saying “arranging hearing of complaints anddoctors often takes time”. “We are not the finalauthority, aggrieved people can alwaysappeal against our decisions in higher courts,”Ahmad added. He pointed to the fact that thecouncil suspended 130 doctors (with punish-ments ranging from one month to sevenyears) in one month alone, September lastyear, although he said some of the com-plaints had been pending since 2010. No doc-tors at all were penalized between 2008 and2013, according to council data obtained bymedical advocacy groups through right toinformation laws, although it is unclear howmany complaints were filed during that peri-od. Rohit Goyal is waiting for justice after fil-ing a case last year in a tribunal on behalf ofhis 62-year-old mother who had gone to hos-pital complaining of dizziness.

Hooked up to a drip, doctors allegedlyhiked Suresh Rani’s sodium levels five timesabove safe limits, leaving her in a permanentvegetative state, according to Goyal. A hospi-tal spokesman said its own investigationsfound no evidence of wrongdoing and thehospital is awaiting the tribunal’s ruling. “Wefound nothing wrong in our internal investi-gations but the judiciary is supreme,” he said.But Goyal said “We can’t let them go scot-free.They almost killed my mother. I know it’sgoing to take years before we get justice,”Goyal’s wife and his sister quit their jobs tocare for Rani, spending more than a millionrupees on treatment. “Our lives are literally onhold,” he said. —AFP

Justice eludes India’s medical negligence victims

KASHMIR: Kashmiri men row their boat in the waters of Nigeen Lake on theoutskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Set in the Himalayas at5,600 feet above sea level, Kashmir is a green, saucer-shaped valley full offruit orchards and surrounded by snowy mountain ranges. —AP

SEOUL: Japan placed its military onalert yesterday to shoot down a NorthKorean rocket if it threatens Japan,while South Korea warned the Northwill pay a “severe price” if it proceedswith a satellite launch that Seoul con-siders a missile test. North Koreashould immediately call off theplanned launch, which is a violation ofUN Security Council resolutions, theSouth’s presidential Blue House said ina statement. Seoul’s warning cameafter the North notified UN agencieson Tuesday of its plan to launch whatit called an “earth observation satellite”

some time between Feb 8 and 25.“North Korea’s notice of the plan to

launch a long-range missile, coming ata time when there is a discussion forSecurity Council sanctions on itsfourth nuclear test, is a direct chal-lenge to the international community,”the Blue House said. “We stronglywarn that the North will pay a severeprice ... if it goes ahead with the long-range missile launch plan,” it said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abesaid he would work with the UnitedStates and others to “stronglydemand” that North Korea refrain

from what he described as a plannedmissile launch.

Japan’s Defense Minister GenNakatani ordered ballistic missiledefense units including Aegisdestroyers in the Sea of Japan andPatriot missile batteries onshore tobe ready to shoot down any NorthKorean rocket that threatenedJapan. The rocket is likely to fly overJapan’s southern island of Okinawain the Pacific Ocean at an altitude ofseveral hundred kilometers. Reportsof the planned launch drew fresh UScalls for tougher UN sanctions that

are already under discussion inresponse to North Korea’s recentnuclear test.

State Department spokesmanJohn Kirby said the United Nationsneeded to “send the North Koreans aswift, firm message”. Pyongyang hassaid it has a sovereign right to pursuea space program by launching rockets,although the United States and othergovernments worry that such launch-es are missile tests in disguise.

A spokeswoman for theInternational Maritime Organization, aUN agency, said the agency had beentold by North Korea it planned tolaunch the ‘Kwangmyongsong’ satellite.The International TelecommunicationUnion, another UN agency, also toldReuters that North Korea had informedit on Tuesday of plans to launch a satel-lite with a functional duration of fouryears in a non-geostationary orbit.North Korea said the launch would beconducted in the morning one day dur-ing the announced period, and notifiedthe coordinates for the locations wherethe rocket boosters and the cover forthe payload would drop.

Those locations are expected to bein the Yellow Sea off the Korean penin-sula west coast and in the PacificOcean to the east of the Philippines,Pyongyang said. US officials said lastweek North Korea was believed to bemaking preparations for a test launchof a long-range rocket, after activity atits test site was observed by satellite.North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, send-ing an object it described as a com-munications satellite into orbit. NorthKorea also said last month it had suc-cessfully tested a hydrogen bomb butthis was met with skepticism by USand South Korean officials and nuclearexperts. They said the blast was toosmall for it to have been a full-fledgedhydrogen bomb. —Reuters

Japan on red alert over N Korean rocket launch

South Korea warns ‘North will pay severe price’

SEOUL: A mock Scud-B missile of North Korea (left) and other South Korean missiles are dis-played at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. South Koreawarned yesterday of ‘searing’ consequences if North Korea doesn’t abandon plans to launch along-range rocket that critics call a banned test of ballistic missile technology. —AP

SRINAGAR: Rescuers searched yesterdayfor 10 soldiers feared buried in an ava-lanche in India’s remote Himalayas nearthe de facto border with Pakistan, an armyspokesman said. The soldiers were hitwhile on duty at a post on a glacier at analtitude of 5,800 meters (19,000 feet),Colonel S D Goswami said. “In the earlyhours of today, 10 soldiers were hit by anavalanche at the northern Siachen Glacier,”Goswami said.

An army statement said the post wasbeing manned by one junior officer andnine soldiers when the avalanche struck.“Rescue operations by specialized teamsfrom Army and Air Force are underway torescue the soldiers. The rescue operationsare being closely monitored from Leh andUdhampur,” the statement added. Indiantroops patrol the Siachen Glacier, dubbedthe world’s highest battlefield, in the

Kashmir region which is disputed betweenIndia and Pakistan. Avalanches and land-slides are common in the area during thewinter and temperatures there can drop aslow as minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76degrees Fahrenheit).

In January four soldiers were killed byan avalanche, while last year another fourdied when their vehicle was buried underan avalanche near Leh, the main city in thehigh-altitude region known as Ladakh. Anestimated 8,000 troops have died on theglacier since 1984, almost all of them fromavalanches, landslides, frostbite, altitudesickness or heart failure rather than com-bat. Nuclear-armed rivals India andPakistan, which each administer part ofKashmir but claim it in full, fought overSiachen in 1987. But guns on the glacierhave largely fallen silent since a peaceprocess began in 2004. —AFP

10 soldiers missing in Himalayan avalanche

SYDNEY: Australia’s highest court yesterdayopened the way for hundreds of asylum-seek-ers to be transferred to a remote Pacific out-post, including women allegedly sexuallyassaulted there, when it dismissed a challengeto a hardline immigration policy. The HighCourt case was brought by a Bangladeshiwoman who arrived on an unauthorized boatand was dispatched to the tiny island republicof Nauru before being brought to Australia forurgent medical treatment during a pregnancy.

She sought a declaration that Australia’sconduct in sending her to Nauru was unlawfulin a challenge seen as a test case for more than260 asylum-seekers, including 37 babies bornin Australia and 54 other children, lawyers said.But the court ruled six to one that theAustralian government’s arrangements for off-shore detention on Nauru did not breach thelaw. Canberra’s tough immigration policyensures that asylum-seekers arriving inAustralia by boat are sent to Nauru and PapuaNew Guinea.

Even if the detainees are subsequentlyfound to be genuine refugees they are deniedresettlement in Australia-a policy designed tostop people-smuggling boats which hasdrawn international criticism. Australian PrimeMinister Malcolm Turnbull said the court hadfound the existing process “legally and consti-tutionally valid”. But he told parliament: “The

people smugglers will not prevail over oursovereignty.” “Our borders are secure. The linehas to be drawn somewhere and it is drawn atour border.”

The Human Rights Law Centre, whichbrought the case for the woman, said themother and her husband-with a one-year-oldbaby-were now terrified of being sent back toNauru where some 537 asylum-seekers are cur-rently housed. A further 922 men are held onPNG’s Manus Island. “The legality is one thing,the morality is another,” said the centre’s DanielWebb. Webb said that among the group at riskof being transferred to Nauru were womenwho had allegedly been sexually assaulted onthe island as well as 37 babies born in Australia.“Ripping kids out of primary school and send-ing them to be indefinitely warehoused on atiny remote island is wrong,” he added.

‘Risk of rights violations’ Webb would not comment on the case of a

five-year-old boy who was reportedly broughtto Australia after allegedly being sexuallyassaulted on Nauru. Immigration MinisterPeter Dutton said he was seeking more infor-mation on that case, but stressed it would beconsidered compassionately. “We are notgoing to send kids into harm’s way,” the minis-ter told Sky News. “But we are saying very firm-ly that if you don’t have a legitimate claim for

refuge in Australia then we want to help yougo back to your country of origin.”

Australia has long defended its policy say-ing it has prevented the deaths of asylum-seekers at sea and secured its borders. Underthe previous Labor government, at least 1,200people died trying to reach Australia by boatbetween 2008 and 2013. But refugee advo-cates slammed the prospect of asylum-seekersbeing returned to Nauru, from where allega-tions of abuses, including rape, have arisen.

Sending vulnerable and abused peopleback to “where they will suffer indefinitelywould be callous and cold”, said Paul Power,chief executive of the Refugee Council ofAustralia.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF saidreturning minors to Nauru not only placedunreasonable pressures on the developingstate but also put children at risk. AmnestyInternational also joined the chorus of disap-pointment, saying those sent back would be at“real risk of serious human rights violations” ina place where many resorted to self-harm. TheRefugee Action Coalition called for protestsaround the country later this week after thecourt’s decision which it said hid behind alegal technicality. “It avoided the substance ofthe challenge by finding that the asylum-seek-ers on Nauru are detained by the Nauruangovernment,” it said. —AFP

Australia court dismisses challenge to the offshore refugee detention

NEW DELHI: 62-year-old Indian woman Suresh Rani, given an overdoseof sodium by doctors at a hospital which resulted her in a permanentdamage to her brain, being helped by her daughter Mamta (left) and anattendant at her home in Noida, in New Delhi. —AFP

N E W STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Continued from Page 1

Yesterday, Obama said: “An attack on one faith is anattack on all our faiths.” He also criticized the media andHollywood, which he said portray Muslims in a narrowway. “Our television shows should have Muslim charac-ters that are unrelated to national security,” he said.Obama had visited mosques in Malaysia, Indonesia andEgypt as president, but this was his first visit to one ofAmerica’s 2,000-plus places of Islamic worship. In 2009,a freshly elected Obama traveled to Cairo to call for a“new beginning” with the Muslim world.

Much of Obama’s foreign policy agenda has focusedon improving ties with Muslim nations, from making anuclear deal with Iran to ending wars in Iraq andAfghanistan. But the effort has been stymied by contin-ued confrontation with jihadist groups and militarystrikes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia,Syria and Yemen. Obama restated his case that organi-zations like the Islamic State group pervert Islam and donot represent the vast majority of Muslims.

The president offered “two words that Muslim-Americans don’t hear often enough, and that is thankyou,” saying they help unite the country in “oneAmerican family”. But he also called on Muslims to helptackle radicalization. “How do we defend ourselvesagainst organizations that are bent on killing inno-cents?” he asked. “It can’t be the work of any one faithalone. It can’t be just a burden on the Muslim communi-ty, although the Muslim community has to play a role.”

That message is a vexed one for members of thecommunity, including those who oppose violence. “Iknow national security will come up in the speech just

because of the climate of today,” said Riham Osman ofthe Muslim Public Affairs Council, an advocacy group,ahead of the speech. “It does upset me a little bit that itis his first time coming to visit a mosque, and there willbe kids there who have grown up in this post 9/11 eraand their faith is constantly linked to national securityand extremism.” The United States is home to around3.3 million Muslims. Around 81 Muslim-Americans wereinvolved in violent extremist plots in 2015, according tothe Triangle Center on Terrorism and HomelandSecurity.

Earlier, Obama sat down around a large table withMuslim university chaplains, community activists andpublic health professionals for a discussion about reli-gious tolerance and freedom. One of the participantsmeeting with Obama, Ibtihaj Muhammad, has qualifiedfor a spot on the United States Olympic Team for the Riode Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. The White House saidshe’ll make history as the first United States Olympianto compete in a hijab. “They all have their own story totell about the way that they contribute to and enrichthe communities in which they live,” said White Housespokesman Josh Earnest.

Last week, Obama became the first sitting presidentto speak at the Israeli Embassy. In remarks at theembassy, he warned of growing anti-Semitism in theworld. Attendees at the Baltimore mosque are predomi-nantly of Turkish heritage, although immigrants of oth-er nationalities also participate, said Akbar Ahmed, anIslamic studies specialist at American University whohas researched mosques around the US. Obama left itto the last minute to visit a US mosque, Ahmed noted,“but better late than never.” — Agencies

Obama slams bigotry in first visit to US...


Police said two people onboard were injured, whilethe government has said the blast was believed to becaused by an issue of air pressure. The Serbian pilot hassaid he thought the blast, which ripped the fuselagefrom inside to out, had been an explosive device,according to reports in the Serbian newspaper Blic. PilotVladimir Vodopivec, 64, told a friend he thought it was“a bomb”, without giving more details. Photographsshow a large hole - about a metre in diameter - justabove the engines on the right wing, with streaks ofsoot on the plane.

Vodopivec added that the blast did not damage thenavigation systems, and while cabin pressure was lost,he was able to guide the plane back safely to land atMogadishu airport. “Passengers were terrified,” saidAbdiwahab Hassan, an airport official. Aviation safetyexpert Xavier Tytelman said he compared images of theblast with photographs of previous explosions, and ithad all the appearances of a bomb blast. It was notcaused by any issue of pressurization, he said, for theblast ripped the metal outwards.

“The explosion occurred at the passenger level...itclearly comes from inside,” he told AFP, adding that atthat part of the plane, there was no major engine orelectrical device to spark such a blast. “In addition, themetal is bent forward against the flow of air - it is not anissue of depressurization,” he said. Video footage takenafter the blast showed people having moved to theback of the plane with emergency oxygen masks dan-gling down as wind rushed around the main cabin,although most people appeared fairly calm.

However, Somalia’s deputy information ministerAbdullahi Olad Roble, said it was not believed to be a

bomb. “Initial investigation results suggest that therewas a lot of air inside the airplane after takeoff, and thatair may have caused the explosion, fire erupted and sev-eral people were slightly injured,” he said. “We have seenthe plane... the aircraft doesn’t have any big problem.”The plane “experienced an incident shortly after take-off,” operator Daallo Airlines said in a statement. “Theaircraft landed safely and all of our passengers wereevacuated safely,” it added. “A thorough investigation isbeing conducted by Somalia Civil Aviation Authority.”

Local authorities said the body of a passenger wasfound in the Balcad area, about 30 km north ofMogadishu. A police officer at Mogadishu airport saidthe body of the 55-year-old man was being brought tothe capital. “He dropped when the explosion occurredin the plane,” the officer said. But Abdiwahid Omar, thedirector of Somalia’s civil aviation authority, told state-run Radio Mogadishu that authorities were not sure ifthe body found in Balcad was the missing passenger.

Mogadishu airport is heavily fortified and adjoins thecapital’s main base of the African Union mission toSomalia, the 22,000-strong force backing the govern-ment in the battle against Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebabinsurgents. The insurgents have lost ground since beingrouted from Mogadishu in 2011 but continue to stageregular shooting and suicide attacks. They havelaunched mortar attacks on the airport compound inthe past. Last month they stormed a Kenyan army baseat El-Adde in southwest Somalia, in the latest incidentof an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) basebeing overrun. The Shabab have also staged attacks inKenya, killing at least 67 people at Nairobi’s WestgateMall in 2013 and massacring 148 people at a universityin Garissa in April 2015. They have made no claim of car-rying out a bomb attack on the plane. — Agencies

Blast on Somalia jet points to bomb


But it was completely destroyed in the war, and nowthe business is run out of a small workshop in the capi-tal. “We had 100 employees, today only 30 of them arestill working for us,” said Abu Dahab, who was one ofaround 100 Syrian textile manufacturers at a trade fairset up in Beirut.

Before Syria’s conflict began, textiles representedsome 63 percent of the industrial sector’s total produc-tion. The sector was worth 12 percent of GDP, employeda fifth of the workforce and exports netted around $3.3billion a year, according to the Syrian Economic Forumthink-tank. But by 2014, private sector textile exportshad fallen by half, with the industry particularly affectedby fighting in Aleppo city, the country’s former commer-cial hub and home to many textile factories.

“Seventy percent of (textile) factories were closed ordestroyed by the war,” said Feras Taki Eddine, presidentof the Syrian Textile Exporters Association, next to amannequin in black underwear and stockings. In addi-tion, many businesses lost machines and employees.“Some of the machines were destroyed and some werestolen. Thieves took them to Turkey. I had 220 machinesbefore, now I only have 10,” said Alaa Aldeen Maki, own-er of Dream Girl Lingerie, an Aleppo-based business.“Most of my employees emigrated because of the situa-tion and some because they were forced to join thearmy for military service,” he said.

When the war arrived in Aleppo in mid-2012, eventu-ally dividing the city between government control in thewest and rebel control in the east, some businesses relo-cated to small workshops in the city’s safer areas. Others,based in the relative safety of Damascus, have donewhatever they can to survive. Muhanad Daadush ownsthe country’s biggest lingerie and pyjama factory, locat-ed in the capital. He still employs 450 people, many ofwho sleep in the factory during upticks in violence.”I had

72 workers sleeping at the factory” at one point, he toldAFP at his stall, surrounded by bras of all hues and com-fortable cotton sleepwear. “They started at six in themorning, worked until 11, then slept. They would onlygo home to their families from Thursday night toSaturday morning.”

For all its challenges, Syria’s textile industry continuesto enjoy a reputation of quality in the region, and theBeirut fair attracted some 500 buyers, mostly from theMiddle East. Fadi Baha was in town from Egypt, where heowns a chain of stores. “I buy Syrian textiles because oftheir quality. It’s better than Turkish or Chinese merchan-dise and almost competitive price-wise,” he told AFP. “Ilike how Syrian manufacturers create a unique mixbetween Eastern and European styles.”

But while regional buyers continue to purchaseSyrian textiles, clients from further afield were nowhereto be seen. Daadush Lingerie once exported 70 percentof its products to Europe, but its owner said only 10 per-cent now goes there. And the rising costs of production,difficult trading environment and shrinking workforce,all mean competitors from Turkey and China are increas-ingly able to pinch clients from Syria’s textile industry.

Manufacturers blame shrinking exports in part onsanctions slapped on Syria after the government beganits crackdown on dissent following anti-governmentprotests five years ago. The conflict that followed haskilled over 260,000 people and displaced more than halfof Syria’s population, with many joining a wave ofrefugees seeking safety in Europe since last year.

Taki Eddine said Europe should be bolstering tradewith Syria to keep citizens at work in their home country.“It should be in Europe’s interest to facilitate trade,because Syrian workers without jobs now want to leaveto Europe,” he said. Several vendors said they were com-mitted to staying open, ensuring jobs for Syrians and theindustry’s survival. “It’s important for us to show thatSyrian industry is still alive,” said Taki Eddine. — AFP

Syria textile industry hangs on for survival


“I got married this year. I’ve started a new branch in mycareer. It was a nice moment to say farewell to a very dis-tant past and to move on at a very personal level,” he said.“Our family has no idea how our own father met his ownend. Whether he did so at his own hand or at the hand ofothers. It’s a mystery and it may well remain that way for-ever.”

Intrigue has shrouded the whereabouts of Richard JohnBingham, the 7th Earl of Lucan, since he vanished at theage of 39 after his children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, wasbludgeoned to death in 1974 at the London home ofLucan’s estranged wife. An inquest into the murder raisedthe theory that Lucan may have mistaken the nanny forLady Lucan, who said she fought with the attacker in thedark after she heard noises in the basement.

The case sparked worldwide interest after his blood-soaked car was found abandoned near the coast, andsince then there have been dozens of supposed sightingsof him from southern Africa to New Zealand. Bizarre con-spiracy theories abound, with one of Lucan’s old gamblingfriends claiming last week that he committed suicide andwas then fed to a tiger in a zoo to avoid leaving proof ofdeath and handing his estate over to estranged wifeVeronica. Police issued a warrant for his arrest a few days

after the murder. Bingham began the legal process lastOctober by posting a public notice in a local newspaper.He has said the death certificate would “bring closure”.

Neil Berriman, the murdered nanny’s biological son,withdrew an earlier objection to the application, but toldcourt yesterday that he had seen an internal police docu-ment suggesting Lucan “was possibly alive from 2002onwards”. He rejected the commonly-held explanationthat Lucan drowned at sea, and accused the MetropolitanPolice of corruption, calling the force “a firm within a firm”.“Maybe the police know more than they let on,” he said ina statement outside court, in front of a press scrum.

The 49-year-old builder said Lucan “was guilty of some-thing” but that he wasn’t “100 percent sure” that he actuallykilled his mother. “I think he escaped,” he said, adding thatit was possible he fled to Africa, although was now proba-bly dead. Berriman earlier told AFP that Bingham was “self-ish” to say he wanted closure. “Closure for us is when wecan actually get closure for Sandra,” he added. Berriman,who was put up for adoption at birth, only found out hewas Rivett’s son when his adoptive mother died and lefthim a brown envelope, which he opened eight years ago.“It was full of all sorts of things, birthday cards and cuttingsof the Lucan case, which was very bizarre,” he told AFP. “Isat there and it gradually registered. It was horrendous,things haven’t been the same since.” — AFP

Earl declared dead 42 yrs after killing


lashes but an appeal process led to that beingincreased to death after a judge ruled that defense wit-nesses’ testimony was ineligible.

Saudi Arabia’s justice system is based on sharia, orIslamic law, and its judges are clerics from the ultracon-servative Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam. In the Wahhabiinterpretation of sharia, religious crimes including blas-

phemy and apostasy incur the death penalty. Liberalwriter Raif Badawi was flogged 50 times in January lastyear as part of a sentence for blasphemy of 10 years inprison and 1,000 lashes, prompting an internationaloutcry. Badawi remains in prison, but diplomats havesaid he is unlikely to be flogged again. After a case hasbeen heard by lower courts, appeals courts and thesupreme court, a convicted defendant can be pardonedby King Salman. — Reuters

Saudis commute Palestinian poet’s death...

WINDSOR MILL, Maryland: US President Barack Obama greets attendees in an overflow room after speakingat the Islamic Society of Baltimore yesterday. — AFP

THE LEADING INDEPENDENTDAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN

Editor-in-ChiefABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN

EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432ADVERTISING : 24835616/7FAX : 24835620/1CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163ACCOUNTS : 24835619COMMERCIAL : 24835618

P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.E MAIL :[email protected]: www.kuwaittimes.net

All articles appearing on thesepages are the personal opinion ofthe writers. Kuwait Times takes noresponsibility for views expressedtherein. Kuwait Times invites read-ers to voice their opinions. Pleasesend submissions via email to: [email protected] or via snailmail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.The editor reserves the right to editany submission as necessary.

A N A L Y S I STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Pope Francis came under fire yesterday afterlavishing praise on China in a move widelyseen as oiling the wheels of Vatican moves to

improve relations with Beijing. Close watchers of theHoly See were taken by surprise by the content of aninterview with the Asia Times in which theArgentinian pontiff said the world need not fearChina’s growing power and avoided any mention ofhuman rights or the restrictions on Catholics andother Christians’ freedom of worship in the world’smost populous nation.

“A superb example of realpolitik pushed to theextreme,” was the verdict of Sandro Magister, one ofItaly’s leading Vatican experts. Writing on his blog forItalian weekly L’Espresso, Magister lamented Francis’s“total silence” on questions of religion and freedomand what he interpreted as an “unrestrained absolu-tion” of the Chinese communist regime’s historicalrecord. In the interview, Francis said China hadalways been, for him, a “reference point of greatness”and “a great culture, with an inexhaustible wisdom”.

The Argentinian pope made only the lightest ofallusions to China’s troubled recent history, saying apeople sometimes “makes a mistake and goes back-wards a little, or takes the wrong path and has toretrace its steps to follow the right way”. Magistercontrasted Francis’s optimistic portrayal of China’spotential future with the gloomy outlook of GianniCriveller, a Catholic missionary and China expertbased in Hong Kong.

Criveller recently published an article voicing fearfor Hong Kong’s basic freedoms and highlighting thecase of Wei Heping, a priest serving an undergroundCatholic community found dead in a river in Shanxiprovince in November in what the authorities havedeemed to have been a suicide. “Many believe hemet a violent death because of his influence withyoung people and online,” Criveller wrote. “For manyCatholics he is a martyr.”

Imprisoned, Intimidated Bishops The plight of Catholics in China, including a

recent campaign to remove crosses from churchbuildings and imprisonment and intimidation ofclerics, was also highlighted by American Vaticancommentator John Allen in his column on Francis’opening to Beijing. “Those paying a price for theirfaith in China today may be disappointed that thepontiff did not address their fate more directly,” Allencommented, while recalling that dilemmas related tohow engage China were not restricted to the Church.“Time will tell ... whether the goodwill a pope buysby skipping over such matters will produce resultsdown the line,” Allen wrote.

Francis was given an easier ride in the ItalianCatholic daily Avvenire by Stefania Falasca, whopraised the pontiff for applying “the geopolitics ofmercy” to the challenges raised by China’s growingweight in the world. The pope’s interview follows adiscreet visit to the Vatican by a delegation ofChinese officials in January which raised hopes of abreakthrough on the contentious issue of the pope’sright to appoint Catholic bishops in China.

Beijing recognizes the country’s estimated 12 mil-lion Catholics’ right to exercise their faith but insiststhey do so under the auspices of a state-controlled“Catholic Patriotic Association”. Within the Vaticanthere has been a long-running debate betweenthose who argue that the Church should seek toimprove relations with China first and hope thatyields greater freedom for its followers, and thosewho maintain that abuses must not go unchal-lenged. Francis’s latest interview suggests the formercamp have the upper hand for now.

The Vatican has not had diplomatic relations withChina since 1951, with the rupture having come onlytwo years after the founding of the People’sRepublic. All attempts to restore them have sincefloundered with Beijing insisting that the Vaticanmust first give up its recognition of Taiwan as a sov-ereign state and promise not to interfere in religiousissues in China. —AFP

Focus

Pontiff under fire over China

‘realpolitik’By Angus Mackinnon

By Paul Taylor

The European Union formally abandoned onTuesday the founding principle that all of itsmembers are heading towards ever closer

integration, only at different speeds. But whetherthat will be enough to enable Prime MinisterDavid Cameron to win a referendum perhaps asearly as June on maintaining British membershipof the EU remains to be seen, given hostility in hisConservative party and the depth of public anxi-ety about immigration.

A draft deal negotiated by EU authorities withthe aim of keeping Britain in the 28-nation blocrecognises for the first time that some countriesdo not share the objective, enshrined in the 1957Treaty of Rome, of “ever closer union” and maynever go further in political integration. A legallybinding decision up for approval by EU leaderssays references in the bloc’s founding treaties to anever closer union among the peoples of Europe“do not compel all member states to aim for acommon destination”.

In other words, member states will no longer beobliged to order the full set menu at EuropeanCommission President Jean-Claude Juncker’srestaurant, but have a recognized right to pick andchoose their courses. The text makes explicit along-term shift in Europe’s architecture towards atwo-tier or multi-tier system, with the 19-nationeuro zone destined to move to deeper political andeconomic integration even as others stand aside.

Until now, the Brussels orthodoxy had beenthat all members of a “two-speed Europe” wouldeventually participate in all European policies,but at their own pace. Britain is already the mostsemi-detached of EU members. It has opted outof the euro and the Schengen zone of passport-free travel and only participates in judicial andpolice cooperation on an “a la carte” basis. EU offi-cials are keen to avoid the terms offered to Britaintriggering a “me too” wave of efforts by others,such as Poland, to row back on existing commit-ments. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic,Romania and Bulgaria all bound themselves intheir EU accession treaties to join the single cur-rency once they meet the economic criteria.Since the euro zone’s debt crisis, most havestalled preparations. At Britain’s behest, the textrecognizes that “not all member states have theeuro as their currency” but it avoids underminingthe others’ obligation to join. Warsaw’s newEurosceptic government has said it does notintend to adopt the euro during its four-yearterm.

Insubstantial?Cameron secured concessions on a range of

demands from more say for national parliaments,to denying welfare benefits to new EU migrantsarriving in Britain, and a procedure to make itharder for euro zone countries to outvote non-euro members. But hardline Eurosceptics dis-missed the package in advance as insubstantial

and too weak to restore national control overimmigration, while even some supporters of EUmembership said the deal created no new rightsor constraints.

“There is nothing in the text that substantiallyalters the EU rules and laws as far as they apply toBritain or any other country,” former EuropeMinister Denis MacShane of the oppositionLabour party said. “There is no veto for the Houseof Commons which would have to find 13 otherparliaments and governments to object to a EUproposal. Some benefits to EU citizens working inthe UK face some changes but that is happeningin other member states. There is no interferencewith the principle of free movement,” said thestrongly pro-EU MacShane.

Cameron has secured an immediate right todeny newcomers in-work benefits by using a newprovision that, if approved, would recognize astate of emergency in Britain’s social services dueto immigration. However, experts including thehead of Britain’s independent fiscal watchdogdoubt whether the measure will have muchimpact on migration from poorer EU countries,given that a buoyant labour market is sucking inworkers into low-skilled jobs.

Britain neither sought nor received a vetoover further euro zone integration, which itsfinance minister George Osborne has said is inthe remorseless logic of sharing a single currency.The EU has fudged the issue of assuaging UKfears of being outvoted by euro members on reg-

ulation affecting the City of London’s globalfinancial centre without giving Britain a veto rightover such rule-making. The deal includes a proce-dure allowing a country or group of countries toforce a special deliberation and additional effortsto find a solution when it feels disadvantaged.

But how high the issue can be escalatedremains to be agreed, and the final decisionwould rest with finance ministers by majorityvote. So Britain could still be outvoted. Similarly,the text gives national parliaments a slightlygreater power than before to stop legislative pro-posals by the European Commission that amajority deem to infringe national prerogatives.Previously, a smaller group of legislatures couldsend a proposal back to the EU executive forredrafting.

However, the short deadline and large num-ber of parliaments needed to stop a European billmake it unlikely that the so-called “red card” willbe waved more frequently than the current “yel-low card”, which has been used only three timessince 2009. For its part, London gave a commit-ment “not to create obstacles to but facilitatesuch further deepening” of the economic andmonetary union. That would appear to precludeany repeat of a 2011 incident when Camerontried to veto a fiscal compact treaty designed tostrengthen enforcement of EU budget rules inthe euro area, only for other member states toadopt the measure as an inter-governmentaltreaty, bypassing Britain. —Reuters

EU designs outer circle to keep Britain in

By Julie Steenhuysen

Health experts are bracing for Zika virus to spread to theUnited States by April or May, borne by a mosquitothat craves human blood, feeds during the day and

lives under beds and inside closets. Until now, the bestweapon against disease-carrying mosquitoes in the UnitedStates has been outdoor pesticide fog sprayed by truck andairplane. But health experts fear the typical approach will dolittle to eradicate the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carriesZika.

Controlling that mosquito requires pesticide sprayedunder beds, on the walls and in closets, said Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, who studies disease transmission patterns of mos-quitoes at Emory’s School of Public Health’s Department ofEnvironmental Sciences. “We know fogging is not effective,”Vazquez-Prokopec said. Though there could be localized USoutbreaks, most likely along the Gulf Coast, federal officialssaid they hope the wide use of air conditioning, windowscreens and regular garbage collection will mitigate the risk.

The World Health Organization declared the Zika outbreakan international health emergency this week after evidencelinking the virus to microcephaly, a devastating birth defectthat can cause unusually small heads and permanent braindamage. Brazil has reported 3,700 suspected cases of micro-cephaly. The outbreak is now affecting at least 25 countriesand territories, most of them in Latin American and theCaribbean, and could infect up to 4 million people in theAmericas, according to the WHO.

More than 30 people in the United States have been con-firmed to have Zika after traveling to an affected country.There has been one report of transmission within the UnitedStates, but experts believe that will increase as the weatherwarms up, the local mosquito population multiplies and manymore travelers return to the country. “All it takes is one ofthose individuals who arrives back in the United States at thestage where they have virus in their blood,” said Scott Weaver,an expert in mosquito-borne viral diseases at the UniversityTexas Medical Branch’s Galveston National Laboratory. At thatpoint, he said, a single mosquito biting the affected personcould spread the disease to others.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday the riskof transmission now is “quite low,” but as temperatures rise,“we want to make sure that we have got a strategy to try tolimit the spread of this disease when that happens.” The USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention is working on acontrol program for Zika, which will likely involve public edu-cation about eliminating breeding sites and spraying to killmosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes, especially in areasexperiencing outbreaks, said spokesman Tom Skinner.

Until then, the CDC is circulating guidelines developed for

combating chikungunya, a close cousin to Zika carried by thesame types of mosquitoes. Local health departments are alsosorting out their approach to fight Zika. “If it’s going to happen,I think it will happen in the warmer months, likely in April andMay,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School ofTropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Zika thrives in impoverished areas, spreading widely ingarbage-filled neighborhoods and in homes and apartmentswith no screens on the windows, conditions that are present inmany Gulf Coast communities in the United States, Hotez said.

The VectorsThe Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries Zika also trans-

mits dengue fever and chikungunya. Aedes aegypti is mostlyfound in southern parts of the United States, such as thecoastal regions of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama andFlorida. Experts believe it arrived on slave trade ships fromAfrica, spreading yellow fever in port cities, including a 1793outbreak in Philadelphia that wiped out 10 percent of the

city’s population of 50,000. Unlike Aedes aegypti, most mos-quitoes common to North America feed at night and live inwooded areas.

Recent research suggests the pest may be adapting to cold-ertemperatures. David Severson at the University of NotreDame discovered a population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoesthat has spent the past four winters underground inWashington, DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Aggressive abate-ment involving indoor and outdoor fogging and breedingground eradication between 1947 and 1970 nearly wiped outAedes aegypti. At the time, the mosquitoes were the source ofyellow fever in across the Americas. But budget cuts and thedevelopment of an effective yellow fever vaccine ended eradi-cation efforts, and Aedes aegypti populations rebounded.

Scientists believe Aedes albopictus, or the Asian tiger mos-quito, also is capable of spreading Zika. This aggressive biterarrived in the United States in 1985 and has replaced Aedesaegypti in some places. Its range includes at least 32 US statesas far north as Illinois and Pennsylvania and in pockets as farwest as California. Aedes albopictus breeds in small containersof water, bites during the daytime and lives near populationcenters. A less picky eater, it also feasts on pets and wild ani-mals. Researchers in Brazil are studying whether the Culexspecies, a carrier of the West Nile virus commonly found inmany southeastern US states, might carry Zika, which couldexplain the rapid spread in Brazil. These mosquitoes rest in thedaytime and bite at dusk or after dark.

Public Health ProblemAll of this poses a challenge for US health departments,

which have faced pressure to reduce mosquito abatementactivities amid budget cuts and increasing concerns overexposure to pesticides. “The current methods we have havesome shortcomings,” said the CDC’s Dr Anne Schuchat. “We’regoing to need to work in future on identifying better options.”Brazil’s government has mounted a door-to-door campaignand has authorized public health officials to enter propertiesby force if necessary. Health workers search for potentialbreeding spots and in some areas use indoor foggers, applyingpesticides that stick to walls.

“That is not going to fly in the United States,” said JosephConlon, technical advisor for the American Mosquito ControlAssociation, which represents researchers, public health offi-cials and pesticide makers. There are no pesticides registeredby the Environmental Protection Agency for indoor applica-tion, Conlon said. Instead, abatement will likely focus on typicalbreeding sites, from birdbaths to potted plants, dog bowls, tincans, tyres and other places likely to become inundated withwater. “Our best bet is to remove the breeding habitats,” hesaid. “It’s a lot harder to do than you would think. People don’twant to change their habits,” he said. —Reuters

Zika mosquitoes’ habits may foil US efforts

LONDON: Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says that he and histeam-mates “love” outgoing manager Manuel Pellegrini and aredetermined to give him a trophy-laden send-off before PepGuardiola arrives. City announced yesterday that BayernMunich coach Guardiola will take over from Pellegrini atthe end of the season, bringing an end to the Chilean’sthree-year stay at the Etihad Stadium. City are in con-tention for glory in the Premier League, ChampionsLeague, FA Cup and League Cup and Hart says itwould be fitting for Pellegrini, 62, to bow out withsome silverware in his hands. “It was never goingto be a distraction. We’re here to win titles,Manuel’s here to win titles,” Hart said afterTuesday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland, which keptCity three points below league leadersLeicester City. “We back him. We love himas our manager.” Hart added, on CityTV:“He has been a top manager for us.—AFP

S P O RT STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s bad luck continued yesterday as newsigning Serdar Tasci suffered concussion in his very first trainingsession and had to sit out his introductory press conference. “Hewent into a collision with his head and was shaken, it means hehas a slight concussion. It’s a bit unfortunate,” admitted Bayern’sdirector of sport Matthias Sammer. The Bundesliga leaders expectthe defender to be out for the next two or three days and it isunclear whether he will be fit for the runaway Bundesliga leaders’next league match at fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.Germany international Tasci, 28, only signed on a six month loandeal from Spartak Moscow on Monday as emergency cover afterthe Bavarian giants were plagued by a run of injuries in defence.With Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng and Medhi Benatia all out,Bayern coach Pep Guardiola has just one fully-fit centre-back inHolger Badstuber. Martinez underwent knee surgery in Barcelonaon Tuesday, and the club has said the Spanish international will beout for four weeks, while Boateng is expected to be out for threemonths. —AFP

Bayern’s new signing

concussed in training

PARIS: Renault announced the Formula One come-back of Danish driver Kevin Magnussen at thelaunch yesterday of a new-look team that will put

the French carmaker back on the starting grid asa constructor this season. Magnussen, whoseF1 career appeared to have stalled after he

spent last year on the sidelines and then gotcast aside by McLaren, has replaced PastorMaldonado after the Venezuelan’s funding dried

up. He will partner British rookie Jolyon Palmer,whose signing was announced last year by the teamwhen they were racing as Lotus F1. FrenchmanFrederic Vasseur will run day-to-day operations as rac-ing director. Renault bought back the team, whichthey had sold at the end of 2009 after winning champi-onships with Spaniard Fernando Alonso in 2005 and2006, last December. They will now compete under theRenault Sport Formula One name. — Reuters

Magnussen returns in

new-look Renault F1 teamPellegrini deserves

silver send-off: Hart

ABU DHABI: More than 300 tennis players areexpected to participate in the region’s largesttennis participation event, the Abu DhabiWilson Tennis Cup, which will take place from4 - 25 March at Zayed Sports City.

The fourth edition includes twenty divi-sions in the Open and Cup categories whichensure play is evenly matched across the 500expected entries. It is the only tournamentthat allows athletes to enter into multiple divi-sions, separating men, women, boys and girlsby both age and skill. It is lauded by the com-munity for its inclusive atmosphere and devel-opment opportunities.

