CR IP TI ON BS SU TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 FM leads Arab delegation to support Lebanon 150 FILS NO: 16401 40 PAGES ‘Boyhood’ wins big at Globes; next stop, the Oscars Children return to Taleban massacre school in Pakistan 4 www.kuwaittimes.net RABI ALAWWAL 22, 1436 AH Qatar ‘ready’ for 2015 men’s handball world championship 38 11 19 Govt firm on new diesel prices, but open to talks HRW urges Kuwait to drop charges against Mulla Min 04º Max 17º High Tide 04:10 & 17:07 Low Tide 10:35 & 23:38 By B Izzak and Agencies 2-year passport validity needed for first iqama KUWAIT: A security source said that iqama affairs departments have received instructions not to issue a residency visa to any person who enters the country for the first time whose passport validity is less than two years. The source said that this decision became active Sunday, adding that it applies to all those who want iqamas, be it the government, private companies, domestic helpers, etc. The source said there an awareness campaign will be launched in a few days about enforcing article 15 of the law that links the iqama period with the validity of the passport, which means the iqama validity will not exceed passport validity. The source said the decision aims at sparing expats from having new violations, as no iqama will be granted to an expat whose passport’s validity is less than one full year, in order to protect the expat and national security after discovering forgeries in 7,000 Syrian passport renewals. The source said those who want an iqama for two years should have a passport valid for two years and the same for those who want a one-year iqama. — Al-Qabas IN TOP FORM! ZURICH: Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo smiles after receiving the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for player of the year during a ceremony at the Kongresshaus yesterday. — AFP (See Page 20) KUWAIT: Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair yesterday reiterated that the government has no intention of reversing a decision to raise the prices of diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel, but kept the door open for negotiations with MPs for a compromise. The minister told reporters that the government’s resolve on prices does not prevent it from negotiating a proposal by several MPs to suspend the increase temporarily and start implementing it on April 1. The decision to scrap subsidies for the three fuels was taken in October and implemented at the start of the new year. A large number of MPs strongly objected to the implementation after the hike in diesel and kerosene prices led to an increase in the prices of a number of products and services. Several MPs even called on the government to reverse the decision. Omair’s statements came on the eve of an expected debate called by a number of MPs to discuss the consequences of raising the prices of diesel and kerosene. The debate request was filed last week. The minister said the responsibility of the government is to prevent any corruption or exploitation of these products. A number of diesel smuggling cases are currently before the public prosecution, said the minister, adding that besides smuggling, the issue has an economic aspect. Omair said that the finance minister amended the decision to raise the prices of diesel and kerosene from Continued on Page 13 Debate on free expression rages Erdogan blasts Netanyahu for ‘daring’ to attend rally Potential shale oil, gas reserves found in Kuwait TABUK, Saudi Arabia: Saudi men make a snowman in the Aleghan Heights, located some 1,500 km northwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on Jan 10, 2015 after a heavy snow storm hit parts of the Middle East. — AFP Saudi cleric condemns anti-Islamic snowmen Qatar pulls risqué perfume DUBAI/DOHA: A prominent Saudi cleric has whipped up controversy by issuing a religious ruling forbidding the building of snowmen, described them as antiIslamic. Asked on a religious website if it was permissible for fathers to build snowmen for their children after a snowstorm in the country ’s north, Sheikh Mohammed Saleh Al-Munajjid replied: “It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun.” Quoting from Muslim scholars, Sheikh Munajjid argued that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful. “God has given people space to make whatever they want which does not have a soul, including trees, ships, fruits, buildings and so on,” he wrote in his ruling. That provoked swift responses from Twitter users writing in Arabic and identifying themselves with Arab names. “They are afraid for their faith of everything ... sick minds,” one Twitter user wrote. Another posted a photo of a man in formal Arab garb holding the arm of a “snow bride” wearing a bra and lipstick. “The reason for the ban is fear of sedition,” he wrote. A third said the country was plagued by two types of people: “A people looking for a fatwa (religious ruling) Continued on Page 13 ‘Muslim’ Birmingham remark draws mockery LONDON: A Fox News commentator’s remark about the British city of Birmingham being “totally Muslim” was widely mocked on Twitter yesterday, while Prime Minister David Cameron called the expert a “complete idiot”. Security analyst Steven Emerson said Sunday that “non-Muslims just simply don’t go in” to the city, during a discussion of multiculturalism in Britain after last week’s Paris attacks. “When I heard this, I choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April Fool’s Day. This guy is clearly a complete idiot,” Cameron told ITV News. “What he should do is look at Birmingham and see what a fantastic example it is of bringing people together of different faiths, different backgrounds,” he said. Emerson later apologized, saying it was a “beautiful city” and announcing that he would make a donation to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The apology itself was soon the butt of jokes despite a makeover, even the city’s supporters struggle to love some of its remaining 1960s high-rise buildings and urban motorways. Continued on Page 13 KUWAIT: An unofficial specialized study has shown a potential existence of shale oil in Kuwait, as there are 23 calcareous clay layers expected to be a source of shale oil and gas, an expert said. Comparing these layers with the layers of Eagle Ford shale in the US, a large amount of reserves of shale gas is expected to be found in Kuwait, said Head of Al-Sharq Petroleum Consulting Company Abdul-Samea Behbehani. Behbehani pointed out that Saudi Arabia is currently developing five experimental wells of shale gas in the Ghawar field and in other fields near its border with Jordan. But Behbehani admitted that the process is facing challenges. Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil can be produced. Behbehani said shale oil well production continues up to five years, indicating global production by 2020 is expected to reach 12 trillion cu ft. The cost of producing a shale oil barrel is between $30-$40, down from $60-$70 before the current drop in oil prices, he said. “Some countries have announced the discovery of large quantities of shale gas. China tops these countries with 1,115 trillion cu ft, followed by Argentina (808 trillion cu ft), Algeria (707 trillion cu ft) and the US (655 trillion cu ft) as well as other countries like Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Russia and Brazil,” he said. As for reserves of shale oil, he pointed out that Russia has announced the discovery of 75 billion barrels, the US 58 billion barrels, China 32 billion barrels, Argentina 27 billion barrels and Libya 26 billion barrels. — KUNA HONG KONG: Blanket news coverage around the world of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, culminating in Sunday’s huge march in Paris, is increasingly laced with debate among opinion-makers about the limits of free expression and the right to offend. The immediate aftermath of the attack, which saw Islamist gunmen storm the offices of the satirical French weekly and leave 12 dead, saw countless posts on social media in which Twitter and Facebook users voiced solidarity with the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, or “I am Charlie”. Publications in Russia, China, Malaysia and elsewhere - countries that have been criticised for suppressing free speech to varying degrees - have said the magazine was wrong to publish cartoons lampooning Islam. But others in the West have voiced their own unease with unequivocal support for the publication’s often controversial stances. “The message was clear... that what is at stake is not merely the right of people to draw what they wish but that, in the wake of the murders, what they drew should be celebrated and disseminated,” Teju Cole wrote of the victims of last week’s assault. But, he added in the New Yorker, “just because one condemns their brutal murders doesn’t mean one must condone their ideology”. Continued on Page 13 POITIERS, France: Worshippers remove building material at the mosque in this city in west-central France following an arson attack yesterday. The fire is believed to have been started in reprisal to the attack against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Jan 7.— AFP IS hackers seize US Centcom accounts WASHINGTON: US Central Command suspended its Twitter page yesteray after a group declaring sympathy for Islamic State jihadists hacked its social media accounts and posted internal documents. In an embarrassing propaganda jab at the American military, a blackand-white banner with the image of a hooded fighter and the words “CyberCaliphate” and “I love you ISIS” replaced Central Command’s standard Twitter banner. “We can confirm that the US Central Command Twitter and YouTube accounts were compromised earlier today. We are taking appropriate measures to address the matter,” a defense official told AFP. The CyberCaliphate “is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base,” the hackers wrote on the seized Twitter feed before it was taken down. The military’s powerful Central Command, located in Tampa, Florida, oversees the US-led air war against the group in Iraq and Syria and other American forces in the Middle East. The hacking of CENTCOM’s social media accounts came as President Barack Obama was delivering a speech on cyber security. It was unclear if the hacking represented a genuine threat to sensitive computer networks, Pentagon officials said. US officials said they were investigating the effect of the cyber hack but it appeared no classified documents were posted by the hackers. The hacked Twitter feed posted a phone directory of officers, which looked to be slightly out of date, as well what appeared to be personal photos taken by troops and some power point slides related to North Korea and China. — AFP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 LOCAL Crime R e p o r t Maid accuses sponsor of rape KUWAIT: A Filipina woman accused her sponsor of raping her several times in a flat were she was held in Fahaheel. A security source said a citizen took the Filipina from a labor office to a Fahaheel flat, and as soon as they arrived he raped her. The woman managed to escape to Fahaheel police station and told them what happened. Police are investigating. Drunk duo caught Police found a citizen and his Iraqi girlfriend drunk in a car on Wafra road. A police patrol noticed the car being driven erratically, so they forced the driver to pull over and found the couple had two liquor bottles with them. Both were arrested and will be sent to concerned authorities. Angry driver A policeman stopped a citizen on Fifth Ring Road for using a mobile phone while driving. When the policeman was writing him a ticket, he became very angry and swore at him. The citizen then took the citation book and tore it before escaping. The suspect is being sought. Domestic violence A citizen told Ahmadi police that she was beaten by her husband, who became furious when she refused to take out a bank loan of KD 15,000. Police are investigating. Drug possession Andalus police station officer Lt Dhari Al-Enezi noticed a man in his car in the station’s parking lot. When asked why he was there, he seemed nervous. When he was searched, an envelope of shabu was found. The suspect was sent to narcotics authorities. —Al-Rai The scene after the fire was put out Mother, son killed in camp inferno MoI won’t intervene to shut religious centers By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior will not intervene to shut down religious centers and charitable societies in residential areas, the ministr y spokesman told Kuwait Times yesterday. Adel Al-Hashash said the interior ministry is not aware of any decision by the ministry of housing on the matter. “Such an issue may be related to the municipality,” he added. The ministry of housing affairs has allegedly ordered religious and charitable organizations in residential areas to vacate or face eviction, according to repor ts in the local media quoting Minister of Housing Yasser Abul. “We are not taking any action in the present time since the housing ministry has not contacted us yet. But if it wants us to get involved or needs our help, we are ready,” Hashash noted. Some churches and charitable organi- zations hold their activities in residential areas for shortage of places of worship. Bishop Camillo Ballin said the Catholic Church needs new land to build a new church. “Our numbers are very large, and the present premises are not enough to accommodate us all. If a stampede occurs, hundreds will die,” he warned. “We only want to pray,” he told Kuwait Times. There are other Christian sec ts in Kuwait including Evangelicals, Anglicans and Coptic and Orthodox denominations. Christians are recognized by the state and are allowed to conduct their religious rituals and obligations, but only at their designated places of worship. The Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait City, the National Evangelical Church, also in Kuwait City, an Orthodox compound in Hawally, the Armenian Church in Salmiya and Anglican and Catholic churches in Ahmadi are some of the recognized Christian places of worship in Kuwait. The Catholic Church in Kuwait. Energy topics dominate cabinet meeting Kuwait government ‘strongly condemns’ Paris attack KUWAIT: Al-Zour refinery’s biofuel program, the closure of the Shuaiba refinery, and the strategic alternatives to the Kuwait Petroleum International (Q8) refinery in Europort were amongst energy topics dominating the weekly meeting of the cabinet held yesterday. Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said that the meeting, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, was briefed by Minister of Oil and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr Ali Al-Omair on the energy-related topics. Sheikh Mohammad added that Al-Omair informed the cabinet about strategies to provide power stations with low-sulfur fuel and using Shuaiba refinery’s fuel tanks to store biofuel products. On the subject of the Zakat House board members, Sheikh Mohammad said that the cabinet approved appointment of Shereda Al-Muosherji, Mohammad AlMukhaizeem, Jameel Abdulrazzaq Al-San’e, Mohammad AlHbeshi, and Khawla Al-Hasawi as board members for a period of three years. The minister said that the cabinet’s preparation for the upcoming session of the National Assembly were discussed during the meeting. World conference The Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs said that the cabinet took note of a letter by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inviting His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to attend the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction next March in Japan. A letter from British Prime Minister David Cameron to His Highness the Amir on the British government’s priorities for 2015, and preparations for the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) conference in Berlin, Germany, this month were discussed during the cabinet meeting, said Sheikh Mohammad. The cabinet also welcomed the recent visit by Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa to Kuwait, affirming the strong brotherly relations linking Kuwait and Bahrain, said the minister. Terrorist attack Meanwhile, Kuwait strongly condemned the “terrorist” attack that took place in Paris recently killing and wounding several civilians and servicemen. The government of Kuwait “condemns this despicable criminal act, and reiterates rejection to terrorism regardless of its forms, reasons and justifications,” Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah said in a statement following the cabinet meeting. He said the religion or Islam and Islamic teachings were opposing these “criminal acts.” Paris has witnessed violent actions that claimed lives of 17 people, amongst them 12 in an attack against the Charlie Hebdo newspaper. —KUNA KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah chairs the cabinet meeting yesterday. — KUNA photo By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Filipina woman and her three-year-old Kuwaiti son were burned to death by a fire in a camp on Nuwaiseeb road. The fire department received a call shortly after midnight about the blaze, but firemen found the charred bodies of the woman and her son. The fire also spread to two parked cars. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of fire. Fire authorities asked citizens and expats to follow safety and security procedures in camps and houses, as temperatures are go down and use of various heaters increase. Meysan Partners launches first Middle East office Drug possession Narcotics officers arrested an expatriate with three kilograms of marijuana and nine joints. The arrest was made following tips about the suspect, who told officers that he trades in drugs. He was sent to concerned authorities. Meanwhile, a collision between a motorcycle ridden by a bedoon and a car driven by a female citizen led to the discovery of narcotic pills with the bedoon while doctors were treating him. In the meantime, Hawally police arrested a citizen for using drugs, and found 175 Captagon pills on him. He was sent to the narcotics department. Unlicensed firearm Loud music led to the arrest of a citizen in possession of an unlicensed firearm and seven rounds. He was sent to criminal detectives. Suicide attempt A young man who had a criminal record was arrested for attempted suicide at his family’s house in Sulaibiya. Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Kuwaiti died of a drug overdose. Man lured to trap In Andalus, a young man was stabbed in a public park, after a girl he knows asked him to go there, where he was met by six men who beat and stabbed him and took his mobile phone. The victim said he can identify two of the suspects. 100 kg rotten meat destroyed By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Mubarakiya Municipality center launched a wide-ranging campaign that resulted in destroying 100 kg of meat unfit for human consumption and issuance of 10 citations for employing workers before receiving a license from the municipality, health conditions, general hygiene and trading in goods harmful to public health. Director General of Kuwait Municipality Ahmad Al-Subaih said corruption at the municipality has dropped significantly, and used Audit Bureau reports to prove this. About a forgery case at the financial affairs department, he said the case is with the public prosecution, and “we should wait until a decision is made”, adding that he has full confidence in Kuwait’s judiciary. He said talks are ongoing with the National Assembly in order to amend law 5/2005 which regulates the work of the municipality, and it will relieve the municipality from a big burden. Subaih warned traders in spoiled food, saying “we will continue confronting them with the law without any forgiveness”. He said the camp licensing experiment succeeded very well and encouraged to continue with it. KUWAIT: Meysan Partners, a law firm specializing in Bank Finance and Restructuring, Capital Markets, Mergers and Acquisitions, Project Development and Finance, and Dispute Resolution, has today announced the launch of its first office in the Gulf region located in Kuwait. Established by its Senior Partners, Abdulaziz A Al-Yaqout and Bader A El-Jeaan, the practice will be comprised initially of five lawyers with the intention to grow to a team of 20 lawyers by the end of 2015 and to open a network of offices across the region in the next five years. Meysan aims to differentiate itself as a regional law firm by offering unrivalled levels of expertise and client service in the Middle East by a team of highly experienced Arabic and English speaking lawyers. With over 35 combined years in the region, the firm’s partners have significant experience at international law firms and have advised clients across a range of industry sectors on some of the most noteworthy and complex transactions in the region. Unrivalled advice Its client list to date already includes some of the largest regional blue-chip companies and family groups, multinational corporations, international financial institutions, sovereign governments and their agencies, domestic corporations and financial institutions, as well as high net worth individuals. Senior Partner Bader El-Jeaan, said, “Meysan Partners intends to offer an unrivalled level of advice to our clients in the Middle East. We have quickly established a strong and enviable client list in Kuwait and our plan is to grow the firm in the next five years so that we establish a network of offices around the region to further support our clients. In our growth strategy, we will however maintain a ratio of associates to partners that is significantly below that of other firms in the region, focusing on matters that require the experience of our partners, particularly on cross-border regional transactions and high-stakes commercial litigation.” Highest quality Abdulaziz Al Yaqout, Senior Partner, added: “We recognized a gap in the market for high-quality, regional legal advice, led by a senior team with indepth experience advising clients in the Middle East. Our unswerving focus will be on providing the highest quality of advice combined with unrivalled levels of client service to support our clients in achieving their respective objectives.” Abdulaziz Al-Yaqout has extensive experience of capital markets transactions in Kuwait and across the Middle East including IPOs and public takeovers, as well as capital markets compliance matters. He has also advised on a number of capital markets and corporate regulations, including co-authoring the Kuwait Companies Law. Bader El-Jeaan was previously Senior Executive Officer and General Counsel MENA at The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, international joint ventures and strategic alliances, and project development and finance transactions, including advising on the Sulaibiya Wastewater Project in Kuwait, the first BOT in the State of Kuwait (Winner of Project Finance Magazine’s Middle East Water Deal of the Year for 2002). The firm’s Kuwait office will be located at the Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City and will officially open in January 2015. KRCS delivers urgent aid to Syrian refugees The suspect caught with possession of marijuana BEIRUT/KUWAIT/AMMAN: The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) yesterday launched a campaign to distribute aid on the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, aiming to alleviate their sufferings amid the severe cold wave hitting the region. The urgent aid will be extended to the refugees in the Beqaa, as the freezing weather conditions aggravated their plight, KRCS head envoy in Lebanon Musaed Al-Enezi said. The urgent aid comprises blankets, winter clothes, heaters and amounts of diesel, Enezi added, noting that they are keen to deliver aid to as many refugees as possible. Amid the tragic conditions of the refugees in Lebanon, Enezi urged Kuwaiti people to positively respond to a fund-raising campaign for Syrians launched by the KRCS at home yesterday. Meanwhile, head of the Lebanese Red Cross for the nor th region Youssef Boutros, today highlighted Kuwait’s humanitarian efforts to help Syrian refugees in the country. In particular, he emphasized the persistent efforts by the KRCS. L a t e s t s t a t i s t i c s s h o w t h a t Sy r i a n re f u g e e s i n Lebanon exceeded a million, most of them in the Beqaa, Ak k ar distric t, Tripoli and other nor thern regions. KRCS embarked on a campaign to raise funds and aid for the Syrian refugees in Syria’s neighboring countries. Donations are received at the Society ’s headquarters. The campaign will carry on as long as people interac t with it, KRCS Direc tor for Public Relations and M edia K halid Al-Zaid said in press remarks.