Thurman is rocking cape: confident without makeup 8P 18-19 Monday, December 22, 2014 Jennifer wants to be a Superhero! Issue No. 6507 Customer care: SMS Touch point +973 1 7228224 3222 3005 Outlook slashed Why do people cough? 8P 20 customer .care @ bh.uaeexchange.com www.uaeexchange.com 8P 32 8P 11 UAE Exchange Centre Co. Bahrain WLL Skrtel header saves Liverpool SICKENING STATISTICS TACKLING THREATS TOPS THE AGENDA With 44 deaths, 2014 is the second deadliest year for the sickle cell patients in Bahrain DT News Network [email protected] S etting off the alarm bells, Bahrain Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care Society President Zakreya Al Kadhem said, 2014 was one of the deadliest years for sickle cell patients in Bahrain. Deaths related to sickle cell disease this year have risen to 44, making 2014 the second deadliest year for sickle cell patients in the history of the Kingdom. “Until 2010 we were having around 20 or less number of deaths, but after that year the number has risen above 30. 2012 and 2014 have been the worst,” Mr. Al Kadhem said. There were 47 deaths in 2012, three more than this year. 2010 ranks third in the number of deaths - 35 people died of sickle cell disease that year. The disease claimed as many as 216 people in the past six years. Read the full story on Page 3 Number of deaths per year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 25 35 32 47 33 44 Causes/ Symptoms/ Complications A point mutation created in the HBB gene in chromosome #11 causes the half of the production of normal haemoglobin A and replaces it with abnormal haemoglobin S. This causes the red blood cells carrying this abnormal haemoglobin to stiffen. Cure/ Treatment Options Bone marrow transplant is the only cure available, but it is a risky operation. The transplant usually works on children and youths. Adults tend to reject the transplant. Hydroxyurea is a drug that helps to prevent or lessen the complications. Detection and Carriers Carriers of this disease or those affected by it can be tested through haemoglobin electrophoresis, which can determine the types and qualities of the haemoglobin produced by an individual. 8P 5 Twenty jihadists killed in Syria Beirut A t least 20 Islamist State (IS) group members were killed in the second failed jihadist bid in a month to take over an air base in eastern Syria, a monitoring group said yesterday. “The IS tried, starting late Saturday, to storm the air base. A total of 20 jihadists were killed in the attack, as well as two regime soldiers,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Nineteen of the IS members were Syrian, while one was Moroccan. They were killed in fighting and heavy army shelling. “The withdrawing jihadists seized and took with them several anti-aircraft missiles,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. The attack was the second recent attempt by IS to take over the Deir Ezzor military air base, one of the last remaining regime positions in the eastern province. Deir Ezzor is located on the border with Iraq, where IS also controls large swathes of territory. The IS group emerged in Syria’s conflict in the spring of 2013. Since then it has declared a “caliphate” straddling Syria and Iraq. Activists say it rules the people under its control through a reign of terror. 2 Manama J Monday, December 22, 2014 JORDANIAN KING LEAVES BAHRAIN ordanian King Abdulla Ibn Al-Hussein left the Kingdom after a short visit yesterday. King Abdulla was seen off by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the airport. Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was also present on the occasion. regional issues, including the latest Arab During his stay in the developments. Kingdom, King Abdulla and HM They had stressed the need to the King had discussed various consolidate solidarity between all Arab countries so as to achieve security and peace, amid mounting challenges that require consultation and coordination. Apart from regional and Arab developments, the two leaders had also highlighted the ongoing efforts to combat terror and extremism. King Hamad seeing off King Abdulla. Halat bu Maher Health Centre to open today Manama rime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa will patronise the opening of the Halat Bu Maher Health Centre in Muharraq today. The landmark project reflects HRH Premier's constant interest in the health sector, and keenness to upgrade the quality of medical services provided for the citizens and residents. Halat Bu Maher Health Centre has been built following directives from HRH the Prime Minister to implement projects that meet the needs of citizens. The health centre is also in line with the Government's policies to meet the requirements of urban development and population increase in the Kingdom. The BD6.8 million- health centre that begins operation on December 28 will serve the residents of blocs 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 and 217. The three-storey facility that has been built in 13,674 square metres includes car parks for staff, patients and visitors. P WikiLeaks publishes CIA tips for travelling spies Washington WikiLeaks yesterday released two CIA documents that offered tips to help spies maintain their cover while using false documents as they crossed international borders. The two documents, dating from 2011 and 2012, are marked classified and “NOFORN,” which means they were not meant to be shared with allied intelligence agencies, WikiLeaks said. The documents outline a number of strategies for agents to avoid secondary screening at airports and borders. Some are obvious: don’t buy a one-way ticket with cash the day before flying. Others perhaps less so: don’t look scruffy while travelling on a diplomatic passport. 2014 SEES 44 DEATHS Monday, December 22, 2014 3 Sickle Cell Disease 4 Sickle cell disease accounts for 1.3 per cent of deaths in Bahrain 4 The number of sickle cell related death is only three short of 2012 toll, which had been the deadliest year for sickle cell patients. Muhannad Mansour /DTNN [email protected] D eaths related to sickle cell disease this year have risen to 44, making 2014 the second deadliest year for sickle cell patients in Bahrain’s history. The number of deaths since 2010 has been “worrying” said Bahrain Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care Society President Zakreya Al Kadhem. “Until 2010 we were having around 20 or less number of deaths, but after that year the number has risen above 30. 2012 and 2014 have been the worst,” Mr. Al Kadhem said. There were 47 deaths in 2012, three more than this year. 2010 ranks third in the number of deaths - 35 people died of sickle cell disease that year. The disease claimed as many as 216 people in the past six years. Health Ministry statistics revealed that sickle cell disease accounted for 1.3 per cent of deaths in Bahrain in the past two years. 29-year-old Mariyam Muhsan Esmail lost her battle against sickle cell disease last Friday after spending about a month in the Intensive Care Unit. The number of sickle cell related death is only three behind 2012, which had been the deadliest year for sickle cell patients. Mariyam, who hails from Nuwaidrat, spent 29 days in the ICU - from November 20 to December 19. “She had been facing great difficulties owing to her Mr. Al Khadem condition. She had difficulty in breathing, for her lungs were affected. The capacity of her lungs started reducing each time the disease attacked her, “ said Mr. Al Kadhem. Earlier this month, 37-year-old Saed Ali Bu Ali died of complications from sickle cell disease. Mr. Al Kadhem pointed out, the nature of the disease was unpredictable. “Things can change at any moment. Say for instance, during the routine check-up a patient might look absolutely alright, but he could experience the sickle cell attack as soon as he leaves the clinic,” he said. “The disease can go from fine to bad and bad to good in a matter of minutes. So for sickle cell disease, no doctor can assure that their patients are absolutely fine.” he added. Sickle cell deaths in numbers Until 2010 we were having around 20 or less number of deaths, but after that year the number has risen above 30. 2012 and 2014 has been the worst. -Mr. Al Khadem By Months Deaths by age (2014) (10-19 years) ( 20- 29 years) Jan Feb March April May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 4 15 ( 30- 39 years) 10 ( 40- 49 years) 8 ( 50- 59 years) 6 (60- 69 years) 1 By Gender 4 Male 27 4Female 17 4 9 2 5 4 2 4 3 9 0 1 2 Things can change at any moment. Say for instance, during the routine check-up a patient might look absolutely alright, but he could experience the sickle cell attack as soon as he leaves the clinic. -Mr. Al Kadhem SEX OFFENDER GETS ONE YEAR IN PRISON 4 DT News Network [email protected] A teenager, who sexually assaulted two 11-yearold boys, was awarded a one-year-imprisonment yesterday by the High Criminal Court. Monday, December 22, 2014 The victims, who are cousins, were allegedly sexually abused by the 17-year-old defendant on different occasions, according to their parents. It was alleged that the defendant threatened the boys with a metal rod in The defendant had confessed to committing the crime during questioning, but claimed that the victims participated in the act willingly. order to take them to an isolated property in Daih, where he committed the crime. Not only did he assault them sexually, but also he recorded the incident on his phone. The defendant had confessed to committing the crime during questioning, but claimed that the victims participated in the act willingly. He told prosecutors that a friend told him that he had sexual act with one of the boys. “So, I told him to bring the boy to me so I can do the same,” he said. However, one of the victims told prosecutors that the defendant threatened them with a metal rod before sexually abusing them. “I was playing in a playground with my cousin when he (defendant) approached us and told us to go with him,” he said. He added that they refused. “But he said, he will beat us with a metal rod, which he was holding.” Impersonators lose appeal DT News Network [email protected] T wo persons, who were sentenced to 15 years in prison each for kidnapping and robbing two others, have lost their appeals before the High Criminal Appeals Court. The appellants including a 22-year-old Bahraini and an Asian man in his early thirties had allegedly impersonated plain-clothes police officers to carry out the crime. It was claimed that the defendants abruptly stopped the car in which their victims were heading to work. They demanded the identity cards of the victims before tying them and covering their faces with bags. “We saw one of them holding a wireless device. Therefore, we thought they were cops. The appellants including a 22-yearold Bahraini and an Asian man in his early thirties had allegedly impersonated plain-clothes police officers to carry out the crime. They were also wearing safety vests,” one of the victims told prosecutors. “They handcuffed us and covered our faces with bags before discarding us in a remote place,” he added. The defendants robbed a smart phone as well as BD360 from the pair, according to court files. “They left us to die, but we survived because I managed to free my hands. Once I removed the bag from my face, I was shocked to learn that we are in an isolated area,” the victim added. According to court files the criminals were captured after police used the footages of CCTV cameras installed on the street lights to identify them. It was learnt that the Asian man was working for the Ministry of Interior and he succeeded in stealing the outfits and the wireless device after his dismissal. It was reported that he gave the idea of robbing people through impersonating police officers to his accomplice. Former colonel fails to appear before court Manama former colonel in the intelligence department involved in firearms possession case yesterday failed to appear before the High Criminal Court. Seven other persons are also implicated in the same case, but only three defendants appeared before the court yesterday. It was for the second time that the colonel refused to attend to the trial as he was not present during the trial on October 30. Between 2011 and 2014, all the defendants allegedly possessed machine guns, pistols and ammunition without any licence. Six of the defendants claimed that they were being paid wages ranging between BD400 and BD700 by the former colonel to guard him.  In October, the Lower Criminal Court sentenced the former colonel to three years in prison for money embezzlement. The court held the defendant guilty of misusing a cheque worth BD1,250,000 which was given to him by A Six of the defendants claimed that they were being paid wages ranging between BD400 and BD700 by the former colonel to guard him. an overseas company, which was planning to establish a poultry company in Bahrain.  Since the local regulations do not allow foreigners to operate companies in Bahrain without local partners, they sought the help of the defendant who pledged to invest BD10 million in the project. However, when his partners paid their share, the defendant deposited it to his account and then began ignoring them. The trial was adjourned by judges until January 19. Monday, December 22, 2014 5 UK envoy meets Crown Prince TACKLING THREATS TOPS THE AGENDA Prince Salman emphasised that the new defence agreement between Bahrain and the UK demonstrates the commitment of both countries to further strengthening cooperation and coordination to tackle shared strategic and regional threats. Manama rown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday met the United Kingdom (UK) Ambassador Ian Lindsay, at Riffa Palace. During the meeting, the Crown Prince highlighted the strength of bilateral relations between Bahrain and the UK, underlining the joint commitment of both countries towards furthering strategic ties between the two countries. Prince Salman emphasised that the new defence agreement between Bahrain and the UK demonstrates the commitment of both countries to further strengthening cooperation and coordination C The Crown Prince and Mr. Lindsay during the meeting. to tackle shared strategic and regional threats. During the meeting, the Crown Prince and the British Ambassador also discussed regional and international developments of mutual interest. In response, Mr. Lindsay confirmed the ongoing support received by both the countries to further enhance bilateral ties, and pursue opportunities for future partnership. Attack on duo Nepal Embassy comes to rescue DT News Network [email protected] T he Nepalese Embassy in Bahrain has now stepped in to help the couple who was allegedly attacked by an Arab national in the broad daylight at Central Manama. The Embassy officials told DT News that they yesterday visited the couple, who are “Still in the police custody for creating public nuisance under the influence of alcohol.” However, the officials were not allowed to have a conversation with the duo. “The police officers said that they have launched a manhunt for the Arab national who assaulted the couple on Thursday. The act was inhumane and the embassy would take necessary steps,” said an official attached to the embassy. Meanwhile, the officers also said that the duo is not married but live in the same area. “They have been working in Bahrain for the last few years,” added the official. An Arab national allegedly assaulted them who were high on alcohol on Thursday. According to an eyewitness, the Nepalese nationals were wandering in the streets in an inebriated state at Central A screenshot from the video, which captured the fight. Manama. The incident took place at the junction of Tijjar and Al Muthanna avenues on block 304. Vendors confirmed to DT News that the Egyptian attacker was working at a shop located near the crime scene. They also informed that he was not seen since then. �BIA extended assistance’ W ith reference to the article published in Daily Tribune titled �Lack of local assistance delayed flight’ on Sunday, I would like to clarify that Bahrain International Airport officials did extend their support to our team. - Rajneesh Bagga, Manager-Bahrain and Jordan, Air India, Bahrain Bold Move by Obama O bama shocked the world last Wednesday. Despite his unpopularity on many other fronts, I think, he will now go down in history as one of the boldest Presidents that USA ever had. By calling the current US approach towards Cuba as “outdated”, and by condemning the US policy of isolating Cuba, “a failure”, he called a spade a spade. He brought to light the stark naked truth which many people were finding uneasy to confront - Like those people in that old, old fable, unable to say that the emperor’s new clothes were no clothes at all. The naked truth is this: Cold war thinking is no longer relevant in today’s world. US-Cuban ties have been frozen since the early 1960s - a policy of isolation – which from Eisenhower’s time to Obama’s, has benefitted neither US nor Cuba. Cuba only went on to get an inflated image, as an unfortunate underdog, to the disadvantage of US. With most of Latin America disliking this stance, US-Latin America trade relations have also been ailing for a while.  