Among those committed to participateis Peter Wessels, defending champion inthe prestigious Men’s Open category andformer ATP 47. Commenting on the tour-nament, he explained its significance forthe local tennis scene: “Having so manyplayers, parents and supporters around atthe beautiful location of Zayed Sports Cityreally makes you feel part of a club, some-

thing that is quite unique in the UAE. “I believe it’s very important for the devel-

opment of tennis players to have these tour-naments, so players can match up and lift eachother up to a higher level. It is also a greatopportunity for people that are usually notinvolved in tennis to see and experience howmuch fun it can be.”

Wessel’s counterpart, three-time undefeat-ed Women’s Open Champion, Magali DeLattre, commented: “I encourage my friendsand even my students to join the tournamentbecause there is a good mix of strong and not-so-strong matches for everyone, so it is a funway to enjoy the sport with friends.”

The tournament is supported by Wilson,Sport 360, Abu Dhabi Sports Council and PSSEmirates. It has seen a significant year-on-yearrise in attendance, growing from 83 players in2013 to 339 last year. The organisers, ZayedSports City, expect the competition to be atcapacity this year.

Barry Bremner, General Manager of Zayed

Sports City, said: “The Abu Dhabi Wilson TennisCup has been a complete hit with the playersand really encompasses the spirit of the sport.It’s about inclusiveness, sportsmanship andpersonal growth. The response from tennisplayers around the country has been incredi-ble and anyone who wants to participateshould register early so as not to miss out.”

Kamyar Minachi, Managing Director forWilson Middle East said:”Wilson is a worldwideracket sports leader brand for its high qualitytennis equipment and it so follows that wewould associate with high quality tennis pro-grammes like the Abu Dhabi Wilson TennisCup. It’s clear to me there is no better amateurtennis tournament in the region and that iswhy we wholeheartedly support it year onyear.”

Entries for the fourth Abu Dhabi WilsonTennis Cup are now open. Registrations areaccepted at the International Tennis Centre orby contacting Laith Al Ani [email protected]

Wessels lauds return of Abu Dhabi Wilson Tennis Cup

CARDIFF: Cardiff Blues wing Tom James will endhis five-year Wales exile in Sunday’s Six Nationsgame against Ireland in Dublin after beingnamed in the team announced yesterday.

James, 28, last played for Wales in November2010, but will win his 10th cap on the wing afterimpressing head coach Warren Gatland with hisclub form this season. Blues full-back GarethAnscombe, Scarlets prop Rob Evans and Ospreysflanker Justin Tipuric also start, while captainSam Warburton moves to blindside flanker andcentre Jonathan Davies returns after a kneeinjury. “We are excited by the make-up of thesquad. It’s very experienced, along with one eyelooking to the future,” said Gatland in a pressrelease. “Rob (Evans) gets a start at loosehead.He’s played well for us before and deserves achance looking ahead to the next few years.

“We have been impressed with Tom James’sform for Cardiff Blues and we are excited by themix of the back-row, which has played welltogether before.

“It’s great to see Jonathan (Davies) back andalongside Jamie (Roberts), which makes a prettyexperienced midfield. Gareth (Anscombe) at full-back also gives us the option of having two firstreceivers.” Clermont centre Davies missed theWorld Cup with a knee ligament injury, butreturns to resume his midfield partnershipalongside Harlequins’ Roberts.

A powerful bench, meanwhile, featuresBritish and Irish Lions trio Alex Cuthbert, GethinJenkins and Dan Lydiate, who has been out forover a month with a neck problem.

But there is no place in the match-day 23 forfull-back Liam Williams, despite him playing 60minutes for the Scarlets last Saturday as hereturns to fitness following a foot injury.

Wasps lock Bradley Davies, named among thereplacements, will win his 50th cap if he comeson. In total Gatland has made four changes fromWales’s last game, a World Cup quarter-finaldefeat by South Africa, with James, Davies, Evansand Tipuric replacing Cuthbert, Tyler Morgan,Jenkins and Lydiate.

Wales finished third behind championsIreland and England in last year’s Six Nations.

They beat Ireland 23-16 at the MillenniumStadium last year, but Gatland has not forgottentheir 26-3 defeat at Irish hands on their last tripto Dublin in February 2014.

“It’s going to be a physical game,” said theNew Zealander. “Two years ago, they strangledus out of the match and played well, and wehave to rise to that challenge on Sunday.”

Wales team (15-1) announced on Wednesdayfor Sunday’s Six Nations game against Ireland atDublin’s Aviva Stadium (1500 GMT):

Gareth Anscombe; George North, JonathanDavies, Jamie Roberts, Tom James;

Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Taulupe Faletau,

Justin Tipuric, Sam Warburton (capt); Alun WynJones, Luke Charteris; Samson Lee, ScottBaldwin, Rob Evans Replacements: Ken Owens,Gethin Jenkins, Tomas Francis, Bradley Davies,Dan Lydiate, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Priestland, AlexCuthbert. — AFP

Tom James to make Wales

return in 6-Nations opener

Tom James

TOKYO: Former Japanese baseball starKazuhiro Kiyohara has been arrested onsuspicion of possessing stimulant drugs,Tokyo police said yesterday, in a humili-ating fall from grace for the one-timesporting idol.

The 48-year-old former YomiuriGiants slugger, once one of the biggestnames in Japanese baseball, was takeninto custody and accused of possessionof approximately 0.1 gram of an undis-closed substance after police raided hishome in the plush Azabu district ofTokyo on Tuesday night.

Kiyohara admitted the drugsbelonged to him and did not resistarrest, the Tokyo Metropolitan PoliceDepartment told AFP.

He is set to undergo medical exami-nations to determine whether he wasusing the stimulants himself, it added.Japanese television yesterday showedKiyohara with head bowed being takenaway for questioning in the back of anunmarked police car, reporting that apipe, syringe and four mobile phoneswere among items seized.

“I’m lost for words,” Japan’s baseballcommissioner Katsuhiko Kumazaki toldlocal media. “Baseball is a beacon foryoung children and ex-players too mustcontinue to be role models.

“We must double our efforts to rejectand stamp out this kind of harmfulbehaviour and (the use of ) illegal sub-stances,” added the Nippon ProfessionalBaseball boss.

A top draft pick out of high school,the Osaka-born Kiyohara smashed 31home runs in his rookie year in Japanesebaseball with the Seibu Lions in 1986and went on to win six Japan Seriestitles with the team.

After joining former Major Leaguestar Hideki Matsui at the Giants in 1997,Kiyohara won two more Japan Seriescrowns, although he was often criticisedfor spending long periods on the benchwith a variety of injuries throughout his22-year career.

Drug rumours He retired in 2008 ranked fifth on the

list of career home runs with 525.However, Kiyohara has been no strangerto controversy and a weekly magazinereported in 2014 that the former player

had been hospitalised because of a drugproblem, but his management deniedthe rumour, insisting he had beenundergoing treatment for diabetes.

Due to his power, Kiyohara wasamong a handful of Japanese playerssubjected to whispers of suspectedsteroid use after the Barry Bonds scandalrocked Major League Baseball in theUnited States, although doping is lesspart of Japan’s sporting culture than inmany other countries.

During his heyday, Kiyohara wasoften spotted out at Tokyo’s nightspotswith tabloids salaciously reporting onalleged visits to hostess clubs and evenclaiming he had ties with gangsters.

Celebrity drug cases in Japan are rel-atively few and far between and tend tobe splashed front and centre across thenews when they do happen.

Actress-singer Noriko Sakai receiveda suspended jail sentence for using ille-gal stimulants in 2009, while pop starAska also escaped with a suspendedterm two years ago after being foundguilty of using stimulants and MDMA,commonly known as ecstasy.

In arguably Japan’s most infamousdrug bust, Beatle Paul McCartney spentnine days in a Tokyo jail in 1980 afterbeing caught at the airport with a bag ofmarijuana in his suitcase. — AFP

BASEL: Seventeen-time Grand Slam winnerRoger Federer underwent “successful” surgeryon his knee yesterday and will be ruled out ofaction for one month, his agent said.

Federer underwent the surgery to repair atorn meniscus sustained the day after hissemi-final match at the Australian Open,according to Tony Godsick.

As a result of the surgery, Federer will nowmiss the ATP tournaments in Rotterdam andDubai this month. “I am so disappointed tohave to miss Rotterdam and Dubai as they aretwo of my favourite tournaments on the ATPWorld Tour,” Federer said.

“While this is an unfortunate setback, I feelgrateful that up until now I have remainedmostly healthy throughout my career. My doc-tors have assured me that the surgery was asuccess and with proper rehabilitation, I willbe able to return to the Tour soon.”

The 34-year-old Swiss great suffered a four-

set defeat by eventual winner Novak Djokovicin the Australian Open semi-finals, goingdown 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in his eighth loss to theSerb in their last 10 Grand Slam meetings.

Federer hasn’t beaten the runaway worldnumber one at a major since the Wimbledonsemi-finals in 2012, when he last won a GrandSlam title. Unlike great rival Rafael Nadal,Federer has enjoyed a relatively injury-freecareer, the exception being bouts of recurringback pain. The last time that happened was atthe 2014 ATP World Tour Finals in Londonwhen he withdrew at the last minute from thefinal against Djokovic.

The following week, however, he returnedto action and helped Switzerland win theDavis Cup for the first time, defeating Francein the final. Federer will now aim at being fit intime for the first two Masters Series tourna-ments of the year at Indian Wells and Miami inMarch.—AFP

Federer out for month

after knee surgery

Former Japan star Kiyohara

arrested on drugs charge

Kazuhiro Kiyohara


By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Kuwait Disabled Sport Clubconcluded its first local tournament forthe disabled this season on Tuesday.

Swimmers Abdelrahman Al-Shalqani, Abdelrahman Al-Kandari andYousuf Khalaf were winners in the com-

petitions of 25 meter, free style, andback strokes. Meanwhile female playersAlaa Ibrahim, Daleel Al-Adwani andJana Ibrahim were winners in the girls’category.

Results of the swimming competi-tion for mental disabilities showedJassim Al-Mashmoum, Fahad Al-Hasawi

and Khalid Al-Ajmi won the 25m freestyle. The individual Table Tennis eventwas won by Abdallah Ashour for thebeginner ’s category (seated), whileNizar Ramadhan won the general com-petition (seated) and Ali Al-Sane wonthe standing event.

Ali Al-Sane and Abdallah Al-Saif won

first place in the standing doubles,while Hamid Wabdon and NizarRamadan won the seated event.

KDSC Secretary General Abdallah Al-Azmi lauded the tournament’s success,which resulted in the discovery of sev-eral skilled players in basketball, swim-ming and table tennis.

Al-Azmi said the club organized thetournament for all age groups at thistime to coincide with Kuwait’s celebra-tions of national days in order to bringhappiness to the players.

He said the club will organize severaltournaments in the future to developand enhance players’ performance.

Kuwait Disabled Sport Club concludes tournament

DUBAI: Rory McIlroy loves being part of theconversation, especially when it comes to theMasters. The world number two, who isdefending his Dubai Desert Classic title thisweek, will head to Augusta National in earlyApril trying to win the one major champi-onship that has eluded him and complete acareer Grand Slam.

Golf legend Lee Trevino, in a recent inter-view, said he was sure McIlroy would achievemore than one Grand Slam in his career, butthe 26-year-old said such talk does not allevi-ate any pressure on him.

“Of course, you always want to be part ofthe discussion, even if sometimes it gets to youor fills your head with thoughts that you don’tmaybe want in your head at certain points,”said McIlroy.

“But it’s always better to be a part of theconversation than not. “It’s just words. It’s justsomeone giving their opinion. But the differ-ence between someone saying that and meactually going out and doing it are two entirelydifferent things.

“Yeah, I’d like to think by the end of mycareer, I’ll hopefully have won each major morethan once, but I don’t know if I’m going to doit. I hope I do. “Trevino seems to think that Iwill, so maybe I need to go talk to him!

“I don’t think it takes any pressure off goinginto Augusta. Of course I want to win there oneday, but I’ve got hopefully 20-plus years of giv-ing it a go and hopefully by that 20th year, I’mnot going for my first green jacket “Hopefully, Iwill be going for my third or fourth.”

McIlroy was delighted to be back on a golfcourse where he hasn’t finished outside thetop-10 in his last six starts.

He is also a two-time champion of the

Dubai Desert Classic. and completed a Dubaidouble last year, winning the DP World TourChampionship in November.

“It’s always nice to be back in Dubai, and Iguess the last couple of times I’ve played here,I’ve done pretty well, so I’m sort of going forthree in a row in Dubai with winning here lastyear, and then with the DP World,” addedMcIlroy.

“It seems to bring out my best golf. And I’ve

got great memories here at Emirates Golf Club,winning my first tournament, making my firstcut as a pro. So it’s always great to be back.

“Yeah, if I was leaving here on Sunday nightand didn’t win, I’d be disappointed.” The $2.5mil l ion tournament star ts Thursday withMcIlroy the highest ranked player in the field.Also in the fray are world number six HenrikStenson of Sweden, and the 18th ranked LouisOosthuizen of South Africa. —AFG

McIlroy has Masters on his mind

DUBAI: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland talks during a press conference a day ahead of OmegaDubai Desert Classic golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.— AP

MELBOURNE: William Clarke won the pro-logue to the Herald Sun Tour in Melbourneyesterday with Briton Chris Froome satis-fied with his down the pack finish.

Drapac Pro Cycling rider Clarke wasrepeating his prologue victory from lastyear in the five-stage race which Froomehas targeted as a springboard to a busyyear. The double Tour de France championis eyeing a third triumph in cycling’s blueriband ahead of the Rio Olympics inAugust. Froome completed the 2.1km dashin two minutes 42.1 seconds to place him26th, eight seconds behind Clarke whowears yellow for Thursday’s first stage atHealesville.

The 29-year-old prologue specialistfrom Tasmania clocked 2:34.27 to beatCaleb Evans by one second while Neil VanDer Ploeg took third place.

He bettered his winning time of 12months ago by a second. “I’m just a little bit

faster than last year,” he said. Evans said:“Will was super-strong today, as he was lastyear and he does really well in these shorttime trials. It was always going to be hardto beat him.” As for Froome, he describedthe dash as “a bit of a lung opener”. “Justunder three minutes - it’s a short, intenselittle sprint,” he added.

“It was a good ride by Will there torepeat that and win by one second, it wasimpressive. “The main objective today wasjust to stay upright. I think the racing is stillgoing to be decided over these next fewdays and undoubtedly on Arthurs Seat atthe end, that’s going to be the big day.”

Clarke is alive to the danger presentedby Froome and Team Sky. “On paperthey’ve got a lot of guys that have riddenthe Tour de France and Froome’s won theTour de France,” he said. “They know howto control a race so they can definitely takecontrol if they want to.” — AFP

Clarke repeats prologuewin, Froome happy

to ‘stay upright’

KUALA LUMPUR: Reigning world champi-on Jorge Lorenzo on a Yamaha yesterdaytopped a rain affected final day of the 2016official MotoGP test at Sepang circuit inMalaysia ahead of his teammate ValentinoRossi and rival Marc Marquez.

Spanish Lorenzo logged 1min 59.580sec— 0.976 seconds ahead of Rossi who signif-icantly improved his lap time and pace dur-ing the three-day testing. Marquez, alsofrom Spain and Honda’s double MotoGPworld champion, who has been strugglingwith the machine over the past two days,was third — 1.303 seconds behind his fel-low countryman Lorenzo.

A rain shower momentarily stoppedtesting in the afternoon. British rider CalCrutchlow on a Honda was fourth, with atime of 2mins 00.992 seconds while retiredAustralian double world champion CaseyStoner, back on track testing for Ducati, wasfifth fastest, 1.490 seconds behind thepacesetter.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who had com-plained about problems with his Hondamachine, managed to secure sixth with a

time of 2min 01.161sec while Italian DaniloPetrucci on a Ducati was seventh, 1.637seconds down on Lorenzo. On MondayLorenzo was the fastest, clocking 2min0.684sec, just over one second faster thanRossi who has made clear his intentions towin his 10th World Championship title.

Petrucci topped the timesheets on daytwo while Frenchman Loris Baz’s dramaticaccident Tuesday saw manufacturerMichelin withdrawing its soft tyre for theduration of the Sepang test.

Baz escaped serious injury when his reartyre exploded and hurled him off his Ducatibike in a spectacular high-speed crash. TheFrenchman was travelling at around 290kilometres per hour (180 mph) along theSepang circuit’s main straightaway at thetime. From Malaysia, MotoGP riders willhead to Australia for three days at PhillipIsland from February 17 to 19.

After the first two tests, the premierclass will head to Qatar from the second tofourth of March for their final official test.The MotoGP world championship begins inLosail, Qatar, on March 17. — AFP

DUBAI: From outscoring Jordan Spieth andRory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi to barely making thecut in Qatar, amateur Bryson DeChambeau hasdiscovered that his unique “scientific” approachcannot always prevent the vexing dips in formthat dog every golfer.

Last year, the Californian became only thefifth player to win the top two amateur titles inthe United States in the same season, his victo-ries especially remarkable because he uses a setof irons fitted with shafts of identical length.Those clubs, which McIlroy admitted to sneakilytrying out in Abu Dhabi, are heathen to tradi-tionalists and doubts remains as to whetherDeChambeau can join the game’s professionalelite with such a bag selection.

The physics student’s mixed performance onthe European Tour’s so-called ‘Desert Swing’, thefinal leg of which starts in Dubai on Thursday,may have bolstered the argument for his detrac-tors. Two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old shot a first-round eight-under 64, two clearof four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and fourbetter than world number one Spieth in just hisseventh appearance at a professional tourna-ment and first on the regular European Tour.

DeChambeau’s second-round 72 earned hima spot in the leading trio that included McIlroy.

Such exalted company proved too much anda third-round 78 created a puzzle for his scientif-ic mind, although equipment choice did notseem to be part of his post-tournament analysis.“It’s great to look back and go ‘why did some-thing change’?”

DeChambeau said. “It was too much adrena-line, too much going for me. I was 10 underthrough 20 holes. I know I can do it. “The issue ishow do you control the different situations thatamount when the pressure is on, when you’replaying with the best players.”

Dressed on that third day in beige slacks,matching flat-cap and suede shoes, and shorn ofthe usual sponsor logos that adorn professionalgolfers’ attire, DeChambeau’s upright, aristocrat-ic walk added to the impression of a player froma bygone age, even if his approach is cutting-edge. “I’m an analyst, I like analyzing things, Ilove understanding numbers and figuring thingsout,” DeChambeau said in a video that garneredmore than 290,000 views within hours of beingposted on Facebook.

He has been labeled the most interestingman in golf. “I just like being different and ifpeople say that I’m that, then I guess it’s cool,”DeChambeau added.

GOLFING SCIENTISTAs well as their length, his irons have identical

shaft and lie angles, and were developed afterstudying Homer Kelley’s cult 1969 manual “TheGolfing Machine”. The only variation is in the loft,enabling him to hit different distances. “It helpsme keep my same posture, same setup, sameeverything,” DeChambeau admitted.

Equipment makers remain dubious. “If manu-facturers thought this would be beneficial it’shighly likely they would have done it by nowbecause production would be easier,” golf club

fitter Mark Woodward said. DeChambeau, wholikened his pioneering traits to those of GeorgeWashington and Albert Einstein, seems contentto deepen his golfing education.

“Every day it’s a learning process. I’m a golfingscientist, so I don’t take it with any emotion,” saidDeChambeau, whose struggles continued inQatar, where he made the cut by one stroke andlimped home 17 adrift of winner Branden Grace.“Regarding the past two weeks, it’s been fun.Learned a lot. Messed up a couple times butthat’s how it goes as an intern,” he said.

His iconoclastic approach includes dunkinggolf balls in salted water to check for imperfec-tions and also something called “vector greenreading”.

“I’m able to read greens at a faster, better lev-el than most,” he said. “From a strategic stand-point I can’t give you all my secrets, but it’sbased on shot dispersion.” DeChambeau, whohalted his studies at Southern MethodistUniversity after its golf team was suspended dueto rules violations involving a former coach, hastemporarily forsaken the game’s riches to remainan amateur. He cannot receive money fromtournaments, equipment manufacturers oragents and was coy as to whether his club makerwould try to market his irons.

“I can’t say too much about that yet,” he said.“There is some work we’re doing to try and fig-ure out a fitting system.” There will be no short-age of sponsors seeking his endorsement whenhe does join the paid ranks after his US Mastersdebut in April.— Reuters

DeChambeau’s unique irons earn mixed bag of results

Lorenzo tops Sepang testing ahead of Rossi, Marquez

SEPANG: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Italian rider Valentino Rossi (R) sits inside histeam garage during the last day of 2016 MotoGP pre-season test at the SepangInternational circuit yesterday. —AFP


New ZealandM. Guptill run out (Maxwell) 90B. McCullum b Faulkner 44K. Williamson c Marsh b Hazlewood 0H. Nicholls c Wade b Marsh 61G. Elliott c Hastings b Marsh 21C. Anderson c Richardson b Hastings 10L. Ronchi b Hazlewood 16M. Santner not out 35A. Milne c & b Faulkner 14M. Henry not out 5Extras (b1, lb3, w7) 11Total (8 wickets; 50 overs) 307Fall of wickets: 1-79 (McCullum), 2-81( Williamson), 3-181 (Guptill) , 4-205(Elliott), 5-231 (Nicholls), 6-234(Anderson), 7-263 (Ronchi), 8-290 (Milne)Did not bat: T. BoultBowling: Hazlewood 10-1-68-2 (w1),Richardson 10-1-64-0, Hastings 10-0-39-1,Faulkner 10-0-67-2, Maxwell 3-0-30-0(w2), Marsh 7-0-35-2.

AustraliaS. Marsh c Guptill b Henry 5D. Warner lbw Boult 12S. Smith b Henry 18G. Bailey c Anderson b Henry 2G. Maxwell c Williamson b Boult 0M. Marsh c McCullum b Boult 0M. Wade c Nicholls b Anderson 37J. Faulkner b Milne 36J. Hastings c Guptill b Santner 8K. Richardson c Williamson b Santner19J. Hazlewood not out 0Extras (lb2, w9) 11Total (10 wickets; 24.2 overs) 148Fall of wickets: 1-10 (S. Marsh), 2-33 (Smith), 3-39 (Warner), 4-40 (Bailey), 5-40 (Maxwell), 6-41(M. Marsh), 7-120 (Wade), 8-121 (Faulkner), 9-148 (Richardson), 10-148(Hastings)Bowling: Boult 7-0-38-3, Henry 6-0-41-3 (w3),Milne 6-0-46-1 (w3), Anderson 4-1-14-1 (w3), Elliott 1-0-7-0, Santner 0.2-0-0-2.Result: New Zealand won by 159 runs.

SCOREBOARD AUCKLAND: Complete scoreboard the first ODI between New Zealand and Australia inAuckland yesterday:

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant, center, comes down with a rebound while under pressure from MinnesotaTimberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, left, and forward Julius Randle watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday,in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 119-115. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant hit seven 3-point-ers while scoring a season-high 38 points, andthe Los Angeles Lakers snapped their 10-gamelosing streak with a 119-115 victory over theMinnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. LouWilliams scored 20 points for the Lakers, whoavoided the longest losing streak in the 16 timechampion franchise’s history despite blowing a16-point lead in the second half. Los Angeleshad lost 10 straight for the first time since 1994.Bryant took charge with a vintage performancein his farewell season, repeatedly scoring fromthe perimeter in the Lakers’ first win since Jan.12. After Minnesota took the lead in the waningminutes, Bryant put the Lakers back ahead withdramatic back-to-back 3-pointers. He scored 14of the Lakers’ 18 points in the final 5:02. AndrewWiggins scored 30 points for the Timberwolves,who have lost five straight and 16 of 18.

ROCKETS 115, HEAT 102James Harden scored 26 points and tied a

career-high with 14 assists as Houston snappeda three-game skid. The Rockets had a double-digit lead for most of the second half and wereup by 10 when Josh Smith scored all of theteam’s points in a 7-2 run that pushed theadvantage to 104-89 with about five minutesremaining. Houston started Smith, a 6-foot-9forward, at center with Dwight Howard servinga one-game suspension for making contactwith an official this weekend and Clint Capelaout with a thigh injury. Smith scored a season-high 19 points in his second start this seasonand first since returning to Houston in a tradefrom the Clippers on Jan. 22. Luol Deng had 17points for the Heat whose season-high fourgame winning streak ended.

RAPTORS 102, SUNS 97Kyle Lowry scored 26 points, including five

3-pointers, DeMar DeRozan added 22 pointsand Toronto spoiled the debut of Phoenix inter-im coach Earl Watson. The Raptors, whose fran-chise-record 11-game losing streak endedMonday night in Denver, led the entire secondhalf but had to hold on at the finish. MarkieffMorris had 30 points and 11 rebounds, bothseason highs, for the Suns, who fired coach JeffHornacek on Monday and promoted the 36-year-old Watson to the interim job. Phoenixrookie Devin Booker added 27 points, matchinghis career best with six 3s. Archie Goodwin had18 points and a career-best 12 assists for theSuns, who have lost five in a row and 20 of theirlast 22.

CELTICS 97, KNICKS 89Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and eight

assists, and Boston wore down New York. JaeCrowder and Tyler Zeller each added 16 points,while reserves Evan Turner and Kelly Olynykwere also in double figures as the Celtics werefresher and sharper in dominating the final 15minutes. Turner had 14 points and 10rebounds, and Olynyk scored 13 points in theCeltics’ fifth victory in six games. CarmeloAnthony had 16 points and 14 rebounds butshot just 4 for 16 in the Knicks’ sixth loss in sev-en games. Robin Lopez added 17 points and 13rebounds, while Arron Afflalo ended a shootingslump with 18 points but had some carelessturnovers.

TRAIL BLAZERS 107, BUCKS 95CJ McCollum had 30 points and Portland got

its season-high fifth straight win. Damian Lillardhad 14 points and 12 assists for his 11th dou-ble-double of the season. Al-Farouq Aminuadded 16 points for the Blazers, who have wonnine of their last 11. Khris Middleton had 21points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, whohave lost four straight and six of their last sev-en. Milwaukee was coming off a 111-104 loss atSacramento the night before. GiannisAntetokounmpo added 19 points and GregMonroe had 17 for the Bucks, both also witheight rebounds apiece. —AP

Kobe scores 38, Lakers beat

Wolves to end 10-game skid

PHOENIX: Alex Len #21 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a shot over Bismack Biyombo #8 of theToronto Raptors during the first half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Tuesdayin Phoenix, Arizona. — AFP

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GB Toronto 33 16 .673 - Boston 28 22 .560 5.5 NY Knicks 23 28 .451 11 Brooklyn 12 37 .245 21 Philadelphia 7 41 .146 25.5

Central DivisionCleveland 35 12 .745 - Chicago 26 21 .553 9 Detroit 26 23 .531 10 Indiana 25 23 .521 10.5 Milwaukee 20 31 .392 17

Southeast DivisionAtlanta 28 22 .560 - Miami 27 22 .551 0.5 Charlotte 23 25 .479 4 Washington 21 25 .457 5 Orlando 21 26 .447 5.5

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Oklahoma City 37 13 .740 - Portland 24 26 .480 13 Utah 22 25 .468 13.5 Denver 19 30 .388 17.5 Minnesota 14 36 .280 23

Pacific DivisionGolden State 44 4 .917 - LA Clippers 32 16 .667 12 Sacramento 21 27 .438 23 Phoenix 14 36 .280 31 LA Lakers 10 41 .196 35.5

Southwest DivisionSan Antonio 40 8 .833 - Memphis 29 20 .592 11.5 Dallas 28 23 .549 13.5 Houston 26 25 .510 15.5 New Orleans 18 29 .383 21.5

NBA results/standings

Boston 97, NY Knicks 89; Houston 115, Miami 102; Toronto 104, Phoenix 97; Portland 107,Milwaukee 95; LA Lakers 119, Minnesota 115.

SAN JOSE: Evan Mathis got released bythe Eagles because Chip Kelly didn’t wantto give the two-time Pro Bowl guard a raise.Kurt Coleman got dumped by Kelly a yearearlier.

Things turned out super for both guys.Mathis is blocking for Peyton Manning andthe Denver Broncos. Coleman led Carolinawith seven interceptions and picked twomore passes in the NFC championshipgame. As for Kelly, he landed in SanFrancisco too - after the Eagles fired himand he became the 49ers new coach. “Thisis the ultimate dream for a football playerto be able to play in the Super Bowl,” Mathissaid. “It’s much more valuable (than mon-ey).” Coleman was a seventh-round pickwho started 27 games for the Eagles beforeKelly arrived in 2013 and made him a back-up. The safety played for Kansas City in2014 and rejuvenated his career with thePanthers.

“I was a guy that was not as fast or maynot have been as tall or strong or whateverit may be,” Coleman said. “If you believe it inyour heart, you can achieve it.”

Both Super Bowl teams have rejectsfrom other clubs playing prominent rolesfor them. Finding players on the waiverwire has helped the Panthers overcomeinjuries. “We watch film and we work at it,”Carolina general manager Dave Gettlemansaid. “Mark Koncz, our pro scouting direc-tor, does a terrific job. He’s very thoroughand a big part of it is finding guys that fitwhat we do.”

Here are more castoffs who will be play-

ing in the Super Bowl: TED GINN JR.: A top-10 pick by Miami

in 2007, Ginn never lived up to his poten-tial. The wide receiver also played threeseasons for San Francisco, spent 2013 withCarolina and was released by Arizona afterone year. Ginn returned to the Panthersand led the team with 10 touchdownreceptions.

ROBERT MCCLAIN: The Patriots cut thecornerback in training camp and he didn’tplay all season until Carolina signed him inDecember. He’s now a starter because ofinjuries to other players.

SHILOH KEO: He was unemployedwhen he tweeted Broncos defensive coor-dinator Wade Phillips asking for a chance.Denver signed him after a rash of injuries totheir safeties and he intercepted the passthat led to the game-winning drive in Week17. The Broncos would’ve been a sixth seedif they lost that game.

MICHAEL OHER: He was cut byTennessee one year into a $20-million, four-year contract. Cam Newton reached out tohim so he signed with the Panthers and theleft tackle had a solid season protecting thequarterback’s blind side.

JARED ALLEN: The Bears traded thefour-time All-Pro defensive end to Carolinain October and he ended up starting 12games.

CORTLAND FINNEGAN: Carolina signedthe defensive back off the retired list in lateNovember and he played the final fivegames. Finnegan intercepted a pass in a31-24 playoff win over Seattle. — AP

Super Bowl rosters filled with

castoffs from other teams

AUCKLAND: Matt Henry shrugged off thedisappointment of missing out on selectionfor next month’s World Twenty20 with ahostile spell of pace bowling that helpedNew Zealand ease to a 159-run win overAustralia in the first one-day internationalyesterday.

The 24-year-old Henry, who has beenregularly overlooked this summer and thenbrought in as injury cover, took 3-20 in hisfirst four overs at Eden Park as he and TrentBoult reduced the visitors to 41 for six intheir pursuit of 308 to win.

They were helped by an lbw decisionagainst David Warner, who was told not toreview by partner George Bailey despitethe opener’s concerns about the height.Ball tracking suggested the ball would havegone well over the stumps, causing Warnerto slam his bat into his pads as he watchedthe replay on the big screen.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade (37) andall-rounder James Faulkner (36), however,then put on 79 runs to partially resurrectAustralia’s innings as they chased NewZealand’s 307-8.

Once Wade holed out at deep midwick-et in the 21st over and Faulkner was

bowled by Adam Milne in the 22nd, thematch was all but over and they werebowled out for 148 in just 24.2 overs.

Henry finished with 3-41, while Boulthad 3-38. Mitchell Santner bowled just twoballs and took the last two wickets.

Martin Guptill top scored for NewZealand with 90, his highest total againstAustralia and his 29th one-day internation-al half century.

The 29-year-old opener, who hit one ofhis five sixes onto the roof of the stand atthe Auckland venue, shared in partnershipsof 79 runs with captain Brendon McCullum(44) and 100 with Henry Nicholls (61).

New Zealand, who were asked to bat byAustralia captain Steve Smith, had initiallylooked on course to set a total well inexcess of 320 but lost wickets at criticaltimes when batsmen looked set to pushon. John Hastings was the most economi-cal of the visiting bowlers with 1-39 from10 overs, while fifth seamer Mitchell Marshhad figures of 2-35 from seven.

The three-match one-day internationalseries moves on to Wellington on Saturdaywith the sides also scheduled to play twotests. —Reuters

Henry, Guptill superb as NZ

thrash Australia by 159 runs

AUCKLAND: Corey Anderson of New Zealand bowls during the first one-day interna-tional cricket match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park in Aucklandyesterday. — AFP


MILAN: Roma coach Luciano Spallettihailed the enthusiasm and clinical finish-ing of Mohamed Salah after a precious 2-0 league win over Sassuolo yesterdaythat had a particularly Egyptian flavour.Egyptian international Salah put the visi-tors ahead with a “cracking” left-footedstrike from the edge of the area after just11 minutes at the Mapei Stadium.

When Domenico Berardi missed an88th-minute penalty for the hosts-afterRoma midfielder Radja Nainggolan wasbooked for a second time for a foul in thearea-Roma twisted the knife.

Four minutes later on-loan AC Milanstriker Stephan El Shaarawy, an Italyinternational whose father is Egyptian,escaped his marker to meet DiegoPerotti’s cutback in the area to fire pastAndrea Consigli. It secured Roma’s sec-ond consecutive win under Spalletti andthe former Zenit St Petersburg handlerhad special praise for Salah: “He’s a greatkid who feeds on enthusiasm andthrough these results he will get evenmore. “He scored a cracking goal anddeserves all the credit.” “I’m happy withthe goal, but mostly because it helped us

to the win,” said Salah, who has now hitsix league goals this season. Romaremain in fifth place and sit nine pointsbehind leaders Napoli ahead of their tripto Lazio later, when the remainingleague fixtures will be played.

But Spalletti believes Tuesday’s per-formance has injected fresh life into hisembattled side’s campaign only threeweeks after the sacking of French coachRudi Garcia.

“If we show the same spirit as we didtonight (Tuesday) we can recreate thatbuzz which, if transferred to the dressing

room and around the club, could makefor a great dynamic,” added Spalletti,who steered Roma to successive Cup tri-umphs in his previous spell in charge ofthe club (2005-2009). Salah may alreadybe an integral part of Roma, who decid-ed to buy the 23-year-old outright fromChelsea earlier this season, but ElShaarawy’s arrival at the club has helpedrevive Roma’s faint ‘scudetto’ hopes. ‘IlFaraone’ (The Pharaoh), as El Shaarawy isknown in football circles, hit his maidenRoma goal in a 3-1 league win at hometo Frosinone last weekend and the strik-

er’s second has boosted his bid to berecalled to Antonio Conte’s national sideahead of this summer’s Euro 2016 finals.“I made no secret of the fact when Isigned for Roma. It’s one of my aims,”said El Shaarawy, who joined the capitalclub on loan after playing at Ligue 1 sideMonaco in the opening half of the sea-son.

“The coach has backed me ever sinceI joined Roma and I really must thankhim for that. I’m pleased I’ve made a pos-itive start but I have to keep workinghard.”— AFP

Spalletti hails Salah as ‘Pharaohs’ rule Roma

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s English striker Wayne Rooney (C) celebrates scoring their third goal during the English Premier Leaguefootball match between Manchester United and Stoke City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on Tuesday. — AFP

MANCHESTER: Manchester United producedone of their best performances under belea-guered boss Louis van Gaal as they lifted thegloom around Old Trafford with a 3-0 win overStoke on Tuesday.

Van Gaal’s side equalled their biggest PremierLeague win of the season thanks to goals fromJesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and WayneRooney. And the timing couldn’t have been bet-ter as United delivered a strong performance 24hours after the high-profile appointment of PepGuardiola as manager of their bitter rivalsManchester City.

Guardiola’s impending arrival in the close-season as the replacement for Manuel Pellegriniis designed to make City the dominant force notonly in Manchester but also in Europe.

United look to be in danger of falling behindtheir neighbours as they struggle to even qualifyfor next season’s Champions League, while ques-tion marks persist over their managerial posi-tion. Van Gaal was booed by United’s supportersafter their last home game - a 1-0 defeat to

Southampton.But the Dutchman has clung onto his job and

this result - allied to a superb attacking perform-ance - keeps them within five points of the topfour places and should buy van Gaal a littlebreathing space.

United had won just two of their previous 10league games and scored only 11 home goals.Their total of 27 goals in total at this stage of theseason was their lowest since 1989-90 whenthey finished 13th in the top flight and MarkHughes finished as top scorer with 15 goals.

Hughes was back on his old stamping groundas Stoke manager, but it was not a happy home-coming as his 100th Premier League match incharge of the Potters ended in a chasteningdefeat and prolonged Stoke’s winless record atOld Trafford, which stretches back 40 years.

A victory over United on Boxing Day, whichthreatened to push Van Gaal close to the exitdoor, gave Stoke the chance to complete thedouble over United for the first time since 1952-53.

But that never looked likely as United racedinto a 2-0 lead inside the first 23 minutes.

MEMORIES United showed their intent from the start as

they created more chances than they had inmost of their home games put together.

And they went ahead in the 13-minute whenteenage full-back Cameron Borthwick-Jacksoncrossed for Lingard to stoop and head in his

third goal of the season.Martial then fired into the side netting and

forced Jack Butland into a save before he scoreda superb goal to take his total for the season tonine.

United launched a lightning break, bringingback memories of some of their finest footballunder Alex Ferguson, which ended with Rooneyteeing up Martial to curl a superb right-footedshot into the top corner.

Stoke, unable to use record signing GiannelliImbula after his late arrival on Monday, couldn’thandle Juan Mata, who excelled in a centralposition and could have had a hat-trick as hesaw efforts blocked and headed wide from aMatteo Darmian cross.

Jon Walters did go close for the visitors,whose season is falling apart around them aftertwo cup exits in a week and a third league gamewithout a win, as he volleyed over before thebreak. But they had no answer to a classy Unitedperformance which included a goal fromRooney after the break.

The United and England captain had an effortdisallowed as he barged over Phil Bardsley in thebuild-up. But Rooney wouldn’t be denied a sev-enth goal in as many games as he tapped in aMartial cross following another flowing movewith 53 minutes gone.

And as United made a long overdue state-ment of intent they almost added a fourth whensubstitute Memphis Depay hit the bar with anangled shot late on. — AFP

Man Utd rekindle glory days with win over Stoke

Man Utd 3

Stoke City 0

NORWICH: Tottenham kept their PremierLeague title challenge on track as HarryKane’s double inspired a 3-0 win over strug-gling Norwich on Tuesday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side are only fivepoints behind leaders Leicester after climb-ing above bitter rivals Arsenal into thirdplace thanks to a dominant display atCarrow Road.

Dele Alli opened the scoring early onand Kane added a first half penalty beforewrapping up the points in the finalmoments.

