IPT IO N SC R SU B SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Pro-Russian rebels down two Ukraine helicopters Mideast peace talks dead, no resumption on horizon 10 9 150 Fils RAJAB 4, 1435 AH No: 16154 Sevilla and Benfica face off in Europa final 48 How to lift subsidies without hitting hard Panel to devise implementation mechanism ALEPPO: The burnt remains of victims lie on the ground following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighborhood in northeastern Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack. — AFP In Iraq, Syria; a resurgence of foreign suicide bombers Max 38Вє Min 24Вє KUWAIT: A government committee tasked with devising a new mechanism to slash subsidies of expatriates will meet this week to discuss options for implementing the decision without hitting the expats hard. The discussions will focus on evolving a pragmatic mechanism that could save up the state exchequer KD2.4 billion annually through rationalizing subsidies. At the same time, it should also ensure that foreigners living in Kuwait will not experience any serious adverse impact as a result of the new measure, said sources within the Finance Ministry. The sources quoted by Annahar daily were saying yesterday that the plans are still in discussion stages. One option suggests that the government reduces subsidization in a phased manner so as to avert any immediate social impact by setting specific quotas of subsidized services for Kuwaitis. This option is likely to be adopted in future in order to rationalize subsidization of fuel and energy, according to discussions featured in previous meetings. Another option calls for increasing the value of non-basic services, while another discusses ways by which the government increases the quality of certain services to justify increasing their value. The committee also plans to discuss methods to curb budget waste through a long-term strategy, the sources said. The main objective is to reduce subsidization from KD 5.4 billion annually to KD3 billion, through mechanisms that do not leave a serious effect on consumers including expatriates, the sources said. The government also hopes that reducing subsidization would help alleviate pressure on public services such as energy that has been suffering from overconsumption in recent years. Mohammad Bushehri, the Assistant Undersecretary for Water Operation and Maintenance at the Ministry of Electricity and Water, was recently quoted as saying that rationalizing water between 20 to 25 percent can save up to KD 300 million a year, an amount he says is “enough to build 50 schools in the country.” — Agencies Fighters coming from Kuwait, Mideast, West WASHINGTON: Shortly before Abdul Waheed Majeed, a 41year-old British truck driver, blew himself up in an attack on a Syrian prison, he brushed aside a question in Arabic. “I’m sorry, I can’t speak it,” he said in a video. “My tongue bro’... it’s got like a knot in it.” That suicide-bomb attack on Feb. 6 by the Pakistani-born Majeed, appeared to be part of a resurgence of such attacks that represented a disturbing shift in tactics among radical jihadists in the sectarian killing grounds of Syria and Iraq. Many of them have been carried out by foreigners drawn to the conflicts from across the region and from Europe, US and European security and intelligence officials say. Will McCants, an expert at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, said given the rapid increase of foreign fighters in Syria “if the war drags on, the number of fighters will far eclipse those we saw in Afghanistan.” The security officials estimated that several thousand foreign nationals are active in the two countries. Most are with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an ultra-conservative militant group reconstituted from an earlier incarnation of Al-Qaeda and is active in Syria and Iraq and with Jabhat Al Nusrah, an Al-Qaeda affiliate which is one of the most powerful rebel forces in Syria. In the last year the rate of suicide bomb attacks in Iraq has risen sharply, back to levels not seen since 2007, US officials said. The officials said they did not have precise data on the number of foreign fighters involved in the violence. But in March and April alone, at least 14 Tunisians fighting with ISIL blew themselves up at various locations in Iraq, according to postings on social media sites affiliated with ISIL, which US and European authorities monitor. That is about half of the total number of foreign suicide bombers identified with ISIL on social media who blew themselves up during the two-month period, said Laith Alkhouri, a senior analyst with Flashpoint Partners, a group which monitors militant social media postings. Other suicide bombers in Iraq in March and April included fighters from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, one of the group’s most lethal wings based mostly in Yemen. Alkhouri said many of them appeared to be Saudis, Libyans, Egyptians, Moroccans and Jordanians. A Danish citizen and a Tadjik were also reported by the group to have blown themselves up. Resurgence of bombers During the 2006-2007 civil war in Iraq, when the use of suicide bombings were rampant, foreigners made up the largest proportion of the militants carrying them out. Continued on Page 14 Saudis get Internet hotline to the king RIYADH: Saudi citizens can now petition 90-year-old King Abdullah directly and lodge complaints through an Internet site set up at the initiative of the monarch himself. The portal tawasol.royalcourt.gov.sa, named after the Arabic word for communication, was launched on an experimental basis on Wednesday. All messages are to be forwarded to the king. “People will be able to inform the king about any shortcomings in the services offered by government agencies, and to take suitable action for the benefit of all citizens,” the website says. More and more Saudis in the ultra-conservative Muslim state are turning to social networking sites to demand improved living conditions. However, the authorities, who block access to politically sensitive or pornographic websites, made several arrests in March for tweets deemed offensive to the king. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy where protests are banned. — AFP LOCAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Major shipment of liquor seized at Shuwaikh port KUWAIT: Customs officials at the Shuwaikh Port seized 11,400 liquor bottles smuggled in a shipment of spare-parts’ that arrived on March 12, 2014. The officials also discovered that the documents stating the shipment was imported by the United States Army troops in Kuwait were forged. The customs department contacted the US Army officials after many weeks, but no one claimed the shipment. US Army officials said that they know nothing about the shipment, which confirmed customs personnel’s earlier suspicions that it might contain contrabands. Customs officials waited for 48 hours before a decision was made to open the shipment on Thursday in the presence of US Army representatives. They discovered that the shipment contained 1,000 cardboard boxes filled with Red Label bottles worth at least KD 1 million. The boxes were taken to the Drug Control General Department, while investigations are going on to identify and arrest those who imported the shipment. —Rai 12 held in gambling den raid Twelve men were arrested inside an apartment in Shaab that was turned into a casino according to police discoveries. Detectives had obtained a warrant to raid the apartment after investigations confirmed that it was used for gambling and other illegal practices. The operation took place Wednesday night, and police arrested 12 Kuwaiti men who were inside at the time. A poker table, chips and other material used in gambling were found inside. The suspects were taken to the proper authorities to face charges. —Rai Foul play in old man’s death A homicide investigation opened in a senior citizen’s death after evidence of foul play was found on the scene. Police and paramedics headed to the man’s apartment in Mahboulah after a relative reported that the man was not answering the door. They broke the door open and discovered that the man was dead. They summoned criminal investigators who found bruises across the man’s body, which led them to speculate that he might have been killed. The man was in his sixties at the time of death. —Rai MP questioned A lawmaker was held briefly for questioning after he accidently hit a pedestrian at the Jamal Abdul-Nasser Road recently. MP Mohammad AlEnizy reportedly waited until an ambulance arrived at the scene in response to an emergency call he made after the accident occurred. The lawmaker accompanied the Iranian man to the hospital and later left after he was told that the man’s injuries were not severe. MP Al-Enizy headed to Roudha police station later and filed a case. —Rai Fugitive nabbed Jahra police arrested a fugitive who has 35 arrest warrants issued against him during a recent crackdown in the area. Patrol officers had gone in the pursuit of the suspect after he ignored orders to pull over. The man, Kuwaiti in his seventies, was eventually forced to stop and placed under arrest. An identity check revealed that the man is wanted for corruption charges and has 35 arrest warrant issued in his name. He was taken to authorities for further action. —Rai Work mishap A worker died after he fell from the 20th floor of a building under construction in Mirqab recently. Paramedics and police arrived at the scene shortly after the incident was reported, but discovered that the Egyptian man had already died. The impact reportedly left the man decapitated, according to the investigations report. Criminal investigators took the body to the forensic department after they examined the scene. A case has been registered. —Watan Poisoning attempt A domestic helper was held at the Andalus police station after her employer accused her of trying to poison his family. In his statements to police, the Kuwaiti man said that he caught his maid with the help of CCTV cameras putting pesticides in food she was about to serve to his family. The Ethiopian woman was held pending investigations. —Watan The vehicle that was set ablaze by unknown assailants. Armed robbers ransack Ishbiliya co-op branches By Hanan Al-Saadoun ple was still heavily involved. KUWAIT: Four unknown armed robbers entered two branches of a co-op society and escaped with goods, according to a security source. This Ishbiliya area incident followed earlier crimes in Khaldiya during which an Egyptian expat was stabbed while attempting to fend off the thieves. Girls missing A citizen told Abdallah Al-Salem police that his daughter, born in 1989, went missing since April 24, while another citizen in Salwa said that her daughter was also missing since Tuesday. вЂ�Romantic’ couple arrested A citizen and an Arab expat were arrested and placed under arrest in Maidan Hawally police station, when a citizen called them about the two being involved in a hot romantic act. When police went to the site, the cou- Vehicle fire In Salam area, firemen battled fire in two vehicles and determined that the fire was deliberate. Meanwhile, three Arab children were taken to the intensive care unit in Adan Hospital following a fire in an Agaila house. The children are stated to be in a highly critical condition. Police raid Sulaibiya tent, nab 3 Saudis, 2 bedoons By Hanan Al-Saadoun out of ammunition. KUWAIT: Police raided a tent in Sulaibiya and arrested five people — three Saudis and two bedoons —and seized a quarter kilo of hashish, a Kalashnikov rifle and an air pressure rifle. The police, acting on a tip-off they received from Saudi Arabia, rushed to the area hoping that they could catch the assailants involved in the gunning down of security guards last week. However, interrogating the five suspects, detectives found out that they had nothing to do with last Friday’s ghastly killings. Commenting on the extensive shooting incidents reported from Suliabiya on the early hours of yesterday, well-informed security sources said that police operations had received a call from Saudi Arabia where someone expressed suspicions that his cousin might be involved in the recent robbery of a security vehicle. The man said that his cousin went suddenly on a spending spree. The sources added that on checking up on the man, police found out that he is a criminal. When police arrived at the scene in Sulaibiya, a number of people were sitting in a tent pitched outside the suspect’s house. Seeing the police, they fled the scene while one of them started shooting at the force until he ran Hot chase In a related event, security sources said that detectives were chasing a few young people who are thought to be connected with the recent security cash robbery in Sulaibiya. The sources added that the suspects also exchanged fire with the police. Armed robbers had attacked a security cash transport vehicle at the vegetable market killing two Asian security men and stealing KD 13,000. collision between his vehicle and another belonging to Kuwait Municipality in Subhan. Injured A citizen sustained various injuries when he lost control of his vehicle while driving along Jahra road without paying attention to the construction works going on there. Fire breaks out A fire broke out in the first floor apartment of a building in Sabah Al-Salem, said security sources noting that both Mishref and Qurain firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to contain the fire. Two injuries were reported; one of the tenants broke his foot jumping from the first floor to escape the flames and a fireman who suffered dehydration. Egyptian arrested An Egyptian was arrested in Hawalli with the possession of ICE and hashish, said security sources noting that the suspect also carried a civil ID of a famous female ruling family member with which he used to threaten police. However, checking on him, detectives found out that he did not work for her. Still criminal investigators refused to take him under custody. Eventually, the public security manager, Col Mohammed Al-Mutairi ordered his arrest. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress to know the secret of the royalty’s ID. Citizen dies in crash A young citizen was instantly killed in a KUWAIT: The building in Sabah Al-Salem where a fire broke out yesterday. LOCAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 School maintenance contracts expire in September: Al-Mulaifi KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education (MOE) could face a major setback in its school maintenance program by fall along with the beginning of the school year. Minister Ahmad Al-Mulaifi announced recently that air conditioning maintenance contracts were extended after several public schools complained of AC breakdowns since the beginning of summer. But the contracts were only extended until September, which could put the ministry in a new dilemma as students prepare to return to school, according to ministry insiders quoted by Al-Qabas yesterday. The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity blamed the Finance Ministry вЂ�who rejected MOE proposals to sign 14 maintenance contracts.’ More powers In other news, Minister AlMulaifi announced вЂ�absolute and unlimited powers’ to directors of educational direcMinister Ahmad torates to take whatever deciAl-Mulaifi sions they deem necessary in order to end the AC maintenance crisis. The minister urged directors to file reports detailing all obstacles faced in providing necessary requirements for the current and next school years, so that they can be eliminated, the sources noted. Miscommunication The issue of miscommunication cropped up this year within the Hawally governorate but soon expanded to other parts of the country. Miscommunication between the MOE’s financial department and officials at the six educational directorates has led to a failure in adopting the required maintenance budgets, and contacting the Finance Ministry to approve them. According to sources, the contracts are valued at KD 10 million for each directorate, bringing the total to KD 60 million. However, only one contract, for the Capital Educational Directorate, was signed. Even so, the financial department only started communicating with the Finance ministry about it after a recent meeting of the ministry’s undersecretaries attended by the minister saw heated discussions. — Al-Qabas 7,000 faulty landlines restored in Shuwaikh KUWAIT: Over 7,000 land telephone lines were repaired in Shuwaikh after a malfunction in their main cable put them out of services since Wednesday night. In this regard, official sources at the subscribers’ services department at MOC said that both private contractor and ministry employees had worked hard to repair the malfunction. —Al-Rai CTC lets MEW directly negotiate with bidders KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) officially asked the Central Tenders Committee (CTC)’s permission to allow it to directly negotiate with the lowest bidders, be it contractors or companies, to execute its future tenders. The sources added that the permission was granted on condition of informing CTC with all procedures taken throughout the whole process. Informed sources noted that this step would help speed up accomplishment of projects by avoiding procedural delays and paper work that used to be mandatory on each tender. “It is a very significant step because MEW projects are so importantly needed to improve and upgrade power and water grids”, said the source expressing appreciation of the amount of understanding shown by CTC. — Al-Watan вЂ�Journey of Hope’ reaches Bahrain MANAMA: The Journey of Hope vessel reached Bahrain yesterday, the first of 19 countries of a voyage organized with the main objective of spreading awareness regarding mental disabilities. Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador of Kuwait at the Kingdom of Bahrain, led a team of embassy staff which welcomed the vessel. The expedition sailed off Kuwait’s shores on Thursday in a ceremony attended by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. The 88-foot vessel and its crew of 16 head to Doha today in its second lap of a 210-day trip that includes stopovers at 37 ports. — KUNA Parliament cannot reject MPs’ resignation: Expert By-election likely on June 28 KUWAIT: The parliament can delay making a decision on a member’s resignation for a certain amount of time, but it has no right to reject it and force the lawmaker to continue, a constitutional expert said. The National Assembly’s internal regulations state that a written resignation letter must be forwarded to the parliament, but do not give lawmakers the right to reject a colleague’s resignation, said Dr Mohammad Al-Feeli, a constitutional law professor at the Kuwait University. This means that convincing MPs Riyadh Al-Adasani, Abdulkareem AlKandari and Hussein Al-Quwai’an to withdraw resignations they officially submitted last Thursday, is the only option that the parliament has if it wanted to retain the three lawmakers. The regulations stipulate that the parliament must vote on resignation of one of its members within 10 days after it is submitted. Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim hoped during a press conference Thursday that the three MPs would change their minds and withdraw their resignations. But if they do not, then by-elections will have to be announced in order to fill the three spots that they are vacating. The parliament is likely to vote on the resignations during a regular session on May 13, according to the regulations. The resignations would be sent to the cabinet later and it would review it during its weekly session on May 19. That would pave the way for a decision to hold by-elections by notifying it in the national gazette on June 1. If the procedures go on as planned, the elections would take place on June 28 in the second, third and fourth constituencies. Payroll alternative In other news, head of the parliament’s human resources committee Yaqoub Al-Sane’a announced that the panel received a study from the Civil Service Commission containing a proposal on a new payroll system for the public sector. MP Al-Sane’a did not provide details about the project - known as the вЂ�strategic alternative payroll’ project through which the government seeks to unify salaries, allowances, end of service indemnities and other payments based on job classifications, not on workplace. The parliament is not expected to vote on the project before the end of the current term. — Al-Rai Kuwait made KD 2.7bn from free gas fields KUWAIT: KOC’s deputy CEO for gas and explorations, Menahi AL-Enezi said that KOC was currently working on phase two of developing free gas and that it was currently dealing with some commercial and technical obstacles the project had been facing. Speaking in an interview Al-Anbaa made with him through Twitter, AlEnezi said that the produced gas amount was enough to cover the increasing demand for gas to be used in generating electricity. Responding to a question about the Jurassic free gas fields discovered in the north, Al-Enezi sad that they produce 212 billion cubic meters of free gas in addition to 88 million barrels of light oil that have collectively made the state’s budget extra KD 2.7 billion. He added that daily production of these fields would multiply to one billion cubic meters a day by 2020. Further, Al-Enezi added that ever since discovering gas in 2006, KOC had been facing many problems but noted that it usually takes 15 years before full production capacity could be reached in any field. —Al-Anbaa LOCAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary for Television Affairs at the Ministry of Information Yousef Mustafa addresses the workshop. — Photos by Joseph Shagra KUWAIT: Delegates attend the workshop hosted by UNHCR. UNHCR, media work in tandem Kuwait has become a humanitarian center: Mustafa By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) held a workshop on the role of the media in the humanitarian responses to crises at the UN House. Journalists from various media, employees of the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of NGOs participated in this workshop that aims to strengthen strategic cooperation between the media and UN organizations. Assistant Undersecretary for Television Affairs at the Ministry of Information Yousef Mustafa stated that Kuwait has become a humanitarian center. “This is clear from the fact that most countries aim to hold important humanitarian conferences in Kuwait, as the country is a source of humanitarian and financial aid. The media plays a key role in spreading humanitarian culture and awareness and encouraging charity. Kuwait has always been known for systematically supporting charity and humanitarian issues,” he noted. Dr Hanan Hamdan, Director of the UNHCR office, noted that this is the first workshop of a series of workshops held by UNHCR as part of its information strategy. “Today’s workshop aims to provide more information about UNHCR and to strengthen the partnership with institutions that are present in Kuwait. It also focuses on the effect of Kuwaiti aid in securing the humanitarian needs of refugees during emergencies and crises regionally and internationally,” she pointed out. The UNHCR in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared a documentary titled вЂ�Kuwait is Responding’. “This documentary highlights the leading humanitarian role of Kuwait through its generous humanitarian aid donated to UNHCR during the first Donors for Syria Conference held in January 2013. Our office cooperated with the Kuwait Journalist Association to choose journalists from different fields and media to go on a field visit to Jordan in December 2013 to review the latest situation of the Syrian refugees inside the camps and how the programs and projects executed by UNHCR through Kuwaiti donations have affected their daily life,” added Hamdan. “Kuwait always leads in providing humanitarian aid to various countries over the globe. Kuwait provided aid to victims in Philippines, Sudan and Japan to relieve their suffering and improve their lives. Over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries have benefited from Kuwaiti donations collected during the second Donors for Syria Conference held in January 2014,” she concluded. Role of media Mohammed Abu Al-Asaker, Media Coordinator of UNHCR in Abu Dhabi, spoke about the historical partnership between the media and UNHCR, and the role of media during humanitarian crises. “The role of media during crises is important, especially that people during a crisis need to be informed about what is happening. They especially need information about the size of the crisis and how to deal with it, and here comes the role of media, which can be either positive or negative, especially since the lack of information may cause another disaster,” he explained. According to him, the intervention by the media may save lives of people and aid workers. “The media can also provide moral support to the public and shape their expectations, as well as provide people an outlet to voice their concerns. The media also simplifies the path for aid workers to reach people in need. The media connects all parties. UNHCR is focusing on the media and frequently holds press conferences as part of its strategy,” Asaker said. He also highlighted that UNHCR is currently dealing with the biggest crisis in the world, as it is supplying registered Syrian refugees in Al-Zaatari camp in Jordan with 43,000 liters of water daily, in a country that is already suffering from shortage of water of up to 70 percent. The Head of the Media Awareness at the Ministry of Information Saleh Al-Otaibi said that Kuwaiti aid programs are not new, as they started in early 1950s with the Palestinian crisis when Kuwait was the first country to provide aid. “Kuwaiti aid then spread to all of Africa, Indonesia, Japan, USA, Somalia, Syria and many other nations. The ministry always responds to humanitarian calls by sending reporters to cover the situation in the disaster or crisis zones,” he noted. Dr Musaed Al-Anezi, Head of Youth and Volunteers Department at the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, stressed the important role of the media in highlighting the humanitarian role of Kuwait abroad. “The receivers of aid abroad do not know the source of the aid apart from the humanitarian organizations, and this is the role of media to inform them. This will reassure the donors that their donations have reached people in need,” he said. At the end of the workshop, the participants came up with recommendations on how to improve the role of media during the crisis and to strengthen cooperation between humanitarian organizations, media and the NGOs. Kuwait to participate in Venice exhibition KUWAIT: Kuwait will participate in the 14th International Architecture Exhibition (fundamentals) of the la Biennale di Venezia, Italy, announced the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) on Thursday. The six-month exhibition will see the participation of 21 NCCAL members, said Alya Abdulaal, the exhibition’s coordinator in a press conference. She added that the aim of the participation is to shed light on the concept of modernization in Kuwait through the display of a number of buildings, such as the Kuwait National Museum, which was designed in 1960 and finished in 1983. “Clarifying the impact of modernization concepts on local culture and measuring the level of its interaction with society components, whether integrated, interchangeable, neglected or rejected within the Kuwaiti society, is the major objective of the participation,” she added. By telling the history of the last 100 years cumulatively, the exhibition will generate a global overview of architecture’s evolution into a single, modern aesthetic, and at the same time uncover within globalization the survival of unique national features and mentalities that continue to exist and flourish even as international collaboration and exchange intensify. The exhibition will kick off on June 7 and lasts until November 23. —KUNA GCC touts Kuwaiti support to Red Crescent societies KUWAIT: A senior humanitarian relief aid official of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) appreciated here the Kuwaiti political leadership’s support for GCC Red Crescent societies. Speaking at the final session of the 10th meeting of chiefs of GCC Red Crescent societies, Assistant Secretary-General of the GCC for Humanitarian and Environmental Affairs Abdullah AlHashem thanked Gulf Red Crescent societies for their keenness to promote and develop joint cooperation. He said the GCC Secretariat is proud of the role played by all the GCC Red Crescent societies in the field of relief and humanitarian activities in Somalia and Sudan as well as other disaster-hit countries. He congratulated the Saudi Arabia Red Crescent Authority on becoming an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) board member, and also congratulated Kuwait Red Crescent Society Chairman Barjas Al-Barjas on winning Henry Dunant Medal, which is the highest award of the Red Cross Movement. On his part, Al-Barjas made several significant recommendations, especially those related to Syria, Yemen and Somalia, which were approved during the 10th meeting of chiefs of GCC Red Crescent societies. Speaking to KUNA, he said the meeting had stressed the significance of coordination among the GCC Red Crescent societies about relief and humanitarian activities in order to ensure ease and fast access to all disaster-hit countries. —KUNA SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Mideast peace talks dead, no resumption on horizon 9 19 dead as car bomb rocks Nigeria capital 10 Pro-Russian rebels down two Ukraine helicopters 10 PYONGYANG: A man believed to be Choe Ryong-Hae (left) talking with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attends a military parade in Pyongyang. — AFP N Korea’s new вЂ�number two’? North Korea signals a key leadership change SEOUL: North Korea signaled a key leadership change with the announcement yesterday that the man seen as supreme leader Kim Jong-Un’s number two had been replaced as political chief of the military. In a report on May Day celebrations in Pyongyang, the North’s official KCNA news agency named Hwang Pyong-So as the director of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) General Political Bureau, not Choe Ryong-Hae, who previously held the position. The post is generally viewed as the second most important in the military after Kim, who is supreme commander. The leadership change comes amid growing concerns that the North is preparing to conduct a fourth nuclear test in the face of stern international opposition after satellite images showed a recent increase in activity at the country’s main test site. “To all intents and purposes, this makes Hwang, who also has close personal ties to Kim Jong-Un, the second most powerful man in the country,” said Michael Madden, author and editor of the NK Leadership Watch website. Hwang’s appointment came just days after KCNA reported his promotion to the rank of vice marshall on April 28 - a rank shared with Choe and just four others. It was not immediately clear what had become of Choe, who was widely believed to have moved into the role of North Korea’s unofficial number two following the execution in December of Kim’s uncle and political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek. Choe holds a number of other top positions as a politburo standing committee member and a vice chairman of both the Central Military Commission and the National Defense Commission. There were multiple reports earlier this year that Choe had been arrested and possibly purged after he dropped from public view for three weeks-an unusually long absence for such a senior figure. His reappearance in March, alongside Kim, led to speculation that his disappearance might have been due to health problems. “I don’t think we can say Choe has been purged, but he’s clearly been moved aside, possibly for health or other reasons,” said Yang Moo-Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Yang agreed that Hwang was now effectively number two in the country, given his military rank, position and personal access to the supreme leader. Hwang, 64, was a top official in the ruling party’s Organization Guidance Department (OGD) with a portfolio that included the physical and political protection of Kim Jong-Un. An emerging mentor According to Madden, his name started to emerge in the mid-2000s around the time Kim Jong-Un’s father Kim Jong-Il was finalizing arrangements for who would succeed him as leader. “He became one of Kim Jong-Un’s mentors and has been close to him for around 10 years, so he’s been groomed for this role,” Madden said. Hwang was said in the KCNA report Friday to have addressed a banquet in Pyongyang held for workers at a textile mill, attended by KPA commanding officers. A report on KCNA earlier in the week said Hwang accompanied Kim on a tour of a newly built workers’ hostel at the mill but made no mention of Choe, sparking initial speculation of the leadership shuffle. Rumors about changes at the top of the Pyongyang regime intensified following Jang Song-Thaek’s execution. In February, North Korea promoted a host of key military officials including the chief of its rocket unit, the Strategic Rocket Force Command, which is in charge of the country’s mid and longrange missiles program. Ranking the leadership is North Korea is often a matter of educated guesswork, and some analysts warned that the “number two” label could be misleading, given the complex, opaque workings of the official and personal networks that determine genuine power in Pyongyang. “In one way, there is no real вЂ�number two’,” said Dan Pinkston, North East Asia Deputy Project Director with the International Crisis Group in Seoul. “There’s the number one, and then there’s everybody else, some of whom get closer to the seat of power than others for certain periods of time,” Pinkston said. — AFP INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Iraqi Kurds face uncertainty over presidency SULAIMANIYAH: Iraqi Kurds face uncertainty over whether they will retain the presidency, an important symbol after decades of central government oppression and a link between their autonomous region and Baghdad. Whether they keep the post after this week’s parliamentary elections is an issue that could deepen the disconnect between Baghdad and the three-province Kurdish region, which are at odds over a string of long-running disputes. President Jalal Talabani, a revered figure for many Kurds, has held the post since 2006, helping to mediate conflicts between Iraq’s religious and ethnic groups. But he has been abroad for medical treatment for more than a year, and his final term is at its end, leaving the question of his successor in doubt. For Qubad Talabani, a senior Kurdish official and one of the outgoing president’s sons, having a Kurd as president is a “step in recreating an Iraq that is for everybody.” “It’s a very important position, and it’s a position that the Kurds would like to maintain; it’s a position that the PUK would like to maintain,” he said in the city of Sulaimaniyah, referring to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, which his father heads. Oppressed While the presidency is largely ceremonial, having a Kurd as head of state is important to many Kurds after years of government oppression that saw tens of thousands of Kurds killed by now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime, including in infamous chemical weapons attacks such as Halabja. “It means everything to me,” Aram Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old member of the Kurdish peshmerga security forces dressed in civilian clothes, said at a school in Sulaimaniyah serving as a voting centre. “For years, the president has been Arab and we have been oppressed,” he said. Wahid Hamedamin, an ageing man wearing traditional Kurdish clothing who walked with the aid of a cane, agreed. “I don’t care who the president is, as long as they are Kurdish,” said Hamedamin, speaking at another Sulaimaniyah polling centre. He explained that an area where he lived was one of those targeted with chemical weapons, killing dozens. There are three top posts in Iraq’s federal government, and under a de facto agreement the prime minister is typically a Shiite Arab, the president a Kurd and the speaker of parliament a Sunni Arab. The new premier is all but guaranteed to be drawn from Iraq’s Shiite majority again, but who will fill the other two positions is still undecided, with a Sunni Arab or a Kurd potential options for both. Kirk Sowell, an Amman-based political risk analyst and the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics, said the division of the top posts “will not be an all-in negotiating process,” and instead will stem from who becomes the next prime minister. вЂ�At helm of Iraq’ Some Kurds say that obtaining one of the top three government posts is more important than holding the presidency specifically, and that they would be open to a Kurd taking the post of parliament speaker instead. “It is very important for us that one... should go to the Kurds,” said Aram Shekh Muhammed, a parliamentary candidate from the Kurdish Goran movement and the head of its election office. Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said “there is still a sense that a Kurd must either be president or speaker. —AFP Mideast peace talks dead, no resumption on horizon JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State John Kerry’s nine-month effort to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal formally collapsed this week, with no revival on the horizon because each side appears firmly entrenched in its positions. Kerry said Thursday it was time for Washington to “pause, take a hard look at these things, and find out what is possible and what is not possible in the days ahead.” He was speaking two days after the expiration of a Tuesday deadline by which the sides had committed themselves to seek a peace deal. But the talks had already unraveled last week when Israel suspended them after Hamas, which is sworn to the Jewish state’s destruction, and president Mahmud Abbas’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), dominated by the Fatah movement, reached a reconciliation deal. Despite that, Abbas has said he would be ready to resume dialogue if a discussion on borders was a top priority, along with a settlement freeze. But Israel says it will only return to the table if Abbas renounces the pact with Hamas. “Either Hamas disavows the destruction of Israel and embraces peace and denounces terror, or president Abbas renounces Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week. But chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Israel’s argument that the talks had collapsed because of the reconciliation deal was “completely disingenuous.” “Netanyahu’s government has refused to recognise the 1967 border or even put a map on the table proposing Israel’s idea of its final borders,” he said in an opinion piece in TIME magazine. The Hamas-PLO deal gave the sides five weeks to agree on a transitional government which would organize presidential and parliamentary elections. Palestinian analyst George Giacaman said that deal, alongside a Palestinian diplomatic offensive in the United Nations, were Abbas’s trump cards. “There are five weeks in which to form a government, which will be an indicator of the success of the Palestinian leadership’s domestic policy,” he said. Israeli defense analyst Alex Fishman, writing Thursday in the top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily, said Abbas’s tactics had plunged the Netanyahu government into “a confused, passive and mainly reactive state.”—AFP JERUSALEM: Palestinian Muslim worshipers walk in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound following Friday prayers yesterday in Jerusalem’s Old City. — AFP BENGHAZI: Libyan security forces are seen advancing during clashes with anti-government forces following an attack on a Benghazi police station yesterday. — AFP 8 killed as Islamists attack security HQ Police, soldiers killed in Benghazi attack BENGHAZI: Eight people were killed and up to 15 wounded when suspected Islamist militants tried to storm the Libyan government security headquarters in Benghazi yesterday, army officials and medics said. The dead were soldiers and police officers, army officials said. Huge explosions could be heard during a firefight in the early morning that lasted more than an hour. Special forces later secured the headquarters, near the city centre. The bodies of two soldiers, kidnapped by militants during the attack, were found later bearing signs of torture, a medical source said. Libya’s central government is struggling to control armed groups, militias and brigades of former rebels who helped oust longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and refuse to disarm. Special forces have often clashed with Islamist militants in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city that dominates the volatile eastern region, including from Ansar Al-Sharia, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States. Armed men also attacked the apartment of Benghazi’s security chief Colonol Ramadan al-Wahishi. He was not hurt, a security official said. Car bombings and assassinations of soldiers and police officers have become common in Benghazi, where a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed minibus outside a Special Forces camp on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding two. Most countries have closed their consulates in the city and some foreign airlines have stopped flying there since the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed in an Islamist militant attack in September 2012. In December, a suicide bomber killed 13 outside an army camp on the outskirts of Benghazi, in the first suicide attack since the 2011 NATO-backed civil war that toppled Gaddafi. Western diplomats worry the violence will spill over to the capital Tripoli where the security situation has also worsened. Kidnappings of foreign diplomats have been on the rise as well as nightly shootouts near the airport road. Western and Arab allies are training Libya’s fledgling armed forces but the military is still no match for the heavily armed former rebels and militias who often use the threat of force to make demands on the state. — Reuters INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Rebels down Ukraine helicopters Separatists using heavy weapons; 2 killed SLAVIANSK: Pro-Russian rebels shot down two Ukrainian helicopters yesterday, killing two crew, as troops tightened their siege of separatist-held Slaviansk and Moscow accused Kiev of launching a “criminal” assault that wrecked hopes of peace. Though Ukrainian forces appeared to be carrying out one of their most concerted military operations yet, their advance on the ground was limited. Nevertheless, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman accused Kiev of firing on civilians from the air in a “punitive operation” that destroyed an international peace plan. Russia was “extremely worried” about the fate of Russians in the city, including an envoy sent to help free German and other foreign hostages, the Kremlin spokesman said. The dramatic language seems to raise the stakes, as Moscow has tens of thousands of troops massed on the border and claims the right to invade if needed to protect Russian speakers. Reuters journalists in Slaviansk, the most heavily fortified bastion of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, heard shooting break out and saw one helicopter opening fire before dawn. Ten hours later, the city was largely quiet, with shops shut and armed separatists in control of the streets. Advancing Ukrainian forces in armored vehicles took up positions closer in to the sub- urbs, but rebels still controlled most of the city of 130,000. The separatist pro-Russian militants also made more moves on Thursday, seizing a rail control centre for the Donetsk region, a railway official said. By cutting off power, they had all but paralyzed train traffic. Kiev said the firing of missiles that brought down its helicopters was evidence that Russian forces were present in the town. Moscow denies that its troops are on the ground. Nonetheless, Kremlin accounts of grave threats to civilians highlight the risk of a Russian move to seize territory ahead of a vote the rebels aim to hold on May 11 seeking a mandate to break with Kiev, like one held in the Crimea region before Moscow annexed it in March. For Russians, the Kremlin’s rhetoric of “fascists” in Kiev launching a “punitive operation” evokes the depredations of Nazi German invaders in World War Two, being given extensive state media coverage as next week’s anniversary of the Soviet victory is used to foster national pride and nostalgia. Sound of cannon On the square outside city hall in Slaviansk, about 100 people gathered yesterday and said they were appealing to Putin to send troops to help them. Businesswoman Tamara Voshchanaya said: “What can you think when SLOVYANSK: In this TV image, an injured Ukrainian military helicopter pilot is assisted by pro-Russian activists after he was shot down in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine yesterday. —AP the sound of cannon makes you jump out of bed, when helicopters are flying over and shooting at our guys? “We are ready to stand firm, we will not abandon the guys. Give us weapons, and we too will go against the Right Sector,” she said, referring to a Ukrainian nationalist group, which Moscow says is menacing Russian speakers across Ukraine. On the town’s southern outskirts, eight Ukrainian armored personnel carriers cut off the road but faced a cordon two deep of local residents shouting at them to go home. Some rebels threw up new barricades of felled trees. Putin’s popularity has soared with the seizure of Crimea and talk of restoring Moscow’s former empire.—Reuters Adams arrest raises tensions in N Ireland Arrest sparks legal questions ABUJA: A burnt car is seen at the scene of a blast at the Nyanya bus station in Abuja late on May 1, 2014. — AFP 19 dead as car bomb rocks Nigeria capital ABUJA: A car bombing at a bus station on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital killed at least 19 people and injured 80, officials said yesterday, just weeks after Boko Haram Islamists attacked the same spot. The explosion rocked the crowded Nyanya bus terminal just a few kilometers from central Abuja at roughly 8:00 pm on Thursday, 50 meters from the site of an April 14 bombing that killed at least 75 people. The April attack was the deadliest ever in Nigeria’s capital and raised security concerns about a World Economic Forum (WEF) summit set for Abuja next week, which includes a visit from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. “Our existing security arrangements are robust,” WEF said in a statement about the conference dubbed the “African Davos”. “There are no plans to make any changes to the program or content of the meeting,” it added, offering sympathy for the victims. Rescue agencies struggled to reach the blast site late Thursday due to choking traffic that built up after the blast and emergency work was complicated by darkness at the station, which was very poorly lit after sundown. Police spokesman Frank Mba told journalists that 19 people had been confirmed dead, while the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Manzo Ezekiel told AFP that 80 others were injured. Three undetonated explosive devices were discovered at the scene, Mba said, suggesting the toll could have been much higher had the other bombs gone off. NEMA chief Muhammad Sani Sidi has said that victims were being treated at several Abuja area hospitals and complete casualty figures were still being gathered. Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau, wanted as a global terrorist by the United States, has claimed responsibility for the April 14 bombing and suspicion for Thursday’s blast immediately fell on the extremist group which has killed thousands in a five-year uprising. —AFP ANTRIM: The British and Irish governments have denied that the arrest of republican leader Gerry Adams was politically motivated, as Northern Ireland police questioned him over a notorious IRA murder. The Sinn Fein president, who played a leading role in the peace process in the troubled British province, was arrested on Wednesday night over the killing of mother-of-10 Jean McConville in 1972. Adams, 65, strongly denied involvement in one of the most infamous incidents of the socalled Troubles in Northern Ireland, and questioned the timing of the arrest before local and European elections. “While I have never disassociated myself from the IRA and I never will, I am innocent of any part in the abduction, killing or burial of Mrs McConville,” Adams said. Police must charge or release him by Friday night. McConville, 37, was snatched from her home in west Belfast in front of her screaming children, becoming one of more than a dozen so-called “disappeared” of the conflict. Her body was found, shot in the back of the head, in 2003. Her daughter Helen McKendry on Friday insisted she was prepared to identify the assailants. Sinn Fein was once the political arm of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the now disbanded paramilitary group which waged a bloody campaign over three decades for Northern Ireland to become part of Ireland. The party now shares power with its old foe, the proBritish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), in a devolved government in Belfast, and Sinn Fein member Martin McGuinness is deputy first minister. McGuinness, a former IRA commander, accused a section of the police of trying to undermine the party with the “malicious” allegations. The arrest was a “deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the elections in three weeks time”, said McGuinness. The British and Irish governments, which worked together on the 1998 Good Friday peace accords that largely ended the violence, tried to calm rising tensions. “There has been absolutely no political interference in this issue,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said. His Irish counterpart, Enda Kenny, added: “All I can say is that I hope the president of Sinn Fein answers in the best way he can, to the fullest extent that he can, questions that are being asked about a live murder investigation.” Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, leader of the DUP, said the arrest proved that “no one is above the law”. A police spokesman insisted they would “conduct a thorough and professional investigation...subject to the full rigors of scrutiny provided in the criminal justice system”. Interviews with republicans The IRA had wrongly accused McConville of being an informer for the British army. The group finally admitted her murder in 1999 and her remains were found four years later on a beach. Eldest daughter McKendry told Friday’s Guardian that she was ready to identify the attackers, hours after her brother said in a BBC interview that he was still too afraid to talk. “I spent the first 20 years of my life being afraid of these people, of fearing to speak out, but now I am no longer afraid,” she said. “If full cooperation into the murder of my mother includes naming those who I saw bursting into our flat, who dragged my mother away from us at gunpoint, and who were directly involved in her disappearance and murder, then yes-I would be prepared to name names,” she added. Nobody has been convicted of McConville’s murder, but former IRA leader Ivor Bell, 77, was last month charged with aiding and abetting those involved. Five others in addition to Adams have also been questioned. Detectives are using evidence given to researchers at Boston College in the United States, who interviewed a number of former paramilitaries. A US court last year ordered that the tapes should be handed over to police despite promises by the researchers that they would not be released until after the former militants’ deaths. Two of the interviewees fingered Adams for McConville’s death. The Sinn Fein leadership say the claims are part of an attempt to discredit them and derail the peace process. Adams, who has led Sinn Fein since 1983, says he was never an official IRA member although he was detained several times in the 1970s. He remains a controversial figure but he won respect for his work on the Good Friday accords and for helping persuade the IRA to renounce violence in 2005. In recent years, Adams has taken on the role of elder statesman.— AFP Available at The Sultan Centre & Carrefour INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Manila to give US access to five military bases American forces to return to Subic Bay facility KOKRAJHAR, India: Indian security personnel are pictured as villagers look on following an overnight attack by suspected tribal militants on a village in Kokrajhar, India’s northeastern state of Assam yesterday. — AFP 11 Muslim villagers die in India rebel attack GAUHATI, India: Separatist rebels wearing black masks opened fire on Muslim villagers in remote northeastern India, killing at least 11 people, mostly women and children, in two overnight attacks, police said yesterday. The gunmen are members of the Bodo tribe and belong to a faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, said regional police inspector general L R Bishnoi. Bodo tribesmen have long accused Muslims of sneaking into India illegally from Bangladesh and encroaching on their ancestral land in Assam state. The dead included six women and three children, police said. The violence comes at a time of heightened security during the country’s general election, with the voting taking place over six weeks. Tensions have been high since a Bodo lawmaker for the federal Parliament criticized Muslims for not voting for the Bodo candidate, said Lafikul Islam Ahmed, leader of a Muslim youth organization called the All Bodoland Muslim Students’ Union. In 2012, weekslong violence between Bodo people and Muslims killed as many as 100 people in the same area. Police said the first attack took place in western Assam, when at least eight rebels opened fire on a group of villagers sitting in a courtyard. Four people were killed and two others wounded, Bishnoi said. The second attack happened in Kokrajhar district when more than 20 armed men, their faces covered with black hoods, broke open the doors of two homes and sprayed them with bullets, killing seven people, witnesses said. Crying inconsolably, 28-year-old Mohammed Sheikh Ali said his mother, wife and daughter were killed in the attack. “I will curse myself forever because I failed to save them,” Ali said in a telephone interview from the hospital, where he was waiting for doctors to complete the autopsies on his family. “I am left all alone in this world ... I want justice.” The National Democratic Front of Bodoland has been fighting for a separate homeland for the region’s ethnic Bodo people for decades. The Bodos are an indigenous tribe in Assam, making up 10 percent of the state’s 33 million people.—AP Dozens held in Philippines over вЂ�sextortion’ ring MANILA: Dozens of people have been arrested in the Philippines in a multinational crackdown on the exploding global menace of Internet “sextortion”, Interpol and local police announced yesterday. Industrial-style businesses run out of the Philippines have blackmailed hundreds of people around the world, luring them on social media before extracting sexually explicit information or images, they said. Interpol cybercrime chief Sanjay Virmani said 58 people were arrested this week in the Philippines, but emphasized they were only a small part of a fast-growing phenomenon with similar operations in many other parts of the world. “The scale of these sextortion networks is massive, and run with just one goal in mind: to make money regardless of the terrible emotional damage they inflict on their victims,” said Virmani, director of Interpol’s Digital Crime Centre. Virmani said “sextortion” had emerged as a major concern in recent years as criminals took advantage of more people using social media and greater mobile Internet access via smartphones. “This is just a taste of things to come,” Virmani said. “These type of criminal acts have gone on for a long time but they are using a new infrastructure... all the traditional crimes that you see that have a cyber component are taken to a new level and criminals have an increased capability to target new victims.” In one case highlighted by Interpol, a 17-year-old boy in Scotland who lived with his parents committed suicide after being blackmailed. Three Filipinos linked to that scam were among those arrested this week. Philippine police chief Alan Purisima said the 58 people detained would be charged over a range of crimes, including engaging in child pornography, extortion and using technologies to commit fraud.—AFP MANILA: The Philippines said yesterday it plans to give the United States access to five military bases under a deal that could see US forces return to their giant former facility at Subic Bay. An access deal signed last week would allow the US to rotate more aircraft, ships, equipment and troops over the next 10 years at unspecified bases in the territory of the Asian ally strategically facing the South China Sea. The two countries are now in follow-up talks to select the Filipino bases, said defense undersecretary Pio Batino, the chief Filipino negotiator. “Right now, the discussions would be ranging from three to five (Filipino military) bases,” he told reporters. “That’s not the final, but that is the starting discussion point.” The Philippines is offering Fort Magsaysay, a sprawling army base about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Manila that regularly hosts annual large-scale US-Filipino military exercises, Batino said. He added “limited portions of Subic” would also be offered, but declined to identify the three other bases under consideration. The Philippines intends to conclude the discussions not later than September 30, Batino added. The deal for increased US access is part of Philippine efforts to boost its weak military capabilities at a time of deep tensions with China over competing claims to parts of the South China Sea. China claims most of the sea, even waters close to the Philippines and other countries in the region. Subic, facing the South China Sea, was the former repair yard of the Japan-based US Pacific fleet. American forces vacated it in 1992, along with nearby Clark Air Base, after the Philippine Senate refused to extend a bases treaty, ending nearly a century of major US military presence. It is now a civilian free port, but maintains a US-era military runway and a deep harbor that is still used by American warships stopping over for military exercises or for regular provisioning. Bound by a mutual defense pact, the US and the Philippines engage in regular war games that see thousands of US troops and state-of-the-art American military hardware brought to the Philippines. The Philippines signed the bases access deal last week, hours ahead of a state visit to Manila by American President Barack Obama. The deal also allows the US to build structures inside the bases for use by its forces, as well as to store supplies and equipment. — AFP Funerals planned for Australian passengers on missing Malaysia jet SYDNEY: The first funeral service for passengers from a missing Malaysian jetliner will be held in Australia this weekend, nearly eight weeks after the plane disappeared and apparently crashed in the remote southern Indian Ocean. Despite the most intensive air, sea and underwater search in commercial aviation history, no trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found since it vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8. Family and friends of Rod and Mary Burrows, two of six Australians on board the flight, will be holding a formal memorial in Brisbane on Sunday, according to a statement on behalf of the family released by police yesterday. “Family and friends send their appreciation for the well wishes from the media and public but ask for privacy and request their solitude be respected during this difficult time.” Relatives of those on board, mostly from China, have repeatedly expressed their anger and frustration at the lack of information and evidence about the loss of their loved ones. Malaysia Airlines this week urged families who have remained in Kuala Lumpur to return home, saying they would be kept informed, and pledged to pay early compensation to those who qualified. On Thursday, Malaysia released its most comprehensive account yet of what happened to missing Flight MH370, detailing the route the plane probably took as it veered off course and the confusion that followed. The preliminary report, however, left many key questions unanswered, including whether the aircraft was deliberately diverted after communications were disabled. Using groundbreaking analysis of satellite data, experts narrowed down the search area to a large arc of the Indian Ocean some 1,600 km (1,040 miles) northwest of the west Australian city of Perth. But after weeks of scouring millions of square kilometers (miles) without finding any sign of debris, Australian authorities have called off the air and surface search. Australia now plans to contract commercial companies to undertake a sonar search of a 60,000 sq km (24,000 sq mile) area of seabed that could take eight months or more at a cost of about A$60 million ($55.61 million). — Reuters SEOUL: Investigators inspect the site where two subway trains collided at Sangwangshipri subway station in Seoul yesterday. A subway train ran into another train at the station yesterday, causing minor injuries for scores of people, a city official said. — AP Subway trains crash in Seoul, 170 people hurt SEOUL: A subway train in the South Korean capital Seoul crashed into another one at a station yesterday, injuring about 170 people, news reports and the emergency services said, although no one appeared to be seriously hurt. The accident came just over two weeks after a South Korean ferry capsized and sank leaving 300 dead or missing in the submerged hull of the ship in the country’s worst disaster in 20 years. Witnesses said one train was leaving Sangwangsimni station in the east of the capital when it was hit from the rear by an incoming train. One subway car was derailed and passengers walked a short distance along the tracks to the station, YTN television said. Many of the injuries were caused by passengers jumping from the subway cars onto the tracks, a government emergency official said. A doctor at a hospital near the station said injured people were walking in for treatment and did not appear to be seriously hurt. A witness who said he was a passenger in one of the trains said it rammed into a train in front of it as it approached a station. He said he saw blood on the floor of a train car. An onboard announcement initially told passengers to stay inside, but most people ignored it and forced the doors open to escape, he said. Most those who died in the ferry sinking off the southwest coast on April 16 were schoolchildren who were told by the crew to stay inside the vessel, even as the crew left. The sinking and the deaths of hundreds of schoolchildren have hit President Park Geun-hye’s approval rating. A Gallup Korea poll issued yesterday showed her rating had plunged by 11 percentage points in the past two weeks to 48 percent. — Reuters INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 In Iraq, Syria... Continued from Page 1 After the US “surge” in 2007, when it rapidly built up its forces, the number of attacks dropped as sectarian violence as a whole waned. Militant attacks are now increasing sharply again in Iraq as the powerful ISIL seeks to impose strict sharia law in the Sunni majority populated regions of the country. In Syria, the conflict took on a regional dimension and attracted foreign fighters soon after it began with an outbreak of a mostly Sunni popular uprising in 2011 against President Bashar Al-Assad. Iran, the main Shiite power, and Saudi Arabia, its Sunni rival wedded to the Wahhabi puritanism that inspires jihadis, used Syria as the front line in their Shiite-Sunni war for supremacy in the Arab world. Foreign Sunni fighters have converged on Syria to fight alongside Sunni rebel forces, while Shiites from Iraq and Lebanon have joined Assad’s forces. Foreign fighters are coming from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen, Kuwait, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Bosnia, other Arab states, Chechnya, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Western countries, according to several US and European security officials. With Assad using his full firepower against rebels who lack sophisticated arms, the military balance tipped against the rebels last year, driving foreign fighters to carry out suicide attacks to make up for losses on the battleground. English-speakers play a prominent role among foreign fighters. British security sources estimate that at least 400 British nationals have moved in and out of the Syrian conflict, with as many as 250 Britons on the battlefield at any one time. The video of the British suicide bomber shows what appears to be a truck elaborately rigged as a suicide bomb. Standing nearby is a person who investigators identified as Majeed posing and talking with what appear to be fellow militant fighters. While the video does not show him driving the truck into the prison, investigators say they believe he was the driver and that the video is authentic. Perhaps fewer than a hundred Canadians and Americans have also joined Syria-based militant groups, say US intelligence officials. They estimate the number of Americans who have joined the conflict in the “dozens”. In an April 23 report, the Dutch AIVD intelligence service said it was aware of two Dutch nationals who became suicide bombers in the last year while fighting with militants. One blew himself up in Syria and the other in Iraq, said a European security official briefed on the matter. Another European official said that at least one or two German nationals were believed to have been involved in recent suicide attacks. — Reuters Suicide bombers unleash wave of attacks in Egypt CAIRO: Bombers killed a policeman and a soldier in Egypt yesterday, hours before campaigning starts in presidential polls which the former army chief who deposed the elected Islamist leader is expected to win. Militants have unleashed a wave of attacks targeting security forces since presidential frontrunner Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi ousted Mohamed Morsi in July. The army led by the now retired Field Marshall also installed an interim government that has waged a deadly crackdown on Morsi’s supporters and his Muslim Brotherhood movement. A bomb struck a traffic police kiosk near a courthouse in the north Cairo district of Heliopolis, killing one policeman and wounding four others, Interior Ministry spokesman Hany Abdel Latif said. The Interior Ministry later said the bomb had been concealed in a traffic light. The attack came just hours after two suicide bombers attacked a checkpoint and a nearby bus outside the South Sinai provincial capital Al-Tur, security officials said. A soldier was killed and six policemen wounded by the first bomber, and five civilians wounded by the second, the officials said. Security forces have deployed in strength to protect the resorts along the South Sinai coast that are a major plank of the country’s battered tourism sector. Yesterday’s bombings came a day before the start of official campaigning in the May 26-27 presidential election which will see leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi as Sisi’s sole rival. Sabbahi came third in the 2012 election which Morsi won, and is seen by supporters as the only leader representing the aspirations of those who revolted against longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011. A statement from the prime minister’s officer said, meanwhile, that yesterday’s violence would not undermine Egypt’s determination to hold “fair presidential and parliamentary polls”. Morsi’s Brotherhood, which swept all elections since Mubarak’s fall, is blacklisted as a “terrorist” organization and said it will boycott the polls. — AFP ALEXANDRIA: Members of a Federal Bureau of Investigation SWAT team arrive during an FBI field training exercise at the Landmark Mall yesterday in Alexandria, Virginia. The law enforcement agency held the training to practice responding to a terrorist attack in a public venue. — AFP Europe faces вЂ�bracing new realities’: Hagel NATO official says Russia undermining global security WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Russia’s military moves in Ukraine “shatter the myth” that the end of the Cold War meant an end to insecurity, at least in Europe. Hagel spoke yesterday at a Washington think tank amid growing concern in Europe about the implications for NATO of Russia’s actions in eastern Ukraine. Hagel said the European members of NATO need to boost their defense investment because over the long run Russia will test the purpose, stamina and commitment of the 28-nation US-led alliance. He called for the inclusion of budget officials at a future NATO defense ministers meeting focused on ways to break the pattern of steadily declining defense budgets among European member states. Meanwhile, the United States and some of its NATO allies see Russia’s intervention in Ukraine as a post-Cold War turning point, possibly ending two decades of hope that Moscow could be made a lasting security partner. NATO’s deputy secretary general, Alexander Vershbow, said that the alliance is compelled to view Russia as an adversary in light of its annexation of Crimea and its apparent efforts to further destabilize eastern Ukraine. Vershbow, a former US ambassador to NATO and onetime Pentagon official, said Russia’s interventionist stance of late poses “grave challenges” to global security arrangements that have developed since the end of World War II. “What the Russians have done ... is effectively overturned a lot of the pillars of the international security system that we’ve come to know and be comfortable with,” he said. With the Ukraine crisis and NATO’s deteriorating relations with Moscow as a backdrop, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was to deliver a speech Friday on the future of the Western alliance and how it can maintain its relevance. Hagel was expected to argue that the crisis in Ukraine represents a “coalescing moment” for the alliance that should be used to improve NATO defense capabilities, according to an official familiar with his speech preparation. Fear of Russian aggression is most acute among newer NATO members such as Poland and other Eastern European states that once were part of the Soviet sphere of influence but chose to join the Western alliance after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Some older NATO members in Europe are less alarmed and see less urgency in trying to punish Moscow for its moves in Ukraine. In his speech, Hagel also was expected to draw linkages between military security and economic security, in Europe and more broadly, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the remarks were still being prepared. Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Thursday that after a recent trip to Ukraine he believes Washington needs to stiffen its support for the Ukrainian government in its confrontation with Moscow. “Russia’s effort to dismember their country through the threat of force, if allowed to succeed, could undermine decades of stability and a peaceful, democratic and united Europe,” Levin, D-Mich., said. In his remarks to reporters Thursday, Vershbow said Russia now is a NATO adversary. “Clearly the Russians have declared NATO as an adversary, so we have to begin to view Russia no longer as a partner but as more of an adversary than a partner,” he said. “In central Europe, clearly we have two different visions of what European security should be like,” Vershbow said. “We still would defend the sovereignty and freedom of choice of Russia’s neighbors, and Russia clearly is trying to reimpose hegemony and limit their sovereignty under the guise of a defense of the Russian world.” In April, NATO suspended all “practical civilian and military cooperation” with Russia, although Russia has maintained a diplomatic mission to NATO it established in 1998. NATO, created 65 years ago as a bulwark against the former Soviet Union, is considering new defensive measures aimed at deterring Russia from any aggression against NATO members along its border, such as the Baltic states that once were part of the Soviet Union, Vershbow said. —AP Relatives of miners missing under tons of mud wait as rescued workers remove sludge in a gold mine that collapsed in San Antonio, in the rural area of Santander de Quilichao, department of Cauca, Colombia, yesterday where independent mine workers were excavating the mine without authorization. — AFP Royal Bank of Scotland profits triple in Q1 16 Asian shares mixed as dealers return from break 18 Business SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 World Bank approves $1b loan to Pakistan AstraZeneca rejects Pfizer’s bid of $106b 19 17 DETROIT: In this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014 photo, Jesus Rodriguez grinds steel at the IDEAL Group in Detroit. The Commerce Department releases factory orders for March yesterday. — AP US jobless rate hits 5-1/2 year low Nonfarm payrolls increase 288,000 in April WASHINGTON: US job growth increased at its fastest pace in more than two years in April, suggesting a sharp rebound in economic activity early in the second quarter. Nonfarm payrolls surged 288,000 last month, the Labor Department said yesterday. That was the largest gain since January 2012 and beat Wall Street’s expectations for an increase of 210,000. March and February data were revised to show 36,000 more jobs than previously reported. “The economy really has strong underlying fundamentals supporting its growth. Temporary headwinds such as the bad weather can be certainly managed,” said Russell Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial in Troy, Michigan. Still, the report did give some worrisome signals on the economy’s health. While the unemployment rate dived 0.4 percentage point to a 5-1/2 year low of 6.3 percent, part of the decline was because hundreds of thousands of people left the labor force. Overall, however, the data suggested the economy was gathering strength and led investors to pull forward their bets on when the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates. US Treasury debt yields soared after the report, while the dollar jumped to session highs against the euro and the yen. US stock prices rose marginally. Bets on US short-term interest rates suggested Wall Street is now pricing in a Fed rate hike in June 2015, based on CME FedWatch, which tracks rate hike expectations using its Fed funds futures contracts. Before the jobs data was released, the Fed was seen raising rates in July of that year. The employment report joins other upbeat data such as consumer spending and industrial production in suggesting that sputtering growth in the first quarter was an aberration, weighed down by an unusually cold and disruptive winter. The Fed on Wednesday shrugged off the dismal first quarter performance. The U.S. central bank, which announced further reductions to the amount of money it is pumping into the economy through monthly bond purchases, said indications were that “growth in economic activity has picked up recently.” Economists expect second-quarter growth to top a 3 percent pace. Household survey mixed While details of the bigger survey of employers were robust, the smaller and volatile household survey from which the unemployment rate is calculated was mixed, with household employment falling slightly. The labor force also declined by 806,000 people. “That is gargantuan decline,” said Tom Porcelli, an economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York. The labor force participation rate, or the share of working-age Americans who are employed and unemployed but looking for a job, fell 0.4 percentage point to 62.8 percent. That was the lowest level since last December. Some of the 1.35 million people who lost their longer-term unemployment benefits at the end of last December may have dropped out of the labor force last month. But a broad measure of unemployment, which includes people who want to work but have stopped looking and those working only part time but who want more work, fell to a 20-year low of 12.3 percent in April. It was at 12.7 percent in March. Employment gains in April were broad-based, with the private sector adding 273,000 jobs and government payrolls rising 15,000. Manufacturing employment increased 12,000 after rising by 7,000 in March. Construction payrolls gained 32,000. That followed an increase of 17,000 jobs in March. The hiring trend could slow in the months ahead as residential construction loses some steam. Average hourly earnings were flat in April. The length of the workweek held steady at 34.5 hours last month after bouncing back in March from its winterdepressed levels. — Reuters BUSINESS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Gold set for weekly drop on funds selling LONDON: Gold steadied yesterday after two losing sessions but was headed for its second week of losses in three on expectations of a robust US jobs number and continued selling in the top bullion-backed exchange-traded fund. Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust dropped 2.39 tonnes to 785.55 tonnes on Thursday, after losing 4.19 tonnes on Wednesday. The fund saw an outflow of 25 tonnes in April, the first monthly outflow after two months of inflows and worst since December. Its movements are a good measure of underlying investor sentiment. Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,285.90 an ounce by 1219 GMT, ranging in the narrowest trade for four months. It was down about 1.3 percent for the week. US gold futures for June delivery rose 0.7 percent to $1,284.20 an ounce. Investors were eyeing the US April nonfarm payrolls report, due to be published at 1230 GMT, for further clues on the economy, which has shown strength in recent weeks after a severe winter hurt the first quarter. Gold prices would come under pressure if growth exceeded economists’ expectations for a 210,000 increase in jobs and a fall in the unemployment rate to 6.6 percent. Earlier in the week, the Federal Reserve looked past a dismal reading on first-quarter U.S. growth and gave a mostly upbeat assessment of the economy’s prospects as it announced another cut in its massive bondbuying stimulus. “For gold, the salience of the nonfarm payrolls seems somewhat reduced by the Fed seemingly being on auto pilot with regards to its tapering activity,” Macquarie analyst Matthew Turner said. “A bad number, given the GDP data earlier this week, would call into question the strength of the economy, but seems unlikely to change the Fed’s policy.” In wider markets, the dollar inched up from three-week lows against a basket of currencies on expectations of a robust US jobs number, while 10-year US Treasury yields held above two-month lows of 2.6 percent hit in the previous session. Returns from US bonds are closely watched by the gold market, given that the metal pays no interest. “The inability of gold to rally despite US Treasury 10-year yields falling highlights that there is little conviction in the gold market at present, and we maintain the view that prices could retrace further,” ANZ said in a report. Gold, often seen as an insurance against geopolitical risks, failed to be lifted by safehaven buying after violence escalated in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists. In the physical markets, demand has picked up slightly this week but was still lower than last year’s levels. With markets in top buyer China closed for a holiday, investors are looking to India, the second biggest consumer, for support. India is celebrating Akshaya Tritiya on Friday, the second-biggest gold buying festival when it is considered auspicious to buy gold.—Reuters French union calls off damaging pilots’ strike ROISSY: A potentially damaging French pilots’ strike has been called off at the last minute, the union organising the work stoppage said yesterday, just days after Air France warned it risked hampering the airline’s painstaking recovery. The strike from May 3 to 30, which was called by the country’s main SNPL pilots’ union, would have seen pilots stop work at specific times every day, which Air France said would severely disrupt its medium and long-haul flights. On Friday, SNPL head Yves Deshayes said the union had decided to call off the strike “on the basis of (government) proposals” after representatives met with Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier-a move welcomed by Air France chief Frederic Gagey. The pilots had planned to protest against a law stipulating that those who strike must declare their intention to do so 48 hours before the start of a work stoppage. The regulation was put in place to give airlines more time to warn passengers about flight disruptions, but the SNPL says it actually allows them to hire temporary replacement pilots from other European countries. “The government recognised for the first time that these practices were not acceptable,” Deshayes told reporters yesterday, adding the government had made “a strong commitment” on looking to modify the law, although “no guarantees” had been given to the union. Earlier this week, Air France chief Gagey had warned that the strike-which had nothing to do with the airline itself-was “taking place at a crucial time in Air France’s recovery”. After six years of financial losses that led to radical cost-cutting measures including thousands of job cuts, the airline is aiming to generate a positive operating income this year-a target it said could have been damaged by the strike. Yesterday, Gagey welcomed the cancellation of the strike, saying it was “excellent news for Air France clients and employees”. “Air France can now devote all its energy to pursuing its recovery.” —AFP NEW YORK: Traders Neil Cantania, left, and Frederick Reimer work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Global markets were mixed yesterday ahead of a release of key US jobs data, with the benchmark for the Tokyo Stock Exchange closing little changed. — AP LONDON: A pedestrian walks past a Royal Bank of Scotland sign in central London yesterday. Britain’s state-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland said yesterday that net profits tripled to 1.2 billion GBP (2.0 billion USD, 1.5 billion euros) in the first quarter, buoyed by lower costs and falling impairments. — AFP Royal Bank of Scotland profits triple in Q1 LONDON: Britain’s state-rescued Royal Bank of Scotland said yesterday that net profits tripled to ВЈ1.2 billion ($2.0 billion, 1.5 billion euros) in the first quarter, buoyed by lower costs and falling impairments. RBS, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, remains 81-percent state-owned after it was rescued with ВЈ45.5 billion of taxpayers’ cash during the 2008 global financial crisis, making it the world’s biggest-ever banking bailout. Earnings after taxation surged in the three months to the end of March 2014, compared with ВЈ393 million in the same part of 2013, RBS said in a results statement. Market expectations had been for a net loss of ВЈ200 million and revenues of ВЈ4.7 billion, according to analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires. Revenues declined two percent to ВЈ5.05 billion, as the bank’s markets divi- sion continued to shrink. Pre-tax profits meanwhile doubled to ВЈ1.64 billion from ВЈ826 million a year earlier, but the troubled bank warned that it still faced “plenty” of issues to deal with. “Just over two months ago, I set out our plan for making RBS the most trusted bank in the UK,” said chief executive Ross McEwan, who was appointed last year to help strengthen the lender’s turnaround strategy and help guide it back to private ownership. “Today’s results show that in steady state, RBS will be a bank that does a great job for customers while delivering good returns for our shareholders. “But we still have a lot of work to do and plenty of issues from the past to reckon with. Everyone at RBS is focused squarely on doing everything we can to earn the trust of our customers and in the process change the banking sector for the benefit of the UK.” The first-quarter results were lifted by the absence of any provision for misconduct issues that have haunted the bank since the global financial crisis. And in another major boost, RBS revealed that impairments across its loan book tumbled by 65 percent in the reporting period. Operating expenses meanwhile fell six percent to ВЈ191 million, as the group shed about 6,300 jobs mostly at its retail and markets division. The RBS results were published one day after state-rescued rival Lloyds Banking Group revealed that its underlying profits improved in the first quarter, boosted by falling impairments, cost-cutting and the broader economic recovery. However, LBG-which is 25percent state-owned-added that its net profit sank by almost a quarter to ВЈ1.15 billion. — AFP BUSINESS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Spain’s 10-year borrowing rate dips to 2005 level PARIS: Spain’s interest rate for borrowing 10year funds fell below 3.0 percent yesterday for the first time since 2005, in a further sign that the eurozone debt crisis is fading. On the secondary market, where debt already issued is traded, the interest rate or yield indicated by the rising value of the bonds fell to 2.996 percent briefly during morning trading, but then rose to 3.0 percent. The yield on existing debt is a baseline indicator of what a country must offer to raise funds the next time it issues equivalent bonds. Ten-year bonds are considered to be the main barometer of a country’s standing on the eurozone bond market. As confidence in the creditworthiness and general state of an economy rises, in this case regarding eurozone member Spain, investors become more inclined to buy the bonds for the fixed income stream they carry. As the price of the bond rises, the fixed interest falls automatically relative to the new higher value of the bond. Spain, the eurozone’s fourth-biggest economy, emerged from its downturn last year after a decade-long property bubble burst in 2008, tipping the economy into a double-dip recession and wiping out mil- lions of jobs. At Credit Agricole CIB bank, economist Frederick Ducrozet said: “In general, in terms of macroeconomics and of capital flows, everything is going in the direction of an easing of rates for eurozone peripheral countries.” As economic data for the eurozone improves, investors have been moving large amounts of funds for several months into buying bonds issued by eurozone countries which had been regarded as high risk because of their overloaded public finances. The head of the French central bank, Christian Noyer, said recently that this inflow of capital was largely why the value of the euro was strong. In the last year, investors have also reduced their exposure to many emerging economies, pulling funds back to where risk appears less and the opportunities for gain greater. Ducrozet said that the trend of flows into weaker eurozone countries was likely to continue because “either the improvement continues, which is the case in Spain regarding the public deficit and unemployment in particular, or it is not the case but the European Central Bank is a back-stop.”—AFP Bund yield at 1-yr low on Ukraine, payrolls caution LONDON: Global markets traded cautiously yesterday as uncertainty ahead of US employment figures and tensions in Ukraine pushed the yield on 10-year German Bunds to their lowest in a year. The move into the relative safety of government bonds, also including higheryielding peripheral euro zone paper that pushed returns on Spanish 10-year debt to a multi-year low, came despite upbeat corporate merger and acquisition activity and earnings. The big data focus is the US April nonfarm payrolls report. Economists predict jobs growth of 210,000 and a fall in the unemployment rate to 6.6 percent. But first quarter US growth estimates are being cut following weak construction data on Thursday to the point that the world’s largest economy might actually have contracted. That, and an escalation in violence in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists, weighed on investor sentiment. European stocks failed to get a boost from US drugmaker Pfizer raising its offer for Britain’s AstraZeneca or a forecast-busting profit from Royal Bank of Scotland that lifted shares in the 81 percent state-controlled bank by 11 percent. “People are a bit nervous about payrolls. Last month there was so much hype about it and it came out below expectations. They don’t want to get caught out twice, so they are hedging their positions,” said Michael Hewson, senior markets strategist at CMC Markets in London. Hewson also noted that many European and U.S. indices are at or close to record highs so investors are reluctant to chase them higher, especially ahead of a long holiday weekend in Britain. At 0800 GMT, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 index of leading European shares was down 0.1 percent at 1353 points and Germany’s DAX was down 0.2 percent at 9585 points. Britain’s FTSE 100 index was flat at 6807 points and France’s CAC 40 down a third of one percent at 4471. In Asia, the MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.4 percent. China’s markets were closed yesterday. US stock futures pointed to a flat open on Wall Street . Two corporate stories grabbed the headlines in Europe. Pfizer raised its bid for AstraZeneca to 50 pounds a share, valuing the UK drugmaker at 63 billion pounds ($106 billion), and RBS posted a 1.6 billion pounds profit in the first quarter. Calmer currencies Germany’s 10-year government bond yield slipped to 1.45 percent and the 30year U.S. bond yield was 3.43 percent. Late on Thursday it fell as low as 3.4 percent. Spain’s 10-year yields fell as low as 3 percent, their lowest since September 2005 and close to the lowest ever. Currency markets were calmer, with the dollar well supported ahead of the U.S. payrolls report but major currency pairs trading in tight ranges. The euro slipped 0.1 percent to $1.3853, and the dollar rose 0.1 percent against the yen to 102.45 yen. In the commodities markets, oil remained topheavy after slipping Thursday on disappointing Chinese manufacturing activity and data showing U.S. crude stocks rose last week to their highest level since 1982. US crude futures brushed that aside, however, and rose 0.4 percent to $99.487 a barrel.—Reuters ATHENS: A Greek market vendor holding a black flag shouts slogans during a protest in Athens, yesterday, after their trading association launched an indefinite strike Monday. — AP LONDON: An exterior view of the Two Kingdom Street building which houses the headquarters of AstraZeneca, in the Paddington area of London, yesterday. The board of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca yesterday rejected drug maker Pfizer’s sweetened takeover offer. Pfizer earlier in the day said it is offering 50 pounds ($84) a share in cash and stock, a 7.3 increase on a previous bid. — AP AstraZeneca rejects Pfizer’s bid of $106b R&D jobs to be in Britain LONDON: US drugmaker Pfizer Inc increased its offer for AstraZeneca Plc to 63 billion pounds ($106 billion) yesterday, but the British company promptly rejected the proposal, which would create the world’s biggest pharmaceuticals company. AstraZeneca’s board said the offer undervalued the company “substantially” and was not an adequate basis on which to engage with its suitor. Industry analysts and investors said that raised the possibility that Pfizer would now take the takeover plan, which would boost its pipeline of cancer drugs and create significant tax and cost savings, direct to AstraZeneca shareholders. The US group would much prefer an agreed deal, since hostile takeovers typically take longer, require a higher final price and carry more risks because the bidder cannot access the target’s books to assess its business. One AstraZeneca investor said Pfizer management had made clear in meetings this week that it wanted a friendly deal but it was determined to the see the transaction completed and a hostile bid was a potential “tool”. While Pfizer has given assurances to the British government on retaining drug research in Britain, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said AstraZeneca’s fate would be determined by shareholders, not the state. Yesterd’s 50 pounds ($84.47) a share indicative offer followed AstraZeneca’s decision to rebuff an earlier proposal that valued it at 58.8 billion pounds, or 46.61 pounds per share. Some investors and analysts had expected that the sweetened offer would be enough to bring AstraZeneca’s board to the negotiating table, even if it was not accepted, and the swift rejection suggests Pfizer may now go over the board’s head. “I think it’s making it increasingly likely that Pfizer is going to come back with a hostile bid,” said Mick Cooper, analyst at Edison Investment Research. Leading investors have met with Pfizer Chief Executive Ian Read this week in London and some feel that an offer of 50 pounds or above is certainly worth discussing. “Given where the shares have come from, this doesn’t look unreasonable,” one of AstraZeneca’s 10 largest shareholders said of the latest Pfizer offer. AstraZeneca shares were trading at around 30 pounds a year ago, but confidence in the company’s cancer drug pipeline has built up strongly since then. “We expect Pfizer ultimately to have to sweeten its offer based on discussions we have had with investors, many citing a price within the 52-55 pounds range and some above this, and our analysis of the EPS accretion for Pfizer,” said Mark Clark, an analyst at Deutsche Bank. Investors had previously said they were looking for at least 50 pounds a share and also wanted more cash in the mix. The new offer would have given them 32 percent cash and 68 percent shares, little different from the 3070 split offered originally. Many analysts are convinced Pfizer will raise its offer again, not least because it wants to get the deal done before any possible change in US tax rules that might prevent it moving its tax base to Britain. Pfizer’s latest proposal would have seen shareholders receiving, for each AstraZeneca share, 1.845 shares in the combined company and 15.98 pounds in cash. Commenting on the offer, AstraZeneca Chairman Leif Johansson said: “Pfizer’s proposal would dramatically dilute AstraZeneca shareholders’ exposure to our unique pipeline and would create risks around its delivery.”— Reuters BUSINESS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 US anti-money laundering authority faces hiring probe NEW YORK/ST LOUIS: The US Treasury Department has frozen all recruitment by its anti-money laundering arm and forced the agency to rescind 11 job offers, after an investigation found it violated the federal employment code during an aggressive hiring push, according to several government officials. The Office of Personnel Management, a federal agency that governs labor practices in the government, determined that the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, illegally screened candidates in a quest to hire only lawyers for certain jobs, the officials said. It has recommended further investigations by two other federal agencies into FinCEN’s practices, they added. Rules for hiring at government agencies make it illegal to screen candidates for qualifications that aren’t stipulated in the job description, and the jobs FinCEN had posted weren’t designated as being only for lawyers, the officials said. Some senior Treasury officials knew about FinCEN’s practice but it was not halted until OPM identified the problem, two of the sources said. A Treasury spokeswoman said that FinCEN is “committed to complying with all relevant federal rules and regulations regarding federal hiring.” OPM did not return calls and emails seeking comment. The hiring freeze at FinCEN and further investigations into its practices could deal at least a short-term setback to its push to aggressively crack down on money laundering. ACAMS moneylaundering.com, a compliance trade publication, previously reported that FinCEN was under scrutiny and that Treasury officials were considering suspending its hiring authority. However, the actual hiring freeze, the rescinded job offers, the investigations, and why OPM intervened have not been previously reported. Remaking agency The hires were being done as part of a drive by FinCEN’s director, Jennifer Shasky Calvery, to remake her agency, the formerly sleepy steward of US anti-money laundering laws, into a powerful organization capable of standing up to big banks and other financial firms where violations are discovered. FinCEN has taken part in several of the highest-profile actions against banks over the past three years, including a record $875 million set- tlement with HSBC Holdings Plc for helping Mexican drug traffickers launder money in US accounts. Earlier this year, the agency also participated in an investigation into JPMorgan Chase & Co. That probe resulted in the bank agreeing to $1.9 billion in penalties and forfeitures for failing to alert regulators to suspicions about convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff. FinCEN can issue civil penalties but lacks prosecutorial power. The positions at FinCEN where the illegal hiring took place were in the agency’s recently revamped enforcement division, according to the officials. One of the officials said several of the people whose job offers were revoked are currently prosecutors at the US Department of Justice, where Shasky served as the chief of the DOJ’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section before moving to FinCEN in September 2012. It is unclear whether any of the people who had job offers revoked suffered damage to their careers as a result. At an ACAMS conference in March, Shasky talked about her hiring strategy. “We needed people that understood, вЂ�How do you do enforcement? How do you issue a summons? How do you do a deposi- tion? How do you negotiate a settlement? How do you draft the charging documents?’ Just kind of the nuts and bolts of doing enforcement,” she said. FinCEN ranked 296 of 300 in the 2013 list of the best places to work in the federal government, according to the non-profit Partnership for Public Service, based on data collected by OPM in an employee survey. The agency scored low on categories such as effective leadership, teamwork and employee skills-mission match. In 2012, FinCEN was ranked 147 out of 292. Inflexible system Federal employment experts said the incident highlights the antiquated system that dictates hiring procedures inside the federal government, making the task of recruiting new government employees far more complicated and cumbersome than it is in the private sector. Debra D’Agostino, a founding partner of the Federal Practice Group, which specializes in labor laws for government employees, said hiring managers at government agencies frequently have more specific requirements in mind than they are permitted to display in some job postings. —Reuters For new Ford CEO Fields, aluminum truck is key DETROIT: For all the miracles Alan Mulally pulled off at Ford Motor Co., one eluded him. He couldn’t make the stock price leap. Soon, the problem of boosting Ford’s stock will fall to Mark Fields. On Thursday, Ford officially announced that Mulally would retire on July 1 and Fields would replace him as CEO. Fields was widely seen as the heir apparent after being named chief operating officer late in 2012. Under Mulally, Ford underwent a massive restructuring, resumed paying a dividend and ran off a string of highly profitable quarters. While the stock has doubled from around $8 when Mulally took over in 2006, it hasn’t closed above $18 for more than two years. For the past three months, it’s been stuck between $14.50 and $16.50 as harsh winter weather kept buyers away from showrooms. The stock could stay in limbo for a while. Ford has warned that pretax profit will fall to between $7 billion and $8 billion this year from $8.5 billion in 2013, as it launches a record 23 vehicles worldwide and builds seven plants, including four in China. Investors don’t often embrace reports of lower profits. Analysts don’t see much upside for the stock until Ford starts selling a revolutionary new aluminum-body F-150 pickup late this year. The truck, which will be 700 pounds lighter than the current version, could get close to 30 miles per gallon of gas on the highway, far better than its competition. But Ford faces the gargantuan tasks of retooling factories to produce such a large body out of something other than steel, and of convincing skeptical buyers that an alloy version of the nation’s top-selling vehicle is just as tough as the old one. “If they can pull it off, I think it could sure be good for Ford, and that stock will take off and go,” said Gary Bradshaw, a portfolio manager with Hodges Capital in Dallas. “I guess if you get 30 miles per gallon, we’ll all be driving one.” Many analysts say Ford’s stock is now undervalued. The dividend yields just over 3 percent per year, better than 10year US Treasury bills, and the company’s balance sheet has been cleaned up. Its debt is now investment grade. Standard & Poors analyst Efriam Levy put an $18 price target on the stock and reiterated his “Buy” opinion. Ford shares closed Thursday down 24 cents at $15.91. For the stock to grow, many think that Fields has to move forward with Mulally’s plans for key new vehicles, reverse losses in Europe and South America and keep growing the business in Asia. “Ford is set up for a really nice 2015. The table’s being set for a really strong performance in the US, Europe and China next year,” said Morningstar analyst David Whiston. He thinks Fields should buy back shares because they’re cheap at the moment. But Whiston doesn’t expect that to happen because Ford is investing in future vehicles and growth overseas.—AP TOKYO: Pedestrians walk in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district yesterday. Japan’s household spending jumped in March ahead of a sales tax rise while the jobless rate remained at its lowest level in more than six years, official data showed yesterday. — AFP Asian shares mixed as dealers return from break Traders keeping an eye on US jobs figures HONG KONG: Asia’s markets were mixed yesterday as dealers returned from the May Day break to healthy manufacturing data from the United States and China as well as an upbeat assessment of the US economy. Traders were keeping an eye on the release of US jobs figures due later in the day, while a recent batch of strong indicators helped the dollar edge up against the yen. Tokyo eased 0.19 percent, after rallying 1.27 percent on Thursday. The Nikkei gave up 27.62 points to finish at 14,457.51, while Seoul slipped 0.12 percent, or 2.35 points, to 1,959.44. Sydney added 0.17 percent, or 9.3 points, to 5,458.1 and Hong Kong rose 0.57 percent, or 126.70 points, to 22,260.67. Shanghai was closed for a pub- lic holiday. The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday said the world’s number one economy was picking up after a severe winter that saw growth slow to just 0.1 percent in the first quarter of the year. The central bank said that with the cold weather now behind it, the country would likely enjoy a recovery, adding that it would further reduce its stimulus programme by $10 billion a month to $45 billion. On Thursday China said its official measurement of manufacturing activity improved in April for a second straight month. The official purchasing managers index (PMI) came in at 50.4, the National Bureau of Statistics said, up from 50.3 in March. A reading above 50 indicates growth and anything below points to contraction. That was followed later in the day by a report from the US Institute for Supply Management that showed its PMI at 54.9 last month from 53.7 in March, beating analysts’ consensus estimate of 54.5. Dollar edges up against yen Other data from Washington on Thursday showed a jump in consumer spending. The focus is now on Friday’s non-farm payrolls figures for April, with tentative expectations that they will show the economy is rebounding after the nearstall in the first quarter. On Wall Street the Dow slipped 0.13 percent after hitting a record high following the Fed announcement on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 was flat and the tech-rich Nasdaq rose 0.31 percent.—AFP BUSINESS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 India threatens WTO action over EU mango ban NEW DELHI: India yesterday threatened to drag the European Union to the World Trade Organization over its ban on mango imports. Commerce Minister Anand Sharma warned the EU’s decision to slap the ban on import of the highly prized Alphonso mangoes, known as the “king of fruits”, could have “very negative fallout” on trade ties. Sharma said he had written to EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht urging him to overturn the “arbitrary” import ban on mangoes as well as four vegetables from India including bitter gourd and eggplant. “We do hope that the EU will see sense,” Sharma told reporters in New Delhi. He urged the 28-nation EU not to “precipitate the situation any further, which would lead us to go to the WTO”. The Geneva-based WTO deals with trade disputes. In March, the EU plant health care committee said it would impose the ban after finding pests in 207 Indian consignments of fruits and vegetables. The EU said it was acting to tackle what it called “significant shortcomings” in India’s certification system. It noted that a high number of Indian consignments contained “pests, mainly insects, like non-European fruit flies”. India, the world’s largest mango exporter, sells up to 70,000 tonnes of the fruit globally. The ban, which came into effect Thursday, has led to a mango surplus in Indian markets, driving down prices to fruit lovers’ delight. However, dismayed agricultural officials have warned of a “supply glut” and the effect of the fall in prices on poor farmers. The mango ban further sours faltering India-EU free trade talks which began in 2007. The negotiations have been beset by differences over intellectual property rights and other issues. —AFP WB approves $1b loan to Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The World Bank said yesterday it had approved a $1 billion loan for Pakistan and “envisages” another $11 billion package spanning five years. The loans are meant to support Pakistan’s struggling energy sector and bolster its efforts to increase growth and investment and arrest poverty. “The World Bank Group approved a package of assistance worth US$1 billion to support Pakistan’s economic reforms on Thursday,” the bank said in a statement. “The assistance package consists of two development policy credits (DPCs) to support the government of Pakistan’s efforts to improve the power sector, and reinvigorate growth and investment for reducing poverty and building shared prosperity,” it said. The bank also said it was “envisaging” $11 billion worth of loans under a new country partnership strategy for Pakistan over the next five years, covering fiscal years 2015 to 2019. The government, however, said the World Bank had approved the $11 billion partnership strategy to tackle its four main challenges of energy, economy, education and fighting extremism. “The other landmark achievement of the day was the approval of country partnership strategy under which Pakistan will get US$11 billion in the shape of project loans and budgetary support,” it said. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has “congratulated the whole nation on this success and observed that the country partnership strategy is aligned fully with the vision of Pakistan’s development challenges around the four Es вЂ�Energy, Economy, Extremism and Education’, based on the manifesto of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and its commitment to the nation,” it said. Philippe Le Houerou, vice president for the Bank’s South Asia region, praised Pakistan for stabilising its economy and starting reforms in the power sector. “The government of Pakistan deserves appreciation for stabilising the economy, initiating reforms in the power sector as well as revenue mobilisation and drawing in the private sector for spurring growth”, Le Houerou said in a statement.