Moreover, as a country that prides itself in pushing for open societies and open markets, the US was clearly looking like a big fat hypocrite. Its archaic foreign policy on Cuba was giving it a very bad image. Like an unforgiving child, it was obstinately hanging on to an ideological relic of the Cold War era. But thanks to this bold stroke now, US will now seek to set up an embassy in Cuba, expand US visitors to Cuba, open up banking and increase caps on how much cash Cubans can post to relatives on to the island. And I am sure, it will make a world of difference. Mack McLarty who had served as President Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff, and as the Counselor to the President, and Special Envoy for the Americas, said in Huffington Post, “By ending policies started in the Eisenhower administration and beginning a process of normalising relations, President Obama has changed the game”. “This historic reset can improve long-term prospects for our (US) interests”. Some people, like me, will remember that huge international political uproar, in 1999, when USA and Cuba were caught in a custody-battle over a five-year old Cuban boy. The boy Elián González was found floating on a raft in the sea, by Florida fishermen, some 60 miles north of Miami. Elián’s mother who was divorced was trying to escape the harsh conditions of Cuba,  and wanting to go to the US main land. But a boat accident killed her and her companions, and had left the boy all alone at sea. The boy’s paternal relatives in US, and the boy’s paternal father in Cuba then, both fought for custody bringing a huge diplomatic confrontation that saw massive protests in US and Cuba. That has, thankfully, gone into the past. Some will also remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, of 1962, when the whole world - for thirteen days in October – tottered on the brink of a World War, over the discovery of nuclear missile sites in Cuba that Soviet Union was secretly building. The US and USSR were so close to war that the whole world breathed a big sigh of relief when the KennedyKhrushchev showdown did not occur. Thankfully, that too, is now a thing of the past. But we should now look into the future. And as Mack McLarty says that if Americans stretch out their hands in friendship, “Cubans will see us not as archenemies from the past, but as allies for the future”. No wonder, the Cuban President Raul Castro praised Obama for starting the biggest change in US-Cuba policy in more than 50 years, while also reaffirming that restored relations  with the US did not mean the end of Communist rule in Cuba. 6 Monday, December 22, 2014 COMMITTEES APPROVED Shura Council DT News Network [email protected] T he Shura Council yesterday held its second regular weekly meeting under the chairmanship of Ali Saleh Al Saleh. The council approved the committee in charge of responding to the keynote Royal speech delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during the opening session of the fourth term of the National Council. The panel of 14 members will be chaired by Jamal Mohammed Fakhro. The council also approved the formation of its permanent committees, as well as members of the parliamentary delegations. Chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of committees were also elected. The session also took note of the letters forwarded by Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa on a number decree-laws. Legislative Committee Foreign Affairs Committee Finance Committee Services Committee Vandals have launched an attack on Isa town Secondary Boys’ School, stated the Ministry of Education. The ministry added, “A group of vandals hurled stones at the school, shattering several windows.” It also affirmed that the security authorities concerned were notified. Customs Affairs holds workshop DT News Network [email protected] Great rates on worldwide money transfers and 0% commission on over 40 foreign currencies! Visit your nearest branch today /BFCBahrain /BFCBahrain Care. Trust. Efficiency. BFC_379_BH_DT_AD_160mmX128mm.indd 1 05/06/2014 14:11 T he Customs Affairs conducted a workshop on customs clearance procedures. The workshop was held as part of the directives of Minister of Interior, Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to draft a new strategy to develop customs procedures. The workshop, organised with the collaboration of the Customs Training Institute and Central Informatics Organisation (CIO), was conducted under the patronage of General Director of Customs Clearance and Inspection, Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa. During the event, Shaikh Ahmed said that the workshop The participants at a discussion during the workshop. aimed at documenting unified clearance procedures at customs exits with consideration to the special needs at each customs border, in addition to studying the possibility of applying economical operating procedures and a centre for customs clearance to move towards a paper-free environment. He continued that those projects are part of efforts to meet regional and international customs services. The workshop was attended by CIO General Director of Information Technology, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry representiave, Abdul Hakeem Al Shimari, President of Customs Clearance Agents Society, Abdulghafar Al Bastaki and representatives of customs departments. Monday, December 22, 2014 7 Minister of Interior Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa yesterday received the Commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command and Fifth Fleet, Vice-Admiral John Miller. They reviewed bilateral relations, issues of common interest and areas of security cooperation and coordination. Chief of Public Security Major General Tariq Al Hassan also attended the meeting. COUNCIL CALLS FOR URGENT SOLUTION Tackling rain Deputy President of the Southern Municipal Council called for an urgent meeting to design a proper plan to face the rainy season. DT News Network [email protected] T he Southern Municipal Council yesterday criticised the plans of Ministry of Works for the rainy season. During the council’s weekly meeting, several members were dismayed by the ministry’s preparations to face the rainy season. They were so harsh in their criticism that they did not hesitate to term the ministry simply an ink blot on a piece of paper. The Deputy President of the Council Isa Al Dosari criticised the ministry for allotting only 50 tankers to suck up rainwater during floods for the four Governorates. Mr. Al Dosari called for an urgent meeting to design a proper plan to face the rainy Council meeting in progress season. Another member of the council Abdulatif Mohammed was of the view that tankers alone aren’t enough to tackle floods during the heavy rain showers.  “I think the ministry only waits for problems to happen in order to react,” he added. President of the Financial and Legal Committee Mohammed Al Bolushi suggested that the only solution to tackle the rainy season was to establish rain drainage network. On the other hand, the ministry’s representative Shawqi Mandeel who was also present in the meeting said that they were working on the plan to allot more tankers for the Governorates. Mr. Mandeel said that the idea of the establishment of a rain drainage network was very costly and it is also a time-consuming process. It is worth noting that the downpours following floods last year disrupted the lives of the residents and citizens in Bahrain. Omani minister arrives in Kingdom Manama O mani Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdulla arrived in Bahrain to head his country’s delegation to the fifth session of the joint committee, scheduled to be held today. Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa welcomed the Omani minister on his arrival at the airport, hailing deep-rooted fraternal relations bonding the two brotherly countries and peoples. The Omani minister paid tribute to the wise leaders Shaikh Khalid with his Omani counterpart. in the two countries for their keenness in bolstering relations, stressing Bahrain’s interest in hosting the fifth session of the joint committee. He underscored the importance of the joint meeting, which will contribute to bolstering bilateral relations and pushing forward the march of joint work and cooperation in all fields. 8 Monday, December 22, 2014 Speak a “ Every event including an imagined event occurs in the present moment. The thread of memory creates the illusion of time @DeepakChopra “ Travelling and “seeing the world” is nice. But avoiding airports and planes forever is nicer. @Mo_ForNow “ Does this December fit the standards of a typical December? It’s not cold enough to qualify as a December @FahadAlAish “ I would like to thank the creative designer with the crazy touches @baderkamal for #thesleepingtree designs! @MOHAMMEDBUALI “ P e o p l e need to wake up and realize that life doesn’t wait for you. If you want something, get up and go after it. @theRealKiyosaki “ Getting offended from a tweet is a consequence of the freedom of expression. “ @KAlFadhel How many of U R hoping certain peeps don’t get U a gift because then you’ll have to get them one? @tyrabanks “ If you want to run in the dark, be like fluorescent. @GulPanag Readers’ VIEW REDUCING THE APPEAL OF TOBACCO D ecember 1, 2012 marked a memorable day in the history of the fight against tobacco worldwide. On this day, Australia’s world-first laws on tobacco plain packaging came into full effect. Since then, all tobacco products must be sold in standardised drab, dark brown packaging with large graphic health warnings. There are no tobacco industry logos, brand imagery, colours or promotional text. Brand and product names are printed in the same small font below hard-hitting warnings depicting the health consequences of smoking. Tobacco is unlike any other product on the market: the only legal consumer product that kills when used as intended by the manufacturer. Every year, more than 5 million people die because they use tobacco. Another 600 000 non-smokers die from exposure to secondhand smoke. This makes tobacco one of the leading preventable risk factors for noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes. In 2011-12, 2.8 million Australians aged 18 - years and over smoked daily (16.3%). Smoking is estimated to kill 15 000 Australians each year. “The tobacco plain packaging measure is an investment in the longterm health of Australians,” explains Jane Halton, Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. “It is a crucial part of the Australian Government’s comprehensive package of tobacco control measures to get tobacco smoking down to our aim of 10% or lower of the population.” Plain packaging aims to reduce the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products, increase the noticeability and effectiveness of mandated health warnings, and reduce the ability of retail packaging to mislead consumers about the harms of smoking. Australia’s measure is based on a broad range of research and is supported by leading public health experts. By enacting the new legislation as part of a package of measures, Australia has led the way in implementing Articles 11 and 13 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the global tobacco control treaty that commits its more than 170 Parties to and features of a certain brand.” Challenge to the tobacco industry reduce demand and supply of tobacco products. But does plain packaging really make using tobacco less attractive? The full effects of the plain packaging measure will be seen over the long term. However, tobacco control experts in Australia are quite enthusiastic about early anecdotal indications that plain packaging may be having an effect. According to Kylie Lindorff, Chair of the Cancer Council Australia’s Tobacco Issues Committee, the number of calls to the Quitline, Australia’s smoking cessation support service, have increased considerably since the law entered into force. “Many, many smokers have commented that they don’t like the look of the new packs and also believe the taste of the cigarettes is worse, even though the tobacco companies have confirmed that the product is the same,” reports Lindorff. “This proves just how powerful packaging is in conveying messages about supposed quality The tobacco industry has taken high profile, aggressive measures against the Australian legislation, but these have not been a deterrent. In August 2012, Australia’s High Court dismissed constitutional challenges brought by tobacco companies, awarding costs in favour of the Australian Government. Further legal challenges are pending in the World Trade Organization and under the Australia-Hong Kong Bilateral Investment Treaty. WHO actively supported Australia’s pioneering tobacco control measure and is standing firmly behind all countries that face intimidation from big tobacco. The plain packaging experience in Australia is being watched closely by other countries. New Zealand has announced its intention to introduce similar legislation and France, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the European Union are also considering tougher packaging laws for tobacco products. Fatima Hussein Do you feel strongly about commenting on any issue of social relevance or on any report we carried? Be it bouquets or bricks, you can explore this space by airing your views, opinions or comments. The best letter, selected once in a week, will receive five tickets for watching a blockbuster at Dana Cinema. Letters can be sent at letters @dt.bh MIDDLE EAST 9 Monday, December 22, 2014 US delivers 10 Apache helicopters to Cairo Washington he United States has delivered 10 Apache helicopters to Egypt in recent weeks after lifting part of a freeze on aid to the country, a US official said Saturday. US Secretary of State John T Kerry had been promising Cairo’s new leadership that the aircraft -- aimed to join counter-terrorism operations in the Sinai peninsula -would be delivered soon. “They got there a few weeks ago,” a US senior administration official said. Kerry announced in June that he was “confident” Egypt would receive the helicopter gunships soon, and reiterated that in a phone call to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. The United States annually allocates some $1.5 billion in EGYPT JAILS ISRAELI SPY Suez canal employee spied naval movements Cairo n Egyptian court has jailed a Suez Canal shipping services manager for 10 years on charges of spying for Israel about naval movements through the strategic waterway, state media reported. The court in the canal city of Port Said also handed down life sentences in absentia to two Israelis it found guilty of being the Egyptian’s handlers, the official MENA news agency reported late Saturday. The court found that Mohamed Ali Abdel Baki had passed on information damaging to national security about the movements of Egyptian and foreign warships, particularly Iranian ones. A Abdel Baki had also divulged detailed information to his handlers about Port Said and its management, the court heard. He had first made contact with the Israeli security services over the Internet in 2011 and met the two Israelis convicted of being his handlers at the embassy in Bangkok the following year. Prosecutors charged that in addition to spying for Israel, Abdel Baki had also offered to provide similar information about naval movements and deployments to its regional foes Iran, Syria and Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. In February 2011, two Iranian warships entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal for the first time since the Islamic revolution of 1979, prompting Israel to put its navy on high alert. Iranian warships made a similar deployment through the canal in February 2012, sailing past the coast of Israel and making a port call in Latakia in allied Syri–a before returning to Iran. (AFP) aid to Egypt, including $1.3 billion in military assistance. That was frozen in October 2013 on condition that democratic reforms be enacted after the July 2013 military-led overthrow of Islamist elected president Mohamed Morsi and a vicious crackdown on his followers. Washington said in April it planned to resume some of the annual aid for counterterrorism efforts in the Sinai Peninsula. Court tries 26 men for debauchery Cairo n Egyptian court on Sunday tried 26 men for alleged debauchery after accusing them of homosexual activity at a Cairo public bathhouse in a case that sparked international condemnation. The handcuffed defendants, many of whom were crying, arrived at a Cairo court with their heads bowed as police pushed them inside a metal cage. “I am innocent. I was in the hammam for therapy, I swear in the name of Allah,” said a defendant as he wept inside the cage. “The police beat us every A day and force us to sleep on our stomachs,” said another. The men were arrested on December 7 in a night-time police raid on a hammam in the Azbakeya district of central Cairo. The nearly naked men were loaded into police trucks in the middle of the night. An Egyptian television presenter filmed the raid and aired it days later. Spy chief removed Cairo gyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday removed the powerful general intelligence chief appointed just days after the ouster of Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in July last year. General Mohamed Farid El-Tohamy was replaced by his deputy General Khaled E Mahmoud Fuad Fawzy, Sisi’s office said in a statement, without specifying why. “The president issued an order sending General Tohamy, the head of general intelligence, into retirement,” it said, adding that he had been given a medal for his work. General Fawzy takes charge of Egypt’s intelligence operations from Sunday. Cell Production Born through sperm smuggling! Palestine henever someone asked Majd where his father was, he would run to the sitting room and point to a poster hung on the wall. For the 15-month-old toddler, “baba” (Arabic for dad), was a picture, a voice on the other end of the telephone and a lot of stories that his mother, Lydia Rimawi, recited. This was because his father, AbdulKarim Rimawi, has spent the past 13 years in an Israeli prison, where he is serving a 25-year sentence. Majd is one of more W ESCAPE TO LIFE : Palestinian security officers help an injured girl inside the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip. Around 200 Palestinians left Gaza and entered the Egyptian Sinai through the Rafah crossing on Sunday after Cairo authorised a temporary reopening of the border, a Palestinian official said. It was only the second time in two months that Egypt had opened the Rafah terminal. than two-dozen Palestinian children born to a prisoner family in the past two years through a combination of sperm-smuggling and in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Around 7,000 Palestinians are serving time in Israeli prisons, with nearly 1,000 facing sentences of 20 years or more. Denied conjugal visits and separated from visitors by glass panels, sneaking sperm samples out is their only hope to make a family. At the Razan fertility clinic in Nablus, doctors said they had frozen around 70 prisoners’ sperm samples and were getting more from behind bars, although the frequency has fallen dramatically in the past few months. “The rate has dropped by 25 per cent,” clinic doctor Salem Abu Khaizaran confirmed to Al Jazeera. “They asked me whose baby he was,” Lydia Rimawi said. “Guards snapped, said my husband has been in jail for 12 years, there’s no way that baby was his.” To be allowed in, Israeli authorities asked for a DNA test - something Majd’s mother and father both rejected, fearing Israeli authorities would manipulate the results to smear their reputation and that of other couples who resorted to sperm smuggling. (AFP) 10 MIDDLE EAST Monday, December 22, 2014 We will take part if the Iraqi government asks us, and of course we will have our conditions Syria will continue to fight terror and my regime is working on “reconciliations” to end the brutal civil war - Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani I am confident that oil markets will recover... and that oil prices will improve - Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi - Syrian President Bashar Al Assad TUNISIA VOTES FOR CHANGE 5.3 million eligible to vote; results on Monday, Wednesday six percentage points ahead of Marzouki, a 69-year-old former rights activist installed by parliament two months after December 2011 polls. The vote is the country’s third in as many months, after Nidaa Tounes won Tunis Antoine Lambroschini T unisians voted Sunday in the runoff of the first free presidential election in the country’s history, the final leg of an at times bumpy four-year transition from dictatorship. The second round vote pits 88-year-old favourite Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of the anti-Islamist Nidaa Tounes party, against incumbent Moncef Marzouki, who held the post through an alliance with the moderate Islamist movement Ennahda. Ahead of the landmark vote, which sets Tunisia apart from the turmoil of other Arab Spring countries, jihadists issued a videotaped threat against the North African state’s political establishment. It is the first time that Tunisians have freely an October parliamentary election, making Essebsi favourite to be the next president, but with powers curbed under constitutional amendments to guard against a return to dictatorship. (AFP) Attack foiled Tunis unisian troops killed a gunman and captured three others on Sunday after they attacked soldiers guarding