—KUNA TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 LOCAL Shabek: social media training program announced Deriving the maximum benefit from social media By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: One hundred young applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a firstof-its-kind social media training program in Kuwait. ‘Shabek’ is an initiative by the Social Media Club (SMC) in cooperation with the ministry of state for youth affairs and the government manpower restructuring program. The interested applicants can register online on the youth ministry ’s website. “Applicants should be between 20 to 34 years old, either having their own projects, working new horizons to education and invent job opportunities that will positively develop the community,” Nahid said. Social initiative Shabek is also a social initiative. “It’s a firstof-its-kind training, employment and empowering initiative that aims to provide awareness about social media and strengthen its role in the community through training the youth on dealing with social media and online marketing. It should also teach them how to understand the rapid changes in this field and KUWAIT: (From left) Alia Al-Natsha, Jamal Al-Sanousi, Fawzi Al-Majdali, Sheikha Al-Zain AlSabah, and Hind Al-Nahid pictured at the press conference. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat in the media or students in the field of information. A hundred applicants will be chosen to attend the program and priority will be given to Kuwaitis,” CEO of SMC Hind Al-Nahid said during a press conference yesterday. ‘Shabek’ means ‘connected to the Internet’ in Arabic. “ We came up with the name ‘Shabek’ as most young people are always connected to the Internet and using it. The program will provide training to the youth about the benefits of social media and using it for the rapprochement of various categories of the community. This program should also encourage both public and private sectors to use social media and derive the maximum benefit from it, open the news field, bring exploit job opportunities provided by social media and online marketing. The applicants will be trained by best experts in the field,” she added. Shabek is geared towards young people. “Acco rdin g to a study by O ffice Team Agency, 36 percent of companies think that paper CVs will be replaced with personal pages on social media, as the number of users of innovative ways to market themselves online is increasing. Some of them have used video clips, Facebook pages and blogs where they say ‘employ me’, in addition to using the SlideShare website. These promotional tactics may be effective, and the user may even get popular, which may bring him job offers,” stressed Nahid. Benefiting from social media Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs, praised the initiative. “Shabek aims to encourage both public and private sectors to use social media and benefit from it in various fields. In fact, social media is the most used thing by young people, and through Shabek we aim to shift these skills into a job through marketing the products of companies, for instance. I’m sure that a large number of applicants will register for this program,” she noted. According to Jamal Al-Sanousi, PR Manager at Kuwait Petroleum Co, rapid international developments and changes in the job market need new skills and experiences, “which needs our cooperation to exploit the various opportunities offered by social media, online marketing and digital media along with other modern technologies”. Building the future Fawzi Al-Majdali, Secretary General of the Government Manpower Restructuring Program, highlighted the importance of the demographic addressed by Shabek. “Youth make up a huge percentage of our community and they carry the responsibility of building the future and developing the community, so we should support them,” he pointed out. Alia Al-Natsha, General Manager of the Jordan Center for Knowledge Building, said the training program will include many important subjects. “The program will include building and directing the account of an institution, updating with what’s new in the modern media and its tools, discussing issues in new media which the employer can benefit from, increasing the followers of the employer’s account, publishing text content and multimedia through social media, managing discussions and replying to followers, dealing with the website during a crisis, measuring the achieved goals and its revenue on investments, improving and setting new strategies and others,” she explained. Shabek consists of three phases to provide a group of skilled trainees to work professionally in the field of social media and online marketing. The first phase is the program, training, raising awareness and study. The second aims to provide field training to the participants, while the third should provide job opportunities for the participants. KUWAIT: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind Al-Subaih (center) speaks at the seminar. — KUNA photo Oil prices fall won’t impact development plans: minister KUWAIT: Financing of the projects of the next national development plan will not be affected by falls of oil prices, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Hind Al-Subaih said. Half the financing of these projects will come from the local private sector, through partnership between it and the public sector, Al-Subaih told reporters on the sidelines of a development seminar that kicked off yesterday. The seminar was held under “Impact of oil prices falls on reality and future development in Kuwait.” She said that enforcement of the privatization law is likely to boost participation of the private sector in economic activities, noting that its executive regulation is not being looked into by the relevant legal committee. According to the Minister, the first annual plan of the mid-term 20152016/2019/2020 will be submitted to the National Assembly today after being approved by the cabinet and the Supreme Council for Planning and Development last week. Major projects It is also the first plan to be referred to the parliament before the 2015-2016 draft budget, and it includes major projects such as the underground, completion of the Kuwait University, Jaber Hospital and environmental fuel, she noted. On yesterday’s dialogue, Subaih said participants will exchange views on what steps the government has to take. Recommendations will be submitted to the relevant authorities. Such seminars are to continue all through the year, the minister pointed out. Addressing the gathering, Advisor at the Amiri Diwan, Youssef Al-Ibrahim, a former Minister of Planning and Financing, ruled out any political dimension or a conspiracy behind the decline of oil prices. He added that the repercussions of the 2008 global financial mayhem still throw negative shadows on oil prices. Ibrahim said the low price rates will take toll on producer countries that could be forced to resort to their reserves accumulated over past years to finance public projects and bridge any potential budget deficit. According to the Amiri Diwan Advisor, countries of the region have so far lost USD 1.3 billion owing to the falling oil prices. He also noted that the state budget is the subject to huge pressure due to the decline in revenues. — KUNA The students inside the hospital. KFAED-financed hospital treats 1.5 million patients in China Madiha Bouftain announced as Gulf Bank’s Al Danah Millionaire winner KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced Madiha Abdulla Bouftain as the 2014 Al Danah Millionaire at the climax of an evening of festivity, marked with excitement and anticipation. Hassan Ammar Jabr Ejeil and Bader Abdulaziz Al-Mutawa were the respective KD 250,000 and KD 50,000 Al Danah winners. The announcement of the winners was made at the Grand Avenue - The Avenues Mall on Thursday, 8th January 2015 in the presence of the Ministry of Commerce. Two additional raffle draws were held throughout the evening in which the winners were announced live on stage by Hadeel Al Fadhli, Senior Manager at Gulf Bank. The first raffle draw included all those who submitted their details on an Al Danah Online-Sign up; 5 winners were selected and each received a KD200 Al Danah voucher. The second raffle draw selected 8 winners from all those who submitted their details on Al Danah vouchers distributed at the Al Danah booth from 4 PM 6 PM at the Grand Avenue that same evening; they each were then awarded with KD500 Al Danah vouchers. The Al Danah Millionaire Draw celebration, which was hosted by Hadeel Al Fadhli and the guest of honor the renowned actor, Mohammed Al Mansour, began with the largest ever ‘flash mob’ performance to take place in Kuwait, which featured the Kuwaiti band ‘Miami’, and centered around the theme of Kuwait’s heritage and history, a video of the performance can be viewed on Gulf Bank’s Youtube channel; www.youtube.com/GulfBankChannel. The performance surprised the massive audience in attendance and kicked off the festivities in an exciting fashion. Al-Mansour and Al- Fadhli engaged the crowds raising the excitement ahead of the most eagerly anticipated draw event of the year. Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Consumer Banking, Vikram Issar, Salma AlHajjaj, General Manager- Human Resources and Meshari Shehab, Assistant General Manager, Consumer Banking at Gulf Bank along with the Ministry of Commerce Representative joined both Al-Fadhli and the special host Mohammed Al-Mansour on stage to do the draw for the KD 1 million. The winner was caught totally off-guard when she was called via a live telephone connection to tell her the good news to great cheers and applause from the crowds. An exciting 2015 Al Danah draw line-up was also announced during the evening. For further information about the Al Danah account and prize draws, visit one of Gulf Bank’s 58 branches, call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805, or go online at www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanah. NINGXIA/CASABLANCA: Ningxia People’s Hospital contributed in treating 1.5 million patients since its establishment three years ago, Wang Wei, director of the KFAEDfinanced facility said yesterday. The Hospital is located in the city of Yinchuan in the autonomous and Hui Muslims-populated region of Ningxia. The statement came on the sideline of the visit by Kuwaiti students as part of the annual trip organized by KFAED (Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development) for Kuwaiti high school well-achievers with the aim to familiarize them with the Fund’s activities and projects in countries of operation in cooperation with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education. “The Fund contributed in $34 million (41 percent) in financing the building of the Hospital,” Wei pointed out He added that Hospital had a 2,630 bed capacity, with 97 medical departments and 3,000 employees. On their part, Kuwaiti students showcased pride in their country’s contributions to China, noting that the KFAED was always on the vanguard when it came to aiding people worldwide. KFAED had been operating in China since 1982, carrying out 35 projects worth $900 million in various fields. Islamic culture On Sunday, A group of Kuwaiti high schools students paid a visit to a cultural centre in China’s autonomous Ningxia Hui region, during a trip organized by Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. The honor students were taken on a tour throughout the Institute of Hui Islamic Studies at Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences, which is distinguished by its Islamic architecture. The structure, which provides cultural and academic services to around 480 students, was built in 1962 and acts as a beacon for the Muslim Hui ethnic people who predominantly reside in the northwestern region. It provides courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies, literature and Chinese history, and the Arab visitors were impressed with the cultural insight the centre offers into the faith of Islam in China. Mohammad Dashti told KUNA he was amazed by the Islamic inscriptions he had witnessed throughout the building, while Abdullatif Al-Mahmeed hailed the teaching method applied at the centre in showcasing Islam through the Arabic language. Meanwhile, Ministry of Education official Mubarak Al-Otaibi applauded the trip as an opportunity for the youngsters to get a firsthand view of different cultures. Students visit Hassan II Mosque Separately, a female delegation paid a visit to the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest in the world, as part of the “Be a Well-achiever” trip to Morocco, organized by the KFAED. The students toured surroundings and inside of the mosque, which was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. The trip is to concluded on January 17th. Completed in 1993, the mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25, 000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque’s adjoining grounds for a total of 105,000 worshippers present at any given time. Minaret of the mosque is the world’s tallest at 210 meters. The KFAED-sponsored trip is held on annual basis and it had been organized since 2010 with the aim to familiarize distinguished Kuwaiti high schoolers with the Fund’s activities and projects in countries of operation. — KUNA YINCHUAN: The students in a group photo during their visit to Ningxia People’s Hospital in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China. — KUNA photos TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 LOCAL KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his meeting with governor of Najaf Adnan Al-Zurfi. — KUNA photos Chief of the Court of Appeal Judge Mohammad Jassim Bin Naji Al-Qenae takes the constitutional oath before HH the Amir. Diwaniya owners in a group photo with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Amir receives Iraq’s Najaf governor Diwaniya owners celebrate Sheikh Sabah’s honoring KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yesterday governor of the Iraqi city of Najaf Adnan Al-Zurfi. The meeting was attended by Deputy Amiri Diwan Minister Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah and Jawad Ahmad Bu-Khamseen. Also yesterday, HH the Amir received at Minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yacoub Al-Sane, and the newly-appointed chief of the Court of Appeal Judge Mohammad Jassim Bin Naji Al-Qenae who took the con- stitutional oath before HH the Amir. Meanwhile, HH the Amir received a number of Diwaniya “gathering hall” owners, who celebrated the UN honoring of Kuwait as a Humanitarian Center and HH Sheikh Sabah as a Humanitarian Leader. The owners presented Sheikh Sabah with a gift celebrating his achievement. HH the Amir thanked the Diwaniya owners for their sincere gesture.HH Sheikh Sabah also received Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait Dr Mohammad Al-Hashel. — KUNA Kuwait considering hosting third Syrian donors’ summit FM leads Arab delegation to support Lebanon KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah received yesterday former UK premier Tony Blair on the occasion of his visit to Kuwait. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. — KUNA KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem received at his office yesterday head of the Korean-Kuwaiti parliamentary friendship committee and his accompanying delegation. The two sides discussed many common matters and means of promoting bilateral ties, especially the parliamentary ones. The meeting was attended by head of the economic and financial parliamentary committee and head of the honorary mission MP Faisal Al-Shaya, as well as MPs Mohammad Tanna and Ahmad Al-Qudhaibi. — KUNA BEIRUT: A team of staff from Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development will be visiting Lebanon over the next two days to arrange support needed to face the burden of over one million Syrian refugees, a senior Kuwaiti official said yesterday. “Kuwait is giving this matter special significance and is seriously considering hosting a third donor nations’ conference (for Syrians displaced within and outside of their country),” First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah said at a joint press conference. Standing alongside Arab League Secretary General Nabil AlAraby and Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil, he stressed Arab support of the territory and identity of Lebanon in the face of terrorism. After leading an Arab ministerial delegation - due to Kuwait’s current status as chair of the summit - which held talks with officials in Beirut, he said the continuing outpouring of violence from Syria into Lebanon was also discussed. He expressed optimism this would be resolved by the Arab and international communities. For his part, Araby reiterated that there was Arab consensus on supporting Lebanon. The Arab League has set out a “comprehensive strategy” aimed at fighting terrorism, which he said was for Arab nations to commit to. According to UN estimates, he said around 13 million Syrians are suffering as a result of the conflict - nine million of them inside the country and four million in neighboring countries. Arab solidarity Earlier, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said that the visiting Arab ministerial delegation had conveyed a message of Arab solidarity with, and support for Lebanon. “The message of solidarity BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam (right) meets Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Araby (left) and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah yesterday. — AP and support proceeds from the resolutions of the recent Arab summit in Kuwait and other Arab ministerial councils,” he told a news conference following his meeting with his Lebanese counterpart. Such resolutions require followingup for implementation especially ones bearing on Lebanon’s security and stability as well as support for its military and security agencies in their fight against terrorism, extremist groups and Israeli ambitions, he said. He also pointed to Arab help in boosting Lebanon’s economic growth, and easing out burdens on Lebanon due to hosting Syrian refugees. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled added that the Arab delegation had also discussed with Lebanese officials how the Arab League’s members can provide more help to steps taken by Lebanon to address its challenges. Condemning recent “criminal acts” in Lebanon, he said this Arab country is facing major challenges and that’s why it needs help from Arab countries in line with relevant Arab resolutions. He hoped that Lebanon’s next president would be able to attend the forthcoming Arab summit due in Cairo on March 28. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted that the Arab ministerial team would report to Arab foreign ministers about the outcomes of the visit to Lebanon. Lebanon’s security The visiting Arab ministerial team also held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Saeb and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, during which they mulled what Arab countries can do to help in maintaining Lebanon’s security, stability and territorial integrity, fighting terrorism and boosting its economic growth. They also exchanged views on key issues and subjects on both regional and international arenas. Mauritanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ahmed Ould Teguedi and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Al-Araby, as well as senior officials from the League, Kuwait and Mauritania were present in the talks. The visit came in implementation of an Arab League Council resolution with the aim of showing Arab solidarity with the Lebanese people and government, as well as to support efforts on the political, economic and security level in order to maintain security and stability of all Lebanese territories. — KUNA Piero Corsini, GM of Khorafi Business Machines: In the Era of Knowledge, the best is yet to come! By Piero Corsini General Manager Khorafi Business Machines (KBM) The best Is yet to come. None can deny the tremendous impact that the INTERNET has brought to our way of doing business or to our social relationship and, in general, to our everyday life!. And yet we are entering a new era where we will experience an even deeper transformation that will redefine, again, the way we live: IBM calls it: The Cognitive Era, the Era of Knowledge. Knowledge will be the major resource that Nations will have in their hands to prosper and to insure high standard of living to their citizens. Knowledge will be the strategic resource similar to what ‘oil’ is today. It will be the engine of growth and progress, with one important difference versus ‘oil’: the more you use it ........the more it gets bigger! The ‘knowledge workers’ will be the ones that will take advantage and prosper in this new Era; and they will chose to live in the Countries where the use of the major systems, that interfere with everyday life , are effective. Healthcare, Public Safety, Security, Transportation, Utilities, Education, Business Environment and joined-up Government Services are the major macro-systems that have to be implemented by the “effective Governments”. Let’s now have a look to the major drivers that will make the above scenario happen: • Internet of Things (IoT). The Internet of the coming future will connect not only • The Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Mobility, and Cloud Computing are the main drivers of change • Accurate disease diagnosis, near to perfect weather forecast, and more efficient crops production are in sight now, it has just been ‘too complicated!;But the future of accurate weather forecast is coming very soon. increased number of human beings but all the things that you can think of and that are part of our everyday life. It’s a scenario in which objects, animals or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Already in 2015 one ‘trillion ‘ of things will be connected to Internet and this number will reach 15 ‘trillion’ in a decade. From heart monitoring implants to biochip transponders on farm animals, from automobiles with built-in sensors to field operation devices that assist fire-fighters in search and rescue, from smart thermostat systems and washer/dryers that utilize Wi-Fi for remote monitoring, from food to, potentially, every object will be connected to provide relevant information to gain a deeper knowledge. And this can happen because everything will be digitized! • Big Data: Big data is the technology that allows the analysis and consequent extraction of knowledge out of the overall digitised world that the IoT will make available. Today, in the Information Technology, we are mostly dealing with Data that are structured and well defined. The Big Data technologies go well beyond since they are dealing with the wider spectrum of the unstructured data such as social media blogs , Object signals and so on that constitute more than 90% of the digital information versus today structured data. Thanks to these technologies, we will be able to analyse and extract knowledge from an immense number of information that • Mobility: The major beneficiaries of the IoT and the Big Data will be each one of us, in our business and in our, at large, social life. We will have devices more and more friendly (and our current mobiles are a clear example in that directions) through which we will be able to have correct answers to what we are looking for wherever we are and in the way we like. Piero Corsini well ahead in time. We can even predict with was unthinkable only few years ago. outstanding accuracy what will be the traffic This will revolutionize the way we live! There will be breakthroughs in Healthcare on a road during the next hour and suggest with close to perfect diagnosis and cure. alternatives to drivers. This ‘predictive’ analyThere will be accurate predictions on short- sis should not sound as something magic; it’s age or abundance of food based on close to based on rock science. I’d like to always take perfect weather forecasting and related con- the example of the weather forecasting. Since sequences on the crops so that we can put the origin of the human being, we’ve always appropriate actions. We will be able to pre- grown up knowing that ‘the weather is dict food consumption and move to-be-wast- unpredictable’ and we do not get upset when ed food, on time, where it is needed(today up the weather forecasting news do not get it! In to 40% of produced food is wasted). There reality the weather is regulated by physical will be accurate predictions related to demo- laws and what’s will happen in a place at a graphics dynamics in a Country as well as certain time is very certain and thus preshortage or abundance of skills and ,very dictable if you can get the right knowledge importantly, take proactive corrective actions out of the right huge relevant data. Up to • Cloud Computing: Finally the predominant model in which these services will be delivered will be the Cloud model. It’s a ‘utility’ model that allows to have the requested services when it’s required and to pay on actual usage. I’d like to make a comparison with the electricity. We switch on the light when we need it; and we expect to have it; and we pay for what we use. We do not ask where it is generated and by whom although we may want to know because we need a reliable provider that will always satisfy our variable needs. The Cloud Computing model is similar. It delivers our required and agreed upon services ‘on demand’ coping with our variable needs and different useful devices. Service providers have to make sure that they will always satisfy what we need with solid, always on, and secure systems and services. In conclusion, if we think we have being already heavily affected by the Internet, well, it’s not over; ‘the best is yet to come’!! TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 LOCAL In Brief Barghash’s membership Rumors denied Vertical housing KUWAIT: Members of the majority bloc and former MP Faisal Al-Mislem denied that Abdullah AlBargash’s membership in the bloc was canceled after his citizenship was revoked. His statement came after leading oppositionist and former parliament speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun stated that Barghash’s membership was terminated for legal reasons. Mislem urged fellow oppositionists to avoid conflicts “which make corrupt people happy.” — Al-Jarida KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce and Industry, Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej strongly denied social media reports about losing his mobile phone during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdelfatah AlSisi and the Egyptian media delegation. “This is a silly and childish rumor that aims at damaging the Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations”, Mudej underlined in a call-in with an Egyptian TV station. He pointing out that he looks forward to attending the economic forum in Egypt.