—AFP PHOENIX: Shoppers walk in front of stores at the outdoor Biltmore Fashion Park yesterday, in Phoenix. Consumers are ramping up spending, businesses are ordering more goods and manufacturers are expanding. The strengthening numbers show that harsh snowstorms and frigid cold in January and February were largely to blame for the economy’s scant growth at the start of the year. — AP BoE to take early but cautious action on UK housing market Tighter mortgage rules, higher capital charges in view LONDON: The Bank of England’s starkest warning so far about Britain’s booming house prices is likely to be followed by cautious measures, possibly as soon as next month, as policymakers test out their new powers. Deputy Governor Jon Cunliffe told bankers late on Thursday that it would be “dangerous” to ignore the rapid rise in house prices, which are up nearly 11 percent over the past year - the kind of increase last seen on the eve of the financial crisis. Two other senior BoE officials expressed similar worries when quizzed on Wednesday by lawmakers. The focus is squarely on the June 17 meeting of the central bank’s Financial Policy Committee, which was set up to prevent a repeat of the kind of recklessness in the banking sector that helped push Britain into a damaging recession. A year ago, the FPC gained sweeping but largely untried powers to curb excesses in the financial sector. One option that has been ruled out for now is a rise in interest rates by the BoE, which does not want to derail a recovery that is more fragile in other parts of the economy. Instead, the Bank, via the FPC, may require banks to check that new borrowers could cope with much higher interest rates; make banks hold more capital against certain types of mortgages; or urge caps on how large mortgages can be compared to a borrower’s income. The country has a history of boom and bust in its housing market, and while Switzerland, New Zealand, Sweden and others have also taken steps to cool property prices, Britain will be the largest economy to do so thus far. As the Bank of England gets to grips with its new вЂ�macroprudential’ tools, it probably wants to start gradually, and one piece of data released by the BoE on Thursday helps explain why. Mortgage approvals in March sank to a six-month low, having hit their highest level since late 2007 in January. Banks were already starting to implement rules which came into force last week requiring them to make much more detailed checks on prospective borrowers’ income and spending than before the crisis. “In effect we saw an interest rate increase last weekend with the mortgage market reforms,” said Andrew Milligan, head of strategy at Standard Life Investments which manages 184 billion pounds ($311 billion) of funds, including 10 billion in property. Banks now need to spend around two hours interviewing each mortgage applicant - far longer than was common before - likely creating a bottleneck in approvals as well as restricting the number of eligible borrowers, he said. But the scale of the impact is something that neither Milligan nor the BoE can judge easily. This means the central bank is likely to want to take more action soon to stop the housing market running away with itself, but of a relatively limited scale so that it can get a sense of the impact of its new tools. “The BoE is unlikely to stamp a size-10 boot down on the housing market,” said Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg. “If the central bank does not know how powerful its tools are, it is unlikely to start with them on full power. Rather, it will gradually ratchet up the pressure.” Prices outside London are still several percent below pre-crisis peaks, even before adjusting for inflation, and transaction levels have not recovered either. Macroprudential measures also will not solve Britain’s underlying shortage of new homes. Trail-blazer The BoE is acting as a trail-blazer for other major central banks, which see the need to keep a grip on lending as one of the lessons of the financial crisis. The European Central Bank is slowly getting drawn into bank regulation as the euro zone creates a banking union. Regulatory responsibilities in the United States are spread across many more bodies than just the Federal Reserve. In setting policy, the BoE is likely to look past eye-catching headlines such as yesterday’s news that a single apartment in London sold for a record 140 million pounds. It is less worried about cash purchases in central London by the world’s super-rich than about preventing a rapid growth in the exposure of British lenders to mortgages, which in a worst-case scneario could put at risk banks’ ability to lend to businesses and require further taxpayer bailouts. For now, net mortgage lending growth has been modest - at around 1.5 percent a year. A 40 percent rise in gross lending has been largely cancelled out by mortgage repayments. The central bank’s preferred outcome would be for affordability constraints to cause house price growth to level off, and for prices to rise in the long run at a level close to earnings growth - which has averaged 5 percent in the past. But looser mortgage lending standards could extend the recent run-up in prices, so one of the steps the BoE is most likely to take in June would be to make banks ensure that borrowers can afford a rise in mortgage rates greater than the 3.5 percentage points required now. Another would be to limit the proportion of high loan-to-value mortgages on banks’ books, or further increase capital requirements as insurance against loans going bad.— Reuters BUSINESS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 PHILADELPHIA: In this March 25, 2014 photo, a pedestrian passes a CVS store in Philadelphia. CVS reports quarterly earnings yesterday. — AP вЂ�African Davos’ will focus minds on problems Host is a microcosm of challenges to African nation states ABUJA: Delegates to the World Economic Forum on Africa next week in the Nigerian capital Abuja will be in the right place to reflect on the rising continent’s problems, as well as its undoubted potential. Participants, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and African leaders, meet as the continent’s largest economy grapples with a surging Islamist revolt and inter-communal clashes that highlight poverty, ethnic and religious schisms, and battles over power and resources in many parts of Africa. “If people want to take a look at a dynamic, high-potential place in Africa, Nigeria is that place, but it also has a whole host of issues that are not going away anytime soon,” said Mark Shroeder, head of Sub-Saharan Africa analysis at business and security consultancy STATFOR. Policymakers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists attending the 24th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA), a replica of the flagship annual WEF held in Davos, Switzerland, will be ensconced in the concrete fortress of the Abuja Hilton, protected by 6,000 police and soldiers - the largest security operation Nigeria has ever mounted for a summit. An April 14 bomb blast on Abuja’s outskirts, which killed at least 75 people and was claimed by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, triggered the big security shield for an event which is normally the setting for convivial and relaxed discussions. The Hilton’s air-conditioned marble interior may also not drown out the desperate public appeals of parents of some 200 teenage schoolgirls snatched by suspected Boko Haram militants from a northeast school in a mass abduction last month. The incident has shocked Nigeria, triggered protests in Abuja and embarrassed President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, showing up the military’s inability to contain a ruthless anti-government insurgency whose targets also include Christian churches and civilians of all races and creeds. Nigeria’s combustible ethnic, religious and regional faultlines, fanned by the political winds of an upcoming election 10 months away, are the legacy of its artificial creation by former colonial masters. In this, the West African giant, which recently replaced South Africa as the continent’s biggest economy through a rebasing of its GDP, can be seen as a microcosm of the post-independence pains and trauma of other struggling African nation states - such as South Sudan and Central African Republic. The World Economic Forum on May 7-9 will include a session on emerging security threats which are casting a pall on Sub-Saharan Africa’s otherwise ebullient economic promise as it snaps at the heels of Asia as the world’s second fastest-growing region. Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters that the meeting’s chosen theme - “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs” - was as relevant to Nigeria as to the rest of Africa. вЂ�Inclusion problem’ The continent’s most populous nation, Nigeria has tens of millions of poor, many of them unemployed, restless youth, who could pose a real threat to stability if neglected and left without a future. These masses of underprivileged and excluded from Africa’s natural wealth, such as Nigeria’s oil, offer potential recruits to Boko Haram and other radical or insurgent groups which often arise from, or take advantage of, these social inequalities. Okonjo-Iweala has acknowledged “an inclusion problem” as one contributing factor behind Boko Haram. So while Jim O’Neill, the former Goldman Sachs analyst who coined the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China), sees Nigeria as a “fantastic story” and has included it as one of the most powerful newly emerging MINTs (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), others like West Africa expert Gilles Yabi fear it could be a “giant with feet of clay”. Former International Crisis Group analyst Yabi wrote in recent blogs that Boko Haram was a monstrous product of bad governance illustrating “the failure of the attempt to construct a Nigerian society founded on common values”. WEFA’s Nigerian hosts are keen to keep the focus positive. “We’ve not had any cancellations, which is amazing to us,” Okonjo-Iweala said. Delegates are also expected to include former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. Participants will swap views of Table Mountain and the azure sea in Cape Town, South Africa, the venue for most previous WEFs on Africa, for the sight of Aso Rock - a stark erosion-streaked outcrop that dominates the surrounding African bush and stands guard over the Nigerian presidential complex. “Participants will not have a problem with security during the summit,” President Jonathan said in a statement aimed at reassuring WEFA attendees. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau had a chillingly different message in a video released to some media in which he claimed responsibility for last month’s bombing of the bus station on the edge of the federal capital of Africa’s No. 1 oil producer. “Look at us, we are right within your city, and you don’t even know how to find us,” Shekau taunted Jonathan. вЂ�Failing state’ One figure who will be absent next week will be Nigerian central bank governor Lamido Sanusi, suspended by Jonathan in February after he denounced that up to $20 billion of state oil revenues had failed to be paid into the national treasury. Widely respected internationally as an anti-corruption reformer, the urbane northern aristocrat had been a regular at Davos. He told Reuters in Abuja this week he would be staying away from the “African Davos” in his own country. Nigeria’s presidency, which has disputed his denunciations of missing oil revenues as exaggerated, said he was suspended for “recklessness” at the central bank. Sanusi has a different story: “It’s all about shooting the messenger,” he said. “If you were to look at objective criteria, you would say that Nigeria is a failing state,” he said. Finance Minister Okonjo-Iweala prefers to talk about “democracy in raw form”. That may be small comfort to the relatives of the abducted schoolgirls, who want the military to do more to find them. “We’re talking about the lives of 200 innocent girls,” said Lawan Abana, who has a sister and two nieces among the missing. — Reuters SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 www.kuwaittimes.net Tears of joy: Pharrell вЂ�happy’ at awards show Pages 22-23 Posthumous Michael Jackson album due out May 13 PAGE 24 A Palestinian model displays an outfit on the first day of the Palestinian Fashion Week on May 1, 2014, in an upscale hotel in the West Bank city of Ramallah. — AFP SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Pharrell Williams accepts the award for iHeartRadio innovator at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on Thursday in Los Angeles. — AP photos Rihanna accepts the award for artist of the year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Tears of joy: Pharrell вЂ�happy’ at awards show harrell is still full of tears of joy - even after that viral interview with Oprah Winfrey. The producer-rapper-singer was teary-eyed after he performed a medley of his hits at the iHeartRadio Music Awards and earned the innovator award for his contributions to music. “I never dreamt in a million, million, million years as a producer that I would be standing here as an artist,” the 41-year-old told the crowd Thursday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. “All I did was write the songs and you guys did all the heavy lifting, all the hard work.” Pharrell performed his songs “Happy” and “Come Get It Bae,” as well as two of last year’s biggest hits that he was a part of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” “I gotta thank my savior, I gotta thank God ... my wife and my son, Rocket,” said Pharrell, who rarely acknowledges his personal life. Pharrell famously cried in an interview with Winfrey last month. She appeared in a video, which included Beyonce and P Pitbull presents the award for hip hop/R&B song of the year. Ariana Grande performs at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Lady Gaga, praising Pharrell’s talent. But Pharrell wasn’t the only star in happy mood: Rihanna was the night’s big winner, taking home four trophies including artist and song of the year for the slow tune, “Stay.” “It’s not easy what we do. It’s very difficult at times. It’s a lot of pressure to be a lot of things, and I’ve never felt comfortable being anything other than myself - and I just thank my fans for being supportive,” said Rihanna. The pop star also won best fan army and hip-hop/R&B song of the year for the anthemic “Pour It Up.” Pitbull kicked off the first iHeartRadio Music Awards with a colorful performance - and words for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. “I want to welcome the world to the first iHeartRadio Music Awards. Now everyone that’s here is a who’s who, a what’s what, the anybody’s of all anybody’s - except of course for Donald Sterling,” he told the crowd after his performance. Jennifer Lopez left, and Ryan Seacrest present the award for artist of the year. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Usher performs during the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s song вЂ�Love Never Felt So Good’. “So, with that said, you can take a picture with whoever you want tonight - even Magic Johnson,” he said to cheers. Sterling was banned for life from the NBA and fined $2.5 million Tuesday for making racist comments. Pitbull, who won best collaboration for the No. 1 hit “Timber” with Kesha, performed that song and “Wild Wild Love” with girl group G.R.L. and female background dancers who wore white and gold. Usher also enticed the crowd when he danced slickly to the new Michael Jackson single, “Love Never Felt This Good,” and 20-year-old Ariana Grande performed her new jam “Problem” in a mini black dress and white knee-high boots that even had Rihanna blushing. Love and support to Miley The three-hour awards show paid tribute to music roots in Los Angeles with acts from Katy Perry to Steven Tyler to the Black Keys talking in videos about establishing their sound in the city. Compton-born Kendrick Lamar brought the theme to life with a performance of Tupac and mentor Dr Dre’s “California Love.” Pitbull and from left, Paula Van Oppen, Emmalyn Estrada, Lauren Bennett and Natasha Slayton, of G.R.L., perform at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Some of the top nominees Thursday didn’t attend the awards show, including Justin Timberlake, Jay Z and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Miley Cyrus, who is recovering from a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics, won best lyrics for her No. 1 hit, “Wrecking Ball.” Her father picked up her award. “As a dad, I can’t begin to tell you how much your thoughts, your love, your support for my family and Miley mean to all of us,” Billy Ray Cyrus said. Lorde was also recovering from being sick, and she thanked fans in a video for her win for best new artist. Performers during the fan-voted show, which aired live on NBC, included Shakira, Luke Bryan, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bastille and Blake Shelton, who won country song of the year. Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, Selena Gomez, Lionel Richie and Gwen Stefani made appearances. Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” and Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” won the trophies for alternative rock and EDM song of the year, respectively. — AP Ariana Grande speaks at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Blake Shelton accepts the award for country song of the year for вЂ�Boys вЂ�Round Here’. Shakira performs at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Lionel Richie, right, presents the award for best lyrics to Billy Ray Cyrus, who accepts on behalf of Miley Cyrus. Jared Leto presents the award for best new artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Posthumous Michael Jackson album due out May 13 hen Michael Jackson’s record label released his first posthumous album in 2010, a year after the King of Pop’s sudden death, producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins was asked to W In this May 31, 1997 file photo, US Popstar Michael Jackson performs during the opening concert of his вЂ�HIStory Tour Part II’ across Germany and Europe at the Weserstadion in Bremen, North Germany. work on the project. He declined. “I was asked to be on that album and to produce like five songs, but I turned it down,” he said. “I just felt like it wasn’t time.” Years later, the hitmaker for Destiny’s Child and Whitney Houston - who worked heavily on Jackson’s 2001 comeback album “Invincible” - says he now feels comfortable producing Jackson’s music again. He produced the title track from the upcoming album, “Xscape,” out May 13. “For me it wasn’t about the label, it wasn’t about the estate’s approval; it wasn’t about all of that,” he said. “I had a personal relationship with Michael, (so) it was about, вЂ�What would he want from this? What would he want it to sound like now?’” “Xscape” was executive produced by Timbaland and includes songs Jackson recorded in the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the tracks are taken from early recording sessions for successful albums such as “Bad” and “Dangerous.” The first single, “Love Never Felt So Good,” was written with Paul Anka. A bonus version of the track features Justin Timberlake. Jerkins said he and Jackson originally started work on the song “Xscape” in 1999 when they recorded the “Invincible” album. He revisited the track in 2003 and retouched it this year for the new 8- track album. “Even when Michael was alive, we never stopped working on the song вЂ�Xscape,’” he said. “It was one of those songs where he specifically said to me, вЂ�It has to see the light of day one day.’” Jerkins said he visited Jackson in 2007 in Ireland where they were File photo shows Michael Jackson waves to crowds gathered to see him at his first ever in-store appearance to celebrate his new album вЂ�Invincible’ in New YorkГs Times Square. — AP photos “vibing out,” but didn’t focus on creating nervous about including “Xscape” on the music exclusively. “And I then I spoke to Jackson album, which also includes a song him - I would say 2008, 2009, something produced by StarGate, who Jackson initially like that - and he was telling me, вЂ�I’m get- wanted to collaborate with in 2007 because ting ready to do another album. You gotta of the Swedish team’s work with Ne-Yo. “I get to work. Start working on ideas,’” he was like, вЂ�What’s the other stuff going to sound like?’ I don’t even know if I want my recalled. “And then he passed away.” Jerkins, who has produced hits for song to be on there if the other stuff ain’t Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Brandy, is cur- right,” Jerkins said. But after the hearing the rently working on new music with Rihanna full record, he relaxed. “Everyone did a realand Ariana Grande. He said he was initially ly great job on this project,” he said. — AP Singer Chris Brown in jail for at вЂ�Godzilla’ in IMAX least another week, judge says Filmmakers unveil anticipated This photo released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Ford Brody in Warner Bros. odzilla lives. Sixty years after his introduction and a decade after his last cinematic appearance, the massive monster filled an IMAX screen at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre on Thursday. The new film, titled simply “Godzilla,” brings the aquatic creature out of Japan and into the United States, with Honolulu, Las Vegas and San Francisco among his destinations. And he’s not the only monster in the mix. Two other Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms - MUTOs - threaten the planet. Starring Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the film was made by lifelong Godzilla fans. It’s a realistic take on how the world and its military might respond to an invasion by larger-than-life creatures. “We were trying to put more into it than just a simple monster movie,” director Gareth Edwards said after the screening. G “Because the original was definitely a metaphor for Hiroshima and Nagasaki and a very serious film, so we were inspired to try and reflect that.” In the 1954 original, Godzilla represented the destructive threat of nuclear power after the United States unleashed it on Japan during World War II. In 2014, Godzilla and the other monsters feed on radiation, so nations with nuclear arms are targets. “The West ... we police the world and go, вЂ�You can’t have nuclear power. You can’t have it. But we can have it, and we have nuclear weapons,’ “ Edwards said. “And what if there were a creature that existed, creatures that were attracted to radiation? Suddenly the tables would be turned, and we’d be desperately trying to get rid of that stuff.”Edwards first introduced the film at Comic-Con, the annual San Diego pop-culture festival, two years ago. —AP Los Angeles judge on Thursday said R&B singer Chris Brown will remain in jail for at least another week as the pop star deals with dual cases on both sides of the country. Brown, who will now spend his 25th birthday on May 5 behind bars, has been held since March 14 after his dismissal from a rehabilitation center violated the terms of his court-ordered treatment related to his 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, the pop singer Rihanna. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Brandlin said Brown would remain incarcerated unless a resolution on the terms of his probation in the Rihanna case could be agreed to between the prosecutor and Brown’s attorney by a scheduled hearing on May 9. Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos, A R&B singer Chris Brown appears in court with his attorney Mark Geragos, right, on Thursday, May 1, 2014, in Los Angeles. — AP said if he cannot resolve the case with prosecutor, Mary Murray, by next week, he will ask the court to release Brown on certain terms and conditions. Geragos’ past requests to have Brown placed under house arrest instead of jail have so far been denied. The “Turn Up the Music,” singer also faces a misdemeanor assault trial in Washington, DC, after he allegedly punched and broke the nose of a man who was trying to get a picture with him last year. The Washington trial, which could complicate matters in Brown’s probation case in Los Angeles, has been delayed so his defense could arrange testimony of Brown’s bodyguard, who was convicted last month of misdemeanor assault in the same case. — Reuters SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 A man touches his hand on one of the fossilized dinosaur tracks on Turkmenistan’s Plateau of the Dinosaurs in the country’s eastern corner on the border with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. — AFP photos A matchbox lies near one of the fossilized dinosaur tracks on TurkmenistanГs Plateau of the Dinosaurs in the country’s eastern corner on the border with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Walking with dinosaurs in Turkmenistan’s вЂ�Jurassic Park’ ome eight hours dusty drive from the nearest major settlement, tucked into the eastern corner of Turkmenistan and unknown to the outside world until the second half of the last century, lies one of the most mythical yet least visited spots in the former Soviet Union. Turkmenistan’s Plateau of the Dinosaurs is the location of one of the most magnificent collections of fossilized dinosaur tracks anywhere on Planet Earth, which only became known to Soviet paleontologists in the 1950s. “Steven Spielberg should have shot вЂ�Jurassic Park’ here. Here the tracks of the dinosaurs are real and not made by computers,” said Aman, 35, an inhabitant of the village of Khodja Pil at the foot of the plateau. On the plateau, some 2,500 dinosaur tracks have been discovered. Some are 40 centimeters long and 30 centimeters wide, others even bigger, measuring 70 by 60. A dinosaur five to six meters (16 to 20 feet) tall could take a stride of up to two meters. S The plateau is renowned for having the longest track ways-continuous lines of footprints made as a dinosaur walked or ran-anywhere in the world. In places they reach up to 200 meters. It seems improbable that what is now an arid mountain zone could sustain such life but 150 million years ago when these creatures reigned supreme on Earth the ecosystem was completely different. “Some 145150 million years ago, there were lakes and marshes and herds of dinosaurs strode along the banks. There were both vegetarian and carnivorous dinosaurs. “This sandy marshland quickly silted up and so these prehistoric tracks left their mark forever,” said Anatoly Bushmakin, a Turkmen scientist specializing in the plateau. Still one of the most isolated countries in the world almost two-and-a-half decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, Turkmenistan sees only a trickle of tourists and most visitors who make it out to the Plateau of the Dinosaurs are locals. “It is like the dinosaurs were here just recently and if you go up the mountain you can imagine that they are walking away into the distance,” said Gulya, 27, a visitor from the nearest large town of Turkmenabat. “It’s amazing how everyone of us can somehow touch eternity,” she added. вЂ�Unique in the world’ The Plateau is located deep in Turkmenistan’s eastern corner on the border with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Visiting the border region requires a permit. A visitor from the capital Ashgabat on the other side of the country needs to fly to Turkmenabat before then travelling south by road some 450 kilometres (280 miles), a bumpy eighthour journey. It was only confirmed in the 1950s that dinosaur tracks existed here, although locals have known about them for much longer, even if they were not quite sure of the origin. The name of the nearby village of Khodja Pil means “Miracle of the Elephants” in Turkmen. Of course elephants have never existed in Turkmenistan but local legend long had it that the tracks were left by elephants taken by Alexander the Great in his campaigns. “What is so unique about this plateau is that here precise tracks of dinosaurs have been preserved and you can even make out the toes and then follow the track even,” said Bushmakin. “Such a huge number of prints has not been found anywhere else on the planet,” he added. For all its remoteness, Turkmen officials have some hope of making the area a major draw. The plateau is located in the heart of the Koytendag National Park which is the location of Turkmenistan’s highest mountain (Airybaba at 3,319 meters) as well as waterfalls, lakes and caves. “Because of this the ministry of tourism in Turkmenistan is preparing a dossier to apply for the Koytendag national park to be declared part of UNESCO world heritage,” said the head of the reserve, Mukhamet Imamov. — AFP Monaco royals slam Grace biopic ahead of Cannes opening onaco’s royals yesterday accused those behind a biopic starring Nicole Kidman as their mother Grace of hijacking their family history, just days before the film premieres at the Cannes Film Festival. In a statement, Prince Albert II and Princesses Caroline and Stephanie said the film did not accurately portray events involving their mother, the Hollywood actress who married Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956. “Grace of Monaco”, directed by France’s Olivier Dahan, will officially open the 67th Cannes festival on May 14, when it will be simultaneously released in France and several cities around the world. But even before its release, the film has been mired in controversy, with Dahan locked in a standoff with the film’s US producer Harvey Weinstein and the Monaco royals slamming it as pure fantasy. “The Prince’s Palace would like to reiterate that this feature film cannot under any circumstances be classified as a biopic,” the Monaco royals said yesterday. “The trailer appears to be a farce and confirms M the totally fictional nature of this film. It reinforces the certainty, left after reading the script that this production, a page of the Principality’s history, is based on erroneous and dubious historical references. “The Princely Family does not in any way wish to be associated with this film which reflects no reality and regrets that its history has been misappropriated for purely commercial purposes.” The Monaco royals occasionally attend the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, but it is unlikely that they will do so this year. The film also stars British actor Tim Roth as Prince Rainier, and focuses on a six-month period in 1962 when Alfred Hitchcock offered Grace of Monaco a chance to return to acting-an opportunity she eventually turned down. The Cannes festival defended the film yesterday, saying it would add positively to the “Monaco legend”. “The film is not a biopic in the strictest sense, from life to death,” Thierry Fremaux, the festival’s artistic director, told AFP. “It’s the expression of the right of every artist to poetic license.” — AFP SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 A cyclist pedals by a street art mural and a storefront church, Tuesday in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood in New York. — AP photos Jermaine McGriff, 20, a Bedford Stuyvesant-based rapper whose rap name is Flispy Flexin, records a music video in front of a street art portrait of the late rapper Biggie Smalls, also known as Notorious B.I.G. in BrooklynГs cutting-edge Bushwick neighborhood in New York. Street art and trendy cafes in Bushwick, Brooklyn F or the last few years, a neighborhood called Williamsburg has been the epicenter of Brooklyn cool. But with prices for Williamsburg condos hitting $4 million and up, young creative types are migrating to trendier - and less expensive - ground. They seem to have found it in nearby Bushwick, known for colorful street art (please don’t call it graffiti!) and kale pizza at a place called Roberta’s. A customer enjoys a slice of вЂ�Tanya Charding’ thin-crust pizza, featuring Swiss chard, speck, a cured meat, and Robiola cheese at Roberta’s, the most-well-known of many new restaurants in emerging Brooklyn’s cutting-edge Bushwick neighborhood. A small tribute to the power of street art adorns a wall in the cutting edge Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Yet Bushwick’s emergence as part of cutting-edge Brooklyn has not completely erased memories of the bad old days, when the working-class neighborhood was notorious for crime. Maria Hernandez Park is named for a woman who was killed in 1989 after standing up against drug dealers. Today the park is filled with flowers, skateboarders, dog-walkers and families. “No more shootings,” said Elvin Alvarado, sitting on a park bench. “It used to be at 8 pm, you could not pass. People were waiting for you.” Joe Ficalora grew up in the neighborhood; his father was killed by a crackhead here in 1991. But Bushwick’s murder rate has dropped 90 percent since then, and Ficalora is thrilled with the transformation. He points to an old warehouse, now renting out gleaming apartments, as proof that the neighborhood will not “turn into Detroit.” “No one wanted to live here before,” said Ficalora, who promotes street art through a group called the Bushwick Collective. “No one wanted the beast. Now everyone loves the beast!” Where the hipsters of New York City go, tourists are sure to follow. So for out-of-towners willing to explore Bushwick, take the L subway line to Jefferson Street and start wandering. You’ll find great eats and great art. Street art Along Troutman, Starr, Wyckoff and other streets, artwork decorates old factories, warehouses and even small apartment buildings. There’s everything from a portrait of Pakistani education Proprieter Archie Broady adjusts the wick on a вЂ�courtship candle,’ one of the unusual items for sale in his tiny gift shop, named for his mother Iola, situated in a hallway at the Shops at the Loom, a converted textile mill that houses retail space and rentals in Bushwick, an emerging Brooklyn neighborhood in New York. The Bushwick Food Cooperative is located at the Shops of the Loom, on the site of a former textile mill in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood in New York. activist Malala Yousafzai to a picture of a flotation device with the words: “Street art saved my life.” On a recent afternoon, several young men chose a mural of the late rapper Biggie Smalls as a backdrop for filming a music video. “I was looking for good artwork and this caught my eye,” said the video’s 20-year-old star, who goes by the name Flispy Flexin. You may see artists at work with spray paint, stencils, ladders and other tools of the trade, and you can sign up for a Bushwick street art tour through http://FreeToursbyFoot.com , where participants pay what they wish for tours. Organizers estimate some 500 people have taken the two-hour “New York Graffiti and Street Art Tour” since it launched March 1. Ficalora also organizes an annual street festival showcasing artists, musicians and others contributing to the neighborhood’s renaissance. It’s planned for June 1, 11 am -7 pm, on Troutman between Wyckoff and St Nicholas. Shops Ficalora’s family operates a steel products company that’s one of a number of manufacturers still located in Bushwick. But some industrial buildings have been repurposed for residential and retail use, like Shops at the Loom, which houses 20 stores in a renovated textile mill at 1087 Flushing Ave, including Gnostic Tattoo, the Bushwick Food Cooperative, Brooklyn Yarn Cafe, Loom Yoga Center, and Kave, a coffee bar that offers nut-milk lattes and Wi-Fi. Archie Broady owns a boutique at Shops at the Loom named for his mother, Iola. In his store, he says, “anybody should be able to find something beautiful.” His eclectic wares and “found objects” range from hand-cranked candles wound around a coil, to bandages designed to match various skin colors. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Customers dine at cozy Dear Bushwick restaurant in Brooklyn’s edgy Bushwick neighborhood in New York. Patrons sit in an industrial-style courtyard where the walls are formed from pieces of metal shipping containers at Roberta’s, the most popular of a crop of trendy restaurants in Brooklyn’s cutting-edge Bushwick neighborhood. Passing through Shops at the Loom on a recent day was Laura De Marco, an Italian visitor scoping out loft space for a photography workshop. “A lot of young artists live here,” explained De Marco. “We’re looking for a big space with light. Brooklyn is the place to do photography. This is the real Brooklyn.” Even folks from other parts of Brooklyn are intrigued by Bushwick’s newfound trendiness. “I’m from Williamsburg but I’m here for a few days to explore the neighborhood,” explained Jodi Jones, a fashion photographer stopping by the Kave cafe. “I keep hearing the hipster scene is in Bushwick.” A young woman stands at the intersection of Wyckoff and Troutman streets against the backdrop of bold and colorful street art. Eating and drinking Bushwick is an increasingly important player in Brooklyn’s foodie scene. A tiny, upscale restaurant called Dear Bushwick at 41 Wilson Ave. offers a sumptuous “English Country Kitchen” menu with entrees in the $22 range like stuffed bass and roast chicken. Intriguing vegetable sides include roasted carrots with “medieval nut pesto”. Try Dear Bushwick’s version of Pimm’s, a refreshing cocktail that originated in 19th century London. And enjoy the quirky decor: A picture of a caped damsel on a white horse sits next to a handwritten nursery rhyme, “Ride a horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse.” Ficalora recommends Northeast Kingdom, 18 Wyckoff Ave. “Awesome place, comfort food,” he says. Menu offerings include “This Morning’s Farm Egg”, seared local scallops, and maple walnut Danielle Mastrion’s portrait of education activist and heroine Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who stood up to the Taliban and defended her right to an education. bread pudding. Other area bars, nightspots and cafes include Bodega drink Bar, 24 St Nicholas Ave.; The Rookery, 425 Troutman St; and Pearl’s Social & Billy Club, 40 St Nicholas Ave. No description of Bushwick would be complete without Roberta’s, 261 Moore St. The industrial-zoned block can seem deserted even when there’s an hour-long wait for a table. Sometimes you can snag a seat at the bar and order food from there; additional tables are located in an atrium inside converted shipping containers, a hipster dreamscape of corrugated industrialchic green. In warm weather, there are outdoor tents and a tiki bar. Food critics rightly laud Roberta’s fabulous thin-crust pizza. Kale is a favorite topping but an excellent option is “Tonya Charding” pizza with robiola cheese, speck (cured meat), chard and green garlic. Roberta’s co-owner Brandon Hoy says “there weren’t a lot of people with their eyes on what was happening here” when they opened in 2008. “There’s a fine line between dangerous and wildness, and the neighborhood still has this very art-centric feeling of wildness,” he said. “That’s what drew us here and that’s the foundation that created this art scene and culture. Craziness happens here in a fun way.” Argentine street artist Santiago Spirito, who also goes by the street name вЂ�Cabaio,’ works on a mural in the cuttingedge Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Egypt opens replica of King Tut’s tomb Photo shows mountains illuminated by colorful lights on the west bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. — AP photos E gypt on Wednesday inaugurated an exact replica of the tomb of King Tutankhamun in the desert valley where many of its ancient pharaohs were buried, aiming to protect the 3,300-year-old original from deterioration caused by visiting tourists. The facsimile, in an underground chamber not far from the original in the Valley of the Kings, recreates the tomb down to minute detail. Spanish and Swiss experts recreated the elaborate wall murals using a 3D scanning technology. In the middle of the burial chamber stands a rectangular rock setting where in the original King Tut’s sarcophagus and mummy once rested. In a hall between the burial chamber and an antechamber hang photos and explanations of the discovery of the tomb and its treasures in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Tourists visit Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. Carter. Egyptian tourism officials, who unveiled the replica Wednesday alongside foreign dignitaries, are hoping the exhibit will help revive a tourism industry that has been heavily battered by the country’s unrest since the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. A pillar of the Egyptian economy, tourism plunged by more than 30 percent in 2011 and, after slowly building back the following year, was heavily hit again by a wave of violence surrounding the military’s ouster last summer of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Tourism officials have said revenues in the first three months of this year fell 43 percent from the same period in 2013, down to around $1.3 billion. The 18th Dynasty King Tut has long been a major draw of tourists to Egypt - both his tomb in the Valley of the Kings on the western bank of the Nile opposite the southern city of Luxor, and the golden treasures uncovered in it, most of which are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. But the tomb has suffered from the crowds of tourists descending into it over the years. Tourists’ breath damages the ancient stone and murals, and its walls expand and contract with changing temperatures, causing paint to flake off and opening fractures that dust enters, experts say. “These tombs were never built to be visited, they were built to last for eternity,” said Adam Lowe, of the Factum Foundation, a Madrid-based conservation organization that created the facsimile in collaboration with Zurich-based Society of the Friends of the Royal Tombs in Egypt and the Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities ministries. Sending a message “They lasted very successfully for 3,300 and in the 90 years since it has been open, it suffered a great deal,” Lowe told The Associated Press. “All of the attempts to try and conserve it create more problems.” For the time being, the original Tut tomb will remain open, but tourism authorities are aiming to reduce visitors and steer them toward the replica, said Mohammed Osman, vice president of the Chamber of Tourist Companies. Ticket prices for the replica will be 50 Egyptian pounds, around $7, half the price for visiting the original, he said. Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mohammed Ibrahim and Lowe said facsimiles will also be made of the tombs of the pharaoh Seti I and Nefertari, a wife of the pharaoh Ramses the Great, both currently closed to the general public. Experts carried out the copying work on the original in 2009 and the building of the replica in Madrid was finished in 2011, but delivery was delayed several times by Egypt’s tumultuous political conditions, Lowe said. “We are here to celebrate but also to send a message that this area is a wonderful place to visit, and now with this tomb in place, it becomes an even more interesting place to visit for tourists,” James Moran, ambassador of the European Union, said at the opening ceremony. The EU helped in transport of the replica to Egypt. Osman said he hoped the ceremony - which was attended by 20 ambassadors - will send “a reassuring message that Egypt is safe” and encourage a return of tourists. — AP SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Tourists visit Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. Tourists visit Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor. Photo shows the Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor. A tourist visits Luxor Temple, a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 As Facebook matures, it looks to grow mobile reach SAN FRANCISCO: Mark Zuckerberg, like Facebook, is maturing. The soon-to-be 30year-old CEO of the decade-old social networking company grew reflective as he stood before hundreds of app developers to announce a host of mobile features designed to put “people first.” “We used to have this famous mantra, вЂ�move fast and break things,’” Zuckerberg said at Facebook’s f8 developer conference in San Francisco. But moving quickly was sometimes so important that Facebook’s engineers would tolerate a few bugs, or push out products that were not always fully baked. Fixing the bugs, Zuckerberg said, “was slowing us down.” Backpedaling on features that didn’t work - or that users didn’t like - slowed things, too, though Zuckerberg did not mention that. Facebook’s new mantra may not be as sexy. Zuckerberg pointed to a new sign that read “Move fast with stable infra,” as in infrastructure, and the audience laughed. Stability, it turns out, is the new maxim, and the era of breaking things is over. In a rare bit of onstage rumination reflecting on the past decade, Zuckerberg said he and other Facebook employees realized they had created a culture of quick-witted, fast-moving engineers who took pride in being “hackers” who consistently put the company’s best interests ahead of what users wanted. Culture of loving Now, Zuckerberg says, the goal is “to build a culture of loving the people we serve that is as strong if not stronger than our culture of hacking at Facebook. I hope you can see the seeds of some of this today in what we are talking about.” The last time Facebook held a conference for app developers was in 2011. That was before the company attracted 1.28 billion users, before it went public, before it began showing mobile advertisements and before it paid eye-popping amounts of money to acquire popular apps like Instagram and WhatsApp. In the tech world, three years can be a life- time. Facebook’s focus is now squarely on the mobile space, not just its own applications but those built by outside developers. “As you get older you do gain perspective, and Facebook has,” said David Kirkpatrick, author of “The Facebook Effect,” a chronicle of the company’s early years. “It’s astonishing that a 10-year-old company should be in a position to have as much influence in so many things in society as they do,” he said. “And I think they are starting to take a much more serious allows apps to access information related to the Facebook user’s identity. With the anonymous login, Facebook will have information about users but the apps won’t. Zuckerberg said the feature will let more people to try out new apps that they may not trust yet with their personal information. App developers have the option of including the anonymous login as a feature, but they won’t have to. The company is also launching more granular controls that let people determine SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers the opening keynote at the Facebook f8 conference in San Francisco, California. — AFP approach to the opportunity and responsibility that goes along with their scale.” People-first focus As part of its mobile, people-first focus, Facebook says it will let users log in to apps anonymously, without sharing their identities and personal information with mobile applications they don’t trust. Facebook’s users can already use a “log in with Facebook” button to sign up for apps that let them listen to music, play games, read the news and monitor fitness activities. But using the button White House seeks privacy balance in вЂ�Big Data’ world WASHINGTON: The White House on Thursday suggested updates to laws and other measures to enhance privacy and prevent discrimination based on the data trail left by consumers on their phones and computers that companies and researchers collect and analyze. Both privacy advocates and tech groups found something to like within the 90-day “Big Data” review, led by John Podesta, a top advisor to President Barack Obama. The review consulted internet companies such as Google Inc and Facebook Inc, data miners like Acxiom Corp , as well as academics, advertising agencies, legal experts, civil rights groups and intelligence agencies. The White House threw its support behind a legislative update to a privacy law for email, the Electronic Privacy Communications Act. The bill, which protects email and other data stored in the cloud, has stalled in Congress, but is backed by privacy groups and the tech sector. The review also recommended legislation to create a national standard for telling consumers when their data has been hacked to improve upon a patchwork of state laws for data breaches, such as the December breach at retailer Target Corp. The Commerce Department also said it would look at how to codify a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” that calls for consumers to have more say in how their data is used, first drafted by White House in 2012. The emphasis on data protections pleased Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. —Reuters the types of information they share with apps when they want to use their Facebook identity to log in. Previously, apps could decide what information they wanted to access on people’s Facebook pages - such as people’s birthday, friends list or email address. Now, people can uncheck each, or all of these things. Analysts suspect Facebook’s evolution isn’t as much an epiphany about privacy as it is about Zuckerberg’ realization that the company has to take steps to ensure it holds on to its users and grapples with more competition. “If Facebook has some sense that they are going to walk away because they don’t feel like they are being put first, then they have a real problem on their hands. So, they are giving users some new features that they have been looking for a long time,” said Gartner analyst Brian Blau. вЂ�Audience Network’ Facebook also took the wraps off its longawaited mobile advertising network, called “Audience Network,” a product that enables Facebook to sell ads in mobile applications besides its own. For example, Coca Cola can show ads on a mobile game that a Facebook user has downloaded on his or her phone. The service will increase its competition with Google, which dominates the mobile advertising market and has its own ad network. Twitter is expected to announce its own, too. “Everything is going mobile right now, so in order to compete with companies like Google, it needs to have a strong mobile app, which it already does, and a strong way of delivering mobile advertising - not just within Facebook but across a network of mobile apps,” said Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst with research firm eMarketer. Williamson believes Facebook’s ad network will help improve the health of the overall advertising business. Many mobile apps will likely be eager to work with Facebook because its social network already has relationships with more than 1 million advertisers and has accumulated valuable insights into people’s interests. “It’s going to make it so that advertisers don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time that they advertise,” she said. “They will be able to go to just one source, one network and distribute it widely.” Facebook’s share of the $9.7 billion US mobile advertising market was 16 percent last year, according to eMarketer, compared with 41 percent for Google. This year, Google’s share is expected to slide to under 38 percent, while Facebook’s should increase to nearly 18 percent, according to the research firm. —AP US police use new tools for evidence New online and mobile app launched LOS ANGELES: An annual spring party in a Southern California beach town devolved into a riot last month when revelers turned violent, rocking cars, smashing windows and throwing rocks. Dozens were injured and about 50 people ended up in the hospital, including several police officers. Today, as authorities seek help with the investigation in Isla Vista, they’re employing a new online and mobile app that designers say was created specifically for this type of situation. “When the public really wants to catch these bad guys as badly as we do, this is the mechanism,” said Los Angeles Sheriff’s Cmdr. Scott Edson, who helped conceptualize the system in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. “They can help us by sending us pictures and video.” The innovation, known as LEEDIR, the Large Emergency Event Digital Information Repository, pairs an app with cloud storage to help police use smartphones as tools to gather evidence. Proponents say the crowdsourcing system gives authorities a secure, central repository for the countless electronic tips that can come in during a crisis. And since it uses remote database servers that police access online, floods of data won’t cause system crashes or be expensive to store. Most agencies, Edson said, “don’t have lots of bandwidth lying around.” Privacy advocates criticize the app as overly broad, saying it subjects innocent people to police scrutiny and probably won’t produce much good evidence. “There’s a reason that we pay professionals to work in police departments,” said Nate Cardozo, a civil liberties attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “And there’s a reason we don’t crowdsource photo lineups and the like - crowds aren’t good at it,” he said. Edson says he took note during the aftermath of the Boston attacks last year when authorities were inundated with videos and photos from people at the scene of the blasts. He figured a new tool could help streamline digital evidence gathering. “It seemed like the perfect opportunity to go to the private sector,” he said. Edson connected with Culver City, California-based tech startup CitizenGlobal Inc. and Amazon Web Services to design the system as a public-private partnership offered free to authorities and members of the public. “With tens of millions of smartphones in use in the U.S., it’s a virtual certainty that citizens will be taking videos and photos at any terrorist attack, large-scale emergency or natural disaster,” CitizenGlobal co-CEO George D Crowley Jr said in a statement when the system was announced in November. He said “real-time access to such content has, too often, been a matter of luck or chance” and this system will improve that process. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office became the first agency to try out the technology after the Deltopia violence, though results have been mixed. Spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said the system has been easy to navigate. —AP TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Today’s advice to graduates: No selfies TAMPA: Toss your cap. Turn your tassel. Just don’t snap that selfie. Graduates at the University of South Florida and Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, have been asked to refrain from taking self-portraits with their cell phones as they collect their diplomas. The seemingly simple directive is standing out for placing the slightest curtailment on a collective societal march toward sharing every waking moment on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the like. Kyra Ciotti, a 22-year-old mass communication major at USF, has taken selfies lying in bed, riding in a car, posing with her dog, taking a shot of tequila and whenever she feels her hair is having a particularly good day. She had planned to keep her arm extended as she walked across the stage at a ceremony Friday, capturing the moment for a sister in Australia. Now, chastened by the university’s admonition that it’s improper and fearful of a threat to withhold diplomas, she’ll keep her phone away. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she said as she posed on campus in her cap and gown for some early graduation pictures. “But I don’t want to be disrespectful.” For others, the simple act of outlawing selfies may have sparked the desire for one. Anthony Sanchez, a 22-year-old microbiology major at USF, said he’s only taken a few selfies in his life. But he’s not ruling out another at this weekend’s ceremony. “It put the idea in my head,” he said. “I wouldn’t have thought of it until they said don’t do it.” Self-portraits have been around since the early days of photography, but it was the growth of cellphone cameras that made them into a pop cultural phenomenon. A selfie host Ellen DeGeneres took at the Oscars this year became the most retweeted item in history, but the snapshots have become so widespread that they’ve been taken by everyone from President Barack Obama (who was criticized for one with other world leaders at the funeral of Nelson Mandela) to Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide (who took an other-worldly shot outside the International Space Station.) Selfie was even declared the 2013 word of the year by Oxford University Press. Administrators at both USF and Bryant said their intentions were far less dramatic than making a statement about a generation often accused of oversharing. They said they were simply trying to keep already long ceremonies from dragging on even longer. “It’s your moment in the sun right next to everyone else’s moment in the sun,” said Michael Freeman, the USF dean of students who issued the guidelines saying selfies were banned along with marching, strolling and other fanciful methods of accepting a diploma. Freeman said a handful of graduates took on-stage selfies during the December commencement and he has noticed students growing more and more cavalier as they approach the university president. Aside from keeping the ceremony on time, he wanted to maintain decorum. “I don’t have an anti-selfie bent,” he said. “I would just caution students to think there’s a time and place.” Neither USF nor Bryant has issued a blanket ban on selfies. Students are free to take them throughout the ceremony, just not on stage. Sheila Guay, the special events director at Bryant, said selfies would take away from the ceremony and ruin photos that family members try to capture. She echoed Freeman, saying: “There is a time and place for them, and here is not one of them.” Most schools have taken no stance on the selfie craze, but some are staking a position opposite to USF and Bryant. At Ripon College in Ripon, Wis., all of this year’s graduation festivities are built around a theme of new media. The school is circulating a hashtag they’re encouraging students to use to tweet throughout the celebrations. They’re setting up a selfie booth with props, but also have no problem if students take one on stage, too. “The college will not limit that kind of self-expression,” said Melissa Anderson, the school’s executive director of marketing and communications. “As a point of pride, we hope students take a lot of selfies.” Similarly, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is also eager to see its graduates’ selfies. Kelly Bennett, the school’s social media coordinator, said Miami would share students’ selfies on Twitter and Instagram. She said graduates were just exhibiting their excitement and that other colleges should embrace it. “I’ve never seen it disruptive,” she said. “I think when you make a big deal out of it, then most people want to push the line.” Whether students will push the line remains to be seen. USF’s warning that it might keep violators’ diplomas has gotten the attention of many seniors on campus, but Freeman, the dean, had a confession. “Between you, me and the wall, that’s basically an empty threat,” he said. — AP TAMPA: University of South Florida graduating seniors Kyra Ciotti, 22, of Tampa, Fla (left) and Rita Sibaja, 24, of Winter Haven look at photos that Rita took of Kyra in her cap and gown. The university has banned all self portraits, also known as “selfies,” during their 2014 graduation exercises. — AP TV terrifies and compels with viruses and robots PARIS: Retroviruses that quietly multiply unnoticed, spread through communities and threaten humanity. Robots that mutate into semi-conscious beings and go on the run from their human masters. Television screenwriters all over the world are taking our darkest fears and turning them into popular entertainment. From the American series “Helix” and South Korea’s “The End of the World” to Sweden’s “Real Humans”, these dramas explore anxieties generated by a technologically inter-connected world in which medical science is constantly being outstripped by new threats. Biotech is even edging out terrorism as a theme of choice for television writers, after a post-9/11 decade marked by pulse-raising dramas in the vein of the hit action series “24”. “We have many strong trends this year including... contamination by a virus that spreads and is going to have an impact on society,” said Laurence Herszberg, from the Forum des Images cultural centre in Paris, during the forum’s annual television drama festival. “What is interesting, is that we find these themes in television series that have nothing to do with each other from very different parts of the world,” she added. In “Helix”, one of a string of series shown at the “Series Mania” festival in Paris which ended earlier this week, a team of scientists investigate the outbreak of a retrovirus with potentially catastrophic consequences for humanity at a research centre in the Arctic. Fear of contagion is also the theme of “The End of the World” in which a researcher battles to find the source of a mysterious epidemic. And Belgium’s “Cordon” tackles the same subject in a drama in which part of the city of Antwerp is sealed off to prevent the spread of a deadly virus. “The virus is a very interesting way of tackling a number of themes... The human virus has a strong metaphorical power,” said Pierre Langlais, a journalist for French television listings magazine Telerama, adding that the series were “trying to reflect contemporary anxieties”. вЂ�Fragile frontier’ In a twist on the contamination theme, “Real Humans” throws in technological developments that run of control. Set in modern-day Sweden, it depicts a world in which humanoid robot workers and servants are commonplace. Known as “hubots” they are programmed via a USB-type port in the back of their necks, although some form a group of “free hubots” after being reprogrammed to enable them to experience human emotions. “Today we have the feeling that information technologies, computers, the Internet, are difficult to control, and are almost living their own life. It’s something that didn’t used to exist 15 years ago,” said the series creator Lars Lundstroem, adding that it was both a potential “dream and a nightmare”. Britain’s “Black Mirror”, meanwhile, explores the possible consequences of an addiction to technology, from implants to playback memories, forced exposure to advertising and relatives brought back from the dead using synthetic flesh and computer-generated personalities. Creator Charlie Brooker has described it as being “about the way we live now-and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy”. The drama won an International Emmy for best mini-series in 2012. But if all this sounds a bit too bleak, British director Danny Boyle has managed to inject some humor. In his police comedy-drama “Babylon”, the action alternates between police and the force’s “ultra-connected” alltweeting public relations department. “The fragile frontier between man and machine is a strong theme at the moment,” added Langlais. “We are starting to take notice of the dangers of our addiction to new technologies and the pitfalls into which they could lead us,” he said. —AFP TV listings SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 00:45 Monsters Inside Me 01:35 Untamed & Uncut 02:25 Lion Man: One World African Safari 02:50 Lion Man: One World African Safari 03:15 Tanked 04:05 Treehouse Masters 04:55 Animal Cops Phoenix 05:45 Animal Clinic 06:35 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors 07:00 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors 07:25 My Cat From Hell 08:15 Too Cute! 09:10 Gator Boys 10:05 Call Of The Wildman 10:30 Swamp Brothers 11:00 Tanked 11:55 Treehouse Masters 12:50 Animal Heroes 13:45 Animal Heroes 14:40 Animal Heroes 15:35 Extreme Animals 16:30 Extreme Animals 17:25 Extreme Animals 18:20 Tanked 19:15 My Wild Affair: The Seal Who Came Home 20:10 Animal Maternity Ward 21:05 Jaws Comes Home 22:00 My Wild Affair: The Seal Who Came Home 22:55 Animal Maternity Ward 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:25 BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World Fast N’ Loud Wheeler Dealers Extreme Car Hoarders You Have Been Warned Border Security Baggage Battles The Liquidator How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell You Have Been Warned Treehouse Masters Head Games Bear Grylls: A Day In... Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell Dual Survival Fast N’ Loud Fast N’ Loud Fast N’ Loud Fast N’ Loud Fast N’ Loud Fast N’ Loud Gold Rush Klondike Gold Divers Bear Grylls: A Day In... Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell Dual Survival The Liquidator The Liquidator 00:00 Chelsea Lately 00:30 The Dance Scene 00:55 The Dance Scene 01:25 THS 03:15 E!ES 04:10 THS 05:05 Extreme Close-Up 05:30 Extreme Close-Up 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Style Star 08:20 E! News 09:15 Fashion Police 09:45 The Fabulist 10:15 The E! True Hollywood Story 11:10 E!ES 12:05 E! News 13:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 14:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 14:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 15:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 15:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 16:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 16:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 17:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 17:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!ES 20:00 Fashion Police 20:30 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 22:30 E! News 23:30 The Soup 00:20 The Gadget Show 00:45 How Do They Do It? 01:10 Powering The Future 02:00 Brave New World 02:45 Mythbusters 03:35 Sci-Trek 04:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 05:20 Scrapheap Challenge 06:10 Strangest Weather On Earth 06:35 Strangest Weather On Earth 07:00 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 07:55 Freaks Of Nature 08:20 Freaks Of Nature 08:45 Strangest Weather On Earth 09:10 Strangest Weather On Earth 09:40 Strangest Weather On Earth 10:05 Strangest Weather On Earth 10:30 Strangest Weather On Earth 10:55 Strangest Weather On Earth 11:20 Strangest Weather On Earth 11:45 Strangest Weather On Earth 12:10 Strangest Weather On Earth 12:35 Strangest Weather On Earth 13:00 How Do They Do It? 13:30 Sci-Trek 14:20 Sci-Trek 15:10 Rocket City Rednecks 15:35 Rocket City Rednecks 16:00 Kings Of Construction 16:50 Freaks Of Nature 17:15 Freaks Of Nature 17:40 Brave New World 18:30 Powering The Future 19:20 Penn & Teller Tell A Lie 20:10 You Have Been Warned 00:05 Doctors 00:35 Casualty 01:25 Bedlam 02:10 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 03:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 03:45 The Vicar Of Dibley 04:15 The Weakest Link 05:00 Me Too! 05:20 The Green Balloon Club 05:45 Poetry Pie 05:50 Gigglebiz 06:05 Bobinogs 06:15 Me Too! 06:35 The Green Balloon Club 07:00 Poetry Pie 07:05 Gigglebiz 07:20 The Weakest Link 08:05 Doctor Who 08:50 Rev. 09:20 The Vicar Of Dibley 09:50 Absolutely Fabulous 10:20 My Hero 10:50 Lorna Doone 11:40 The Weakest Link 12:25 Doctor Who 13:10 Casualty 14:00 Eastenders 14:30 Eastenders 15:00 Eastenders 15:30 Eastenders 16:00 Eastenders 16:25 The Vicar Of Dibley 16:55 The Vicar Of Dibley 17:25 Lorna Doone 18:15 Doctor Who 19:00 Being Erica 19:45 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 20:30 Mad Dogs 21:20 Pramface 21:50 Threesome 22:15 Me & Mrs Jones 22:45 Ideal 23:15 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BBC World BAIT ON OSN MOVIES HD ACTION 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:40 23:05 23:30 Freaks Of Nature Freaks Of Nature Storm Chasers Squeamish Squeamish The Long March Into Space 00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 Planets 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 Planets 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Nordic Wild Doomsday Preppers Situation Critical Doomsday Preppers Doomsday Preppers A Traveler’s Guide To The 00:20 01:10 02:00 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:10 21:00 21:50 22:40 23:30 Secret Life of Predators Hooked Going Wild Outback Wrangler America The Wild World’s Weirdest Alaska Fish Wars Monster Fish Mystery Gorilla Warrior Bees The Lady With 700 Cats World’s Wildest Encounters World’s Creepiest Killers Monster Fish Going Wild Outback Wrangler Wild Gabon Nordic Wild Africa’s Blood River I, Predator Monster Jellyfish Monster Fish Going Wild Outback Wrangler Wild Gabon Nordic Wild Africa’s Blood River Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Nordic Wild Science of Stupid Science of Stupid Situation Critical Doomsday Preppers Doomsday Preppers A Traveler’s Guide To The Nat Geo’s Top 10 Photos Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Among The Great Apes Sea Patrol Inside Combat Rescue The Border Sea Patrol Wild Russia 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:00 The League 02:30 Weeds 03:00 Last Man Standing 03:30 New Girl 04:00 Seinfeld 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 05:30 My Boys 06:00 Breaking In 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 08:00 Seinfeld 08:30 My Boys 09:00 Last Man Standing 09:30 Enlisted 10:00 The Michael J. Fox Show 10:30 Friends 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 12:00 Breaking In 12:30 Seinfeld 13:00 My Boys 13:30 Friends 14:00 New Girl 14:30 Enlisted 15:00 The Michael J. Fox Show 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Breaking In 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 18:00 Dads 18:30 The Neighbors 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 Two And A Half Men 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Weeds 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Almost Human The Client List Survivor: Cagayan Nip/Tuck American Idol Survivor: Cagayan Almost Human Betrayal Zero Hour Glee American Idol Survivor: Cagayan Betrayal The Ellen DeGeneres Show Zero Hour Almost Human Betrayal American Idol Bones Criminal Minds Castle Sons Of Anarchy Nip/Tuck 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 09:30 11:30 16:00 18:00 22:00 Grave Encounters Bait Shaft Drop Zone Abandoned Men In Black 3 Armageddon Men In Black 3 Dick Tracy The Howling: Reborn 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 07:30 09:30 14:00 16:00 20:00 22:00 Bait-PG15 Shaft-18 Drop Zone-PG Abandoned-PG15 Men In Black 3-PG Armageddon-PG15 Men In Black 3-PG Dick Tracy-PG15 The Howling: Reborn-PG15 Total Recall-18 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:15 Fatal Instinct-PG15 Superbad-18 A Kiss For Jed Wood-PG15 Problem Child-PG Rookie Of The Year-PG Frankenweenie-PG A Kiss For Jed Wood-PG15 Dark Shadows-PG15 Frankenweenie-PG The First Wives Club-PG The Five-Year Engagement-18 Kissing Jessica Stein-18 01:00 Hyde Park On Hudson 02:45 Straight A’s 04:15 Quiet Flows The Don 07:15 Carnage 09:00 Hyde Park On Hudson 11:00 Straight A’s 13:00 Centre Place 15:00 The Words 17:00 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You 19:00 Flying Lessons 21:00 Trishna 23:00 On The Road TV listings SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 01:15 The Mortician-18 03:00 Breaking And Entering-18 05:00 Angels Crest-18 07:00 Underground: The Julian Assange Story-PG15 09:00 Here On Earth-PG15 10:45 Ed Wood-PG15 13:00 Twist Of Fate-PG15 15:00 Beasts Of The Southern WildPG15 16:45 Ed Wood-PG15 19:00 Life Happens-PG15 20:45 The Door In The Floor-18 22:45 Schindler’s List-18 01:00 Mike Tyson: Undisputed TruthPG15 03:00 Arthur 3: And The War Of Two Worlds-PG 05:00 Midnight In Paris-PG15 06:45 Anna Karenina-PG15 09:00 Salmon Fishing In The YemenPG15 11:00 Five-PG15 13:00 White House Down-PG15 15:15 Moonrise Kingdom-PG15 17:00 Salmon Fishing In The YemenPG15 19:00 G.I. Joe: Retaliation-PG15 21:00 The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones-PG15 23:15 The Raven-18 00:00 02:00 04:00 The Expatriate-PG15 Sky Force-FAM Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away-PG 06:00 The Expatriate-PG15 08:00 Steel Magnolias-PG15 10:00 Fun Size-PG15 12:00 Hitchcock-PG15 14:00 Frankenweenie-PG 16:00 Steel Magnolias-PG15 18:00 What To Expect When You’re Expecting-PG15 20:00 Colombiana-PG15 22:00 Evil Dead-R 01:00 01:30 04:00 04:30 