ballot papers for the country’s presidential vote, the defence ministry said. The pre-dawn attack targeted a school in the central region of Kairouan where the ballot papers had been stored under army T elected their president since independence from France in 1956. Amid tight security and the closure of main border posts with strife-torn neighbour Libya, almost 5.3 million Tunisians were eligible to vote. Polls opened at 8:00 am and were due to close at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT). The result is due to be announced between Monday and Wednesday. A first round held on November 23 saw Essebsi win 39 percent of the vote, guard. “The vigilance of the soldiers and the swiftness of their response thwarted this operation and led to the death of a man armed with a hunting rifle and the arrest of three suspects,” ministry spokesman Belhassan Oueslati said. One soldier and one suspect suffered minor wounds, he added. Teen killed during police raid Riyadh teenager was accidentally killed during a Saudi raid against “terrorists” in a town populated by minority Shias, residents of the area said on Sunday. The interior ministry said it killed four militants during Saturday’s operation in Awamiya town to arrest the suspects who shot dead a soldier a week earlier. But residents gave the toll as five and said they included a youth aged 16 or 17. “One of them I’m sure is not involved,” an activist in the area said. “He was killed in his car.” A resident of Awamiya said the youth appeared to have been killed “by mistake. One of the bullets got in his neck, while he was driving.” Both sources declined to be named. Asked about the claims, the interior ministry said that police in the Eastern Province, which includes Awamiya, were to issue a statement. A It’s a homemade supercar Dubai or Bill Tate nothing is impossible, even if it is about building a super car from scratch. And that is what exactly happened when Tate, the Dubai-based Canadian expatriate drove his batmobile-like sports car out of his garage. At the recent Dubai Motor’s Grand Parade, Tate turned heads as he drove his sleek black batmobile-like sports car that he assembled from a kit. The 600 Horsepower, F Ultima GTR that goes from zero to 96.56km/h in 2.6 seconds and enjoys top speed of 321.86km/h, holds a pride of place in his garage, which has a Ducatti motorcycle and a Nissan 370Z sports mobile. “I am passionate about sports cars and love to tinker with my cars and motorbikes, so I thought why not build my own car from scratch that would be exclusive and unique and something I would be proud to own? I scoured the internet and came across this kit available with a UK-based company Ultima Sports,” says Tate who is now used to the idea of getting compliments from passersby whenever he takes the Ultima out for spin. Tate refuses to reveal the price, but says he was able to build his car at half the market price of a ready-made model. “The basic kit, which comes without the engine arrived in 2008 and I got to choose the colour [black]. But every upgrade costs additional and I ordered a special 600 Hp Chevrolet VS custom-built engine from a US company to get the best results,” said Tate . Fight for existence: A displaced Iraqi from the Yazidi community cleans weapons outside a tent at a refugee camp on Sunday near Mosul. Monday, December 22, 2014 BUSINESS 11 CURRENCIES CURRENCIES SELL CASH Dollar 2.6483 Euro 2.1268 Pound 1.6689 Saudi Riyal 9.9384 Yen 299.4012 Indian Rupee 161.8123 EF TI SELL DRAFT GOLD 2.6455 2.1381 1.6793 9.9354 305.8104 164.2036 Bahrain London US OUTLOOK SLASHED The fall in oil prices challenge to fiscal situation : Fitch Ratings Both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon activities accelerate London itch Ratings has revised the outlooks on Bahrain’s long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDR) to negative from stable and affirmed the IDRs at BBB and BBB+, respectively. The issue ratings on Bahrain’s senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at BBB and BBB+, respectively. The agency has simultaneously affirmed Bahrain’s country ceiling at BBB+ and short-term foreign currency IDR at �F3’. “The fall in oil prices has exacerbated the already challenging fiscal situation. Fitch estimates Bahrain’s fiscal breakeven oil price to be around $130/bl, compared with a forecast for Brent to average $83/bl in 2015. Fiscal flexibility is constrained by the very low share of non-oil revenue of just 14 per cent of total revenues. Wages and subsidies together account for 70pc of total budget spending,” Fitch in a statement said. “Financing flexibility is good. The government has domestic bank deposits of an estimated 14.4pc of GDP. Fitch F BD152.00 $1,195.50 $1,194.20 OIL London US $61.38 $56.52 Gulf stocks climb Dubai Gulf stocks have opened the week with a climb that saw Dubai’s main index gaining 9.9 per cent. Qatar’s stock market also saw big gains of 7.6pc, while Abu Dhabi’s index rose almost 3.5pc. Saudi Arabia’s stock market closed trading nearly 2.5pc higher. The upswing comes after a volatile week that saw Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s indexes close at their lowest points of the year - only to surge again just two days later on the backs of a slight rise in U.S. and Brent crude oil prices. Volvo ME posts growth Fitch has affirmed Bahrain’s country ceiling at BBB+ assumes further drawdown during the forecast period. The domestic capital market is quite deep: a single two-year development bond issued in September financed the whole of this year’s estimated budget deficit of 5.6pc of GDP. Bahrain has also become a regular Eurobond issuer, most recently raising $1.25b at 30-year maturity in August,” it said. Growth has accelerated this year, with both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon activity surprising to the upside. Oil sector growth averaged 6pc in 9M14, while non-oil growth rose to 5.2pc in Q314. The latter is largely due to the increased activity triggered by GCCfunded infrastructure projects, particularly in housing. Malabar Gold opens Dubai showroom Dubai alabar Gold & Diamonds opened its 123rd outlet in Gold Souk, Dubai on December 20. Indian actress Kareena Kapoor inaugurated the jewellery outlet, which is claimed to be the largest in Dubai. Chairman of Malabar Group Ahamed M.P., Managing Director-International Operations, Malabar Gold & Diamonds Shamlal Ahamed M.P. were present on the inaugural ceremony. Located in heart of Dubai, the outlet features the rarest and finest jewellry collection from India, Malaysia, Turkey, Kareena Kapoor inaugurates Malabar Gold & Diamonds jewellery Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Thailand, Italy, Spain and Bahrain, the statement said. outlet in Gold Souk, Dubai on December 20. M MANAGEMENT THOUGHTS The main attractions of the outlet include a golden replica of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. The replica, built with 18 carat gold, has height of 180 cm and weighs 22.65 kg. An attire handcrafted in 18 carat gold, weighting 1.075 kg, is also on display. It required over 3,600 man hours and 30 expert craftsmen for turning the work a golden marvel. The Dubai showroom is also participating in their largest festive campaign– �Malabar Gold & Diamonds Festival’, which offers the customers a unique chance to win a total of 250,000 gold coins and up to 2 million Dirham instant cash refund. The three grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for. Abu Dhabi Volvo Trucks Middle East has announced a 24 per cent increase in deliveries and 27pc increase in parts sales year on year for 2014 across its 13 Middle East markets. The announcement comes almost twelve months after the Swedish premium truck manufacturer launched three new, top-of-the-range models in the biggest truck launch ever held in the region. Nickel shortage propels mining boom Manila Michael Defensor is racing to mine and ship nickel from projects across the Philippines to plug the gap in global supplies left by Indonesia’s ore-export curbs. “Indonesia’s ban affected us positively,” said Defensor, chairman of Pax Libera Mining Inc. and the nation’s environment secretary from 2004 to 2006. He’s preparing four new sites for next year after opening two in the past two years. 12 BUSINESS S&P CUTS MUMTALAKAT OUTLOOK TO NEGATIVE Monday, December 22, 2014 Mumtalakat is the investment company for Bahrain’s strategic assets Dubai tandard & Poor’s has revised its outlook on Bahrainbased Mumtalakat Holding Co. (Mumtalakat) from stable to negative but affirmed �BBB/A2’ rating. There is an �almost certain’ likelihood that Bahrain would provide timely support to Mumtalakat in the event of financial distress, Standard & Poor’s noted adding the government does not formally S COUNTRY/CURRENCIES US DOLLARS BRITISH POUND EURO INDIAN RUPEE PHILIPPINE PESO BANGLADESH TAKA PAKISTAN RUPEE SRI LANKAN RUPEE SWISS FRANC CANADIAN DOLLAR QATAR RIYAL UAE DIRHAMS AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR CHINESE YUAN EGYPTIAN POUND HONG KONG DOLLAR INDONESIAN RUPIAH KUWAITI DINAR JAPANESE YEN JORDANIAN DINAR LEBANESE POUND MALAYSIAN RINGGIT MOROCCAN DIRHAMS NEPALESE RUPEE NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR OMANI RIYAL SINGAPORE DOLLAR SAUDI RIYAL SOUTH AFRICAN RAND SYRIAN POUND THAI BAHT TURKISH LIRA YEMENI RIYAL BUY SELL 2.6667 1.7182 2.1589 166.6667 120.3369 207.6843 272.7836 356.477 2.588 3.1377 9.6899 9.7561 3.2637 16.6113 19.1939 21.5193 33772.3742 0.7657 316.4557 1.8868 4227.7935 8.8183 22.779 296.0437 3.4771 1.0272 3.5039 9.9751 32.8947 591.716 85.5432 5.8133 913.3254 2.6483 1.6686 2.0934 159.4896 113.5074 196.2709 255.3685 309.097 2.4994 3.0193 9.6348 9.7276 3.1407 15.748 18.1488 20.0521 29316.9159 0.757 294.9853 1.8636 3816.3569 8.3056 20.8768 245.2255 3.3715 1.0204 3.42 9.9384 29.2398 420.1681 84.0336 5.4888 542.0348 Rates are for indication purpose only. For firm rates or for currencies not listed above please call Bahrain Financing Company. Telephone: 17228888, Website: www.bfc.com.bh 0.3770 0.6086 0.3992 0.3530 0.2855 30.4885 0.3023 0.2673 0.3849 0.3635 0.4076 0.3604 3.6420 3.4395 3.8564 3.4104 3.6730 3.4688 3.8892 3.4395 3.7500 3.5415 3.9708 3.5116 guarantee Mumtalakat’s financial liabilities. Mumtalakat is investment company the for Bahrain’s strategic assets in sectors other than oil and gas. Wholly owned by Bahrain, Mumtalakat holds stakes in as many as 36 commercial enterprises that represented a portfolio of around BD2.7 billion ($7.2bn) as of June 30, 2014, across a variety of sectors, including aluminum production, financial services, telecommunications, real estate, tourism, transportation and food production. AUB, best GCC bank DT News Network [email protected] ondon based journal Capital Financial International has named Ahli United Bank (AUB) as the best regional bank in the GCC for 2014. AUB is winning the award for the first time. Chairman of AUB Fahad Al Raja’an said: “The award testifies our performance of 2014 and track record.” AUB has carved out its own niche by delivering true value to shareholders and customers alike under a disciplined risk management culture. It has become cornerstone in making the bank one of the fastest growing financial services providers in the GCC.” AUB had earlier won Best Bank in the Middle East award from The Banker, Global Finance and Euromoney. L Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) recently added new air compressor at Power and Utilities Department in a bid to meet production targets. “The installation of the new unit comes in line with increasing efficiency. The company also upgrades its systems to deliver enhanced productivity,” Alba Director for Power and Utilities Amin Sultan said. Gulf Air completes A330 checking DT News Network [email protected] ulf Air has completed their first insourced checking of Airbus A330 at the airline’s base maintenance facility. The 18-month long inspection comes as part of the efforts to streamline operations of the national carrier to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. “The completion of checking, ahead of schedule, showcases our strong in-house technical expertise,” Gulf Air Acting Chief Executive Officer Maher Salman Al Musallam said. “A strong aircraft maintenance system helps G reduce cost while preserving the quality of servicing,” he said. Gulf Air Acting Chief Technical Officer Jamal Hashim said: “I would like to congratulate Gulf Air’s maintenance and engineering departments for completing this major check ahead of schedule and we look forward for the C Check scheduled January next year.” The national carrier is undertaking 20-month long checking of A320, 18-month checking of A330 besides A checks, mini-checks, out-ofphase and line maintenance, for its all-Airbus fleet. Gulf Air officials at the airline’s base maintenance facility after completing the first insourced checking of Airbus A330 Monday, December 22, 2014 Hyundai brand value rises DT News Network [email protected] B rand value of Hyundai Motor Company has posted two-digit growth in 2014, fuelled by the launches of all-new Genesis and Sonata. The brand value of the company, which has been included in Interbrand’s Best 100 Global Brands for 10 consecutive years, surpassed the $10 billion mark for the first time. The figure represents a 16 per cent increase from last year’s $9 billion value and a nearly 200pc jump from its $3.5bn value in 2005. “Hyundai is one of the fastest growing automotive brands in terms of both volume and brand value,” Interbrand said in a statement. “Hyundai makes unique convenience features available across a broader range of vehicles to enhance driving experience and customer satisfaction,” it said. Hyundai, whose brand value ranking rose three notches to reach the top global 40 ranking for the first time this year, is building a loyal BUSINESS 13 fan base through continued enhancements in its product lineup, including innovative eco-friendly products such as the world’s first assemblyline produced ix35 Fuel Cell vehicle. The Interbrand rankings are calculated using companies’ financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities. OIL PRODUCERS FIRM Saudi, Kuwait not to cut oil production Abu Dhabi il-rich Arab Gulf countries stood firm against nonOPEC crude producers yesterday, vowing they will not cut output nor hold an emergency cartel meeting to support slumping prices. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said they would not cut production even if nonOPEC members reduce their output, while the United Arab Emirates and Iraq shrugged off calls for an emergency meeting of the group. “If they (non-OPEC countries) want to cut production they are welcome. We are not going to cut, certainly Saudi Arabia is not going to cut,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi told reporters on the sidelines of an energy conference in the United Arab Emirates. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali al-Omair agreed. “I don’t think we need to cut. We gave a chance to others and they were not willing to do so,” Omair said, in a clear reference to shale and sand oil O Sainsbury’s sees no respite producers from North America and elsewhere. “OPEC will not cut. Nothing will happen until June and there is no emergency meeting,” he said. The global oil market has become increasingly competitive in recent years with the surge in shale and sand oil production from countries outside the decades-old alliance of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries. World oil prices have fallen almost 50 per cent since June, mainly due to a supply glut, the weak global economy and a strong US dollar. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei was emphatic that OPEC, which pumps a third of global crude supplies, will not make any move soon to shore up the market. “We will not interfere with market fundamentals and do something that is a short fix,” he said. “We need at least six months” to assess the market and “even if nothing happens when we meet after six months, we London The chief executive of Sainsbury’s said yesterday it would take another 18 months to two years before “extremely challenging” conditions in the grocery market improved. “First, as of today, there’s no sign the grocery market is going to return to volume growth and that would be a tipping point,” Mike Coupe said in an interview with the Sunday Times.“Second, there’s no sign that there will be food inflation coming through in the next period, so the market dynamics are going to be extremely squeezed.” Oil market became competitive in recent years Qatar Oil Minister Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada (left), Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi, and United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohamed al-Mazroui (right) attend the opening session of the 10th Arab Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi yesterday. will not change our position,” Mazrouei said. Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Britain weighs up tax breaks Abdulmahdi also ruled out calls for an OPEC emergency session. London Britain is considering reducing the tax bill for oil explorers in the North Sea, including a proposal from the industry to halve rates, to help revive an area already in decline before the recent oil price falls, the Sunday Times said.Talks between the country’s finance ministry and the industry, led by the trade body Oil & Gas UK, have focused on some key proposals, with one involving scrapping the 30 percent supplementary corporate tax levied on top of the 30 percent basic rate for the industry, the newspaper said. “We have to wait and see the reactions of the oil markets and other countries,” Abdulmahdi Cyber attack cases up in 2014 said, adding that he believes oil prices will stabilise around $60 a barrel. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq pump around 20 million barrels a day. The cartel decided last month to maintain its production unchanged at 30 million barrels per day, which led to a slump in oil prices. The benchmark Brent oil price is hovering around $60 a barrel after losing almost half of its value since June. Gulf ministers blamed “irresponsible” non-OPEC producers for the plunge in prices, but voiced confidence markets would rebound. “One of the main causes is irresponsible production by some producers from outside the organisation,” the UAE’s Mazrouei said. Naimi lashed out at nonOPEC members, blaming the global price fall on a “lack of cooperation by main producing countries outside OPEC, misleading information and speculators’ greed”. London A study led by Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) of Kaspersky Lab has found seven advanced persistent cyber-attack campaigns (APTs) that accounted for more than 4400 corporate sector targets in at least 55 countries. A number of fraud campaigns this year resulted in losses totaling millions of dollars to companies. The number of victims affected by targeted attacks in 2014 is 2.4 times that of 2013, when up to 1800 corporate targets were identified. In 2014, organisations in at least 20 sectors were hit by advanced threat actors. BUSINESS 14 Monday, December 22, 2014 SHOPPING OFF TO SOLID START US retailers to make up for a spotty performance of Black Friday Blackberry misses expectations Toronto roubled smartphone maker Blackberry has reported a larger-thanexpected drop in revenue during the third quarter. Revenue fell to $793 million (£507m) from $1.19 billion a year earlier, missing analyst expectations. Chief executive John Chen said the revenue figure was “not satisfying”. However, he added that he thought Blackberry might be able to stabilise and grow its revenues by 2016, but that he could T not promise profitability. Blackberry reported a net loss of $148m for the quarter, significantly less than the $4.4bn loss it reported a year earlier. Last week, the Canadian company launched a new phone called Classic, which was intended to appeal to business clients who like the fact that the smartphone maker was best known for its physical, rather than virtual, keyboards. A former titan, Blackberry once had a 50pc share of the smartphone market in the US. New York hoppers filled up malls and department stores on the last weekend before Christmas, as the weather cooperated to help raise the prospect of a solid finish to a holiday season that has so far produced mixed results. Crowds were building at stores in and around New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles. Some shoppers said they were drawn by the discounts, which have been deeper and lasted longer this year. Others said they felt more inclined to spend because of lower prices at the gas pumps. Alexis Layne, a 53-year-old retired schoolteacher shopping at a mall in downtown Chicago, said she usually buys only “fun stuff like accessories” the weekend before Christmas but had made a few impulse buys like two Lacoste T-shirts for her husband because the deals were too good to pass up. Ramesh Swamy, a retail analyst S Shoppers walk along Fifth Avenue in New York City. at Deloitte, said retailers were anticipating a strong weekend of sales. One of the malls he visited in the Los Angeles area was preparing overflow parking spaces, and he saw some retailers restocking shelves. “I think folks are willing IT boost for London upstart banks in the United States opted for “off-the-shelf” platforms that made it easier and quicker to launch new businesses. British lawmakers want new banks to challenge the dominant lenders, which have been hit by a succession of scandals. Some in the banking world say using cheaper and more nimble technology could be a “game changer” in London hen Metro Bank prepared to launch in 2010 as the first new bank to appear on British high streets for over a century, its founders broke with convention by outsourcing the construction of its computer systems. Until then, British banks had built their own software from scratch, whereas counterparts W enabling them to emerge. “That’s the way the whole process developed in America,” said Metro Bank co-founder Vernon Hill, a colourful U.S. entrepreneur who opened his first bank branch in Philadelphia at the age of 26 in 1973 before growing Commerce Bank into one of the country’s top 20 lenders over the next three decades. “It’s almost impossible to do a new bank unless you have one of these packaged IT systems. That had never been done in Britain and Metro Bank would never have happened unless we were successful in arranging to get that done,” he said. Five banks -- Lloyds, RBS, Barclays, HSBC and Santander -- still provide around 85 per cent of current accounts in Britain. to open up their purse a little bit more this year,” he said, pointing to lower gas prices. (AFP) XL Group takesover Catlin London Insurance and reinsurance company XL Group has finalised a 2.53 billion pound takeover of Catlin Group Ltd (CGL.L), operator of the biggest syndicate in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market, the Sunday Times reported, citing a source close to XL. Catlin told the market it had been approached by XL about a possible offer of 410 pence in cash and 0.130 share for each Catlin share. Flagging Russian economy feels the pinch Moscow eep recession, skyrocketing prices and a fragile banking system: although the ruble seems to have stabilised after its abysmal drop this past week, Russia still faces the heavy consequences of the turbulence. For most Russians, the week ended with relief: after trading at unbelievable levels of 80 to the dollar and 100 to the euro, the ruble appears to have stabilised at around 60 and 73, respectively. D A double whammy of Western sanctions over Ukraine and plunging oil prices finally caught up with the country that depends on energy exports for half of government revenue, and the authorities came out of their apparent stupor only as the ruble’s plunge in value had already gained momentum. After the ruble fell by nearly 10 per cent on Monday, the central bank moved beyond its limited currency market interventions and in the middle of the night hiked the key interest rate by a tremendous 6.5 percentage points to 17pc. But that failed to stop the panic, with the ruble dropping by 20pc on Tuesday -- bank websites crashed as too many users tried to connect, and crowds packed Ikea until 2am to get a hold of goods before announced price increases took effect. President Vladimir Putin tried to put a brave face on the crisis at his annual year- A couple look at gadgets as they stand among the empty shelves in an electronic shop in St.Petersburg end press conference, saying that recovery is “inevitable”, although he acknowledged it could take up to two years to materialise. In a sign of the challenges ahead, several suppliers have halted deliveries in a bid to raise prices. Some stores decided to close their shutters -- Apple stopped sales via its Russian online store, while Ikea suspended sales of kitchens and home appliances and warned that prices on the website “may differ from prices in stores”. Opel and Chevrolet are no longer delivering to dealerships. BUSINESS Monday, December 22, 2014 15 Awareness Horses get new lease of life in Italy Rome/Vigone Angus Mackinon / Marco Bertorello C onsidered taboo in many parts of the world, eating horsemeat remains sufficiently widespread in Italy for the country to have to import live animals destined for the slaughterhouse. And contrary to popular perception, not all are tired old specimens on their last legs, according to a horseloving couple based in the country village of Vigone in northern Italy who are seeking to raise awareness of the trade with France. In the last four years, Tony Gerardi and his wife Miky Daidone have saved around 40 healthy young horses from the butcher’s knife by training them for roles ranging from ploughing up fields to helping hyperactive kids to learn how to concentrate and relax. “People think that slaughtered horses are all mature adults,” Daidone said. “But in the vast majority of cases it is young horses that are eaten because their meat is more tender. “That’s why every year there are thousands of colts and fillies imported from France to be slaughtered in Italy.” Gerardi and Daidone know they are not going to stop the trade. Instead their goal is to demonstrate a practical alternative through their “Save the Working Horse” project. (AFP) Sara Maugeri leads her horse “Caline”, a foal saved from slaughterhouse. (AFP) Moods upbeat at New York Stock Exchange after fruitful 2014 Xiaomi raises more than $1bn Beijing hina’s top smartphone seller Xiaomi Corp. is raising more than $1 billion in a fresh round of funding, a move which would raise its valuation above $45bn, a report said on Sunday. Dow Jones Newswires, citing a person familiar with the issue, said the latest round of funding could close as soon as Monday. It was being led by tech investment fund All-Stars Investment and also involved were current shareholders Russian investment firm DST Global and Singapore sovereign-wealth fund GIC, the report said. Private-equity firm Yunfeng Capital which is affiliated with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. chair Jack Ma, was also taking part. Xiaomi was established only four years ago. C IPO HOGGED WALL STREET New York Luc Olinga W all Street in 2014 enjoyed its best year for initial public offerings (IPO) since 2000, thanks to the recordsetting flotation of Chinese Internet giant Alibaba and a barrage of biotech deals. Activity was “uninterrupted” and proved largely immune to forces that at times rattled equity markets, Renaissance Capital said in a report this week. “While various global events, such as Russia’s incursion into the Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, caused nervousness in global markets, they largely failed to disrupt the US IPO applecart,” In this file photo Chinese online retail giant Alibaba founder Jack Ma smiles as he waits for trading to open at the New York Stock Exchange in New York. (AFP) Renaissance said. It said there were 273 stock debuts in 2014, up 23 per cent from 2013. Dealogic released similar numbers, counting 291 offerings, up 27pc from 2013. Analysts are gearing up for another heady year in 2015, citing a deep pipeline of securities filings from leading prospects and investor zeal for such hot names such as apartment rental website Airbnb and app-based taxi service Uber. New entrants to US equity markets raised $85 billion in 2014, according to Renaissance, about 55pc more than in 2013. “What is behind the growth is that companies are really growing and need more capital to continue to accelerate their growth,” Bob Greifeld, Nasdaq chief executive, said on CNBC. “That is great for the overall economy.” The year 2000 remains the best on record for IPOs, with 406 offerings raising $96 billion, Renaissance noted. (AFP) Graft case Russia makes FB to shut Putin critic’s page Moscow ussian authorities convinced Facebook to shut off a page inviting people to attend a rally in support of an opposition politician, drawing ire from Internet users on Sunday. Supporters on Friday created an event page for January 15, the day President Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic Alexei Navalny will hear his verdict in a controversial embezzlement case which could see him sent him to prison for up to 10 years. R Russia’s Internet watchdog Roskomnadzor said on Sunday that the page has been blocked on orders of the general prosecutor. The prosecutor “demanded to limit access to a number of resources calling for an unsanctioned mass event, including social networking groups. The demand has been fulfilled,” RIA-Novosti news agency quoted spokesman Vadim Ampelonsky as saying. The Facebook event, called “Public gathering to discuss the verdict”, had over 12,000 people signed up at the time it was blocked, and now opens only through a non-Russian IP and only for non-Russian users. Navalny, whose leadership role in the opposition was built up over the years via his popular anti-corruption blog and carefully-managed Internet campaigns, criticised the social networking giant for quickly bending under Kremlin’s pressure. “It’s a rather unpleasant and surprising behaviour by Russian Facebook. I thought they would at least demand a court order rather than rush to block pages as soon as crooks from the Roskomnadzor (the Internet watchdog) ask,” he wrote on his personal page. Former US ambassador to Moscow Michael McFaul wrote on his Twitter blog that the block set a “horrible precedent” and that Facebook should correct their “mistake”. Supporters quickly signed up onto newly-created event pages. Navalny, 38, is accused with his brother Oleg of embezzling nearly 27 million rubles (more than half a million dollars at the exchange rate at the time) when Yves Rocher Vostok, the company’s Russian wing, used their delivery firm. Modi gives a sense of faith: Sen Mumbai espite differences over secularism and social cohesion, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imparting a sense of kinetic energy to the economy and highlighting the need for toilets in the country. Speaking to reporters here, Sen also clarified his stance on government subsidies and said the term must be “unpacked” to distinguish between essential national services, such as public education and healthcare, and subsidised cooking gas and diesel. “I am critical of Mr Modi but I have to say he has given a sense of faith to people that things can happen. It may not be in exactly the same way that I would have liked to have happened… I think it is quite an achievement… It is a compliment but our differences on secularism and other things don’t go away,” he said, adding that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not able to give that impression that things can happen (in the second term of the UPA). D Google to open own campus in Indian city Hyderabad Internet giant Google plans to open its own “permanent and big” campus in Hyderabad, capital of Indian State Telangana, and is set to sign an MoU with Telangana government shortly to take up the venture. “We are likely to sign MoU with Google. They are likely to open their campus here in Hyderabad. It will be the third campus they will have after the US and the UK,” Telangana IT, Electronics and Communications Secretary Harpreet Singh said here. 16 Monday, December 22, 2014 Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa yesterday received Japan Ambassador, Kiyoshi Asakoto and reviewed the bilateral relations. The Japanese Ambassador hailed Bahrain’s keenness to reinforce cooperation with Japan in various fields. Adviser to His Majesty the King for Information Affairs, Nabeel bin Yaqoob Alhamer yesterday received author and journalist, Wejdan Fahad who presented him with a copy of her new publication on media leadership. Mr. Alhamer praised her efforts in enriching the Arab intellectual scene with important publications covering various media issues. National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has donated BD2,000 to the Cerebral Palsy Friendship Society, as part of the bank’s 2014 donations and contributions programme. The bank’s General Manager, Support and Administration Group, Khalid Ali Juma, presented the cheque to the chairman of the society, Dr. Ahmed Mohsen Nasser. The General Governorates Coordination has celebrated the National Day by holding a cer Coordinator, Major-General Hassan Isa Al Samim and in the presence of Assistant General G the staff. During the event, the Coordinator congratulated the wise leadership and citizens. The Ministry of Works, Municipalities & Urban Planning has celebrated the National Day with various of Minister, Essam Khalaf. The celebration was attended by the ministry’s staff and their families. Secretary General of Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Hala Al Ansari yesterday received President of Business and Professional Women Club (BPWC), Shaikha Hind bint Salman Al Khalifa, and her delegation. Ms. Ansari lauded the efforts of BPWC in empowering and training individuals economically, supporting and rehabilitating private entrepreneurs, promoting low-income and productive families, in addition to holding training workshops. Education Ministry’s National Authority for Qualifications and Quality Assurance of Education and Training (NAQQAET) organised a workshop yesterday on enhancing the abilities of vocational training establishments. Members of seven training institutes attended the seminar, where they were briefed about several points. The event was also attended by  NAQQAET Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jawaher Al Mudhaky. Chief Minister of the southern state of Kerala honoured businessman, Yusuff Ali MA on get His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Legis Panchayat president, Anil Pulikkal were present on organised by the people of Nattika, home town of Members of Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association Garden. The celebrations included speeches by executive m for enhancing the well-being of not only the citizens but ev Monday, December 22, 2014 remony under the patronage of General Governorates Governorates Coordinator, Colonel Nasser Al Junaid and Minister of Social Development, Faeqa Al Saleh visited Bahrain Science Centre in Isa Town yesterday. During her visit, the minister was briefed by the officials at the centre about the programmes and activities organised for different age categories. s colourful activities. The celebration was held in the ministry’s camp in Sakhir under the patronage a, India Oomman Chandy has tting Wessam Al Bahrain from slator, TN Pratapan and Nattika n the occasion. The function was f Yusuff Ali. 17 The Jawad Dome has been beautifully decorated for the Christmas and New Year. Meanwhile, a Santa Claus Photo Experience kicked off yesterday. This activity will run until Dec. 25, from 6pm to 10pm. Bahrain (AMUAAB) and their families have celebrated Bahrain’s 43rd National Day at Andulus members who highlighted Bahrain’s development and expressed their appreciation to the Rulers ven the expatriates alike. The students and staff of the New Horizon School celebrated the 43rd National Day of Bahrain with great joy and enthusiasm. The whole school was decorated in a sea of red and white with balloons huge posters, cut outs, flags and buntings to mark this occasion. A special assembly was held with children performing an Arabic Dance. 18 Monday, December 22, 2014 Ce leb s New York f there’s one voice that sounds like Christmas, it has to be Darlene Love’s. Nobody agrees with that statement more than David Letterman who has had the legendary singer perform on his late night shows every year for almost three decades. On Friday evening’s show, however, Love would sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” one last time. The reason? Letterman is set to retire in May 2015. I Rosie in skin-tight leather; denies marriage rumours Los Angeles he beautiful model stepped out in LA after dismissing allegations that she was wearing an engagement ring last week. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looked simply stunning as she stepped out for dinner in West Hollywood. The Victoria’s Secret model was forced to deny rumours that she’s engaged to long term boyfriend Jason Statham, 47, after she was spotted with a piece of bling on her all important finger. T New York uentin Tarantino muse, Uma Thurman, 44 and fabulous took a fresh-faced stroll around New York City this week without a stitch of makeup! Madonna releases Rebel Heart Taking a break from the set of her upcoming NBC miniseries �The Slap’ the California former model looked gorgeous bundled up appy early Christmas! Madonna released six songs from in a chocolate-coloured cape, leather pants, and her upcoming album Rebel Heart late this weekend. The jade suede boots. Her trademark blonde waves surprising move comes just two days after the queen of pop lashed were tucked up into her black beanie hat. out for the material leaking online. Though the mom of three—Maya, 16, Levon, “X-mas is coming early! Pre order my album and download 6 12, and Luna, 2—hasn’t starred in a big film since tracks! Happy Holidays! #rebelheart,” the 56-year-old tweeted. 