Tottenham’s third successive league winand fifth victory in a row in all competitionsadded to the growing feeling thatPochettino’s vibrant young team are capa-ble of securing not only a top four finishbut possibly the club’s first English titlesince 1961.

The predatory finishing of Kane and thecreative class of his England team-mate Allihave combined to drive Tottenham’s unex-pected title bid and they were the key fig-ures once again.

In contrast to upwardly mobileTottenham, Norwich have now lost theirlast five matches in all competitions andare languishing just two points above therelegation zone.

Norwich manager Alex Neil signed nineplayers during the January transfer win-dow, more than any other Premier Leagueclub, as he tried to revitalise a squad whichhas struggled on their return to the top-flight.

Switzerland international Timm Klose,one of Neil’s new recruits, made his debutin defence, but Norwich had conceded 14goals in their previous four games and ittook Tottenham just 96 seconds to exploit

the hosts’ fragile rearguard.

IMPRESSIVE SEASONThe goal came after Christian Eriksen’s

corner was only half cleared to TobyAlderweireld on the edge of the penaltyarea.

Alderweireld’s shot was blocked, butEriksen pounced on the rebound anddrilled a low strike that Norwich goalkeep-er Declan Rudd could only parry towardsAlli, who gleefully tapped in from close-range.

The 19-year-old’s seventh club goal ofhis impressive breakthrough season mighthave been a more mundane affair than hislast-a sublime contender among the bestof the season to date against Crystal Palacein January.

Regardless of the quality, the signifi-cance was clear to see as Tottenham, confi-dence soaring, threatened to blow Norwichaway before half-time.

South Korea forward Son Heung-minforced Rudd into a good save when he pro-duced a deft flicked effort from Kane’scross.

Pochettino’s men were in complete con-trol and they doubled their lead in the 30thminute when referee Kevin Friend awardeda penalty after Alli was brought down byNorwich defender Sebastien Bassong.

Kane had scored a penalty inTottenham’s 3-0 win over the Canaries onBoxing Day and the England forward wasnerveless from the spot again as he strokedhome his 17th club goal of the season.

It took a decent stop from Rudd to denyKane his second goal and moments laterAlli headed wide when he should reallyhave scored from Danny Rose’s cross.

Alli came off at half-time, reportedlywith an illness, and his absence robbedTottenham of their driving force, withNorwich looking reinvigorated as a result.

Steven Naismith headed narrowly widefor the hosts before Bassong saw his close-range finish ruled out for offside.

But Norwich’s pressure soon fizzled outand Kane capped the Spurs stroll when heslotted home in the 90th minute. — AFP

Kane’s double destroys Norwich

Norwich City 0

Tottenham 3

LONDON: Arsene Wenger shrugged offcriticism that he should have signed aworld-class goalscorer in the Januarytransfer window despite acknowledgingthat Arsenal’s finishing has been ratherpoor in recent weeks.

The Arsenal manager cut a frustratedfigure at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesdayas the Gunners created plenty of chancesin a 0-0 draw with Southampton, but ulti-mately were denied on numerous occa-sions by the sheer brilliance of Saintsgoalkeeper Fraser Forster.

It has often been said that, in pursuit ofwinning a first Premier League title since2004, the north London club should haveinvested heavily in a proven striker.

Wenger, though, batted away suchclaims after his side fell to fourth place,five points behind leaders Leicester.

“If you had found a world-class striker,who could have strengthened the team,then you should have told me,” he said.“Believe me, they do not walk in (off) thestreet and say: ‘I am a world-class striker’.

“They are already at a big club andunder contract and not available. We haveWalcott, Giroud, Ozil, Sanchez andWelbeck, who is coming back. “Tonight, Idon’t think that a miracle man would havecome in and scored for us. As a team, wecan score goals.

“I don’t like to say it was one of thosenights. We are all disappointed becausewe had enough chances to win the game.“The most disappointing thing is thatsome players missed chances that theyusually take.

“Our finishing is very poor at themoment. We have played three PremierLeague games now without scoring agoal. “Forster had a brilliant game. Butyou’d expect that. The rate and quality ofchances created was high for a PremierLeague game but the quality of finishingwas poor.

“Finishing is a bit cyclical, up and down

at the moment. It’s very down for us now.“We have a difficult programme, especial-ly away from home, but we need torespond.”

MAGIC Southampton manager Ronald

Koeman paid tribute to Forster, who kepthis fourth successive clean sheet sincereturning from a knee injury last month.“Our goalkeeper is magic and he wasmagic tonight,” Koeman said. “It’s alwaysdifficult when you are out for more thannine months. Knowing you need rhythmand games.

“But since coming back he was thesame. Credit to the medical staff and cred-it to Fraser.

“He is one of the best goalkeepers inthe Premier League and maybe one of thebest in Europe.”

Koeman was quick to admit that histeam had enjoyed their fair share luck giv-en the sheer amount of chances createdby Arsenal. But he emphasised how wellSouthampton have played away to thesupposedly prominent Premier Leagueclubs.

“Not one team in my one-and-a-halfyears managing Southampton createdwhat Arsenal created against us,” he said.“So you need to be lucky first and youneed to have a goalkeeper who is savingeverything and that ’s maybe whatexplained what happened. “Normally it’smore difficult for opponents to create thatmany chances against us.

“We didn’t play well but we had unbe-lievable spirit. In the counter-attacking,we didn’t have the quality. “But to get onepoint away to Arsenal, three points atManchester United, to beat Chelsea away,one point against Liverpool at Anfield isamazing, a dream for a club likeSouthampton.”

Koeman revealed that his new strikerCharlie Austin suffered a “knock” on theeve of the match. But the recent signingfrom QPR should be available for thehome match with West Ham on Saturday.

“It was risky in my opinion to put himon the pitch. It’s not a serious injury,” hesaid. “Normally he’ll be available. If youknow his past, he had been out for five orsix weeks.

“So I’d prefer to wait one week toensure the player is back.” — AFP

Wenger on the attack after Gunners misfire

Arsenal 0

Southampton 0

LONDON: Crystal Palace’s run of seven PremierLeague games without a win is down to injuries,a lack of composure and bad luck, manager AlanPardew said on Tuesday. Palace went down 2-1at home to Bournemouth, chalking up a fifthsuccessive league loss.

Palace took the lead in the 27th minute whenLee Chung-yong’s neat backheel was crossedlow into the middle by Wilfried Zaha anddefender Scott Dann blasted it home.Bournemouth equalised seven minutes laterwhen Marc Pugh turned Dann twice on the edgeof the Palace box before hitting a low shot insidethe bottom corner before Benik Afobe headed a57th minute winner.

“No one gets sent off against us, no one,you’ve got to really commit murder to get sentoff against Crystal Palace,” Pardew said.

“We had a one on one tonight, Jordan Mutchgoes through, for me it’s another tough deci-sion,” he added. The referee decided theBournemouth defender who fouled Mutch wasnot the last man.

“We lacked a bit of composure at times, we

certainly missed Yohann (Cabaye) to put his footon the ball and slow the game down a bit, it wasa frantic match.

“We were unlucky to lose two chances, if theygo in, and that’s the run were on at the moment.”Debutant Emmanuel Adebayor, who had scoredon his debuts with previous English clubsArsenal, Manchester City and TottenhamHotspur, came close to equalising when his

stoppage-time shot hit the side netting.“Adehad a chance. If we can get the quality inthe box he will deliver for us because it isbecoming a problem a striker not scoring,” hesaid. Palace’s list of injuries includes dynamicwinger Yannick Bolassie and creative midfielderCabaye. “We have won twice in the (FA) Cup, wegot really good results, but we need a win in theleague,” Pardew said. —Reuters

Pardew rues luck as poor Palace run continues

Crystal Palace 1

Bournemouth 2

SELHURST PARK: Bournemouth’s English defender Simon Francis (R) vies with Crystal Palace’sAustralian midfielder Mile Jedinak during the English Premier League football match betweenCrystal Palace and Bournemouth at Selhurst Park in south London on Tuesday. Bournemouthwon the game 2-1. —AFP


MILAN: A troublesome thigh injury is setto rule Juventus midfielder Sami Khediraout of a top-of-the-table clash with Napoliand possibly a key Champions League last16 fixture with Bayern Munich.

Khedira was forced off at half-time onSunday when Juventus routed Chievo 4-0in Verona to stay two points behind SerieA leaders Napoli. But despite trying to

reassure fans afterwards with a positivemessage on his Facebook page, theGermany midfielder is facing two to threeweeks on the sidelines, according toJuventus. A statement from Juventus saidKhedira “was subjected to scans whichrevealed damage to the long adductor (inhis right thigh) after the pain from thematch in Verona failed to dissipate.

“He will be sidelined from competitionfor two to three weeks.” The absence willsee Khedira miss upcoming league gamesagainst Genoa, Frosinone and Napoli, thelatter scheduled for February 13 in Turin.But Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri couldmiss Khedira most if he is forced out oftheir Champions League last 16 openerwith Bayern on February 23. Juventus

overcame Real Madrid over two legs inthe Champions League semi-final on theirway to meeting Barcelona in the final,only to be outclassed 3-1 in Berlin lastMay.

Ahead of welcoming Bayern to Turinon February 23, Juventus will be hopingKhedira recovers in time-although it is notthe German’s first injury knock this season

and he is known not to recover quickly.Allegri led Juve to their first league and

Cup double last season and is hoping fora repeat this campaign. The championsare away to Inter Milan for the second legof their Cup semi-final on March 2 or 3,having won the opening leg 3-0. AC Milanbeat Alessandria in the other Cup semifirst leg. — AFP

Khedira blow for Juve ahead of Napoli, Bayern

LEICESTER: Leicester City’s Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki (R) vies with Liverpool’s French defender Mamadou Sakho and Liverpool’s Spanishdefender Alberto Moreno during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Liverpool at King Power Stadium inLeicester, central England on Tuesday. Jamie Vardy scored both goal in Leicester’s 2-0 win. — AFP

LEICESTER: Claudio Ranieri believes JamieVardy and his Leicester team-mates have beenrevitalised just in time for their crunch PremierLeague clashes with Manchester City andArsenal.

Ranieri’s shock table-toppers travel to City onSaturday before facing Arsenal with their confi-dence sky-high after underlining their title cre-dentials with an impressive 2-0 win overLiverpool at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday.

Vardy added to his growing reputation withtwo goals, including a 30-yard wonder-strike,that took his tally for the season to 18 andemphasised his own return to form followinggroin surgery at the start of January.

“It was an unbelievable pass from RiyadMahrez and unbelievable what Vardy did,”Leicester boss Ranieri said of the opening goal.

“He watched the ball arriving, watched the

opponent and watched the keeper.“He looked at the keeper out of the goal and

hit it. “It was unbelievable, amazing, fantastic.“Now it is one month more or less since he

restarted training. “Before that he didn’t train. Heplayed matches without training and that’s noteasy.

“He continued to score but slowly he sloweddown. “Now he is refreshed, he is a new Vardy, hepresses a lot and he scores goals.”

Leicester rested at the weekend followingtheir exit from the FA Cup and produced anenergetic display to beat Liverpool and movethree points clear of second placed ManchesterCity ahead of their summit meeting.

After a slump over Christmas, Leicester onceagain look capable of maintaining their incredi-ble bid to win the English title and Ranieri seesno reason why they can’t keep it up.

REFRESHED “In training sessions I saw my players

refreshed,” said Ranieri. “After Christmas we were a little tired but

now they’re getting better. “Now I’m curiousbecause on Saturday we have to run, run, run alot. “Against City it will be another tough matchbut it was important to start this month well.

“For me it’s important to see my players fight

and try to win. “Sooner or later we’ll lose a matchbut that’s not important. “What’s important ishow we lose. If there is a great goal from (an)opponent, well done - but we have to fight. IfMan City fight more than us, well done to them.”

Liverpool were well beaten, with boss JurgenKlopp blaming a congested fixture schedule fora lack of intensity from his players. “It’s nice to bein the stadium when Jamie Vardy makes theGoal of the Month - but in an ideal world you arenot the manager of the other team!” he said.

“We saw that this goal made the difference.“I don’t feel too good in this moment. I know

we lost and we have to accept it, absolutely noproblem.

“But with a few things done differently wecould have won this game. And if you can win agame you should do it in my opinion. But wedidn’t.

“I need a few minutes to cool down! “Ourproblem today was not (the need) to run more -or to run more intensively. “Our problem waswhen we had the ball in the right position wedid not make the right decisions. That is all.

“They (Leicester) had 10 days off and we hadthree games.

“If we could have played with the same inten-sity as them, they would have done somethingwrong.” —AFP

Vardy double keeps

Leicester out in front

Leicester 2

Liverpool 0

LONDON: Aston Villa paid the price forJordan Ayew’s early dismissal as West HamUnited enhanced their European prospectswith a 2-0 home win in the Premier Leagueon Tuesday.

Bottom club Villa started brightly atUpton Park, but never recovered from the17th-minute dismissal of Ghana forwardAyew, who was shown a straight red cardfor a senseless elbow on Aaron Cresswell.

Michail Antonio broke the deadlockwith a header in the 58th minute andCheikhou Kouyate netted late on as SlavenBilic’s side extended their unbeaten run athome in the league to 10 games.

West Ham remain sixth, a point behindfifth-place Manchester United and sixpoints off the top four, while Villa continueto look doomed, 10 points from safety withonly 14 games to play.

Villa manager Remi Garde has expressedgrievances over his side’s failure tostrengthen in the January transfer window,but with West Ham loan signing EmmanuelEmenike still awaiting international clear-ance, there were no new players on show

for either team.Villa were crushed 4-0 by Manchester

City in the FA Cup on Saturday, but theirstart was more in keeping with a team pur-suing a fourth league game without defeat.

Showing five changes, the visitorsforced West Ham onto the back foot andhad a penalty appeal waved away in the10th minute when Gabriel Agbonlahor’sleft-wing cross struck Antonio on the arm.

But shortly after Ayew, 24, underminedall his side’s early promise by blatantlyswinging his left elbow into the face ofCresswell, leaving referee Jonathan Mossno choice but to brandish a red card.

Predictably, the momentum tiltedimmediately in West Ham’s favour. Kouyatesaw a curling shot easily saved by MarkBunn, James Tomkins lashed over with hisleft foot and Enner Valencia sent a free-kickdipping just the wrong side of the left-hand upright.

West Ham continued to turn the screwin the second half-Villa goalkeeper MarkBunn parrying a stinging Mark Noble volleyand touching a free-kick from Dimitri Payetonto the post-and in the 58th minute, thehosts’ pressure told.

Noble’s raking 40-yard pass from justinside the Villa half picked out Antonio,who deftly steered a header past Bunn.

Cresswell and Noble both went close toscoring before Kouyate sealed victory inthe 85th minute by capping a rapid count-er-attack with an assured finish fromValencia’s pass. — AFP

West Ham sink

10-man Villa 2-0

West Ham 2

Aston Villa 0

SUNDERLAND: Manchester City managerManuel Pellegrini does not believe that theimpending arrival of Pep Guardiola to suc-ceed him will overshadow the club’s four-pronged quest for silverware this season.

Tuesday’s 1-0 win at Sunderland gavePellegrini a 65th Premier League victory in100 games, a ratio bettered only by formerChelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who won73 of his first 100 English top-flight matches.The Chilean’s record eclipses that of AlexFerguson over his first 100 games in theEnglish top tier and is better than both prede-cessor Roberto Mancini and Liverpool’s RafaelBenitez.

But it will not prevent him being replacedat the end of the season by Guardiola, andthat announcement made Monday dominat-ed his post-match press conference after awin that kept City three points behindPremier League leaders Leicester City, whothey host on Saturday. Pellegrini’s defenceunder pressure from the press was as impres-sive as England goalkeeper Joe Hart’s hadbeen in preserving City’s lead at the Stadiumof Light.

Refuting the suggestion that Guardiola’sappointment might be a distraction for City,who remain in contention for league,Champions League, League Cup and FA Cuphonours, he said: “The announcement wasnot on my mind-only having a good seasonahead of the next game against Leicester. “Iwant to do well in all competitions and all Iwas focused on was getting the three points.We are all thinking about this season ratherthan the next. “I think that we are living in avery good season and if we can finish it verystrongly, then it will be special.

“It will be difficult with each game as it

goes along, but that is what I am focused on. Iam not thinking about myself right now. Iwant to talk about the team and the club, notme.”

A 16th-minute goal from Sergio Agueroand a superb display in City’s goal by Hartproved to be the difference between the twosides. But Pellegrini, whose name was sungby the travelling fans, was at pains to pointout that it had been a collective effort andthat City’s players had shown they have steelto their game, as well as silk.

ALLARDYCE ‘GUTTED’ “This game against Sunderland was a very

difficult game and I’m very happy about theresult,” he said.

“The most important thing for the teamwas to come here and win this game andshow we can defend very well if we need to.“We are known as an attacking team, but weshowed we can defend, too. Sergio Agueroand Joe Hart had good games for us, but thewhole team worked hard.

“I thought against Sunderland we showedwe can play in a different way and in a waythat is needed to win such difficult games.”City’s performance answered the question ofhow they would react to the Guardiolaannouncement, and the battling nature oftheir win bodes well for the run-in.

When Guardiola was announced as BayernMunich manager in January 2013, JuppHeynckes’s side went on to win the treble.Pellegrini may yet leave this summer as City’smost successful ever manager.

For Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce,survival itself is the only benchmark of suc-cess and it was no consolation to him that hisside had outplayed a team who could end upas Premier League champions. “I think it’s themost disappointed I’ve been since I’ve beenat the club because we deserved so muchmore,” said Allardyce, whose side remain sec-ond-bottom, four points from safety.

“Some of the games we’ve lost we haven’treally deserved anything, so this makes it somuch more disappointing to us. “To play aswell as we did against City and get nothing,I’m gutted.” — AFP

Guardiola won’t distract

Man City, says Pellegrini

Sunderland 0

Man City 1

SUNDERLAND: Sunderland’s Patrick Van Aanholt, left, vies with Manchester City’sSergio Aguero, right, during the English Premier League soccer match betweenSunderland and Manchester City at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England,Tuesday. — AP

WEST BROMWICH: Salomon Rondon netted hisfirst Premier League goal since October in injurytime to earn West Brom a 1-1 draw againstSwansea at The Hawthorns on Tuesday.Swansea were set fair to grab the points afterGylfi Sigurdsson put the visitors into a 64th-minute lead. But as West Brom fans began tohead for the exits Rondon saved the day to leaveWest Brom in 13th, eight points above the rele-gation zone. Swansea are 16th, five points clear

of danger. Sigurdsson was on the mark in lastweekend’s 2-1 win at Everton in new coachFrancesco Guidolin’s first match in charge. Andthe Italian named an unchanged side withAlberto Paloschi, who joined from Chievo onFriday for £8 million (10.5 million euros), on thebench. West Brom boss Tony Pulis gave a debutto Sandro, the midfielder from QPR one of fivechanges from the side that drew withPeterborough United in the FA Cup.

Midfielder Darren Fletcher returned afterknee injury and the game was only minutes oldwhen he connected with a cross from CraigDawson, but Swansea keeper Lukasz Fabianskitipped his header over the bar. On 20 minutesSwansea’s Ki Sung-yeung produced a massiveclearance only for Angel Rangel to shoot wide.

Shortly after, on the counter attack AndreAyew had a shot deflected wide. Sigurdssonthen had a dipping volley edged over by West

Brom keeper Ben Foster.Down at the other end Dawson was guilty of

missing a gilt-edged header. A clash of headsjust before the interval left Sung-yeung awakebut stretchered off to applause from the crowd.Swansea later tweeted the South Korean was“ok, just a little concussed”.

On came Paloschi and the Italian almostmade a dream start when he ran onto WayneRoutledge’s through ball only for the on-rushingFoster to block the shot. Swansea broke thedeadlock with a well worked move just after thehour involving Leon Britton and Paloschi, withSigurdsson slickly shooting into the bottom farcorner from 12 yards out.

Good late work from Fabianski kept WestBrom at bay until the second minute of stop-page time, when after a scrappy corner Rondonpopped up to level for the Venezuelan’s fifthgoal of the season. —AFP

Rondon rescues point for West Bromwich

West Brom 1

Swansea 1

WEST BROMWICH: West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon, center, scores their first goal of the game during their English Premier League soc-cer match against Swansea City at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, England, Tuesday. — AP

15Former Japan starKiyohara arrestedon drugs charge

THURSDAY, FEBRURY 4, 201618Man Utd rekindleglory days withwin over Stoke

Henry, Guptill superb as NZ thrash Australia Page 17

WASHINGTON: Jonathan Huberdeau #11 of the Florida Panthers celebrates after scoring a first period goal against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center on Tuesday in Washington, DC. —AFP

WASJINGTON: Florida winger JonathanHuberdeau scored twice and back up goaltender AlMontoya registered 36 saves as the Panthersopened up the second half of the season with animpressive 5-2 victory over the WashingtonCapitals. Huberdeau’s second goal of the night, aringing shot off the near post, was his 10th of theseason and it sent some in the Verizon Centercrowd heading for the exits with the Capitals down4-0. The 22-year-old, who added a first-periodassist, has 16 points in his past 15 games.

FLYERS 4, CANADIENS 2Wayne Simmonds scored a pair of goals and the

Philadelphia Flyers got back to winning ways onhome ice with a 4-2 victory over the MontrealCanadiens at Wells Fargo Center.

Simmonds netted his second goal with 8:04remaining in regulation to break a 2-2 tie and helpthe Flyers (22-18-8) snap a three-game home losingskid. Philadelphia are 10-1-1 when Simmondsscores.

DEVILS 3, RANGERS 2Defenseman David Schlemko scored a power-

play goal with 8:46 remaining in the third period togive the New Jersey Devils a come-from-behind 3-2victory against the New York Rangers at PrudentialCenter.

Schlemko’s goal came less than two minutesafter a turnover that led to a shorthanded break-away for Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh,who missed the net on the golden opportunity.

ISLANDERS 5, WILD 3Brock Nelson scored the tie-breaking goal in the

final minute of the second period and Frans Nielsenand John Tavares scored a little more than two min-utes apart early in the third as the New YorkIslanders beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3. MikhailGrabovski and Anders Lee also scored for theIslanders (26-16-6), who won for the fourth time insix games.

PENGUINS 6, SENATORS 5Sidney Crosby scored three consecutive goals to

extend his recent scoring surge and rally thePittsburgh Penguins to their fourth consecutive vic-tory, 6-5 over the slumping Senators. Crosby’s natu-ral hat-trick was the ninth three-goal game of hiscareer, gave him at least one goal in eight consecu-tive games at Consol Energy Center and assuredhim of his ninth 20-goal season in his 11 NHL sea-sons.

MAPLE LEAFS 4, BRUINS 3 (OT)The Toronto Maple Leafs, down by two goals in

the third period, forced overtime and got a powerplay goal from Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau to shockthe Boston Bruins 4-3. Boston center David Krejci,who set up one goal and scored another 26 sec-onds apart early in the third period, was off forholding when Parenteau beat Tuukka Rask with arebound backhander to end Toronto’s four-gamelosing streak.

BLUES 1, PREDATORS 0Troy Brouwer’s deflection gave the St. Louis

Blues their first 1-0 win of the season. Scoring his10th goal, Brouwer got his stick on a one-timerfrom defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, beating

Predators goalie Pekka Rinne at 18:55 of the thirdperiod and giving St. Louis its fourth win of the sea-son over Nashville. The Blues (29-16-8) outshot thePredators 12-5 in the final period.

BLACKHAWKS 2, AVALANCHE 1Artemi Panarin and Richard Panik scored first-

period goals as the shorthanded ChicagoBlackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1.

Goaltender Corey Crawford had 23 saves forChicago, who played without center JonathanToews. The Blackhawks captain had to sit outTuesday’s game because he skipped Sunday’s All-Star Game in Nashville due to illness.

OILERS 5, BLUE JACKETS 1In his return from a three-month absence

because of injury, rookie Connor McDavid deliv-ered a goal-of-the-year candidate and added twoassists in leading the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-1 vic-tory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Leon Draisaitl,Eric Gryba, Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle addedgoals as the Oilers prevailed in a battle between thelast-place teams in the Eastern and WesternConferences.

KINGS 6, COYOTES 2It’s hard to imagine Dustin Brown’s popularity in

Arizona falling any lower. The Los Angeles Kingscaptain is already the most reviled hockey player inthe Valley due to a colorful history with the ArizonaCoyotes.

Brown somehow added to the venom when hescored a pair of goals in the Kings’ 6-2 win over theCoyotes on Tuesday at Gila River Arena. Neithergoal was impressive but both helped L.A. erase a

second-period deficit and post its first regulationwin over the Coyotes this season.

DUCKS 3, SHARKS 2Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Ryan

Garbutt scored to give the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2

win over the San Jose Sharks at the Honda Center.Goalie Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots for

the Ducks (23-18-7), who earned their fourth suc-cessive victory and moved into a tie with theArizona Coyotes for third place, the Pacific Division’sfinal automatic playoff spot. — Reuters

Huberdeau leads Panthers past Caps NHL Results/Standings

Western ConferenceCentral DivisionW L OTL GF GA PTS

Chicago 34 16 4 149 123 72 Dallas 32 14 5 167 136 69 St. Louis 29 16 8 130 128 66 Colorado 27 23 3 144 144 57 Nashville 24 19 8 129 132 56 Minnesota 23 18 9 124 120 55 Winnipeg 22 25 3 129 145 47

Pacific DivisionLos Angeles 31 16 3 135 115 65 San Jose 26 19 4 144 132 56 Anaheim 23 18 7 104 113 53 Arizona 24 21 5 133 152 53 Vancouver 20 19 11 122 139 51 Calgary 21 24 3 126 146 45 Edmonton 20 26 5 127 150 45

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

Florida 30 15 5 140 110 65

Tampa Bay 27 18 4 130 117 58 Detroit 25 16 8 122 124 58 Boston 26 18 6 150 135 58 Montreal 24 23 4 138 138 52 Ottawa 23 22 6 144 161 52 Toronto 18 22 9 118 137 45 Buffalo 20 26 4 114 136 44

Metropolitan Division

Washington 35 9 4 160 109 74 NY Rangers 27 18 5 144 132 59 NY Islanders 26 16 6 135 121 58 Pittsburgh 25 17 7 127 125 57 New Jersey 26 20 5 117 120 57 Carolina 23 20 8 123 135 54 Philadelphia 22 18 8 113 129 52 Columbus 19 28 5 134 168 43 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one pointin the standings and are not included in the losscolumn (L).

Toronto 4, Boston 3 (OT); New Jersey 3, NY Rangers 2; NY Islanders 5, Minnesota 3; Philadelphia 4,Montreal 2; Pittsburgh 6, Ottawa 5; Florida 5, Washington 2; St. Louis 1, Nashville 0; Dallas 5, Winnipeg3; Chicago 2, Colorado 1; Edmonton 5, Columbus 1; Los Angeles 6, Arizona 2.

BEIJING: Asian champions GuangzhouEvergrande smashed China’s transferfee record yesterday when theyannounced a deal to secure AtleticoMadrid’s unsettled Colombian strikerJackson Martinez for 42 million euros($46 million).

Martinez, 29, is the latest Europe-based player to move to the cashed-upChinese Super League and wasdescribed as a “goal poacher” and “foxin the box” in a Chinese-language state-ment on the club’s website. “ Themoment has arrived to start a newstage in my career,” Martinez toldAtletico’s website.

“The club and I have spoken in thelast few days and we are agreed this isthe best thing for everyone.” The pur-chase broke the week-old Chineserecord fee of 28 million euros, paid byJiangsu Suning to acquire Brazilian mid-fielder Ramires from Chelsea. It lifted

the Chinese Super League’s total spend-ing during the current transfer windowto 203.9 million euros, according towebsite transfermarkt which trackscommercial dealings in the sport-sec-ond only to the English Premier League.

Atletico bought Martinez last yearfor 35 mill ion euros from FC Portowhere he had scored an impressive 92goals in 133 games. But he struggled toestablish himself in Spain, scoring justtwo goals in 15 La Liga appearances.Chinese businesses have invested hugesums in football since President XiJinping, an avowed fan of the sport,declared that hosting, qualifying, andwinning a World Cup were nationalgoals.

‘CHESS GAME’ In the past the highest-profile inter-

national signings by Chinese clubstended to be ageing stars in their 30s

nearing the end of their playing days.But many of those bought in the cur-rent transfer window have been in theirlate 20s.

Questions have been asked aboutwhether some are past their prime. ButDavid Hornby, sports business directorof the Mailman brand managementgroup in Shanghai, said: “These are notguys at the end of their career just look-ing for a payout.”

In 2015 a powerful political commit-tee headed by Xi released a 50-pointplan to achieve his goal, includingestablishing tens of thousands of soc-cer schools and making the game com-pulsory for some elementary and mid-dle-school students.

Investors have since ploughed moremoney into football in “an attempt tobe looked favourably on by the govern-ment”, said Tom Elsden, sports strategymanager at Mailman. — AFP

Martinez joins Evergrande in record China deal

MADRID: In this Aug 22, 2015, file photo, Atletico Madrid’s Jackson Martinez, top, goes for a header with Las Palmas’ AythamiArtiles during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Las Palmas at the Vicente Calderon stadium inMadrid, Spain. Guangzhou Evergrande of the Chinese Super League said yesterday, that it has signed Martinez for what isbelieved to be a new record sum in the Asian transfer market. — AP

BusinessTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

European banks hesitate on Iran, wary of US fines

Page 22

Oil producers struggle to hold budget

Page 22

Renault has a mountain to climb in China

Page 23

SUVs rev up at Delhi auto show despite crackdown

Pages 23

SWITZERLAND: This file photo taken on May 10, 2015 shows a sign of Swiss farm chemicals powerhouse Syngenta at the company’s test site of Les Barges near Vouvry,western Switzerland. (Inset) Chairman of Swiss farm chemicals giant Syngenta, Michel Demare shakes hand with Chairman of ChemChina Ren Jianxin during a press con-ference to present Syngenta’s annual results at the company’s headquarters in Basel. — AFP

China firm offers $43bn for agri-giant SyngentaBiggest-ever overseas acquisition by a Chinese firm

BEIJING: State-owned China NationalChemical Corp yesterday offered $43 billion inan agreed takeover for Swiss pesticide andseed giant Syngenta, in what would be by farthe biggest-ever overseas acquisition by aChinese firm.

The deal is the latest in a string of overseasinvestments for China’s biggest chemical com-pany, also known as ChemChina, as Beijingprods its companies to “go out” to expand.Syngenta’s board recommended the offer of$465 a share, plus a special dividend, to itsshareholders, saying in a statement that “theproposed transaction respects the interests ofall stakeholders”.

The statement said the deal “will enable fur-ther expansion of Syngenta’s presence inemerging markets and notably in China”. But itcould face challenges before going through.

The Swiss company reportedly rejected a high-er $47 billion bid from rival

Monsanto in August last year, and inNovember Bloomberg News said the US firmwas mulling a higher offer. The transaction isalso likely to face regulatory hurdles-much ofSyngenta’s business is in the United States,where a $18.5 billion offer by Chinese state-owned energy company CNOOC for US oil firmUnocal failed in 2005 in the face of politicalpressure. Ahead of the announcement an ana-lyst at Germany’s Baader Bank said that an all-cash deal would be welcomed by investors but“it could pose political problems”. The offer faroutstrips China’s biggest overseas acquisitionto date, CNOOC’s purchase of Canadian oil firmNexen for $15.1 billion in 2013.

The Chinese government has encouragedits companies to invest abroad to secure raw

materials and markets, while growth is slowingat home. “They’re (government officials) stillthinking in terms of it’s good for companies togain access to these technologies and thesedistribution channels,” Arthur Kroeber, manag-ing director at research firm GavekalDragonomics, told Bloomberg News.

Global multinationals The deal is the latest in a string of acquisi-

tions by ChemChina, which last month boughta 12 percent stake in Swiss energy and com-modities trader Mercuria to expand its portfo-lio. Also in January, the Chinese company saidit planned to buy Germany’s KraussMaffeiGroup, which makes machinery for producingplastics and rubber, for 925 million Euros ($1.01billion). Last year it announced the takeover ofItalian tyre maker Pirelli, renowned for its

Formula One equipment and racy calendars, ina deal valued at 7.4 billion Euros.

“Their acquisition strategy is not ‘catchingup’ anymore,” said Tyler Rooker, an assistantprofessor at the University of Nottingham.“They’re acquiring assets that add to their com-petitiveness as global multinationals.”Syngenta said its existing management willcontinue to run the company, which willremain headquartered in Switzerland, “reflect-ing this country’s attractiveness as a corporatelocation”.

After the deal ChemChina Chairman RenJianxin will take over as chairman of a new 10-member Syngenta board, four of whom will beexisting directors, the statement added. “Ourvision is not confined to our mutual interests,but will also respond to and maximize theinterests of farmers and consumers around the

world,” Ren said. China is trying to make itsfarming sector more efficient, supporting mas-sive agricultural conglomerates to replacewhat were once small family-owned plots. Thecountry is a major importer of wheat and soy-beans, and Beijing hopes to ensure food securi-ty for its nearly 1.4 billion people.

The government supports what it calls“hybrid” crops, such as rice but has moved cau-tiously on genetically modified food, saying itwill prevent “unauthorized” varieties.ChemChina has a unit specializing in agricul-tural chemicals, including fertilizers and pesti-cides, according to its website, but is not pres-ent in the seeds business. Syngenta chairmanMichel Demare said the deal was “focused ongrowth globally, specifically in China and otheremerging markets, and enables long-terminvestment in innovation”. — AFP

LONDON: The private sector began 2016 on aslightly weak note around the world, and withscant signs of inflation picking up, pressure willremain on central banks to keep or even easetheir already ultra-loose monetary policies, sur-veys showed yesterday.

While euro zone businesses started the yearin slightly better shape than first thought, thiswas partly due to firms cutting prices at thesteepest rate since March.

In China, where Beijing is trying to rebalancethe world’s second-largest economy, activity inthe services sector expanded at its fastest pace insix months, partially offsetting weakness in thevast manufacturing industry. Worries aboutChina’s impact on the global economy havehammered stocks and commodities this year,although Britain’s huge services sector appearedto have escaped largely unscathed.

“If external concerns grow and some of thosedownside risks with respect to China crystallise,then the situation for this year looks pretty bad,”said Ben May at Oxford Economics. “But equally,if in a couple of month’s time people are lessconcerned about China, there are tentative signsof export growth picking up, then it may well bethe outlook is much brighter.”

Markit said its latest Purchasing ManagersIndexes suggested a quarterly 0.4 percentgrowth pace for the euro zone, a rate it has strug-gled to beat for a long time. The final CompositePMI, an indicator of overall growth in the private

sector, at 53.6 just pipped a flash estimate of 53.5but was below December’s 54.3.

Deflationary pressures The pace of expansion matched only the

weakest rate clocked over the past year andcomes as the European Central Bank battles topush inflation, at a feeble 0.4 percent, backtowards its 2 percent target. “It is worth high-lighting that despite this correction, neworders remained at elevated levels, close tomulti-year highs, and thus suggesting that themoderate growth momentum is likely to besustained in Q1,” said economist ApollineMenut at Barclays Capital.

“Deflationary pressures intensified, as loweroil prices impacted both input and output costs,consistent with our view that the moderate euroarea recovery will continue to take place in a‘missingflation environment’.”

Growth in Germany, Europe’s largest econo-my, slowed but remained relatively solid, while ineuro zone No. 2 economy France which has beenstruggling to produce much growth of late, serv-ices businesses perked up a bit.

In one bright spot, retail sales across the 19countries using the euro increased inDecember thanks as sales of food, drinks andtobacco rose over the Christmas period,according to official data released yesterday.The Caixin/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Indexrose to 52.4 in January from a 17-month low of

50.2 in December, but overall prices chargedhovered in deflationary territory for a fifth con-secutive month.

China’s leaders have flagged a “new normal”of slower growth as they look to shift the econo-my to a more sustainable, consumption-ledmodel. He Fan, chief economist at Caixin InsightGroup, said the fast expansion of the servicessector indicated a better economic structure.

“The government should continue to deepenreform, relax administrative controls and reducerestrictions on market entry for serviceproviders,” He said. “This will release the potentialof the services sector.” Services growth likelyslowed in the United States, the world’s largesteconomy, after the Federal Reserve raised inter-est rates for the first time in nearly a decade atthe end of last year.

Policy roundabout Britain’s huge services sector appeared to

have performed better despite a tough Januaryon financial markets, although firms were con-cerned about risks ahead, including a referen-dum on European Union membership. TheMarkit/CIPS services PMI for Britain, whichdoesn’t use the euro, edged up to 55.6, a level ithas surpassed only once since last July. The signBritain’s economy started 2016 strongly will becertainly be noted by the Bank of England.

According to the latest Reuters poll, its BankRate, which has sat at a record low of 0.5 percent

since early 2009, probably won’t rise untilOctobers at the earliest - and even then by only25 basis points. Sterling markets don’t expect arate rise until 2018. “There are some reasons tobe cautious. In particular, there is clearly somescope for the economy to be hit by uncertaintyahead of the EU referendum,” said VickyRedwood at Capital Economics.

Prime Minister David Cameron has promiseda vote on whether Britain stays or leaves the EUunder a “Brexit” scenario. Reuters polls have con-sistently shown that uncertainty over the out-come is seen as the biggest threat to the econo-

my. As the ECB fights its own threats, it is widelyexpected to ease policy again next month, push-ing its deposit rate even deeper into negativeterritory. There is also an even chance it willincrease the 60 billion Euros a month it currentlyspends buying bonds, a Reuters poll found.

Markit’s euro zone output prices index fellfurther below the breakeven 50 mark to a 10-month low, underscoring the ECB’s inflationdilemma. However, the prospect of yet morestimulus from the ECB meant firms were attheir most optimistic about the upcoming yearsince mid-2011. —Reuters

Private businesses start 2016 on a weak footing

DUBAI: Barclays is cutting nearly 150 peoplefrom its corporate banking unit in Dubai aspart of a restructuring of the business in theGulf emirate, a source familiar with the mat-ter said yesterday. The bank will close itsoffice in the Emaar Square area of the emirateand move some staff to its branch in DubaiInternational Financial Centre, the sourcesaid. Barclays has been reviewing its businessglobally after the appointment of Jes Staleyas chief executive in December 2015.