07:00 09:00 09:35 11:40 13:30 15:30 16:00 18:05 20:10 22:00 PGA European Tour Weekly Live ITU World Triathlon Series PGA European Tour Weekly Live ITU World Triathlon Series Live NRL Premiership Total Rugby Live Super rugby Live Super rugby NRL Premiership Total Rugby Live Super rugby Live Super rugby Live Super rugby Bellator MMA 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 11:30 13:30 14:00 17:30 18:00 20:00 Super Rugby WWE SmackDown Live Bellator MMA 2014 Trans World Sport Amlin Challenge Cup Sevens World Series Highlights Live NRL Premiership Live NRL Premiership Total Rugby PGA Tour Inside The PGA Tour NHL Live PGA Tour 00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30 Storage Wars Pawn Stars Storage Wars: New York Storage Wars: New York Shipping Wars Shipping Wars Storage Wars Storage Wars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Texas Counting Cars Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Mountain Men Mountain Men Mountain Men Mountain Men Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars American Restoration American Restoration Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty Storage Wars: New York Storage Wars: New York Storage Wars Texas Storage Wars Texas Pawn Stars Pawn Stars This image released by Donna Daniels Public Relations shows actor Kevin Spacey from the documentary, вЂ�NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage,’ that captures Spacey and his troupe of 20 British and American actors during their 10-month international tour of вЂ�Richard II’ from 2011-2012. — AP Kevin Spacey takes us behind the curtain in film K evin Spacey put his body through a lot playing “Richard III” for over 200 shows and across three continents. Tumbling down a massive sand dune in Qatar didn’t help. The “House of Cards” star found himself uncontrollably flipping over and over down a dune outside Doha during a fun day trip with the rest of the cast of the Shakespeare play. “I had no idea I was going to go at that speed. It was literally like a barrel rolling down a hill. It was a very funny moment,” he said. “I’m still trying to get that sand out.” Thankfully, someone got it all on tape: The Academy Award-winner’s silly plummet is one of the lighter moments in a new feature documentary that captures Spacey and his troupe of 20 British and American actors during their 10month international tour from 20112012. The film starts with rehearsals at The Old Vic in London and follows the company to nine of the 12 cities on the tour, including stops at the ancient Greek amphitheater in Epidaurus, then on to Beijing, Istanbul, Sydney, Naples, San Francisco and winding up in New York City. Director Jeremy Whelehan says the movie is as much for fans of the stage as it is for newcomers. “We wanted the film to relate to people who have never been to the theater and may roll their eyes at the thought of seeing a Shakespeare play,” he said. Whelehan and his team captured the actors exploring their roles, joking and laughing backstage, missing home and being excited by the cities they visit. They are seen walking along the Great Wall of China and visiting Qatar and Turkey during the Arab Spring with a suddenly very relevant story about a power-mad dictator. “It is a very intimate, behind-thescenes look. You get to go places that you don’t normally ever get to go with a camera,” said Spacey of the 90-minute THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY film, called “NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage.” The documentary, which will be available to download in the US and 209 countries starting Friday, grew out of the three-year Bridge Project, a transAtlantic partnership that united The Old Vic, The Brooklyn Academy of Music and Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions. The project included “The Winter’s Tale,” “The Cherry Orchard,” “The Tempest” and “As You Like It,” all directed by Mendes. In its final act, Spacey played the humpbacked Richard III for Mendes and took the evil king on tour. Discreet and deferential Spacey and Mendes batted around ideas about how best to commemorate the company. “We both felt it was so unique that there had to be some way we could maybe capture it,” says Spacey. They settled on a documentary, but not a self-congratulatory one. “I really didn’t want to set out to make a kind of inside, lovely, aren’t-we-fabulous thing, but more a real examination for people who just don’t know what the process of doing theater is really like, a chance to peek behind that curtain,” he said. Whelehan said he and his crew tried to capture the three layers of each of the performers - as characters onstage, as working actors behind the scenes, and also as people. The company members offered full access in exchange for veto rights of anything embarrassing. “They were so disarming and actually discreet and deferential that we just got used to it after a while,” said Gemma Jones, who played Queen Margaret. “It was fairly honest, so I can’t really complain.” Nathan Darrow, who played Lord Grey and the Earl of Richmond in the play, was happy the cameras showed that actors are just regular folks. “That people will get a window into the backstage is kind of beautiful and special,” he said. — AP WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Kuwait Tamilosai conducts 96th monthly meet K uwait Tamilosai Poets Association (KTPA) convened their 96th monthly literary meeting on April 4, at Kohinoor Hail, Souk Sabha area, Fahaheel. The meet commenced with the recitation of Tamil Anthem at 10:30. In the auditorium named as “Arunthondaatriya Athlkaarikal Arankam” to honour the late legendary Indian bureaucrats cum scholars, “Bharat Ratna” Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Educationist N.D Sundaravadivelu for their precious services rendered to Indian society. KTPA’s General Secretary Vittukatti Masthan presided over the function keeping the Treasurer Ajizuddin as front stager on the dais. Dr Ilankovan the founder of “Aravanaippu” Association catering to poor children’s education, graced the occasion as the chief guest. KTPA’s President Dr Kumar delivered the welcome address in which he also quoted briefly about the biography of Sundaravadivelu and his contributions to the Tamil community in India. Poets Yaqoob Ali, writer Vidhyasagar offered their mind provoking poems, the singers Mrs Chellamma Vidhyasagar, Messrs Pandlan, Nelson, Marutham Raja and Ganesh entertained the audience by singing sweet melodies and folk songs. Anbarasan delivered a scintillating speech on the biography and works of Dr. Ambedkar in the event. Brief notes on the people of remembrance for the month of April, the late veteran Tamil Scholars Adikalasiriyar, “Mahavidhvan” Meenatchl Sundaram Pillai, “Manonmaniyam” Sundaram Pillai, G Subramaniyam Pillai, “Thavathiru” Kundrakudl Adikalar “Puratchikavi” Bharathidasan and “Makkai KavrPattukkottai Kalyana Sundaram, were delivered by KTPA’s orators, one minute silence of homage was observed by KTPA to express condolence for the recently deceased Tamil writer cum laureate of Sakitya Academy award, T.K. Sivasankaran and the passengers of the collapsed flight of Malaysian Airlines. The chief guest, Dr Ilankovan was honoured by KIPA members. He expressed his wishes, assuring continuous support for KTPA in his acknowledging address. An interesting debate on the topic-which does supersede out of the literary works of Puratchikavi & Makkalkavi whether their linguistic obsessions or societal concerns was organized during the function. Poet Pattukkottai Sathya served as the jury for the debate. Singers Kallbullah and Mrs Rani Mohan argued solidly for societal concerns while poets Eezham Ganesan and Makizhan defended well their stance for linguistic feelings. Tamil quiz competition was conducted by KTPA’s Guardian U.K Sivakumar. Honorary PresidentPoet Sadhiq Baftha delivered a literary note “Thamizhal Thamizh Kell” was applauded by all. Tamilosai congratulated the program sponsors Mr & Mrs. Gangai Gopal for their wedding anniversary, thanked Singer Ganesh and Anbarasan. The vote of thanks was delivered by KTPAs VicePresident Anbazhakan. Deputy Treasurer Mannai Raja and Master Thalib Rehman effectively made all the arrangements for the program. The gathering concluded with a delicious lunch served to the attendees. EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on 14th MAY, 2014 Wednesday, on account of Buddha Purnima. What to do in Kuwait this summer? Visit the Sadu House Al-Sadu Society is dedicated to preserving, documenting and promoting the rich and diverse textile heritage of the Kuwaiti Bedouin, from the nomadic weaving of the desert to the urban weaving of the town. Sadu is a traditional Bedouin art that involves weaving geometric designs on dyed and colored wool that is spun by hand to create magnificent carpets, rugs, and Bedouin tent screens. Inside the Sadu House, visitors have the opportunity to see Bedouin women weaving. Sadu House is located near the National Museum. It is considered to be the center of Bedouin art aiming at presenting Kuwait’s roots and protecting Bedouin crafts from eradication. Address: Arabian Gulf Street, Next to the National Museum of Kuwait, Kuwait City Opening Hours: Saturdays to Thursdays: Mornings from 08 am to 1 pm. Evenings from 4 pm to 8 pm. Contact: 22432395 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.alsadu.org.kw View Boushahri Gallery The Boushahri Art Gallery was established in 1982 by Jawad Boushahri, the Chairman of the Boushahri group who is also an acclaimed Kuwaiti sculptor. It is one of the oldest private art galleries in the Middle East. This long established gallery showcases contemporary regional work. In order to create an awareness toward art in Kuwait as a community service, the Boushahri Art Gallery educates, supports and sponsors local and international artists, displaying their paintings, potteries, ceramic portraitures, designs, photographers, sculptures and much more. To encourage the Art lovers and educate society, Boushahri Art Gallery offers many courses, seminars and lectures about Art. Address: Salmiya, Baghdad St., Building Number: 36, in front of Al- Laheeb Mosque Opening Hours: 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. The museum is closed on Friday and Thursday afternoons. Contact: 25621119/99770607 Website: www.boushahrigroup.com/client/PhotoandArt.aspx Take a break at Al-Khiran Resort The Al-Khiran resort is a relaxing “get-away” from the mayhem of stressful city life. The resort provides a soothing tranquil environment that includes beautiful green lawns, wide, welldefined roads, ample parking spaces, and clean well-maintained beaches. It has many chalets that are beautifully furnished and air-conditioned. The resort also offers a variety of other facilities such as football and basketball courts, luxurious restaurants, yacht clubs, an amusement park for children, electronic computer arcade and the вЂ�Duza’ ballroom. The resort also provides variety in food as it includes a fast-food counter, and a counter that offers seafood, Italian and oriental food. Address: Gulf Street, Al-Khiran district Contact: 23951122 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.khiranresort.com Stop at the Tareq Rajab Museum The Tareq Rajab Museum houses an anthology of over thirty thousand items collected over the last fifty years, of which approximately ten thousand are on permanent display. Tareq Sayed Rajab was the first Kuwaiti to be sent abroad to study art and archaeology and his collection includes Islamic arts, ceramic, gold and silver jewelry, English manuscripts, metal and glass works, old English costumes, and musical instruments. His personal collection includes over thirty thousand Islamic treasures that were gathered over the years. The Museum is divided into two parts: in Area A, calligraphy, manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, glass, jade, wood and stone carvings are exhibited. Area B contains objects such as costumes, textiles, jewellery and musical instruments produced in the Islamic world. Address: Jabriya, near the intersection of the Fifth Ring Motorway and the Abdulaziz Bin Abdilrahman al-Saud Expressway (Fahaheel Expressway); Street 5; Block12; House 16 Opening Hours: Weekdays from 9 am to 12 pm; Evenings: From 4 pm to 7 pm; Fridays: From 9 am to 12 pm. Contact: 25317358/25354916 Website: www.trmkt.com The Scientific Center, Kuwait The Scientific Center is designed to reflect the Islamic arts and culture. It has three main fascinating attractions: Aquarium, Discovery Place and IMAX Cinema. The Aquarium presents an ecosystem of desert, sea, and coastal edge. Visitors of the Aquarium explore the lives of beings and animals in their environments. When entering the Discovery Place, visitors gain scientific experience through educational games. Highly specialized trainers are assigned to guide visitors through hand-on playful training. On entering the IMAX Cinema, one can watch 3D movies played on the giant screen. Visitors can enjoy watching educational and documentary presentations and get engaged into a highly imaginative experience. Address: The Scientific Center, Gulf Road Contact: 1848888 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.tsck.org.kw WHAT’S ON SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Anjali School of Dance conducts вЂ�arangettam’ A njali School of Dance, a well known classical dance institute in Kuwait, has organized another spell binding Bharathanatyam recital, which was held at Cambridge English School, Mangaf on April 11. A bunch of talented and well trained disciples of Guru Sindhu Madhuraj performed full-fledged Bharathanatyam dances to the complete amazement and applause of the crowded audience. The program, вЂ�Natyanjali 2014 Season 2’ was inaugurated by Shyamala Divakaran, Principal of Gulf Indian School and the chief guest was Dr. P. Nandakumar, Master Trainer and Coach in spoken Sanskrit. The program consisted of beautifully choreographed 16 Bharathanatyam items which manifested almost all the aspects interwoven in this aesthetically complicated dance form. The participants had long years of dedicated training under Sindhu Madhuraj, the teacher and the founder of Anjali school of Dance. The participants of the evening were Durga P Gopakumar, Meghana Jayachandran, Aishwarya Mariam Ambi, Priyanka Anna Ambi, Varsha Elizabeth George, Suhaana Sriram, Thanushri Greetings Madhuraj, Vaishnavi Venugopal Warrier, Esther Nina Thomas, Rinnu Benny, Rajalaxmi Palavesa Muthu, Saranya Muthumaran, Sowmiya Nedunchezhian, Shreyashi Bharadwaj, Anakha Amal Siddique, Oviya Srinivasan, Abithaa Sree Venkatesh, Sruthi Suresh, Alivia Grace Mathews and Akshaya Babu Mampilly. The program was compered by the senior students of Anjali School of Dance. The grand evening of this Indian classical dance program concluded with memento presentation to performers and vote of thanks by Sindhu Madhuraj. Embassy of India T H appy birthday to Sheren Nasser. Greetings and best wishes come from baba Nasser, mama Dalia, dada Tareq, ang tita Juvy and sisters and brothers Sarah, Heba, Ahmad and Samee. he Embassy of India Kuwait has been issuing 5-year and one-year multiple entry Business Visas for Kuwaiti businesspersons to promote business activities between the two friendly countries and 6-month multiple entry Tourist Visas to promote further tourism in India. In addition to this, Embassy also issues 1-year Medical visas and Student & Employment visas of the required duration. All expatriates living in Kuwait and having residency of Kuwait, are treated at par with Kuwaiti nationals with regard to time taken in visa processing. To obtain Indian visa, please fill Visa Application Form online at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in. The printed copy of duly filled Visa application form along with original passport, copy of Passport, two recent passport size photographs with white background, copy of Civil ID card and other relevant documents along with the Visa Fees can be submitted at following two outsource centers: (i) M/s. BLS International Services, Emad Commercial Centre, Basement floor Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Sharq, Kuwait City (Telephone: 22986607 - Fax: 22470006) and (ii) M/s. BLS International Services, Mujamma Unood, 4th floor, Office No.25-26 Makka Street, Entrance 5, Fahaheel, Kuwait (Telephone: 22986607 - Fax: 22470006). Timing of the outsource centers are - Sunday to Thursday: 08:00 hrs - 11:30 hrs and 16:00 hrs - 19:30 hrs; Saturday: 16:00 hrs 19:30 hrs. The outsource centers also provide assistance in filling the online visa application form by charging a nominal fee. The processing of Visa Application Form require 2 working days (excluding any closed holidays) and Visas from the outsource centers can be collected on the 3rd working day. In case of emergency, the printed copy of duly filled Visa application form along with Passport, photographs, relevant documents, and Visa fee along with emergency charges can be deposited directly at the Embassy Reception at 9:00 hrs - 12:00 hrs on all working days and the visa can be collected from the Embassy on the same working day at 15:00 hrs - 17:00 hrs. However, processing of visa application for foreign nationals, who are not resident in Kuwait, requires 5 working days. For additional information, please contact on Ph no. 22550171 and 22530600 Ext no. 292, 235 and 279; and e-mail [email protected]. HEALTH SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 More vets turn to prosthetics to help legless pets LOS ANGELES: A 9-month-old boxer pup named Duncan barreled down a beach in Oregon, running full tilt on soft sand into YouTube history and showing more than 4 million viewers that he can revel in a good romp despite lacking back legs. “It’s a heartwarming, wonderful thing to see,” said Dr Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. “These animals generally look to us as if they are very happy. We don’t know that they are, but they are excited and jumping around and doing things that are wonderful to watch.” More veterinarians are using wheelchairs, orthotics and prosthetics to improve the lives of dogs that have lost limbs to deformity, infection or accident, experts say. The move is driven by persistent pet owners who embrace their animals as family and aren’t deterred by the cost and commitment of outfitting disabled dogs with the devices. At the same time, there have been great strides in technology to keep up with US soldiers returning wounded from war, and veterinarians have adapted the materials and know-how for the rising demand from clients. “There are so many things we can do to solve mechanical problems. ... If you have broken parts, we can replace them,” said Martin Kaufmann, coowner of Veterinary Orthotics and Prosthetics in Denver, also known as OrthoPets, which helps about 2,000 animals a year. Most devices range from $150 to $2,000 but can cost more, Kaufmann said. Besides commercial manufacturers, there are likely thousands of backyard builders who have created carts, slings or other devices to help their pets get around. The number of pets using artificial limbs will never be huge, Beaver said. It takes a dedicated person willing to take the prosthetic on and off, clean it and teach the animal to use it. It will likely mean a lifestyle choice for pet owners. With the time and cost required, many wonder why people spend time on disabled animals when there are so many healthy dogs and cats awaiting homes. The answer, Beaver said, is “some people want to.” No one knows that better than Duncan’s owners, Amanda Giese and Gary Walters, co-founders of Panda Paws Rescue for special needs and hospice dogs in Vancouver, Washington. Of the 3,500 dogs they have placed in the last 19 months, 10 were two-legged. Nine of them adapted to wheelchairs and found homes. Only 19-pound (8.6-kilogram) Duncan, whose deformed back legs were amputated, refused to take to wheels. Prosthetic legs aren’t an option for him because there are no partial limbs strong enough to attach them to. The couple often carry Duncan to ease the pressure on his front legs. “We are his prosthetics,” Giese said. There have seen successes even in challenging cases, Kaufmann said. Orthopets helped mixed-breed puppy Naki’o after his four legs and tail were frozen in ice. What frostbite didn’t do, a surgeon did, amputating all four legs. Then, Kaufmann outfitted him with four prosthetics. “To see Naki’o at the beginning, he was protective and guarded,” he said. “Six months after all this was done, he was just a fun-loving guy who likes to socialize.” Now, Naki’o lives with the Nebraska couple that found him. Another dog teaches kids what it means to be different. The Labradorgolden retriever mix named Pirelli was destined to be a service dog at Canine Assistants, a training school in Atlanta, but one back paw never developed. Pirelli uses a prosthetic limb, and with it is a “happy, expressive dog, able to run and play, retrieve things and eat his food,” said Dudley Arnold, Pirelli’s handler. Together, they have visited about 80 schools. “The goal was to help kids understand that just because your body doesn’t work, doesn’t mean you aren’t a good person inside,” Arnold said. The rarity of dogs missing limbs varies. Three-legged pooches aren’t too uncommon and often make it through life without help. But a dog shouldn’t have to do fine on three legs when it can thrive pain-free with a prosthetic, Kaufmann said. Dogs missing two limbs are still rare, but rescues and prosthetists are seeing more of them. Giese said she doesn’t know what’s changed - if more dogs are being born without legs or if the animal welfare movement has helped them get turned over to rescues more often. After Duncan’s video went viral, 300 people emailed asking to adopt the dog that has a home with Giese. And her Panda Paws Rescue got a boost in donations and Facebook followers. “He put a smile on people’s faces and was an inspiration to others,” she said. “That’s quite a lot for a two-legged dog.”— AP Scientists vexed in probe of N American starfish deaths ANAHEIM: Torry a one year old chihuahua sits on the head of his friend Duke a 6 year old Mastiff in Anaheim, Calif. Dr Jack Stephens a veterinarian from Boise, Idaho, who has the 2-pound, 13-year-old Chihuahua named Torrey says that many toy dogs have genetic problems with teeth and joints. — AP Newly arrived virus gains foothold in the Caribbean Virus causes an abrupt onset of high fever KINGSTON: A recently arrived mosquitoborne virus that causes an abrupt onset of high fever and intense joint pain is rapidly gaining a foothold in many spots of the Caribbean, health experts said Thursday. There are currently more than 4,000 confirmed cases of the fast-spreading chikungunya virus in the Caribbean, most of them in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and St Martin. Another 31,000 suspected cases have been reported across the region of scattered islands. The often painful illness most commonly found in Asia and Africa was first detected in December in tiny St Martin. It was the first time that local transmission of chikungunya had been reported in the Americas. Since then, it has spread to nearly a dozen other islands and French Guiana, an overseas department of France on the north shoulder of South America. It is rarely fatal and most chikungunya patients rebound within a week, but some people experience joint pain for months to years. There is no vaccine and it is spread by the pervasive Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits dengue fever, a similar but often more serious illness with a deadly hemorrhagic form. Dengue had been largely contained to southeast Asia, but reinvaded the Caribbean in the early 1980s and then spread to numerous other countries throughout the hemisphere. Since then, health authorities have not been able to control dengue and it is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some spots in Latin America. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring the uncontrolled spread of the new vectorborne virus in the Caribbean and has been advising travelers about how best to protect themselves, such as applying mosquito repellant and sleeping in screened rooms. It is also closely watching for any signs of chikungunya in the U.S. “To help prepare the United States for possible introduction of the virus, CDC has been working with state health departments to increase awareness about chikungunya and to facilitate diagnostic testing and early detection of any US cases,” said Dr Erin Staples, a medical epidemiologist with the CDC. In the Caribbean, concern about chikungunya is growing as many countries enter their wettest months. The only way to stop the virus is to contain the population of mosquitoes - a task that commonly relies on individual efforts such as installing screened windows and making sure mosquitoes are not breeding in stagnant water.—AP WASHINGTON: Scientists are struggling to find the cause of a disease that is killing off numerous species of starfish on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, dispatching the five-armed creatures in a particularly gruesome way. Researchers said on Thursday they have ruled out some possible culprits including fungi, some parasites and certain other microorganisms and are taking a hard look at whether viruses or bacteria may be to blame. The starfish, also called sea stars, are being obliterated by an unexplained wasting disease that causes white lesions to appear before the animal’s body sags and ruptures and it spills out its internal organs. “The magnitude of it is very concerning. There’s the potential that some of these species could actually go extinct,” said Cornell University ecologist Drew Harvell, one of the scientists involved in the loosely organized search for a cause. Harvell said she is concerned because the mysterious pathogen is affecting 18 different West Coast species along their entire range. Pathogens that affect an animal’s range in such a way like a fungus that has targeted frogs can be particularly damaging, she said. The disease appeared last year and is showing no indication of abating. “I wish we had a sign that it was petering out, but believe me it definitely is not,” Harvell said. The scientists seem to have more questions than answers. “What is it that has caused this? Where did it come from? If it’s exotic, how did it get here? Is it something that’s likely to be repeated?” asked Pete Raimondi, chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Raimondi expressed concern that the disease that is killing the starfish could be a harbinger of bad things to come for other marine species. “This is a really difficult disease in lots of ways because it’s very virulent,” Raimondi said. The researchers noted that starfish were the victims of previous diseases in past decades that reduced their numbers, but the current one is more serious. The scientists are wondering whether the starfish have been infected by a virus, bacterium or something else unwittingly imported to the region or whether a pathogen already present somehow became more dangerous, Raimondi added. Scientists prefer to call the animal a sea star rather than a starfish because these marine creatures are not fish but rather echinoderms, cousins of sand dollars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. Most have five arms, although some have many more. They are remarkably durable creatures, and when healthy are able to regenerate lost limbs. They are predators and use suction to pull shells apart to get at the soft body inside. When the shells are pried opened, the starfish pushes its stomach out of its body and into the prey, secreting enzymes that digest the victim’s soft body parts. They are significant predators in their ecosystems, the scientists said. “These animals are really important ecologically. If they do go extinct, or at least ecologically extinct for some period of time, there undoubtedly would be some really huge impacts on the ecosystems that they live in,” said Bruce Menge, a marine community ecologist at Oregon State University.— Reuters SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 health & science SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Kuwait SHARQIA-1 SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) SUN+TUE+WED SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (01/05/2014 TO 07/05/2014) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM MARINA-2 THE QUIET ONES (DIG) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM MARINA-3 TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) RIO 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:00 PM 2:45 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM AVENUES-1 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 2:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM SHARQIA-2 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) RIO 2 (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 2:00 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM SHARQIA-3 TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) 1:30 PM 3:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM MUHALAB-1 BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM AVENUES-2 THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM AVENUES-3 THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) THE QUIET ONES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM 360Вє- 1 SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM MUHALAB-2 THE BAG MAN (DIG) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) THE BAG MAN (DIG) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-3 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) RIO 2 (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) 1:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM FANAR-1 SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM FANAR-2 TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) SUN+TUE+WED RIO 2 (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) SNOWPIERCER (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-3 BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) MARINA-1 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) THE BAG MAN (DIG) 1:30 PM 3:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM 1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM 12:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM 360Вє- 2 IN THE BLOOD (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) IN THE BLOOD (DIG) 2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM 1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 360Вє- 3 TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM AL-KOUT.1 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM AL-KOUT.2 SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SNOWPIERCER (DIG) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM ACCOMMODATION Khaitan - sharing spacious bed space available for decent Goan bachelor, from June beside the main road and bus stop in C/AC building with internet and kitchen facility. Call 97523316/22474516. (C 4710) 1-5-2014 CHANGE OF NAME to change my name to Kabir Taher Yusuf. Address: Najampura, Sagwara, Dungarpur. Raj. (C 4711) 1-5-2014 FOR SALE Sofa sets, center table, showcase, TV stand, bed room sets, dressing table, fridge 4 months old, dining table with chairs, other items. Contact: 99402377. (C 4712) I, Kabir Taher Ali Yusuf, Passport No: H8467312 want Hospitals Sabah Hospital 24812000 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Chest Hospital 24849400 Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Adan Hospital 23940620 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 Al-Razi Hospital 24846000 Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9 Clinics Rabiya 24732263 Rawdha 22517733 Adailiya 22517144 Khaldiya 24848075 Khaifan 24849807 Shamiya 24848913 Shuwaikh 24814507 Abdullah Salim 22549134 Al-Nuzha 22526804 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 information SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers use seats Airlines QTR JZR JZR JZR DLH JZR SAI THY RJA GFA UAE ETD JAI PIA FDB MSR OMA QTR MSC THY DHX KAC BAW JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY KAC IRM ETD FDB QTR GFA IAW MSC JZR IRM JZR SYR FDB JZR UAE FDB MRJ MSR MSR THY IRM QTR MSR KAC GFA JZR SVA IRC KNE JZR KAC KAC ABY KNE KNE TBZ RJA KNE KAC KAC JZR QTR JZR FDB ETD UAE SVA UAL Arrival Flights on Saturday 3/5/2014 Flt Route 1084 Doha 239 Amman 267 Beirut 539 Cairo 637 Dammam 555 Alexandria 441 Lahore 764 Istanbul 642 Amman 211 Bahrain 853 Dubai 305 Abu Dhabi 576 Kochi/Abu Dhabi 239 Lahore 067 Dubai 612 Cairo 643 Muscat 1076 Doha 401 Alexandria 770 Istanbul 170 Bahrain 412 Manila/Bangkok 157 London 529 Asyut 416 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 053 Dubai 382 Delhi 204 Lahore 503 Luxor 302 Mumbai 206 Islamabad 1086 Doha 352 Kochi 344 Chennai 855 Dubai 362 Colombo 125 Sharjah 284 Dhaka 1186 Tehran 301 Abu Dhabi 055 Dubai 1070 Doha 213 Bahrain 157 Baghdad/Al Najaf 405 Sohag 325 Al Najaf 1188 Mashhad 151 Dubai 341 Damascus 055 Dubai 241 Amman 871 Dubai 057 Dubai 4815 Mashhad 610 Cairo 579 Sohag 766 Istanbul 1184 Shiraz 1078 Doha 575 Sharm el-Sheikh 546 Alexandria 221 Bahrain 779 Jeddah 500 Jeddah 526 Mashhad 472 Jeddah 357 Mashhad 522 Al Najaf 788 Jeddah 127 Sharjah 470 Jeddah 462 Madinah 5483 Mashhad 640 Amman 460 Riyadh 672 Dubai 118 New York 535 Cairo 1072 Doha 125 Bahrain 051 Dubai 303 Abu Dhabi 857 Dubai 510 Riyadh 982 IAD Time 00:05 00:20 00:25 00:30 00:35 01:25 01:35 01:40 01:45 01:55 02:25 02:30 02:35 03:05 03:05 03:15 03:20 03:25 04:00 04:35 05:10 06:15 06:35 06:35 06:40 07:00 07:30 07:35 07:40 07:50 07:50 07:55 08:05 08:20 08:25 08:45 08:50 08:55 09:10 09:30 09:35 10:00 10:40 11:00 11:20 11:25 11:50 11:50 12:05 12:40 12:40 12:45 12:55 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:30 13:45 14:15 14:15 14:20 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:40 14:50 14:55 15:00 15:35 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:25 16:40 16:45 16:55 17:15 17:25 GFA JZR KAC JZR IZG KAC QTR FDB KAC JAV IRA ABY KAC GFA KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC OMA KNE KAC FDB DLH MEA JZR MSR AXB KLM ALK UAE ETD QTR FDB GFA KNE SVA AIC UAL KAC JZR JAI THY 215 177 176 777 4161 542 1080 063 104 621 669 129 618 217 774 502 674 742 572 614 647 474 562 5061 634 402 189 618 489 415 229 859 307 1074 059 219 480 2820 975 981 786 185 574 772 Bahrain Dubai Geneva/Frankfurt Jeddah Mashhad Cairo Doha Dubai London Amman Mashhad Sharjah Doha Bahrain Riyadh Beirut Dubai Dammam Mumbai Bahrain Muscat Jeddah Amman Dubai Frankfurt Beirut Dubai Alexandria Kochi/Mangalore Amsterdam Colombo Dubai Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Bahrain Taif Jeddah Chennai/Goa Bahrain Jeddah Dubai Mumbai Istanbul Airlines AIC JAI KLM JZR DLH THY SAI FDB MSR ETD OMA QTR PIA MSC QTR UAE THY JAI RJA THY GFA JZR JZR KAC FDB JZR BAW JZR QTR JZR JZR ABY KAC UAE ETD FDB IRM KAC QTR KAC Departure Flights on Saturday 3/5/2014 Flt Route 976 Goa/Chennai 573 Mumbai 413 Amsterdam 502 Luxor 637 Frankfurt 773 Istanbul 442 Lahore 068 Dubai 613 Cairo 306 Abu Dhabi 644 Muscat 1077 Doha 240 Sialkot/Islamabad 406 Sohag 1085 Doha 854 Dubai 765 Istanbul 575 Abu Dhabi/Kochi 643 Amman 771 Istanbul 212 Bahrain 240 Amman 150 Dubai 545 Alexandria 054 Dubai 324 Al Najaf 156 London 778 Jeddah 1087 Doha 356 Mashhad 534 Cairo 126 Sharjah 787 Jeddah 856 Dubai 302 Abu Dhabi 056 Dubai 1185 Shiraz 101 London/New York 1071 Doha 521 Al Najaf 17:30 17:45 17:45 17:50 18:00 18:15 18:25 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:55 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:35 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:30 21:40 21:45 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:40 22:40 22:55 23:20 23:45 Time 00:05 00:20 00:55 01:30 01:35 02:20 02:35 03:45 04:15 04:20 04:20 04:25 04:35 05:00 05:20 05:30 06:00 06:30 06:35 06:50 07:00 07:05 07:15 07:20 07:50 08:05 08:25 08:45 08:55 09:00 09:15 09:30 09:35 09:50 10:15 10:15 10:20 10:25 11:00 11:15 KAC KAC GFA KAC KAC IAW JZR MSC SYR JZR IRM FDB JZR FDB MSR MRJ MSR THY UAE IRM KAC QTR MSR GFA KAC IRC KAC KNE KAC JZR SVA ABY KNE KNE KAC KAC KNE RJA KAC JZR QTR TBZ FDB JZR ETD UAE SVA GFA JZR UAL JZR IZG QTR ABY FDB GFA IRA JAV KAC JAI KNE FDB KAC KAC OMA KAC MEA JZR MSR KAC AXB DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA KNE FDB SVA KAC KAC 671 541 214 501 165 158 776 402 342 176 1189 056 124 058 580 4814 611 767 872 1187 561 1079 576 222 673 527 617 473 773 188 505 128 471 463 741 613 481 641 785 266 1073 5484 052 538 304 858 511 216 184 982 238 4162 1081 120 064 218 666 622 285 571 475 5062 361 331 648 351 403 552 607 543 490 171 415 308 230 860 381 1075 301 220 461 060 9321 205 411 Dubai Cairo Bahrain Beirut Rome/Paris Al Najaf/Baghdad Jeddah Alexandria Damascus Dubai Mashhad Dubai Bahrain Dubai Sohag Mashhad Cairo Istanbul Dubai Tehran Amman Doha Sharm el-Sheikh Bahrain Dubai Mashhad Doha Jeddah Riyadh Dubai Jeddah Sharjah Jeddah Madinah Dammam Bahrain Taif Amman Jeddah Beirut Doha Mashhad Dubai Cairo Abu Dhabi Dubai Riyadh Bahrain Dubai Bahrain Amman Mashhad Doha Sharjah Dubai Bahrain Esfahan Amman Dhaka Mumbai Jeddah Dubai Colombo Trivandrum Muscat Kochi Beirut Alexandria Luxor Cairo Mangalore/Kochi Bahrain Dammam/Amsterdam Abu Dhabi Colombo Dubai Delhi Doha Mumbai Bahrain Riyadh Dubai Jeddah Islamabad Bangkok/Manila Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw) 11:20 11:30 11:35 11:40 11:45 12:00 12:15 12:20 13:05 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:40 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:35 15:50 15:50 16:00 16:15 16:30 16:30 16:30 16:35 16:40 16:55 17:00 17:05 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:40 17:45 18:15 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:25 19:40 19:50 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:15 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:50 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:25 23:35 23:40 SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 C R O S S W O R D 5 3 6 Yesterday’s Solution ACROSS 1. (British) Colloquial terms for an umbrella. 