2013’s Nymphomaniac: Vol. I and II, Thurman has been The six titles Madonna has released are “Living For Love,” “Devil making quite the splash on the red carpet as of late, Pray,” “Ghosttown,” “Illuminati,” “Unapologetic Bitch” and the feisty showcasing her long, lean figure in a series of black “Bitch I’m Madonna.” dresses. Q H Katie would dine with strangers Los Angeles T he �Giver’ actress, Katie Holmes, insists she doesn’t have a problem going out in public despite her fame, and admits she would be prepared to sit down and have a meal with one of her fans if they wanted to chat to her over a long period of time. Katie - who has eight-year-old daughter Suri Cruise with ex-husband Tom Cruise divides her time between New York and Los Angeles and admits she loves to relax and soak up the sun in LA but also enjoys the fast-paced nature of the Big Apple. Anjelina kidnaps Chris for Unbroken song London hris Martin claims Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie KIDNAPPED him in an attempt to get him to agree to write a song for her new flick Unbroken. The Coldplay frontman, who contributed the track Miracles for her film Unbroken, joked that C Brad Pitt’s fiery missus was so desperate to get him on board that she went to extreme lengths. He jokingly said, “So they kidnapped me, hit me over the head, and sprayed me with Mace. When I woke up, I was in an office, and Brad Pitt was doing push-ups as Angelina Jolie was just sitting there with her crown on. O DT Y RR MA R EA H R BE EVE? M London & AAR’S fter getting P E P engaged in DE W Y January, Johnny Depp and E N Amber Heard are reportedly A planning to say “I do” in a surprise ceremony on New Year’s Eve. Depp’s closest friends, including Steven Tyler and Marilyn Manson, have been invited along with both Johnny and Amber’s families to his private Caribbean island to ring in 2015 on Amber Beach. ON Monday, December 22, 2014 Emma Stone Anne-Hathaway Chelsea Kane D on’t you feel bored of having the same hairstyle all day long? Or are you confused of choosing a new style? Having a change in appearance keeps things fresh and makes you feel confident! If you’re looking to chop off your looks and rock a shorter, these celebs will show how it’s done. The right hairstyle not only looks great, but also makes feel great. And it would leave everyone around us wishing they had the same. So enjoy yourself with a change up look and make your friends say wow!!!! Rihanna Kristen Stewart Rose Byrne Cameron Diaz Jennifer wants to be a Superhero! Los Angeles peaking about her upcoming film, Cake, Jennifer Aniston expressed her interest in wanting to be part of a superhero movie. Aniston said, “I think what we really want to do is work with great S people, tell great stories about extremely wonderful, complicated human beings and the human experience.” She added, “I really do want to be a superhero, too. I’ve said it! But wouldn’t that be fun?” Do you think Friendly Rachel would make a good superhero? Keira Knightley Hailey Baldwin Wears Justin Bieber’s Clothes – Relationship Heating Up? A vert your eyes, Hailey Baldwin was spotted out wearing white pants the look exactly like Justin Bieber’s comfy clothes. Is Hailey taking their relationship to the next level? 19 20 Ripley’s Monday, December 22, 2014 by John Graziano Why do people cough ? C “THIS DOG IS ALIVE ! ” DT e l i m S Joe was a steward for Fly High airlines. He watched as an older lady boarded the plane holding a dog in a cage. “Excuse me,” said Joe “dogs are not allowed on board, you have to check it in with the baggage.” The lady wasn’t happy, but Joe was an experienced steward and succeeded in convincing the lady without much of a scene. Upon arrival, Joe took a peek in the cage, and to his great surprise, saw that the dog was dead! Frantic that they may get sued, Joe quickly sent one of his underlings out to town to buy a dog that looked exactly the same. Just in the nick of time the underling arrived with the dog They quickly switched dogs and breathed a sigh of relief. “This isn’t my dog!” said the lady as soon as she saw it. “I’m sure it is” insisted Joe “I was very careful about where I put it.” “It’s not my dog” argued the lady, “you see, I was bringing my dog to my home town to have him buried, and this dog is alive!” oughs can be a distracting burden and a cause for utmost discontent and irritation, though occasionally this unwelcoming and involuntary thing can happen to anyone. A typical cough starts with a deep breath, followed by a compression of air in the lungs and then a crackling burst as that air is forced out in a fraction of a second. Coughs, a body function on a mission, can also happen when mucus gets into the airway or when a person has an upper respiratory infection. Coughing is the body’s natural way of clearing one’s breathing passages of unwanted or harmful irritants. When an irritant enters the airway, nerves in the airway send a signal to the brain that tells the muscles in the chest and abdomen to contract and expel a large amount of air with significant force to dislodge the irritant. Although it can be annoying, coughing is an essential function that allows the body to protect itself and heal. Some scientists have estimated that about 3,000 droplets are expelled in a single cough, and some of them fly out of the mouth at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. The two general classifications of cough are productive coughs (producing phlegm or mucous from the lungs) and nonproductive coughs (dry and not producing any mucous or phlegm). Coughs are also divided into acute (less than 3 weeks’ duration) and chronic (more than three weeks’ duration). Acute cough is m o s t often caused by the common viral upper respiratory tract infection while chronic cough may be caused by a variety of underlying diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis, allergies, GERD and chronic post nasal drip. Drinking plenty of water, reducing your intake of dairy foods, avoid exposing to cigarette smoke and cold winds and taking soothing herbal syrups such as Ivythyme complex oral drops will give you a long lasting relief. YOUR STARS TODAY ARIES: 20th March 20th April The atmosphere may seem a bit oppressive today, Aries. You like to be free to do what you want to do, and it may bother you that the people around you don’t make themselves available to you. They seem preoccupied by their own business. LEO: 20th July - 20th Aug Today you may ask yourself if you’re satisfied. How is your personal life? Do people live up to your standards or are you always left feeling dissatisfied? It may be time to make some important decisions in your life. What do you really want out of life? You might find some of the answers today. TAURUS : 20th April - 20th May You may feel a bit tied down today. It won’t necessarily be a bad day, but you may wonder about certain aspects of your family life. Don’t try and kid yourself. You should think hard about what you want for your family for the next few years and how you intend to go about getting it. VIRGO: 20th Aug - 20th Sept Nothing is simple where your family is concerned. If you’ve forgotten that, don’t worry. Today will remind you. You may have to deal with some of your lingering problems with certain family members. SAGITTARIUS: 20th Nov - 20th Dec Your freedom is more important to you than anything else in your life. It’s often very difficult for you to get involved, whether personally or professionally. Nevertheless, today you may have to think about it. GEMINI : 20th May - 20th June There are days when you should take everything with a grain of salt. Today you may realize how important it is to gain the appreciation and respect of a certain person. It isn’t worth getting worked up about. You will only make things worse. LIBRA: 20th Sep - 20th Oct You like to give people advice and help them find direction in their lives - sometimes when they haven’t even asked. But now it’s your turn to feel a little lost. You may need to get away from it all to get some perspective on your life. What about taking a trip to some faraway land? Today is a good day to make your vacation plans. CAPRICORN: 20th Dec - 20th Jan You take people and situations just as they come. Today you may find yourself in the middle of negotiations between two people with opposite views. Help them open their eyes to each other’s point of view. CANCER: 20th June - 20th July Cancer, you shouldn’t even try to find a reasonable explanation for what goes on around you today. There isn’t one. Be carried by the tides of emotions from the past that run through your body and soul. SCORPIO: 20th Oct - 20th Nov You may put your integrity under the microscope today. We all have deep convictions that we would never let go of. But society pressures us, and it isn’t always easy to live in perfect harmony with our ideals. AQUARIUS: 20th Jan - 20th Feb Today you will be able to explore the power of your emotions. Don’t try and fight what you call your “oversensitivity.” A force from childhood will permeate you and help you to find out what your real needs are. PISCES: 20th Feb - 20th Mar Today you will have the opportunity to reenergize and regenerate yourself from the inside out. Take advantage of the energies at play to deepen your relationships with the people you love. Get to know them even better. 21 Monday, December 22, 2014 CROSSWORD Across 1- Qty.; 4- Sic on; 9- “The Zoo Story” playwright; 14Automotive vehicle; 15- ___ Kick Out of You; 16- Lush; 17- Acapulco aunt; 18- Male voice; 19- Code name; 20Naïve or gullible; 23- Commedia dell’___; 24- Kid of jazz; 25- Light cotton fabric; 28- Actress Ward; 30- Musical style with similarities to reggae; 33- Red as ___; 34- Paul Sorvino’s daughter; 35- The closest one to us is the sun; 36Obvious; 39- Kill; 40- Tibetan oxen; 41- Skin layer; 42- TV Tarzan Ron; 43- Modeling material; 44- East Indian fig tree; 45- Land in la mer; 46- Verne captain; 47- Unyielding; 54Attempts; 55- Column style; 56- Actress Carrie; 57- Worth; 58- Pelvic bones; 59- Bard’s nightfall; 60- Slumbered; 61Slippery as ___; 62- RR stop; Yesterday’s solution Down 1- Broadway opening; 2- Disfigure; 3- Mouse catcher; 4Able to read and write; 5- Discharges; 6- High-strung; 7Yours, in Tours; 8- Poi source; 9- Eritrea’s capital; 10- Lout; 11- Singer Ives; 12- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto); 13- Extra-wide shoe size; 21- Make less dense; 22Atari founder Bushnell; 25- Pool stroke; 26- Clear as ___; 27- Postpone; 28- Like corn tassels; 29- Historical chapters; 30- Tale; 31- Destiny; 32- Indo-European; 34- Movie-rating org.; 35- Shorthand pros; 37- Plant tissue; 38- Pert. to first man; 43- Broom room; 44- Get stuck in the mud; 45- Freeze over; 46- Time being; 47- Russian range; 48- Khartoum’s river; 49- Galileo’s birthplace; 50- Horse of mixed color; 51Supermodel Sastre; 52- Russian no; 53- Actress Rowlands; 54- Boob tubes; BEETLE BAILEY IN HISTORY S U D O KU R LAUGH @ LIFE Polar bears practise sparring T Hoy en la Historia December 22, 1989 Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania’s communist dictator, was ousted in a revolution after 24 years of hardline rule. He was tried and executed within days 640: The Saracens destroyed the library at Alexandria; burning books warmed the public baths for six months 1808: Ludwig van Beethoven conducted and performed in a four-hour concert consisting entirely of premieres of his own work, including the Fifth Symphony 1885: Prince Ito Hirobumi, a samurai, became Japan’s first Prime Minister 1989: Reclusive Irish dramatist Samuel Beckett died in Paris Picture: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS wo nine foot-tall polar bears raise their giant paws, bite and wrestle in the snow on a beautiful winter’s day by Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, in brilliant new photographs by Joyce Ferder. The image is a common one at this time of year says Ferder, who worked in TV news before becoming a full-time landscape and wildlife photographer. �There is nothing for the bears to do but wait for the ice (to form) so they play by sparring to be ready for when they will have to fight each other for the right to mate with a female next year,’ Ferder says. �Imagine Greco-Roman wrestling but with polar bears, it is exactly like that. �They would usually just be lying around and one would roll over and start pawing at the other. �From there they would push and shove each other going fully on hind legs every so often. There would be a lot of biting and gnawing.’ This scene was an early birthday gift for Joyce, who turned 56 the day after witnessing this hour-long play fight. �They would sometimes hold each others How to play: Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine. Yesterday’s solution head in the snow for a few seconds as if on a count and then start it all over again,’ Ferder recalls. �I was in awe of the power of the animals and the amazingly clear day with the most extraordinary light. Up until that point we had had some terrible weather - blizzards and very grey days. �It was also preternaturally quiet as the bears made no sound when they fought each other. �The only sound you would hear was the sound of snow going “oomph” when the bears hit each other and the respectful murmurs of the human beings feeling privileged to watch such a spectacle. �Not only is the light incredible, I love the small details in the photos - the texture of their fur, the blood shot eyes and their teeth. Looks matter 22 Monday, December 22, 2014 DRINK YOUR SKIN CARE REGIME AlAnood Al Khalifa/DTNN H ave you ever heard the phrase �Beauty comes from within’? In this case the saying might as well be true. This week, I will be writing about Skinade, a drink that works from the inside out to rebuild and strengthen the collagen matrix below the skin’s surface, boosts natural levels of hydration and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I first tried out this drink in summer; it was during the end of Ramadan and right before Eid. I was getting a facial when my therapist noticed my skin condition and suggested I try out the drink. I heard a lot about these collagen drinks before, but never dared to try one, however she did assure me they were safe. Developed and manufactured by Owner of Gloss Salon and Spa, AlAnood Al Khalifa, shares with DT News the secrets to strengthening the skin’s surface. Read on and find out why she highly recommends Skinade to anyone who wants to have strong and natural skin… leading scientists in the UK, Skinade contains high-grade collagen and micronutrients. The high-grade collagen is sourced from fresh water fish that is low in sodium and avoids mercury contamination; it also contains high quality ingredients without artificial flavours or artificial colouring, each bottle has 35 calories only! It is a very convenient addition to your beauty routine, it tastes like mangos and peaches and is quiet pleasant. Drinking one Skinade a day on a daily basis will result in firmer, more even toned, hydrated, youthful and more radiant skin. Obviously like most skin care products, results do take a while. I bought four boxes each box contains a weeks worth of drink and was quiet strict with my new routine (it became more of a challenge for me to have one bottle a day) I loved the drink! What I love about the bottle is that it is sleek and is convenient to carry around in your purse. After doing this for a month, I honestly didn’t see much of a difference but I enjoyed every sip and do not think that it was just a waste of money. Three months later I saw my therapist again she suggested that I take the drink once again. I agreed and bought another month’s supply. This time I noticed the difference within the first week. My skin got brighter and felt more hydrated. I highly recommend this drink! HEALTH CORNER With Diana Nakhle On a healthy mission D iana Nakhle is a licensed clinical dietician working at Carlton Preventive Nutrition Center, Bahrain since 2012. She has gained her Nutrition & Dietetics degree from Notre Dame University-Lebanon. Her mission in Bahrain is to spread health awareness and help people engage more in a healthy lifestyle. How much fiber should I eat? The recommended daily value for fiber is 25 grams per day. Eating more plant foods like whole grains, fresh vegetables, beans, whole fresh fruit and nuts is the best way to ensure a good fiber intake. What are the nutritional benefits of beef? Beef has one of the highest concentrations of protein that helps repair and build body tissues; it is rich in iron, needed for a good blood oxygen flow; zinc and selenium that are needed for tissue formation and fat metabolism. It has an abundance of B vitamins especially B12 which is important for all the body systems. Just make to always choose lean beef sources to reduce saturated fat intake. What I love about the bottle is that it is sleek and is convenient to carry around in your purse. After doing this for a month, I honestly didn’t see much of a difference but I enjoyed every sip and do not think that it was just a waste of money. I have a friend who constantly craves for sugar even after she has eaten her regular meals. Is she lacking something in her diet? Sugar craving can be caused by someone’s eating habits, diet, emotions, brain chemistry, and premenstrual syndrome. Lack of nutrients in her diet is not a direct cause. She should make sure that she eats regular balanced meals containing moderate amounts of whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables and fiber. �It’s never smart to borrow someone else’s foundation’ THE BEAUTY B loopers Since my hair is the oil, I need to wash it daily and it takes me half an hour to comb it without getting it frizzy. But yet, fate doesn’t seem to want my hair to stay calm and smooth. Once, I get out of the house with the wind touching my hair, it gets frizzy. So I clamp it up with hair bands. By noon, the hair bands start to slip because of the greasiness. The worst part is by this time, I have one more class left before going home and by now I just looked like I survived a tornado. -Muneera M. Every time I get out of the shower, I don’t bother brushing my curly wet hair nor do I even own a brush because I know it would just look fine and dry up the way it is. But no, my friends and family can’t seem to comprehend the reality of my hair. So I had enough of their complaints and I decided to buy a brush and try it out. I can’t express how I regret listening to them despite my gut feelings, my long fine curls turned into a dry mope that witches could use when they lose their broomsticks. -Deshni F. I encountered a situation during which I couldn’t find the foundation that I always use after scouring the stores for it. When I ordered the foundation, I was told that I had to wait for three more weeks. To compensate for my loss and time, I decided to use my mother’s foundation. Unfortunately, it turned me into a ghost because my mother had three shades of her skin tone lighter than mine. I realised that it is never smart to borrow someone else’s foundation. -Ghaida A. 23 Monday, December 22, 2014 Once-in-a-lifetime discovery reveals treasure trove of extremely rare cars BARN FIND OF THE CENTURY Fran Blandy and Jean-Francois Guyot I the car world’s equivalent of the tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. Lamoure and senior specialist Pierre Novikoff got a tip-off about the timeworn fleet while criss-crossing the country earlier this year hunting for rare pieces. On the farm -- Artcurial is keeping the exact location secret -- they n a small village in western France, in makeshift shelters bared to the elements, a treasure trove of extremely rare cars has been discovered after lying forgotten for almost 50 years. Under a pile of dusty old car magazines, one of only 37 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spiders What is so special here is the number ever made valued at up to 12 of cars, the range and the quality and million euros ($14 million) is among pedigree of the models some 60 classic gems discovered by the elite found a