A spokesman for the bank said it wasaligning its Middle East corporate bankingbusiness to international locations, such asthe United States, as well as to the bank’sregional investment bank and wealth andinvestment management business. “We areadopting an operating model that betterleverages our global capabilities and centersof excellence,” the spokesman added. The jobcuts were reported earlier on Wednesday byBloomberg. — Reuters

Barclays cuts nearly 150 jobs in Mideast

B U S I N E S STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

CURRENCY BUY SELLASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen 2.536Indian Rupees 4.448Pakistani Rupees 2.887Srilankan Rupees 2.108Nepali Rupees 2.784Singapore Dollar 212.400Hongkong Dollar 38.879Bangladesh Taka 3.861Philippine Peso 6.327Thai Baht 8.472

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.870Qatari Riyal 83.304Omani Riyal 787.682Bahraini Dinar 805.370UAE Dirham 82.566

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 37.400Egyptian Pound - Transfer 38.776Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.415Tunisian Dinar 149.530Jordanian Dinar 427.050Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.020Syrian Lira 2.161Morocco Dirham 31.087

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 303.100Euro 332.650Sterling Pound 437.980Canadian dollar 215.880Turkish lira 102.470Swiss Franc 298.920Australian Dollar 215.960US Dollar Buying 301.900

CURRENCY BUY SELLEurope

British Pound 0.429668 0.438668Czech Korune 0.004251 0.016251Danish Krone 0.040319 0.045319Euro 0.325100 0.333100Norwegian Krone 0.030772 0.035972Romanian Leu 0.086947 0.086947Slovakia 0.009039 0.019039Swedish Krona 0.031394 0.036394Swiss Franc 0.290936 0.301136Turkish Lira 0.097057 0.107357

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.204406 0.215906New Zealand Dollar 0.191800 0.201300

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.209651 0.218151

US Dollars 0.299200 0.303500US Dollars Mint 0.299500 0.303500

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003507 0.004107Chinese Yuan 0.044457 0.047957Hong Kong Dollar 0.037007 0.039757Indian Rupee 0.004191 0.004581Indonesian Rupiah 0.000018 0.000024Japanese Yen 0.002453 0.002633Kenyan Shilling 0.003150 0.003150Korean Won 0.000239 0.000254Malaysian Ringgit 0.068345 0.074345Nepalese Rupee 0.002873 0.003043Pakistan Rupee 0.002582 0.002862Philippine Peso 0.006256 0.006536Sierra Leone 0.000067 0.000073Singapore Dollar 0.208780 0.214780South African Rand 0.012699 0.021199Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001757 0.002337Taiwan 0.008927 0.009107Thai Baht 0.008158 0.008708

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.797090 0.805090Egyptian Pound 0.034852 0.039188Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000199 0.000259Jordanian Dinar 0.423501 0.431001Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000152 0.000252Moroccan Dirhams 0.021414 0.045414Nigerian Naira 0.001251 0.001886Omani Riyal 0.780853 0.786533Qatar Riyal 0.082543 0.083756Saudi Riyal 0.079940 0.080890Syrian Pound 0.001285 0.001505Tunisian Dinar 0.146389 0.154389Turkish Lira 0.097057 0.107357UAE Dirhams 0.081542 0.082691Yemeni Riyal 0.001370 0.001450

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

CURRENCIES TELEX TRANSFER PER 1000Australian Dollar 201.21Canadian Dollar 219.93Swiss Franc 301.04Euro 333.90US Dollar 303.30Sterling Pound 439.41Japanese Yen 2.55Bangladesh Taka 3.866Indian Rupee 4.463Sri Lankan Rupee 2.108Nepali Rupee 2.782Pakistani Rupee 2.887UAE Dirhams 0.08253Bahraini Dinar 0.8060Egyptian Pound 0.03863Jordanian Dinar 0.4314Omani Riyal 0.7876Qatari Riyal 0.08362Saudi Riyal 0.08084

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 303.350Canadian Dollar 217.070Sterling Pound 438.140Euro 332.320Swiss Frank 309.775Bahrain Dinar 802.525UAE Dirhams 82.830Qatari Riyals 84.045

Saudi Riyals 81.570Jordanian Dinar 427.325Egyptian Pound 38.629Sri Lankan Rupees 2.110Indian Rupees 4.447Pakistani Rupees 2.889Bangladesh Taka 3.859Philippines Pesso 6.337Cyprus pound 577.785Japanese Yen 3.530Syrian Pound 2.375Nepalese Rupees 3.770Malaysian Ringgit 72.310Chinese Yuan Renminbi 46.450Thai Bhat 9.425Turkish Lira 102.645

GOLD20 Gram 229.57010 Gram 117.7005 Gram 59.700

KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz”recently released its Monthly Market Researchreport. In this report, Markaz examines andanalyzes the performance of equity markets inthe MENA region as well as the global equitymarkets for the month of January.

The report pointed out that MENA marketsended in red during the month of January2016, with Egypt (13.3%) and Saudi Arabia(13.2%) declining the most, followed by Qatar(9.8%) and Kuwait price (8.7%) and weighted(7.4%) indices. Brent crude fell to USD 27.88per barrel during the month, a fall of over 25%,before recoveringand closing themonth at USD34.74 per barrel(6.8%). S&P GCCdeclined by 10.7%in January, to closeat 85 points.

The fortunes of MENA markets followed theoil price, with most indices recording a mar-ginal recovery in the last two weeks of themonth. Saudi’s TASI index slipped 21% inJanuary, before rebounding by close to 10%by the end, to close Jan at 5,997 points. Egyptstock market continued to be plagued by theforeign currency crisis, and the country isunder increasing pressure to devalue thepound. Egypt’s foreign currency reserves havedeclined from USD 36bn in 2011 to USD16.4bn, and the country has been keeping thepound artificially strong by rationing dollarsthrough the weekly dollar auctions to banks.

MENA markets liquidity had a mixedmonth, with volumes increasing by 10% andvalue traded decreasing by 4.5%. Kuwait,Dubai and Jordan witnessed increases in bothvolume and value traded, while Morocco,Oman and Bahrain markets recorded large

declines in both. Kuwait’s volume and valuetraded improved by 50% and 40%, respective-ly, despite fluctuations of oil price and persist-ent selling pressures.

Most Blue Chips ended the month ofJanuary in red, barring Ooredoo (Qatar, 5.7%),Emirates NBD (UAE, 3.9%) and EmiratesTelecom (UAE, 0.3%). Ooredoo’s Oman divisionsecured three new streams of financing fromdomestic and international banks worth USD177mn, and expects the funds to help it tocontinue improving its services and reach inthe country. The company also lowered data

rates in Myanmar ina bid to increase itspresence. EmiratesNBD, reported a netprofit of USD 1.9bnfor the full year2015, up 39% com-pared to 2014, due

to income growth, modest rise in costs andlower impairment charge. Kingdom Holding(Saudi Arabia, 28%) had a bad start to the yearafter the company declared an 86% slump inQ4 profit due to lower income and higher pro-visioning. Net profit fell from USD 71mn in Q42014 to USD 10mn in Q4 2015.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) report-ed a 29.4% drop in Q4 net profit, due to lowerprices for its products, particularly in its metalsdivision, and decline in crude prices. SaudiArabia’s National Commercial Bank (NCB)reported a 16.6% rise in fourth-quarter netprofit despite fall in deposits, as higher incomefrom fees and lending helped boost profits.

Falling oil continues to hold center stageSaudi Arabia’s government is contemplat-

ing selling shares of the state oil giant SaudiAramco to raise money in an era of cheap oil.

Saudi Aramco is the world’s largest oil firmwith crude reserves close to 265bn barrels,over 15 percent of all global oil deposits.Analysts have estimated that it could becomethe first listed company valued at USD 1tn ormore, if it goes public. Kuwait has called forbetter management of spending and forbudget cuts to cope with declining revenuesdue to lower oil prices. The country’s FinanceMinister has said that he expects the price ofoil for the 2016/17 budget to be set at aroundUSD 25 per barrel.

The government of Oman plans to cut sub-

sidy spending by almost two-thirds to helptackle a budget deficit caused by low oilprices, and its cabinet approved fuel subsidyreforms, as well as spending cuts and tax risesto bring the deficit under control. Bahrain cab-inet set new price for super fuel at 160Bahraini fils (USD 0.424) per liter from 100 fils,while the price for regular fuel would be raisedto 125 fils per liter from 90 fils.

Weak sentiment continued in 2016, plum-meting oil to fresh lows, as Brent crude hitUSD 27 per barrel on 20 Jan, its lowest levelsince November 2003. Uncertainties around

China’s economy, OPEC’s continued strategy todefend its market share, coupled with lifting ofIran’s sanctions weighed heavily, as the latterreleased excess bottled up supply into themarket. Prices rebounded after 20 Jan, asheavy blizzards in the US and a possible dealbetween OPEC and other producers to cutproduction by as much as 500,000bpd buoyedinvestor sentiments. January closed with posi-tive news from Saudi Arabia, the premiumOPEC producer, hinted at possible cooperationwith other oil producers to support the oilmarket.

Markaz: Tough start to 2016 with S&P GCC index declining Kuwait price and weighted indices decline

PARIS: Oil producing countries are scrambling to fillgaping holes in their budgets torn by crashing petro-leum prices, with some turning to internationallenders for help and others slashing spending.Austerity measures, loan negotiations and state assetsales are all on the menu of moves deployed tocounter the brutal nosedive in the oil price, with WestTexas Intermediate currently below $30 a barrel andBrent just above-a drop of about 70 percent sinceJune 2014. “These are bad times for oil producers andtheir creditors,” Gabriel Sterne, head of global macroresearch at Oxford Economics, said in a note. Nationalbudgets need to adjust further, financial buffers areinadequate and proper adjustment to the new situa-tion may be delayed by weak governance, he warned,calling the assessment “bleak”.

In Russia, which depends on oil and gas sales forhalf of government revenues, Economy MinisterAlexei Ulyukayev on Tuesday warned that his coun-try’s budgetary situation was “critical” and that it wasnow urgent to implement a privatization programthat is expected to feature sales of stakes in state-owned companies such as oil giant Rosneft. “It is nolonger possible to wait,” he said, just as Russia-a topglobal producer-was pumping oil at record levels tooffset falling prices with increased volumes. The gov-ernment in Moscow has already admitted that tum-bling oil prices will push it to slash spending as itstruggles to keep the deficit to under three percent ofgross domestic product.

‘A source of risk’ “Government deficits are growing strongly. And to

maintain social peace and military spending, producercountries are in no position to cut public spending,”said Olivier Garnier, chief economist at SocieteGenerale. Trying to reduce spending regardless wouldbe “a source of risk”, he said. Last month, theInternational Monetary Fund warned that the sharpcollapse in the price of oil is proving more of a drag onthe global economy than a stimulus, pointing to thedire budgetary situation that oil exporting countriesnow find themselves in. There are big differencesbetween the various oil-exporting countries, many ofwhom had accumulated vast dollar reserves while thegoing was good in the commodities markets. But

even the world’s biggest exporter, Saudi Arabia, is feel-ing the pain. The kingdom reported this week that itsfiscal reserves dropped to a four-year low of $611.9 bil-lion last year, from $732 billion in 2014, as the govern-ment sought to finance a budget deficit caused byplunging oil revenues. In December, Saudi Arabia hadreported a record deficit and announced austeritymeasures, including cuts to fuel subsidies.

African producer Nigeria, meanwhile, boasting no

such reserves, is seeking loans from the World Bank,the African Development Bank and other lenders tohelp cover this year’s massive budget deficit, the gov-ernment and bank officials said on Tuesday. Thebudget plan, which includes sharply increased spend-ing to stimulate the economy, calls for 1.8 trillion naira($9 billion) to be covered by borrowing from multilat-eral organizations-which the government believes isthe cheapest funding option.

The possibility for cash-strapped nations likeNigeria to get a friendly hearing from global lenders

means that situation is perhaps not yet dramatic,according to Ludovic Subran, chief economist at EulerHermes. “Today, exporters in Africa have enough for-eign reserves for at least another year. The others arebeing helped by international institutions,” he said.

Limited room for maneuver Maybe so. But while some countries may obtain

“soft loans” to tide them over, other credit lines come

with strings attached, notably austerity measures orforced asset sales-and therefore the danger of socialtrouble from already impoverished populations.

“The room for maneuver is very limited. Growth isslowing and adjustment is very costly because of aus-terity and the recession,” Christine Rifflart, an econo-mist with French think tank OFCE said in a recentreport. Venezuela, which is sitting on the biggestknown oil reserves from which it derives 96 percentof its foreign revenues, has been devastated by thedrop in prices. —AFP

Oil producers struggle to hold budget torn by price collapse

PARIS: Western companies have beenrushing into Iran for a part of post-sanc-tions business action but Europeanbanks, still reeling from punitive US finesover links to the country, are waiting onthe sidelines until they feel it is safe to dobusiness with Tehran. “Sanctions havebeen lifted but really things are still notvery clear,” a source at a major Frenchbank told AFP on condition of anonymity.

US and French interpretations on thecurrent state of play are “not aligned”, thesource said. “We shall not be taking anynew initiative in this domain.” The sealingof a nuclear deal with world powers hasushered Iran in from the diplomatic deepfreeze, opening the door to a raft of lucra-tive new partnerships.

France has already hailed a new eraafter welcoming Iranian President HassanRouhani, who sealed a host of post-sanc-tions deals last week on a visit to Paris,the headliner the purchase of 118 Airbusaircraft. But when it comes to what oilsthe wheels, high finance, there is hesita-tion, at least on the part of Europeanbanks.

“The hefty fines levied on these finan-cial institutions during the sanctions hasmade them particularly wary,” FarhadAlavi, a lawyer specializing in trade issuesincluding sanctions, said fromWashington. “European banks are notonly confronted with potential sanctionsrisks, but also other exposure pointsunder international banking regulationsand practices,” Alavi added.

Prudence is the watchword forbankers who have had their fingersburned before in the shape of swingingfines handed down by US regulators. TheElysee Palace says France has agreeddeals worth upwards of $15 billion withthe Islamic Republic. Yet the nitty gritty ofhow the investments will be drawn upand financed requires hands-on banking.

In the past, some banks were too pro-active towards Tehran and sawWashington extract a heavy price for vio-lating the old sanctions regime. The mostspectacular example, which is still onevery banker’s mind, was a record $8.9billion fine imposed on BNP Paribas in2014. The issue is also taxing bankingminds elsewhere in Europe, includingGermany.

“Deutsche Bank has noted the easingof American and European sanctionsagainst Iran,” said a spokesman for theGerman giant which last November tooka $258 million fine for doing businesswith US-sanctioned entities including Iranand Syria. “Until further notice the groupwill stick to its decision and not under-take Iran-linked business,” the Deutschespokesman insisted.

‘Uncertainty’ persists “ There is uncertainty,” says Yves-

Thibaut de Silguy, vice-chairman ofMedef International, which offers privatesector liaison for the likes of the WorldBank and other development banks andinternational organizations.

De Silguy told France Info radio lastweek that while Washington had liftednuclear sanctions other US measures-notably to stem terror funding-remain inplace. French minister of state for foreigntrade, Matthias Fekl, said Thursday he hadrequested “clarification” from Washingtonon sanctions lifting parameters andtimetabling.

It will fall to the US TreasuryDepartment offshoot the Office ofForeign Assets Control, which overseessanctions enforcement, to provide thatinformation. Thierry Coville, of the FrenchResearch Centre for International andStrategic Studies (Iris), believesWashington is happy to let uncertaintypersist. —AFP

NEW YORK: Specialist Anthony Matesic, center, reaches out to traders on the floor ofthe New York Stock Exchange. —AP

European banks hesitate on Iran, wary of US fines


B U S I N E S S

KIEV: Ukraine’s economy ministerabruptly tendered his resignation yester-day saying overwhelming corruptionhad stifled his efforts to push throughmeasures essential to getting growthback on track in the cash-strapped coun-try.

Aivaras Abromavicius’s shock depar-ture laid bare divisions within the pro-Western government of President PetroPoroshenko and highlighted the uphillbattle the former Soviet nation faces inenacting the necessary changes to jointhe European Union. “Today, I made thedecision to submit my resignation fromthe post of minister of Ukraine’s econom-ic development and trade,” theLithuanian-born minister told reporters

in Kiev. “The reason is the sharp escala-tion in efforts to block systemic andimportant reforms.”

Abromavicius and Finance MinisterNatalie Jaresko were both appointed inDecember 2014 as part of Poroshenko’sefforts to bring new blood into the war-shattered country’s attempts to return togrowth. Reacting to his resignation Kiev’sUS Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt tweetedthat Abromavicius was “one of theUkrainian government’s great champi-ons of reform... and a believer in thefuture Ukraine’s people deserve.”

“Abromavicius’s announcement is aworrying signal for foreign investors,”Concorde Capital economist OleksandrParashchiy said. The resignation comes

in the midst of growing parliamentarydispleasure with Poroshenko’s cabinetand infighting between political inter-ests tied to powerful business tycoons.

‘Can’t work in this system’ Abromavicius alleged that unnamed

powerful figures were “trying to estab-lish control over financial resources-firstand foremost those of the Naftogaz(state oil and energy company) and thedefence industry.”

“I refuse to work in such a system,” the40-year-old former banker said. “I and myteam are not ready to provide cover forthe restoration of old-and the creation ofnew-schemes (built) in the interests ofparticular political and business players.”

The graft-riven country of about 40 mil-lion has been one of Europe’s worst eco-nomic performers since winning inde-pendence in 1991.

A January report by TransparencyInternational showed Ukraine ranking130 out of 168 countries and territoriessurveyed for its 2015 CorruptionPerceptions Index (CPI).

Initial government estimates showUkraine’s economy shrinking by 10.4 per-cent of gross domestic product last year.Abromavicius’s resignation must still beapproved by parliament at a meetingtoday. Poroshenko himself failed to men-tion his minister’s decision during briefremarks devoted the appointment of anew regional governor.

Bitter rivalries Some of Kiev’s more acrimonious battles have

been waged between billionaires linked toPoroshenko and those of Prime Minister ArseniyYatsenyuk — a hawkish leader who deliveredpassionate speeches atop barricades duringUkraine’s 2014 pro-Western revolt. Yatsenyuk andPoroshenko were seen as allies in the heady daysthat followed Ukraine’s break from Russia’s his-toric embrace. But bitter rivalries have since sur-faced and Yatsenyuk’s own place in the govern-ment no longer suits some of the more outspo-ken members of the president’s team. MikheilSaakashvili-a former Georgian president whofought a brief 2008 war with Russia and currentlyserves as governor of Ukraine’s historic Odessaregion-said he spoke to Abromavicius on Tuesdayand knew that something was wrong. —AFP

Ukraine economy minister resigns over state graft

WUHAN: This picture taken on February 1, 2016 shows Chinese employeesworking on the Kadjar car assembly line of France’s Renault and China’sDongfeng Group factory. —AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s flagship autoshow opened its doors in NewDelhi yesterday with a new batchof diesel-guzzling SUVs on prouddisplay, despite industry uncer-tainty about a pollution crack-down targeting motorists in thecapital. More than 80 vehiclelaunches were expected at theAuto Expo 2016, the biggest edi-tion in the show’s 30-year history,with the Fiat Chrysler-owned Jeepmaking its India debut and hopingto capitalize on the popularity ofsports utility vehicles. SUVs pour-ing onto the roads have been part-ly blamed for the Indian capital’stoxic air which the World HealthOrganization has ranked the worston the planet.

The Delhi government and thecourts have announced a string ofmeasures to tackle the crisis,including a ban until March 31 onregistration of new diesel cars withan engine capacity of two liters ormore-typical of large SUVs or luxu-ry cars. Although the moves haverattled the industry, carmakers yes-terday showed off their new SUVs-including many smaller, cheaperversions of the cars that can moreeasily navigate chaotic city streets,aimed at young urban buyers.

Small car market Among those unveiling these

“compact SUVs” was Maruti Suzuki,the Indian subsidiar y of theJapanese carmaker better knownfor its dominance in the small carmarket, which was holding theglobal premiere of its VitaraBrezza.

Jeep acknowledged it faced thetask of reclaiming its 75-year-oldbrand name in the Indian market,where SUVs are often called simply“jeeps”. There are plans to targetaffluent consumers with its luxury4x4s. “The SUV segment is poisedto take a quantum leap in thecoming years in l ight of theemerging market trends,” saidKevin Flynn, president and manag-ing director of Fiat-Chr yslerAutomobiles India.

“Jeep is our name and we

intend to capture it for ourselves.”Jeep’s Wrangler Unlimited andGrand Cherokee models will be onsale from mid-2016, while it plansto invest $280 million in its plant inRanjangaon that will produce an“all-new Jeep”, the carmaker said.India’s biggest carmaker TataMotors showed off a range of newmodels as it tries to broaden itsflagging market share, includingtwo forthcoming SUVs and theZica hatchback-which it plans torename following the spread ofthe Zika virus.

“ We recognize the need to

improve air quality, but when welook at the targets being set, theyshould be set based on emissions-limits on emissions” rather thanrestrictions on engine size, TimothyLeverton, Tata’s head of researchand development, told AFP.

Hybrid cars on show Industry insiders say there are

fears that the ban on large dieselcars could be extended to othercities also trying to combat airpol lut ion , or ex tended for alonger term. Carmakers are rush-ing to offer petrol-powered ver-sions of their vehicles as well asdiesel , for fear motorists mayshun the dirtier fuel.

“Right now the impact is nottoo much, but more and more inIndia, customers are becomingaware of i t ,” Abdul M ajeed, apartner at consultancy firm Price

Waterhouse and auto industryexpert, said. With polluting carsin the frame, electric and hybridvehicles-still a niche market inIndia-also made a strong show-ing at the Expo, including theBMW i8 , a rare example of a

hybrid sports car.Toyota , whose Pr ius and

Camry hybrids are among thosemost sought-after by environ-mentally conscious consumers,said inquiries about the Camrydoubled in January. India, theworld’s fifth biggest auto market,has an extremely low number ofcars for i ts 1 .2 bi l l ion people,with industry figures suggestingthere are as few as 16 per 1,000people.

But despite its huge potential,the domestic passenger car mar-ket has per formed poorly in

recent years with sales growth flator in single digits, the Society ofIndian Automobile Manufacturerssays. After two days of press pre-views, the show will open to thepublic on Friday and run untilnext Tuesday. —AFP

SUVs rev up at Delhi auto show despite pollution crackdown

Diesel-guzzling SUVs on proud display

NEW DELHI: An Indian model stands next to Hyundai 2025 vision Grati Turismo at the Auto Expoin Greater Noida. —AP

WUHAN: With China’s growth slowing,ruthless competition and virtually no brandrecognition, French carmaker Renault isbanking on SUVs and a Transformersactress as it confronts an uphill struggle tobreak into the world’s biggest car market.Europe’s third largest carmaker acknowl-edged it was coming late to the party whenit opened its first factory in China this week-years after Japanese behemoth Toyota andUS giant General Motors.

“It’s a tricky situation for Renault,” JiaXinguang, chief analyst at ChinaAutomotive Industry Consulting, said.“About five or six years ago the Chinesemarket was very lively but conditions areworse and the competition is cut-throat.“Another thing is that the Renault brandisn’t well-known.” Having shifted only15,000 vehicles in China last year-a tiny frac-tion of the 24 million that hit the roads-thecompany knows it has its work cut tobecome a household name.

“There might be a lack of awareness. TheChinese may have heard people talkingabout it (Renault), but they don’t know any-thing about it, there aren’t that many ofthem on the road and they don’t know any-one in their circle who drives one,” saidJacques Daniel, CEO of its $1.2 billion jointventure with Chinese manufacturerDongfeng.

Renault’s involvement with Formula 1races in Shanghai has helped increasebrand recognition in China, although pro-nunciation of the company name inMandarin is “Lei nuo”. With so many road-blocks ahead of it Renault is pinning itshopes on two things: the Chinese thirst forSUVs, one of the fastest growing sectors inthe auto market, and the pulling power of aChinese megastar.

‘Copied and pasted’ The SUV sector has experienced explo-

sive growth in China, expanding by around53 percent last year to account for almost athird of the auto market. “We’re arriving latebut with the right product,” says Daniel. Theright product, according to Renault, is aSUV called the Kadjar that goes on sale inthe country next month-which will initiallybe the factory’s sole product.

Renault officials say their existing part-nership with Japan’s Nissan will help withproduction speed and costs as the factoryhas been “copied and pasted” from Nissanplants, using similar equipment andmachinery, and the Kadjar itself is based onNissan’s Qashqai, enabling the two firms toshare the same suppliers.

“It’s easier to build your brand by show-casing one product to begin with, then two.Imported vehicles are not that competitiveand your influence is very limited,” saysRenault CEO Carlos Ghosn-who also headsNissan. The French firm has also beefed itsshowroom network, and intends to offer abroader range once Chinese sales increase.But China’s auto market, although vast, issuffering. Total sales rose 4.7 percent in2015 — seven percent for passenger cars-but the growth was markedly lower thanfor previous years.

Model ambassador Most of all the automaker wants to rev

up its China sales with the help of a Chinesemegastar actress and fashion symbol. FanBingbing has only had minor roles inHollywood films, such as X-Men: Days ofFuture Past, Transformers: Age of Extinction,and the mainland-only version of Iron Man3, but she is a huge star in China.

As such she has become go-to Chinesecelebrity ambassador for foreign firms seek-ing a stronger foothold in the world’s sec-ond-largest economy, and has representedLouis Vuitton, Cartier and rival car firmMercedes-Benz. Fan earned $21 million in2015, according to Forbes magazine, put-ting her ahead of US actresses JenniferAniston and Angelina Jolie.

In November she became a spokes-woman for the Kadjar, unveiling a red-and-black SUV to the Chinese public at theGuangzhou motor show. But winninghearts and minds-and wallets-will taketime. Renault has an ambitious goal to cor-ner 3.5 percent of the Chinese market, butsays little about when that might happen.“Building a factory in China isn’t that com-plicated,” says Renault-Dongfeng vice-presi-dent Hu Xindong. “But it’s harder gainingthe trust of consumers and making themfall in love with your brand.” —AFP

Late arrival: Renault has amountain to climb in China

KARACHI: Pakistan’s airports wereplunged into chaos yesterday as employ-ees of the national flag carrier protestedthe deaths of two colleagues killed whiledemonstrating against plans to privatizethe airline. All of Pakistan InternationalAirline’s foreign and domestic flightswere suspended, and employees heldstrikes at airports in major cities acrossthe country.

At Karachi’s international airport,demonstrators waved placards andchanted slogans against Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif, calling on the leader toreverse a bill that converted the carrierinto a public limited company. A day ear-lier, two protesting employees were shotdead and several more wounded at theairport when clashes broke out betweensecurity forces the staff, though authori-ties denied opening fire.

The strike came despite Sharif’s warn-ing the demonstration was illegal and

those taking part could face up to a yearin prison under a law that restricts unionactivity in state-administered sectors.PIA’s chairman Nasir Jaffer meanwhileoffered his resignation, though it has notbeen accepted by Sharif, according toairline spokesman Danial Gilani.

“Everything is shut now and flightoperations have come to a completehalt,” he said. The carrier could losearound $4 million in revenue per day,Gilani added. Protest leader SohailBaloch told AFP: “We will continue ourpeaceful protests until our demand ismet.”

The employees also said they woulddonate a day’s salary to the families of thetwo employees who were killed. InDecember, Islamabad announced itwould complete the partial sale of thecarrier by July, following years of crushinglosses and mismanagement that havebattered the airline’s reputation. —AFP

Pakistan’s airports in chaos over PIA strike

TOKYO: British pop diva Adele and suave spy JamesBond may be unlikely stars in Sony’s turnaround, butthe firm is betting they are key to a corporatemakeover that analysts say still has a long way to go.The company is leaning on movies, music, and soaringsales of the PlayStation videogame console in its bid toscrap years of eye-watering losses — and it appears tobe paying off. Last week, Sony booked a nine-monthnet profit of almost $2.0 billion, reversing a year-earlierloss, with PS4 sales topping a record 30 million units inthe autumn. Sony partly credited its Hollywood stu-dio’s release of “Spectre”, the latest installment in theBond series, and its music label’s top-selling Adelealbum “25”-along with boy band One Direction’s “Madein the AM.”

The company is on target for only its second annualprofit since the 2008 global financial crisis, which gave

way to massive losses including a $5.7 billion bloodlet-ting several years ago. Under one-time US games bossKazuo Hirai, the iconic firm launched a desperaterestructuring that included layoffs and asset sales,including hiving off its laptop division and unloadingits Manhattan headquarters. But Hirai staunchlyrefused to abandon a struggling TV unit, after losingbillions of dollars in the consumer electronics that cata-pulted Sony into a global brand. Battered by stiff com-petition from lower-cost rivals from Taiwan and SouthKorea, Sony was also outmaneuvered in smartphonesby iPhone maker Apple and Samsung.

‘Good old days’ Now, nearly four years after Hirai got the top job,

analysts say the company must still decide what itwants to be-an innovative, hit-making electronics mak-

er or mature industry specialist. “It’s nonsense for Sonyto go back to the good old days. Sony is no longer ayoung, small company,” Kazuhiko Toyama, head ofTokyo-based management consultant IndustrialGrowth Platform, told AFP. “It should be aiming tobecome a more mature electronics and technologycompany,” added Toyama, who has been involved inseveral corporate turnarounds, including that of once-bankrupt Japan Airlines.

“Rather than searching for some dream-like innova-tions, the company must focus on its real strengthsand competitive advantage.” Sony should favor special-ist components-such as developing technologyfocused on self-driving vehicles-rather than trying tosave its battered consumer electronics business,Toyama said.

The company scooped up Toshiba’s image sensorbusiness as it looks to bolster its position as a globalleader in the components which are found in smart-phones and other mobile devices. “By focusing on itsfunctional strengths, Sony isn’t really straying far fromits original DNA,” Toyama added. Others say Sony stillhas much work to do on differentiating itself, and itsbosses need to inject a new spirit of innovation intothe bloated firm.

Nearly seven decades after its founding, Sony hasballooned into a global giant with about 130,000employees and operations spanning music, electron-ics, movies, videogames, memory chips, batteries andeven insurance. “Sony’s founders... obviously knewhow to differentiate the company from its competi-tors,” said Hironobu Yokota, a former Sony employeewho wrote a book several years ago about the firm’sstruggles.

But he warned that it would be an uphill battle toroll out anything approaching the success of Sony’siconic Walkman, which debuted in the late 70s. “Sonyhas been changing dramatically over the past coupleof years, but its restructuring isn’t over” said YasuoNakane, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities. “There isroom for more change in mobile communications, themovie sector, at headquarters, and in its battery busi-nesses.” —AFP

Adele, Bond help revamped Sony avoid spectre of losses

TOKYO: This file photo taken on May 22, 2014 shows Sony Corporation president andCEO Kazuo Hirai speaking during a press conference. —AFP


LONDON: Global stock markets were hav-ing another lack luster day Wednesdayamid ongoing worries over the state of theworld economy, which has piled the pres-sure on oil prices in particular. In Europe,France’s CAC 40 was down 0.5 percent to4,261 while Germany’s DAX fell 1.2 percentto 9,470. The FTSE 100 index of leadingBrit ish shares was 0.6 percent lower at5,867. U.S. stocks were poised for modestgains at the open, with Dow futures andthe broader S&P 500 futures up 0.2 per-cent.

Economy worriesAs well as fretting over the scale of the eco-

nomic slowdown in China following furtherdownbeat economic data earlier this week,investors are beginning to wonder whetherthe US recovery is as strong as thought. Weakdata this week has elevated those concerns,prompting big falls in the price of oil. OnWednesday, oil prices recovered some ground,but not much. A barrel of benchmark NewYork crude was up 43 cents at $30.31 a barrelwhile Brent, the international standard tradedin London, rose 53 cents to $33.25 a barrel.

Europe waning Added to the mix yesterday were

renewed fears over the slowdown in Europe.A closely watched survey from financial infor-mation company Markit found the economicrecovery in the 19-country euro-zone losingsteam in January, a sign that the turmoil inglobal financial markets is beginning toweigh on business activity.

US data run Further figures later yesterday, including

monthly jobs data from private payrolls firm

ADP will be closely monitored in thecontext of whether the Federal Reservewill follow up its rate hike in Decemberwith another one next month. The busyUS calendar culminates Friday with themonthly nonfarm payrolls data forJanuary, which often set the market tonefor a week or two after their release. “Wemay start to see markets quieten downover the course of the session as we gearup to Friday’s jobs report,” said JamesHughes, chief market analyst at GKFX.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 3.2percent to finish at 17,191.25. SouthKorea’s Kospi slipped 0.8 percent to1,890.67. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng wasdown 2.3 percent at 18,991.59 andChina’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.4 per-cent to 2,739.25. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200dropped 2.3 percent to 4,876.80. It was apretty flat day in currency markets withthe euro up 0.1 percent at $1.0933 andthe dollar 0.3 percent lower at 119.41yen. —AP

Global stocks remain lackluster on economy fears

HONG KONG: A man walks by a bank electronic board showing the fall ofHong Kong’s Hang Seng share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange. —AP


KUWAIT: The year started with a steep selloff inalmost all major global equity markets and assetclasses dashing investor hopes of an improvementover declines in 2015. The MSCI World index plum-meted 6.1% during the month as the decline inemerging market indices outpaced the decline indevelop market indicators.

The MSCI GCC index recorded the steepestmonthly decline of 10.1% followed by MSCI ArabianMarkets Index at -9.9%. On the other hand, the posi-tive returns for gold (+5.2%), global developed sover-eign bonds (+1.2%) and USD (1%) indicated a flighttowards safer assets.

The key factors affecting investor sentiment waslargely the same as seen during 2015, i.e. a slowdownin China coupled with the oil price rout. The overallmarket sentiment remained extremely bearish inChina as the index hit lower circuit twice during thefirst seven days of the year after economic indicatorsfailed to show a pickup in manufacturing activityresulting in trading suspension.

Meanwhile, oil, which continues to be the secondkey factor driving the sell-off due to the fear of stok-ing deflationary pressure, tumbled to the lowest levelin 12-years after sanctions over Iran were lifted andthe country announced plans to increase productionby as early as mid-2016. However, oil price saw arecovery of almost 30% during the latter half of themonth spurred by speculation that OPEC and Russiamay come to table to discuss oil production.

GCC equity markets closed the month with a mar-ket cap loss of almost USD 83 Bn or 9.3% led by steepdeclines in all the markets. Saudi benchmark indexfell the most during the month with losses reachingalmost 21% by mid-month only to partially recover ina late month relief rally. UAE markets also tumbledbut saw a strong recovery by the end of the month.

Kuwait Stock ExchangeAll of the KSE indices saw steep monthly

declines during January-16 with the KSE Price indexwitnessing a decline of 8.9%, the steepest monthlydecline since January-09, followed by a 7.4% declinerecorded in the KSE Weighted index. The declinewas broadbased as seen in the 7.8% monthlydecline in the large-cap KSE-15 index.

The KSE Weighted index briefly touched a sevenyear low level of 330.24 points on 21-January-16 butwitnessed partial recovery during the remainder ofthe month. In terms of sector performance, exceptfor the Health Care sector, all the remaining sectorsrecorded declines. The positive performance of theHealth Care index was solely on the back of 16.7%return recorded in shares of Al-Mowasat Healthcarewhich posted a 66.7% increase in net profit for FY-15. Among the decliners, the Basic Materials and theOil & Gas indices plunged by 13.8% and 11.6%,respectively, primarily as a result of the oil price rout.The Consumer Goods index also recorded a steepdecline of 11.5% primarily due to the 12% fall inshares of Americana that declined amidst a broadermarket sell-off. The heavyweight Bank index alsodeclined by 8.1% during the month, with the excep-tion of CBK, as shares in allthe other banks declineddespite NBK (-10%) and KFH (-7.4%) posting netprofit growth of 7.8% and 15.3%, respectively.

The monthly gainers chart was topped by GulfFinance House with a monthly return of 22.4% fol-lowed by Al Mowasat Healthcare (+16.7%) andREAM (+12.1%). Meanwhile, the monthly declinerschart was topped by Taiba Kuwaiti Holding with afall of 76.7% although trades in the stock were mar-ginal. Other noticeable decliners included NationalInvestment Co. which declined by 19.3% followedby Gulf Bank and Boubyan Petrochemicals withmonthly declines of 16.9% and 16.0%, respectively.Market breadth continued to favor losers whichincluded 142 companies as compared to 23 declin-ers. The overall trading activity saw some improve-ment during the month as compared to December-15. Total shares traded increased by 15.3% to 2.7 Bnshares, whereas value traded during the monthincreased by 16.7% to KWD 282 Mn. Al Dar NationalReal Estate was the most widely traded stock on theexchange with a monthly volume of 311 Mn sharesfollowed by Ithmar Bank and GFH with 279 Mnshares and 231 Mn shares, respectively. In terms ofvalue traded, KFH topped the chart with KWD 54.5Mn worth of shares traded during the month fol-lowed by NBK and Viva Kuwait with KWD 32.6 Mnand KWD 16.5 Mn worth of shares traded on theexchange.

On the economic front, the draft budget forfinancial year 2016-17 has forecasted a budgetdeficit of KWD 12.2 Bn (USD 40.2 Bn) with expectedrevenues reaching KWD 7.4 Bn, whereas expendi-tures are expected to decline by 1.6% to KWD 18.9Bn. In a related announcement, the country’sFinance Minister had said that an oil price of USD25/b has been used for the 2016/17 budget whichimplies a realistic goal in terms of state finances aswell as ample flexibility for the government toadjust expenses in case oil prices edge up in thenear term.

Saudi Arabia (Tadawul)The Tadawul All Share Index lost more than 20%

during the first twenty days of trading during thenew year as the market followed trends seen in theoil market as well as global stock market volatility.The benchmark fell to the lowest close in almost fiveyear on 20-January-16 trailing oil prices thatdeclined to their lowest level in more than a decadeafter sanctions over Iran were lifted. However, theremaining part of the month saw some strong reliefrallies as oil prices strengthened temporarily. Inaddition, speculations that Russia and OPEC wouldcome to table talk about oil production also provid-ed some relief to the market.

The sector performance chart also reflected theprevailing negative investor sentiment with all theindices closing the month with a steep declines.Among the major sectors, the Multi-Investmentindex plunged more than 20% during the month, as

Kingdom Holding fell almost 30% after reporting a18.6% drop in net profits. The monthly gainers chartincluded merely two stocks namely Sadafco andBupa Arabia with monthly returns of 7.0% and 1.3%,respectively. Shares in Bupa Arabia surged after thecompany reported profits that more than doubledduring 2015. On the other hand, the top threedecliners for the month were from the insurancesector namely, Wafa Insurance (-52.8%), Al Alamiya(-47.3%) and Trade Union Coop. Insurance (-46.2%).

Trading activity on the exchange in terms of val-ue traded declined during January-16 as comparedto the previous month although volumes and num-ber of trades surged, indicating the fact that fallingprices had a significant impact on share prices.Lesser number of trading days during January-16(21 days as compared to 23 days in December-15)also affected monthly market activity. Total valuetraded during the month declined by SAR 11.2 Bnor 8.9% to SAR 115.1 Bn whereas monthly volumetraded surged 6.9% to 6.4 Bn shares. Alinma Bank (-8.8%) topped both the monthly volume and valuechart with 1.5 Bn shares traded valued at SAR 19.8Bn. The monthly value traded chart also includedSABIC and BAHRI with SAR 13.8 Bn and SAR 10.8 Bnworth of shares traded during the month.Preliminary earnings announcements for FY15 indi-cated a decline of almost 14% in net profits as com-pared to 2014. Except for the Banking sector, whichrecorded a 5.4% increase in net profits, none of theother major sectors recorded earnings improve-ment for FY-15. Profits for the Banking sector waslargely positive with only three banks, namely RiyadBank, The Saudi Investment Bank and Bank Al Bilad,reporting drop in full year net profits. Profits for thePetrochemical sector plunged 38% to SAR 21.3 Bnwhereas companies in the Energy & Utilities sectorreported a 56% drop in net profit.