5. Brown-speckled European lark noted for singing while hovering at a great height. 12. Wild and domestic cattle. 15. Little known Kamarupan languages. 16. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae. 17. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma. 18. Slender east African antelope with slim neck and backward-curving horns. 19. (Akkadian) God of wisdom. 20. A Nilotic language. 22. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology. 23. A state in New England. 24. Searching for or buying goods or services. 26. Being one more than fifty. 27. A bachelor's degree in music. 29. A port city and resort in Andalusia in southern Spain on the Mediterranean. 30. A complete metric system of units of measurement for scientists. 32. Cut off from a whole. 34. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others. 36. (in Scotland or Ireland) A mountain or tall hill. 41. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure. 43. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 45. Serving as or forming a base. 46. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread. 49. (informal) Of the highest quality. 50. A long projecting or anterior elongation of an animal's head. 51. An accessory or adjoining anatomical parts or appendages (especially of the embryo). 52. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element. 56. A correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence). 57. A long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur. 60. A colorless and odorless inert gas. 61. Harsh or corrosive in tone. 62. A Russian prison camp for political prisoners. 66. Formerly the basic unit of money in Hungary until it was replaced by the forint in 1946. 69. A state in the western United States. 73. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 74. Canna grown especially for its edible rootstock from which arrowroot starch is obtained. 77. In or of the month preceding the present one. 78. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off. 80. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank. 81. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces. 82. Low stingless nettle of Central and South America having velvety brownish-green toothed leaves and clusters of small green flowers. 83. A master's degree in education. Daily SuDoku DOWN 1. Mentally or physically infirm with age. 2. In bed. 3. Relating to principles of right and wrong. 4. An infant that is born prior to 37 weeks of gestation. 5. The application of very thin coat of color over the surface of a picture. 6. A Japanese (paper or silk) wall hanging. 7. A soft silvery metallic element. 8. A fine-grained unstratified accumulation of clay and silt deposited by the wind. 9. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else. 10. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group. 11. The capital and largest city of Uganda on the north shore of Lake Victoria. 12. An oil port in southern Iraq. 13. Large long-armed ape of Borneo and Sumatra having arboreal habits. 14. Goat-like antelope of central Eurasia having a stubby nose like a proboscis. 21. Great coolness and composure under strain. 25. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska. 28. Being or moving higher in position or greater in some value. 31. Large herbivorous tropical American arboreal lizards with a spiny crest along the back. 33. A British peer of the highest rank. 35. A university town in east central Maine on the Penobscot River north of Bangor. 37. (trademark) A liquid that temporarily disables a person. 38. A member of a nomadic people of the northern Ural mountains. 39. An association of nations dedicated to economic and political cooperation in southeastern Asia. 40. Locate and correct errors in a computer program code. 42. Any of various deciduous or evergreen ornamental shrubs of the genus Abelia having opposite simple leaves and cymes of small white or pink or purplish flowers. 44. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct volcano. 47. An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle. 48. A small cake leavened with yeast. 53. A city in east central Texas. 54. Black tropical American cuckoo. 55. Not yet payable. 58. Deprived of parents by death or desertion. 59. A syllabic script used in writing Sanskrit and Hindi. 63. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin. 64. Being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time. 65. A short labored intake of breath with the mouth open. 67. A genus of Mustelidae. 68. A recurring sleep state during which rapid eye movements do not occur and dreaming does not occur. 70. Thin and fit. 71. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer. 72. (of persons) Highest in rank or authority or office. 75. An accountant certified by the state. 76. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 79. Being nine more than ninety. YesterdayКјs Solution Yesterday’s Solution SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Orioles beat Pirates 6-5 for doubleheader sweep BALTIMORE: Matt Wieters led off the 10th inning with a home run off Stolmy Pimentel to give the Baltimore Orioles a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates and a doubleheader sweep Thursday night. In the opener, Steve Pearce had three hits and two RBIs in his return to the Orioles, who got a home run from Nick Markakis in a 5-1 win. The single-admission doubleheader followed consecutive rainouts on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rain lingered long enough to delay the fifth inning of the opener by 21 minutes, and the start of the nightcap was stalled 46 minutes by rain. The second game marked the season debut of Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who had left knee surgery in October. After sitting out the opener, Machado received a warm ovation from the crowd of 28,290 before the second game and went 0 for 5. MARINERS 4, YANKEES 2 Robinson Cano doubled and drove in two runs, Roenis Elias struck out 10 in seven impressive innings and Seattle beat New York. Michael Saunders had three hits, including an RBI double, to help the Mariners win for the fifth time in six games following an eight-game skid. Seattle won both games in a rain-shortened series that marked Cano’s return to New York after signing a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Mariners during the offseason. The All-Star second baseman was booed again and finished the series 2 for 9 with three RBIs. Seattle has won four straight at Yankee Stadium dating to last season. RAYS 2, RED SOX 1, GAME 1; RAYS 6, RED SOX 5, GAME 2 Yunel Escobar homered off closer Koji Uehara leading off the ninth inning to propel Tampa Bay to a 6-5 win and a day-night doubleheader sweep of Boston. Escobar crushed the second pitch from Uehara (0-1) over the Green Monster in left field for his second homer of the year, and Grant Balfour recorded the final three outs for his second save of the day and sixth of the season. Sean Rodriguez and Desmond Jennings also went deep for Tampa Bay, which won for just the third time in nine games. Jake McGee (2-0) earned the win with one inning of scoreless relief. Tampa Bay won the opener, 2-1. David DeJesus had a homer and drew a bases-loaded walk, and the Rays’ bullpen pitched 4 1-3 scoreless innings. BLUE JAYS 7, ROYALS 3 Mark Buehrle pitched into the seventh inning, Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus each went deep and Toronto avoided a series sweep. Francisco and Rasmus each drove in a pair of runs for the Blue Jays, as did Anthony Gose, who was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to start in place of injured outfielder Melky Cabrera. Buehrle (5-1) worked through plenty of trouble to last 6 2-3 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. It was a solid bounce-back performance after the left-hander was hammered for seven runs last Friday night against Boston. Aaron Loup pitched 2 1-3 shutout innings for his third career save. The Royals’ Jeremy Guthrie (2-2) left trailing 4-3 after six innings. INTERLEAGUE GAME DODGERS 9, TWINS 4 Scott Van Slyke and Drew Butera homered in the 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on to beat the Minnesota Twins to earn a sweep of the daynight doubleheader on Thursday night. Adrian Gonzalez also homered for the Dodgers, who stranded 16 runners in the 5 hour, 11-minute game. Yasiel Puig tied a career high with four hits in Los Angeles’ Game 1 win and added two more in the nightcap. Before grounding out in the fifth, Puig had reached base in nine consecutive plate appearances. Joe Mauer had three hits for the Twins, who walked 12 in the second game and 18 in both games. Van Slyke led off the 12th and lined a 2-1 pitch from Brian Duensing (0-1) into the bullpen in leftcenter field. Butera hit his first homer since July 12, 2012, two batters later. Jamey Wright (2-1) didn’t allow a run in three innings of relief. Kenley Jansen loaded the bases in the 12th and allowed a Mauer sacrifice fly, but got Chris Colabello to line out to first for his 11th save in 13 chances.— AP MINNEAPOLIS: Dee Gordon #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets Chris Colabello #20 of the Minnesota Twins out at second base as Gordon turns a double-play during the sixth inning in game two of a doubleheader on May 1, 2014. —AFP Marlins down Braves for three-game sweep MIAMI: Giancarlo Stanton and Casey McGehee hit consecutive run-scoring singles off David Carpenter during a two-run rally in the seventh inning as the Miami Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Thursday for a three-game sweep of the National League East leader. Miami has won six straight home games for the first time at Marlins Park, which opened in 2012. It is the longest home winning streak for the team since the Marlins won eight in a row from June 20 to July 1, 2009. With the Marlins trailing 4-3, pinch-hitter Reed Johnson singled off Ian Thomas (1-1) leading off the seventh and took second on Christian Yelich’s single. Derek Dietrich lined out, and Carpenter relieved and gave up the back-to-back hits. Mike Dunn (3-3) pitched a hitless seventh, and Steve Cishek got four outs for his sixth save. REDS 8, BREWERS 3 Brayan Pena’s second career pinchhomer started Cincinnati’s five-run, eighthinning rally. Tucker Barnhart led off the fifth with his first career homer and Todd Frazier added a two-run drive in the sixth off Marco Estrada, who gave up six hits and four walks in six innings. Pena had homered during a 9-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. He hit for Bailey with the score tied at 3 in the eighth and connected on the first pitch from Jim Henderson (2-1) for a tworun homer. Homer Bailey (2-2) allowed eight hits in a season-high eight innings. ROCKIES 7, METS 4 Carlos Gonzalez homered before leav- ing with a finger injury, Juan Nicasio pitched seven scoreless innings and drove in three runs, and Colorado beat New York. Corey Dickerson had three hits, including an RBI triple and Nolan Arenado singled leading off the third to extend the majors’ longest active streak to 21 games. He’s tied for the fourth-longest hitting streak in Rockies team history. Gonzalez connected for his sixth home run of the season in the first inning, driving a 3-2 offering from Bartolo Colon (2-4) off the right-center field facing just below the second deck. Gonzalez was lifted in the fourth inning, replaced by pinch hitter Brandon Barnes, because of what the team said was a bruised left index finger. His playing status was listed as day to day. Nicasio (3-1) got the win.—AP SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Mayweather’s best offence is clever defense LAS VEGAS: Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather has what he considers the ideal strategy when he puts his perfect record on the line today against power-puncher Marcos Maidana. “The game plan is to stay in the pocket. Make the guy miss and make the guy pay,” says Mayweather, who is the highest paid athlete in North American sports, earning an estimated $85 million year according to Forbes Magazine. The 37-year-old undefeated American will be a 12-1 favorite when he defends his World Boxing Council 147-pound crown against the World Boxing Association champ Maidana in a unification bout at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Mayweather has won championship belts in five divisions and remained undefeated in 45 career fights. He is a defensive-minded fighter who beats his opponents with Olympic-style tactics-racking up points with the judges. His counterpunching strategy may not make for exciting knockouts, but it has served him well during his 18-year career. “Is Marcos Maidana one of the best in the sport? Absolutely,” Mayweather said. “But I am the best there is. We are still wondering who’s going to solve the вЂ�MayVinci’ Code? But come today I will find a way to win.” The fight is the third of the 30month, six-fight deal worth $200 million-plus that Mayweather signed with pay-per-view outlet Showtime. In his last fight, Mayweather became the unified super welterweight world champ by dominating Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez on September 14, 2013. His fight against Alvarez was the highest grossing payper-view bout of all-time with revenues of more than $150 million. For today’s contest, Mayweather is guaranteed a purse of $32 million while Maidana will receive $1.5 million. The 30-year-old Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) will be making the first defense of his belt. Some boxing purists have a hard time getting excited for today’s fight. Journeyman Maidana earned this shot by beating Adrien Broner for the WBA title in December. But the heavy underdog has also lost to one of the fighters on the undercard, Amir Khan, who stopped Maidana in December of 2010. “Maidana is a predictable fighter,” said Floyd Mayweather Sr., who trains his son. “When I see Maidana. I see someone that Floyd can easily pick apart. Maidana may be able to punch strong, but here’s the thing-how you going to hit something you can’t catch.” Today’s undercard features British superstar Khan squaring off against American Luis Collazo in a non-title fight that could put the winner in line to fight Mayweather in the fall. Khan had thought he was on course to fight Mayweather on this card, but Mayweather plumped for Maidana instead. The 27-year-old Khan will end a 12-month hiatus today when he moves up to the welterweight division to face Collazo. “He will be bigger than me on the night of the fight and at times I will have to dig deep,” Khan said. There is also a non-title super lightweight fight between Americans Broner and Carlos Molina.— AFP LAS VEGAS: Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr, gets the crowd laughing during his speech at the AEG and MGM Resorts International ground breaking VIP/media event on Thursday, May 1, 2014. —AP California Chrome buffed to sparkle at Kentucky Derby LOUISVILLE: California Chrome, winner of his last four races, is primed to shine today as the 140th Kentucky Derby kicks off US flat racing’s Triple Crown. The chestnut colt trained by Art Sherman was installed as the early 5-2 favorite for the $2 million, 1 1/4-mile race at Churchill Downs, where he will break from the fifth post under jockey Victor Espinoza. “I think it’s a perfect spot,” said Sherman. “I think if we break clean, he’ll get out of a lot of trouble.” At 77, Sherman could become the oldest trainer to condition a Derby winner. Hall of Famer Charlie Whittingham, another Californian, won the race at 76. The week in Kentucky has had Sherman recalling his only prior trip to the Derby 59 years ago-as a stable hand for legendary 1955 winner Swaps. Despite the pressures that come with saddling a Kentucky Derby favorite, Sherman was enjoying the experience. “I’m going to go to the parties, relax and have a good time,” he said. The 5-2 odds on California Chrome make him one of the strongest pre-race favorites of recent years. Orb won as 7-2 early favorite last year. Hoppertunity, the colt trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert that was made the early second choice at 6-1, was taken out of the running with a left front hoof issue on Thursday, Baffert saying he’d point the horse at the Preakness, second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 17. The series concludes with the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes on June 7. The last horse to achieve the coveted treble was Affirmed in 1978. Hoppertunity knocks California Chrome established himself as the stand-out among this year’s crop of three-yearolds with dominant victories in the Grade Two San Felipe and the Grade One Santa Anita Derby, dominating fields that included graded stakes winners by a combined 12 lengths. With Hoppertunity out, the main threats to California Chrome include Wicked Strong and Danza. Wicked Strong had been widely expected to be priced as the second choice, but was out at 8-1 after drawing the outside 20th post. “I’m trying to convince myself that it’s not a bad post,” trainer Jimmy Jerkens said. “But I don’t know if I can.” The outside post in the crowded field isn’t all bad news. Big Brown won from the 20 hole in 2008 and Orb won from the 16th post last year. Danza, trained by Todd Pletcher, is a question mark, but was priced at 10-1 on the strength of his stunning victory in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby as a 41-1 underdog. Pletcher was happy with the number four post drawn by Danza, who will be ridden by Joe Bravo. “He has some experience from inside, so I don’t think it’s a big disadvantage,” said Pletcher, who also saddles the 121 Intense Holiday-an unlucky second in the Louisiana Derby in his last start. The unfancied first post was drawn by Vicar’s in Trouble, who finished second behind California Chrome in the race for Derby qualifying points but was priced at 30-1 after drawing the rail. The last horse to win from the number one spot was Ferdinand in 1986. “I was kind of shocked,” jockey Rosie Napravnik said of the draw. “It’s not ideal for anyone, but if I had to have a horse coming out at number one it would be Vicar. He’s sharp coming out of the hole.” Napravnik, who piloted Vicar’s in Trouble to victory in the Louisiana Derby on March 29, will be out to make history as the first woman jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. Her fifth-placed finish on Mylute last year was the best ever for a female rider.—AFP KENTUCKY: Kentucky Derby contender California Chrome stands while being bathed after working out on the track during early morning workouts at Churchill Downs. —AFP Khan вЂ�hungrier than ever’ to step back into the ring LAS VEGAS: Amir Khan is hungrier than ever to step back into the ring, saying he didn’t want to come off the longest break of his career against an easy opponent. The 27-year-old Briton will end a 12-month hiatus today when he moves up in weight to face American Luis Collazo in a non-title fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. “I fight everyone,” Khan says. “Collazo is a mixture of a boxer and a fighter. He is slick and he knows how to fight. I am a similar style so that is what is going to make this fight exciting.” Khan and Collazo’s 12-round welterweight fight is on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana 147pound (67 kg) world title fight. “He is going to give it 100 percent and he is in great shape,” Khan said Thursday at a news conference Thursday at the Hollywood Theatre in the MGM Grand. “He will be bigger than me on the night of the fight and at times I will have to dig deep.” Size and weight will be crucial for Khan in his first welterweight bout. вЂ�Trained my way up’ “I have not ate my way up to this weight. I trained my way up to this weight,” Khan said, adding that he’s more comfortable at 147 pounds because he doesn’t have to starve himself to get down to 140 ahead of Friday’s weigh-in. “I feel so much stronger and happier at this weight,” he said. “That seven pounds makes a big difference and I have kept all my power and speed.” Khan’s last fight was in April of last year when he won a 12-round decision over Julio Diaz in Sheffield, England. Just over a month later Khan got married and now the couple are expecting a baby. After the win over Diaz, Khan took four months off from boxing to spend time with his bride. Khan (28-3, 19 knockouts) says the time away was good for him mentally and physically. “My body needed a break,” he said. —AFP SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Cook laments вЂ�tough’ Gooch call LONDON: Alastair Cook said he’d made one of the hardest telephone calls of his career to tell boyhood hero Graham Gooch he was no longer needed by England. Cook, the England captain, was mentored through the ranks at Essex by Gooch, one of the county’s greatest players and England’s record Test run-scorer, before working alongside him at international level. But Thursday saw Gooch become one of the first backroom casualties of Peter Moores’s second spell as England coach when he was dismissed as batting coach. It appeared the 60-year-old former captain, like Cook an opening batsman, was paying the price for England having failed to make the benchmark total of 400 in a Test innings since March 2013 - a key factor in their recent 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia. Cook, who will captain England in a one-day international away to Scotland next week, said his most recent conversation with Gooch had been one of the most difficult he’d known. “Everyone knows how close we are-and we’ve been through quite a lot together,” said Cook. “To make a decision on a guy I’ve had so much respect for, and the whole of England has, was tough. “I was telling a man, who I used to go and queue up to get his autograph and hope he’d score runs, that it’s time to move on. I’ll remember that for a long time.” “But the calibre of Goochie especially, as a person, he was telling me: вЂ�I totally understand’. “For him to say that, when a 29-year-old is telling him вЂ�we want to move on’, shows just why I hold him in such high regard.” Greatest strength However, Cook insisted he would be happy for anyone in the England side to continue to use Gooch as a personal batting coach. “I hope that relationship will continue - not just with me,” the left-hander said. “I know Belly (Ian Bell) has used him a hell of a lot, and has had great rewards, and we hope we can continue doing that on a one-to-one basis. “I’ve worked with him for 11 years like that, and I know that’s his greatest strength.” And Cook said being the bearer of bad news had not damaged his relationship with Gooch. “We were both very clear we want to remain friends,” he said. “He was immediately talking about other stuff ... how I can go on in my game. That was quite humbling. “This is professionalism, and will not affect how we feel about each other.” Meanwhile Gooch told BBC Radio Five: “I’m not going to think bad of Alastair about this. “Playing for England is bigger than the individual and what’s right for England is the way forward. “I think it’s a joint decision-the captain and coach’s decisions have to be pretty much as one. Alastair was in favor of the deci- sion and I respect that. “He knows he needs to look at the way he handles a side and stamp authority on a team and making a decision like this is good for him. He has to believe in the decisions he makes. “We’ll still be friends forever and hopefully I’ll still be involved in his game in some way.” Since the Ashes, the only player whose international career has been terminated definitively is one-time star batsman Kevin Pietersen, England’s leading run-scorer across all formats. Pietersen, however, remains an active player and on Thursday, somewhat sarcastically, volunteered via Twitter to succeed Gooch as England batting coach. Cook, who was a party to the decision to ditch Pietersen, said: “The Kevin stuff is always going to linger on, because of social media and the way that works. “As a side, we have to move on. The decision has been made.”—AFP Brinkmanship, pragmatism behind SANZAR expansion Cabrera in control at Quail Hollow CHARLOTTE: Twice major champion Angel Cabrera conjured up some of his old magic to seize the first round lead with a six-under-par 66 in the first round of the $6.9 million Wells Fargo Championship on Thursday. The long-hitting veteran from Argentina reeled off four successive birdies around the turn to end the day one stroke in front of Americans Phil Mickelson and Martin Flores. German Martin Kaymer, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and Englishman Justin Rose are among a group of nine players a further two shots back on an impressive leaderboard. Cabrera, 44, has made few headlines since losing a playoff to Adam Scott at last year’s Masters but he is still capable of matching it with the game’s best on any given day. “I played very well on the greens and saved myself on the holes that I didn’t play so well,” Cabrera, whose only two PGA Tour victories came at the highest level with the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2009 Masters, told reporters. He had two birdies and one bogey in the first five holes at Quail Hollow before kickstarting his move up the leaderboard with a fivefoot birdie putt at the par-five seventh. Cabrera then recorded four consecutive birdies from the ninth, three of them from close range, along with a monster 42-foot putt from the fringe at the 11th. Successive eagles Kaymer, who had consecutive eagles in his round, was unable to remember even having previously notched the rare feat. “I don’t think I’ve ever done that before,” said Kaymer, who sank a 15-footer at the seventh hole and then holed out from 65 yards from the rough at the par-four eighth. He considered his two eagles, which were bookended with bogeys, just reward for an otherwise frustrating day on the greens. “I missed a lot of short putts today,” he said. “I stayed in the tournament but overall it would have been nice to get a couple more shots here and there.” Kaymer was ranked number one in the world barely three years ago, but has since slipped to 63rd. He has not been playing badly, missing only two cuts worldwide since this event last year, but has not often contended for victory. McIlroy, returning after a two-week post-Masters break, looked sharp apart from a couple of wayward drives. “I gave myself chances for birdies and putted a little better than I have in the last few weeks, so that’s a positive,” said the 2010 champion, who birdied three of the four par-fives. “I played the par fives well, which I wanted to do (because) at Augusta I didn’t.” This week’s event has attracted a highquality field, although not quite as strong as it did in its first few years at Quail Hollow. The course received rave reviews when the event was first held in 2003, but the greens were in poor condition last year which perhaps scared off a few players from returning. The greens were subsequently dug up and replanted and early reports by the players suggest they are in better condition this year.— Reuters CHARLOTTE: Angel Cabrera of Argentina hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club on May 1, 2014. — AFP WELLINGTON: The location of Super Rugby’s 18th team when the competition expands in two years time should provoke some robust debate given the brinkmanship and pragmatic compromise behind SANZAR’s realignment plans announced earlier this week. The expansion was hastily unveiled on Thursday after Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver appeared to jump the gun by telling local media about the details before his SANZAR partners were ready to release them. The competition will expand from 15 teams to 18 in 2016, with South Africa being given a sixth team and a side from Argentina also joining. An as yet unnamed 18th team will be added after outside interest is gauged. Pulver’s release of the details caused some consternation for his New Zealand Rugby counterpart Steve Tew, who said the news prompted a flurry of “quite short” emails between the two organizations. Relations between the two unions soured in the past decade over World Cup hosting rights in 2003 and Australia backing Japan’s bid for the 2011 tournament but Tew denied there was any of the same bitterness that existed when John O’Neill was in charge of the ARU. “Bill is fine,” Tew said. “I think there is a big difference between Bill and John so I wouldn’t see anything in the history.” While Tew played down any talk of enmity between the two organizations, they are likely to find themselves at loggerheads concerning where the 18th team are based. Both want the team to be placed in a вЂ�non-traditional’ rugby market mindful of the commercial opportunities that exist in Asia, North America and southern Europe. Tew says he has an open mind about the location, though the NZRU’s strategic alliance with USA Rugby and sponsorship deal with insurance giant AIG could influence their thinking. Pulver, however, has already said his organization’s preferred option is Asia. Japan is an established rugby nation while the Hong Kong stop is considered the jewel in the crown on the IRB’s sevens circuit. Matches in Asia would also fall into Australia’s prime time television viewing hours. — Reuters SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Talaat hopes to fulfill NFL dream MARTINSVILLE: A little trash talk and some crowd noise can be big distractions on a football field. Not for Adham Talaat. The talented defensive end is deaf, though he hears just fine with hearing aids. But he didn’t wear them on the field while he played at Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, DC. Talaat, a late bloomer in high school, was a standout player in college. Now he’s hoping for a chance in the NFL in next week’s draft and wants teams to ignore his hearing problem. “I don’t view my hearing loss as any detriment or hindrance at all. I actually feel that it is an advantage for me,” Talaat said in an email to The Associated Press. “Crowd noise and trash talk does not faze me. An important point to consider is that NFL stadiums are loud. Players can’t always hear each other, so they use signals or signs on the sidelines, which is non-verbal communication. That happens to be my specialty.” Talaat has dreamed of playing in the NFL since watching John Elway lead the Denver Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl titles when he was a kid. Dominating at the Division III level helped Talaat draw attention from scouts. More than 25 NFL teams have met with him or watched him play. Now comes the hard part: waiting for a phone call when the draft kicks off next week. “The odds were stacked against me since I was born,” Talaat said. “Hypothetically, if I went to a BCS school and performed the way I have at Gallaudet, I would be in contention for a first-to-third round pick. It seems fitting because my entire life, nothing has ever been handed to me; I’ve always been snubbed and overlooked, and every time I have made those people regret it. My message to the NFL office personnel is this: Don’t be the one to overlook me here, or I WILL make you sorry! All I need is the opportunity to be coached and compete. I will not disappoint!” Talaat, who is 6-foot-6, and a lean 271 pounds, had five sacks and 46 tackles while facing mostly double-and triple-teams during his senior season. He spent 13 weeks training at TEST Sports Clubs this winter to improve his all-around skills. The hard work paid off when Talaat posted impressive numbers at Gallaudet’s first-ever Pro Day last month. Talaat ran a 4.94 40-yard dash, had a 30-inch vertical jump and benched 225 pounds 23 times. That’s two more reps than Jadeveon Clowney, the South Carolina defensive end who might be the No. 1 overall pick. Talaat’s time of 7.28 seconds in the three-cone drill was only .01 seconds slower than Clowney. “His size, speed and wingspan are all NFL-caliber traits,” said Kevin Dunn, owner and CEO of TEST Parisi Football Academy. “If you could tangibly measure Adham’s will to win, desire to get better and the passion and purpose that is inside his heart, it would fill a stadium and add a tremendous amount of good character to any market in the NFL.” Talaat has a strong work ethic, a quality evident on a Friday afternoon in February when he stayed after practice to get more instruction on running the 40. He doesn’t consider his hearing a handicap and never uses it as an excuse. “We didn’t give him any special treatment, made sure to treat him like everyone else, and I know he appreciated that,” said Geir Gudmundsen, the academy’s director of football operations. “He’s the type of kid that will be the first one to the facility, and the last one to leave. He’s certain that he was born to play football. When you hear him talk, you can feel his passion for the game. When you observe his workouts, you can see that he will not get outworked.” Talaat’s journey has been filled with obstacles. He was diagnosed with profound to severe hearing loss at 18 months old. After being fitted with hearing aids, he started preschool early to learn how to speak. It didn’t hold him back: He took regular classes and did well academically.