hodge-podge of makeshift Artcurial auction house. The once-in-a-lifetime discovery, structures, describing shock after announced earlier this month, was shock as they realised the treasures likened by Artcurial managing director they contained. “This was somewhere between a Matthieu Lamoure to stumbling upon metallic graveyard and a museum,” said Novikoff, describing valuable cars invaded by ivy, and in some cases corrugated iron resting directly on the cars. “We were overcome with emotion. Probably much like Lord Carrington and Howard Carter, on being the first for centuries to enter Tutankhamun’s tomb,” said Lamoure. They may be rusted and weatherbeaten, but the legendary names such as Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, TalbotLago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage are described by Artcurial as “works of art.” The rare California Spider -- a car which features 13 times on the list of the 100 most expensive cars ever sold -- was bought new by French actor Gerard Blain and later sold to fellow actor Alain Delon. Delon was photographed with American actresses Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine in the car, which historians thought to be lost forever. Also uncovered is an extravagant Talbot Lago T26 Cabriolet that belonged to Egypt’s last monarch King Farouk, an immensely rich ruler known for grotesque extravagance, and avid collector who along with fast cars amassed one of the world’s most famous coin collections. “This is surely the last time that such a discovery will be made, anywhere in the world. What is so special here is the number of cars, the range and the quality and pedigree of the models,” said Novikoff. -’Sleeping beauties’But how does such a jackpot of mythical automobiles end up on a rural French farm, left to rust for half a century? While classic cars are now snapped up and extremely valuable, this was between 1955 and 1965. But when the 70s swung in, Baillon’s business went into decline, not the case a few decades ago when inventor and automobile enthusiast Roger Baillon became one of the first collectors. He had a transport business in the west of France where he in 1947 designed and built his own car known as the Bluebird, all while raking in a fortune in the post WWII boom in the sector. He bought the property in 1953 to turn into an automobile museum, snapping up classic cars -- some saved from the scrapyard -- and according to Lamoure, even bought a little train which he planned to use to give tours of his museum. “When the vehicles arrived he put them away without much fuss, one next to the other. He restored some and left others as they were,” said Novikoff. Much of the collection was built up and he held a large sale of his car collection at the end of the decade and to car historians, that was the end of that. But it turned out he had clung on to many of the collection’s jewels. Now, the lost “sleeping beauties” will again change hands, in an auction on February 6, 2015, where they are expected to fetch up to 16 million euros. They will be displayed and sold as they are, and Lamoure said he hopes some will be left as such as works of art, although some buyers may choose to restore them. “This is a very rare opportunity presenting works of art unknown to the market! For the Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport coupe Saoutchik, caved in at the rear, I think it should be left in this condition. It is a sculpture.” (AFP) 24 Monday, December 22, 2014 The constitutional court’s ruling clearly confirms that the UPP tried to overthrow our liberal democracy by using violence Greece in 2015 will not be the same as it was in 2010-2011. There is absolutely no risk of contagion for us - South Korean PM Chung Hong-won If we engage, we have the opportunity to influence the course of events at a time when there’s going to be some generational change in Cuba - Barack Obama US President - Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan All involved in assassination bid against former prez Pervez Musharraf PAK PACKS FOUR MORE TO GALLOWS Islamabad our convicts, involved in an attack on former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf 11 years ago, were hanged to death Sunday at a district jail in Faisalabad following approval by the government to implement executions in terrorismrelated cases. Zubair Ahmed, Rasheed Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar Bhatti and Russian citizen Akhlaque Ahmed were shifted from the central jail in Faisalabad to another district jail late Saturday to be hanged, Dawn online reported. The family members were allowed to meet the convicts before the hanging. Strict security measures were put in place with F Pakistani mourners leave bouquets as they pay their respects outside the army-run school in Peshawar on Sunday. (AFP) additional contingents of security personnel deployed on the routes leading to the district jail. The militants’ death penalties were signed by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. Musharraf narrowly escaped when two suicide car bombers rammed their vehicle into his motorcade Dec 25, 2003, in Rawalpindi. Fifteen people, including Arrests made in Peshawar school carnage Islamabad Authorities have made arrests in the case of the Taliban school attack that killed 149 in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Sunday that the authorities had picked up several people suspected of involvement in the attack. Afghan journo hurt in French centre attack dies Kabul An Afghan journalist who was seriously injured during a suicide attack on a French cultural centre died of his wounds in hospital on Sunday, officials said. One German man was also killed and 20 other people wounded in the blast on December 11 during a performance at the packed auditorium of the French Institute of Afghanistan in the capital Kabul. The performance was entitled “Heartbeat, The Silence After The Explosion”. soldiers, were killed in the attack which was the second attempt on Musharraf’s life that month. Following the attack, several militants, including the four hanged Sunday, were arrested. Preparations are underway in Lahore for the execution of four other prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Central Jail. The executions are expected to be carried out within the next one or two days, media reports said. All the roads leading to the detention facility in Lahore have been blocked and mobile phone jammers have been installed around the jail premises. In Sindh province’s Sukkur city, two terrorists belonging to the outlawed Lashkar- Supporters of terrorists live among us: Minister Islamabad Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Sunday said every citizen was required to be vigilant as “the sympathisers and supporters of these terrorists live among us”. “To fight terror, every Pakistani citizen has to play their part,” Dawn online quoted Khan as saying at a press conference here as he urged all citizens to be vigilant with regard to the terror threat. i-Jhangvi will be executed Tuesday. Attaullah alias Qasim and Mohammad Azam alias Sharif were given death sentence by an anti-terrorism court in 2004 for killing a person on sectarian grounds in 2001. On Friday, two former soldiers were executed in Faisalabad. One of them was executed for the 2009 attack on the Pakistan Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Another was hanged for his role in an attempt to kill Musharraf in 2003. Pakistan has started executing terrorists sentenced to death after a terrorist attack left over 140 students and teachers dead in a Peshawar school December 16. (AFP) Al-Qaeda �bursting with pain’ Peshawar: l-Qaeda’s regional branch on Sunday said its hearts were “bursting with pain” over the Taliban’s massacre at a Pakistan school and urged the militants to target only security forces. The attack on Tuesday killed 149 people -mostly children -- in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. “Our hearts are bursting with pain and grief over this incident,” Osama Mehmood, spokesman for Al-Qaeda South Asia chapter said in a four-page emailed statement. “There is no doubt that the list of crimes and atrocities of the Pakistani army has crossed the limit and it is true that this army is ahead of everyone in America’s slavery and genocide of Muslims... but it does not mean that we should seek revenge from oppressed Muslims,” Mehmood said. “The guns that we have taken up against Allah’s enemy America,” he added. A Pak refuses to learn despite Peshawar: Academic Islamabad Despite the Peshawar massacre, the Pakistani government and military refuse to recognize the root causes of terrorism, said Hassan Javid, a professor of political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, on Sunday. Terror Aftermath Peshawar students battle trauma Islamabad F ive days after terrorists massacred over 140 students and teachers in a Peshawar school, the Pakistani city remains in a state of shock. The worst hit are obviously the students -- those who survived the bloodbath at the Army Public School and even pupils in schools elsewhere in Peshawar, the Dawn newspaper reported Sunday. Parents of students in the city are equally distraught. “I have been seeing images of black shoes and pointed guns in my dreams,” the daily quoted Arsalan Khan, a 14-year-old at the Army Public School, as saying. Khan ran out of the classroom when we heard gunshots on December 16 and hid in the bathroom. “Later I came to know that two of my classmates were shot dead by terrorists. I am shocked why they targeted our school,” he told the Dawn. A number of parents complained that their children were suffering from psychological trauma and insomnia following the gruesome attack, the daily said. Shazia Shehryar, a mother of three, told Dawn that her ninth grader daughter had refused to go to her school although it was far away from the Army Public School but on the same street. “She is still shivering. We want to take her to a hospital but she resists that too,” Shehryar said. According to Dawn, even otherwise, due to deteriorating law and order situation, the activities of school students had been restricted in recent years. Many schools have stopped one-day trip for students for fear of untoward incident. Mian Mashhud, a Class 10 student who survived the Taliban massacre, walks with a cane as he arrives for a ceremony outside the school in Peshawar. (AFP). 25 Monday, December 22, 2014 Ideology dilemma RSS to go ahead with conversions defying PM Modi New Delhi he head of India’s most powerful Hindu group vowed to press ahead with a campaign to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, stoking a sensitive debate that has stalled parliament and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic reform agenda. Mohan Bhagwat of the rightwing Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), which is also the ideological wing of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), T said India was a “Hindu nation” where many Hindus had been forcibly converted to other religions. “We will bring back those who have lost their way. They did not go on their own,” Bhagwat said in a speech late on Saturday. “They were lured into leaving.” Bhagwat’s comments came after BJP said it did Mohan Bhagwat not support forced religious conversions and called for an are predominantly Hindus anti-conversion law. but there are also about 160 India’s 1.2 billion people million Muslims and a small proportion of Christians. Modi is under fire for being slow to rein in hardline affiliate groups that have been accused of promoting a Hindu-dominant agenda that includes luring Muslims and Christians to convert to Hinduism. This month, a group of Muslims complained that they had been tricked into attending a conversion ceremony by Hindu groups, while a Hindu priest-turned-lawmaker of the ruling party planned GUNMAN KILLS 2 US TOP COPS 28-yr-old miscreant shoots himself, dies New York Jennie Matthew A n African American gunman with an apparent grudge killed two New York police officers in a coldblooded attack after weeks of outrage over police killings of unarmed black men. President Barack Obama “unconditionally” condemned the murders, saying in a statement: “Tonight, I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal.” The two uniformed officers, one a newlywed, were shot in the head through the window of their patrol car in broad Rafael Ramos Wenjian Liu daylight in Brooklyn on Saturday in an attack that left America’s biggest city reeling just days before Christmas. “Today, two of New York’s finest were shot and killed with no warning, no provocation,” said an emotional New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “They were quite simply assassinated.” Police named the shooter as 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who shot and seriously Sri Lanka floods displace over 40,000 Study Finds Colombo More than 40,000 people have been displaced in the north central and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka as heavy torrential rains made dams overflow and hampered transport services, an official said on Sunday. The town of Batticaloa was the worst hit, with an estimated 30,000 people displaced from their homes. Thousands more had to be evacuated, including those from tourist hot spots such as Anuradhapura, by the army and navy. The towns of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in the north central province are known for rice cultivation. wounded his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore early Saturday before driving to Brooklyn to murder the two officers. Wenjian Liu, a sevenyear police veteran who got married two months ago, and Rafael Ramos, who leaves behind a 13-year-old son, were “ambushed and murdered” as they sat in the front seats of a marked NYPD police car, officials said. Neither officer had a chance to draw his weapon before Brinsley opened fire and fled to a nearby subway station. He shot himself in the head on the platform. A silver semi-automatic firearm was recovered near his body. (AFP) a conversion ceremony on Christmas Day, although it was cancelled after the prime minister intervened. Supporters define such events as a “homecoming”, saying that families signing up for the ceremonies were originally Hindus. “We don’t want to convert anybody ... but then Hindus should also not be converted,” Bhagwat said, adding that those who do not support religious conversions should bring in a law against it. Sony hack an act of cyber vandalism, says Obama Washington S President Barack Obama said that North Korea’s hack of Sony Pictures was an act of “cyber vandalism” and not an act of war.” “I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously.” “The US is mulling whether or not to place North Korea back onto its list of state U T to the trend. “The results in this paper suggest that such an association exists, and that it is potentially quite large,” the study notes. The researchers used data from the General Social Survey (GSS), to analyze how 18-to-35 year-old men used the Internet between 2000 and 2004. They focused on how many hours each participant spent on the Internet per week, and how many reported having used the Internet to view pornography in the past 30 days, but also observed other activities, including the use of religious websites. “We asked ourselves, what is helping determine whether people are married or not?” said Dr. Michael Malcolm, a sponsors of terrorism,” Obama said on Sunday following the communist nation’s alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures. “We’re going to review those through a process that’s already in place,” he said. Washington accuses Pyongyang of being behind the hack at Sony that led to the release of embarrassing emails and caused executives to halt the debut of the film “The Interview.” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen review a honour guard during an official inauguration ceremony at the Cotroceni presidential palace in Bucharest on Sunday. (AFP) Pornography causes decline in marriages Roberto A. Ferdman here could be an unlikely contributor to the decline of marriage in the US. And it’s free pornography on the Internet. A team of researchers, who published their findings in The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany, determined that the rise of free Internet pornography is not only correlated with a pronounced decline in percentage of young adult males who are married, but might actually be contributing Bhagwat’s comments are likely to further irk opposition parties that have disrupted parliament over the conversion issue, demanding that the prime minister himself make a statement on the issue in the upper house. Although Narendra Modi has privately warned lawmakers in his party to back off from controversial issues such as the conversion campaign, he has so far not made any official statement on the subject. professor at the University of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and one of the study’s authors. “One of those things, we thought, could be the use of pornography.” In order to test the hypothesis, Malcolm adjusted for a number of variables, including age, income, education, religiosity, and employment, all of which have been shown to correlate with marriage. He also adjusted for the possibility marriage has an impact on pornography use. (Washington Post) Mother jailed for 20 years for killing daughter Sydney An Australian woman has been jailed for 20 years for killing her six-month-old daughter here in 2010. The woman, then in her late 30s, drowned her daughter in the bathtub of her house after obsessively worrying for months that the girl had dwarfism. A Sydney court was told that soon after the baby was born in April 2010, she was tested for genetic abnormalities, including achondroplasia, a medical term for dwarfism, after the mother raised concerns about skin tags, a flat nose and shape of the girl’s forehead. 