On the economic front, IMF, in its latest update,lowered growth expectations for Saudi Arabia’s eco-nomic growth in 2016 and 2017 by 100 bps to 1.2and 1.9%, respectively. The decline in oil prices hasput excessive strain on state budgets with theKingdom now exploring options to best utilize stateassets. In a related announcement, the governmentis said to be exploring the options for an IPO ofdownstream operations of state oil companyAramco, although no concrete announcement was

made by the end of the month to this effect.Meanwhile, there was also speculation that thecountry may issue local currency bonds worth SAR20 Bn in the coming weeks.

Abu Dhabi Securities ExchangeADX Monthly Sector Performance Monthly Value

Traded (AED Mn) ADX General Index started 2016with heightened volatility, similar to its other GCCpeers, and closed in the red for the month ofJanuary-16, falling by 5.9% m-o-m. The marketclosed at 4,054.37 points in January-16, and recov-ered from its lows of 13.2% MTD declines caused bythe rout in oil prices that shook GCC markets.Sectors, which dragged the index down, were ledby the Energy Index, which plunged by 14.3% m-o-m, due to the concerns over the outlook of the sec-tor, as both index constituents Dana Gas (-15.7%)and Abu Dhabi National Energy (-8.5%) witnessedsignificant declines. Sectors that followed were bothfinancials indexes - Banking and Investment &Financial Services which dropped by over 9% and8% respectively. Telecom was the only index toclose in the green for the first month of the year,albeit marginally, increasing by 0.3%. Banking Indexwitnessed declines in all of its scrips, barring twostocks, as large cap names such as ADCB and FGBdeclined by 8.9% and 10.3% respectively.

In corporate developments, earnings releases forfull year 2015 were announced for large cap bankssuch as FGB, ADCB and NBAD during the month.FGB reported a net profit of AED 6.01 Bn, up 6% y-o-y from the AED 5.66 Bn posted in 2014. EPS for 2015came in at AED 1.32, which represented an increaseof 8% y-o-y. Group revenues grew by 5% from AED8.97 Bn in 2014 to AED 9.43 Bn in 2015. ADCBreported net profit of AED 4.927 Bn for 2015, repre-senting a 17% increase over the AED 4.2 Bn record-ed in the previous year. The bank stated that the netprofit in Q4-15 stood at AED 1.19 Bn, up 16.4% overthe same period in 2014. NBAD, the UAE’s largestlender by assets, reported a 6 % decline in net profitfor 2015, as they recorded a net profit of AED 5.232Bn, reportedly due to weak Q4-15 results. Q4-15 netprofit declined 25% y-o-y and 22% q-o-q to AED1.036 Bn, reportedly due to challenging market andliquidity conditions prevalent in the market.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor affirmed its ‘A-

‘long-term corporate credit rating on Ooredoo andreaffirmed its stable outlook. The agency believesthat Ooredoo now has significant cash balances anda comfortable debt maturity profile, leading themto revise their liquidity assessment to strong, fromadequate.

Trading activity during the month also fell fromDecember-15, both in terms of value and volumestraded. Value traded declined by 35.4% from theprevious month to close January-16 at AED 3.3 Bn.Volumes traded dropped by 14.6%, from close to1.8 Mn shares in December-15 to 1.5 Mn shares inJanuary -16. Etisalat remained the largest tradedstock in the ADX index as AED 831 Mn worth of thestock was traded during the month. Aldar and FGBfollowed with value traded of AED 614 Mn and AED611 Mn.

Despite banks being one of the key sectorswhich lost ground in January-16, the monthly topgainers featured banking names. Commercial BankInternational led the gainers list and achieved amonthly return of 29.2%, followed by National Bankof Fujairah and Emirates Driving Co, which went upby 14.9% each during the month. Prominent declin-ers included Union National Bank with a monthlyshare price decline of 25.6%, followed byInternational Fish Farming Co. and Invest Bank, asthey saw their stock prices erode by 25.2% and 20%respectively.

Dubai Financial Market DFM Index also witnessed similar trends to ADX

as the index closed lower by 4.9% in January -16, ascompared to the previous month. The index closedat 2,997.77 points and recovered more towards theend of the month than the ADX General Index, as itrallied from its lows of 16.8% MTD declines seenduring the month. Sectoral advances and declinesfor the month had similarities to trends witnessed inthe ADX General index. Indices, which drove thebourse down, were led by Investment & Financialsservices, which closed the month lower by over10.2%, followed by the Insurance Index and RealEstate Index, which dropped by 9.9% and 9.7%respectively. Telecoms bucked the overall negativetrend in the market and improved by 6.1% duringthe first month of 2016.

Sectoral Performance was broadly negative

barring Telecoms, and Banks and Industrialsindices, which were flat for the month that passed.Most scrips in the Investment & Financial,Insurance and Real Estate indices witnessed dou-ble-digit declines for the month, as they could notrecover from the market turmoil, which grippedmarkets during the month. Heavyweight RealEstate names such as Emaar and Emaar Malls wit-nessed significant declines in January -16, declin-ing by over 10% and 13% respectively. Both com-panies recovered from their lows posted on 21January-16, but ended the month at multi-yearlow prices. DU was able to post a 5.9% increase inprice for the month and was able to lift the indexhigher.

Major corporate developments included EmaarProperties signing a partnership agreement withthe Sharjah Investment and DevelopmentAuthority (Shurooq) and Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi-based property developer, to establish a new realestate company in Sharjah called OmranProperties. The aim of the partnership is reportedlyto boost economic investments in Sharjah. In earn-ings releases during the month, large cap bankingnames such as Emirates NBD and Dubai IslamicBank released their full year 2015 results. EmiratesNBD saw its net profit go up by 39% y-o-y to AED7.1 Bn, while total income for the year grew by 5%y-o-y to AED 15.2 Bn. Key drivers for the resultswere reportedly income growth, a modestincrease in costs and a lower impairment charge.Dubai Islamic Bank posted a net profit growth of37% y-o-y, as net profit increased to AED 3.8 Bn, ascompared with AED 2.8 Bn for 2014. Total incomealso increased by 21% y-o-y to AED 7.5 Bn, up 21%compared with AED 6.2 Bn for prior year. Shares ofDrake and Scull International (DSI) led the monthlylosers chart as it declined by 19.5% and closed themonth at AED 0.335 per share. The share plungedduring the month, and even registered its 10% dai-ly limit as concerns in the construction sector overrevenue visibility, competition and high costsloom. Al Madina for Finance & Investment and GulfGeneral Investment followed DSI with declines of19.3% and 19.2% for the month. On the otherhand, Gulf Navigation Holding topped the gainerslist with a gain of 33.7% followed by Al Salam Bank- Sudan and Gulf Finance House with monthlyreturns of 16.5% and 13.6%, respectively. Trends intrading activity were however divergent to theADX General Index, as trading activity improvedfrom the previous month. Volumes tradedincreased 34% m-om from 5.9 Bn shares to 7.9 Bnshares in January -16, while value traded went upby 38% m-o-m to AED 9.2 Bn for the month.Moreover, value traded and number of traded wit-nessed during the month were the largest sinceAug-15.

Qatar Exchange After ending 2015 as one of the laggards in

the GCC markets, Qatar Exchange continued itsdownward spiral in January-16, declining by9.1% as compared to the previous month toclose at 9481.30 points. The panic set bydeclines in oil prices during the month also sawthe index touch its lowest levels over the lasttwo years. The QE All share index declined by ahigher 9.3% during the month to close at2519.72 points. In terms of sectoral indices,Consumer Goods & Services Index lost the mostground during the month, declining by over12.5%, followed by Real Estate index, whichreceded by 11.9% m-o-m. In terms of tradingactivity, trading value during January-16decreased by 13.8% m-o-m to reach QAR 5.0 Bn,compared to QAR 5.8 Bn during December-15.Traded volumes increased by 3.8% m-om for thefirst month of 2016 to reach almost 150 Mnshares, as against 144 Mn shares recorded dur-ing the month prior.

All sectoral indices closed in the red for themonth of January-16, except for the Insuranceindex, which closed almost flat (+0.6%).Consumer Goods Services lost maximumground amongst indices during the month, asbigger names in the sector such as Medicare (-26.4%), Al Meera (-12.5%) & Qatar Fuel (-7.0%)dragged down index. The Real Estate index sawheavyweight names such as Barwa Real Estateloose significant ground, declining by 18%,along with Ezdan Holding which sunk by 9.4%during the month. In the Banking and FinancialServices pack, all stocks barring Ahli Bank andQatar International Islamic Bank witnessed sig-nificant declines, and the aforementioned banksmoved up by 4.3% and 1.6% respectively. Interms of company announcements, QNB report-ed net profit of QAR 11.2 Bn for full year 2015, ascompared to QAR 10.4 Bn for the previous year.This translated into an EPS of QAR 16.1 for 2015,as compared to QAR 14.9 for 2014. Qatar IslamicBank released its full year 2015 results as wellreporting a net profit is QAR 1.95 Bn, as againstQAR 1.6 Bn for the same period of the previousyear. EPS came in at QAR 8.27 for the periodcompared to an EPS of QAR 6.78 for 2014.

Market breadth was weak as only five stocksclosed the month in the green, while 37 lostground from their Decemeber-15 prices.Monthly gainers for the month January-16 wastopped by Ooredoo, which ended up the monthup by 5.7%. Al Ahli Bank of Qatar and QatarGeneral Insurance followed with gains of 4.2%and 1.8% respectively. The laggards during themonth was led by Dlala Brokerage which saw itsprice plunge by 30.5%, while Islamic HoldingGroup and Medicare followed closely witnessingdeclines of 29% and 26.4%. GISS was the mostactively traded stock in the index for the month,as QAR 659 Mn was traded on the exchange.Qatar National Bank followed with trades worthQAR 657 Mn, followed by Masraf Al Rayan whichwitnessed trades amounting to QAR 389 Mn.

KAMCO Research: GCC Market monthly report


ZURICH: Swatch yesterday posted a 21-percent-drop in its annual net profit, asthe world’s biggest watch group wasslammed by a strong Swiss franc and astruggling timepiece sector. Last year, theSwiss watchmaker saw its net profit plum-met to 1.1 billion Swiss francs ($1.08 bil-lion, 990 million Euros), dropping by morethan a fifth from 2014, when it reportedits weakest annual result in five years.

The company meanwhile said itsoperating profit slipped three percent to8.4 billion Swiss francs last year, blamingespecially “the ongoing unfavorable cur-

rency situation versus the still massivelyovervalued Swiss franc.” The value of theSwiss franc ballooned after the Swisscentral bank in January 2015 suddenlystopped artificially trying to hold downits value against the euro, hittingexporters in the country hard.

Stripping out exchange rate factors,by contrast, Swatch said its operatingprofit dipped only 0.9 percent. Theresults were largely in line with expecta-tions of analysts polled by the AWP finan-cial news agency, who had anticipated anet profit of 1.1 billion francs on an oper-

ating profit of 8.5 billion.Following the announcement, Swatch

saw its share price fall 1.24 percent to334.70 Swiss francs in morning trading asthe Swiss stock exchange’s main SMIindex inched up 0.46 percent. Swatch,best known for its brightly coloured plas-tic-cased watches, meanwhile stressedthat its all-important Watches andJewelry unit had contracted just 0.8 per-cent in constant exchange rates-less thanthe overall sector. In 2015, Swiss watchexports shrank 3.3 percent to 21.5 billionfrancs, falling for the first time since 2009.

The 2015 slump was closely linked to asteep 9.1-percent fall in demand in Asia,the main market for Swiss watches,which absorbed exactly half of all theexports last year. Exports to China haveyo-yoed wildly in recent years, first rakingin several years of double-digit growthbefore taking a hard hit following effortsto crack down on corruption in thatcountry by banning extravagant gifts likeexpensive watches to public officials.

The pro-democracy Umbrella proteststhat brought much of key watch marketHong Kong to a standstill in 2014 also hit

Swiss watchmakers hard. Swatch, whichowns 20 brands including Breguet,Omega and Blancpain, however said itexpected improvements ahead. “Despitethe ongoing challenging environment invarious regions,” Swatch said it expectedto see “a sustainable development insales in local currency in 2016, based onworldwide ongoing very good consump-tion demand for Swiss watches.” Thecompany hailed especially signs of apick-up in China, where it said it “expectsgrowth of well over 5% in 2016 in localcurrency” this year. — AFP

Hit by strong franc, Swatch profits lower

KUWAIT: In its continued efforts to align withtechnological advancements and their applica-tion in all its transactions that make its clientslives easier, and in order to enrich their bankingexperience through the use of electronic chan-nels, Warba Bank, which is considered a leadingbank in the state of Kuwait and offers diverse,integrated and complete banking and invest-ment services that are compliant with IslamicSharia on an international level, now presents aunique service to its customers: “Pay & Win”, aservice that enables them to enter a monthlydraw when they pay their mobile phone bills orrecharge to win the equivalent of 100% of theirbill value or recharge amount.

The campaign is only one of many otherinnovative services that meet the needs of cus-tomers and, as such, the bank is keen onstrengthening and enriching their experiencesin view of the technological advancements inthe banking industry, especially as the bank iswell-aware that such practices have become anecessity for its customers in line with interna-tional and quality standards.

Therefore, the draw is open to all the bank’scustomers who pay their mobile phone bills orrecharge during the reward period throughmobile payment, as they will have a chance toenter the monthly draw one time against eachbill payment or recharge instance undertaken.The campaign which was launched last Januaryincluded three draws, the first of which was on6th January, while the second and third drawswill be on 3rd February and 2nd March 2016.

On a related matter, the bank has noticeablefingerprints when adopting technological appli-cations in its banking services, which manifestedearlier in a band of services offered onlinethrough smart phones that are Android and IOSbased, in addition to “online banking service”which provides a wide spectrum of online serv-ices. This is an indication of the bank’s commit-ment to enhance its customers’ experiencessince these facilities will enable customers tocarry out various transactions that previously

had to be conducted in person at a branch, andwhereas such operations are accomplished freeof charge and with quality service and securitystandards.

Warba Bank aims through the introduction ofthese electronic services and applications - andthrough developing others - to establish its lead-ing role in the market of online banking in orderto make them user-friendly, easy and valuablewhile ensuring outstanding service and security.In order to benefit from these new and current

online services, a customer can download thesmart phone application from Google Play andApple Store, and then register with WarbaOnline as a user. Windows based smart phoneusers and Blackberry users should visit thebank’s website www.warbabank.com.

Customers who wish to learn more aboutthese internet services may visit any of thebank’s branches or call customer service on1825555 or visit our social media pages onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.

‘Pay & Win’: An unparalleled campaign offered by Warba Bank

KUWAIT CITY: Gulf Insurance andReinsurance, the subsidiary of Gulf InsuranceGroup (gig) and the leading insurance serviceprovider in Kuwait, announced today its par-ticipation in the fourth Kuwait Yacht Show2016, which is scheduled to be held from 31stJan till the 4th Feb 2016 at Marina Crescent. Awide range of boats and super yachts arebeing displayed during the event that alsoincludes international brands and dealersfrom all over the world.

Corporate Communication and InvestorRelations Manager of Gulf Insurance Group,

Mr Khalid Al Sanousi said, “The Kuwait YachtShow will provide an excellent opportunityfor visitors to explore a variety of insuranceschemes for their boats and yachts. The par-ticipation of Gulf Insurance and Reinsurancereflects the company’s efforts to provide cus-tomers with the best possible insurance solu-tions that accommodates their varied needs.”The exhibition provides visitors the chance toexplore the latest and the most modern mar-itime craft, exhibiting new developments inthe industry while also enjoying fine andexclusive services.

Gulf Insurance and Reinsuranceparticipates in Kuwait Yachts Show 2016

KUWAIT: Confirming its position as pri-mary gaming destination in Kuwait, X-citeby Alghanim Electronics is happy toannounce the winners of its spectacularSony PlayStation Raffle Draw.

Anyone who purchased a gaming con-sole from the PlayStation family (iePlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 or PlayStationVita) had the chance to enter the draw andwin valuable prizes. These prizes included abrand new Camaro and Silverado as first andsecond prizes respectively, in addition to KD1500 as a 3rd prize and KD 500 presented tothe next four winners (4th until 7th) each.

The promotion began on January 1st,2016 and ended on January 31st, 2016,where the final draw was held on February2nd, 2016 in the presence of officials fromthe Ministry of Commerce. The firstprizewinner of the new Camaro isMohammad Abdulmenem while the sec-ond prizewinner of the new Silverado isSaleh Al-Khamis and the third prizewinnerof KD 1,500 cash is Salma Al-Saqqa.Thefourth, fifth, sixth and seventhprizewinners are Mohammad Hasbo, AshrafHanafi, Rita Awad and Omar Kteish wenthome with KD 500 cash each.

X-cite announces the winnersof the Sony PlayStation Draw

DUBAI: Travelers flying to Etihad Airways’ desti-nations in the USA will now enjoy the addedconvenience of being pre-cleared before board-ing their flights through Abu Dhabi InternationalAirport’s United States Customs and BorderProtection (CBP) Facility located at Terminal 3.

This covers passengers bound for Chicago,Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco andWashington DC. As a result, when EtihadAirways’ guests arrive in the US, they will betreated like domestic arrivals, with shorter con-nection times possible for onward flights withinthe mainland, as well as luggage arriving at thefinal destination.

Additionally, with Automated PassportControl (APC) kiosks also available at the AbuDhabi International Airport, Etihad Airways’ pas-sengers travelling from the US, and other eligi-ble Visa Waiver Program international passen-gers can also experience even shorter wait timesand faster processing when passing through theairport of the capital city of the UAE.

As the first purpose-built facility of its kind inthe region, Abu Dhabi International Airport isone of only a handful of airports outside NorthAmerica that offer the CBP facility. Such facilitywill enable guests flying to all Etihad Airways’destinations in the USA to worry less about long

queues and focus more on experiencing the air-line’s award-winning hospitality.

Etihad Airways offers five daily flights fromKuwait to Abu Dhabi, providing convenient con-

nection to daily flights to Chicago, Los Angeles,San Francisco, and Washington DC, besides itsdouble daily flights to New York and three flightsa week to Dallas.

KUWAIT: Kuwait InternationalBank announced its sponsor-ship of the “Pink Steps”Walkathon for Ladies that isorganized on Saturday Feb6th2016 at Mishref pedestrianwalkway by Cancer AwarenessNation (CAN), as part of itsleading CSR program that aimsat supporting the various ini-tiatives that serve the commu-nity and its individuals.

On this occasion, theManager of the CorporateCommunications Unit at KIB, Nawaf Najia,said “This sponsorship translates Al-Dawli’scommitment to raise awareness of cancerdiseases and ways for prevention throughembracing a healthy lifestyle, exercisingand participating in different kinds ofsports that play a crucial role in the preven-tion of obesity-related cancer diseases,especially breast cancer and, colon and rec-tum cancer”.

He stated, “The walkathon coincideswith the first Gulf Week for CancerAwareness that will run for a whole week,

as the walkathon start pointwill be on the 2 KM of the walk-way near Al Omar Mosqueroundabout and will be splitinto three age groups. Thethree winners of each categorywill be honored by Al-Dawli”.

It’s worth noting that regis-tration is open for ladies whowould like to take part in thewalkathon at C.A.N premise inMessila, Block 1, Street 25, Villa6. Besides, C.A.N volunteersand organizers will be also

available at Mishref pedestrian walkway onJanuary 16th, 23rd and 30th, 2016.Participants can also register at the startingpoint on the same day of the walkathonand receive their T-shirts and caps.

“Driven by its humanitarian and nation-al commitment that aims at spreadingawareness among the members of thecommunity, Al-Dawli strives to adopt acomprehensive strategy that takes in vari-ous social initiatives such as cultural, edu-cational, sports, health, youth and others”,Najia concluded.

Al-Dawli sponsors the ‘PinkSteps’ walkathon for ladies

Nawaf Najia

US Customs provides further convenience for Etihad airways’ passengers

LUANDA: Sitting under an umbrella in the heat ofAngola’s capital Luanda, a vendor holds amakeshift currency exchange board on which isscribbled “335 kwanzas: $1”-more than double theofficial rate of 155 kwanzas. The drop in the price ofcrude oil to its lowest level in more than a decadehas not only pushed Angola’s currency to recordlows, it has plunged the economy of Africa’s sec-ond largest crude producer into a crisis.

Despite the country ’s oil and diamondresources, Angola suffers endemic poverty, withmore than a third of the population of around 24million living below the poverty line, according tothe United Nations. Fallout from the oil pricecrunch is inflicting even more pain on the alreadystruggling poor, and risks threatening the stabilityof the country.

The kwanza currency lost 35 percent of its valueagainst the dollar last year and Angolans are rush-ing to turn their local savings into more stableunits, yet banks are low on foreign exchange. Theblack market is their only hope for now.

“There is a strong demand for the dollar,” said ayoung black marketer on condition of anonymity.The rate “can’t continue to go up like this, other-wise it becomes dangerous, people are fed up”, hesaid. In December, central bank governor JosePedro de Morais tried to calm nerves, saying therewas “no dollar crisis in the country”.

“There is a balance of payment deficit and thereare fewer foreign resources, but the 2016 national

budget will try to address this temporary difficulty,”he said. Shortly after his remarks, the bank deval-ued the currency by 15 percent against the dollar.The devaluation did not come as a surprise “giventhe price of oil, the pressure on the foreignexchange reserves and government revenue belowgovernment’s budget,” said an internal note from a

regional bank. “A weaker currency is needed toslow imports demand and help exports.”

Tino Mario Salomao is a businessman whoimports mobile phone handsets and othertelecommunication products for retail sale in hisshop in Luanda. “We have reached a stage wherewe cannot travel anymore. —AFP

Angola economy in crisis as oil price sinks currency

LUANDA: This file photo taken on January 26, 2010 shows a woman carrying a bucket of fruitson her head in downtown Luanda. — AFP

t e c h n o l o g yTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

WASHINGTON: A former NuclearRegulatory Commission scientist plead-ed guilty Tuesday to a federal computercrime, admitting that he attempted tolaunch a cyber-attack on governmentcomputers by sending employeesemails that he thought contained avirus.

Charles Harvey Eccleston, who wasdetained in the Philippines last yearand deported to the United States toface charges, is scheduled to be sen-tenced in April. Federal sentencingguidelines call for him to spend at leasttwo years behind bars.

Prosecutors say Eccleston, 62, lastyear attempted “spear-phishing” emails

to dozens of Energy Department emailaccounts - a technique in which hack-ers send targeted, legitimate-lookingemails that when opened can launchmalicious software onto a recipient’scomputer network. The email link inthis case - an invitation to a scientificconference - was actually benign andsupplied by an undercover FBI agentwho was posing as a foreign intelli-gence officer.

The Justice Depar tment saysEccleston, who is quoted in an FBI affi-davit as saying he was once a “patriot”but became angry after he lost his job,had hoped to expose the EnergyDepar tment computer system to a

virus and extract sensitive informationthat could then be collected by a for-eign country.

The scheme began in 2013 whenEccleston walked into a foreignembassy in the Philippines where hemoved after being fired from the NRC in2010 - and offered to sell a list of morethan 5,000 email addresses of EnergyDepartment employees in exchange for$18,800. Eccleston said that i f theembassy refused, he could turn aroundand offer the “top secret” information toIran, Venezuela or China. The identity ofthe embassy Eccleston approached wasnot revealed in court documents andremains classified, prosecutors said.

Instead, the embassy contacted the FBI,and undercover agents then reachedout to Eccleston to coordinate on theplanned cyber-attack.

A 50-page FBI affidavit filed in thecase reveals extensive back-and-forthplanning between Eccleston and theundercover agents, with Eccleston atone point explaining that he was once a“patriot” who “believed in the flag” butbecame disgruntled after he left thegovernment. He also understood thathe would be in serious legal trouble ifcaught.

“If we make a mistake, I’m going tobe locked up for the rest of my life,”Eccleston is quoted as saying.

In January 2015, prosecutors said,Eccleston sent the email that hethought was infected to roughly 80Energy Department employees at labo-ratories and other locations around thecountry. He was then taken into cus-tody after he showed up for a meetingwith the undercover agent at which hethought he would be paid roughly$80,000 for sending the emails.

Eccleston spoke briefly at the pleahearing Tuesday and defended himselfby saying that the email addresses inquestion were not classified.

“I never set out to do anything thatthis developed into,” Eccleston told U.S.District Judge Randolph Moss. —AP

Guilty plea in attempted cyber-attack on US govt computers

NEW YORK: Photo, shows the Comcast building sign at Rockefeller Center, inNew York. —AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo on Tuesdaysaid it is cutting 15 percent of itsworkforce and narrowing its focus asit explores “strategic alternatives” forthe future of the faded Internet star.The announcement, coming with therelease of a big quarterly loss, offeredthe first sign that Yahoo may be opento a sale or merger after years ofstruggling to regain its former glory.

The California company reporteda loss of $4.43 billion in the final threemonths of last year, due mostly tolowering the value of its US, Canada,Europe, Latin America and Tumblrunits. Revenue was up marginallyfrom a year ago at $1.27 billion.

Yahoo said in a statement it waslaunching “an aggressive strategicplan to simplify the company, nar-rowing its focus on areas of strengthto better fuel growth.”

At the same time, it said it waslooking at “additional strategic alter-natives,” suggesting it could seek adeal to sell or merge the company.

‘BOLD SHIFTS’ Yahoo chief executive Marissa

Mayer said she is launching “a strongplan calling for bold shifts in prod-ucts and in resources” to help revivethe company’s fortunes.

She maintained that the planwould “dramatically brighten ourfuture.” The plan is intended to drivegrowth in Yahoo’s mobile, video,social and “native” ad offerings, agroup of products which Mayerrefers to as “Mavens.” Tuning offeringsfor mobile Internet users will be atthe forefront as Yahoo focuses on itssearch, email, and online magazines,according to Mayer. Online discov-ery, communication, and differentiat-ed digital content are “what makeYahoo Yahoo,” Mayer said.

Streamlining the company andputting it on a trajectory forimproved earnings would also makeit a more attractive acquisition.

JOB CUTS THIS QUARTER Yahoo said it will reduce operating

expenses by more than $400 millionby the end of the year. The companywill cut its workforce by about 15 per-cent, or approximately 1,500 people,and closing offices in Dubai, MexicoCity, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Milan.

Yahoo expects that by the end ofthis year it will have approximately9,000 employees and fewer than1,000 contractors. “Yahoo does nottake this decision lightly and will

make every effort to handle theprocess with thoughtfulness, trans-parency, and compassion,” it said in arelease.

Yahoo shares were down slightlymore than one percent to $28.62 intrades that followed the close of mar-ket on Tuesday.

MAYER ON THE DEFENSE Mayer took time during a webcast

earnings presentation to attack whatshe branded “blatant falsehoods” insome media reports. She passionate-ly rejected accounts that Yahoo had

squandered $7 million dollars on aholiday party and over the past fewyears has spent $450 million on foodfor workers.

“I have found these untruths to beupsetting,” Mayer said.

“Both numbers are exaggeratedby more than a factor of three.” Shesaid that globally, holiday partieshosted by the Silicon Valley-basedcompany cost about $150 perattendee.

“Our food program is extremely

well-run and all employee perks arestandard for our industry in light ofour companies area and generallyrun less expensively here than else-where,” Mayer insisted. She alsodefended giving workers smart-phones, saying the handsets remainYahoo property and that they werewarranted tools given that a compa-ny priority is tuning into mobilelifestyles.

“There are many more examplesof untruths,” Mayer said. “Please knowwe are very thoughtful about howwe spend company resources.”

PARALLEL OPTIONSMaynard Webb, Yahoo chairman,

said that the board is “committed tothe turnaround efforts of the man-agement team” but must also look atother options. “The board alsobelieves that exploring additionalstrategic alternatives, in parallel tothe execution of the managementplan, is in the best interest of ourshareholders,” Webb said.

The restructuring plan will allowYahoo to focus on mail, search and

the Tumblr blogging platform forconsumers, as well as “deep verticalutilities” identified as news, sports,finance and lifestyle. Yahoo will alsofocus on two advertising units knownas Gemini and BrightRoll. Yahoo isalso expect to sell off non-strategicassets including patents and realestate, generating some $1 billion.

Industry tracker eMarketer fore-cast that Yahoo’s share of the globalmobile internet ad market will slipslightly this year to 1.5 percent.“Although it is growing, Yahoo’s socalled Mavens businesses have not

gathered enough momentum toturn around Yahoo’s advertising busi-ness, and we expect to see the com-pany’s market share decline in thenear future,” said eMarketer analystMartin Utreras.

The company plans to proceedwith its plan to separate the corebusiness from its stake in Chineseonline giant Alibaba. Last year, Yahoorevised the plan for tax reasons,deciding to spin off the core opera-tions. —AFP

Yahoo opens door to deal, unveils big job cuts

LAS VEGAS: This file photo taken on January 07, 2014 shows Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer speakingduring her keynote address at the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yahoo onTuesday said it is cutting 15 percent of its workforce and narrowing its focus as it explores“strategic alternatives” for what to do with the faded Internet star. The announcements came asthe California company reported a loss of $4.43 billion in the final three months of last year, duemostly to lowering the value of its US, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Tumblr units. —AFP

NEW YORK: Comcast is trumpeting itsbest year for traditional TV services innearly a decade, even though it contin-ues to lose TV subscribers.

As the number of traditional TV cus-tomers declines across the industry,Comcast is stemming its losses by luringthem with new TV-Internet packages,while keeping TV customers around forlonger with the help of a fancier cablebox. The company also says recentinvestments in customer service, long ablemish on its reputation, have helped.

Comcast said yesterday that it added89,000 TV customers in the last threemonths of 2015, the best fourth quarterin eight years. For the full year, Comcastlost 36,000 TV customers, the smallestdrop since 2007. The last year it addedvideo customers was in 2006. Othercable companies are improving, too,even as cable bills rise overall, and peo-ple spend more time watching videoonline. Time Warner Cable posted a smallgain of 32,000 TV customers for 2015,the first year it’s added TV subscriberssince 2006.

Craig Moffett of MoffettNathansonResearch wrote that even as cord-cuttinghas “dramatically accelerated,” with TVcustomers dropping nearly 1 percent ayear, cable companies like Comcast, TimeWarner Cable, Charter and Cox are losingfewer customers overall than they havein years. That’s come as satellite-TVproviders and phone companies likeVerizon and AT&T do worse. (AT&Tbought satellite provider DirecTV in July.)

This year could be the year that cablecompanies starts adding back TV cus-tomers, even as traditional TV customersoverall drop, says Morgan Stanley analystBen Swinburne. The cable companies aregetting a boost from their relatively fastInternet offerings and from skinny bun-dles - cheaper packages with fewer TVchannels.

Comcast credits skinny bundlesincluding Internet Plus - local TV stations,the Internet and HBO - and a servicecalled Stream, which delivers channelsover the Internet without needing acable box.

SPEEDY INTERNET ACCESSComcast is also still rolling out its

updated X1 cable box, which the com-pany says has helped it hold on to cus-tomers longer. X1 users also tend tospend more on extra DVRs, meaningmore money for Comcast. At the end ofthe third quarter, only about 25 percentof its TV customers had it. Comcast says61 percent of its new video customers inthe fourth quarter got X1.

And like other cable companies,Comcast has seen its Internet-accessbusiness grow. It added 1.4 millionInternet customers in 2015, including460,000 in the October-December quar-ter.

That’s largely due to a lack of choicefor speedy Internet access at home.Two-thirds of the country’s homes havejust one option or none at all at thespeed the Federal CommunicationsCommission has deemed broadband: 25megabits per second.

Comcast typically promotes Internetspeeds ranging from 25 to 150 megabitsper second. The company announcedTuesday that it will offer gigabit Internetservice - or about 1,000 megabits - infive cities this year through a modemupgrade, although it didn’t say what theprice would be. Rolling a faster serviceout nationwide should help Comcastcontinue to grow Internet customers,says Nomura’s Anthony DiClemente.

As for Comcast’s NBCUniversal busi-ness, TV ad revenue fell 2 percent to$9.18 billion for the year. For the quarter,ad revenue was largely unchanged at$854 million at cable channels likeBravo, CNBC and USA and rose 7 percentto $1.78 billion for NBC and Telemundo.The movie business got a boost fromDVD and on-demand sales of hitUniversal movies such as “JurassicWorld,” released theatrically earlier in theyear.

Company-wide profit rose more than2 percent to $1.97 billion, or 79 cents pershare, in the fourth quarter. Adjusted forone-time costs, per-share earnings cameto 81 cents. Revenue rose 8.5 percent to$19.2 billion. —AP

Comcast loses fewest TV customers in eight years

LOS ANGELES: Apple is looking tointroduce new iPhone and iPad mod-els at an event on March 15, accord-ing to a report from 9to5Mac. Thecompany may also introduce newband options for the Apple Watch atthe event. An Apple spokespersondidn’t immediately respond to arequest for comment.

Apple last updated the iPhone,and introduced the iPad Pro, at anevent last September. This t imearound, the update will likely not beas big-especially if one considersscreen sizes: The company is report-edly look ing to introduce a new,smal ler budget-pr iced iPhonedubbed the iPhone 5se at the event.

With a 4-inch screen, the devicecould sel l for as l i t t le as $450.Effectively, the iPhone 5se wouldreplace the iPhone 5s, which was

introduced in 2013, but continues tobe sold by Apple. The new devicewould mirror the look if the 5s, butcome with more powerful chips andlikely a better camera. Apple mayalso use the event to introduce anupdate to the iPad Air dubbed theiPad Air 3, which may include some ofthe iPad Pro’s features. The iPad hasbeen a bit of a sore spot for Apple’sbusiness, with sales of the tabletfalling below 2012 levels last fall.

The company’s most recent earningsreport also showed that even the intro-duction of the iPad Pro couldn’t stopfalling iPad sales. Then again, Appleisn’t alone with a decline in tablet sales:New numbers from IDC show thattablet shipments declined by about 10percent last year, with companies likeSamsung and Lenovo also taking bighits. —Reuters

Apple to unveil new iPhone, iPad at March 15 event

WASHINGTON: Three of the biggestfreight railroads operating in the UShave told the government they won’tmeet a 2018 deadline to start usingsafety technology intended to preventaccidents like the deadly derailment ofan Amtrak train in Philadelphia last May.

Canadian National Railway, CSXTransportation and Norfolk Southernsay they won’t be ready until 2020,according to a list provided to TheAssociated Press by the Federal RailroadAdministration. Four commuter rail-roads - SunRail in Florida, Metra inIllinois, the Massachusetts BayTransportation Authority and TrinityRailway Express in Texas - also say they’llmiss the deadline.

The technology, called positive traincontrol or PTC, relies on GPS, wirelessradio and computers to monitor trainpositions and automatically slow orstop trains that are in danger of collid-ing, derailing due to excessive speed orabout to enter track where crews areworking or that is otherwise off limits.

The other four other Class I freightrailroads that operate in the US - UnionPacific, BNSF, Canadian Pacific andKansas City Southern - and more than adozen commuter railroads have toldthe agency they will meet the 2018deadline. Railroads were required toinform the government of their plansby last week. Amtrak, the nation’s onlylong-distance passenger carrier, beganoperating a version of the technologyon all tracks that it owns in its NortheastCorridor between Washington and

Boston and in some other parts of thecountry in December. But most ofAmtrak’s operations outside theNortheast take place on tracks belong-ing to freight railroads, making itdependent on them to install the tech-nology. Many commuter railroads are inthe same position.

After a 2008 collision between acommuter train and a freight train in

Chatsworth, California, killed 25 peo-ple, Congress passed a law requiringrailroads to start using the expensivetechnology on all tracks that carry pas-senger trains or that are used to haulliquids that emit toxic gas if spilled.

MISSING DEADLINEThe deadline for the change was

Dec. 31, 2015. But after it became clear

nearly all railroads would miss thedeadline, Congress passed another lawin October extending it to Dec. 31,2018. That law also permits the govern-ment to grant waivers through Dec. 31,2020, to railroads that meet certain cri-teria.

FRA Administrator Sarah Feinbergwarned railroads after the law passedthat she wanted them to start using thetechnology by 2018 at the latest, andthat she would be very reluctant togrant waivers. The industry’s alliesresponded by quietly slipping a provi-sion into a transportation bill inNovember that limits her ability to denywaivers.

“We are encouraged that many rail-roads have submitted plans to meet,some even to beat, 2018,” Feinberg toldthe AP. “But we remain concerned thatseveral other freight and passenger rail-roads are aiming for 2020.” The agencyplans to publish quarterly reportsbeginning later this year that detaileach railroad’s progress in implement-ing the technology.

Freight railroads have spent about$6 billion on the technology so far andestimate they will ultimately spendclose to $10 billion, according to theAssociation of American Railroads.

“The PTC technology being installedis revolutionary and is a full-time focusof the nation’s freight railroads, theiremployees, manufacturers, softwaredesigners and safety experts,” said EdGreenberg, a spokesman for the associ-ation. —AP

Big freight railroads won’t meet safety tech deadline

NORFOLK: In this June 4, 2014 file photo, a Norfolk Southernlocomotive moves along the tracks in Norfolk, Va. Three of thebiggest freight railroads operating in the US have told the gov-ernment they won’t make a 2018 deadline to start using safetytechnology intended to prevent accidents like the deadlyderailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia last May. NorfolkSouthern, Canadian National Railway and CSX Transportationand say they won’t be ready until 2020, according to a list pro-vided to The Associated Press by the Federal RailroadAdministration. —AP

H E A LT HTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

RECIFE, Brazil: Cassiana Severino holds her daughter Melisa Vitoria, born with microcephaly at the IMIP hospital, yesterday. The Zika virus isspread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is well-adapted to humans, thrives in people’s homes and can breed in even a bottle cap’s-worthof stagnant water. The Zika virus is suspected to cause microcephaly in newborn children. — AP

WASHINGTON: The mosquito behind the Zikavirus seems to operate like a heat-driven missileof disease. The hotter it gets, the better the mos-quito that carries Zika virus is at transmitting itsbuffet of dangerous illnesses, scientists say.

Although it is too early to say for this out-break, past outbreaks of similar diseasesinvolved more than just biology. In the past,weather has played a key role, as have econom-ics, human travel, air conditioning and mosquitocontrol. Even El Nino sneaks into the game.Scientists say you can’t just blame one thing foran outbreak and caution it is too early to link thisone to climate change or any single weatherevent. As the temperature rises, nearly every-thing about the biology of the Aedes aegyptimosquito the one that carries Zika, dengue feverand other diseases - speeds up when it comes tospreading disease, said entomologist Bill Reisenof the University of California Davis.