—Al-Watan KUWAIT: Housing Minister Yasser Abul disclosed that the Housing Authority has suspended the vertical housing project for the time being for further studying. He also stressed that the government was keen on solving the housing problem, adding that the housing authority had recently distributed 8,000 new housing units according to the plan, while more would yet be distributed according to schedule. — Al-Jarida Photo o f t h e d a y KUWAIT: Overhead power lines tower over an open area located south of Kuwait. Campers are warned to avoid using similar areas in order to avoid the risk of exposure to high voltage current. The camping season concludes on March 31, 2015. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat NUKS USA recognizes Zain’s support Delegates visit Zain offices in appreciation of recent sponsorship KUWAIT: The National Union of Kuwaiti Students in the United States (NUKS USA) recently recog- nized Zain’s exceptional support as a Platinum sponsor of the Union’s 31st annual conference that was held in San Francisco during November. A NUKS USA delegation visited the company’s main headquarters in Shuwaikh whereby they met Zain Group Chairman Assad Ahmad Al Banwan and Zain Kuwait Chief Executive Officer Omar Saud Al Omar and expressed their gratitude to Zain’s continuous support to the annual conference, implementing the important role of the private sector’s contribution to supporting the Kuwaiti youth locally and abroad. Reciprocally the Chairman and Kuwait CEO expressed their admiration of the tremendous efforts exerted by the union’s members, resulting in a greatly successful event that witnessed vast participation from students studying the US. Zain’s annual participation in NUKS USA reinforces the company’s commitment to the youth of Kuwait and its desire to see them reach their full potential. This is the main intention behind the company’s support to NUKS USA for the past 11 years. As in previous years, Zain took the opportunity to recognize and honor the top 15 Kuwaiti students studying in the US during a Gala dinner that the company sponsored as part of the conference, with the aim of shedding light on accomplishments of leading students. The company also organized several activities for students; as well as sponsoring a sports symposium in which prominent Kuwaiti sports figures discussed issues relevant to the domestic sporting scene. Additionally Zain sponsored several sporting activities held in conjunction with the event, where it honored the winning teams of “Zain Football Tournament”, which Zain sponsored for the second consecutive year. The tournament was a way to engage with youth and share a family-like atmosphere with the students. Canada woos investors at Horeca KUWAIT: The commercial counselor and agricultural exports to Kuwait grew to $20 senior trade commissioner at the Canadian million last year. Ames noted that Canadian expor ts to Embassy to Kuwait Tammy Kuwait were mainly foodAmes stressed the imporstuff, including dair y tance of enforcing trade products, ice cream, potacooperation with Kuwait for to chips, vegetables, the best of both peoples. grains, cereals, wheat, Ames also stressed that the lentils and seafood. Ames Canadian embassy would pointed that the trade take part in the Horeca 2015 commissioner ser vice exhibition in order to boost center ser ves Kuwaiti cooperation between companies seeking speKuwaiti and Canadian comcific Canadian products panies and pave the way for and ser vices as well as further investment, especialfind strategic investment ly in view of the good reputapartners within Canada. tion and high quality Finally, Ames highlighted Canadian products enjoy. that Canadian companies Ames added that cooperTammy Ames provide high quality prodation between both countries had remarkably grown over the past ucts at competitive prices within the few years and that the value of Canadian Kuwait market. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 LOCAL kuwait digest kuwait digest Al-Jarida The need for implementation Which is more useful to Islam? By Sami Al-Nisf By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa edia icon Ahmed Al-Shoqairi did well by responding to those who shed blood and defame Islam every time a ribald or a spiteful person makes a mistake, by using Quranic verses and examples from the Prophet’s (PBUH) traditions. The Prophet (PBUH) never responded to people ridiculing Islam by killing them. The funny thing is that not a single response was made by iconic Muslim scholars. So if they didn’t know these verses exist in the Quran and kept silent, this would be a calamity, and it would be even a greater one if did know them! By the beginning of the 1990s, a major secular state and a mighty nuclear power - the Soviet Union - fell apart. Our scholars and Muslim youth could have made use of that incident and launch campaigns from Grozny, capital of Chechnya, to promote and spread Islam amongst a secular people who had abandoned all religions for decades. The largest of Muslim countries like Indonesia and Nigeria were not conquered by war - they were opened to Islam by good words and setting good examples. Instead, our extreme youth went to provoke Chechnyan people urging them to secede and launch terrorist attacks in Moscow and Grozny that alienated Russia and made them hate Islam and also destroy Chechnya. Nowadays, their youth are repaying this by contributing in wars destroying our countries and Russia is standing against revolutions that have been stolen by their extreme enemies! For the other major power, the US, the American people are known to be generally religious and easily adaptable to conversion. This was done by creating Christian Zionism, for instance. Instead of using his exper tise in building an Islamic tower to match the World Trade Center, and instead of using planes to move from one state to another across the US to spread and advocate Islam amongst a spiritually-thirsty people, an extremely wealthy Muslim architect known as Osama bin Laden hijacked civilian aircrafts, blew buildings and killed thousands of innocent people in the name of Islam. Defaming Islam continued by encouraging Muslim minorities to rebel and demand secession, which created many problems with other religions, sects and races. The sad thing is that those who encouraged and provoked them against their own home countries from the comfort of their own ‘houses’ are the ones currently shedding ‘crocodile tears’ for the tragedies they are suffering. If only they had not provoked them, or wept! —Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Anbaa ocial Affairs and Labor and Planning Minister Hind AlSubaih said the ministry has completed its study to privatize cooperatives. We are used to such optimistic statements, as all previous government plans concentrated on diversifying sources of national income and working on attracting direct foreign investment and motivating partnership between the private sector with the foreign investor and work on transforming the country into an international financial and commercial center. The plans also concentrate on aspects of privatization, restructuring, reducing state expenditure and others. We have repeatedly stressed the government’s steps to privatize cooperatives as they are full of corruption and wasta, but our problem in Kuwait is that we talk too much and do very little in implementing this talk. Since the days of the late Ahmad Al-Duaij and the planning council, the talk was revolving around transforming Kuwait into an open commercial and economic center, diversify income sources, reduce dependence on expat labor and review the population structure. The question is why all government plans are not fulfilled, and did not see daylight for more than 60 years? And very few of them are implemented. Kuwait, before working with the government plans, was number one in everything and we were ahead of the Gulf countries, and the reason goes back to the efficacy of the private sector and openness of the state before the flow of oil and the state’s monopoly over wealth and power. Today we are at the bottom because of the continued dominance of the state over the economy and its monopolizing of everything, which means that we have an authority that is beyond absolute, and a society that is more than inept. The question is do we have the political and societal will for change and reform? And is there a possibility to correct the defects practically, especially after the drop in oil prices? Everything is possible in the presence of clear and strong political will to carry out the required change. As long as the government has an absolute belief in the continuation of the welfare state principle which does not impose taxes or fees on its citizens. Rather, contrary to the rest of the world, it pays them in a country of taxless economic prosperity and employs citizens in all state establishments and ministries despite the lack of need for them. This is a political bribe for citizens to get their loyalty. We have a government that monopolizes the authority and state resources including public and private parties in exchange for the government’s commitment to employing citizens and offering them all services. This, in turn, led to the emergence of a dependent, unable society that receives all these services as a gift from the state in exchange for keeping silent towards rights of citizenry and the importance of the citizens’ effective role in running the country’s affairs. The real problem is in having the government control state resources including oil, while it continues the policy of squandering and expenditure without the need for imposing taxes and fees, as ministers affirm everyday that wages and salaries will not change, and that there is no problem with the budget deficit as long as the state and members of parliament believe that we are a rich country and has future generations to control it as it wishes. Will our goal to have the required social and economic reform be fulfilled? — Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Watan M S FOR SALE In my view Talking about corruption By Ahmad Al-Sarraf T he most dangerous thing for any regime or establishment, even commercial ones, is corruption. This does not exist and spread without the knowledge of the authority or administration as part of it or participating in it, or by inaction. Misuse of power through manipulating the funds of state always leads to the collapse of any regime. Keeping silent towards bribes and thefts and taking advantage of posts and stealing the state’s funds, keeping silent towards the crimes of some seniors and their relatives and applying the law on the weak all lead to the abyss. Although corruption exists in all countries, it is more widespread in poor countries and dictatorships, or rich countries that lack supervisory systems and deterrent laws. If we look at Kuwait, we will find that it is nearly the easiest to rule in the entire world, and it was assumed, as far as logic is concerned, to be the least corrupt country as the number of mosques and worship places is very large and does complain of real poverty nor shortage of supervisory and accountability systems or deterrent laws. So it is very difficult to imagine a logical reason for all this corruption other than the link of some seniors interests with it, and it was not strange to have this semi-official push in the direction of favoring personal interests over public ones. Kuwait’s history has seen a large number of corrupt people, but the phenomenon now includes lower-rank officials after at one point being limited to some seniors. It was notable when the authority approved the founding law of an authority to fight corruption, but the issue was not free of mistakes, because its chairman is the minister of justice, and he according to the law along with his colleagues and members of the rest of the authorities are subject to the supervision of this system. So how can the minister be the chairman of a system that oversees his behavior? So it is necessary for the authority’s internal rules to prevent the minister from interfering in its technical affairs. The major financial scandal that we wrote about a few days ago was actually simmering since a few years in the Cabinet and in the meetings of the social security’s board of directors. And despite the committees that were formed to consider the accusations, final reports were in many instances ignored or lost with every ministerial change or a new finance minister. The large drop in state revenues will automatically be followed by an increase in the frequency of corruption and bribes to pass illegal transactions, so in turn the mission of the anti-corruption authority will be very difficult, if it is even allowed to work and not just be a powerless authority and if its administration is of the required level! Because some talk has begun about some of its leaders and their histories, and their violations in appointing their relatives without competency tests. — Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Qabas letters to Muna The West nurtured terrorism, now suffers By Basel Al-Jasser T here were four terrorist attacks in the West in just a few days - one in Sydney and three in Paris. I see this as a start and that terrorist attacks will expand, get more complicated, more destructive and include most Western countries. The West had, and still nurtures, Islamic radicalism, providing it with excuses, providing its advocates and thinkers with safe havens, places to operate and logistic support. The West supports the Zionist entity at the expense of international legitimacy, rights and justice, and thus deprived over a billion Muslims of their first qibla Jerusalem over 50 years ago, which helped launch the first radical movement in modern histor y - the Muslim Brotherhood, that only gained power by addressing people’s feelings and aspiration to liberate Jerusalem. I t was through this move ment and its godfather Say yed Qutub that ‘takfeer’ (accusing others of being infidels), encouraging people to revolt against their rulers and regimes and carr ying out terrorist and suicide operations began and labeled as the ‘peak of jihad’. Though the majorit y of contemporar y Muslim scholars and their ancestors throughout history incriminated committing suicide, the excuse suicide bombers have been using is liberating Jerusalem from the Zionists. Well, to do this, Muslims will have to be united first, as I said in a previous article by recalling the heroic leader Saladin who did not liberate Jerusalem until he united Muslim countries. There is a way too much difference between Saladin and those hypocrites. The West had and still provides leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and radical movements full support, shelter and funds to face the measures taken against them since Egypt from Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak and the current president Sisi - as well as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and many other countries who have been having bad relations with the West because of the Brotherhood. The West’s support of radicals started by toppling the Russia-suppor ted regime in Afghanistan, which led to forming the Taleban and Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations. A few years ago, they supported and executed the so-called ‘Arab Spring’, which I know was plotted by the Freemasons and executed by the West with the aim of bringing the Brotherhood (the allies of all radicals) to power in Muslim countries. Therefore, Gaddafi was toppled by force, Libya turned into a battlefield for terrorists, Syrian borders were opened to all kinds of terrorists after the Syrian regime resisted their ‘Spring’ and this includes IS, Nusra Front, Ansar Sharia and others. The calamity is that the West still supports these terrorist organizations in the East and only incriminates them in its own countries. It has been proven that the Zionist entity supports the Nusra Front and that Turkey supports IS, and since they both are strong allies of the West, they would not have done so unless given a green light. How can the West suppor t terrorist powers who hardly form one percent of the total number of Muslims worldwide and mobilize them in Muslim countries practicing violence, terrorism and bloodshed against Muslims there and avoid such actions in their own countries where many Muslim communities live, and it would be normal that such terrorist ideas spread amongst them, especially since many of their ‘scholars’ live in the West. Therefore, I predict that unless a fully sovereign Palestinian state is born with Jerusalem as its capital and unless the West stops supporting terrorists in Muslim countries, the recent terrorist attacks will only be an endless chain of ‘black’ terrorism Muslims have been suffering on a daily basis because of Western support of terrorists. Saying so, I would like to highlight that I am totally against terrorist attacks against innocent civilians, be them in Australia, France or in Muslim countries. I see them as religiously prohibited (haram) and I do hope the West sees things the way I do because it is unacceptable to support terrorists in the East and reject them in the West. This is just a reminder! — Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Anbaa Though the majority of contemporary Muslim scholars and their ancestors throughout history incriminated committing suicide, the excuse suicide bombers have been using is liberating Jerusalem from the Zionists TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 Divers retrieve one AirAsia ‘black box’ Pope urges Muslim leaders to condemn religious-based violence Page 10 Page 12 PARIS: Police officers and French army soldiers patrol Rue des Rosiers street, in the heart of Paris Jewish quarter, in Paris, yesterday. France on Monday ordered 10,000 troops into the streets to protect sensitive sites after three days of bloodshed and terror, amid the hunt for accomplices to the attacks that left 17 people and the three gunmen dead.—AP France steps up security after blood-soaked week PARIS: France announced an unprecedented deployment of thousands of troops and police to bolster security at “sensitive” sites including Jewish schools yesterday, the day after marches that drew nearly four million people across the country. “We have decided ... to mobilise 10,000 men to protect sensitive sites in the whole country from tomorrow (Tuesday) evening,” Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said after an emergency security meeting. “ This is the first time that our troops have been mobilised to such an extent on our own soil,” he added. Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said one of the attackers, Amedy Coulibaly, who gunned down a policewoman and four Jewish shoppers at a kosher supermarket, likely received help from others. “I don’t want to say more, but investigations are continuing into these attacks, this barbaric terrorist acts. We think there are in fact probably accomplices,” Valls told French radio. “The hunt will go on,” he pledged. The alert level in the shell-shocked country remained at its highest possible, as the interior minister announced the deployment of nearly 5,000 police to guard Jewish schools and places of worship. Bernard Cazeneuve said he was putting in place a “power ful and durable” system of protection for France’s Jewish community, the largest in Europe. The announcement of the fresh security measures came after more than 1.5 million people in Paris marched Sunday in unity and solidari- ty for those murdered, in the biggest rally in modern French history. In an extraordinary show of unity, dozens of world leaders, including from Israel and the Palestinian Authority, linked arms at the front of the march that was spearheaded by victims’ families. All major newspapers splashed photos of the sea of humanity on the French capital’s streets, with banner headlines reading “A people rise up”, “Freedom on the march,” and “France stands up”. During an emotional and colourful rally, the crowd brandished banners saying “I’m French and I’m not scared”. In tribute to the cartoonists slaughtered at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the crowd also held aloft signs saying: “Make fun, not war” and “Ink should flow, not blood”. As Hollande proclaimed Paris the “capital of the world”, hundreds of thousands of people turned out in other French cities and marches were held in Berlin, Brussels, Istanbul and Madrid as well as in US and Canadian cities. ‘New anti-Semitism’ Hollande has warned his grieving countrymen not to let down their guard and questions were mounting as to how the attackers slipped through the intelligence services’ net. As well as Coulibaly, brothers Said, 34, and Cherif Kouachi, 32, who carried out the Charlie Hebdo murders, had a history of extremism and were known to French intelligence. Valls has admitted there were “clear failings” after it emerged that the Kouachi brothers had been on a US terror watch list “for years”. He told French radio on Monday he wanted to see an “improved” system of tapping phones which had to perform better. Said was known to have travelled to Yemen in 2011, where he received weapons training from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, while Cherif was a known jihadist who was convicted in 2008 for involvement in a network sending fighters to Iraq. Coulibaly was a repeat criminal offender who had been convicted for extremist Islamist activity. All three were shot dead by security forces Friday after a three-day reign of terror that culminated in twin hostage dramas. Investigators have been trying to hunt down Coulibaly’s partner, 26year-old Hayat Boumeddiene, but a security source in Turkey told AFP she arrived there on January 2, before the attacks, and has probably travelled on to Syria. Coulibaly’s mother and sisters condemned his actions, saying “we hope there will not be any confusion between these odious acts and the Muslim religion”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was Monday to visit the scene of the hostage drama at the kosher supermarket in eastern Paris that gripped the world. Netanyahu had joined Hollande at the main synagogue in Paris after Sunday ’s march to honour the Jewish victims, and praised the “very firm position” taken by French leaders against what he called “the new anti-S emitism and terrorism” in France. — AFP WASHINGTON: Education Secretary Arne Duncan speaks about the administration’s priorities for education, yesterday, at Seaton Elementary in Washington. Duncan said that testing US schoolchildren annually in math and reading is critical for measuring their educational progress, setting the stage for what is likely to be a contentious Capitol Hill debate on the federal role in education. —AP p8_Layout 1 1/12/15 9:35 PM Page 1 TUUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 I N T E R N AT I O N A L Iran eclipses US as Iraq’s ally in fight against militants BAGHDAD: In the eyes of most Iraqis, their country’s best ally in the war against the Islamic State group is not the United States and the coalition air campaign against the militants. It’s Iran, which is credited with stopping the extremists’ march on Baghdad. Shiite, non-Arab Iran has effectively taken charge of Iraq’s defense against the Sunni radical group, meeting the Iraqi government’s need for immediate help on the ground. Two to three Iranian military aircraft a day land at Baghdad airport, bringing in weapons and ammunition. Iran’s most potent military force and best known general - the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force and its commander Gen. Ghasem Soleimani - are organizing Iraqi forces and have become the de facto leaders of Iraqi Shiite militias that are the backbone of the fight. Iran carried out airstrikes to help push militants from an Iraqi province on its border. The result is that Tehran’s influence in Iraq, already high since US forces left at the end of 2011, has grown to an unprecedented level. Airstrikes by the US-led coali- tion have helped push back the militants in parts of the north, including breaking a siege of a Shiite town. But many Iraqis believe the Americans mainly want to help the Kurds. Airstrikes helped Kurdish forces stop extremists threatening the capital of the Kurdish autonomous zone, Irbil, in August. But even that feat is accorded by many Iraqis to a timely airlift of Iranian arms to the Kurds. The meltdown of Iraq’s military in the face of the extremists’ summer blitz across much of northern and western Iraq gave Iran the opportunity to step in. A flood of Shiite volunteers joined the fight to fill the void, bolstering the ranks of Shiite militias already allied with Iran. Those militias have now been more or less integrated into Iraq’s official security apparatus, an Iraqi government official said, calling this the Islamic State group’s “biggest gift” to Tehran. “Iran’s hold on Iraq grows tighter and faster every day,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the sensitive subject. Over the past year, Iran sold Iraq nearly $10 billion worth of weapons and hardware, mostly weapons for urban warfare like assault rifles, heavy machine-guns and rocket launchers, he said. The daily stream of Iranian cargo planes bringing weapons to Baghdad was confirmed at a news conference by a former Shiite militia leader, Jamal Jaafar. Better known by his alias Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, Jaafar is second in command of the recently created state agency in charge of volunteer fighters. Some Sunnis are clearly worried. Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Karbuly said the United States must increase its support of Iraq against the extremists in order to reduce Iran’s influence. “Iran now dominates Iraq,” he said. Equally key to Iran’s growing influence has been a persistent suspicion of Washington’s intentions, particularly among Shiite militiamen. Hadi al-Amiri, a prominent Shiite politician close to Iran and leader of the powerful Badr militia, complained in a recent television interview that Iraq was a victim of decades of “wrong” US policies in the Middle East. He charged that the precursors of the region’s Sunni extremists had in the past enjoyed US patronage. “We fear that the objective of the USled coalition is to contain Daesh, rather than exterminate it,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Speaking this week at a memorial service in Iran for a Revolutionary Guard officer gunned down by an Islamic State sniper, al-Amiri mused that Iraqi Shiite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s three -monthold administration would have been a “government-in-exile” if not for Iran’s swift help to protect Baghdad, according to Iran’s Fars news agency. The praise does not just come from Shiite politicians. During a trip to Tehran last week, Iraq’s Sunni defense minister, Khaled al-Obeidi, said Iran’s help against the militants is a “strategic necessity” for Iraq. US Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones acknowledged to The Associated Press that Iran plays an important role in fighting the Islamic State group. He made clear there was no interaction between the US and Iranian operations. “Let’s face it, Iran is an important neighbor to Iraq. There has to be cooperation between Iran and Iraq,” he said in a Dec. 4 interview. “The Iranians are talking to the Iraqi security forces and we’re talking to Iraqi security forces . We’re relying on them to do the de-confliction.” US Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iraqi leaders have kept the US informed about Iranian activities against IS and that Washington is watching the relationship carefully. He said if the two countries grow closer economically or politically, “as long as the Iraqi government remains committed to inclusivity of all the various groups inside the country, then I think Iranian influence will be positive.” But Ali Khedery, a top US official in Iraq from 2003 until 2009, warned that Iranian influence will be “strategically catastrophic.” “It further consolidates Iran’s grip over the Levant and Iraq,” said Khedery, who resigned in protest over US failure to thwart Iranian influence.—AP Lebanon raids prison over links to blasts BEIRUT: Security forces raided Lebanon’s notorious Roumieh prison yesterday after discovering that inmates were linked to a deadly bomb attack last week, security services said. The Internal Security Forces (ISF), in a statement, said an operation was underway at the prison’s B block, where many high-profile Islamist prisoners are held. The block in Roumieh, east of Beirut, is known as a virtual no-go zone for security forces, where prisoners have access to laptops, phones and money. The ISF said some prisoners had rioted, starting fires to thwart the operation, which follows a double suicide bomb attack Saturday in the Jabal Mohsen district of the northern city of Tripoli. “ The operation is taking place as planned,” said the statement, published by Lebanon’s official National News Agency. “The situation is under control and there are no casualties and the plan being implemented complements the overall security plan for Lebanon,” it added. “Roumieh prison is part of that plan, especially after the discovery of ties between a number of prisoners and the terrorist blasts in the Jabal Mohsen area.” The attack in often-tense Tripoli killed nine people in the neighbourhood which is inhabited mostly by members of the Alawite sect to which Syrian President Bashar al-Assad belongs. Fighting has regularly broken out between residents of the neighbourhood, who largely back Assad’s regime, and militants in neighbouring Bab al-Tebbaneh, where residents back the Syrian uprising. The Saturday attack was carried out by Lebanese Sunnis from another Tripoli district known for supporting the uprising. It was claimed by Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch Al-Nusra Front, which said it was revenge for two attacks against mosques in Tripoli in August 2013 that killed at least 45 people. On Monday, as security forces raided Roumieh, Al-Nusra issued new threats against 16 Lebanese security forces it is holding hostage. “As a result of the deterioration of security in Lebanon, you will hear about surprises regarding the fate of the prisoners we have,” the group wrote on one of their Twitter accounts. Al-Nusra is believed to be holding 16 Lebanese security forces among 30 who were kidnapped in the eastern border town of Arsal during fighting in August. Another nine personnel are being held by the Islamic State jihadist group, and one hostage died of wounds during the fighting in Arsal. Four of those kidnapped have been executed-two of them by their AlNusra captors-and negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages have stalled. — AFP Israeli premier defied France to join Paris march JERUSALEM: France asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay away from a weekend solidarity march in Paris but he ignored the request and attended anyway, Israeli media reported yesterday. The same message was conveyed to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in a bid to avoid the commemoration of the 17 people killed in Islamist attacks in the French capital last week being clouded by the Middle East conflict, the reports said. But when Netanyahu rejected the appeals of the French government, Abbas was swiftly invited, Channel Two television and Israeli newspapers reported. President Francois Hollande had wanted to “focus on solidarity with France, and to avoid anything liable to divert attention to other controversial issues, like Jewish-Muslim relations or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the liberal Haaretz newspaper reported. There was also concern Netanyahu would use the event to “make speeches” as he prepares for a March 17 general election, in which he is seeking a fourth term. The request to stay away was made by Hollande’s national security adviser, Jacques Audibert, to his Israeli counterpart, Yossi Cohen, and was initially accepted, Haaretz reported. But on Saturday evening, the rightwing prime minister’s hardline rivals in the governing coalition, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, announced they would travel to Paris. “When Netanyahu heard they were going, he informed the French he would be attending the march after all.” Haaretz said that the prime minister’s actions had infuriated the French president, who had demonstrated his “anger” at a cere- mony at Paris’s main synagogue to commemorate four Jews who were among those killed. “Hollande sat through most of the ceremony, but when Netanyahu’s turn at the podium arrived, the French president got up from his seat and made an early exit.” ‘Embarrassing’ The mass circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper also reported the apparent snub to the Israeli premier. “Before Netanyahu began his speech, President Hollande left with his entourage... The impressive delegation of leaders from the Muslim community who attended the ceremony also chose to leave. They all, apparently, had prior commitments.” Netanyahu’s conduct was widely criticised by Israeli commentators. “It was embarrassing, not to say disgraceful, to see Israel’s prime minister yesterday trying to push his way onto a bus that he was not supposed to board, making his way determinedly from the second row (where he was placed) to the row of leaders walking in front (which he took over), behaving in a mourning parade as in an election rally,” Ben Caspit wrote in the rightwing Maariv newspaper. “The reprisal was not late in coming. President Francois Hollande fell on Abu Mazen’s (Abbas’s) shoulders in a close embrace but greeted Netanyahu with a frozen hand.” France angered Israel late last month by voting in support of a draft UN Security Council resolution on Palestinian statehood that would have set an end-date for Israeli occupation. The text failed to secure the nine votes necessary to be adopted in the 15member council but Israel called in the French ambassador to protest.—AFP PORTE DE VINCENNES: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) arrives at a kosher grocery store in Porte de Vincennes, eastern Paris, yesterday after four people were killed on January 9 at the Jewish supermarket by a jihadist gunman during a hostage-taking. — AFP CAIRO: Defendants react behind the bars at a court in Cairo following the acquittal yesterday of 26 male men accused of “debauchery” after they were arrested in a night-time raid on a bathhouse in the Egyptian capital last month that triggered international concern. The men were arrested on December 7 in the raid on a hammam in the Azbakeya district of Cairo, amid fears of a widening police crackdown on homosexuals in Egypt even though Egyptian law does not expressly ban homosexuality. — AFP 26 acquitted of ‘debauchery’ in Cairo bathhouse trial Men dragged out of hammam onto police trucks CAIRO: An Egyptian court yesterday acquitted 26 men accused of “debauchery” after their night-time arrest from a Cairo bathhouse for suspected homosexual activity, in a case which triggered international concern. “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), Long live justice,” chanted the defendants when the verdict was announced. “Long live justice and the police,” cheered the jubilant families of the defendants, some of who had clashed with reporters and photographers before the hearing began. Prosecutors later filed an appeal against the verdict. The men were arrested in a December 7 raid on a hammam in the Azbakeya district of the capital, amid fears of a widening police crackdown on gays in Egypt. The raid was filmed by a female television journalist, who days later aired the footage on the “The Hidden,” a weekly programme on proregime private satellite channel Al-Qahira Wel Nas. The footage showed the near naked men, covering their faces and wearing only towels, dragged out of the hammam and loaded onto police trucks. The defendants, including the bathhouse owner and four employees, were brought handcuffed to the court room and made to stand in a metal cage guarded by two rifle-wielding policemen. “The ruling proved our innocence and cleared the name of the hammam. I swear we did nothing wrong,” said Fathy Abdel Rahman, the owner. “Finally, an Egyptian court issued a verdict in a case of this kind according to the law,” Ahmed Hossam, a defence lawyer, told AFP. Egyptian law does not expressly ban homosexuality, but gay men have previously been arrested and charged with debauchery instead. In the past, homosexuals in Egypt have been jailed on charges ranging from “scorning religion” to “sexual practices contrary to Islam”. Forensic tests criticised Relatives of the defendants kissed policemen present in the court as they expressed joy on hearing the verdict. “Thanks to Allah, the truth is out ... my son was in the hammam with his friend to bath before his wedding. My son is a real man,” said Hanan, a mother of one of the defendants. Bothaina Halim, a gay woman using a pseudonym, was “ecstatic” over the acquittals. “But it’s important to remember that they should have never been arrested, put on display or subjected to state-sponsored sexual assault in the form of anal forensic examinations,” she told AFP. Advocacy groups such as New York-based Human Rights Watch have regularly condemned the controversial anal tests carried out on suspected gays. Hassan Sherif, a gay man also not using his real name, welcomed Monday ’s ruling but warned that “the damage has already been done”. “The social stigma now attached to these men and their families will not go away. They have been humiliated in the media and in society,” he said. Relatives threatened to sue television presenter Mona al-Iraqi who filmed the raid. “It’s only right that the prosecution files a case against her for making a false report to the police,” said lawyer Hossam. “This will be the best rehabilitation for the defendants.” Iraqi has said on her Facebook page that airing the footage was not aimed at targeting homosexuality, but part of a “series uncovering male sex trafficking and the spread of AIDS in Egypt”. Defence lawyer Islam Khalifah said there was no evidence to convict the defendants. “There was the police officer’s story, and he is the only witness and the forensic report denied his version of the story,” he said. The forensic report submitted to the court states that none of the defendants showed signs of regular homosexual activities. Dalia Abdel Hamid of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an NGO, said yesterday’s verdict was likely the result of media frenzy. “Unexpectedly, society broadly condemned what Mona Iraqi did to these men, and the violation of their privacy,” she said. The verdict came weeks after a court reduced the jail terms of eight men over an alleged gay wedding video that went viral on the Internet, slashing them to one year each from three years. Their arrests in September were part of a series of highly publicised raids targeting suspected homosexuals in the deeply conservative Muslim country. — AFP 1,400 from France have joined jihadis PARIS: Some 1,400 people living in France have either joined the jihadist cause in Syria and Iraq or are planning to do so, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said yesterday. “There are 1,400 individuals who are involved in the departures for jihad, for terrorism, in Syria and in Iraq,” Valls told BFMTV. “There are close to 70 French citizens or residents in France who have died in Syria and Iraq in the ranks of the terrorists,” he added. The latest government figures were a big jump from data in mid-December, when 1,200 people were said to have left or are seeking to leave to battle alongside jihadists. “It is a massive jump in very little time: there were just about 30 cases when I became interior minister (in mid-2012), and 1,400 today,” said Valls. The two gunmen who slaughtered 12 people at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Cherif Kouachi and his brother Said, were likely among those who had left the country to “to be trained to kill and to sow terror”. The third gunman, Amedy Coulibaly, who stormed a kosher supermarket on Friday, never left for such training, said Valls. “He was not on the intelligence services’ radar,” added the prime minister. French authorities said in December that they have dismantled about a dozen networks that were sending people to fight in Iraq and Syria. France, along with Belgium, has seen the largest numbers of volunteers leaving to join the Islamic State jihadist group, which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq. —AFP ARBIL: German defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen (R) talks with a German military trainer as they show Kurdish Peshmerga fighters how to operate a machine gun at a training camp in Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, yesterday. After Islamic State (IS) group militants swept federal security forces aside and drove south toward Baghdad in June, IS launched a renewed push against Kurdish forces, driving them back toward their regional capital Arbil. — AFP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 I N T E R N AT I O N A L New sanctions could torpedo Iran nuclear deal: US envoy to UN NEW YORK: It is still possible to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, but new US congressional sanctions could seriously undermine prospects for an agreement and end up isolating Washington instead of Tehran, the US envoy to the United Nations said yesterday. The remarks from Ambassador Samantha Power were in a speech at the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville. Among those attending was the center’s co-founder, Senator Mitch McConnell, the new US Senate majority leader. In her address, which was broadcast live on the Internet, Power called for greater cooperation between Republicans and President Barack Obama’s Democrats on key foreign policy and security issues, including Iran, Cuba and the fight against terrorism. “If we pull the trigger on new nuclear-related sanctions now, we will go from isolating Iran to potentially isolating ourselves,” she said. Earlier yesterday US Secretary of State John Kerry said that he and his Iranian counterpart would seek to push forward negotiations between major world powers and Tehran on its nuclear program. Kerry meets Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Geneva on Wednesday to renew the push for an elusive nuclear accord after negotiators failed for the second time in November to meet a self-imposed deadline. The agreement would gradually end sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iranian atomic work. “Some members of Congress believe that the time has come to ratchet up sanctions on Iran,” she said. “They argue that this is the most effective way to achieve the goal of getting Iran to give up its nuclear program.” “We in the administration believe that, at this time, increasing sanctions would dramatically undermine our efforts to reach this shared goal,” she added. Despite tremendous differences between Iran and the international community on issues like the future scope of Tehran’s uranium enrichment program and the duration of any restrictions on Iranian atomic activity, Power said a long-term accord was still possible. “We are still at the negotiating table for one reason, and one reason alone,” she said. “We assess that we still have a credible chance of reaching the agreement we want.” The moment the Obama administration decides it is not possible to reach a deal with Tehran, she noted, it will join Congress in pushing for new sanctions. “We have not reached that point yet,” Power said. Senior foreign ministry officials from Iran and six world powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - resume nuclear talks on Sunday to hammer out an agreement by their new June 30 deadline. — Reuters Obama seeks laws on data hacking, student privacy HAVANA: In this Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015 photo, a boy, obscured by a Cuban national flag, walks with an image of Fidel Castro, to the setting of a caravan tribute marking the 56th anniversary of the original street party that greeted a triumphant Castro and his rebel army, in Regla, Cuba. Castro and his rebels arrived in Havana via caravan on Jan 1, 1959, after toppling dictator Fulgencio Batista. Social media around the world have been flooded with a new wave of rumors of Fidel Castro’s death, but there was no sign that the reports were true. The 88-yearold former Cuban leader has not been seen in public for months. —AP Cuba completes release of 53 political prisoners Changes are already occurring in Cuba HAVANA: Cuba has completed the release of 53 political prisoners that was part of last month’s historic deal between the United States and Cuba, the Obama administration said yesterday. The move would clear a major hurdle for the normalization of ties between the two countries after more than five decades of estrangement. Cuba’s leading human rights group said it had not been informed of any prisoner release since Thursday, when the total count stood at 41. The Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation has been keeping close track of the liberation of prisoners since they began last week, reporting releases within hours after hearing from family members or prisoners themselves. The releases have been shrouded in confusion due to both a US and Cuban reluctance to release the names of those on the list. The prisoners had been on a list of opposition figures whose release was sought as part of the US agreement last month with the Cuban government. They had been cited by various human rights organizations as being imprisoned by the Cuban government for exercising internationally protected freedoms or for their promotion of political and social reforms in Cuba. Speaking in Louisville, Kentucky, President Barack Obama’s U.N. ambassador said the prisoners were released in recent days. “Welcome as that step is, and heartening as it is for their fam- ilies, (it) does not resolve the larger human rights problems on the island,” Samantha Power said, according to prepared remarks. Earlier, an official traveling with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Islamabad said the US verified the release. Power was speaking yesterday at an event hosted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, RKy. She outlined issues which the administration and the Republicanled Congress could work together on and issues they remained further apart on. Both sides want to advance freedom in Cuba, she said, but they disagree on strategy. “Some of the embargo’s staunchest defenders are Democrats and Republicans with deep ties to the island - people whose families came to America fleeing the Castros’ repression,” Power explained. “These are men and women who are completely dedicated to doing all they can to ensure that Cubans on the island get to enjoy true freedom. So it is important to acknowledge that while there may be disagreements on the best way to get there, we share a common goal of advancing the rights of the Cuban people.” Power said changes already are occurring in Cuba. When Cuban artist Tania Bruguera and other activists were detained after announcing an anti-government event in Havana’s historic Revolution Square, she said, nearly 300 Cuban artists signed a letter supporting her freedom. “In spite of genuine fear, Cubans were speaking out,” Power said. “And the Castro government was forced to explain why it would rather arrest a woman than let her speak freely in a public square. Last month, Cuba and the US agreed to work to restore normal diplomatic relations as part of a deal in which Cuba freed an imprisoned US aid worker along with an imprisoned spy working for the U.S. and the imprisoned dissidents. The US released several Cuba intelligence agents. “Certainly, for those 53 prisoners, it’s a great deal. We don’t know who they are,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in an appearance Monday on “CBS This Morning.” Rubio said he supports improving ties with Cuba but said he’s worried that the Cubans are getting virtually everything they want from the United States for “these minimal changes.” He said he wants to be certain that improved relations between Washington and Havana provides equal benefits to the US. “My interest in Cuba is freedom and democracy,” he said. Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who’s considering a run for the presidency, said there is “no current example” around the world where a “government of resistant tyranny” has moved to greater freedom and democracy as a result of changes in international relations that are based on economic incentives. — AP Police probe motive in Idaho shooting spree that killed 3 MOSCOW: Investigators say a laptop computer from the vehicle of a man suspected in a deadly shooting spree in western Idaho could yield clues to a motive for the violence. Investigators searched the car of 29year-old John Lee, recovering two semiautomatic pistols, a revolver, a shotgun and a rifle, along with the laptop, Moscow Police Chief David Duke said. Lee was arrested following a highspeed chase in nearby Washington state in the hours after the shootings Saturday afternoon. Police allege he opened fire at three locations in Moscow, Idaho, killing his adoptive mother, then his landlord, and then a manager at a restaurant his parents frequented. A Seattle man was also critically injured. Ballistics tests were expected to help determine which weapons might have been used in the shootings. Authorities were seeking a warrant to search the computer, Duke said. “There’s still nothing to identify a specific motive as to why Mr. Lee took these actions,” he said. The first death was that of Lee’s adoptive mother, Terri Grzebielski, 61, at her home. Police said Lee then headed to Northwest Mutual life insurance, where he shot his landlord, David Trail, 76, who was a local businessman and the brother of a former state representative, as well as Michael Chin, 39, of Seattle. Duke said Chin had no link to Lee, but he was discussing business with Trail when the gunman arrived. Duke said Chin was shot in the arm and leg. Authorities initially said he was being flown to a hospital in Seattle in critical condition, but Duke said Sunday he was flown to one in Spokane. It wasn’t immediately clear which hospital he was in; a supervisor at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center said Sunday the hospital would not confirm whether he was a patient there. There were “some issues” regarding Lee’s apartment, Duke said, but no eviction proceedings that police were aware of. Gunshots Upon leaving the insurance office, the shooter drove to an Arby’s restaurant and asked for the manager. When she appeared, he pulled out a gun and opened fire. The manager, Belinda Niebuhr, 47, died at the Moscow hospital. Duke told The Associated Press that Lee’s parents ate at the restaurant and knew the manager well, but it’s not clear whether Lee did as well. He did not work at the restaurant as far as police knew, and workers who witnessed the attack didn’t recognize him, Duke said. Kelsey Stemrich said she was working at a cafe near Arby’s when she and a customer heard three gunshots and then saw people running from the restaurant. She says they took down the license plate number of a car seen pulling away from the Arby’s and called it into police. Police in Washington spotted the suspect’s black Honda, and a chase involving multiple agencies ensued. Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins said the pursuit lasted nearly 25 miles, and Lee’s vehicle at times topped 100 mph before crashing off Highway 195 north of Colfax and rolling to a stop. Duke said he had been adopted at birth, and he recently returned to Moscow after living for a few years in the Midwest. But few other details on his background were available. Lee was taken to a Colfax hospital for treatment of minor injuries before he was booked into the Whitman County Jail on a charge of felony eluding. Duke said Idaho authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Lee for investigation of three counts of firstdegree murder and one of attempted murder, and he said they could take Lee into custody from Washington state by Monday unless he fights extradition. Moscow is a city of about 25,000 people in northern Idaho. It’s about 10 miles from Pullman, Washington. —AP WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama wants Congress to pass legislation requiring companies to inform customers within 30 days if their data has been hacked, a move that follows highprofile breaches at retailers including Target, Home Depot and Neiman Marcus. A White House official said Obama will announce the proposed legislation Monday, along with a measure aimed at preventing companies from selling student data to third parties and from using information collected in school to engage in targeted advertising. Obama’s proposals are part of a White House effort to preview components of the president’s State of the Union address in the lead-up to the Jan. 20 speech. The official, who insisted on anonymity, was not authorized to discuss the proposed legislation by name ahead of Obama’s speech at the Federal Trade Commission. If passed by Congress, the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act would require US companies to notify customers within 30 days of their personal information being compromised. Recent hackings have exposed the lack of uniform practices for alerting customers in the event of a breach. The legislation would also make it a crime to sell customers’ identities overseas. Obama’s proposals also follow last month’s hacking at Sony Pictures Entertainment. The White House has blamed the cyber attack on North Korea and responded with new sanctions against the isolated nation. In addition to the customer notification legislation, Obama will also ask lawmakers to pass the Student Digital WASHINGTON: This Jan 9, 2015, file photo shows President Barack Obama speaking about the France newspaper attack. President Obama wants Congress to pass legislation requiring companies to inform customers within 30 days if their data has been hacked. Obama will also propose a bill that would prevent companies from selling student data to third parties. —AP Privacy Act. The measure would prohibit companies from selling student data to third parties, a move spurred by the increased use of technology in schools that can scoop up personal information. The White House official said the proposed bill is based on a California statute pushed by Common Sense Media, a group that promotes privacy. The organization said the proliferation of online platforms, mobile applications, cloud computing and other technology allows businesses to collect sensitive data about students including contact information, academic records, and even what students eat for lunch or whether they ride the bus to school. “We applaud President Obama for standing up for school children, who deserve the opportunity to use educa- tional websites and apps to enrich their learning without fear that their personal information will be exploited for commercial purposes or fall into the wrong hands,” Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer said in a statement. The Center for Democracy & Technology also said it supports Obama’s moves to protect the data, while pointing out that his administration still uses electronic surveillance for national security purposes. “Even with these proposed reforms, we must not forget about government surveillance reform,” said Nuala O’Connor, the group’s president. “Without the end to the mass surveillance practices of the US government, any privacy reform is woefully incomplete.”— AP p10 3_Layout 1 1/12/15 9:36 PM Page 1 TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 I N T E R N AT I O N A L Turkey says Boumeddiene crossed into Syria last week ISTANBUL: Hayat Boumeddiene, the wanted partner of one of the gunmen behind the terror attacks in France, crossed into conflict-torn Syria last week after travelling through Turkey, the Turkish authorities said yesterday. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Boumeddiene had crossed into Syria on January 8, the same day that her partner Amedy Coulibaly is suspected of shooting dead a policewoman outside Paris on the second day of the Paris attacks. “She entered Turkey on January 2 from Madrid. There are images of her at the airport,” Cavusoglu was quoted as saying by state -run news agency Anatolia. “ Then she crossed into Syria on January 8. This is clear from the telephone records.” Cavusoglu said the 26-year-old, who had married Coulibaly in an Islamic cere- mony, stayed at a hotel in the Kadikoy district on the Asian side of Istanbul and was accompanied by another person. He did not give further details on the identity of the other individual and did not make clear if she had travelled to Syria on her own. ‘No warning from France’ Cavusoglu added that Turkey passed the information to the French authorities “even before they asked for it” as soon as Ankara identified her whereabouts. “We told them: ‘The person you are looking for was here, stayed here and crossed into Syria illegally’,” he said. Interior Minister Efkan Ala also said Turkey did not refuse Boumeddiene entry because French authorities had made no such request and that they hadn’t warned Ankara that she was “dangerous.” He added that Turkey’s intelligence agency, the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), and the police were still working to shed more light on the matter. A Turkish security source earlier told AFP that Boumeddiene had entered Turkey on January 2 and was believed to have moved on to the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa and then to Syria. But Turkey did not arrest her because of a lack of timely intelligence from France, the source said. Turkish officials’ comments confirm that Boumeddiene was already outside France when the three-day killing spree began, contrary to earlier speculation that she had been involved in the attacks which claimed 17 lives. The killings began on Januar y 7 when brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi stormed the Paris offices of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, slaughtering 12 people. Coulibaly on January 9 took hostages at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris which was then raided by police in the evening. The gunman and four hostages were killed. The Kouachi brothers were also killed after a separate hostage-taking incident. A man resembling Coulibaly, claimed to be a member of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in a posthumous video released online on Sunday. ‘Under surveillance’ Turkey ’s Yeni Safak newspaper reported that MIT took action following reports that Boumeddiene was in Turkey and put her under surveillance due to her “suspicious behaviour”. She stayed at the hotel in the Kadikoy for two days with a man named Mahdi Sabri and left the hotel only twice during her stay, Yeni Safak said. The last signal received from her phone showed that she was in the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, the daily said. Press reports have speculated that she may have joined IS jihadists who have captured swathes of Iraq and Syria right up to the Turkish border. However there has has so far been no concrete proof of this. Western countries have long accused Turkey of not doing enough to stem the flow of jihadists seeking to join IS fighters in neighbouring Syria. But Ankara insists it has now stepped up border security and has repeatedly said the West also has a responsibility to share intelligence. “Foreign fighters posed a serious problem for Turkey too but we have taken important steps,” Cavusoglu said. “As Turkey, we are against every kind of terrorism no matter which race, religion, sect or region it comes from.”— AFP Kosher market attack deepens fears among European Jews MILAN: The killing of four French Jews in last week’s hostage standoff at a Paris kosher market has deepened the fears among European Jewish communities shaken by rising antiSemitism and feeling vulnerable due to poor security and a large number of potential soft targets. In the wake of the attacks, which follow deadly strikes on a Belgian Jewish Museum and a Jewish school in southwestern France, Israeli leaders have called on European Jews to immigrate to the Jewish state. But European Jews are deeply ambivalent about leaving, and their community leaders, along with top politicians, have urged people to stay in their homelands. “The European Jewry is the oldest European minority and we have our experience of surviving under all possible circumstances,” Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress, told The Associated Press. “We will not give up our motherland, which is called Europe. We will not stop the history of European Jewry, that is for sure.” Kantor called for increased security at Jewish sites, concerted action against antiSemitism across the continent and better coordination of intelligence forces against religious extremism. But he acknowledged that if any Jewish European does not feel safe, “I say you should leave in this case.” Many French Jews already are. Last year, 7,000 emigrated to Israel as anti-Semitism spiked across France, fed by tensions with the country’s large Arab population after the outbreak of Israel’s war against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. That was double the previous year, making France, for the first time, the No. 1 source of immigration to Israel, according to the Jewish Agency, a nonprofit group that helps Jews move to Israel. Officials in Israel are expecting - and encouraging - a new influx following the Paris standoff. Since last week’s attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encouraged European Jews to move to the Jewish state. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 10 TV Saturday, Yohan Cohen, one of the hostages who hid inside a freezer at the kosher market for five hours during the hostage-taking, said he would now move his family of four children to Israel. “On Monday I am going to make Aliyah,” he said, using the Hebrew term for immigration to Israel. “We are not going to wait around here to die.” Overall, immigration was up 88 percent from Western Europe in 2014, with the arrival of 8,640 immigrants compared with some 4,600 in 2013, with surges also from Italy, Belgium and Britain, according to the Jewish Agency. Experts say European Jews have not felt this threatened since World War II, when some 6 million Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust. Researchers at Tel Aviv University monitoring anti -Semitism have reported a chilling increase in attacks in Europe over the past decade, including deadly shootings in Toulouse, France, in 2012 and Brussels last year. In recent years, France has had the highest number of incidents of any single country. For many of Europe’s 2 million Jews, the mood following the Paris attacks was one of tense vigilance amid increased security and additional personal precautions. Some were defiant and determined to remain. Others wondered whether their way of life can continue. Heightened security measures, visible and non-visible, were swiftly enacted at Jewish places of worship, study and business across Europe over the weekend. Security officials and Jewish leaders in Italy, Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria confirmed increased surveillance of vulnerable sites without providing details. Still, many Jews are taking their own precautions: An Israeli mother of three, who has been living in Berlin for several years, said she no longer allows her children to talk in Hebrew outside the home. “When we are outside, I tell my kids to only speak English. I’m too afraid that somebody will recognize that we are Jewish or Israeli and then harm us,” said the woman, who did not want to give her name out of fear. Security at Rome’s soaring Art Deco synagogue along the Tiber River was noticeably heightened during Friday evening prayers. —AP Pope urges Muslim leaders to condemn religious-based violence VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Monday condemned last week’s killings by Islamist militants in Paris and urged Muslim leaders around the world to denounce fundamentalist interpretations of religion that use God’s name to justify violence. “Violence is always the product of a falsification of religion, its use a pretext for ideological schemes whose only goal is power over others,” the pope said. The Argentine pope, 78, made the comments in an annual meeting with diplomats accredited to the Vatican in a speech that has come to be known as his “State of the World” address. Francis said the killings in Paris showed how the rejection of other people’s beliefs could lead to a breakdown of society and spawn violence and death. Seventeen people, including journalists and police, were killed in three days of violence that began on Wednesday when Islamist militants attacked the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, whose unsparing cartoons have lampooned Islam alongside other religions. “I express my hope that religious, political and intellectual leaders, especially those of the Muslim community, will condemn all fundamentalist and extremist interpretations of religion that attempt to justify such acts of violence,” the pope said. Francis has several times condemned Islamic State fighters who have killed or displaced Shi’ite Muslims, Christians and others in Syria and Iraq who do not share the group’s ideology. “Religious fundamentalism, even before it eliminates human beings by perpetrating horrendous killings, eliminates God himself, turning him into a mere ideological pretext,” he told the diplomats from some 180 countries. In other sections of his speech, he denounced human trafficking as “an abominable trade” and condemned the “unspeakable brutality” of last month’s attack by Taliban militants in which more than 130 Pakistani schoolchildren were killed. He held up the recent agreement by the United States and Cuba to re-establish ties after more than half a century, in a deal that the Vatican helped to broker, as an example of how patient diplomacy and dialogue can build bridges. — Reuters VATICAN: Pope Francis meets with ambassadors to the Holy See, yesterday at the Vatican. — AFP DRESDEN: In this Jan 5, 2015 file photo about 18,000 participants of a rally called ‘Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West’ (PEGIDA) demonstrate in Saxony’s capital Dresden, eastern Germany. Anti-immigrant protests have been growing by the week, drawing international attention and fears that xenophobia is on the rise again in German - where the Nazi past has long made such sentiments taboo. — AP German anti-Islamists seize on terror fears with new rally Political leaders urge PEGIDA to call off event BERLIN: Germany’s growing anti-Islamic movement is set to hold a new rally yesterday, this time condemning the jihadist attacks in France, in a move slammed as an attempt to exploit the bloodshed. Leaders of the so-called “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident” (PEGIDA) have asked participants to wear black armbands and observe a minute’s silence for “the victims of terrorism in Paris”. Euphemistically dubbed “evening strolls” by the group, yesterday’s march in the eastern city of Dresden is expected to ride a wave of fear and revulsion at the killings of 17 people in France to beat last week’s record attendance of 18,000. However counterprotests are gaining momentum, with 35,000 people turning out Saturday in Dresden against the anti-Islamic group. Several German Muslim groups have called for a silent march in Berlin today to denounce violence and social division, which Chancellor Angela Merkel and several members of her cabinet plan to attend. The latest PEGIDA demonstration comes after a firebombing early Sunday against a tabloid in the northern city of Hamburg that had reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo. It was at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo that gunmen first struck, kicking off France’s three days of terror in which 17 people died. German police were investigating whether there was a link between the show of support for the French weekly and the arson attack. As a security precaution, the eastern city of Leipzig, which will see its first PEGIDA-style demonstration yesterday, has banned marchers from displaying Mohammed cartoons, which have been seen at other events. With tensions running high, political leaders even urged PEGIDA to call off the event, saying it had no right to whip up hatred against Muslims in the name of solidarity with terror victims. “If the organisers had a shred of decency they would simply cancel these demonstrations,” Justice Minister Heiko Maas told the mass-selling daily Bild. “It is simply disgusting how the people behind these protests are trying to exploit the despicable crimes in Paris.” The head of Merkel’s Bavarian sister party, Horst Seehofer, echoed the call. At a time “when the whole world is mourning and in shock over the events in Paris”, PEGIDA leaders should at least “for the time being” cancel their rallies, Seehofer said. Anti-Muslim sentiment The demonstrations, though largely limited to Dresden in former communist east Germany, have shaken the reunified country’s hard-won reputation for openness and tolerance. Merkel, who used a New Year’s Eve address to call on Germans not to take part in the PEGIDA rallies and on Sunday attended a huge solidarity march in Paris, was to meet Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Berlin yesterday. Davutoglu is expected to ask Merkel to address growing anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany with concrete action, according to Turkish press reports. Germany, Europe’s most populous nation with around 80 million people, is home to about four million Muslims, three-quarters of Turkish origin. In a survey conducted several weeks ago and released Thursday, 57 percent of non-Muslim Germans said they felt threatened by Islam, four points higher than in 2012. And 61 percent said Islam had no place in the West, according to the study released by the Bertelsmann Foundation think-tank. Meanwhile PEGIDA has said on its Facebook page that the killings at Charlie Hebdo in Paris confirmed its own views. “The Islamists, which PEGIDA has been warning about for 12 weeks, showed France that they are not capable of democracy but rather look to violence and death as an answer,” it said. “Our politicians want us to believe the opposite. Must such a tragedy happen here in Germany first???” Activists have announced plans for PEGIDA spin-offs in Austria and Scandinavia, while other European far-right groups have voiced support for the German movement. However, even as copycat marches are planned Monday in other German cities, counter demonstrations against PEGIDA are growing in strength. Many of the 35,000 who hit the streets of Dresden Saturday carried signs reading “I am Charlie but not PEGIDA” borrowing from the solidarity slogan with the Paris victims. And during offshoot PEGIDA marches last Monday, landmarks such as Cologne cathedral and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate dimmed their lights just as protesters gathered. — AFP Foreign ministers plan Ukraine peace summit in heat of battle KIEV: Foreign ministers from Moscow and Kiev meet their French and German counterparts in Berlin yesterday to arrange a Ukrainian peace summit that the Europeans fear is premature because of festering fighting. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko hopes to stage the leadership meeting in the Kazakh capital Astana on Thursday so that two of his closest allies could push Vladimir Putin into signing a document that finally commits Russia to peace. A September 5 truce agreed by the two presidents’ envoys was followed by 1,300 more deaths and has ultimately failed to end the pro-Kremlin militias’ separatist claim in the industrial southeast of Ukraine. But German Chancellor Merkel informed both Putin and Poroshenko over the weekend that she would not fly to Central Asia to put her name on a deal that is valid only on paper while clashes raged after already claiming 4,700 lives. The rebel stronghold of Donetsk-a once bustling city of nearly one million that now stands half vacant and suffering chronic power and water shortages-has been the target of especially heavy rocket and artillery fire in the past week. Kiev accuses the rebels of escalating their strikes in order to undermine the chances of Putin agreeing to a settlement that preserves Ukraine’s eastern border with Russia and buries their independence hopes. A partial Donetsk power outage on Sunday trapped more than 300 miners inside one of Europe’s largest coal pits for several hours with limited oxygen supplies. Residents fear that stray shells could do similar damage to combustible natural gas lines that snake across former Soviet lands. Ukraine’s armed forces said the militias attacked federal positions on 63 occasions since Sunday morning-about five times the number recorded on more peaceful days witnessed in the nine-month war. Mutual need in peace Yet both Putin and Poroshenko have reasons to end fighting that began shortly after the February ouster in Kiev of a Moscow-backed president and Russia’s subsequent seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. Ukraine’s army is a shadow of the onceproud force that made up the communist Red Army. Demoralised troops have been captured by the hundreds and even crossed into Russia for safety from insurgent attacks. Poroshenko backed the September deal after nearly seeing resurgent gunmen establish a land bridge between Russia and Crimea that would have cut off Ukraine’s access to the Sea of Azov on its southeastern coast. The campaign has since settled into a stalemate in which little ground changes hands despite the bloodshed. And Putin-his personal approval soaring but his country’s economy shrinking for the first time since 2009 — would benefit greatly from an easing of financial restrictions Western allies slapped on Russia over its approach to Ukraine. Fitch on Friday downgraded Russia’s credit rating to the lowest possible investment level due to Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych the plunge in the price for its oil exports and dramatic ruble decline. The agency’s negative outlook means that Fitch could soon consign Russia’s sovereign debt to the “junk” status reserved for the world’s riskiest investments and which would put it off limits to most Western funds. The most painful EU and US measures deprive Russia’s most powerful banks and energy producers from borrowing money for more than 90 days on Western markets. This has left indebted firms dependent on rescues from a Russia government that has seen its own budget revenues shrink. The central bank on Monday reported spending $76 billion last year in its eventually-abandoned effort to prop up the ruble.— AFP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 I N T E R N AT I O N A L America vows to work with new Sri Lanka leaders GANDHINAGAR: Washington pledged yesterday to work with Sri Lanka’s newly-elected government to help improve human rights and democracy, voicing hope the election will mark the start of a new chapter in ties. US Secretary of State John Kerry telephoned President Maithripala Sirisena late Sunday to say the US now hoped to strengthen its ties with the tear-shaped Indian Ocean island. Veteran leader Mahinda Rajapakse had alienated many foreign leaders by refusing to cooperate with an international probe into alleged wartime abuses during a crackdown on Tamil Tiger rebels. Kerry spoke with Rajapakse just “days ago,” he told a press conference, to highlight “the importance of maintaining a peaceful process no matter what”. “So it is good that the people of Sri Lanka have been able to have an election that has been accepted and which has resulted in a peaceful change of power,” he told repor ters in Gandhinagar, western India. But the top US diplomat cautioned: “There are still real challenges in Sri Lanka.” “We offered immediately to engage in a dialogue to begin to work at guaranteeing that the problems with respect to human rights, the problems of inclusivity, challenges with respect to governance are going to be addressed.” There was however “hope that we can now forge a different outcome in Sri Lanka. The election hopefully will become a demarcation point for a new moment, a new chapter, a new set of opportunities for the people of Sri Lanka.” Kerr y had earlier voiced appreciation for Rajapakse’s early concession of election defeat, although a Sirisena aide has since said the former president tried to hold onto power by staging a coup. Relations between Washington and Colombo soured under Rajapakse after the United States secured a UN-led investigation into the final stages of Sri Lanka’s separatist war that ended in May 2009. US envoy Michele Sison had strongly criticised Sri Lanka’s failure to address allegations that up to 40,000 mainly minority Tamil civilians were killed by troops in the final months of the war. Kerr y is in I ndia ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama, who will be guest of honour at the country’s January 26 Republic Day celebrations. — AFP Sri Lanka’s new president purges Rajapakse placemen COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new president has axed hundreds of officials and diplomats appointed by his predecessor as he prepares to form his new cabinet, a senior aide said yesterday. Lawmaker Rajitha Senaratne also said President Maithripala Sirisena would announce his cabinet later. “He has asked all political appointees of the former president to resign immediately,” said Senaratne, adding politically appointed diplomats had been asked to return to the country. “We are going to have a cabinet of 29 ministers,” Senaratne told AFP. Sirisena invited all parties to join his cabinet on Sunday, two days after ousting Sri Lanka’s longtime leader Mahinda Rajapakse in a surprise election victory. The new president quit Rajapakse’s cabinet in November to emerge as an opposition unity candidate in the January 8 polls, triggering a mass defection of lawmakers. Analysts have already warned that he may struggle to satisfy the diverse coalition that backed his campaign. As he got to work yesterday, Sirisena spoke to top US diplomat John Kerry after pledging to mend ties with the West. The US secretar y of state said Washington wanted to strengthen its relations with Sri Lanka, which soured under Rajapakse. Senaratne said the new government had secured wide support, including from parties outside the coalition. The main par ty representing the country’s Tamil minority, who played a significant role in ousting Rajapakse, declined to take any cabinet positions but agreed to support the president, Senaratne said. Sirisena, who needs a majority in the 225-member assembly to push through ambitious reforms, has moved to strengthen his hold on parliament by securing further defections. He has pledged to reverse many of the constitutional changes made by the former president, who gave himself huge powers over all key institutions, including the judiciary. Rajapakse’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) split on Sunday night when a section of its policy-making central committee broke away and pledged support to Sirisena. Sirisena loyalist Duminda Dissanayake said the SLFP had appointed the new president as party leader, though that was immediately challenged by the Rajapakse camp. The new president has already led the biggest defection from any government in Sri Lanka since independence from Britain in 1948. — AFP PESHWAR: Pakistani students of government-run girls school pray for the victims of Taleban attack on the Army Public School, as schools opened yesterday in Peshawar, Pakistan. Pakistani children and staff returned to a school in northwestern Pakistan where Taleban gunmen nearly a month ago killed 150 people - almost all of them students. — AP Pakistani school reopens after Taleban massacre Ceremony held at school to mark its reopening COLOMBO: In this handout photograph received from the President’s Office yesterday, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena (L) addresses members of parliament at Parliament House in Colombo. — AFP PESHAWAR: Pakistani children returned yesterday to the school where Taleban gunmen killed 150 of their classmates and teachers last month, clutching their parents’ hands tightly in a poignant symbol of perseverance despite the horrors they had endured. It was the first time the school had reopened since the assault and security was tight. The nation has been reeling from the Dec. 16 terrorist attack in Peshawar - one of the worst Pakistan has experienced. The violence carried out by seven Taleban militants put a spotlight on whether the authorities can end the stubborn insurgency that kills and maims thousands every year. The massacre also horrified parents across the nation and prompted officials to implement tighter security at schools. For Peshawar parents like Abid Ali Shah,yesterday morning was especially painful as he struggled to get his sons ready for school, something his wife used to do. She was a teacher at the school and was killed in the violence. Both of his sons attended the school. The youngest was shot in the head but survived after the militants thought he was dead. “A hollowness in my life is getting greater. I am missing my wife,” Shah said. He said he had wanted to shift his children to a different school or city but decided not to because they still have to take exams this spring: “Everything is ruined here, everything.” His older son, Sitwat Ali Shah, 17, said it wasn’t until he saw his brother break down in tears as they prepared to go to school that he did as well. Sitwat said both he and his brother have trouble sleeping and often wake up, crying for their mother. “Those who have done all this to all of us cannot be called humans,” Sitwat said, adding he still wanted to go back to school and become an air force officer. A ceremony was held at the school to mark its reopening, but classes were to restart on Tuesday. Security was tight, part of a countrywide effort to boost safety measures at schools in the wake of the attack. Schools around Pakistan have raised their boundary walls, added armed guards and installed metal detectors, although many have questioned why it took such a horrible attack to focus attention on school safety. The government has stepped up military operations in the tribal areas, reinstated the death penalty and allowed military courts to try civilians - all attempts to crack down on terrorism. But in an attack yesterday, gunmen killed seven paramilitary soldiers in the southwestern Baluchistan province, underscoring the dangers the country still faces. In Peshawar, media and vehicles were kept hundreds of meters (yards) away from the Army Public School, which had coils of barbed wire freshly installed on top of the compound’s walls, and two helicopters circled overhead. The chief of Pakistan’s army, Gen. Raheel Sharif, was on Pope visits Sri Lanka amid hopes for peace COLOMBO: Less than a week after its longtime president was surprisingly voted out of office, Sri Lanka welcomes Pope Francis today, with the island nation’s Catholic minority hoping he can help heal the lingering wounds of the country’s 25-year civil war. The war between minority Tamil rebels, who are mostly Hindu, and the central government, dominated by the overwhelmingly Buddhist ethnic Sinhala majority, ended in 2009. Catholics make up less than 7 percent of Sri Lanka’s population, but they come from both the Tamil and the Sinhala communities, making them a potential bridge between the two sides. On Wednesday, after celebrating Mass in Colombo, the capital, Francis is scheduled to fly to the country’s former war zone in the north, where Tamil Tiger rebels fought to create a separate homeland. He will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, a site that draws both Tamil and Sinhala Catholics and has long been viewed as a symbol of unity. The pope’s visit “will be useful for national unity,” said the Rev. Ravichandran Emmanuel, a priest from Jaffna, in the Tamil heartland. “The message he will carry to the south after seeing the people here will be important. It will be one of peace and justice.” Many Catholics had worried that Sri Lanka would not be peaceful enough for a papal visit because of the Jan. 8 election in which President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by a former ally turned rival, Maithripala Sirisena. The election campaign had been tense with sporadic violence. During his nineyear reign, Rajapaksa amassed immense power backed by a strong parliament, a subservient judiciary, influential family members and support within the armed forces, and he hadn’t been expected to easily relinquish power even if he was defeated. But the church remained confident that the elections would pass off peacefully, and as the results started to flow in, Rajapaksa conceded defeat and stepped down. “The church always held that the pope’s visit will not be canceled,” said the Rev. Cyril Gamini Fernando, media spokesman for the visit. Francis is expected to meet the new president, and to attend an interfaith conference that will include Buddhist, Hindu and Islamic leaders. Buddhist clergy boycotted an interfaith meeting when Pope John Paul II visited in 1995. One Buddhist fundamentalist group has been critical of Francis, demanding that he apologize for crimes committed during the Portugese occupation starting in the 16th century, but other religious leaders have been more positive about his visit. Across Sri Lanka, people were getting ready Monday for the papal visit. Churches were being spruced up. Flags in the papal colors of yellow and white, and the country’s national flag were strung along the pope’s route from the airport. Arrangements were being made for the tens of thousands expected to attend Wednesday’s papal Mass at the sprawling Galle Face Green park in Colombo. At the Mass, Francis will canonize Sri hand with his wife to greet and console the students. Some women brought garlands of flowers and draped them around the children. Passages from the Quran were read and the national anthem was sung while parents, students and teachers were given a pamphlet about the psychological impact of terror attacks on children. On social media, some Pakistanis questioned why top government officials were not at the ceremony. Teacher Andleeb Aftab, who lost her 10th grade son, Huzaifa, in the attack, came in a black dress and head scarf, walking to the place where she had last seen her son alive. She said she chose to go back to school rather than sit at home and keep mourning. “I have come here because the other kids are also my kids,” she said. “I will complete the dreams of my son, the dreams I had about my son, by teaching other students.” On Sunday night, 15-year-old Ahmed Nawaz said he is still in constant pain and being treated for his badly wounded left arm but that he was determined to go back. For the militants, he said he had one message: “We are not scared of you.” But in many families, apprehension mixed with anger. Aurangzeb Khan lost his 16-year-old son in the attack while his other son survived. “We all are scared after this incident,” Khan said. “I am not satisfied about what they are claiming or what they are doing for security and safety of the children.” — AP Kerry in Pakistan to shore up cooperation WATTALA: A Sri Lankan policeman stands guard as front of the billboard bearing the image of Pope Francis in Wattala yesterday. Sri Lanka is preparing to host the pope who is due to visit the island from January 13 - 15. — AFP Lanka’s first saint, Joseph Vaz. The 17thcentury priest revived the Catholic faith in the country amid persecution by Dutch colonial rulers, ministering to both Sinhalese and Tamil faithful. “It’s a great blessing to witness the sainthood of Father Joseph Vaz. It is something we can tell our grandchildren one day,” said Tekla Senanayake, 58, a mother of five as she swept the church yard in Tudella, a small town on the road from the airport. Jehan Perera, of the Colombo-based National Peace Council, said Francis will be breaking new ground for peace when he visits the north and celebrates Mass to commemorate all those who were killed in the civil war. A United Nations report has said that around 40,000 Tamils may have been killed in just the final months of the fighting. The UN human rights body is investigating war crimes allegations against the government and Tamil Tigers. Many Tamils say they remain forgotten by the central government; they have been barred from publicly mourning their dead relatives while yearly commemorations are held for fallen government soldiers. Perera said that with a new government in office, it was significant that a religious leader was taking “the first step of peace.” “This is the first occasion the country will remember everyone, including the civilians” who were killed, he said. — AP ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Pakistan yesterday on an unannounced visit to press the country’s leadership to step up the fight against extremists and eliminate safe havens for terror groups along the Afghan border. After landing in Islamabad, Kerry headed directly into meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his national security adviser to make the case for more robust efforts against all extremist groups in the country, particularly after last month’s devastating Taliban attack on a Peshawar school that killed 150 people, most of them children. Pakistan has boosted operations against violent extremists in its recent months, notably following the Peshawar attack that stunned the nation. But US officials traveling with Kerry said Washington wants to ensure that there is a “real and sustained effort” to limit the abilities of the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network and Laskhar e Tayyiba, which pose direct threats to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, as well as to American interests. Underscoring the importance of the security aspect of Kerry’s trip, he was being joined in his meetings with Gen. Lloyd Austin, the chief of the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East and South Asia. Pakistan has been on edge ever since the Dec. 16 attack on the Peshawar school that was claimed by the Pakistani Taleban as retaliation for an army operation launched in June in the North Waziristan tribal area. In response, Pakistan has boosted operations in the rugged tribal areas, reinstituted the death penalty for terrorists and moved to try civilian terror suspects in military courts. The extremists, however, have vowed to keep up attacks and just on Friday, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque in Rawalpindi, next to Islamabad, killing five people. Pakistan faces numerous obstacles in combatting extremism, not least from networks of hardline Islamist seminaries and religious schools that promote radical ideology, and a flawed judicial system that has been criticized for an inability to prosecute and convict terror suspects. India reacted sharply last month when an anti-terrorism court granted bail to the chief defendant on trial for the 2008 attack that killed 166 people in the Indian city of Mumbai due to lack of evidence. — AP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 I N T E R N AT I O N A L Police kill six attackers in China’s Xinjiang BEIJING: Police in China’s far-western Xinjiang region shot dead six attackers yesterday, a state-run news portal said, amid a security clampdown in the violence-torn, mainly Muslim area. There were no police or civilian casualties, according to the report by Xinjiang’s government-run Tianshan news site. Xinjiang is home to China’s nine-million-strong Turkic-speaking and mostly Muslim ethnic minority. Monday’s clash was triggered when residents of Shule county, near the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar, noticed “a suspicious person carrying an explo- sive device”, Tianshan said. They called police, who opened fire after the attacker tried to set upon an officer with an axe and detonate the device, according to the report. The assailant was killed, but soon afterwards five more attackers “sought to ignite explosive devices one after the other”, Tianshan said. The five were “resolutely” shot dead by police, it added. China’s ruling Communist Party tightly restricts access to the restive region, and information is difficult to independently verify. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the overseas-based World Uyghur Congress, said that “several dozen” Uighurs had been detained by authorities in the wake of the incident. “China’s allegations of a so-called terrorist attack are an excuse to cover up the excessive use of force,” he said in a statement. He pointed to China’s “hostile policies” in the region as having triggered unrest, without citing specifics. Violence linked to Xinjiang has intensified over the past year, with at least 200 people killed in a series of clashes and increasingly sophisticated attacks in the resource-rich region and beyond it. Beijing, which blames Xinjiang-related violence on “religious extremists”, “separatists” and “terrorists”, has responded by launching a severe crackdown in recent months, with hundreds of arrests and around 50 executions and death sentences publicly announced since June. Rights groups argue that harsh police treatment of the Uighur minority, as well as government campaigns against religious practices such as the wearing of veils, have led to violence. On Saturday, Xinjiang’s regional legislature voted to ban the wearing of burqas in public areas in Urumqi, Xinhua reported. The measure “is seen as an effort to curb growing extremism that forced Uighur women to abandon their colourful traditional dress and wear black burqas,” the news agency said. China denies repression, saying it has brought badly-needed modernisation and economic development to the vast and landlocked region bordering Central Asia. In December a court in the regional capital of Urumqi condemned eight people to death for two deadly attacks, one on the city’s main train station and another on a market there. —AFP Firebomb attacks on home, office of HK media tycoon HONG KONG: Firebomb attacks early yesterday on the Hong Kong home and office of pro-democracy newspaper tycoon Jimmy Lai have triggered new fears over the safety of outspoken media figures in the city. The attacks came as tension remains high in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city after more than two months of protests seeking free leadership elections. They ended when rally camps were cleared in December. Lai was targeted during the protests by a group of men who threw rotten meat at him. The headquarters producing his outspoken Apple Daily newspaper were repeatedly blockaded to disrupt distribution. Other journalists and media workers have also been victims, including the former editor of liberal newspaper Ming Pao who was stabbed in the street in broad daylight last February. “Anti-democratic forces in Hong Kong keep resorting to violence,” Lai’s spokesman Mark Simon told AFP. “Violence and intimidation seem to be the ongoing currency for those opposed to democracy and free press. There is no other plausible explanation here.” Yesterday’s two almost simultaneous attacks came just before 2:00 am at Lai’s home and the Next Media headquarters, which publishes Apple Daily. “ The cases have been classified as arson,” a police spokeswoman told AFP, adding no one had been arrested so far. Security camera footage uploaded to the Apple Daily website shows a masked man throwing a flaming glass bottle towards the gate of Lai’s mansion. It explodes on the ground outside as the suspect flees in a car. Footage from outside the Next Media headquarters also shows a flaming bottle thrown towards the building entrance and smashing on the ground. There were no injuries. The city’s justice minister Rimsky Yuen condemned the attacks. “Regardless of who the target is, the social status, political background or stance, Hong Kong as a city with rule of law definitely does not tolerate this,” he said. The firebombings take place against a backdrop of increased vigilance at media organisations across the globe after the deadly attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris. Hong Kong’s Democratic Party called on officials to act. “Following the terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo world leaders stood up and walked the streets of Paris to participate in a protest against violence. The Democratic Party also urges officials to act to protect freedom of the press,” it said. ‘Think twice’ Simon said the attacks were “more depressing than shocking” and added that Lai, 66, quickly went back to bed after being told what had happened. “He is psychologically prepared for anything. It’s Jimmy Lai,” Simon said. He emphasised that the attacks “in no way compared” to those in France but voiced his fears over the violence. “Peaceful disagreement has been a norm in Hong Kong for so long. Pro-government supporters should really think twice about this kind of violence being imported to Hong Kong over political issues.” Apple Daily divides opinion in Hong Kong, with reporting criticised by some as sensational. “No matter what we think about the newspaper and its content and style, the fact remains that it is almost a lone voice among