26 Monday, December 22, 2014 SITUATION VACANT A reputed British curriculum school in Adliya requires an ASSISTANT TEACHER urgently in primary section. Qualified candidate, must speak fluent English and Tagalog. To apply, please send your resume to: [email protected] ................................................... Interior Design Company looking for professional INTERIOR DESIGNER with advanced 3D skills & AutoCAD drafting. Attractive salary package and benefits. Send you portfolio to: [email protected] ................................................... CUSTOMER SERVICE role available, must speak fluent English and Arabic. For details please email you CV to Info@ simply-casting.com ................................................... Required TEACHERS, NANNIES, NURSES, ASSISTANTS for a nursery opening will be in 2015. If interested please send your CV on littleones.bh@gmail. com ................................................... ADMIN SECRETARY for an import & export company. Should have accounting background and legal work experience (Full-time). Email resume: [email protected] ................................................... Urgently Required LV JOINTERS with experience. Email: [email protected] ................................................... Urgently Required CCTV, ACCESS CONTROL, FIRE ALARM / SECURITY SYSTEM TECHNICIAN with 2-3 years of experience. Bahrain Driving Licence is an added advantage. Forward your CV to: applybah@ gmail.com ................................................... British curriculum school requires ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS for intermediate level. English mother tongue preferred. Email CV to admin@ talentschools.com ................................................... CUSTOMER SERVICE role available, must speak fluent English and Arabic. For details please email your CV to Info@ simply-casting.com ................................................... A Reputed Company in Bahrain urgently looking for OUTDOOR SALESMAN for Ice Cream Factory. Requirements: The candidates should have extensive outdoor sales experience; At least 1-2 years of experience; Can speak and understand English; with valid Bahrain driving license. Interested candidate can apply with detailed CV and full body pictures to Email: [email protected] ................................................... Interior Design Company looking for professional INTERIOR DESIGNER with advanced 3D skills & AutoCAD drafting. Attractive salary package and benefits. Send you portfolio to: [email protected] ................................................... Urgently Required SECURITY GUARDS, MOTORCYCLE RIDERS, PASTRY, CHEF IN FOOD DECORATION, CHEF IN SWEETS, TABLE SERVICES STAFF AND DINING RESTAURANT SUPERVISOR. Kindly send CV to hradprt@ gmail.com ................................................... Apex Properties require PROPERTY MANAGERS. Previous experience + driving licence essential. Salary+ commission. Send CV to info@apexbahrain. com ................................................... Looking for a professional well experienced FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER / VIDEOGRAPHER who is willing to work full time at my company based in the Kingdom of Bahrain / Email: [email protected] ................................................... Arabic & English speaking ladies (age 22 to 35) required for promoting a well known FMCG product on a permanent basis (1 year contract). Good salary provided. Please send CV to [email protected] ................................................... Required FLOWER AND ROSES DESIGNERS with experience for contact, email: [email protected] ................................................... Urgently required experienced PICK-UP DRIVERS with GCC/ Bahrain driving licence. Email: [email protected] ................................................... Nader & EBRAHIM group looking for a FEMALE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY. Minimum 4 years experience in the same role, dependable, efficient in handling the day-today operations of the office. Send your CV to [email protected]. ................................................... We Require a full time Restaurant ACCOUNTING CLERK. Candidate should have the following experience and qualifications: Attention to detail; Interpersonal Skills; Analyze daily/ weekly/ monthly sales and store area/ transfer and inventory posting. Email CV to: [email protected] ................................................... Newly Opened Block Factory requires experienced Personnel for QA/ QC, PRODUCTION, OPERATOR and OTHER POSITIONS. Email CV: [email protected] and [email protected] ................................................... Required For a Grade A construction company: 1. CIVIL ENGINEER- Diploma with 8 to 10 years Buildings Experience, should have valid Bahrain Driver’s Licence, knowledge of AutoCAD preferred. 2. CIVIL FOREMAN experienced in road projects. Please send your CV to [email protected] ................................................... Urgently Required SITE ENGINEER for high rise building project with 5 - 10 years experience. Please send CV to Email: [email protected] ................................................... FLAT FOR RENT AMWAJ apartment for Rent in tala island with two bedrooms, laundry room, overlooking the sea, open kitchen, Parking, swimming pool, Gym, supermarket and restaurants, for rent at a price of BD 700 only. Email: [email protected] .................................................. AMWAJ 3 bedroom villa for rent in the floating city, Rent: BD 1300. Email: [email protected] .................................................. SEEF, Luxury 1 bedroom fully furnished apartment in Era Tower, with stunning sea view, modern fittings and furniture, inclusive of all bills and Wifi Pool, Gym, Steam and Sauna rooms, Tennis court, Kids play area. Contact: 3974 6444 .................................................. EAST RIFFA a brand new commercial offices for rent, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom, prices start from BD 250 - BD 260 - BD 270 Contact: 3345 1108 .................................................. GAFUL flat for rent, 2 bedroom 1 bathroom 1 kitchen hall with AC. Rent: BD 250. Contact: 39711001 .................................................. JUFFAIR fully furnished 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat for rent with all faculties, pool, gym, covered parking (24 hrs) security and maintenance monthly. Rent 500 all inclusive. Contact: 3388 7055 .................................................. RIFFA 2 bed room 2 bath room flat for rent near lulu hypermarket, family only. Rent: BD 200. Contact: 6633 3304 .................................................. MUHARRAQ 1 room semi furnished flat for rent, all inclusive electricity + municipality. Walking distance of Muharraq central market, and Muhharraq souq. Call : 39970707 .................................................. BUDAIYA HIGHWAY semi furnished villa for rent, 3 bedroom 3 bath room, car parking store house, maid’s room, pool, washing machine, air conditioning, garden, exclusive of municipality, electricity and water. For viewing call: 33887055 Monday, December 22, 2014 27 Outdoor Catering Team Offers Choice of high quality. Tailor made menus for Non-Veg & Veg. Professional Party Set-up & Supervision. Catering for any number of guests. Attractive rates. Reservations: + 973 17728699 MEXICAN SOUP WITH CHICKEN • • • • • • 2tbspoliveoil 1onion,chopped 4garliccloves,crushed 1anchoorotherlargedriedchilli,deseeded and softened in boiling water for about 10 mins ½tspgroundcumin 400gcanplumtomatoes 1½lchickenstock 2chickenbreasts,sliced juice2limes tortillachipsorhomemadetortillastrips(see below),choppedavocado,limewedges,red onionandcoriander,toserve PREPARATION 1. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, soften for 5 mins, then stir in the dried chilli, cumin, tomatoes and chicken stock. Blitz in a food processor in batches, or use a hand blender to purée until smooth. Return to the pan, then bring to the boil. Add the chicken, reduce the heat, then simmer for 10 mins until cooked through. Stir in the lime juice and some seasoning, then ladle into bowls. Put the toppings in the middle of the table for everyone to help themselves. 17256470 • • • • [email protected] INGREDIENTS: 17579869 HONDA ACCORD, 2005 model for sale. KM 137000, Engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 2,500. Contact: 33833390 ................................................... CITROEN C4, 2006 model for sale. Engine Size 1000-2000 CC. Price BD 650. Contact: 39144218 ................................................... MITSUBISHI LANCER, 2009 model for sale. KM 127000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 2,500. Contact: 33055827 ................................................... NISSAN ARMADA, 2004 model for sale. KM 173000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 4,500. Contact: 39977886 ................................................... AUDI A1, 2011 model for sale. KM 42000, engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 6,500. Contact: 38383409 ................................................... TOYOTA COROLLA, 2010 model for sale. KM 94400, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 3,700. 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Price BD 3,500. Contact: 36704044 ................................................... NISSAN TIIDA, 2012 model for sale. KM 68000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 3,400. Contact: 36706067 ................................................... VOLKSWAGEN CC, 2014 model for sale. KM 8500, Engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 10,400. Contact: 33620118 ................................................... CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER, 2004 model for sale. KM 170000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 2,000. Contact: 36039002 ................................................... TOYOTA FORTUNER, 2013 model for sale. KM 33000, engine size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 8,000. Contact: 34443543 ................................................... HONDA CR-VENGINE, 1998 model for sale, engine size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,200. Contact: 33285528 ................................................... INFINITI FX45/FX35, 2006 model for sale. Engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 4,700. Contact: 33276252 ................................................... INFINITI G-SERIES, 2008 model for sale, engine Size 30014000CC. Price BD 5,800. Contact: 33276252 ................................................... HYUNDAI TUCSON, 2009 model for sale, engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 3,000. Contact: 33276252 ................................................... MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS, 2002 model for sale. engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 2,000. Contact: 33150489 ................................................... HONDA ACCORD, 2010 model for sale. KM 73452, engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,299. Contact: 38808449 ................................................... NISSAN SUNNY, 2004 model for sale. KM 105000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,650. Contact: 34129197 ................................................... NISSAN XTERRA, 2010 model for sale. KM 81000, engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,700. Contact: 33054520 ................................................... FORD FOCUS, 2006 model for sale. KM 135000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,300. Contact: 36065004 ................................................... CADILLAC ESCALADE, 2008 modle for sale. KM 22000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 5,200. Contact: 33182795 ................................................... MASERATI Quattroporte, 2005 model for sale. KM 19000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 6,995. Contact: 33355790 ................................................... MERCEDES-BENZ S-Class, 2006 model for sale. KM 70000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 8,900. Contact: 33355790 ................................................... NISSAN SUNNY, 2003 model for sale. KM 200000, engine Size 1000-2000CC. Price BD 1,400. Contact: 38181284 ................................................... GMC ACADIA, 2008 model for sale. KM 115000, engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 5,500. Contact: 35580622 ................................................... NISSAN ALTIMA, 2012 model for sale. KM 44000, engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 5,000. Contact: 39541177 ................................................... NISSAN ALTIMA, 2005 model for sale. Engine Size 20013000CC. Price BD 1,500. Contact: 34064033 ................................................... LEXUS ES-SERIES, 2008 model for sale. Engine Size30014000CC . Price BD 8,000. Contact: 36611106 ................................................... NISSAN ALTIMA, 2012 model for sale. KM 53000, engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 4,800. Contact: 39541177 ................................................... KIA CARNIVAL, 2004 model for sale. KM 162437, engine Size 2001-3000CC. Price BD 1,000. Contact: 33718885 ................................................... HYUNDAI GALLOPER, 2002 model for sale. KM 220000, engine Size 3001-4000CC. Price BD 1,300. Contact: 37737756 ................................................... HONDA CR-V, 1998 model for sale. Engine Size 10002000CC. Price BD 1,250. Contact: 33071582 ................................................... JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, 2000 model for sale. KM 150000, engine Size 4000+CC. Price BD 950. Contact: 34556227 ................................................... Reaching the right audience DINE OUT 28 SHAIKH HAMAD, Monday, December 22, 2014 National Racing Festival AL KOOHEJI WIN DT News Network haikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Hussain Al Kooheji emerged as the stars of the National Racing Festival this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir. Both drivers enjoyed a fantastic double in their respective championships amidst a high level of competition along BIC’s 2.55-kilometre Inner Track. Shaikh Hamad triumphed in both races of round three in the 2014/2015 BIC 2,000cc Challenge, while Al Kooheji made local motor racing history as the first-ever winner of the all-new BMR 600 Championship. The BMR S Winners on the podium 600 is a one-make series for motorbikes, featuring the Honda Hornet 600cc, that made a rousing debut over the weekend. The National Racing Festival was organised by BIC in cooperation with the Bahrain Motor Federation and Circuit Racing Club. It followed a week-long celebration off the track at BIC commemorating Bahrain’s National Day. Shaikh Hamad maintained his perfect start to the season with another two race wins and stretch his winning streak to six races in a row and now leads the drivers’ championship standings with a healthy gap. Shaikh Hamad headed into the meeting as firm favourite and set the pace in free practice with a best lap of 1min 19.131secs in his Honda CIVIC, the veteran racer lost out on pole position for the meeting’s first race by a mere 0.219secs with Hussain Karimi capturing pole in his Honda CRX with a best lap time of 1min 18.983secs. This didn’t knock Shaikh Hamad’s focus off track as he responded with a stellar performance in the opening 15-lap sprint where he narrowly outclassed Karimi by 1.552secs. Shaikh Hamad took the chequered flag in a total race time of 19mins 58.238secs and clocking the fastest lap of 1min 18.746secs. Shaikh Hamad and Karimi were in a class of their own throughout the event, engaged in heated battle while completing the race nearly a half-minute ahead of their closest rival Tim Birkin (+29.699) driving a Honda Integra to finish third to claim the final podium place. Abdulrahman Ghuloom (Honda CIVIC, +30.871), Alex Longden (BMW 3 Series/F20C, +32.545), Mohamed Faqihi (Honda CIVIC, +14 laps) and Stephen Kellogg (Honda CIVIC, +41.980) rounded out the classification. World Congress Shaikh Rashid, Le Falher clinch title gains praise DT News Network he concluded 56th ICHPER.SD Anniversary World Congress and Exposition in Bahrain on Saturday and organised by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) in partnership with the International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (ICHPER.SD) and the University of Bahrain was given a thumbs up by highranking Bahraini officials. Prominent figures in the field of sports also congratulated the personal representatives of His Majesty the King for Charity Work and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and BOC president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa on winning two valuable awards at the closing ceremony. Shaikh Nasser became the first Arab figure to win the �Highest Contribution Award’ from ICHER.SD since it was founded in 1958, which was in appreciation to his support and development to sports development in Bahrain. He was also presented DT News Network haikh Rashid Al Khalifa and his young playing partner Yaseen Le Falher (88 points) clinched the crown of the 12th Annual National Day Tournament at the Royal Golf Club. The total points was made up from the first day score and added to their second day total for the final aggregate, the pairing of Abdulla Khalifa Esa and Dena Wales (86) were runners up with third place closely contested with three pairings on the same total with the duo of Khalifa Al Merisi and Dave Garbutt (85) clinching it after the count back system was implemented. S T Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa with a special �Royal Knight’ award from the International Military Sports Council (CISM) due to his remarkable efforts in the field of sports. “I would like to personally congratulate Shaikh Nasser on receiving these two awards from ICHPERSD and CISM, which he deservedly earned,” said BOC board member and president of the Bahrain Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Federation president Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa. BOC board member Isa Abdulrahim expressed pride in Shaikh Nasser being the first Arab figure to win these two awards. From left winners Yaseen Le Falher and Shaikh Rashid Al Khalifa with Bernie Morgan, Director of Golf The 36 hole tournament was held over two days on the Royal Golf Club’s Montgomerie championship Junior tennis camp next week DT News Network he Bahrain Tennis Academy (BTA) in cooperation with the Capital School, will be running an intensive four-day camp for children from at the Dilmun Sports Club in Saar. Children from 3 to 8 years of age can join the first session from 8:30am-10:30am each day, while children 8 to 12 years can join the second session T from 10:30am-1:30pm each day. The camps are open to all boys and girls including non-members of the club and no previous experience is necessary. These sessions will include structured training in all strokes and footwork appropriate for the children’s ages and levels. Registration closes on Friday. course. Expatriate players were paired with a Bahraini player in a pairs better ball Stableford format with the top 30 teams from day one battling it out in the final round to decide the overall winning duo. A Junior National Day competition also took place on the Club’s Mini Monty par 3 course and once again, the scores were extremely close. The count back system was used once again to award Manaf Al Murbati and Ali Mohamed Ahmed (21 on count back) in first place after the pair, along with Eid Adel and Fares Essa Qutami (21) were tied on the same points) with Ali Babtain and Ali Salmeen (19) winning third place, while added excitement came about when young Ali Mohamed Ahmed achieved a hole in one on hole 7. FCTG organises tennis fun competition DT News Network he Filipino Club Tennis Group (FCTG) organised team tennis fun competition to celebrate the Bahrain National Day at the Bahrain Tennis Federation (BTF) Courts in Isa Town. Eight teams participated in the tournament along with family, friends, and guests as spectators. Odd Vantage Tennis Republic (OVTR) Team 2 were champions after winning four of fives games against Malditaz in the final. Trophies were later awarded to the winning team, while snacks and a buffet dinner was served during the event supported by Extra Coffee Shop. The next FCTG activity is a tennis clinic to be held on four Fridays in January 2015 as well as the Chairman’s Cup Singles tournament starting in the second week of January. T IT’S NINTH DRAW FOR SAMPDORIA 29 Monday, December 22, 2014 Italian series A Milan taly striker Manolo Gabbiadini confirmed he could quit Sampdoria in the January transfer window after