“With higher temperatures you have moremosquitoes feeding more frequently and havinga greater chance of acquiring infection. Andthen the virus replicates faster because it’s hot-ter, therefore the mosquitoes can transmit earli-er in their life,” Reisen said. The thermodynamicsof mosquitoes are “driven by temperature.”

Drought hotspots The hotspots for this Zika outbreak also have

been temperature and drought hotspots recent-ly. Recife, Brazil, the largest city in the Zika-struckregion, saw its hottest September-October-November on record, about 1.2 degrees Celsius(2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, accord-ing to NASA data. The state of Pernambuco hadits hottest and driest year since 1998, accordingto the state weather agency. And globally, lastyear was the hottest on record.

Scientists have studied Zika far less than oth-er mosquito-borne diseases, so for guidancethey often look at dengue fever or chikungunya,which are transmitted by the same species ofmosquito. Dengue infects as many as 400 millionpeople a year, with a quarter of them sickenough to be hospitalized. Zika was justdeclared a global public health emergency afterbeing linked to brain deformities in babies inSouth America. Several thousand cases of micro-cephaly have been reported in Brazil sinceOctober, although researchers have so far notproven a definitive link to the virus. No vaccineexists for Zika.

In general, mosquitoes don’t live long, maybe10 to 12 days on average, said Tom Scott, aUniversity of California Davis professor of bothentomology and epidemiology. That’s also abouthow long it takes a virus to grow in the mosquitogut, making the bug infectious and able tospread the disease. Often the insect will diebefore it can get a chance to spread the disease.

Warmer air incubates the virus faster in thecold-blooded mosquito. So the insect has moretime to be infectious and alive to spread the dis-ease, Scott said. Warmer temperatures also makethe mosquito hungrier, so it takes more “bloodmeals” and can spread the disease to more peo-ple, Scott, Reisen and others said. And warmertemperatures generally increase the mosquitopopulation.

‘Temperature-driven eruption’ Kristie Ebi, a professor of global health at the

University of Washington, calls it “a temperature-driven eruption.” That’s not the only role ofweather. El Nino, a natural warming of parts of

the central Pacific Ocean that changes weatherworldwide, usually puts northeastern Brazil intoa drought, as it did last year. Aedes aegypti doeswell in less-developed regions in droughts,because it lives in areas where poorer peoplestore water in outdoor containers, said JonathanPatz, director of the global health institute at theUniversity of Wisconsin. “As with all mosquito-borne viruses, climate is one of many factorsthat influence Zika transmission,” said AndyMonaghan, a scientist who works on publichealth impacts of climate change at the NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research. “I think it is tooearly to say anything about the role of climatechange in the ongoing Zika outbreak.”

However, Monaghan earlier this year present-ed a paper to the American MeteorologicalSociety’s annual convention that predicts thateventually Aedes aegypti “will move northward inthe US due to future warming, which wouldexpose people to the mosquito on a regular sea-sonal basis in states like Missouri, Tennessee,Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and DC.” — AP

Higher temperatures make Zika mosquito spread disease more

Operating like a heat-driven missile

MUMBAI: Densely packed slums, rampantmosquitoes and a history of rapidlyspreading infections make Asia particular-ly vulnerable to the devastating Zika virus,posing a massive challenge for the region,health experts warn. Thailand confirmedTuesday that a man contracted the mos-quito-borne infection, blamed for a surgein the number of brain-damaged babies inSouth America, while Indonesia has alsoreported a domestic case.

The cases in Asia come as top US healthauthorities confirmed this week a patientin Texas contracted the Zika virus throughsexual transmission, fuelling fears the dis-ease may spread rapidly. Officials in Indiaworry it could be next, noting that theZika and dengue fever-carrying Aedesaegypti mosquito thrives in the high-den-sity communities of its teeming cities,where sanitation is often poor.

“In India particularly there is a greatthreat of the Zika virus spreading quicklygiven the presence of the Aedes mosquitoand favorable environment,” said OmShrivastav, an infectious diseases special-ist. “It would definitely be a big challengefor Asian countries to control the spreadof the virus... considering high populationin the region,” added Shrivastav, who isbased in Mumbai, home to Dharavi, Asia’sbiggest slum.

Slums a breeding ground More than half of Mumbai’s 20 million

inhabitants live in slums-at least one mil-lion reside in Dharavi alone-enduring

cramped conditions, poor ventilation anda lack of toilets. Every summer monsoon,heavy rains lash Mumbai for four months,flooding parts of the city, including theslums’ maze of alleyways, which becomefertile breeding grounds for mosquitoesand lead to a massive spike in tropical dis-eases. Soumya Swaminathan, directorgeneral of the Indian Council for MedicalResearch, warned against panicking butsaid a surge of dengue cases worldwiderecently, was a cause for concern.“(Because of ) the way dengue has spreadover the last several years across conti-nents and across countries, (and with) Zikabeing a mosquito borne illness, there is apotential for spread,” she told Indian newschannel NDTV.

Zika, which was first identified inUganda in 1947, causes relatively mild flu-like symptoms and a rash. But the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) said it “strong-ly suspected” the Zika virus of beingresponsible for a rapid rise in cases ofmicrocephaly, a condition in which a babyis born with an abnormally small head andbrain. Latin American countries, particu-larly Brazil, have reported a leap in casesof microcephaly since the Zika outbreakwas declared in the region last year. TheUN-body has declared the situation a“public health emergency of internationalconcern” and has created a global Zikaresponse unit to contain the virus. WHOexpert Anthony Costello has stressedthere is no reason to believe the crisiswould remain limited to Latin America,

where 25 countries so far have reportedZika cases.

‘Preventative measures’ “We know that the mosquitoes that

carry Zika virus... are present throughmost of Africa, parts of southern Europeand many parts of Asia, particularly southAsia,” he said. Eloi Yao, a WHO spokesmanin Manila, said there was a “likelihood” that

Zika would spread to Asia but describedthe present risk as “low”. “Right now, wedon’t want to raise the level of anxiety,” hetold AFP, noting that Zika had been foundin Asian countries before. The Zika infec-tion was reported in Cambodia in 2010and the Philippines in 2012, according toWHO.

Asian governments are no strangers todealing with deadly outbreaks of viruses

and could be forgiven if they felt jitteryover Zika. Severe Acute RespiratorySyndrome (SARS) killed hundreds of peo-ple, mostly in China and Hong Kong, whenit spread fear across Asia in 2003.

Hong Kong-based virologist MalikPeiris said “there is a danger” that Zikacould be confused with dengue fever andother mosquito-borne illnesses, addinggovernments should carefully track newcases. “Zika might come in unrecognized,until it’s spreading in an alarming rate,”Peiris, from Hong Kong University said.

Last year South Korea declared the offi-cial end to a deadly outbreak of MiddleEast Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) thatkilled 36 people. When Thailand con-firmed its case this week, an official saidthe Southeast Asian giant had recorded anaverage of “not more than five cases year-ly” since the disease was first confirmedthere in 2012. But he played down fears ofa future outbreak in the region, describingall the cases as “one-offs” and insistingthere was “no need to panic”.

Most Asian governments appear to betaking a similar stance. Pakistan for exam-ple described the risk of a Zika outbreakthere as “non-significant”, but added it wascarefully monitoring the situation. Yaosaid the WHO was working with countries,including making sure “their environmentis clean” while Shrivastav warned againstany complacency. “We need to be verycautious and have to take preventivemeasures to keep the virus at bay,” said theMumbai-based expert. — AFP

Vulnerable Asia fears Zika outbreak

HYDERABAD: Chairman of Bharat Biotech Krishna Ella announces the BharatBiotech Program on the Zika virus at a press conference yesterday. Vaccines andbio-therapeutic manufacturer Bharat Biotech said it was developing two candi-dates for vaccines for Zika infection. — AFP

MUMBAI: Indian biotechnology company BharatBiotech said yesterday it was working on two pos-sible vaccines to fight the Zika virus, which hasbeen linked to birth defects in thousands ofbabies in Brazil. The virus is spreading rapidly inthe Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesdayexpressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asiaas well. No vaccine has been developed so far.

One of the possible vaccines is “recombinant”,which means it is created by genetic engineering,while the other was “inactivated”, and will enterpre-clinical trials in animals in two weeks, BharatBiotech managing director Krishna Ella toldReuters. An inactivated vaccine is created bykilling a pathogen in a way that its ability to repli-cate is destroyed, but the immune system can stillrecognize it.

Bharat Biotech’s announcement came a dayafter France’s Sanofi said it had launched a proj-ect to develop a Zika vaccine.

On Wednesday, Japanese drug maker TakedaPharmaceutical also said it was investigating thepossibilities of developing a vaccine for the dis-

ease. Privately held Bharat Biotech, based in thesouthern town of Hyderabad, said it started workon the Zika virus a year ago, while developingvaccines for chikungunya and dengue. Zika isclosely related to dengue and is spread by thesame species of mosquito.

Bharat Biotech sells its vaccines for polio, hepa-titis B, H1N1 and rabies, among others, to morethan 65 countries, according to its website.“They’ve got a lead, essentially ... it’s certainly nota vaccine yet,” said Soumya Swaminathan, theDirector General of the Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR), the apex body for biomedicalresearch in India, funded by the health ministry.

Swaminathan said it was premature to com-ment on the two vaccine candidates, but theICMR had put together a group of experts toexamine their validity.

No cases of the virus have been detected inIndia yet, but the health ministry on Tuesdayissued guidelines on the disease, including anadvisory that travel to affected countries be post-poned or cancelled. — Reuters

Indian company says working on two possible Zika vaccines

GREIFSWALD: Scientists in northeastGermany were poised to flip the switch yes-terday on an experiment they hope willadvance the quest for nuclear fusion, con-sidered a clean and safe form of nuclearpower. Researchers at the Max PlanckInstitute in Greifswald planned to inject atiny amount of hydrogen and heat it until itbecomes a super-hot gas known as plasma,mimicking conditions inside the sun.

It’s part of a world-wide effort to harnessnuclear fusion, a process in which atomsjoin at extremely high temperatures andrelease large amounts of energy. Advocatesacknowledge that the technology is proba-bly many decades away, but argue that -once achieved - it could replace fossil fuelsand conventional nuclear fission reactors.

Construction has already begun insouthern France on ITER, a huge interna-tional research reactor that uses a strongelectric current to trap plasma inside adoughnut-shaped device long enough forfusion to take place. The device, known as atokamak, was conceived by Soviet physi-cists in the 1950s and is considered fairlyeasy to build, but extremely difficult tooperate. The team in Greifswald, a port cityon Germany’s Baltic coast, is focused on arival technology invented by the Americanphysicist Lyman Spitzer in 1950. Called astellarator, the device has the same dough-nut shape as a tokamak but uses a compli-cated system of magnetic coils instead of acurrent to achieve the same result. TheGreifswald device should be able to keepplasma in place for much longer than atokamak, said Thomas Klinger, who headsthe project.

Impressive results“The stellarator is much calmer,” he

said in a telephone interview. “It ’s farharder to build, but easier to operate.”Known as the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator,or W7-X, the 400-million-euro device was

first fired up in December using helium,which is easier to heat. Helium also hasthe advantage of “cleaning” any minutedirt particles left behind during the con-struction of the device.

David Anderson, a professor of physics atthe University of Wisconsin who isn’tinvolved in the project, said the project inGreifswald looks promising so far. “Theimpressive results obtained in the startup ofthe machine were remarkable,” he said in anemail. “This is usually a difficult and arduousprocess. The speed with which W7-Xbecame operational is a testament to thecare and quality of the fabrication of thedevice and makes a very positive statementabout the stellarator concept itself. W7-X isa truly remarkable achievement and theworldwide fusion community looks forwardto many exciting results.”

While critics have said the pursuit ofnuclear fusion is an expensive waste ofmoney that could be better spent on otherprojects, Germany has forged ahead infunding the Greifswald project, costs forwhich have reached 1.06 billion Euros in thepast 20 years if staff salaries are included.Over the coming years W7-X, which isn’tdesigned to produce any energy itself, willtest many of the extreme conditions suchdevices will be subjected to if they are everto generate power, said John Jelonnek, aphysicists at the Karlsruhe Institute ofTechnology, Germany. Jelonnek’s team isresponsible for a key component of thedevice, the massive microwave ovens thatwill turn hydrogen into plasma, eventuallyreaching 100 million degrees Celsius.

Compared to nuclear fission, which pro-duces huge amounts of radioactive materialthat will be around for thousands of years,the waste from nuclear fusion would benegligible, he said. “It’s a very clean sourceof power, the cleanest you could possiblywish for. We’re not doing this for us, but forour children and grandchildren.” — AP

Scientists to inject fuel in anexperimental fusion device

GREIFSWALD: This Dec 10, 2015 file photo shows the nuclear fusion research centerat the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics where the first plasma has been pro-duced at the “Wendelstein 7-X”. — AP

ROME: Smokers in Italy are now facing finesof up to 500 Euros ($600) if they light up in acar with a child or pregnant woman - or if theytoss a cigarette butt on the street - after newhealth and environmental laws went intoeffect Tuesday.

The smoking prohibitions extend bans onsmoking in offices, restaurants, cinemas andother public places to the more private sphereof a car. They also specifically target pediatrichospitals and other medical facilities cateringto pregnant women and newborns in a bid tocut the estimated 70,000-83,000 deaths a yearthe government attributes to tobacco smoke.The measures are contained in a new law con-forming to EU regulations aimed at dissuad-ing young people from taking up the habit.They impose hefty fines on shopkeepers whosell to minors and cigarette producers whomarket to them, and include new require-

ments for warnings on cigarette packages.The separate law against tossing cigarettebutts is part of an anti-littler regulation thatalso punishes spitting out gum or tossingshopping receipts on the street. PiergiorgioBenvenuti, president of EcoItalia Solidale, saidabout 11 million cigarettes are smoked everyday in Rome, half of them squished on thestreet, where they often get trapped betweencobblestones. “This has an enormous environ-mental impact,” he said, noting that it takesbetween five to 12 years for a cigarette tobreak down. “Aside from how it looks is howmuch it costs Rome to clean this up.”

Roberta Pacifici, director of the smoking,drug and alcohol department of the SuperiorInstitute of Health, said she expected the newmeasures would lead to a new drop in smok-ing rates across Italy, as occurred when thefirst bans were introduced. —AP

Smokers in Italy hit with new fines to protect the young

H E A LT H & S C I E NC ETHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

FRESNO: State water regulators votedTuesday to extend emergency conserva-tion measures because of a drought,even though an increase in rain andsnow this winter has improvedCalifornia’s snowpack. But with thedrought still severe, conservations effortsfell off in December. Officials said resi-dents used 18 percent less water than inDecember 2013, but that was the worstshowing in seven months of trackingand fell well short of Gov. Jerry Brown’sgoal of 25 percent.

It’s also the third straight month thatthe state missed its target. California,however, will likely beat its long-termconservation goal, saving a combined25.5 percent since Brown issued themandate in June calling for savings from

2013 use rates, the State WaterResources Control Board reported.

State water managers are lookingahead to April 1 - when the SierraNevada snowpack is historically at itsdeepest before melting and feedingrivers and streams and replenishingdepleted reservoirs. The snowpack’sdepth then will signal whether droughtconditions are easing after the state’s dri-est four-year period on record.

“We’re at halftime,” water board chairFelicia Marcus said in an interview. “We’renot doing too badly, but we certainlyhaven’t won the game yet.” The watercontent of the snowpack on Tuesdaymeasured 130 percent of its historicalaverage for this time of year. Under alight snowfall, snowpack survey chief

Frank Gehrke plunged a measuring poleinto 76 inches of snow near EchoSummit in the Central Sierra region thatincludes Lake Tahoe.

‘Encouraging start’ “It’s certainly a very encouraging start

to the winter,” said Gehrke, chief of theCalifornia Cooperative Snow SurveysProgram for the Department of WaterResources. Still, he said, the state needsto see storms each week to ease thedrought. The snowpack provides nearlyone-third of California’s water supply. Anelectronic measurement collected bymore than 100 sensors throughout theSierra has shown the snowpack at 114percent. Officials say that despite the ElNino rain storms, California’s major reser-

voirs remain critically low, requiring con-tinued conservation.

Under the extended drought regula-tion, cities that are especially hot, dry orcrowded or that have managed to comeup with new sources of water would geta slight break. The statewide conserva-tion is expected to net a savings of atleast 20 percent instead of last year’sgoal of 25 percent, officials said. Butwater districts say the breaks don’t go farenough and leaders lined up at aSacramento meeting Tuesday to tell thewater board that the breaks don’t go farenough. They wanted more credit forinvesting millions in drought resilientprojects and those built before 2013, acutoff date set by the state for local dis-tricts to qualify for cuts up to 8 percent

from their individual targets. They urgedstate officials to replace the emergencyregulations with long-term water policy.

The Sacramento Suburban WaterDistrict invested $120 million in ground-water storage a decade ago, making itdrought proof, said the district’s generalmanager Robert Roscoe. Yet, he said thedistrict is held to high conservation stan-dards. “We did precisely what we weresupposed to do,” Roscoe said before thewater board voted. “We anticipated adrought, were proactive and we made ahuge investment.” The new regulationwould extend through October. Butwater officials said they would review itagain in the spring. By then, they say itwill be clearer whether California is stillin drought. — AP

Water officials vote to extend California drought emergency

PARIS: In November 2014, a brave exploreron a daring mission strapped on a pair ofstudded boots and a hard hat, stuffed acheese sandwich and a compass into abackpack, and leapt from a spacecraft.After a seven-hour freefall, our protagonisttouched down on a comet and became ahero back home, where Earthlings followedhis every tweet, collected soft toys in hislikeness, and fretted when he fell silent.

For all the warm human emotion heevokes, our daredevil adventurer, Philae, isa cold metal box the size of a washingmachine. Twitter and Youtube turned therobot lab into a cartoon hero with humanqualities-an intrepid little boy who dozedoff after an historic mission to probe acomet zipping though space. But the suc-cess of the campaign to humanize a scien-tific instrument has left the European SpaceAgency (ESA) with a dilemma: how to com-municate Philae’s demise?

“When finally we ‘kill’ Philae, it will belike ‘who killed Bambi’,” ESA senior scienceadviser Mark McCaughrean told AFP inNovember last year, when ground con-trollers started considering when, and how,to draw a line under the lander mission.

Philae is perched on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, now some 340million kilometers from the Sun and speed-ing further away. “We’re going to getaccused... of abandoning the poor littleboy,” said McCaughrean.

Scientists have said that by January2016, 67P will be too far out for rejuvenat-ing rays to reach Philae’s solar panels everagain. January has come and gone withoutany announcement. “That’s a really difficultquestion, how to kill this character thatpeople have taken to love,” said SebastianMarcu, founder of Design & Data, theagency that drew the ESA cartoon.

Little brother In a first for space exploration, Philae

was dropped onto 67P’s sur face onNovember 12, 2014 after a 10-year, 6.5-bil-lion-kilometre (four-billion-mile) journeythrough space, piggybacking on mother-ship Rosetta. The feat was followed byadults and children around the world,many enthralled by the media campaign ofanimated cartoons and Twitter chitchatbetween the duo.

In the videos, Rosetta and Philae arehand-drawn as a small box and a biggerone, with dots for eyes and pen-stripe

mouths with which they express joy, affec-tion, surprise, fright and trepidation.Imbuing objects with human qualities iscalled anthropomorphism-a tried-and-trusted marketing technique. In the case ofPhilae and Rosetta, it seems to haveworked wonders to build public backingfor a costly, taxpayer-funded endeavor.

“Time and time again when a space mis-sion didn’t go as planned, the media wasvery quick at saying... ‘We could have builtso many schools for it, and so many hospi-tals for it’,” recalled Marcu. “In this mission...we have managed to create this empathyamongst the general public for the well-being of a metal box... They really didn’tquestion the money aspect of it.” Thevideos portray Philae as Rosetta’s smaller“brother”, riding on her back throughspace, his thin little legs dangling acrossher forehead.

At some point on the long journey,Philae jumps up and down like a boredchild on a road trip, exclaiming: “Are we

there yet? Are we there yet?” There are evenchildhood “photographs” of the pair,Rosetta sucking a pacifier, and Philae ridinga tricycle, long before their careers as spaceexplorers. Then, on arrival at 67P, the pairseparate after 10 years together. Philaeputs on his boots, tests his flashlight andloads his backpack, which has an “I loveEarth” patch sewn onto it.

‘I’m tired’ There is a sad glance, a hug, then Philae

jumps. The cartoons depict Philae’s bumpylanding, bouncing off the comet’s craggysurface several times before ending up atan angle in a shaded crevice. It spent 60hours sniffing and prodding the comet,and sent home invaluable data before itsbatteries ran flat.

Just before it went into standby mode,Philae tweeted “I’m feeling a bit tired”, fol-lowed by “zzzzz”. In the video, the robot isasleep on a mat, under a green blanket.“We’re kind of guilty because we created

this kind of sentimental opinion: Philae is alittle boy and he’s shivering on the surface,”McCaughrean said of the public concernfor the lander’s welfare. Then on June 13last year, as the comet and its preciouscharge drew closer to the Sun, Philae’spower pack was recharged and it woke up,tweeting: “Hello Earth! Can you hear me?”

After eight broken calls to Earth, Philaefell silent again on July 9, and hasn’t beenheard from since. There are discussions onhow to “close the story”, said Marcu-also forRosetta’s scheduled crash landing on thecomet in September, joining Philae at themission’s end.

“Anthropomorphism does carry the riskthat although it can conjure euphoric emo-tions like joy and excitement, it can alsocause stress or dysphoric emotions likegrief,” a Indiana-based philosophy professorGrant Ramsey told AFP of the campaign. “Ifsomething is alive, then it will eventuallydie, and it is difficult to avoid the distress ofdeath.” — AFP

WASHINGTON: In this March 30, 2011, file photo, a bed-bug is displayed at the Smithsonian Museum. — AP

Scientists tracks bedbuggenome, follows pestthrough NYC subway

NEW YORK: Scientists have mapped the genome of bedbugs inNew York City, then traced fragments of the nefarious pests’ DNAthrough the subway system. In the grubby recesses of hundredsof stations, they discovered surprising genetic diversity amongthe bloodsucking creatures. The next step is to figure out howthe information can be put to good use, such as to develop bet-ter insecticides or blood thinners. But these goals will take furthermedical research.

For now, the focus is on two main players in New York life: thesubway and bedbugs. Scientists already have found that genetictraces of bedbugs in northern Manhattan are more closely relat-ed to those in the island’s southern part, while there are biggervariations between the Upper East Side and Upper West Side.Geneticist Christopher Mason, who worked on the project, saysthe reason for that can be found simply by looking at a subwaymap: In Manhattan, for instance, subway lines run the length ofthe island north to south, while there’s no subway link throughCentral Park between the East Side and the West Side. Not thatbedbugs are riding the subway, noted George Amato, an evolu-tionary biologist at the American Museum of Natural History whoalso worked on bedbug project. He says New York’s bedbugs“move around with people, dogs, and people’s items - and theyprobably move most easily the way people move most easily.”

Amato collaborated with Mason, who works at Weill CornellMedicine’s Institute for Computational Biomedicine. A bedbugcolony at the famed museum was used for the genome map. Asimilar map was assembled by an international research team at36 institutions, including the University of Cincinnati. The NewYork team’s resulting scientific paper on the subject was pub-lished Tuesday in Nature Communications. A second paper onbedbug genetics, from the University of Cincinnati, alsoappeared Tuesday in the same publication. To learn how thebedbug has evolved and spread, the New York team took DNAsample swabs from 1,400 city locations including subway cars,turnstiles, ticket vending kiosks, and above ground places likeparks. Amato said there are many ways small fragments of theinsects’ DNA, or DNA of a related species, could get into the sub-way - clinging to the clothes of some of the 6 million daily ridersand their belongings, or washed down into the stations.

Amato said the first rough bedbug genetic sequenceemerged about a year ago, but it took months to refine themodel into an accurate genome. “Before this, people were justfeeling their way through in the dark; this genome turns thelight on for various areas of other research,” said Amato. “Ourteam is now moving on to the genetics of cockroaches and oth-er living fossils.” — AP

Philae comet probe: World prepares for final farewell

Killing a character the masses love

PARIS: This image received from Design & Data GmbH on February 1, 2016 shows illustrations by cartoonist Carlo Palazzari ofpreliminary the European Space Agency’s (ESA) “Philae” cartoon character, conceived by the ESA as a way to generate publicinterest in its programs. — AFP

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

The International Trade Holding company ispleased to announce the appointment of AliHaddad as the new Director of operations for

its owned hotels in Kuwait city (convention centerand Royal Suites, Swiss Belhotel Plaza Kuwait,Movenpick Hotel Kuwait)

Haddad, formerly was the general manager forSwiss Belhotel Plaza Kuwait for 5 years, brings withhim over 15 years of experience, in Sales andMarketing, Strategic Planning and Operations andFinancial Management, acquired in the Middle East.

Ahmad Al-Injebar, Vice President of Hospitality atITHC, commented on Haddad’s appointment: “It is apleasure to have Haddad promoted to be the direc-tor of operations for all our hotels in Kuwait hisextensive experience in the Middle East will beessential to the success of ITHC group

ITHC owns besides the mentioned hotels above agroup of exclusive restaurants in Kuwait cutsBrazilian restaurant, al dente Italian restaurant andMais Al-Fakhar Lebanese restaurant, additional to thefamous brand of natural ice-cream Gelatissimo andthe island and resort of Huma in Philippines.

The 2nd Balanced Life Conference titled ‘Journey to Equilibrium’ concluded recently in a ceremony held at the Society Development Center in Zahra under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’s Undersecretary. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

ITHC group assignedDirector of Operationsfor its hotels in Kuwait

The 5th reunion of ex-Indian naval personnel in Kuwaitwas held on Friday, 29th January at KohinoorAuditorium Fahaheel to celebrate the 67th Republic

Day of India and the New Year. Cdr Vijay Kumar who inau-gurated the meeting congratulated all the veterans in their

post retirement reemployment in Kuwait and stressed theimportance of keeping good health in their retired life.Sreeraj Cheerath, the founder of the reunion was the chiefcoordinator. The senior most veteran Joseph A Fernandezwas honored at the function with a ‘Ponnada.’ In the pro-

gram which was anchored by Shiju Augstine, PradeepJoseph welcomed the gathering and Johnson proposed avote of thanks. Sajeev koshy, Ragbir Singh and Rameshangave felicitation speeches. Various cultural programs andcompetitions were held to entertain the audience.

Indian naval veterans in Kuwait hold 5th reunion

K uravilangad Deva Matha College AlumniAssociation (KDMCA) conducted its 11thAnniversary Celebrations at Hotel

Rajadhani, Khaitan. The Celebrations was inaugu-rated by Mohan George, the founder president ofPASTCOS during the public meeting, which waspresided over by K J John, the president of KDM-CA. Jaison Joseph-Chairman-Advisory Board, RajuZacharias-member-Advisory Board, Siby Thomas-President PASTCOS, former presidents-JohnsonSebastian, Maxy Mani and Bobby Patani alsospoke on the occasion. Jose Mathew- GeneralSecretary welcomed the audience and Silvy Jose

delivered vote of thanks. K J John presentedmemento to Shaji Jose and Family who is leavingKuwait to USA. George Chelakkamakkil, JayeshJohn and Shahu Bharathan presented the memen-to to Liya Jose, Milen Maxi and Alitta Tom who areleaving Kuwait for higher studies. Also presentedgift to Joyal Jayesh who is the Kuwait Topper ofSpell B Contest as an encouragement to go fur-ther levels. Colorful cultural activities were organ-ized by the children under the leadership of DonoJojo and Albin Jose.

KDMCA annual celebrations 2015

W H AT ’ S ONTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

The Canadian Business Council of Kuwait(CBC) hosted a successful seminar onTaxation of Canadian Expatriates in

Kuwait delivered by Wayne Bewick fromTrowbridge Professional Corporation, Canada.Ishtiaq Malik, CBC President welcomed WayneBewick and mentioned that CBC is honored tohost the Tax Seminar for Canadians in Kuwaitin cooperation with Trowbridge.

The Seminar was very informative and pro-fessionally conducted by Wayne Bewick whichled to the discussion and Q&A session aboutCanadian residency for tax purposes, Tax plan-ning for Canadian expats, either departingCanada or arriving in Canada, Tax implicationsfor the ownership of investments in Canadaand abroad for Canadian non-residents andOwnership of property in Canada and the taximplications for Canadian non-resident.

At the end of the seminar Christian Awaraji,CBC Vice President presented a plaque ofappreciation to Wayne Bewick. Ishtiaq Malikthanked CBC Executive Committee members

Dr Christian Awaraji, Dr David McHardy, DrAndy Gillam, Dr Jacinthe Lemay, BasilToutoungi and Nadia Hammouda for their

support in organizing this seminar. Specialthanks to Donald Teale and his team fromKPMG for facilitating and hosting the seminar.

Ishtiaq Malik, CBC PresidentWayne Bewick, Trowbridge ProfessionalCorporation

Participants seen among the audience. Participants at the CBC reception.

Christian Awaraji, CBC Vice President (right) and Wayne Bewick KPMG members.

Canadian Universities to visit Kuwait

Ten of Canada’s leading universi-ties are coming to Kuwait, onMonday, 8 February, to hold an

information session on Canada as adestination for undergraduate stud-ies. The group’s visit to Kuwait is partof a larger initiative which will takethem to Jordan, Qatar, Oman, and theUnited Arab Emirates. The tour focus-es on senior secondary students whoexhibit strong academic standing, aswell as to their parents. The scheduleincludes high school visits, informa-tion sessions, and opportunities tointeract with school guidance coun-selors. The tour is supported by theCouncil of International Schools (CIS)- Canadian Higher EducationCommittee and is being led JenniferPeterman of McGill University. It is theCouncil’s thirteenth consecutiveCanadian tour to visit Kuwait.

Why Canada? Canadian universities are engaged

internationally as leaders in educa-tion through teaching, research andpartnerships. Undergraduate educa-tion in Canada is a hybrid of US andUK styles offering breadth of program

options, flexibility in choice and adegree that is recognized world-wide.

Students choose Canada because astrong education and a positive inter-national experience is the foundationfor their exciting and successfulfutures. The quality, affordability, andresearch opportunities are key factorsin this decision. University campusesacross Canada offer multiculturalenvironments, beautiful spaces andfriendly people. As a leader in busi-ness, political diplomacy, arts and cul-ture and technology - Canada’s edu-cation system is at the core of its suc-cess and its graduates are players onthe world stage.

Canadian universities participatingin the session and a university fair tobe held on its sidelines include BrockUniversity, University of Calgary,Carleton University, ConcordiaUniversity, Dalhousie University,University of Guelph, McGillUniversity, Memorial University,Ryerson University, York University.The session takes place at SheratonHotel and Towers.

International students warmly wel-comed on Canadian university campuses

Canadian Business Council holds Canadian tax seminar

A view of the audience.

A view of the audience.

00:50 River Monsters01:45 Call Of The Wildman02:15 Call Of The Wildman02:40 Dog Rescuers03:35 Tanked04:25 Gangland Killers05:15 Gator Boys06:02 Treehouse Masters06:49 Dog Rescuers07:36 Call Of The Wildman08:00 Call Of The Wildman08:25 Too Cute!09:15 Dog Rescuers10:10 Treehouse Masters11:05 Tanked12:00 Too Cute!12:55 Bondi Vet13:50 Dog Rescuers14:45 Gator Boys15:40 Treehouse Masters16:35 Tanked17:30 Gangland Killers18:25 River Monsters19:20 Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet20:15 Tanked21:10 Gangland Killers22:05 Treehouse Masters23:00 Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet23:55 Gator Boys

T V PR O G R A M STHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

HITMAN ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

LONE SURVIVOR ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD

00:20 Misfit Garage01:10 Mythbusters02:00 You Have Been Warned02:50 You Have Been Warned03:40 Storage Hunters04:05 The Liquidator04:30 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition05:00 What Happened Next?05:30 How Stuff Works06:00 Siberian Cut06:50 Cuban Chrome07:40 Misfit Garage08:30 Storage Hunters08:55 The Liquidator09:20 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition09:45 What Happened Next?10:10 How Stuff Works10:35 Mythbusters11:25 You Have Been Warned12:15 You Have Been Warned13:05 Storage Hunters13:30 The Liquidator13:55 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition14:20 Siberian Cut15:10 Cuban Chrome16:00 Misfit Garage16:50 What Happened Next?17:15 How Stuff Works17:40 What On Earth?18:30 Unearthed19:20 Troy20:10 The Liquidator20:35 Auction Hunters: Pawn ShopEdition21:00 What On Earth?21:50 Unearthed22:40 Treasure Quest: SnakeIsland23:30 Cuban Chrome

00:35 Weird Or What?01:20 How It’s Made02:08 Invent It Rich02:55 How The Universe Works03:42 Mythbusters04:29 Weird Or What?05:16 Invent It Rich06:03 How The Universe Works06:50 Prototype This07:37 How Do They Do It?08:00 How Do They Do It?08:23 Weird Or What?09:08 Mythbusters09:53 Prototype This10:38 How It’s Made11:23 Food Factory12:08 How The Universe Works12:53 Prototype This13:38 Weird Or What?14:23 How It’s Made15:10 Mythbusters15:57 Food Factory16:20 Food Factory16:44 How The Universe Works17:31 Prototype This18:18 Mythbusters19:05 Weird Or What?19:50 Stephen Hawking’s Universe20:40 How The Universe Works21:25 How It’s Made22:15 Mythbusters23:00 Stephen Hawking’s Universe23:45 How The Universe Works

00:40 Who On Earth Did I Marry?01:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?01:30 The Haunted02:20 Ghost Lab03:10 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion04:00 Deadline: Crime With TamronHall04:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?05:10 Who On Earth Did I Marry?05:30 The Haunted06:20 Deadly Affairs07:10 True Crime With AphroditeJones08:00 Dr G: Medical Examiner08:50 On The Case With PaulaZahn09:40 Fatal Encounters10:30 Murder Shift11:20 Deadly Affairs12:10 True Crime With AphroditeJones13:00 The Will13:50 I Almost Got Away With It14:40 California Investigator15:05 Dr. G. Medical Examiner15:55 Fatal Encounters16:45 On The Case With PaulaZahn17:35 Murder Shift18:25 I Almost Got Away With It19:15 The Will20:05 Deadly Affairs20:55 True Crime With AphroditeJones21:45 California Investigator22:10 Who On Earth Did I Marry?23:00 Deadly Affairs

05:00 Violetta05:45 The Hive05:50 Mouk06:00 Lolirock06:25 Sofia The First06:50 That’s So Raven07:15 Gravity Falls07:40 Jessie08:05 Shake It Up08:30 Shake It Up08:55 That’s So Raven09:20 That’s So Raven09:45 Austin & Ally10:10 Austin & Ally10:35 A.N.T. Farm11:00 A.N.T. Farm11:25 Jessie11:50 Jessie12:20 Hank Zipzer12:45 Fish Hooks13:10 Good Luck Charlie13:35 I Didn’t Do It14:00 Dog With A Blog14:30 H2O: Just Add Water14:55 Girl Meets World15:20 Liv And Maddie15:45 Jessie16:10 Violetta17:00 The Next Step17:25 Liv And Maddie17:50 Jessie18:15 Austin & Ally18:40 I Didn’t Do It19:05 H2O: Just Add Water19:30 Violetta20:20 The Next Step20:45 Good Luck Charlie21:35 H2O: Just Add Water22:00 Binny And The Ghost22:25 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch

00:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians00:55 The Grace Helbig Show01:25 Keeping Up With TheKardashians02:20 E! News03:15 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills04:10 E! Entertainment Special06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians06:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills12:05 E! News13:05 WAGs14:05 Botched15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 Fashion Bloggers18:00 E! News19:00 House Of DVF20:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians21:00 Dash Dolls22:00 E! News23:00 WAGs

00:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives01:00 Chopped02:00 All Star Academy03:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin04:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives05:00 Guy’s Grocery Games06:00 Chopped07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin08:00 Chopped09:00 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook10:00 The Kitchen11:00 Barefoot Contessa: Back ToBasics12:00 Chopped13:00 Guy’s Big Bite14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives15:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin15:30 Roadtrip With G. Garvin16:00 Chopped17:00 The Kitchen18:00 Siba’s Table18:30 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook19:00 Chopped20:00 Guy’s Grocery Games21:00 Rev Run’s Sunday Suppers22:00 Dinner At Tiffani’s23:00 Siba’s Table23:30 Siba’s Table

00:10 The Chase01:05 Emmerdale01:30 Coach Trip02:00 Coronation Street02:30 Murdoch Mysteries03:25 Code Of A Killer04:20 Blue Go Mad In Ibiza

00:00 Violetta00:45 The Hive00:50 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch01:15 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch01:40 Hank Zipzer02:05 Binny And The Ghost02:30 Violetta03:15 The Hive03:20 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch03:45 Sabrina Secrets Of ATeenage Witch04:10 Hank Zipzer04:35 Binny And The Ghost

05:15 Pick Me!06:10 Who’s Doing The Dishes?07:05 Coach Trip07:30 Code Of A Killer08:25 Blue Go Mad In Ibiza09:20 Murdoch Mysteries10:15 The Chase11:10 Coach Trip11:35 Pick Me!12:30 Who’s Doing The Dishes?13:25 Emmerdale13:50 Coach Trip14:20 Coronation Street14:45 Murdoch Mysteries15:35 Pick Me!16:30 Midsomer Murders18:20 Who’s Doing The Dishes?19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Pick Me!20:30 Midsomer Murders22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:15 Who’s Doing The Dishes?