—AP Cryogenic freezing? вЂ�Yeah, baby!’ says Date-Krumm TOKYO: Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm has no plans to quit tennis at the ripe old age of 43 but told AFP she would have to be cryogenically frozen to carry on for too much longer. The former world number four joked that going into a deep freeze like spoof spy Austin Powers and being defrosted in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would appeal to her as she battles minor injuries in the run-up to the French Open. “If I’d just have to sleep and then when I wake up it’s like it’s yesterday, that might work,” Date-Krumm said in an interview ahead of a workout at a Tokyo gym. “I’m not getting any younger.” “I did this in Mexico, this in Malaysia and this in Korea,” she adds, pointing to various minor niggles on both legs. “It gets harder with age.” TOKYO: Japanese tennis player Kimiko DateKrumm poses for a photo in Tokyo. — AFP But the evergreen Date-Krumm, who reached her career-high ranking in 1995, ruled out retirement, for now, even if she confessed to doubts sometimes creeping in as to how long she can continue. “Next year? That’s still a long way away,” said the world number 84, bursting into a laugh. “I have thought at times that enough is enough and wrestled with the idea (of quitting), but I’ve managed to overcome those feelings so far. “I don’t have any problem with people mentioning my age. Of course my recovery time after matches is slower and I feel the fatigue more the next day. On the way back to the hotel, you feel sore and sometimes the ice baths don’t work.” вЂ�Few wrinkles’ Dressed in a designer blouse, blue jeans and heels, Date-Krumm is brutally honest about the future. “When I came back at 37 I was way stronger than I am now,” said the Kyoto native, who walked away from tennis in 1996, the year she suffered a controversial defeat by Steffi Graf in the Wimbledon semi-finals. “But I’m not thinking about stopping yet.” There have been fairytale moments since Date-Krumm’s return to the sport in 2008. In 2009 she became the second-oldest player in the modern era to win a WTA singles title after Billie Jean King when she claimed the Korea Open, and last year reached the third round at Wimbledon, the oldest woman to do so. “There’s no special secret,” said Date-Krumm. “Tennis has become more scientific since the 90s. Strengthening core and back muscles helps maximize my power.” However, the appliance of science can only do so much. “If the Tokyo Olympics were in 2016, my motivation would be right up there,” said the eight-times tour singles champion. “It might be possible.” When talk turns to her gutwrenching Wimbledon loss to Graf, when the German’s protests about bad light led to play being suspended with Date-Krumm clearly on top, the Japanese gave a polite shrug. “I could see the ball and wanted to keep playing, and maybe I could have won. But it was fate,” she said before once more breaking into laughter. “What strikes me more than anything when I see re-runs on TV is how few wrinkles I had back then.” — AFP Ronnie OГSullivan Snooker - O’Sullivan stays on course for another title LONDON: Ronnie O’Sullivan maintained his charge towards a third successive World Championship title as he established a 6-2 lead over Barry Hawkins in the first session of their semi-final on Thursday. O’Sullivan has been in fine form during his pursuit of a sixth world crown of his career since coming from behind to defeat Joe Perry in the second round at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. O’Sullivan swept past Shaun Murphy, himself a former world champion, in the quarter-finals with a session to spare and, in a repeat of last year’s final, wasted little time in establishing a four-frame lead in the best of 33 contest. He took the first of the semi-final with a break of 63 before Hawkins levelled with a contribution of 96 and briefly went ahead with a break of 76. But it was one-way traffic from then on, Hawkins’s mistakes and O’Sullivan’s skill seeing the champion, who made a break of 108 in the seventh frame before a missed red from his opponent let him take the next, pull ahead. The second semi-final was an AngloAustralian clash between Mark Selby and Melbourne-born Neil Robertson, the 2010 world champion, who in his quarter-final win over Judd Trump became the first player to make 100 competitive century breaks in a tour season. Selby established a 5-3 overnight lead after world number one Robertson made a break of 130 in the final frame of the day. Robertson came from 5-1 down to beat Selby 10-7 in the final of the UK Championship, snooker’s second-most important tournament, in December. — AFP SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 NBA launches bid to oust Clippers owner NEW YORK: The National Basketball Association has launched its bid to oust Donald Sterling as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers for racist comments as a panel of 10 fellow team owners or their proxies unanimously agreed to proceed “as expeditiously as possible,” the NBA said. The decision, reached during a telephone conference call of the NBA Board of Governors’ advisory-finance committee, seemed to indicate a strong base of support among Sterling’s fellow owners for his removal, as urged by league Commissioner Adam Silver. Silver on Tuesday declared Sterling banned from the NBA for life, fined him $2.5 million - the league maximum - and called on the 29 other club owners who make up the governing board to exercise their authority to force Sterling to sell the Clippers. The unprecedented move would require a three-fourths majority vote under the league’s constitution and bylaws. If approved, the board could then go further still and vote to seize ownership of the team for the NBA itself to sell, cutting Sterling out of the negotiations. The decision came hours before sports network ESPN and other media reported Sterling has been battling prostate cancer. Reuters could not independently confirm the reports. Silver and at least two of the owners, including the interim chairman of the board, Glen Taylor of the Minnesota Timberwolves, have expressed confidence they could muster the votes necessary to force a sale. The teams represented in Thursday’s initial strategy session were Minnesota Timberwolves, the Miami Heat, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns, the Indiana Pacers and the Toronto Raptors. In a brief statement, the NBA said the panel discussed terminating Sterling’s ownership and “unanimously agreed to move forward as expeditiously as possible.” It said the panel would reconvene next week. The committee’s decision was in line with an outpouring of support expressed by the owners as a whole for Silver following Tuesday’s announcement of a ban. But experts have suggested that some of Sterling’s fellow owners might be hesitant to support action they felt could set a precedent weakening their own future property rights. Collision course seen Sterling, who bought the Clippers in 1981 for $13 million when the team was based in San Diego, has not indicated whether he would relinquish ownership without putting up a fight. Experts have estimated that the franchise, which moved to Los Angeles in 1984, could now be worth as much as $1 billion, posing an enormous potential capital gains tax liability on Sterling if he were to sell the team. A number of legal scholars and sports business analysts have said they expect Sterling and the NBA to be on a collision course that will be fought out in court. “The guy has a reputation for being highly litigious. I just can’t possibly imagine him rolling over and handing the team over and not fighting back,” said Adam Schlatner, a sports business attorney and commercial litigator. Schlatner, who handles legal matters for the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders’ owner Charles Wang and has had dealings with clients involving the NBA, said the league might consider allowing Sterling to sell the team himself by a prescribed deadline. But he predicted that, one way or another, Sterling would end up severed from the Clippers and would realize that “the franchise would not be economically viable if he continues to own it.” The scandal sparked outrage from fans and players, and numerous commercial sponsors pulled their support from the team before and after the NBA moved to expel Sterling. Sterling was banned from any further ties with his team or professional basketball, and stripped of his seat on the NBA governing board, days after two websites released audio recordings in which a voice said to be Sterling’s is heard criticizing a female friend for “associating with black people.” Silver said Tuesday that Sterling has acknowledged to the NBA that the recording was authentic but did not apologize. The sale of the Clippers could take weeks. According to NBA bylaws, Silver must present Sterling a written copy of any allegations justifying a forced sale within three days, and Sterling would have five days to answer. A special hearing of the Board of Governors, consisting of all the owners, would then be held on a date no more than 10 days after Sterling’s reply. The prospect of Sterling’s ouster led several luminaries of sports and show business to signal interest in buying the team. Among them were talk show host turned media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Hollywood executive David Geffen, computer technology titan Larry Ellison, former Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin “Magic” Johnson and boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya.— Reuters Pacers rally to extend series Durant shines as Thunder stay alive ATLANTA: David West led Indiana on a 16-4 run to end the game, extending the season for the top-seeded Pacers with a 95-88 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. Trailing 3-2 after losing at home for the second time in the Eastern Conference series, Indiana was poised for an early summer when the Hawks pushed out to an 84-79 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining, cheered on by a raucous crowd. But, for the fourth time in this back-and-forth affair, the road team won. West seemed to make every big play down the stretch, scoring four straight points and forcing a huge turnover to begin the turnaround. West hit two more baskets in the final minute to wrap things up, finishing with 24 points. Game 7 is today in Indianapolis. Paul George also scored 24 points for the Pacers, making four straight free throws to help finish off the Hawks, trying to become only the sixth No 8 seed to knock off a No 1 seed. Jeff Teague scored 29 points for Atlanta. THUNDER 104, GRIZZLIES 84 Kevin Durant scored 36 points to break out of a slump as Oklahoma City routed Memphis to force a deciding seventh game in the first-round Western Conference series. Russell Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who haven’t been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs since 2010. They took control early with Durant scoring 14 points in the first quarter, led by 15 at halftime and never let Memphis get closer in the second half in the first game in the series ended in regulation since the opener. Durant also had 10 rebounds and made 14 of 15 free throws. Game 7 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City. Marc Gasol had 17 points and Zach Randolph 16 for Memphis. Guard Mike Conley strained his right hamstring, briefly returned and left for good with 8:48 left. OAKLAND: Golden State Warriors’ David Lee (right) shoots next to Los Angeles Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan during the second half in Game 6 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, May 1, 2014. — AP WARRIORS 100, CLIPPERS 99 Stephen Curry scored 24 points and dished out nine assists, and the Warriors forced a decisive Game 7 by outlasting the Clippers. Andre Iguodala added 15 points and Draymond Green had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Warriors, handing Los Angeles one more obstacle to overcome in a week full of them after Clippers owner Donald Sterling earned a lifetime ban from the NBA for his racist remarks. The Warriors limited big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan even after center Jermaine O’Neal left with a sprained right knee in the second quarter. The Clippers simply ran out of time in the closing minute, missing three shots before Matt Barnes made a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to play. Game 7 is Saturday in Los Angeles. — Agencies SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 FRENCH CUP PREVIEW Rennes gunning for Cup final revenge PARIS: French football’s great underachievers Rennes will look to end a major trophy drought of more than four decades when they face Brittany rivals Guingamp in today’s Cup final at the Stade de France. Rennes’ recent history has been peppered with draining disappointment, none greater than their defeat in the 2009 French Cup final against the same Guingamp side, albeit one who were then in the second tier. On that occasion, Rennes took a second-half lead only for a brace of goals by Brazilian forward Eduardo to give Guingamp the first, and to date only, major trophy success in their history. Rennes were also beaten by Saint-Etienne in last season’s League Cup final, leaving them still without a major title since beating Lyon to lift the Cup back in 1971. Such a record is not good enough for a club from the capital of the prosperous region of Brittany and owned by the billionaire Francois Pinault, and a second final defeat to Guingamp - the club where Didier Drogba shot to prominence from a town with a population of little more than 7,000 - five years later is unthinkable. However, Rennes coach Philippe Montanier has played down talk of revenge and also insisted that his team should not feel under too much pressure, pointing to the fact that Guingamp are now a top-division side and have already won both league meetings of the teams this season. “It’s 15th in the league against 16th,” said Montanier, who is hoping skipper Romain Danze will be fit in time to feature. “There is no favorite especially as a final is a one-off occasion. Guingamp maybe have the psychological advantage because they have beaten us twice in the league this season. But it will be an evenly-matched final.” When asked whether the 2009 final between the teams would have any bearing, the former Real Sociedad coach replied: “I don’t think so. Only Danze is left from that game and it was five years ago. вЂ�Context is different’ “The context is different and so are the teams - Guingamp were in Ligue 2 at the time. For us it’s more about focusing on a final than worrying about revenge or what happened five years or 35 years ago. “We have nothing to lose because if we lose people will continue to say that we are a team that always loses in finals. And if we win we will have ended a wait of 43 years. “It would be a huge disappointment if we lost, but brilliant if we won.” Both clubs remain in danger of relegation to Ligue 2 with just three games left in the league campaign, but for Guingamp - coached by former Rennes playmaker Jocelyn Gourvennec - the knockout competition has proved to be a welcome distraction. Inspired by the goals of Malian international striker Mustapha Yatabare, who has netted seven in the competition so far, SPANISH LEAGUE PREVIEW GERMAN LEAGUE PREVIEW Real rout boosts Hamburg hopes BERLIN: Rafael van der Vaart says Real Madrid’s 4-0 drubbing of Bayern Munich in the Champions League will boost relegation-threatened Hamburg against the Bavarian giants in today’s Bundesliga clash. Hamburg, the only club in Germany’s top flight to have never gone down, sit third from bottom in the table and at risk of an historic relegation. A thousand fans watched the team go through their paces on Thursday and shouts of “never in the second division!” echoed around the training ground. Hamburg are five points from safety with two games left and desperately need points against champions Bayern to climb out of the bottom three. If they finish 16th, they will face a last chance play-off against the third-placed side in the second division to try to maintain their Bundesliga place. But Bayern’s Champions League exit in Tuesday’s 4-0 semi-final, second-leg drubbing at home to Real has given Hamburg hope, says Netherlands star Van der Vaart. “It’s a matter of survival and honor for us. If we give our all, then we also have a chance against Bayern,” said the 31-year-old, who is hoping to play after recovering from a calf injury. But the Dutch playmaker says Hamburg must be confident against Bayern. “We need to show some balls, Bayern won’t give anything away and it would be really bad for them to lose two games in a row,” he said. Since being confirmed Bundesliga champions with a record seven games to spare at the end of last month, Bayern have produced some belowpar performances which culminated in their drubbing at the hands of Real. “After the defeat to Real, Bayern are sure to have no great desire to get on the plane to Hamburg. We want to annoy them,” said director of sport Oliver Kreuzer in a radio interview. The Bavarian giants have wounded pride and will be looking to bounce back at Hamburg ahead of their German Cup final against arch rivals Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on May 17. “We need to quickly lick our wounds so we put in a better performance in the Cup final against Dortmund,” insisted chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Hamburg have suffered some heavy losses to Bayern recently, being routed 5-0 at home in February’s German Cup quarter-finals and humbled 9-2 in Munich in the league in March 2013. Hamburg, for whom Mirko Slomka is their third coach this season after Thorsten Fink and Bert van Marwijk were both fired, are low on confidence after six defeats in their last ten games. Even Kreuzer has voiced doubts they will survive. “There are legitimate doubts about a positive outcome. I have been waiting for weeks to see a reaction from the players,” he fumed after Hamburg’s lacklustre 3-1 defeat at home to mid-table Augsburg last Sunday, their third loss in a row. Hamburg have a few personnel worries with Germany pair Heiko Westermann, Marcell Jansen and Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu all struggling with injuries or illness. —AFP Guingamp’s run to the Stade de France included a 3-1 extra-time victory against Monaco in the semi-finals. With Rennes beating second-tier Angers 3-2 in the other semi-final tie, that set up a Breton derby at the national stadium and French Football Association president Noel Le Graet, who hails from Guingamp, is certain the sell-out 80,000 crowd will make it an occasion to remember. “This final is for the people of Brittany who are coming back to Paris, and I’m sure we will see the same spectacular show that we saw in 2009,” said Le Graet. “The clubs have agreed to both provide traditional Brittany music, with 50 musicians each. After that, long live the sport, nothing more.” If Danze does play, the only absentee for Rennes will be left-back Cheik M’Bengue, who has a thigh problem. Guingamp have a fully-fit squad with Lionel Mathis - their only survivor from 2009 - available after injury. — AFP Atletico and Real out to seal perfect week LONDON: Atletico Madrid’s Turkish midfielder Arda Turan celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid at Stamford Bridge in London. — AFP MADRID: Fresh from reaching a first Champions League final in 40 years on Wednesday, Atletico Madrid insist they are already focussed on their La Liga title run-in, starting with a trip to Levante tomorrow. Atletico will face bitter neighbours Real Madrid in a historic Champions League final in Lisbon next month but in the meantime they are in the driving seat as they need just two wins from their last three games to seal their first La Liga title for 18 years. Diego Simeone’s men are on a run of nine straight league wins and another victory away to mid-table Levante will give Los Rojiblancos the chance to wrap up the championship at home to Malaga next weekend and avoid needing to get something from their daunting visit to Barcelona on the final day of the campaign. Even in the wake of his side’s famous 3-1 win over Chelsea, Simeone insisted he was immediately “preparing and focusing on the objective of beating Levante.” Full-back Filipe Luis echoed his coach’s sentiments and believes they will have beaten “the best team in Europe” if they go on to win La Liga or the Champions League. “This team never gives up. There are a lot of very important games before Lisbon and we are going to try and win them all,” said the Brazilian. “Real Madrid are the most difficult opponent you can face, they are the best team in Europe in my opinion, but we always approach games with humility and try our best to win. There is a long way to go though and now Levante is the most important game.” Simeone is expected to make a few changes to the side that started at Stamford Bridge with captain Gabi back from suspension and the likes of Raul Garcia and David Villa set to feature. However, top scorer Diego Costa should be fit to start despite being withdrawn late on in midweek due to a knee injury. Real Madrid could be nine points adrift of Atletico, albeit with two games in hand, by the time they kick-off later tomorrow at home to Valencia. Los Blancos enjoyed a fantastic win in midweek themselves as they hammered European champions Bayern Munich 4-0 at the Allianz Arena to qualify for their first European final for 12 years. Having already lifted the Copa del Rey, Real could still win an historic treble this season should Atletico stumble in their final few league games. And coach Carlo Ancelotti is savoring the success of his first season in charge. “Obviously I am very happy, you have to enjoy the good moments because, sooner or later, the bad moments will come,” he told Sky Italia. “It gives me great satisfaction to take Real Madrid to the final 12 years later.” Barcelona also maintain a slight chance of retaining the title, although they need both Atletico and Real to slip up as well as winning their three remaining games. The Catalans can close the gap on Atletico to one point when they host relegation-threatened Getafe earlier tomorrow and, despite looking like they will miss out on a major trophy for the first time in six years, midfielder Sergio Busquets insists they have to put the pressure on both sides from the capital. “We still have the end of La Liga to come, but it has not been a good season when it comes to results,” he said on Thursday. “We know that we don’t depend on ourselves and that makes it more difficult, but we still have hope. We need to exhaust all the possibilities.” — AFP SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Giggs relaxed about Old Trafford future MANCHESTER: Manchester United caretaker manager Ryan Giggs admitted yesterday that his future role at Old Trafford will be reviewed at the end of the season. Giggs has taken temporary control of first-team affairs at United after David Moyes was sacked last month following less than a season in charge. There has been speculation that current Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal will be installed as the new United manager after the World Cup, something which left question marks over Giggs’ long-term position at the club. However, the 40-year-old veteran midfielder remained relaxed over his future and admitted he had not yet decided whether he will carry on playing. “Nothing’s changed. It’s just until the end of the season,” Giggs said. “We’ll chat when that’s over and that’s all. “The way I’m thinking is I’m enjoying it. My concentration is the match against Sunderland today and the remaining two games. “We’ll see what happens at the end of the season I’ve got to decide whether I’m going to play or not. There is no point in thinking if I want to be an assistant or a manager somewhere else. “There’s so many things to think about. Like I just said, I’m just concentrating on what I am doing at the moment. “We’ll have to wait and see. My concentration isn’t on next season - it’s on this season.” Concern for Rooney Giggs’ immediate priority is the visit of relegation battlers Sunderland to Old Trafford today and he confirmed that he will check on the fitness of striker Wayne Rooney, who has been struggling with a bout of illness and a tight groin. “A few of the lads have had a bug,” Giggs said. “(Goalkeeper) Anders Lindegaard and Wayne have both had a bug. Wayne’s also got a tight groin. “And obviously with a bug you have to be careful with that because the immune system is down a bit. Wayne, being Wayne, wants to play and be involved so we’ll just monitor him over the next 24 hours.” The Welshman also revealed that Netherlands striker Robin van Persie had returned to training after a knee injury, although the match against Gus Poyet’s side could come too soon for him as United aim to steal a top-six finish. “Robin has been back training this week and he’s looked good,” Giggs said. “Whether today is too early for him we’ll just see how he goes. But he’s looked really good this week.” Giggs also admitted that despite the extra responsibilities of interim management he would still consider playing in the rest of the campaign.The winger, who has made 11 Premier League appearances this season, did not name himself among the matchday squad for his first game in charge - a 4-0 win over Norwich City last weekend. He added: “I’m still training and doing bits and pieces so I’m still in the frame of maybe playing the remaining games or being involved in the remaining games. “It’s just a case of keeping myself fit (but) win every game and I might not get back in because the lads are doing well. I’ll just have to wait and see.”— AFP EPL PREVIEW MATCHES ON TV ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE West Ham v Tottenham 14:45 beIN SPORTS 9 HD Man United v Sunderland 17:00 beIN SPORTS 9 HD Everton v Man City 19:30 beIN SPORTS 9 HD SPANISH LEAGUE Barcelona v Getafe 17:00 beIN SPORTS 2 beIN SPORTS 2 HD Malaga v Elche 19:00 beIN SPORTS 3 beIN SPORTS 3 HD Osasuna v Celta de Vigo 21:00 beIN SPORTS 2 beIN SPORTS 2 HD Real Valladolid v Espanyol 23:00 beIN SPORTS 2 beIN SPORTS 2 HD GERMAN LEAGUE Stuttgart v Wolfsburg 16:30 Dubai Sports Freiburg v Schalke 04 16:30 Dubai Sports Nuremberg v Hannover 96 16:30 Dubai sports Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer 04 16:30 Dubai Sports E Braunschweig v Augsburg 16:30 Dubai Sports Borussia M’bach v Mainz 16:30 Dubai Sports Dortmund v Hoffenheim 16:30 Dubai Sports Hamburger v Bayern Munich16:30 Dubai Sports Werder Bremen v Hertha Berlin 16:30 Dubai Sports Magath fears for Fulham’s future LONDON: Felix Magath admits the thought of relegation is scaring him ahead of Fulham’s trip to Stoke City yesterday. The second-bottom Cottagers must win their penultimate match of the season at the Britannia Stadium, according to their German manager, if they are to avoid bowing out of the Premier League. Magath, who has never dropped down a division in his career, was brought on board by Fulham with just 12 games of the season left in a desperate bid to preserve the London club’s top-flight status after they sacked former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen as their manager.Now former Bayern Munich boss Magath finds himself in a charge of a Fulham side who are in 19th place, one point from safety. But one of their relegation rivals, Sunderland, are one point in front with the added bonus of a game in hand. And Magath is worried what slipping out of the Premier League would do to west London side Fulham. “I have never been relegated and I am a bit afraid of the situation, I don’t know how it feels to be relegated,” he said. “I’m afraid for the club not for my personal record. I have nothing to prove in my career. I knew it was a difficult situation when I came here. “I’m confident I can manage it. I worry a little bit about the last matches but I’m confident. We can make it better today. “We need three points to have the chance to not be relegated. That is the situation. We know Stoke is a very good team at home, but we are confident that we have developed in the last weeks and we have shown against Hull.” вЂ�Not careful enough’ Magath added his side had learnt important lessons from drawing 2-2 with Hull a week ago, despite racing into a 2-0 lead. “Things worked well against, we were 2-0 ahead and had control over the game and there was maybe one situation that we are not careful enough. “Because I had the feeling that today the players are excited about the result, the crowd and the feeling to lead that they tried to play more offensive and score more, but the best thing was to avoid a goal. “We conceded a goal from nothing then you see that we are not confident enough to cope with the situation. We let go of the control of the game, for us it was terrible and not necessary. —AFP Man City lead charge as title race nears climax LONDON: The closest English top-flight title race in 33 years speeds towards its conclusion this weekend, with Manchester City carrying the advantage ahead of a thorny trip to Everton today. Leaders Liverpool’s 2-0 loss at home to second-place Chelsea last weekend means that City will probably be assured of a second title in three seasons if they win their three remaining matches. City trail Liverpool by three points but have a game in hand and a superior goal difference (+58 to +50), and yet with the teams so tightly bunched, the race is far from run. Not since 1981 have the top three been so close together at this stage of the season and only twice in the Premier League era (1999 and 2008) have three teams been in mathematical title contention at this point. With Chelsea not hosting Norwich City until Sunday and Liverpool visiting Crystal Palace on Monday, City can take over at the top by prevailing at Goodison Park. However, while Everton now trail Arsenal by four points in the race for the fourth and final Champions League place, they have lost at home only twice this season. “They are at home in front of their fans, and they are always good at home,” City’s Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho told the club website. “The atmosphere is also good there, and they will play with a lot of intensity. We have to be ready for that. It will be a very tough game.”Chelsea saw their hopes of a trophy double dashed last Wednesday when they lost 3-1 at home to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. Two points off the summit, Jose Mourinho’s side need both Liverpool and City to slip up if they are to claim the title, but goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer says that they have no option but to keep on fighting. “We need to put the others under pressure,” said the Australian, whose side will go top if they overcome third-bottom Norwich. “We have to pick ourselves up from this disappointment and realise we must keep banging on the door with the game against Norwich on Sunday. We must make sure we pick up three points so we can capitalise on any slip-ups.” вЂ�We are still alive’ Having stretched their lead over Everton with a breezy 3-0 success against Newcastle United on Monday, Arsenal can rubber-stamp a top-four finish if they win at home to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Manchester United’s Champions League ambitions have long faded, but they will look to build on last weekend’s 4-0 win over Norwich in interim manager Ryan Giggs’s first game in charge when they host Sunderland. Sunderland, however, are on a run of back-to-back victories that have lifted them out of the bottom three, and having already beaten both City and Chelsea this season, they have pedigree against the top sides. “We haven’t played to the level that we’re capable of this season, but we did that against Norwich,” said Giggs. “It can’t just be for one game. It has to be for longer than that. Every time you play for Manchester United you have to stay at that level, and they have to keep to these standards against Sunderland.” While Sunderland also have a game in hand to fulfil, at home to West Brom on Wednesday, time is running out for bottom club Cardiff City, who are two points from safety ahead of today’s trip to Newcastle. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side could be relegated this weekend if results go against them, while Fulham are also in a perilous position, just a point better off and facing a trip to Stoke City. With an away game at Palace awaiting on the season’s final day, Fulham manager Felix Magath has urged his players to take responsibility for their destiny by winning their last two matches. “I still believe two wins will be enough,” he said “There is no doubt, we need three points to have the chance to not be relegated. That is the situation. “The atmosphere is very good and the players want to show people we are still alive.”— AFP English Premier League table LONDON: English Premier League table ahead of the weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Liverpool Chelsea Man City Arsenal Everton Tottenham Man Utd Southampton Newcastle Stoke Crystal Palace Swansea Hull West Ham West Brom Aston Villa Sunderland Norwich Fulham Cardiff 36 36 35 36 36 36 35 36 36 36 36 36 35 36 35 35 35 36 36 36 25 24 24 22 20 20 18 14 14 11 13 10 10 10 7 9 8 8 9 7 5 6 5 7 9 6 6 10 4 11 4 9 7 7 15 8 8 8 4 9 6 6 6 7 7 10 11 12 18 14 19 17 18 19 13 18 19 20 23 20 96 69 93 65 57 52 60 52 39 39 28 51 36 38 42 36 37 28 37 31 46 26 35 41 36 49 40 45 57 50 43 52 45 49 54 53 57 60 79 69 80 78 77 73 69 66 60 52 46 44 43 39 37 37 36 35 32 32 31 30 Note: Top four teams qualify for next season’s Champions League; fifth-place team qualifies for Europa League; bottom three teams relegated to Championship. SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014 Sports Durant shines as Thunder stay alive 45 VALENCIA: Sevilla’s goalkeeper Beto from Portugal (center) and Fernando Navarro (right) celebrates at the end their Europa League semifinal second leg soccer match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium on Thursday. — AP Sevilla, Benfica face off in Europa final Mbia’s late strike sinks Valencia VALENCIA: Sevilla snatched a last-gasp place in the Europa League final when a 94thminute Stephane Mbia header put them through on away goals after their semi-final against Valencia ended 3-3 on aggregate on Thursday. Despite going down 3-1 in their second leg at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, Mbia’s dramatic late strike set up a final showdown with Benfica on May 14 after the Portuguese club eliminated Italian side Juventus 2-1 on aggregate following a 0-0 draw in Turin. Sevilla were favourites to advance against their La Liga rivals after winning last week’s first leg 2-0 at home but a 14th-minute Sofiane Feghouli effort, an own goal from goalkeeper Beto in the 26th and a Jeremy Mathieu blast 21 minutes from time put Valencia 3-0 ahead on the night and 3-2 ahead overall. They were just over a minute away from going through to the final when Federico Fazio flicked on a long throw and Cameroon midfielder Mbia rose to crash a header into the net and silence the Valencia fans packed into the Mestalla. It was a triumph for Sevilla coach Unai Emery, who never completely won over the Valencia fans when he was in charge there from 2008 to 2012, and he celebrated Mbia’s goal wildly on the side of the pitch. “This is a unique experience,” Emery said in an interview with Spanish television. “We don’t care who we are playing in the final, we just have to enjoy this,” added the 42-year-old former Real Sociedad midfielder. “Now we have to beat a great team (Benfica) because they have beaten Juve, who are also a great club.” Valencia forward Pablo Piatti struggled for words in a TV interview immediately after the whistle and said he and his team mates were “feeling the pain” and “in a bad way”. “We tried, we gave it everything and they scored against us in the last minute,” added the Argentine. “We are happy with the work we put in but it was pointless in the end.” Powerful header Valencia made an energetic start in front of their vociferous supporters while Sevilla had clearly opted to play a more patient game and wait for a chance on the break. The home side forced themselves back into the tie when Feghouli received the ball inside the area and cut inside his marker and his left-foot strike took a slight deflection off a defender on its way into the net. Valencia were level on aggregate in the 26th minute when Jonas made the most of slack marking to send a powerful header towards goal from a Juan Bernat centre. Beto could only palm the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and then watch helplessly as it bounced off his back and into the net for what UEFA ruled was an own goal by the Sevilla goalkeeper. The visitors managed to survive the early onslaught without conceding again and came close to a goal in the 36th when Jose Antonio Reyes met a clever Carlos Bacca backheel at the far post but his closerange effort was blocked superbly by Valencia keeper Diego Alves. Both sides showed attacking intent in the early stages of the second half before defender Mathieu was quickest to react when the ball ran loose at a corner and the Frenchman left Beto no chance with a powerful shot. Valencia were moments away from going through when Mbia struck to keep alive Sevilla’s chances of repeating their successes in Europe’s second-tier club competition from 2006 and 2007, when it was known as the UEFA Cup. Juve, Inter Milan and Liverpool are the only three sides to have won the UEFA Cup/Europa League three times. — Reuters
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