heading a late equaliser to secure a share of the spoils in a 2-2 home draw with Udinese yesterday. Gabbiadini has been linked with a move to Napoli and the highly-rated 23-year-old told after the game: “I don’t know if this will be my last goal in a Sampdoria shirt, I always honour the shirt Manolo Gabbiadini that I’m wearing.” It was Sampdoria’s ninth Obiang gave the hosts a great draw of the campaign but Sinisa start with a 15th minute opener Mihajlovic’s men were left at the Luigi Ferraris stadium, lamenting a missed chance to firing into the empty net after leapfrog Napoli into provisional a blunder by visiting �keeper third place ahead of Lazio’s visit Orestis Karnezis. But Udinese to Inter Milan in yesterday’s took a 2-1 half-time lead following quick-fire goals from late game. Spanish midfielder Pedro Alexandre Geijo and Danilo in I the space of three minutes. Gabbiadini, who secured a share of the points for Samp in a 1-1 draw away to Juventus last week, rescued the hosts again when he headed Lorenzo Di Silvestri’s cross past Karnezis on the hour. Mihajlovic told he had no complaints. Sampdoria are 12 points behind Juventus, who will face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final in Doha on Monday with a chance for a double Christmas celebration after the latest slip-up by title challengers. Roma had closed the gap on Juventus to a point last week but had to settle for a scoreless draw at home to Milan on Saturday which left them three points adrift in second. Elsewhere yesterday, Chievo and Torino were the only two teams celebrating ending the year with a win. (AFP) Sampdoria’s Italian defender Lorenzo De Silvestri (left) heads the ball with Udinese’s French forward Cyril Thereau. Goergl wins Val Bahrain Juniors third Freiburg hold in GCC Championship Hanover d’Isere super- G Berlin orussia Dortmund went joint bottom of the Bundesliga yesterday after Hanover 96 scored two late goals to draw 2-2 at Freiburg as Germany’s top flight breaks for winter. The Bundesliga starts its winter break leaving last season’s runners-up Dortmund level on 15 points and a goal difference of minus eight alongside last-placed Freiburg. Goals by striker Mike Frantz and defender Marc-Oliver Kempf had put hosts Freiburg 2-0 up at their Schwarzwald Stadium before Hanover scored twice in the last 10 minutes to claim a point. Midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt struck on 83 minutes before their Spanish star Joselu netted in the third minute of added time to deny Freiburg their first win since the start of November. Earlier yesterday, Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks gave away his side’s first two goals in their 5-0 thrashing at home by Hoffenheim. (AFP) B An action from race DT News Network ahrain’s National Showjumping Junior Team achieved third place at the teams’ level in the GCC Showjumping Junior Championship for Juniors, held during the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla bin Abdulaziz Al B Saud Equestrian Festival in Riyadh. Bahrain finished behind the overall winners and hosts Saudi Arabia, and runners-up UAE. Third place for the national team can be considered a fine achievement, especially with the participation of advanced riders from across the GCC. Representing the national team at the festival were Hussain Mohammed Dadallah riding Vajoutie, Fahad Hilal Al Khatri riding Wilson 3, Mayouf Al Romaihi riding Wieke Lous amd Ahmed Issa Ali Jawad riding Raniki. Val-d’Isère lisabeth Goergl beat fellow Austrian Anna Fenninger in the women’s World Cup super-G at Val d’Isere yesterday as Lindsey Vonn crashed out. Vonn was seeking to follow up Saturday’s downhill win in the French Alps which put her to within one of Annemarie Moser-Proell’s all-time World Cup record of 62. But as the American snow queen’s record-equalling bid failed to take off Goergl was celebrating E a tight five hundredths of a second win over Olympic champion Fenninger. The 33-year-old slalom and super-G world champion in 2011, who had come in second to Vonn in the downhill 24 hours earlier, clocked a time of 1min 25.42 seconds. This was her seventh World Cup win and she nailed it with a lightning final section at more than 106kph. “My coaches inspected the slope and gave me all the information on the circuit,” said Goergl. (AFP) 30 Monday, December 22, 2014 LAST MINUTE GOAL Johnson’s late strike gives Sunderland 1-0 win against Newcastle Newcastle dam Johnson scored a dramatic 90th minute winner for Sunderland as they beat Newcastle United 1-0 and claim a third successive victory over their north-east rivals. It was a high-tempo game in which both teams, especially Sunderland, missed a series of chances before Johnson settled it, starting and finished a sweeping move involving Steven Fletcher and Sebastien Larsson. Until then, it looked certain to end in a stalemate, but Johnson relishes these occasions after scoring on Sunderland’s two previous visits, which both ended in 3-0 defeats for Newcastle. This meeting was typically competitive derby, littered with yellow cards as referee Anthony Taylor tried to keep a grip on the game. But, if there was little love lost on the pitch, both sets of supporters then the home fans responded similarly in the 33rd minute to mark the £33,000 raised in Sunderland in the wake of the tragedy. By the end of the match, though, Sunderland fans were the ones making all the noise after a victory which came after their disruptive prelude to the match when left-back Anthony Reveillere strained a calf muscle during the warm-up. He was replaced by Sebastien Coates, but it was not a straightforward change because John O’Shea had to switch to left-back to allow Coates to play in his normal position at the heart of the defence. It did not get much better for Sunderland when the game began as Coates was booked within two minutes for a foul, adding to his concerns for the remaining 88. Coates’s early foul on Ayoze Perez was only one of a number of abrasive challenges that brought three more cautions in the next 20 minutes. By the end, the yellow card count was seven. Not surprisingly, Newcastle settled quicker than Poyet’s reshaped side, with Paul Dummett wasting two chances and Cheick Tiote put an excellent 14th minute opportunity straight at Costel Pantilimon. When Sunderland did get a foothold in the game through Larsson and Lee Cattermole, they created far better openings and could have been ahead by the interval. Connor Wickham almost headed in at the far post after Newcastle’s third-choice keeper Jak Alnwick struggled to deal with Johnson’s 23rd minute free-kick. Alnwick was more impressive when he dealt with two further efforts from  Wickham later in the half, but Sunderland went closest to a breakthrough when Fletcher eluded Steven Taylor and steered Larsson’s cross against the bar in the 26th minute. (AFP) Buttin signs for Bordeaux-Begles S.Africa call up new boy Rossouw Roberto Carlos quits Turkey’s Sivasspor A Sunderland’s English midfielder Adam Johnson takes an unsuccessful shot displayed a refreshing respect for each other. Sunderland’s fans joined the 17th minute applause for the two Newcastle supporters who died in the MH17 plane crash, Chen Long wins superseries title Dubai hina’s world champion Chen Long finished 2014 on a high by winning the World Super series Finals title yesterday, brushing past Hans-Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark 21-16, 21-10 in just 47 minutes. It was Chen’s fourth major title of the season and he secured it in some style with Vittinghus failing to win another point from 10-10 in the second game. “I’m happy with my game. This is the first time Dubai is hosting such a big event and I’m very happy with the way it was organised,” said Chen. “I believe that with so many Chinese and Indian people living here, badminton has a great future in Dubai and I’m looking forward to coming back.” Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying claimed the women’s title with a 21-17, 21-12 win over South Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun. “Tai is now as good as the top Chinese players,” admitted Sung. “She is very aggressive and powerful; I found it hard to return her smashes today.” Tai played down her victory. “I didn’t expect it to be this easy. Maybe Sung was not at her best and she made many mistakes,” said the Taiwanese C Chen Long poses with his trophy player who found her form late in the season. “I fell sick twice this year; that’s why I could not compete at a high level. Having won the Hong Kong Open and this event, I expect that my opponents will study me closely, but that’s something I cannot avoid. I will have to adjust accordingly.” (AFP) Bordeaux French rugby giants Clermont lost their second key player in as many days yesterday as French international fullback Jean-Marcellin Buttin signed for rivals Bordeaux-Begles, the buying side’s president Laurent Marti announced. The 23-yearold back -- capped twice and who has also played for France in their sevens team -will join Bordeaux next season having signed a two year contract. Buttin, who has been at Clermont since 2009, joins Fijian tryscoring wing Napolioni Nalaga in leaving Clermont -- it was revealed on Saturday that Nalaga agreed to join defending French champions Toulon next term. Buttin is the fourth signing by Bordeaux, who are coached by former France captain and hooker Rapahel Ibanez. Johannesburg Left-handed batsman Rilee Rossouw was named yesterday to replace injured wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock in South Africa’s squad for the remaining two Test matches against the West Indies. De Kock was ruled out of the Tests and limited overs matches of the West Indian tour after tearing ankle ligaments during the first Test at Centurion, which South Africa won by an innings and 220 runs on Saturday. Rossouw, 25, made his one-day international debut earlier this year and has been a prolific scorer for the Knights franchise and South Africa A. He hit 231 for South Africa A against Australia A in Townsville in August, sharing a partnership of 343 with Temba Bavuma (162), who is also in the Test squad. Istanbul Brazilian football legend Roberto Carlos yesterday resigned as coach of Turkish top flight side Sivasspor after a succession of poor results, reports said. The board met immediately after Saturday’s 0-2 defeat to Istanbul’s Basaksehir and then with Carlos himself on Sunday morning where it was mutually agreed he should quit, Turkish sports daily Fanatik said. He is expected to leave Sivas, a major city in central Turkey, by Monday evening, online news site Radikal added. The reports said that Sergen Yalcin, one of the most celebrated Turkish footballers of recent decades, had been appointed as his successor. Most recently, Yalcin h ad until 2014 been managing Gaziantepspor. 31 Monday, December 22, 2014 MARSEILLE TRIUMPH Batshuyai ensures Marseille finish year top of the table Paris elgian striker Michy Batshuyai repaid Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa’s faith in giving him his first start by scoring the decider in the 2-1 win over Lille yesterday to guarantee they top the table going into the New Year. Marseille, who last won the title in 2010 when coached by Didier Deschamps, lead defending champions Paris Saint Germain -- who drew 0-0 with Montpellier on Saturday -- and five ahead of Lyon, who play Bordeaux later yesterday. Batshuyai -- who had had to bide his time to get a start since signing from Standard Liege in the close season -had got the nod when Bielsa according to media reports told regular starter Dimitri Payet he could go on holiday as he would not be playing after failing to impress in training this week. The Belgian Under- B 21 international did not let the mercurial Argentinian coach down even though it was in front of a record Velodrome attendance of 62,048 spectators. AndrePierre Gignac had a superb chance in the 12th minute as a weak defensive header fell to him inside the penalty area but he sent his shot well wide of the post. Marseille took advantage of a slip-up by rivals Paris St-Germain Batshuyai went close to breaking the deadlock in the 27th minute as he created space for himself and unleashed a fine curling effort that went just wide of the post. The hosts went 1-0 up in the 32nd minute in the most unfortunate circumstances for Lille as Nolan Roux tried to put out a poor corner by Florian Thauvin but it flashed off his boot and beat Enyeama at the near post. Marseille had other chances including one for Andre Ayew, but the Ghanaian star’s shot was cleared off the line by Simon Kjaer. Lille were fortunate not be reduced to 10 men 10 minutes into the second-half as Idrissa Gueye flashed out his arm and caught Mario Lemina full in the face but despite a harsh talking to by the referee he didn’t receive even a booking. He made the most of his good fortune by levelling in the 61st minute, his shot from the edge of the area taking a deflection before rolling past Steve Mandanda. (AFP) Afridi to quit ODI’s after world cup Karachi ashing Pakistani allrounder Shahid Afridi announced yesterday he would retire from one-day cricket after next year’s World Cup but continue to play Twenty20 until 2016. The 34-year-old led Pakistan for the last three oneday internationals in the series which they lost 2-3 against New Zealand this month, after regular captain Misbah-ul Haq was ruled out due to injury. He smashed a match-winning 61 in the first match and followed that up with 55 and 49. “I will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup,” Afridi told a press conference. “I wanted to leave on the peak. I think it’s the right time to leave so that my place goes to a youngster and there are very talented players in Pakistan.” Australia and New Zealand will co-host the World Cup from February 14 to March 29. The swashbuckling batsman hit the fastest one-day hundred off just 36 balls in only his second match, against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996, a record which New Zealand’s Corey Anderson broke earlier this year. Anderson made a 35-ball hundred against the Marseille’s Belgian midfielder Michy Batshuayi (left) vies for the ball with Lille’s Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye. Hirscher overtakes Klammer Ronaldo returns home for statue unveiling Rondo makes successful debut D Shahid Afridi West Indies. Afridi holds the record for most sixes in one-day internationals with 342, and is the only player to have hit more than 400 sixes across all three formats of the game. He has hit 49 sixes in Twenty20 cricket and 52 before his retirement from Tests in 2010. As a leg-break bowler he has 391 wickets in 389 oneday internationals. His tally of wickets in Twenty20 cricket stands at 81. “My journey has seen many ups and downs but now I am feeling satisfied that I am leaving on my own terms,” Afridi said. He currently has 7,870 runs in one-day cricket. (AFP) Alta Badia Austria’s triple overall World Cup champion Marcel Hirscher claimed yesterday’s giant slalom in Alta Badia to overtake his legendary compatriot Franz Klammer in number of World Cup wins. This fourth success of the season took Hirscher’s tally to 27, one clear of Klammer, the former Olympic champion who dominated the downhill discipline in the 1970s. Hirscher still has some way to go to threaten Swedish alpine ski great Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup titles in a 16-season career from 1974 to 1989. Hirscher posted a time of 2min 30.17sec to beat American Ted Ligety, who came in 1.45s adrift, with France’s Thomas Fanara (1:48) completing the podium. Lisbon World player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo returned to his home town of Funchal on Madeira yesterday to attend the unveiling of a statue sculpted in his honour. The Real Madrid star travelled to the Portuguese island from Marrakech where on Saturday he helped his club lift the Club World Cup, their fourth trophy of 2014. “This is a very special moment, to have a statue of me,” said an emotional Ronaldo at the ceremony where he was joined by members of his family and thousands of fans. “Ronaldo has never forgotten his origins,” said his mother, Dolores Aveiro. The 3.4 metre statue forms part of Ronaldo’s personal museum on the island housing his haul of trophies including his two Ballon d’Or titles. Dallas Rajon Rondo tallied six points and nine assists in his Dallas debut as he helped lead the Mavericks to a 99-93 win over the short-handed San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The four-time all-star Rondo also had seven rebounds for the Mavericks who snapped a 10 game regular season losing streak to the reigning NBA champions. Point guard Rondo was acquired from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade two days ago in exchange for Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright and Jae Crowder, a firstround pick and a secondround pick. Monta Ellis scored a game-high 38 points, Chandler Parsons added 16 points while Dirk Nowitzki and Devin Harris scored 13 points each as Dallas earned its third straight win. P31 Marseille triumph SPORTS Monday, December 22, 2014 32 32 SKRTEL’S LATE HEADER EARNS LIVERPOOL 2-2 DRAW WITH ARSENAL SKRTEL HEADER SAVES LIVERPOOL Liverpool bloodied and bandaged Martin Skrtel headed home a last-gasp 97th-minute equaliser to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League at Anfield yesterday. Having bossed the first half, Liverpool went ahead through Philippe Coutinho, only for goals from Mathieu Debuchy and Olivier Giroud to leave Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal on the brink of a smash-and-grab A victory. But Giroud’s accidental kick to Skrtel’s head led to nine minutes of stoppage time and the tattooed Slovakian centre-back claimed his revenge with a memorable header in front of the Kop. But though the goal -- Skrtel’s first of the season -- gave Liverpool’s fans some much-needed Christmas cheer, it did little to improve their team’s standing in the table following a run of only two wins in nine games. Brendan Rodgers’s side, who had Fabio Borini sent off, are now 17 points below leaders Chelsea and nine points below the top four, while Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal -- destroyed 5-1 on their previous visit in February -trail the Champions League places by four points. With Liverpool fielding seven midfielders in a 3-4-3 formation, which saw Raheem Sterling reprise his role a s a �false nine’, it was unsurprising to see the hosts dominate possession from kick-off. Steven Gerrard curled a free-kick wide in the early stages and Adam Lallana drilled a left-foot effort narrowly over after skilfully spinning onto a pass from Lazar Markovic. After fielding a tame effort from Coutinho, Arsenal goal- keeper Wojciech Szczesny produced a decisive stop, spreading himself to thwart Markovic, who had been freed to run at goal by Gerrard’s flick. Markovic also whipped a first-time shot over the bar from a Sterling pass, before the breakthrough arrived in the 45th minute. After Giroud conceded possession, Jordan Henderson played a pass into the feet of Coutinho, who threw Debuchy off-balance before drilling a low shot into the bottom-left corner. (AFP) Hon.Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Responsible Editor Mahmood AI Mahmood | Managing Editor Soman Baby | Managing Director P. 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