00:10 Explorer01:00 How To Win At Everything01:30 How To Win At Everything02:00 Car SOS02:55 Air Crash Investigation03:50 Explorer04:45 24 Hours In A&E05:40 Invasion Earth06:35 Mega Factories: Supercars07:30 Megastructures08:25 Time Scanners09:20 24 Hours In A&E10:15 Planes That Changed TheWorld11:10 Innovation Nation11:35 Innovation Nation12:05 Brave New World13:00 Time Scanners14:00 Megastructures15:00 Mega Factories: Supercars16:00 Planes That Changed TheWorld17:00 100%: Planes18:00 Man vs Ride19:00 Time Scanners20:00 Planes That Changed TheWorld20:50 100%: Planes21:40 Man vs Ride22:30 Mega Factories: Supercars23:20 Invasion Earth

00:30 Mr. Robinson01:00 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore01:30 South Park02:00 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll02:30 The Big C03:30 Playing House04:00 Men At Work04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon06:00 Til Death06:30 Community07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Men At Work08:30 Cristela09:30 The Last Man On Earth10:30 Community11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 Til Death12:30 Men At Work13:00 Cristela13:30 Community14:00 Playing House14:30 The Last Man On Earth15:30 Mr. Robinson16:30 Til Death17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 New Girl18:30 Playing House19:00 Kevin From Work20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:30 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore22:00 Web Therapy22:30 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll23:00 The Big C23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:00 Salem01:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter02:00 The Flash03:00 American Horror Story: Hotel04:00 Good Morning America06:00 The Fosters07:00 Royal Pains08:00 American Crime09:00 The Fosters10:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter11:00 Royal Pains12:00 Coronation Street12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Once Upon A Time15:00 Live Good Morning America17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show

01:15 Stonehearst Asylum-PG1503:15 To The Wonder-PG1505:15 Bad Parents-PG1507:00 HairBrained-PG1509:00 To The Wonder-PG1511:00 Stonehearst Asylum-PG1513:00 Le Weekend-PG1515:00 Appleseed: Alpha-PG1516:45 Into The Storm-PG1518:30 Divergent-PG1521:00 Last Knights-PG1523:00 Filth-R

00:25 Mississippi Burning02:30 Stand By Me04:00 Run05:30 Punks07:05 A Star For Two08:40 Groundhog Day10:25 Earthbound

00:00 Programmes Start At7:00am KSA07:00 Star vs The Forces Of Evil07:25 K. C. Undercover07:50 Supa Strikas08:15 Annedroids08:40 Lab Rats09:10 Kirby Buckets09:35 Wander Over Yonder10:00 Rocket Monkeys10:25 Ultimate Spider-Man10:50 Boyster11:20 Boyster11:45 Pair Of Kings12:10 Pair Of Kings12:35 Lab Rats13:00 Lab Rats13:30 Phineas And Ferb13:55 Phineas And Ferb14:20 Kickin’ It14:45 Kickin’ It15:10 Disney Mickey Mouse15:15 Rocket Monkeys

18:00 American Crime19:00 American Idol20:00 The Flash21:00 Blindspot22:00 Wicked City23:00 Scream Queens

00:00 Safe House02:00 The Mark: Redemption04:00 Abandoned Mine06:00 The Scorpion King 4: QuestFor Power08:00 Destruction: Las Vegas09:45 Snow White And TheHuntsman12:00 Big Ass Spider!13:30 The Perfect Storm15:45 The River Wild17:45 Snow White And TheHuntsman20:00 Android Cop21:45 Lone Survivor

00:00 The Mark: Redemption02:00 Abandoned Mine-PG1504:00 The Scorpion King 4: QuestFor Power-PG1506:00 Destruction: Las Vegas07:45 Snow White And TheHuntsman-PG1510:00 Big Ass Spider!-PG1511:30 The Perfect Storm-PG1513:45 The River Wild-PG1515:45 Snow White And TheHuntsman-PG1518:00 Android Cop-PG1519:45 Lone Survivor-PG1522:00 Hitman-18

00:00 Deliver Us From Eva02:00 You Again04:00 Beethoven’s Treasure Tail06:00 Man Of The House08:00 Cas & Dylan10:00 Beethoven’s Treasure Tail12:00 You Again14:00 Roommates16:00 Cas & Dylan18:00 Chef20:00 The World’s End22:00 Mad Dog And Glory

01:00 Wrath-PG1503:00 Two Night Stand-PG1505:00 Paranoia-PG1507:00 The French Minister-PG1509:00 Reclaim-PG1511:00 Paranoia-PG1513:00 Romeo & Juliet-PG1515:00 Hours-PG1517:00 Reclaim-PG1519:00 A Walk Among TheTombstones-PG1521:00 Blood-PG1523:00 Enemy-18

00:00 Venus In Fur01:45 Little Man Tate03:30 A Passage To India06:30 Evita09:00 Beaches11:15 Sunshine On Leith13:00 What Dreams May Come15:00 The Alamo17:15 Beaches19:30 Thank You For Smoking21:15 To Write Love On Her Arms23:00 Enemy

01:00 Minuscule: Valley Of TheLost Ants02:45 Kikoriki: Team Invincible04:30 Memory Loss06:00 Bolts And Blip

07:45 Bamse And The City OfThieves09:30 Jungle Shuffle11:00 Miffy The Movie12:30 Kikoriki: Team Invincible14:15 Jingle All The Way 216:00 Mamma Moo And Crow18:00 Jungle Shuffle20:00 Ghatothkach - Master OfMagic21:45 Jingle All The Way 223:30 Mamma Moo And Crow

00:45 The Drop-PG1502:30 Veronica Mars-PG1504:15 Drumline: A New Beat-PG1506:00 The Hunger Games:Mockingjay Part I-PG1508:00 So Undercover-PG1510:00 Tinker Bell And The LegendOf The NeverBeast-FAM12:00 Louder Than Words-PG1514:00 Befriend And Betray-PG1515:45 So Undercover-PG1517:30 The Hobbit: The Battle OfThe Five Armies-PG20:00 The Theory Of Everything-22:15 Still Alice-PG15

00:45 My Strange Addiction01:10 My Strange Addiction01:35 Long Island Medium02:00 Body Bizarre02:50 My Five Wives03:40 Secret Eaters

04:30 Jon & Kate Plus 805:00 Little People, Big World05:30 Cake Boss06:00 Say Yes To The Dress06:25 Randy To The Rescue07:15 Hoarding: Buried Alive08:05 Dare To Wear08:55 The Autistic Gardener09:45 Jon & Kate Plus 810:10 Little People, Big World10:35 My Five Wives11:25 Cake Boss11:50 Belief12:40 Randy To The Rescue13:30 Born Without Limbs14:20 Curvy Brides14:45 Curvy Brides15:10 Jon & Kate Plus 815:35 Little People, Big World16:00 Hoarding: Buried Alive16:50 My Five Wives17:40 Cake Boss18:05 Say Yes To The Dress18:30 Secret Eaters19:20 Oprah: Where Are TheyNow?20:10 Randy To The Rescue21:00 90 Days To Wed21:50 Randy’s Wedding Rescue22:40 Long Island Medium23:05 Body Bizarre23:55 Belief

12:00 The Beast Of HollowMountain13:20 Island Of The Lost14:50 Grayeagle16:35 Duplex18:05 Still Life: A Three PinesMystery19:35 The Bridge In The Jungle21:00 Breaking Bad22:00 Walking Tall23:25 London

00:00 The Haunting Of...01:00 The Ghost Inside My Child02:00 I Escaped My Killer03:00 Crime Stories04:00 Nightmare In Suburbia05:00 The Ghost Inside My Child06:00 The Haunting Of...07:00 The FBI Files08:00 The FBI Files09:00 Private Crimes09:30 Frenemies10:00 Crimes That Shook Britain11:00 Nightmare In Suburbia12:00 Beyond Scared Straight13:00 I Didn’t Do It14:00 Crime Stories15:00 Crimes That Shook Britain16:00 Private Crimes16:30 Frenemies17:00 The FBI Files18:00 Beyond Scared Straight19:00 Crime Stories20:00 Nightmare In Suburbia21:00 Crimes That Shook Britain22:00 Private Crimes22:30 Frenemies23:00 50 Ways To Kill Your Lover

00:00 Jungle Cubs00:25 Aladdin00:50 Gummi Bears01:20 Lilo And Stitch01:45 Cars Toons01:50 Zou02:05 Henry Hugglemonster02:20 Calimero02:35 Zou02:50 Loopdidoo03:05 Art Attack03:30 Henry Hugglemonster03:45 Calimero04:00 Zou04:15 Loopdidoo04:30 Art Attack04:55 Henry Hugglemonster05:05 Calimero05:20 Zou05:30 Loopdidoo05:45 Art Attack06:10 Henry Hugglemonster06:20 Calimero06:35 Zou06:45 Loopdidoo07:00 Art Attack07:25 Henry Hugglemonster07:35 Calimero07:50 Zou08:00 Loopdidoo08:15 Art Attack08:35 Henry Hugglemonster08:50 Calimero09:00 Zou09:20 Loopdidoo09:35 Art Attack10:00 Calimero10:10 Zou10:25 Loopdidoo10:40 Miles From Tomorrow11:05 Sofia The First11:30 Doc McStuffins11:45 Jake & The Never LandPirates12:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse12:35 Doc McStuffins13:00 Sofia The First13:30 Jake & The Never LandPirates14:00 Miles From Tomorrow14:25 Special Agent Oso14:40 The Hive14:50 Handy Manny15:15 Jungle Junction15:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse16:00 Sofia The First16:25 Jake & The Never LandPirates16:50 Doc McStuffins17:15 Zou17:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse17:55 Loopdidoo18:10 Miles From Tomorrow18:35 Jake & The Never LandPirates19:00 Sofia The First19:25 Jungle Cubs

ClassifiedsTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Kuwait

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

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 4/2/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeMSC 415 Sohag 00:05KLM 411 Amsterdam/Dammam 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:30JZR 539 Cairo 00:40FDB 069 Dubai 00:55RJA 642 Amman 01:05THY 772 Istanbul 01:05SAI 441 Lahore 01:30DLH 635 Doha 01:35ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:45PGT 858 Istanbul 02:00UAE 853 Dubai 02:30GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30OMA 643 Muscat 02:55FDB 067 Dubai 03:05MSR 612 Cairo 03:10QTR1 076 Doha 03:15KKK 6507 Istanbul 03:20ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:25LMU 510 Cairo 04:05JZR 503 Luxor 04:25QTR 8511 Doha 04:40DHX 170 Bahrain 05:40THY 770 Istanbul 05:55FDB 5061 Dubai 06:30BAW 157 London 06:40JZR 529 Asyut 06:50PAL 668 Manila/Dubai 06:55KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 07:20QTR 1086 Doha 07:40KAC 204 Lahore 07:40FDB 053 Dubai 07:45SVA 512 Riyadh 07:50KAC 302 Mumbai 07:50KAC 206 Islamabad 08:25KAC 346 Ahmedabad 08:30KAC 344 Chennai 08:30KAC 352 Kochi 08:30UAE 855 Dubai 08:40KAC 332 Trivandrum 08:50KAC 362 Colombo 08:50IRA 667 Esfahan 09:00ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00KAC 284D Dhaka 09:10ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20QTR 1070 Doha 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:40OMA 641 Muscat 10:05IRM 1180 Mashhad 10:10IRA 673 Ahwaz 10:10GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 11:05RBG 553 Alexandria 11:15JZR 165 Dubai 11:30AGY 682 Asyut 11:40NIA 151 Cairo 11:55MEA 404 Beirut 11:55FDB 075 Dubai 12:25MSC 401 Alexandria 12:30JZR 561 Sohag 12:45UAE 871 Dubai 12:50JZR 241 Amman 12:50MSR 610 Cairo 13:00KNE 460 Riyadh 13:50KAC 382 Delhi 13:50QTR 1078 Doha 14:10FDB 057 Dubai 14:10AXB 393 Kozhikode 14:20

SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KAC 672 Dubai 14:45KAC 788 Jeddah 14:50KAC 538 Sohag 14:50GFA 221 Bahrain 15:00KNE 472 Jeddah 15:05NIA 251 Alexandria 15:30OMA 645 Muscat 15:30KAC 562 Amman 15:40ABY 127 Sharjah 15:45UAE 857 Dubai 15:45JAD 301 Amman 15:55QTR 1072 Doha 16:10JZR 535 Cairo 16:10FDB 051 Dubai 16:30KNE 474 Jeddah 16:35ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:40RJA 640 Amman 16:55KAC 542 Cairo 16:55JZR 787 Riyadh 17:00SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30KAC 678 Muscat/Abu Dhabi 17:50MSR 614 Cairo 17:50JZR 777 Jeddah 17:55KAC 118 New York 17:55UAE 875 Dubai 18:00KAC 502 Beirut 18:00FDB 063 Dubai 18:05SYR 341 Damascus 18:15JZR 177 Dubai 18:20KAC 786 Jeddah 18:30ABY 123 Sharjah 18:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:55KAC 742 Dammam 18:55KAC 614 Bahrain 19:10KAC 774 Riyadh 19:25GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30KAC 618 Doha 19:35KAC 104 London 19:40KAC 154 Istanbul 19:45KAC 674 Dubai 19:45KAC 176 Geneva/Frankfurt 19:55MSR 618 Alexandria 20:05KNE 480 Taif 20:10JZR 189 Dubai 20:15FDB 061 Dubai 20:20OMA 647 Muscat 20:20ABY 121 Sharjah 20:35FDB 5053 Dubai 20:50DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:55JAI 572 Mumbai 20:55QTR 1088 Doha 21:00MEA 402 Beirut 21:20ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:20ALK 229 Colombo 21:25UAE 859 Dubai 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45JZR 125 Bahrain 21:55QTR 1082 Doha 22:00KLM 417 Amsterdam 22:05AIC 981 Chennai/Ahmedabad 22:25ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:25KAC 564 Amman 22:25FDB 059 Dubai 22:30JZR 185 Dubai 23:15PIA 205 Lahore 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45THY 764 Istanbul 23:50JAI 574 Mumbai 23:55MSC 403 Asyut 23:55

Departure Flights on Thursday 4/2/2016Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 Goa/Chennai 00:05JZR 528 Asyut 00:05BBC 044 Dhaka 00:10FDB 072 Dubai 00:40MSC 404 Asyut 00:55JAI 573 Mumbai 00:55MSC 416 Sohag 01:00KLM 411 Amsterdam 01:35THY 773 Istanbul 02:30SAI 442 Lahore 02:30DLH 635 Frankfurt 02:35ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:45KAC 381 Delhi 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:45PGT 859 Istanbul 03:55OMA 644 Muscat 03:55FDB 068 Dubai 04:00MSR 613 Cairo 04:10ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:15KKK 6508 Istanbul 04:20QTR 1077 Doha 05:00LMU 511 Cairo 05:05THY 765 Istanbul 05:15JZR 560 Sohag 06:10QTR 8512 Doha 06:10FDB 070 Dubai 06:30JZR 164 Dubai 06:55RJA 643 Amman 07:05THY 771 Istanbul 07:05FDB 5062 Dubai 07:10JZR 240 Amman 07:15GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15KAC 537 Sohag 08:20FDB 054 Dubai 08:30QTR 1087 Doha 08:40BAW 156 London 08:45SVA 513 Riyadh 08:50JZR 534 Cairo 09:15KAC 787 Jeddah 09:25ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40KAC 101 London/New York 09:55KAC 541 Cairo 09:55UAE 856 Dubai 09:55KAC 561 Amman 10:00IRA 668 Mashhad 10:00KAC 671 Dubai 10:05ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:25KAC 501 Beirut 10:30FDB 056 Dubai 10:35KAC 153 Istanbul 10:40KAC 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat 10:50KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:00QTR 1071 Doha 11:00OMA 642 Muscat 11:05IRA 672 Ahwaz 11:10IRM 1181 Mashhad 11:25GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25RBG 554 Alexandria 12:00JZR 776 Jeddah 12:20UAE 874 Dubai 12:30AGY 683 Alexandria 12:40MEA 405 Beirut 12:55NIA 152 Cairo 12:55KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00FDB 076 Dubai 13:10MSC 402 Alexandria 13:30JZR 176 Dubai 13:45JZR 786 Riyadh 13:45

MSR 611 Cairo 14:00UAE 872 Dubai 14:15KNE 481 Taif 14:50PAL 669 Dubai/Manila 14:55KAC 673 Dubai 15:00FDB 058 Dubai 15:10QTR 1079 Doha 15:10AXB 394 Kozhikode 15:20JZR 188 Dubai 15:40KAC 617 Doha 15:45GFA 222 Bahrain 15:45KAC 613 Bahrain 15:50KAC 741 Dammam 15:50KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50SVA 505 Jeddah 16:00KNE 473 Jeddah 16:05ABY 128 Sharjah 16:25OMA 646 Muscat 16:30NIA 252 Alexandria 16:30JAD 302 Amman 16:40KAC 563 Amman 16:45JZR 266 Beirut 17:05KNE 475 Jeddah 17:25ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:30FDB 052 Dubai 17:35QTR 1073 Doha 17:40JZR 538 Cairo 17:45UAE 858 Dubai 17:45RJA 641 Amman 17:55SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:50MSR 615 Cairo 18:50JZR 554 Alexandria 19:10JZR 124 Bahrain 19:10SYR 342 Damascus 19:15FDB 064 Dubai 19:20ABY 124 Sharjah 19:25UAE 876 Dubai 19:30GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15KAC 283 Dhaka 20:35KAC 353 BLR 20:40KAC 351 Kochi 20:50QTR 1081 Doha 20:50KAC 543 Cairo 20:55KAC 343 Chennai 21:00MSR 619 Alexandria 21:05KNE 461 Riyadh 21:10ABY 122 Sharjah 21:15OMA 648 Muscat 21:20FDB 062 Dubai 21:20DLH 634 Doha 21:45FDB 5054 Dubai 21:50DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50JAI 571 Mumbai 21:55QTR 1089 Doha 22:00KAC 301 Mumbai 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:10MEA 403 Beirut 22:20ALK 230 Colombo 22:25GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30UAE 860 Dubai 22:55QTR 1083 Doha 23:05KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 23:05KAC 205 Islamabad 23:10ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:15KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:35FDB 060 Dubai 23:35KAC 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 23:40

SHARQIA-1FLIPPED 11:45 AMFLIPPED 2:00 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 2:00 PMFRI+SATALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 4:00 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 6:00 PMAMERICAN HERO 8:00 PMFLIPPED 10:15 PMFLIPPED 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2THE FINEST HOURS 12:00 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 2:30 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 5:00 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 7:30 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 10:00 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3JANE GOT A GUN 12:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 2:45 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 4:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 6:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 8:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 10:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-1JANE GOT A GUN 11:45 AMJANE GOT A GUN 1:45 PMNO FRI+SATALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 1:45 PMFRI+SATALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 3:45 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 5:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 7:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 9:45 PMJANE GOT A GUN 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-2FLIPPED 1:00 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 3:00 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 5:00 PMFLIPPED 7:00 PMFLIPPED 9:00 PMFLIPPED 11:00 PMFLIPPED 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-3THE FINEST HOURS 11:30 AMTHE FINEST HOURS 2:00 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 4:30 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 7:00 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 9:30 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 12:05 AM

FANAR-1AMERICAN HERO 1:00 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 2:45 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 4:45 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 6:45 PMAMERICAN HERO 8:45 PMAMERICAN HERO 10:30 PMAMERICAN HERO 12:15 AM

FANAR-2FLIPPED 11:30 AMFLIPPED 1:30 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 1:30 PMFLIPPED 3:30 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 5:30 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP FLIPPED 9:45 PMFLIPPED 11:45 PM

FANAR-3STANDOFF 1:00 PMSTANDOFF 3:00 PMSTANDOFF 5:00 PMEVERYTHING ABOUT HER -Filipino 7:00 PMMIN DAHAR RAGEL - Arabic 9:30 PMMIN DAHAR RAGEL - Arabic 12:30 AM

MARINA-1FLIPPED 1:00 PMFLIPPED 3:00 PMNO FRI+SATCAPTURE THE FLAG 3:00 PMFRI+SATALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 5:00 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 7:00 PMFLIPPED 9:00 PMFLIPPED 11:00 PMFLIPPED 1:00 AM

MARINA-2THE FINEST HOURS 11:45 AMTHE FINEST HOURS 2:15 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 4:45 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 7:15 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 9:45 PMTHE FINEST HOURS 12:15 AM

MARINA-3JANE GOT A GUN 12:00 PMJANE GOT A GUN 2:00 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 2:00 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 4:00 PMALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROAD CHIP 6:00 PMJANE GOT A GUN 8:00 PMJANE GOT A GUN 10:00 PMJANE GOT A GUN 12:05 AM

AVENUES-1CAPTURE THE FLAG 1:00 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 3:15 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 5:30 PMCAPTURE THE FLAG 7:45 PMMIN DAHAR RAGEL - Arabic 10:00 PMSTANDOFF 1:00 AM

AVENUES-2AMERICAN HERO 12:15 PMSTANDOFF 2:15 PMAMERICAN HERO 4:15 PMAMERICAN HERO 6:15 PMSTANDOFF 8:15 PMAMERICAN HERO 10:15 PMAMERICAN HERO 12:15 AM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TOWEDNESDAY (04/02/2016 TO 10/02/2016)

112

CHANGE OF NAME

SITUATION VACANT

I, Kerodawala Rajani hold-er of Indian Passport No.M6422448, resident atD.No. 7-79 (B) Kadali village,Razole Mandal, herebychanged my name toKerodawala Zainab. (C 5125)

Farida ShabuddinMukaddam, holder ofIndian Passport No.Z3082289, D.O.B25/08/1963, residing atA/103 Twin Star apartmentsRupa Nagar compoundnear Kapadia Nagar, C.S.T.Road Kurla west Mumbai400070, India, change myname as FaridaShahabuddin Mukaddam. (C 5126)

Abdul Gafoor MukadamShabuddin, holder of IndianPassport No. G7279549,D.O.B. 12/10/1956, residingat A103 Twin Star apart-ment Rupanagar com-pound near Kapadia Nagar,C.S.T Road Kurla west.Mumbai, 400070, India.Change my name asShahabuddin Abdul GafoorMukaddam. (C 5127)3-2-2015

I, Abdulla KhanMunirudeen, S/o AbdullaKhan, holder of IndianPassport No: J5547890,D.O.B. 02.12.1965, residingat No. 204B, 5th block, 7thstreet, Bharathwaj Nagar,Mudichur, Chennai 600048,shall henceforth be knownas Abdulla Khan KaleemUllah Khan. (C 5124)2-2-2016

I, Ameya MakarandDhongade, holder of IndianPassport No: M1041651,R/o 5, RunanubandhSociety, Park Avenue, D.P.

ACCOMMODATION

Sharing accommodationavailable for decent execu-

Toyota Yaris 2013 Saloon,dark grey color, excellentcondition. KD 1950. Mob:50994848. (C 5123)2-2-2016

Road, Aundh, Pune 411007,Maharashtra, changed myname as Amey MakarandDhongade. (C 5121)1-2-2016

Part-time housekeeperneeded for Western family.Please call 98877192. (C 5128)4-2-2016

FOR SALEtive bachelors/ family atAbbassiya. Separate bath-room/ balcony. Near UnitedIndian School. Contact:50903076. (C 5122)1-2-2016

Checking out the competition and surveying the possibilities when it comes tochanging jobs or upgrading your job may have you in a grateful mood this morning. Youreally feel that you are on the right path and work progress is coming along fairly well. Yourinner resources and emotions are accented. Expect a sense of support and goodwill fromthose around you. Perhaps you feel this is really you-how you feel and are. Today you will beable to tackle tasks that require real discipline or organization. You find yourself in a very prac-tical mood-working with, instead of against, yourself. Relations with members of the oppositesex are strengthened at this time. Take the time to show your appreciation of a friend or lovedone tonight.

Mental stimulation from others is key for you right now-it’s a good ideato make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. The workflow todayis productive. You may spend a considerable amount of time thinking about how toimprove finances . . . Principally through physical or manual activity. The desire formaterial success is great and you could be reckless, perhaps through gambling or inhandling newfound finances-careful. You have an increased zeal for work or play.The power of your ego is strong at this time-romance should be exciting. This is alsoan excellent time for taking part in social activities with friends. Perhaps you willsoon be interested in trying out for a play or music group. Bravo!

You really concentrate now to get things done quickly, whether you arealone or with others, particularly if you lead. State your agenda logically

and even those who may disagree with you will respect you. Strong-minded personsare attracted to you and you to them. This is a most favorable time to engage in intel-lectually stimulating leisure activities. Perhaps you will be able to entertain others thisafternoon and evening. This may involve business associates or family visiting fromafar. You will find this a period of optimism and emotional stability and a perfect timeto enjoy your existing relationships and to perhaps start new ones. This is anextremely creative period in your life and you should take full advantage of it.

The universe is full of favorable energies for financial dealings. Thisdoesn’t mean magic will happen but it does mean you seem to have a magic touch. Itis a good time to think seriously about your business future. If you make that extrapush to assert yourself in business, doors will open that allow you a good opportunityto move up the corporate ladder. A superior at work needs your input. Do a little free-flow thinking and you will come up with something new. Almost as though you werea performer, the secret to your success is in your ability to creatively solve problems!There is some special music for you to enjoy this evening. There is an emphasis onclose relationships tonight, as well as enjoying a life celebration.

Eagerness, excitement and the opportunity for new discoveries rule theday. There are plenty of other days for routine and discipline. Take advantage of theway you can glance over complicated material and gain insight with a plan. Yourmental faculties are enlivened, making you readily receptive to all thoughts thatencroach upon you. It is best to rely on facts rather than feelings. An expensive mis-take could be in the works if you make up your mind too quickly. There is an interestin the motivations and desires of friends and family. This is an excellent time to get toknow someone better. Talk with a loved one is quite helpful this evening. Your emo-tions are in balance, making sexual relations particularly meaningful.

You may have noticed that the lines in your palm seem different from just afew months ago. It does not matter what everybody else is doing, you have the basic ideasfor a plan for your future. The job you hold now could be the means to financially get youthrough to the other side of some education or apprenticeship. With education, apprentice-ship or even internship behind you, you will experience the rewards you are looking for, sokeep moving forward with your plans; you will soon see excellent results. Enjoy an enthusias-tic attitude. A certified clinical nutritionist could help you create a balance in your diet with afew nutritional supplements. More than one visitor will be visiting with you this evening. Youare good at making guests feel welcomed.

A collision of powerful and unpredictable energy spills into your life. As youencourage others, you are also encouraged. Set aside any doubts you may have aboutsome new challenge . . . You will be successful as you take your time and ask whateverquestions might be needed. If you are involved in a leadership role, you may find that thisanticipation is perhaps the way your mind and body prepares itself for performance. Youare able to handle any situation that may occur. Your creativity is exalted and you canexpect personal or career gains. Your consciousness has an inner peace. You are cheerfuland friendly to all, making you very popular. Tonight you may decide to make a list of a fewpersonal goals-you need some time to yourself.

This is a good time to lead the way on a project-your originality is good. Thisis an excellent time to sway others to your cause. This may be through speeches or cleverarguments-your thinking is most logical. You have a little extra time today to see if you canbe helpful to a new person in your workplace. Try listening to this person’s needs beforedeciding for yourself how best to be helpful. You have an excellent opportunity to gainnew insights into an unresolved problem. You may not appreciate the secretive and overlyprivate approach of someone you encounter. You may give some thought as to what isnot being said. Companionship with others, however, can be most rewarding. You mightrelax this evening with a hot drink.

Cleaning out your desk you may find the name of a lead you have beensearching to find. If you give your best effort now, considerable success is yours! Excitement!New discoveries, encounters and ideas should make this a day to remember. You will nothave to look for them; they will find you-projects that is. Any problem you might find can beeasily resolved. The practical use of your time and effort will most certainly be successful.This is a great time to be with others in work or sports. You may be sought after as just theperson for a particular job. Check the routine and leave part of your day open for surprisesand new adventures. Expand your insights with some fascinating nonfiction this evening.

Any need for negotiation or persuasion has found its day. Your mind is clearand alert and anyone should be able to grasp your point of view. Your abilities

and expectations for success may be slowed. You may feel that further education or experi-ence is just what you need. You may face criticism from co-workers or your boss, particularlyabout a project or idea of yours; keep trying, you have great ideas. You have a great amountof inner strength in light of obstacles that may suddenly appear. Do not hide beneath a shellbut open up to others. You may enjoy making plans or involving yourself in some writing orexpanding your intellectual horizons-sign up for a class-start that book.


Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 1158

ACROSS1. An informal term for a father.5. A resident of Nevada.12. (Norse mythology) Wife of Thor andguardian of the home.15. An elaborate song for solo voice.16. A deciduous tree of the family Ulmaceaethat grows in the southeastern United States.17. A plant hormone promoting elongationof stems and roots.18. The basic unit of money in Ethiopia.19. An ordered reference standard.21. A flat wing-shaped process or winglikepart of an organism.22. An inflammatory disease of connectivetissue with variable features including feverand weakness and fatigability and joint painsand skin lesions on the face or neck or arms.24. Of or relating to the stomach and intes-tines.26. A white metallic element that burns witha brilliant light.29. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkalimetal group.31. Low-lying wet land with grassy vegeta-tion.33. Walk clumsily.37. Wild sheep of northern Africa.39. Type genus of the Blattidae.41. Rounded like an egg.42. Low-growing tropical perennials grownfor their stingless foliage.44. An accountant certified by the state.45. Wife or mistress of Zeus and mother ofApollo and Artemis in ancient mythology.47. (Judaism) An eight-day Jewish holidaycommemorating the rededication of theTemple of Jerusalem.50. A broad flat muscle on either side of theback.51. A period marked by distinctive characteror reckoned from a fixed point or event.52. (astronomy) The angular distance of acelestial point measured westward along thecelestial equator from the zenith crossing.53. Small genus of herbs of warm regions ofsouthern North America to northern SouthAmerica.58. An associate degree in nursing.59. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.62. A woman sahib.64. Small bitter fruit of the marasca cherrytree from whose juice maraschino liqueur ismade.66. The branch of computer science that dealwith writing computer programs that cansolve problems creatively.67. A short labored intake of breath with themouth open.70. A member of the Nahuatl people whoestablished an empire in Mexico that wasoverthrown by Cortes in 1519.71. (Sumerian) Evil storm god represented asa black bird.73. Stem of the rattan palm used for makingcanes and umbrella handles.76. A female person who has the same par-ents as another person.77. An ester of carbamic acid.80. A compartment in front of a motor vehi-cle where driver sits.81. Surface layer of ground containing a mattof grass and grass roots.82. A person who rides a pedal-driven vehicle(as a bicycle).83. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.

DOWN1. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.

2. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover ofsome seeds that develops from the ovulestalk and partially or entirely envelopes theseed.3. English theoretical physicist who appliedrelativity theory to quantum mechanics andpredicted the existence of antimatter and thepositron (1902-1984).4. A river in north central Switzerland thatruns northeast into the Rhine.5. A radioactive transuranic metallic element.6. Other than what is under consideration orimplied.7. British informal term.8. Moth whose larvae are flour moths.9. A feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfac-tion.10. A unit of surface area equal to 100 squaremeters.11. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of thealkali metal group.12. Of or relating to the Sikhs or Sikhism.13. The United Nations agency concernedwith atomic energy.14. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in1922).20. Nocturnal wildcat of Central and SouthAmerica having a dark-spotted buff-browncoat.23. One of the jointed appendages of an ani-mal used for locomotion or grasping.25. Considerate and solicitous care.27. A farewell remark.28. A written symbol that is used to representspeech.30. Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fra-grant leaves and bright pink flowers followedby scarlet hips.32. Type genus of the Alcidae comprisingsolely the razorbill.34. A convex molding having a cross sectionin the form of a quarter of a circle or of anellipse.35. The capital of Bahrain.36. Any of several trees of the genus Platanushaving thin pale bark that scales off in smallplates and lobed leaves and ball-shapedheads of fruits.38. The inner and longer of the two bones ofthe human forearm.40. Type genus of the Alaudidae.43. A Loloish language.46. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts ofthe lateral columns and anterior horns of thespinal cord.48. Unknown god.49. Of an organism's environment.54. Type genus of the Triglidae.55. (Scotland) A slope or hillside.56. Filled with the emotional impact of over-whelming surprise or shock.57. A benevolent aspect of Devi.60. An ancient region of west central Italy(southeast of Rome) on the Tyrrhenian Sea.61. An honorary arts degree.63. An indehiscent fruit derived from a singleovary having one or many seeds within afleshy wall or pericarp.65. Flesh of fish found in colder waters ofnorthern Atlantic coast of the United States.68. Someone who works (or provides work-ers) during a strike.69. A metabolic acid found in yeast and livercells.72. A reptile genus of Iguanidae.74. Used of a single unit or thing.75. (Irish) The sea personified.78. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic elementthat resembles manganese chemically and isused in some alloys.79. A metric unit of volume or capacity equalto 100 liters.

Yesterday’s Solution



WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

34s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

Today you may want to focus on the higher aspects of life-the big picture-those little details are a waste of time. You are drawn to the study of religion, philosophy orpsychology. Just remember not to pontificate to others, or give the impression that youknow all the answers; you may not realize you could be doing this. This behavior is a quickway to lose converts. You may however, find that someone wants to join you in your searchfor the meaning of life, so to speak. You may also find this a day of optimism. Today marks atime when you enjoy better relations with family members, and your financial position mayalso improve because of your association with a relative.

You will tend to experience abrupt changes in matters of fortune, goodor bad, in a relatively short time. Avoid extravagance and take time to

reexamine your habits in this regard. Listen to the suggestions of a more experiencedinvestor-perhaps a friend. Make your plans today and execute tomorrow. At work,first concentrate on the small, irritating things that you have placed to one side for lat-er . . . Now is later. Your mind is clear and fertile and with quick wit. You will enjoycommunicating, writing letters, mental games, puzzle solving-anything to give youractive mind some creative vent.

inf or m at ionTHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

[email protected]

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

INTERNATIONALCALLS

Afghanistan 0093

Albania 00355

Algeria 00213

Andorra 00376

Angola 00244

Anguilla 001264

Antiga 001268

Argentina 0054

Armenia 00374

Australia 0061

Austria 0043

Bahamas 001242

Bahrain 00973

Bangladesh 00880

Barbados 001246

Belarus 00375

Belgium 0032

Belize 00501

Benin 00229

Bermuda 001441

Bhutan 00975

Bolivia 00591

Bosnia 00387

Botswana 00267

Brazil 0055

Brunei 00673

Bulgaria 00359

Burkina 00226

Burundi 00257

Cambodia 00855

Cameroon 00237

Canada 001

Cape Verde 00238

Cayman Islands 001345

Central African 00236

Chad 00235

Chile 0056

China 0086

Colombia 0057

Comoros 00269

Congo 00242

Cook Islands 00682

Costa Rica 00506

Croatia 00385

Cuba 0053

Cyprus 00357

Cyprus (Northern) 0090392

Czech Republic 00420

Denmark 0045

Diego Garcia 00246

Djibouti 00253

Dominica 001767

Dominican Republic 001809

Ecuador 00593

Egypt 0020

El Salvador 00503

England (UK) 0044

Equatorial Guinea 00240

Eritrea 00291

Estonia 00372

Ethiopia 00251

Falkland Islands 00500

Faroe Islands 00298

Fiji 00679

Finland 00358

France 0033

French Guiana 00594

French Polynesia 00689

Gabon 00241

Gambia 00220

Georgia 00995

Germany 0049

Ghana 00233

Gibraltar 00350

Greece 0030

Greenland 00299

Grenada 001473

Guadeloupe 00590

Guam 001671

Guatemala 00502

Guinea 00224

Guyana 00592

Haiti 00509

Holland (Netherlands) 0031

Honduras 00504

Hong Kong 00852

Hungary 0036

Ibiza (Spain) 0034

Iceland 00354

India 0091

Indian Ocean 00873

Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098

Iraq 00964

Ireland 00353

Italy 0039

Ivory Coast 00225

Jamaica 001876

Japan 0081

Jordan 00962

Kazakhstan 007

Kenya 00254

Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965

Kyrgyzstan 00996

Laos 00856

Latvia 00371

Lebanon 00961

Liberia 00231

Libya 00218

Lithuania 00370

Luxembourg 00352

Macau 00853

Macedonia 00389

Madagascar 00261

Majorca 0034

Malawi 00265

Malaysia 0060

Maldives 00960

Mali 00223

Malta 00356

Marshall Islands 00692

Martinique 00596

Mauritania 00222

Mauritius 00230

Mayotte 00269

Mexico 0052

Micronesia 00691

Moldova 00373

Monaco 00377

Mongolia 00976

Montserrat 001664

Morocco 00212

Mozambique 00258

Myanmar (Burma) 0095

Namibia 00264

Nepal 00977

Netherlands 0031

Netherlands Antilles 00599

New Caledonia 00687

New Zealand 0064

Nicaragua 00505

Nigar 00227

Nigeria 00234

Niue 00683

Norfolk Island 00672

N. Ireland (UK) 0044

North Korea 00850

Norway 0047

Oman 00968

Pakistan 0092

Palau 00680

Panama 00507

Papua New Guinea 00675

Paraguay 00595

Peru 0051

Philippines 0063

Poland 0048

Portugal 00351

Puerto Rico 001787

Qatar 00974

Romania 0040

Russian Federation 007

Rwanda 00250

Saint Helena 00290

Saint Kitts 001869

Saint Lucia 001758

Saint Pierre 00508

Saint Vincent 001784

Samoa US 00684

Samoa West 00685

San Marino 00378

Sao Tone 00239

Saudi Arabia 00966

Scotland (UK) 0044

Senegal 00221

Seychelles 00284

Sierra Leone 00232

Singapore 0065

Slovakia 00421

Slovenia 00386

Solomon Islands 00677

Somalia 00252

South Africa 0027

South Korea 0082

Spain 0034

Sri Lanka 0094

Sudan 00249

Suriname 00597

Swaziland 00268

Sweden 0046

Switzerland 0041

Syria 00963

Serbia 00381

Taiwan 00886

Tanzania 00255

Thailand 0066

Toga 00228

Tonga 00676

Tokelau 00690

Trinidad 001868

Tunisia 00216

Turkey 0090

Tuvalu 00688

Uganda 00256

Ukraine 00380

United Arab Emirates 00976

United Kingdom 0044

Uruguay 00598

USA 001

Uzbekistan 00998

Vanuatu 00678

Venezuela 00582

Vietnam 0084

Virgin Islands UK 001284

Virgin Islands US 001340

Wales (UK) 0044

Yemen 00967

Yugoslavia 00381

Zambia 00260

Zimbabwe 00263


l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

Halle Berry, left,and KevinHuvane speakat the 2ndAnnual MAKERSConference atTerranea Resortin Rancho PalosVerdes, Calif. —AP

Halle Berry said Hollywood’s lack of diversi-ty stems from a lack of honesty.Filmmakers and actors should tell the

truth, she said, “and the films, I think, that arecoming out of Hollywood aren’t truthful.” “Thereason they’re not truthful these days is theyaren’t really depicting the importance and theinvolvement and the participation of people ofcolor in our American culture,” Berry said,addressing the film academy’s diversity contro-versy publicly for the first time.

She made the remarks Tuesday during anonstage conversation with her agent, KevinHuvane, at the Makers Conference, an AOL

women’s leadership program. The Academy ofMotion Picture Arts and Sciences has been fac-ing a diversity crisis since the nominationsannounced last month revealed a second con-secutive year of all-white acting nominees.

Berry is the only black woman to win anOscar for lead actress, and she said she’s heart-broken her victory for 2001’s “Monster’s Ball” did-n’t lead to more women of color being cast inleading roles. But she puts the blame on film-makers with tunnel vision. “Our cities are filledwith black and brown people. And many times,unfortunately we see films that are set inChicago, New York, Atlanta - big metropolitan

cities - and they’re devoid of people of color,” shesaid. “So I feel like when we really live up to ourresponsibility and challenge ourselves to betruthful, and tell the truth in our storytelling,then people of color will be there in a real com-petitive way, and it won’t be about inclusion ordiversity. Because if we’re telling the truth, inclu-sion and diversity will be a byproduct of thetruth.” She then looked at Huvane and said: “Youhit me with a zinger!” The Makers Conference,held at the seaside Terranea Resort in RanchoPalos Verdes, California, continues till today withsuch speakers as Gloria Steinem, SherylSandberg and Caitlyn Jenner. — AP

Halle Berry: Hollywood nottruthful about people of color

If Grammys were handed out for sheerpersistence, the metal band Sevendustwould have a bunch by now. The quintet

from Atlanta is celebrating two decadestogether this year with its first Grammynomination. The nomination is for a songthat is, appropriately, named “Thank You.”“This is a big deal. I feel like it’s going topush us to work even harder,” said LajonWitherspoon, the band’s lead singer andco-songwriter. “I think we’re on the rightavenue right now.”

Sevendust, known for its melodicapproach to metal, has put many miles onthe road, supporting everyone fromMetallica to Creed. The band finally got theattention of the Recording Academy for lastyear’s “Kill the Flaw,” its 11th studio album.The music has elements of classic metal,thrash, southern rock and even some soul,led by the fearsome instrument ofWitherspoon’s voice, one of the most flexi-ble and exciting in music today.

“Music is music. I never put a label on it.I just feel I’m a rocker,” said Witherspoon,who also recently sang with the MoscowStudio Symphony Orchestra for a side proj-ect and who has embraced Sevendust’sacoustic side. “I’m sure there are people outthere that would say Sevendust isn’t heavyenough, but I don’t believe everything hasto be always breaking walls down,” he said.“I’ve been onstage and felt like BritneySpears compared to some of the bandsthat we’ve played with. But we still get outthere and rock it.”

Sevendust hits the road as a headlinerthis spring starting April 26 in Baton Rouge,Louisiana, and wrapping up May 28 at theRocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.Sevendust’s lineup - which also includesClint Lowery on lead guitar, John Connollyon rhythm guitar, Vince Hornsby on bassand Morgan Rose on drums - has beenremarkably stable over the years, with theexception of Lowery stepping away for afew years.

Rocking my gown“We don’t really ever fight. There’s no

reason to. We’re grown men,” saidWitherspoon, who welcomed his third childin December and just celebrated his 12thwedding anniversary. He is well versed oncar seats and diapers, yet onstage candeliver the lyric “All the things we loathe,

we become it” with full-throated power. Atthe Grammys, Sevendust faces off againstSlipknot, Lamb of God, August Burns Redand Ghost. Though the winner won’t be tel-evised, Witherspoon and his family willproudly be on the red carpet. For a guywho watched the ceremonies as a boy, hewouldn’t miss it, especially as a way tothank his wife for all her sacrifices while heand his band crisscrossed the country. “Thisis for the wives,” he said.

Witherspoon was born and raised inNashville, Tennessee, and sang in hischurch choir. Even his grandmother sensedthere was a showman in the youngster. “Iwanted to perform,” he said, laughing. “Iwas rocking my gown.” Though he sang inR&B bands, by high school he was hangingout with the long-haired kids listening toGuns N’ Roses and Black Sabbath. Able towail and growl, he gravitated toward metal,an often rare genre for an African-American. Witherspoon says he doesn’t seeracism at Sevendust gigs these days, butyears ago on tour with Slipknot he saw “acouple of knuckleheads” in the mosh pitgive the Hitler salute, oblivious to what itmeant. In melancholy moments, he sus-pects his race might have slowed theband’s rise. “I’ve always wondered if I hadnot been a black man in Sevendust, wouldit have even gotten bigger?” he asks. “At theend of the day, I’m glad that it took thislong because we’re still here.” — AP

20 years later, metal bandSevendust relishes Grammy nod

Lajon Witherspoon, lead singer ofSevendust, poses for a portrait in NewYork. — AP

ALos Angeles judge has finalizedHilary Duff ’s divorce from formerNHL player Mike Comrie. The judg-

ment, which was first reported Tuesday bycelebrity website TMZ, was finalized today.The 28-year-old singer and actress starredin the “Lizzie McGuire” television series andfilm and stars on the T V Land series“Younger.” Comrie played professional

hockey between 2000 and 2011, ending hiscareer with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Duff and Comrie were married in August2010 and separated in January 2014. Theyhave a three-year-old son together and willshare joint custody. The judgment states thepair had a prenuptial agreement and Comrieis giving up rights to their home in exchangefor a $2.4 million payment from Duff. — AP

This file photo shows Hilary Duff speaks during the “Younger” panel at the TV Land2016 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. — AP

Judge finalizes Duff’sdivorce from ex-NHL player

Could “Manolos” come to the high street?The legendary shoe designer ManoloBlahnik told AFP he could work with

retailers such as H&M and Topshop-but only ifthey give him the creative freedom he needs.“If I have freedom and no kind ofconditions to do that or that, Iwould do it, with pleasure,” the73-year-old Spaniard said at theopening of a new store inLondon’s luxury Mayfair district.

“I like my shoes to be outsidethere. Not copied, like in China,but the real thing!” said the flam-boyant Blahnik, a close friend ofthe late Princess Diana who livesin Bath in southern England.Blahnik, whose designs werepopularized by the US televisionseries “Sex and the City,” has resis-ted the overtures of global fash-ion giants to stay independent-and now has eight solo stores inDubai, Hong Kong, London,Madrid, Moscow and New York. He said hewould only stop being independent “after Idrop dead,” adding: “I love freedom, I adorefreedom of any kind.” “People say I need to dothat, I need to do that, I really can do that. Ican’t work that way.

“It took me so long to live in my conditions,”he said in accented English. Blahnik’s designshave appeared on the feet of some of the mostglamorous women in the world. Asked which

celebrities had the best ones, he namedactresses Raquel Welch and Brigitte Bardot butsaid he was disillusioned by modern-day stars.“They are not those great old stars that used towear flat shoes and be so sexy,” said Blahnik,

whose shoes can sell for morethan $1,000 (916 euros) a pair.Blahnik decried the moderntrend of women wearing trainers,saying they “could destroy” theirfeet. “But they say that aboutshoes all the time, that theydestroy women’s feet.Nonsense!”

European tour Born on November 7, 1942 in

the Canary Islands, Blahnik is theson of a Czech father and aSpanish mother and grew up onher banana plantation. His par-ents wanted him to become adiplomat but US Vogue’s leg-endary editor Diana Vreeland

steered him towards fashion design. Blahnik’snew store, which opened at a glitzy launch onTuesday, is in the Burlington Arcade-a gallerybuilt in 1819 near Piccadilly Circus close tosome of the British capital’s most expensiveshops. He faces some busy months with a newdocumentary on his life and an exhibition with500 of his designs to be launched at the VeniceFilm Festival in September. “It’s going to be inthe places of Europe that I love best. —AFP

‘Manolos’ for the people?Luxury shoe designer opens up

This file photo showsSpanish fashion

designer ManoloBlahnik as he posesfor a picture. —AFP

Russia’s first major exhibitiondedicated to Mexican sur-realist painter Frida Kahlo

has opened in a St Petersburgmuseum. The exhibition thatopened Tuesday in the FabergeMuseum features three dozenworks by Kahlo, famous for herpoignant self-portraits. The paint-ings come from various collec-tions in Mexico, and officials saidit took four separate planes totransport them to Russia becauseof safety precautions. The organ-izers said the exhibition spansthe entire Kahlo’s career andincludes some of her most iconicpaintings. — AP

Frida Kahlo exhibition opens in Russian museum

A visitor examines paintings at theFrida Kahlo exhibition.

A visitor examinespaintings at the Frida

Kahlo exhibition.

Ben-HurRangel, of Riode Janeiro,Brazil,examines the1928 FridaKahlo painting“Dos Mujeres(Salvadora yHerminia).”

A visitor stylized as Frida Kahlo poses for photo next to a Frida’s Kahlo self-por-trait at the Frida Kahlo exhibition in St Petersburg, Russia. — AP photos



Four miles from the bustling state capitol, acastle-like structure sits in a corner ofAustin’s Hyde Park neighborhood. It’s

built from white stones, complete withcolumns and a square tower. Out front, a fieldof native greenery teeming with tall purple andyellow wildflowers seems to have been liftedfrom the Texas plains and left to grow as natureintended. This is the Elisabet Ney Museum, ahistoric site housing works by Ney, a celebratedGerman sculptor. Ney and her physician-

philosopher husband, Edmund Montgomery,left Europe amid political turmoil in 1871 anddecided to come to Texas. She established herstudio and home here in 1892, naming the siteFormosa, Portuguese for beautiful. Over time itbecame a gathering place for intellectuals,politicians and artists of the area.

Walking on wood-planked floors, visitorscan approach the statues of her subjects, rang-ing from European royalty to Texas heroes of acentury ago. Ney’s tools are left scattered

about, as if she had just walked away for amoment. One almost expects her to appearand engage in a conversation.

A narrow spiral stairway leads to the towerNey had built for her husband to carry on hiswork; it’s easy to imagine his footsteps on thestairs. Outside, a metal geodesic dome - one ina series of contemporary works featured onthe 2 1/2 acre site - brings visitors back to the21st century. But the sensibility of that earlierera lingers. — AP

This April 2012 photoprovided by the AustinParks & RecreationDepartment shows theElisabet Ney Museum inAustin, Texas. — AP

Austin’s Elisabet Ney Museum evokes a past era

Thai performers caked in make-up beltout the piercing notes of Chinese opera-an art form under threat by changing

cultural habits and demographics in a king-dom reshaped by centuries of immigrationfrom the north. With Chinese New Year kickingoff this week, the nomadic “Lau San ChiaSoon” troupe, who pitch their stage whereverthey are invited, are expecting a particularlybusy few days. But this eye-catching form ofmusical theatre is struggling as younger gen-erations of Thais look for entertainment else-where, something performers desperatelywant to change.

“The history of Chinese opera is gettingforgotten and is vanishing as new generationsdon’t really know much about it,” 25-year-oldNatnicha Saeung, who began performing withthis troupe at the age of 13, tells AFP from arecent performance in Nakhon Pathom, aprovince to the west of Bangkok. Her col-league Chukiat Thippan, 23, agrees. “Thereare not many people watching Chineseoperas now,” he tells AFP behind a hastilyerected temporary stage. “Some of the olderThai-Chinese people passed away and thenew generations don’t really continue the tra-dition.” About 14 percent of the Thai popula-

tion is ethnic Chinese following centuries ofimmigration and assimilation. Many morehave Chinese roots among their forebears.But the number of Thais of Chinese descentwho understand the ‘Teochew’ dialect used bythis group of singers is dwindling. There was atime when nomadic Chinese opera troupeslike this were a common feature of the Thailandscape, travelling from village to villagebringing the entertaining sights and soundsof a tradition that dates back centuries.

Mangkorn Supongpan, 62, whose parentsfounded Lau San Chia Soon, says there arenow fewer than 20 mobile groups like his trav-elling across Thailand. He admits it’s hard toattract people to the lifestyle. Performers raisetheir children, eat and sleep beneath thestage, packing it up and all their belongingsevery few days to move to a new venue. “It’s ahard life because we barely go back home, weperform all year long, non-stop,” he says. Fewwill see riches either. The average monthlywage for a performer is between 10-20,000baht ($280-$560) depending on their role.

Most communities that invite operas toperform do it more as a way to honor ances-tors than to entertain the masses. But someamong the largely elderly crowd watching thetroupe’s performance that night hopeyounger generations might be inspired togive Chinese opera a try. “People now stayhome and watch TV,” says Prasit Puthiprapa, asprightly 81-year-old. “But watching Chineseopera is like watching movies and soapoperas, it’s good fun especially when you payattention to it,” he adds, somewhat admonish-ingly. At the start of the show shortly afterdusk, dozens sit on plastic chairs watching thedrama unfold. But by the time it wraps uparound midnight, just a solitary audiencemember and a street dog remain. The troupearen’t bothered though. By morning, thestage will be gone and they’ll be off to thenext village. — AFP

Chinese opera artists on stage during a performance held in a village in Nakhon Pathom province, west of Bangkok. — AFP photos

Despite ancestral links,Chinese opera struggles in Thailand

Locals watching a stage performance by Chinese opera artists in a village in Nakhon Pathom province. Locals watching a stage performance by Chinese opera artists.

Chinese opera artists on stage during a performance.

A Chinese opera artist applying make-up backstage.

Chinese operaartists gettingready backstageahead of a performance.

Chinese opera artistsgetting readybackstage.



With all this travelling, I’m always amazed by howdrastically my skin and hair dries out, especial-ly on this trip that I went on to Philadelphia.

The freezing cold temperatures sucked the moistureright out of my hair and skin! This doesn’t necessarilyonly happen when you’re in the cold but also in the

extremely hot weather that we deal with back home,and generally in the Middle East.

I never travel light, when it comes to my skin and hairroutine. I actually care about these products beingpacked more than my own clothes, only because it frus-trates me to be dealing with breakouts and dried out

skin while being dehydrated on Roaccutane orhave my hair getting tangled every time I

wash it. I always make sure I pack agood hair mask, hair oil replace-

ment, my detangle spray, a goodcomb, and a leave-in condition-

er. If I was going to be tanningor under the sun for a longtime I will also throw in a hairUV protectant because noth-ing is worse than how yourhair feels like after you’vebeen in the pool or swimming

at the beach. Not a lot of people know this

but a few hairstylists have told methat one of the biggest mistakes

that girls do with long hair is that theyapply shampoo from the roots to the tips

of their hair, what they should do is only apply and washthe roots of your hair (scalp area) and not rub in theshampoo through all of your hair to have minimal dam-age/dryness after your dry your hair, because no matterhow much you love your shampoo or love how it leavesyour hair feeling smooth and shiny, it contains chemicalsand all shampoos do, meaning it’ll leave in those chemi-cals in your hair, unless you use homemade shampooand conditioner which is amazing too.

UV protectionLeaving in olive oil or mixing a few drops with your

shampoo will also help a lot with locking in the mois-ture in your hair, usually I plan to have a day out of theweek or every other week to leave in olive oil for a cou-ple of hours to help my hair with the dryness and splitends. Doing so for a while will definitely benefit yourhair and also keep it smooth and shiny!

The UV protection is either a mousse or cream youput in your hair when you’re out tanning or going out inthe sun. It not only protects my hair from the UV rays italso keeps my hair color as it is, because sometimes thesalt from the sea or chlorine from the pool changes yourhair color to lighter, and this works just like when youprotect your skin by applying sunscreen.

Some hair masks come with the shampoo and condi-tioner you purchase, or you can also come up with yourown hair mask and make it at home (view older articlesto find the Homemade Masks). Masks are more like“quick-fixes” to help repair your hair for a short period oftime but actually treating it is what keeps it healthy inthe long run. I usually use masks instead of conditioners,even when I’m getting my hair done at the salon I askfor a mask. It’s heavier and more intense than a regularconditioner.

Always keep in mind that our hair is made out of aprotein called keratin, and using shampoos that containthat is very healthy for your hair, and another thing thatis extremely important to consider if you haveunhealthy and thinning hair is your diet. Many womengo on poor diets which cause them to have thin hair,weak nails and bad skin. Eating foods such as seafood,more precisely salmon, yoghurt; Greek yoghurt containsvitaminB5 which prevents hair thinning, spinach, poul-try, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and eggs. Try to addthose to your diet to help grow your hair faster, and notonly your hair but skin and nails too. Always know thatto have anything be healthy is starts from within, ahealthy body and a healthy mind comes first, and every-thing else follows. Good luck ladies.

A healthy body and mind comes first

Decorating a bedroom is aboutcreating a peaceful retreat, andin winter that means making it

as cozy and welcoming as possible.For some people, “cozy” requires thephysical warmth of thick flannelsheets and soft quilts, says California-based designer Kathryn Bechen. Forothers, filling a bedroom with senti-mental items can make the space feelwarmer and more welcoming. Stillothers find that the golden glow ofsoft light bulbs and the flicker of can-dles (real or fake) can elevate a bed-room from merely comfortable to tru-ly cozy on winter nights.

Here, Bechen and two other interi-or designers - Maxwell Ryan, founderof the Apartment Therapy website(apartmenttherapy.com), and NewYork-based Young Huh - suggest waysto create the warmest, coziest bed-room possible.

Sounds and scentsA cozy bedroom is quiet, says

Ryan. So consider adding an extrathrow rug on the floor or heavierdraperies on the windows to absorbsound. And if you don’t already haveone, he says, get a padded, uphol-stered headboard. Ryan treated him-self to one several years ago and wassurprised at the impact. “Lying in bed,my head was near this big uphol-stered piece,” he says, and the roomwas noticeably quieter.

Taking that strategy a step further,Huh suggests upholstering one or sev-eral walls in your master bedroom.Like a headboard, this will absorbsound and also create a sense ofwarmth when you see and feel theplush, padded fabric. Along withsounds, consider scents. Cinnamon-scented candles, for instance, can“make you feel cozy instead ofgloomy” in winter, Huh says. Don’t likecinnamon? A wide range of scents willwork, says Bechen, even some youwouldn’t expect: If the smell ofcoconut and pineapple brings backmemories of a mellow, sun-drenchedvacation in the tropics, that fragrancemay bring you a sense of calm andwarmth.

Colors and lightAlong with scenting the air, candles

give a room a “warm, soft, invitingglow,” Huh says. She recommends light-ing them every evening in winter. Ifyou’re worried about lighting a flame inyour bedroom, consider pairing flame-less LED candles with a diffuser con-taining scented oil. Or swap out yourlight bulbs for ones that offer warm,yellow or pink-tinged light. The newestenergy-efficient bulbs give warmerlight than the original compact fluores-

cents, and dimmers can also help cre-ate appealing, soothing light.

Colors also convey strong mes-sages; for a cozy space, Ryan suggestsavoiding over-stimulating colors likebright reds or yellows in favor of calm-ing greens, grays, eggplant, lavenderand even some blues. But Bechenpoints out that bedroom colors are avery personal choice. Some folks pre-fer a room decorated in low-key, calm-ing colors, but others will drawwarmth and coziness from deep, pow-erful shades. If a color delights you,she says, then it may work as a calm-ing, joyful influence.

Winter fabrics and rugsHuh says winter is the season for

layering on extra soft blankets andadding throw rugs on top of your usu-al floor covering. Consider a faux-sheepskin or faux-fur throw rug, or afluffy flokati rug. Look for wintersheets that are flannel or heavy cot-ton, and make sure they’re soft. Noone feels cozy on scratchy sheets, saysBechen. Ryan suggests choosingsheets in dark, cool colors like deepbrown, charcoal gray, even rich egg-plant. Just make sure they don’t con-tain too much red.

He also recommends adding athick bed pad, feather bed or extra-thick mattress cover under your fittedsheet for added warmth and softness.If you have a four-poster bed, he says,consider draping fabric over the topand down the sides to create a warm,enclosed space. If you don’t have afour-poster but love the idea of fabricdraped around your bed, he suggestsgetting “one of the big white, gauzycanopies that hang from the ceiling.”Even if it’s as light as mosquito netting,he says, it gives a sense of beingwrapped in something cozy. It ’s“romantic and lovely,” he says, “and notjust for kids.”

Finishing touchesBeing cozy includes feeling a bit

pampered, says Bechen. If you havespace, consider setting up a little cof-fee or tea station in your bedroom, likeyou’d find in a hotel room. On aSaturday morning, drink your coffeecuddled up under soft blankets ratherthan at the kitchen table. Huh sug-gests splurging on a soft chair forreading in your bedroom.

For Ryan, a powerful but silent airpurifier is a great finishing touch tomake your air healthier and help youdrift off to sleep feeling secure. Onedetail he doesn’t recommend?Decorative pillows. “True coziness has tobe something you touch and feel anduse,” he says, not something on your bedthat you’ll never use. — AP

In this undated photo provided by Young Huh, on cold, gray winterdays, upholstered headboards like the ones shown in this bed-room designed by Huh offer cheerful color and softness, while alsoabsorbing sound. — AP photos

This undated photo shows a calming and cozy bedroom designed byYoung Huh that features walls upholstered with panels of wool sateen.

Decorators’ tips for acozy winter bedroom

Landmark Group announced theawarded talented students at theninth Art Olympiad held this year.

The event witnessed the participationof 180 students from 18 well reputedschools across Kuwait. Famous Kuwaitiartists Asad Bunashi, Maha Al-Mansoorand Mariam Al-Mulla judged all partici-pating paintings and have selected atotal of eight winners at the end of theevent. All wining paintings were select-ed on the basis of creativity, workman-ship and overall impression.

The 9th Art Olympiad event is partof Landmark Group’s Corporate SocialResponsibility strategy to elevate thecapabilities and skills of youth inKuwait. The event is seen as a trainingplatform for these students by helpingthem improvise their flair and encour-age their innovative ability throughArt. This year’s competition had twokey age categories 9-11 and 12-14years. Each of these categories had atotal of three winners First, Second andThird place. In addition to the 6 awardsthere were three special prizes award-ed as recognition for the Most Creative,Most Color ful and best Design &Imagination paintings

Commenting on the event, SaibalBasu, Chief Operating Officer ofLandmark Group Kuwait said: “I wouldlike to extend my sincerest wishes tothe winners; and would also like toacknowledge the efforts of all the tal-ented students who participated in thiscompetition. Their creativity is a reflec-tion of their hard work and artist visionwhich illustrates their views towardstheir surroundings. Once again we areproud and excited to host the ArtOlympiad year after year as it proves tobe a great success”. Basu further added:“We are really pleased with the win-ning paintings as they are veryExpressive and meets all the judgingcriteria. I would like to thank our val-ued judges Asad Bunashi, Maha Al-

Mansoor and Mariam Al-Mulla whohave helped make this event Biggerand Better.”

Creating awareness“We would like to extend our appre-

ciation and gratitude to the teachersfor their efforts and support in nurtur-ing these talents and guiding them todevelop their creativity”. Basu conclud-ed. The participating schools for thisyear ’s Olympiad were: Al-GhanimBilingual School, AmericanInternational School, Ajial BilingualSchool, British School of Kuwait,Carmel School, Canadian BilingualSchool, Fahaheel Al-Watanieh IndianPrivate School Ahmadi, Indian CentralSchool, Indian Educational School,Indian English Academy School- DonBosco, Indian Learners Own Academy,International British School, KuwaitAmerican School, Kuwait EnglishSchool, Kuwait National English School,Salmiya Indian Model School, TheEnglish School Fahaheel and TheEnglish School-Salmiya.

Landmark Group is always keen onmaintaining an excellent rapport andcreating awareness about relevantissues among the youth with constantactivities and events. Children wereprovided with a craft pack that includ-

ed a drawing sheet and a variety of artmaterials such as paints, pencils andcrayons. The winners received a prize,certificates and trophies, while all par-ticipating schools were given a plaqueof appreciation.

Landmark Group announces winners of ‘Art Olympiad IX’

Group photo shows Saibel Basu with the winners.

Puppies bark and wag their tails asthey follow a gray-haired womanthrough a hillside compound that

shelters more than 200 dogs. “Hey, mybabies. Give your mom a kiss,” says JungMyoung Sook, 61. She lowers her face andone puppy near a snow-covered kennellicks her lips; another gently paws hercheek. In South Korea, where dogs are con-sidered a traditional delicacy and have onlyrecently become popular as pets, Jung’slove for her canine friends is viewed bysome as odd. But others see her as a cham-pion of animal rights.

Rescuing and caring for dogs for 26years, Jung has moved seven times becauseof neighbors’ complaints about noise. Sheoften stops to pick up dogs roaming thestreets, and has bought others in danger ofbeing sold to dog meat farms or restau-rants. Some question whether someone aspoor as Jung, who ekes out a living clean-ing a store and collecting recyclable boxes,can feed and care for so many dogs. WhileJung’s dogs looked healthy and well-fedduring a recent visit by The Associated

Press, their condition couldn’t be independ-ently confirmed. Authorities in the centralcity of Asan know about Jung’s current shel-ter, which she opened in 2014, but have nolegal responsibility to inspect it, accordingto an official who refused to give his namebecause he wasn’t authorized to speak tomedia on the matter. Pets are growing in

popularity here, where one in five house-holds has a cat or dog, but activists saypublic attitudes toward pets lag those inthe West. Supporters of Jung see her as aheroine, saving stray or lost dogs frombeing killed for food or euthanized at pub-lic shelters if not adopted or found by theirowners. About 81,000 stray or abandoned

animals, mostly dogs and cats, were sent topublic shelters in 2014, down from 100,000in 2010, the government said.

“My babies aren’t hungry. They can playand live freely here,” said Jung, whoseclothes are worn and hair is disheveled.“Some people talk about me, saying, ‘Why isthat beggar-like middle-aged woman smil-ing all the time,’ but I just focus on feedingmy babies. I’m happy and healthy.” Dozensof other South Koreans are believed to beraising large numbers of dogs, sometimesin unsanitary conditions where diseasesspread easily. Jung says her dogs are mostlyhealthy, although some die in fights witheach other.

Most of the dogs live with her for good.She said she spends about $1,600 a monthon food and medicine, and otherwise relieson donations of soybean milk, dog foodand canned meat. Family, friends andsometimes strangers send her money. ParkHye-soon, a local restaurant owner, has giv-en Jung leftover pork for four years. “Shelives only for her dogs,” he said, “withoutdoing much for herself.” — AP

Korean woman raises 200 dogssaved from streets, restaurants

Jung Myoung Sook, 61, who rescued and sheltered dogs for 26 years, feedssoy milk to her dogs at a shelter in Asan, South Korea. — AP photos

Puppies sit at a shelter owned by Jung Myoung Sook.

Jung Myoung Sook takes care of dogs at a shelter.



Ryan Ballard, founder of the Krewe of Chewbacchus Mardi Gras parade, works inside their headquarters at theCastillo Blanco Art Studios in New Orleans.

Members of the Mowhawk Hunters, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe, and the only tribe on the city’s west bank of theMississippi River, practice inside Sheila’s Fantasy Lounge.

It’s glitter season in New Orleans. A time forfeathers, paper mache, sequins, paint, bail-ing wire, bones, and just about any other

item that can be used for decoration. Acrossgarages, kitchen tables and warehouses, resi-dents are feverishly sewing elaborate costumes,painting floats and decorating custom throws.Outside of New Orleans, Mardi Gras has oftenbeen perceived as a raucous time of having funand throwing beads.

Magic happenBut to those who live here and essentially

put on the show for the world, it’s a wildly cre-ative time of personal expression, rich historyand family fun. Behind the parades andpageantry are regular citizens who spend allyear and often a lot of their own money totransform the city and themselves for a few

days. The Associated Press talked to some ofthe men and women who make the magic hap-pen. Cari Rhoton uses glitter as a verb. In thegarage of her Kenner, Louisiana, home she andher friends gather Sunday evenings to glittershoes and decorate boots, ballet flats and stilet-tos. Rhoton is a member of the all-female Kreweof Muses whose 1,030 members will parade onFeb 4. The women throw beads and other“throws” to the crowd, but the real prizes arethe roughly 30 custom-designed shoes thateach woman is encouraged to make and handout to lucky parade watchers.

Rhoton gathers shoes all year round. Friendsdrop them off at her house or she finds them atgarage sales or thrift stores. Sunday eveningsshe sits in her “Glitterage” - a two-car garagewhere she has organized boxes of different col-ors of glitter, sequins and beads, a glue gun andboxes of embellishments that she’ll put on theshoes. “They’re little pieces of folk art I believe,”she said. “You hand them off the float to peoplewho come to the parade and it is a treasure.Once you give a shoe to someone you want tokeep making shoes every year.”

Fiction and fantasyLike all good New Orleans creative projects,

the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus wasconceived in a bar, said Ryan Ballard, who is thegroup’s “Overlord.” Ballard and a friend weretalking about how there was no crossoverbetween the science fiction and fantasy fans

who dressed up for events like Comic-Con andMardi Gras. The name is a mash-up ofChewbacca, the furry Wookiee from “Star Wars”who was longtime friend to Han Solo, andBacchus.

Started six years ago, as a small group of sci-

fi fans, Chewbacchus has grown into a paradeof roughly 2,500 people and includes suchdiverse sub-krewes as the Rolling Elliotts, whodress up as Elliott from the film “ET the Extra-Terrestrial” and ride bikes, and Krewe du Who,which celebrates the TV show Dr Who. “For a lotof people who have never experienced MardiGras they think it’s like girls gone wild. There’sthe cheap plastic beads. Mardi Gras is about, it’san art form ... We’re making the universe one lit-

tle drop better by doing this crazy, silly, whimsi-cal thing we do.”

For Tyrone Casby it was the sound of thedrums that lured him in. Casby is the big chief ofthe Mohawk Hunters, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe inNew Orleans. As a young boy, he rememberssneaking off to watch and listen to his brotherpractice the drums with his tribe. In 1967 hemade his first suit and in 1980 he became thechief of the Mohawk Hunters, the only tribe onthe Mississippi River city’s west bank.

‘Indian Red’Casby said the Indian outfits are, in part, a

tribute to the Native Americans who wouldhide runaway slaves. But the drumbeats,singing and chanting are also an expression ofthe African culture from which they came. Atthe beginning, the outfits were made out ofwhatever people could find, and were burnedafter Mardi Gras, said Casby. But over time, theyhave evolved into elaborate works of art thattake months to complete and are often pre-served for posterity.

Come Fat Tuesday morning, the tribe willcongregate at one spot in their outfits, and

commence the day by singing “Indian Red,” aprayer asking God to guide them. Then theytravel through the community, chanting andsinging, and stopping at various bars, restau-rants or houses for food and drink. “For me it’sthe drumbeats. And it still is. When I hear a cer-tain drumbeat of music I’m ready to startsewing,” Casby said.

It started innocently enough. ChanelLafargue’s husband, a member of the ZuluSocial Aid & Pleasure Club, asked her to deco-rate his coconuts, the signature throw that thegroup gives away during their parade. Fast for-ward many years later and Lafargue is now sur-rounded in the small workroom above her fam-ily’s produce shop with hundreds of bags ofcoconuts and glitter - lots of glitter.

Lafargue has decorated tens of thousands ofcoconuts for her husband and his friends overthe years. The coconut - called the “GoldenNugget” - has been given out by the historicallyblack organization since about 1910. The origi-nal coconuts had the milk and coconut stillinside. The modern version is just the shell withthe hair removed, the coconut and the milk tak-en out and then resealed. Lafargue has painted

hers with maps of Africa, scenes of stars andsuns and likenesses of President Barack Obama.“For the past few Mardi Grases I have beendelivering coconuts up till Mardi Gras morning.Literally carrying coconuts to the floats for peo-ple who didn’t have time to come and pick theircoconuts up,” she said.

Increasingly intenseWhen the parade of the Rex Organization

rolls down St Charles Ave. on Mardi Grasmorning, the last float parade of the Carnivalseason, Raymond Joseph Bowie Sr will likelynot be among the throngs of onlookers throw-ing beads and cheering on the float. Aftermonths of increasingly intense work paintingfloats, the master artist at Kern Studios is gen-erally too exhausted to do much besideswatch the elaborate procession he helped cre-ate on television.

Bowie started painting floats back in 1977.Bowie doesn’t have formal art training but hasprogressed over the years to work on floats insome of the most well-known parades ofMardi Gras including Rex, Orpheus, Endymionand Zulu.

Listening to music through his paint-spat-tered headphones - his clothing resembles aJackson Pollock painting - Bowie takes thedesign the krewe comes up with for theirfloats and duplicates it on a much larger scale.That has become more challenging as thefloats have become bigger and bigger overthe years. “It means more than just a paycheckto me. That’s why I work the way I work. I’mnot going to leave a float till it’s done, Period.The way I want it done,” he said.

CelebrationsFor Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Mardi Gras

comes early. Around 5 am on Fat Tuesday, hegathers with his “North Side Skull & BoneGang” at the Backstreet Cultural Museumdressed in skeleton-like costumes. He and oth-ers in the gang wear paper mache heads withhorns attached, aprons made from canvas orleather and black underwear or sweats paint-ed to resemble a skeleton. Their costumes areintended to represent the dead, and Barnessaid they bring a serious message, remindingpeople of their mortality and the need to live aproductive and good life.

Before the sun rises, they gather to sing,dance, and go door-to-door to wake up theneighborhood.

The gang sticks to the back streets of thecity, a reminder of the days when black resi-dents could not take part in the official MardiGras celebrations, Barnes said. “We sing andwe knock on people’s doors and wake themup. Might not be the most pleasant thing forsome folks but hey, it’s Mardi Gras,” he said.“On Mardi Gras day if you don’t want to hearany music, or pageantry or noise, you’re in thewrong town.” — AP

Glitter, feathers, paintNew Orleans preps for Mardi Gras

Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, head of the MardiGras North Side Skull & Bone Gang, poseswith his accoutrements for upcoming MardiGras day, in New Orleans. — AP photos

Members of the Mowhawk Hunters, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe, and the only tribe on thecity’s west bank of the Mississippi River, practice inside Sheila’s Fantasy Lounge in NewOrleans.

Ryan Ballard, left, founder of the Krewe of Chewbacchus Mardi Gras parade, works on afloat with Keith Greene, King of Chewbacchus 2016.

Cari Rhoton, a lieutenant in an all-femaleMardi Gras parade group known as theKrewe of Muses, creates the group’s signa-ture shoes from her garage in Kenner, La.

A costume worn by Chief of the MohawkHunters Mardi Gras Tribe Tyrone Casby in 2009greets visitors to his home in New Orleans.

An all-female Mardi Gras parade groupknown as the Krewe of Muses creates handdecorated shoes from a garage in Kenner, La.

Mardi Gras master float painter Raymond J Bowie paints a float at Kern Studios in New Orleans.

Chief of the Mohawk Hunters Mardi GrasTribe Tyrone Casby talks to his grandsonAiden, age 4, as he sews beads onto thecostume he will be wearing for Mardi Gras.

39Glitter, feathers, paint: NewOrleans preps forMardi Gras


Adult coloring book craze booms in US

A masked couple poses in St Mark’s

Square on the occasion of the

Venice Carnival, inVenice, Italy. — AP

Coloring to combat stress? You’re notalone. Intricate adult coloring books arethe latest lifestyle craze to grip the

United States, generating millions of fans,booming sales and libraries falling over them-selves to host workshops. Walk into any NewYork bookstore, and you’ll find them artfullylaid out on tables or filling entire shelves.Buyers can choose from Sanskrit patterns,urban landscapes, butterflies and flowers alloffering “stress relieving patterns.” The latestfashion? The swear word version.

Amazon sells hundreds of them, includingnine on the top 20 bestseller list. Fans posttheir finished designs and swap tips onFacebook or Pinterest. Dover Publications,which prints dozens of coloring books,decreed August 2 as National Coloring BookDay, sponsoring parties and hosting an onlinegroup discussion board for tips on how tothrow a successful bash at home. “It calms usdown to be coloring,” Linda Turner, a licensedcreative arts psychotherapist in Manhattan,explained of the trend born in Europe. “If youare really with it, if you are really in the pres-ence of coloring the colors and just being withthe art, it is a wonderful way to support calm-ing and presence and relaxation,” she told AFP.

Turner said that while children are willingto explore and experiment, adults are not nec-essarily so comfortable with their creativity.“These coloring books, they look adult, theylook sophisticated... and they are going to cre-ate, and they are going to be present in themoment and have fun... In ways that are safefor them,” she added. Since October, 19branches of the New York Public Library inManhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island haverun coloring workshops, some on a weeklybasis. “We are providing the space and thematerial and that allows the patrons to social-ize with their friends, or meet people that theywould never have met before, or do an artwork as a group,” said Kelly Yim-Foulke, adultprogramming specialist at the New York PublicLibrary. She says coloring is easy to do,requires no particular talent and brings back“very fond memories” of being a child.

Therapeutic value Most of those who take part are senior citi-

zens and women, but coloring lends itself tointer-generational projects that bring togetheradults, teenagers and children, she said. Yim-Foulke is thinking about extending the pro-gram and including music, or perhaps putting

on an exhibition. “For patrons, it’s low key, youdon’t need a high level of skills to participate.It is also a great opportunity for intergenera-

tional programs... and it doesn’t cost a lot ofmoney for the library to host, which is excel-lent.” Turner is thinking about getting togeth-

er with colleagues to create “pop-up bars”-temporary spaces where people can color forfree and meet art therapists.

“There is a healing and therapeutic value,because when you are in the process of doingthis creation, you are relaxing and de-stress-ing,” she said. “It makes you feel more openand more alive, so the stress reduction aspectof it is therapeutic, but it is not therapy.” Thetrend has extended beyond America’s enter-tainment capital. In Petoskey, a small town inMichigan, the library has just launched aweekly coloring session on Tuesday evenings.“We thought it could be fun to attract peopleto the library doing different things,” directorVal Meyerson told AFP.

It is not the first time the United States hasfallen in love with adult coloring books. Thefirst of these, “The Executive Coloring Book,”came out in 1961. It was followed by “The JohnBirch Society Coloring Book” and other satiri-cal titles, mocking the world of work, or presi-dent John Kennedy. Back then, fighting stresswas not the point. Even so, The New YorkTimes predicted the profits to be made fromthese books of black and white line drawings,often printed on cheap paper but with thepower to fire the imagination. — AFP

This file photo taken on January 15, 2016 shows man checking out coloring pencils next toadult coloring books at a Barnes and Nobel store in New York. — AFP

Lady Gaga will per form at two ofFebruary’s most-watched events as shesings the national anthem at the Super

Bowl and leads a tribute to David Bowie at theGrammys. The National Football Leagueannounced that Lady Gaga would sing “TheStar-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl 50 onSunday in San Francisco, where British rockersColdplay will be the halftime entertainment.The Super Bowl is often the most-watched tel-

evision event each year in the United States,and the league generally seeks out non-con-troversial performers.

Lady Gaga has increasingly traded herostentatious stage persona to focus on singingpop classics, performing duets with 89-year-old Tony Bennett. Lady Gaga turns 30 nextmonth and plans to release an album in 2016.While the National Football League rarely picksartists known for controversy, their perform-ances can draw intense scrutiny as whenChristina Aguilera botched lyrics in the nation-al anthem in 2011.

Lady Gaga was separately announced yes-terday as a performer at the Grammy Awardson February 15 where she will lead a tribute toBowie. Gaga will perform “a multisensory tes-tament to the icon’s incredible artistry and areflection of his l imitless creativity,” theRecording Academy said in a statement. Thetribute will be directed by Nile Rodgers of Chicfame, a longtime friend of Bowie who pro-duced his disco-infused 1983 album “Let’sDance.” Bowie, one of the most influential fig-ures in pop music history who invented glamrock before experimenting in soul, electronicaand jazz, died on January 10 after a previouslyundisclosed battle with cancer.

Lady Gaga-with her array of glittery cos-tumes and sexual openness-is one of manycontemporary stars who claims artisticdescent from Bowie. Despite the wide respectfor Bowie in the music world, the British artistwon only one Grammy during his half-centurycareer, which was for a video. —AFP

Lady Gaga to sing atSuper Bowl, Grammys

In this Nov 23, 2015 file photo, LadyGaga poses for photographers uponarrival at the British Fashion Awards2015 in London. — AFP Monkey decorations are on display for sale at a store in Hong Kong, yesterday. Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb 8 this

year which marks the Year of Monkey on the Chinese zodiac. — AP

obama slams bigotry in first visit to us mosque - kuwait times

Documents