the Hong Kong media in its prodemocracy stance,” said veteran television journalist Chan Yuen-man, now a lecturer at the Chinese University. “People in the news media are right to be worried.” Lai was a regular visitor to the protest camps and was arrested during the clearance of the main Admiralty site. He has been asked to appear at a police station later this month. Police are targeting “principal instigators” of the protests, which called for full democracy after China declared that candidates for the city’s leadership election in 2017 would be vetted by a loyalist committee. Lai stepped down as chairman of Next Media in December following his arrest. He is still a major shareholder. — AFP PANGKALAN: Indonesian air force personnel carry the flight data recorder of the ill-fated AirAsia Flight 8501 that crashed in the Java Sea, at the airport in Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia, yesterday. Divers retrieved one black box Monday and located the other from the AirAsia plane that crashed more than two weeks ago, a key development that should help investigators unravel what caused the aircraft to plummet into the Java Sea. — AP Divers retrieve one AirAsia ‘black box’ Plane probably exploded before hitting water PANGKALAN BUN: Indonesian navy divers retrieved the black box flight data recorder from the wreck of an AirAsia passenger jet yesterday, a major step towards unravelling the cause of the crash that killed all 162 people on board. But there was confusion about what happened in the final moments of Flight QZ8501, which crashed off the Indonesian coast on Dec 28, with one official saying the plane probably exploded before hitting the water and another disputing that theory. The Airbus A320-200 airliner lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather less than halfway into a two-hour flight from Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore. “At 7:11, we succeeded in lifting the part of the black box known as the flight data recorder,” Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters at a news conference. The second so-called black box, containing the cockpit voice recorder, is located about 20 metres away from where the flight data recorder was found, but divers have not yet been able to get to it. “(The cockpit voice recorder) seems to be under a wing, which is quite heavy,” said Supriyadi, operations coordinator for the search and rescue agency. “So we will use air bags to lift it. This will be done tomorrow.” The black boxes contain a wealth of data that will be crucial for investigators piecing together the sequence of events that led to the airliner plunging into the sea. Supriyadi said the wreckage indicated that the plane likely “experienced an explosion” before hitting the water due to a significant change in air pressure. He said the left side of the plane seemed to have disintegrated, pointing to a change in pressure that could have caused an explosion. ‘No data’ to support theory Supporting this possibility, he added, was the fact that fishermen in the area had reported hearing an explosion and saw smoke above the water. But another official disputed the likelihood of a blast. “There is no data to support that kind of theory,” said Santoso Sayogo, an investigator at the National Transportation Safety Committee. The flight data recorder was brought by helicopter to Pangkalan Bun, the southern Borneo town that has been the base for the search effort, and then flown to Jakarta for analysis. The black box looked to be in good condition, said Tatang Kurniadi, the head of the transport safety committee. Investigators may need up to a month to get a complete reading of the data. “The download is easy, probably one day. But the reading is more difficult ... could take two weeks to one month,” the NTSC’s head investigator, Mardjono Siswosuwarno, said. Over the weekend, three vessels detected “pings” that were believed to be from the black boxes, but strong winds, powerful currents and high waves hampered search efforts. Dozens of Indonesian navy divers took advantage of calmer weather on Monday to retrieve the flight recorder and search for the fuselage of the Airbus. Forty-eight bodies have been retrieved from the Java Sea and brought to Surabaya for identification. Searchers believe more bodies will be found in the plane’s fuselage. Relatives of the victims have urged authorities to make finding the remains of their loved ones the priority. “I told our soldiers that the search isn’t over yet,” Armed Forces chief General Moeldoko told reporters. “I am sure the remaining victims are in the body of the plane. So we need to find those.” Indonesia AirAsia, 49 percent owned by the Malaysia-based AirAsia budget group, has come under pressure from authorities in Jakarta since the crash. The transport ministry has suspended the carrier’s Surabaya-Singapore licence for flying on a Sunday, for which it did not have permission. However, the ministry has said this had no bearing on the crash. President Joko Widodo said the disaster exposed widespread problems in the management of air travel in Indonesia. — Reuters Pope to travel in ‘jeepney’ during Philippines visit HONG KONG: A woman reads a newspaper at a kiosk in Hong Kong yesterday. Firebomb attacks on the Hong Kong home and office of pro-democracy newspaper tycoon Jimmy have triggered new fears over the safety of outspoken media figures in the city. — AFP 29 arrested over Malaysia ‘birthday orgy’ party KUALA LUMPUR: Police in mainly Muslim Malaysia arrested 29 people including two auxiliary police officers in a raid on an birthday party which they said yesterday had turned into a drug-fuelled orgy. Officers were called to a hotel in the town of Klang near the capital Kuala Lumpur early Sunday after a complaint about noise in one of the rooms. Ten women and 19 men were arrested while drugs including heroin, ecstasy and ketamine were impounded, police said. “We suspect it to be a sex orgy cum birthday party,” said North Klang police chief Mohamad Shukor Sulong. A police officer involved in the investigation told AFP on condition of anonymity that all 29 were ethnic Malays, who belong to the multi-cultural country’s Muslim majority, and ranged in age from 20 to 35. “They brought girls, drugs and beer to celebrate the birthday party,” the officer said. Premarital sex and lewd behaviour are deeply frowned upon in Malaysia, which has traditionally practised a relatively moderate brand of Islam yet remains conservative on sexual issues. Muslims who are merely caught alone in a secluded place with a member of the opposite sex who is not a relation can face up to two years’ jail and a fine. Muslims make up more than half the country’s nearly 30 million people. —AFP MANILA: Pope Francis will travel in a different kind of “popemobile” during his visit to the Philippines later this week-an open “jeepney”, organisers said yesterday. The iconic jeepney-originally made from converted US military jeeps left behind after World War II-has become a symbol of the Philippines and still serves as a mode of transportation throughout the country. One of three vehicles to be used by Francis will be built like a jeepney, which is known in the country as the “king of the road” and transports anything from people to farm animals and produce. While jeepney’s are often painted with colourful religious scenes, the pontiff’s vehicle will be plain white, a photograph from the organising committee showed. “We will do everything for his safety,” Bishop Ruperto Santos from the organising committee told reporters, when asked if the open vehicle could render the pontiff vulnerable. Pope Francis, who has shunned the pomp of his predecessors, said earlier this year he prefers to use open-top cars rather than the Vatican’s bulletproof “popemobile” used by previous pontiffs, which he called a “sardine can”. The jeepney-inspired popemobile is one of two built in the Philippines specifically for this week’s papal visit. Organisers did not elaborate on the style of the second vehicle, while the third, the popemobile used in South Korea last year, will be flown into the country. Francis will arrive in Manila on Thursday from Sri Lanka, marking his first visit to Catholicism’s Asian bastion. During the visit, which has the theme “mercy and compassion”, the pope will meet with President Benigno Aquino in Manila and say mass before millions in the capital’s main outdoor park. Security will be tight at the Manila mass as organisers said they were considering jamming mobile phone signals and advised the public to bring transparent bags instead of backpacks to ease security checks. During Pope John Paul’s visit in 1995, authori- ties said they foiled a plot to assassinate him. Francis will also meet Super Typhoon Haiyan survivors on the island of Leyte. Haiyan, the strongest typhoon to hit land with 230-kilometre (143-mile) per hour winds, brought tsunami-like waves to the central Philippines, wiping out entire towns and leaving more than 7,350 people dead or missing in November 2013. — AFP MANILA: Filipino workers place barriers as they prepare for the visit of Pope Francis in Manila, Philippines yesterday. Pope Francis embarks on his second Asian pilgrimage this week, visiting Sri Lanka and the Philippines exactly 20 years after St John Paul II’s record-making visit to two countries with wildly disparate Catholic populations. — AP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 NEWS A Syrian man carries wood for a fire in the rebel-held city of Douma on Sunday. — AFP Saudi cleric condemns anti-Islamic... Continued from Page 1 for everything in their lives, and a cleric who wants to interfere in everything in the lives of others through a fatwa,” the user wrote. Sheikh Munajjid had some supporters, however. “It (building snowmen) is imitating the infidels, it promotes lustiness and eroticism,” one wrote. “May God preserve the scholars, for they enjoy sharp vision and recognise matters that even Satan does not think about.” Snow has covered upland areas of Tabuk province near Saudi Arabia’s border with Jordan for the third consecutive year as cold weather swept across the Middle East. Separately, authorities in Qatar have ordered bottles of perfume pulled from the shelves of a lingerie store after the name of the product - “Victoria’s Secret: Strawberries and Champagne” - was deemed offensive. Perfumes as well as creams and a body mist product were all removed from the shelves at one of Qatar’s main shopping centres, the Landmark Mall in Doha. The economy and commerce ministry said on Twitter over the weekend that the products went against the “customs, traditions and religious values” of Qatar. The ministry provided no further explanation, but the reference to Champagne may have been problematic given the Gulf state’s strict regulation of alcohol sales. Alcohol is not banned in Qatar but its sale is limited to certain hotels and bars. Expatriates can buy alcohol but only if they have an official licence and earn over a certain amount of money. An employee at the store told AFP that the products had been removed on Saturday “because of the name”, suggesting that a complaint may have been made to authorities. On its website, Victoria’s Secret describes the product as “a tempting, fruity fragrance... with a splash of flirtation”. A Qatari online news service, Doha News, reported separately that perfume bottles featuring the Playboy logo had been removed from another store in Doha. Energy-rich Gulf emirate Qatar is deeply conservative but also home to hundreds of thousands of expatriate workers who far outnumber native Qataris. — Agencies Govt firm on new diesel prices, but open... Continued from Page 1 170 fils a litre to be in line with international price or 170 fils a litre, whichever is lower. Regarding plans to reduce subsidies on petrol, Omair said that the government will not take any unilateral action on the issue and will not “surprise” the National Assembly. In a related development, MP Khalil Abul asked the oil minister about the names of companies that are receiving subsidized diesel from the government and for what reason. He also asked about the quantities of diesel these companies consume on a daily basis and also demanded to know the size of the strategic inventory of refined oil products and their averages over the past five years. In another development, a number of MPs yesterday called on the Assembly to reverse a decision by the legal and legislative committee which refused to lift the immunity of MP Abdulhameed Dashti to be tried for statements considered offensive to Bahrain. Islamist Salafist MP Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran said the Assembly must lift Dashti’s immunity to allow the court to try him for making the provocative statements against Bahrain. The Assembly is expected to witness a heated debate over the issue in today’s session. Separately, Human Rights Watch called on Kuwait yesterday to drop charges against former lawmaker Saleh Al-Mulla, facing trial for tweets deemed critical of HH the Amir and the Egyptian president. “Kuwait authorities should also cease prosecutions against other peaceful critics,” the New York-based rights group said in a statement. Mulla, a liberal former lawmaker, was detained for five days before being released on bail on Sunday pending trial on Feb 15. He was accused of insulting HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad al-Sabah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, who visited the state last week. He was also charged with endangering Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations. “Mulla’s tweets are nothing more than political commentary,” said HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director, Nadim Houry. “If he is prosecuted for these tweets, it will be a textbook violation of protected free speech.” Since a political crisis in June 2012, Kuwaiti authorities have ramped up efforts to curtail dissent, with courts sentencing politicians, online activists and journalists to prison terms for exercising free speech rights, HRW said. In 2014, the authorities used the constitution and a raft of restrictive laws to prosecute at least 13 people for criticising the government or institutions in blogs or on Twitter, Facebook or other social media, it added. At least five of those prosecuted were convicted and sentenced to up to five years in prison. ‘Muslim’ Birmingham remark draws... Continued from Page 1 “Fox News apologises for calling Birmingham ‘beautiful’,” wrote several Twitter users. According to the latest census data from 2011, 21.8 percent of the city’s one million residents are Muslim - one of the highest proportions in Britain. Bemused Britons - including locals known as “Brummies” - meanwhile mocked Emerson. Under the hashtag #foxnewsfacts, user @chris_wilde tweeted a picture of a convoy of jihadists waving black Islamic State group flags with the quip: “Heavy traffic reported in Birmingham today”. The 1980s Birmingham band Duran Duran have been forced to change their name to Quran Quran, joked @msalimkassam, while @petermoore said of the city’s landmark telecom tower: “Birmingham City Mosque is among the tallest and most sacred in all Islam”. Journalist Rob Crilly, writing also on Twitter, joked that Birmingham Bullring, a shopping centre, was in fact “where Christians were put to death”. One Twitter user said Birmingham buildings wear burqas and posted a photo of a building covered in scaffolding. “Bizarre. Ridiculous. Nonsense. These are the only words I can use to describe the statement made by Steve Emerson,” said Birmingham lawmaker Shabana Mahmood. “His apology is welcome but frankly the fact that anyone in his line of work could even hold those views is concerning.” Some 1,500 people have signed an online petition demanding an on-air apology to the city’s residents. “The city is now called Birming because Ham is not halal,” said Kamila Shamsie, using the popular hashtag #foxnewsfacts. “Muslims have their own Mecca in Birmingham. They are trying to take over the whole UK now,” tweeted “Moss”. Mecca is a chain of bingo halls popular with some elderly Britons. Many made references to the city’s cricketing tradition. “Terrifying photo of how a typical Muslim from Birmingham guards the city gates against infidels,” wrote “Pavilion Opinions” below an image of cricketer Moeen Ali, who plays for England and sports a bushy beard, preparing to swing his bat. Another published a picture of Queen Elizabeth II in a kerchief reading: “In the UK, the Queen must wear a headscarf by law when she visits Birmingham.” A third referred to Britain’s unpredictable climate, joking that Muslims were in fact controlling it: “In some places it’s Sunni, but mainly Shiite”.— Agencies Debate on free expression rages Continued from Page 1 In an editorial shortly after the attack, The Guardian chimed in: “The key point is this: support for a magazine’s inalienable right to make its own editorial judgments does not commit you to echo or amplify those judgments.” “Put another way, defending the right of someone to say whatever they like does not oblige you to repeat their words,” it said, after many Western newspapers were condemned by freespeech campaigners for refusing to reprint Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday blasted Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu for “daring” to attend the weekend’s anti-terror solidarity march in Paris, accusing him of leading “state terrorism” against the Palestinians. The comments were the latest verbal assault against Netanyahu by Erdogan, under whose rule Turkey’s relations with Israel have steadily deteriorated. “I also hardly understand how he (Netanyahu) dared to go there. For once, you give an account for the children, women you massacred,” Erdogan told a joint press conference in Ankara alongside Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. Abbas and Netanyahu, as well as Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, all joined the solidarity march in Paris in the memory of 17 people killed last week. But Erdogan said Netanyahu had no right to be there after nearly 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel’s onslaught on Hamas-controlled Gaza earlier this year. “How can you see this individual who carries out state terrorism by massacring 2,500 people in Gaza waving his hand?” said Erdogan. “He is waving his hand as if people are very enthusiastically waiting for him,” said Erdogan, referring to the images of Netanyahu acknowledging supporters in Paris. The assault, the deadliest attack on France in half a century, has sparked a massive show of support, with more than 1.5 million people mourning the victims in the Paris march, including several world leaders. In all, nearly four million people took to the streets of France nationwide, while thousands marched in European, US and Canadian cities. Many were unconvinced by the world leaders’ attendance in Paris, with London School of Economics student Daniel Wickham publishing a series of widely cited tweets listing the various moves against media rights made by high-profile attendees. “So here are some of the staunch defenders of the free press attending the solidarity rally in Paris today,” he wrote, citing a litany of arrests, detentions and beatings of journalists by some of the countries represented at the march. Several Asian newspapers, particularly in countries with a large Muslim population or where the government suppresses the media, condemned the attacks but argued against an unfettered free press. The New Straits Times, the English mouthpiece of Malaysia’s Muslim-dominated government, published an editorial Monday under the headline “Perils of free expression”, suggesting Charlie Hebdo got away with what amounted to incendiary hate speech because it had a “position of strong influence” in the media.”Charlie Hebdo had a following and cannot spread what is tantamount to a hate message with impunity.” — Agencies TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 ANALYSIS THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961 Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait. E MAIL :[email protected] Website: www.kuwaittimes.net Focus Egyptian activist abandons politics ahead of polls By Mahmoud Mourad and Maggie Fick hen protests erupted in Cairo in 2011, liberal activist Hassan El-Erian quickly mobilised demonstrations in his hometown of Zagazig, risking arrest, or worse, to push for democracy. Inspired by the toppling of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Arab Spring uprisings which removed other veteran autocrats, Erian then contested parliamentary elections. Nearly four years later, Erian, now 30, is a prime example of disillusionment with politics in the biggest Arab country. Discouraged by what human rights groups say is widespread repression and what he says is a disinterested public, Erian, whose father was also an activist, plans to boycott parliamentary elections in March and April. Egypt’s government describes the polls as critical, the last leg of a roadmap to democracy announced after the army ousted the nation’s first-democratically elected president in 2013. “The street no longer believes in the youth and the revolution. They fear change,” he told Reuters at a cafe near the university in Zagazig, north of Cairo, and a centre for the cotton and grain trade of Egypt. Once thrilled by the people power which removed Mubarak’s ruthless security forces, Egyptians are now tolerating tough crackdowns under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the sake of stability after years of upheaval triggered by the Arab Spring. As army chief, Sisi pushed out President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood after mass protests against his rule which critics say was characterised by growing authoritarianism. The departure of Morsi, whose hometown was near Zagazig, was followed by one of the fiercest campaigns against Islamists - hundreds were killed and thousands arrested - and then liberal activists. Critics accused Sisi of delaying the polls to tighten his grip on power by passing legislation that curbs freedoms. Mubarak’s former military intelligence chief says he is committed to democracy. W Change in Spirit Draft legislation further narrows the space for dissent. One bill loosely defines terrorism as anything harmful to national unity. It could give security forces a freer hand to crush opponents. Those changes contributed to a change in spirit in Zagazig, the scene of lively campaigning and fierce competition during parliamentary polls in 2011 and 2012 after Mubarak’s demise. The Brotherhood fielded candidates and organised rallies, eventually trouncing liberals like Erian, who says the movement was just as power hungry as Mubarak. Nevertheless, he was happy just competing in polls after growing up in Mubarak’s 30-year dictatorship. There is no sign of that passion now, only a few reminders of how bitter Muslim Brotherhood members are after suffering from what they say was a coup which robbed them of power. In a drafty apartment building near the city’s university, Brotherhood members and former politicians who once promised to transform Egypt are too nervous to talk to journalists because many of their comrades are behind bars, some sentenced to death. Old, red graffiti is scrawled on walls of the building, where M0rsi once lived. “Sisi is a killer” and “Morsi is President”. With no signs that Western allies will apply significant pressure on Egypt to press for the kind of freedom sought in the 2011 Tahrir Square protests, change is unlikely. While activists languish behind bars, a court last month dropped charges against Mubarak, and acquitted his interior minister and six aides over the killing of protesters in that uprising. Erian was detained several times by Mubarak’s security forces for protesting. He now wonders whether his prodemocracy efforts were wasted. “The Mubarak regime never fell until now,” said Erian who delayed his engineering studies for fulltime activism but is now returning to university. Cost of Resistance The repressive climate has made the cost of resistance higher than ever. Under Sisi’s watch, protesting is riskier than ever because of a new law that restricts demonstrations. “The sacrifices in 2011 and before had real outcomes. Now the sacrifices are huge but unfortunately fruitless,” said Erian. There are no indications that Egyptians will stage another uprising, and there is no credible opposition to challenge Sisi. During Mubarak’s time, the Brotherhood was officially banned but tolerated and allowed to run in parliament as independents. That room for manoeuvre is gone. “In 2015, the opposition is in a weak position indeed - its boycott threats have been largely ignored and the regime does not seem to mind driving Islamists outside the system,” said Egypt expert Nathan Brown, a professor at George Washington University in the United States. “It is not really clear that there is an above-ground opposition in Egypt today.” Some Egyptians in Zagazig and elsewhere are encouraged by the political landscape. Magdy Ashour, a former Zagazig MP from Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP), said he is excited by the election. Loyalists of the man who ruled with an iron fist have a right to compete for seats again as long as they are not corrupt, he said. — Reuters All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: [email protected] or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary. US accused of faux pas over no-show By Jerume Cartillier o president, no vice-president, no senior government minister. The absence of a top-ranking official at Sunday’s historic mass rally in Paris outraged some US commentators and politicians, with many accusing President Barack Obama of letting down ally France. Suggestions of a diplomatic faux pas put US officials on the defensive Monday, with famously francophile Secretary of State John Kerry emphasizing he planned to head to Paris as soon as his current trip to South Asia is finished. Speaking in India, Kerry said he would travel to Paris on Friday, rejecting accusations that Washington had failed to show sufficient support to France at a time of national soulsearching following last week’s bloody jihadist attacks in Paris, which left 17 dead. “I think I must have been one of the first people in the world to have gone out publicly and spoken to the people of France about this, to our shock and horror and our very, very strong connection with the French at that N moment,” a visibly stung Kerry said. “And the president also went out within hours and spoke about it.” Yet the absence of a senior US presence at Sunday’s march, which was attended by some 50 world leaders including the Israeli prime minister and the Palestinian president, was greeted with disbelief. Adding to the sense of dismay among some American pundits and lawmakers, US Attorney General Eric Holder had been in Paris for a meeting on terrorism, but did not join the rally. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Attorney General Eric Holder... just had no time in their schedules on Sunday.” The tabloid New York Daily News issued a blunter indictment of the no-show in a front-page headline addressed to American officials: “You let the world down.” American officials said the United States was represented on Sunday by the ambassador to Paris, Jane Hartley. “Proud to represent the American people today alongside our French friends in mourning,” Hartley wrote on Twitter in French on Sunday. ‘You Let the World Down’ CNN journalist Jake Tapper, one of the television news channel’s main anchors covering the attacks in Paris, spoke of his “shame” at the lack of high-ranking US representation. “I say this as an American -not as a journalist, not as a representative of CNN - but as an American: I was ashamed,” Tapper wrote in a blog on CNN’s website. “I find it hard to believe that collectively President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, ‘Not About Us’ US officials also pointed out that Kerry was on a longstanding trip to India that made it impossible to attend. Washington officials also say that the security circus surrounding any trip by a US president or vice president may have risked deflecting attention away from the spirit of Sunday’s occasion. “For once this is not about us,” a US official said. Yet the explanations failed to stem the tide of criticism, particularly from Obama’s staunch Republican rivals. “Our President should have been there, because we must never hesitate to stand with our allies,” said Republican Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio, who like Cruz is seen as a possible Republican challenger for the White House in 2016, also criticized the absence but said he understood the argument that presidential security may have been disruptive. “I thought it was a mistake not to send someone,” Rubio said. “There are a plethora of people they could have sent. I think in hindsight, I would hope that they would do it differently.” Privately, French officials played down the alleged snub, and the French embassy in Washington insisted that Paris was fully satisfied by their ally’s response. “As far as the reactions of the US authorities are concerned, we have been overwhelmed and very moved by them since the beginning of the crisis,” the mission spokesman told AFP He thanked the United States for “numerous public statements by President Obama, Secretary Kerry (in French !), multiple phone calls at the highest level and, of course, the signature of our condolence book here at the embassy by the president.” — AFP In resort towns, working class squeezed out By Nicholas Riccardi t first, Loly Garcia didn’t have to travel far to her jobs in the chic hotels of this fabled tourist town. She shared a tiny studio apartment with her father, brother and a cousin after arriving from El Salvador more than 20 years ago. But after she married and wanted a home of her own, she had to drive 23 miles west, past tracts of empty land and vacant mansions whose owners visit only a couple of weeks a year, to the mobile home park where she now lives. The drive eventually wore her down, and she decided to take lower-paying work closer to home. “That commute it becomes 10 hours a week. It’s like working an extra day,” said Garcia, 49. “It’s hard to live here.” Resort towns like Aspen dramatically demonstrate an unnerving trend: Across the country, the rich are getting richer while the rest of the country is essentially treading water. From 2009 to 2012, inflationadjusted income for the wealthiest 1 percent of U.S. households surged 31 percent, according to economist Emmanuel Saez of the University of California, Berkeley. For everyone else, income inched up just 0.4 percent. In Aspen, the division is especially stark because it goes beyond mere money. The wealth gap is also a geographic divide. The people who clean the vacation homes, maintain the mansions’ gardens and work in the hotels must find housing in mobile home parks or subdivisions squeezed into the few acres of developable space dozens of miles to the west. A lucky few - about half of Aspen’s year-round population of 6,700 are able to score units in the town’s unusual affordable housing program that, on the open market, would sell for millions of dollars. Meanwhile, residents who struggle to find affordable real estate watch an increasing number of houses in town become rarely inhabited vacation properties. “It’s a mirror image of Detroit, where wealth, not poverty, is driving population down,” said Mick Ireland, a former three-term Aspen mayor. Aspen’s dilemma is similar to that of other resort towns, from Nantucket, Massachusetts, to Park City, Utah, especially those nestled in the jagged terrain of the western United States. In the West, vast tracts of public land and sheer mountain A In this Dec 2, 2014 photo, Loly Garcia works on a computer at her home in El Jebel, Colorado, a small community about 20 miles northwest of Aspen. — AP faces prevent the easy development of suburbs to house workers, pushing clusters of more affordable housing many miles away. The jobs in these communities are largely in the lower-paying service industry, yet the resort towns are a destination for the global upper class, said Bill Hettinger, author of “Living and Working in Paradise,” a book on resort towns. “In New York City, you can house your resort workers in the Bronx or Queens. But in Aspen, they’re in Rifle, (about 70) miles down an icy mountain road,” Hettinger said. “That’s the problem any resort community faces. It has no middle-income base to build on.” Aspen’s median family income of $71,000 is higher than the state average. But the further “down-valley,” or to the west, you drive, the more incomes drop until you hit Glenwood Springs, 51 miles west, where the median family income of $54,000 is below average and carpenters, plumbers and other laborers regularly spend hours commuting to Aspen. The situation would be worse had Aspen not gone to extraordinary lengths to try to avoid being hollowed out by the departure of middle-class and working-class residents. Financed by a 1.5 percent charge on real estate sales and a mandate that any new projects include affordable housing, the city and county run a 40-year-old program that allows people who have worked for one year or longer in Aspen to rent, or buy, cheap residences. Priced Out Some of these properties are in prime position, like one-bedroom ski-in, ski-out units at the base of the lifts downtown, added to a new development to comply with the city’s regulations. The properties are allocated in an online lottery. Before the Internet age, the whole town was riveted by suspense over who would win a cherished affordable home. Names were drawn out of a hopper, and the event was broadcast live on the local radio station. Doctors and lawyers, as priced out of most homes here as carpenters and bartenders, take advantage of the program. Everyone in town praises the program for maintaining a critical mass of year-round families that give Aspen a more lived-in feel than many of its competitors. “Most ski towns are 20 and drunk, and 75 and retired,” said Adam Frisch, 47, an Aspen city councilman, father of two and former banker who was able to buy a house outside the affordable housing program what’s referred to as a “free market” property. The housing program has helped maintain part of Aspen’s legend, a place where ski bums and teachers rubbed shoulders with rock stars and millionaires in the 1960s and 1970s - and today with billionaires and hedge fund titans. But many in town grumble about inequality. The mordant joke is that the billionaires are pushing out the millionaires. Cheaper eateries frequented by locals are relentlessly replaced by upscale restaurants and high-end shops, and even the Aspen realtor’s association office was pushed out of town because it couldn’t afford to pay the skyrocketing rents in a place where the average property sale is $5 million. Frisch said he doesn’t feel the town has changed, just income inequality nationally, which shows up here in a concentrated form. “In the 1970s, that upper, upper, upper echelon, they were making 10 times more than the $40,000-a-year teacher,” Frisch said. “That same group that shows up here, they are 100 times wealthier than the painter, than the teacher, than the ski bum, than they were in the ‘80s. The homes are bigger, the jets are bigger.” Ireland, however, warned that Aspen’s feel is different than a decade or two ago, when year-round residents lived in all parts of town. “When I moved to town, you could rent a room one of those houses on the west end, and the owner would come out for the music festival in the summer,” said Ireland, who arrived in 1979. “Now the guy doesn’t need your $400-a-month and doesn’t want you trampling on the carpet.” Some here say living amid rampant inequality is just the price one pays for residing in what locals sometimes call “Disneyland for adults”. Elizabeth Milias, a former official in President George W Bush’s administration who writes a blog critical of Aspen’s political establishment, said she has grown tired of complaints. “There’s that sense that, my God, their lives would have been so much better if they lived in Cleveland,” she said. “Aspen can’t exist without high-end tourists. They signed up for that.” That’s why Jose Herrera moved to these mountains from Mexico. The 25-yearold construction worker can’t afford the prices in town and lives dozens of miles away in a mobile home park. But he doesn’t resent the wealthy. “ The company where I work builds houses for rich people, and because of that it pays well,” Herrera said. “One way or another, we help each other out.” — AP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 S P ORTS Powell tries new regime Slanging match over referee West Ham look for goals KINGSTON: Jamaica’s Asafa Powell, who has struggled to produce form his best at major championships, believes a change in coach and a new approach to training will improve his fortunes. The sprinter who held the 100m world record between 2005 and 2008 before compatriot Usain Bolt lowered it to 9.58 seconds believes he can rediscover his form and improve his personal best of 9.72. “Anything is possible. Justin Gatlin surprised me last year he ran his personal best times of (9.77 & 19.68) at age 32,” said Powell, who ended 2014 as the fastest Jamaican with 9.87 seconds after serving a six-month drug suspension for using the banned stimulant Oxilofrine. “I think I’m capable of doing a lot more than most of the sprinters out there My best is yet to come, so it’s just to be patient,” said Powell who is eying gold at this year’s world championships in Beijing. “I feel a lot stronger, I’m a lot more focused and I think I’m smarter now, so I know what it takes to do it. It’s just to put myself out there and do what I’m supposed to do,” added the man who has run a world-record 84 times under 10 seconds. Powell’s brother Donovan, a 100m quarter-finalist at the 1997 world championships, is backing his 32-year-old sibling to add gold to his two bronze medals from 2007 and 2009. —Reuters MILAN: Serie A was bogged down in another refereeing controversy on Monday as Napoli and Juventus became involved in a slanging match over their match on Sunday. Juventus, 3-1 winners, reacted angrily after Napoli president Aurelio Di Laurentiis said a hairline decision which allowed Juve’s second goal to stand was “either bad faith or incompetence”. Juve’s win took them three points clear of AS Roma at the top and 13 ahead of Napoli, who are joint fifth. “We are tired. Juventus are a strong team, and if they are helped by the referees, they become unbeatable,” Di Laurentiis said on Twitter. “It’s unacceptable that six referees cannot see two players offside. Either it is bad faith or incompetence. These six referees should be banned for a long time.” Napoli claimed that Martin Caceres was offside when he headed Juve’s second goal, although replays showed it was only a question of millimetres, if at all. They were also angry after having a goal of their own disallowed shortly afterwards for a foul by Kalidou Koulibaly on Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. “They taught me a phrase when facing Juventus: ‘It can happen.’ On the offside it is very difficult to tell as Maggio is right behind Caceres,” Napoli coach Rafael Benitez said. “It can happen. “The Koulibaly goal that was disallowed, it can happen. Koulibaly jumped, the goalkeeper fell into him, it was Buffon’s momentum that took him towards the defender. It is not a foul.” —Reuters LONDON: West Ham United must start scoring more freely again and tighten up defensively when they face Everton in an FA Cup third-round replay today, manager Sam Allardyce said yesterday. The teams drew 1-1 at Goodison Park last week and Allardyce is looking to guide his team to a first win in six matches. West Ham took the lead in their last three games against West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Swansea City but were pegged back to 1-1 on each occasion. “It’s a concern, we are not as free scoring as we were,” Allardyce told a news conference. “The results have dipped a bit but the performances haven’t. “One thing that has to happen is we get to more resilient defensively. We’re becoming a much more creative side but our defensive weaknesses have been exploited too much. “In order to win football games you need to make sure you’re strong enough in both departments. “We’ve only had four clean sheets so far and that’s not good enough to keep you in the top six.” West Ham have slipped back to seventh in the Premier League but Everton are on an even worse run having lost four and drawn two of their last six matches. They needed a last-minute equaliser from Romelu Lukaku to rescue a 1-1 draw against the Hammers at Goodison last week but gave an improved performance to draw 1-1 with Manchester City on Saturday. —Reuters ANAHEIM: Jakob Silfverberg No. 33 of the Anaheim Ducks battles for the puck against Toby Enstrom No.39 and Jay Harrison No.23 of the Winnipeg Jets during a game at Honda Center. —AFP NHL results/standings Florida 4, Edmonton 2; Chicago 4, Minnesota 1; Anaheim 5, Winnipeg 4 (SO). Ducks ground Jets ANAHEIM: Sami Vatanen scored in the sixth round of the shootout, and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period for a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night. Rickard Rakell scored the tying goal with 2:03 left for the Ducks, capping the first multipoint game of his NHL career with two goals and two assists. Rakell and Ryan Kesler scored shootout goals to keep the game alive after Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane scored early for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele missed in the sixth round before Vatanen beat Ondrej Pavelec to clinch the NHL-leading Ducks’ third win in four games. Vatanen won it for his fellow Finn after a pregame ceremony honoring Teemu Selanne, whose No. 8 jersey was retired by the Ducks. BLACKHAWKS 4, WILD 1 Marian Hossa, Bryan Bickell and Brad Richards each had a goal and an assist, leading the Chicago Blackhawks over the sliding Minnesota Wild. Defenseman Johnny Oduya also scored and Corey Crawford had 36 saves as Chicago rebounded from an ugly 5-2 loss at Edmonton on Friday night. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane added two assists apiece in the opener of a four-game homestand. The weary Wild dropped their fifth consecutive game, including a 3-1 home loss to Nashville on Saturday night. Matt Cooke scored his third goal in the third period, and Niklas Backstrom had 31 saves in his third consecutive start. The Blackhawks improved to 3-0 against the Wild this season with their second win over Minnesota in four days. PANTHERS 4, OILERS 2 Brian Campbell scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Florida Panthers got two more scores in the third period to win their third straight with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Tomas Kopecky, Jimmy Hayes and Sean Bergenheim also scored for the Panthers, who are 4-1 through the first five games of a six-game road trip. Jussi Jokinen added a pair of assists, and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves. Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot scored for the Oilers, who have won just four times in their last 28 games. — AP Western Conference Pacific Division W L OTL GF Anaheim 27 10 6 121 Vancouver 23 14 3 113 San Jose 22 16 5 116 Los Angeles 19 13 10 119 Calgary 22 18 3 123 Arizona 16 21 4 97 Edmonton 10 24 9 97 Central Division Nashville 28 9 4 125 Chicago 28 13 2 134 St. Louis 26 13 3 136 Winnipeg 21 14 8 113 Colorado 18 16 8 112 Dallas 18 16 7 126 Minnesota 18 18 5 111 Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Tampa Bay 27 12 4 140 GA 118 104 118 112 114 136 145 PTS 60 49 49 48 47 36 29 93 95 105 109 122 135 121 60 58 55 50 44 43 41 111 58 Montreal Detroit Boston Florida Toronto Ottawa Buffalo 26 12 3 111 95 55 22 11 9 117 106 53 22 15 6 113 111 50 20 11 9 100 105 49 22 17 3 137 130 47 17 16 8 110 113 42 14 26 3 81 147 31 Metropolitan Division NY Islanders 28 13 1 131 116 57 Pittsburgh 25 10 6 122 98 56 NY Rangers 24 11 4 124 95 52 Washington 22 11 8 123 105 52 Columbus 18 19 3 104 131 39 Philadelphia 16 19 7 112 126 39 New Jersey 15 21 8 96 124 38 Carolina 13 24 5 88 112 31 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L). Panerai Transat Classique 2015 MARTINIQUE: The epic classic and vintage yacht regatta par excellence makes a welcome return in the New Year. A marvellous fleet of grandes dames of the sea casts off from the island of Lanzarote recently on a race of over 2,800 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean to For t-de -France in Martinique, the port of arrival for the Panerai Transat Classique 2015. Three years on from the victor y of Bermudan ketch White Dolphin at the finishline on the island of Barbados in the 2012 edition, the new fleet is preparing for a challenge that encompasses not just the courage, passion and heroism but also the timeless elegance that makes every classic boat unique. Once again for the 2015 edition, the honor of victory aside, the owner of the winning yacht will be presented with an exclusive watch from the Officine Panerai collections. “Racing generates the adrenalin that only those who push themselves to the limit can ever know. And when you combine the discipline of sailing with the cohesion of a crew working in harmony for a common aim, the ocean becomes the most marvellous of playgrounds,” declared Olivier PÈcoux, president of the Atlantic Yacht Club, which has organized the 2012 and 2015 edition with the technical and organisational assistance of the Comet Organisation. Started in 2012, the Atlantic Yacht Club’s partnership with Officine Panerai is a natural extension of the Florentine luxury sports watch-maker’s commitment to classic sailing. Officine Panerai is already the undisputed leader in that area thanks to its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the top international circuit for such craft. “Elegance, history, artisanal craftsmanship, uniqueness. The allure of vintage sailing is the product of age-old values which it shares with luxury sports watch-making. The Panerai Transat Classique 2015 is an event that not only expresses those same values but also encompasses a great passion for the sea, a sense of challenge and the audacity of confronting the ocean”, declared Officine Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati. The transatlantic fleet will include yachts of different sizes from various eras in the history of sailing. The oldest member is the extraordinary gaff schooner, Adventuress, built in 1924 by legendary Scottish naval designer William Fife III. At 31 metres in length, she is second in size only to the other Fife schooner racing, the 40-metre-plus Altair built in 1931. The iconic New York naval designer Olin Stephens will also be present in spirit at least, thanks to the 1971 yawl Amazon and the 1975 sloop Gweneven. In the fleet too is a regular from the Panerai racing circuit: The Blue Peter, a wonderfully elegant 1930 Marconi cutter. Classic sailing enthusiasts can follow the race minute-byminute on the www.paneraitransatclassique.com website which will be constantly updated and feature detailed information on the event itself, the participants, and the start and arrival ports. The boats should all have made landfall at Martinique by the end of January 2015. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 S P ORTS MEMPHIS: Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas (3) loses the ball as he drives between Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) and foward Tony Allen (9) in the second half of an NBA basketball game. — AP Grizzlies outlast Suns, T’Blazers win MEMPHIS: Marc Gasol scored the first seven points in the second overtime, Zach Randolph had 27 points and 17 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Phoenix Suns 122-110 on Sunday night. Gasol finished with 12 points to help Memphis end a twogame losing streak. Mike Conley added 25 points and eight assists and Courtney Lee had 18 points. Isaiah Thomas led Phoenix with 20 points, but had a costly turnover trying to get the ball into the front court with the Suns leading late in the first overtime. Markieff Morris added 17 points, Alex Len had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and P.J. Tucker, Eric Bledsoe and Marcus Morris had 11 points apiece. Tucker’s layup tied it 101 with 5.9 left in regulation. The Grizzlies begged for basket interference, saying Bledsoe pulled the net as the ball was bouncing on the rim. Bledsoe’s 3-pointer with 33.3 seconds left in the first overtime gave the Suns a 108-106 lead. The Suns stopped the Grizzlies on the next possession, but Thomas gave away the ball and Lee - fouled by Dragic - made two free throws with 16.2 left. Bledsoe then missed at the buzzer, forcing the second extra period. The Suns trailed by 16 in the second half and 14 early in the fourth quarter. TRAIL BLAZERS 106, LAKERS 94 Damian Lillard scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, leading Portland past Los Angeles. LaMarcus Aldridge had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Chris Kaman added 12 rebounds and nine assists in his fourth start of the season and second against his former team. The Blazers have won 27 of their last 32 games and are a season-best 22 over .500 at 30-8. Kobe Bryant was rested by Lakers coach Byron Scott for the sixth time in 11 games and second game in a row. The NBA’s third-leading career scorer, playing in his 19th season at age 36, played in only six games last season due to a torn Achilles and a fracture in his left knee. Wesley Johnson returned to the Lakers’ lineup and scored 17 points after missing three games because of a strained hip flexor. KINGS 103, CAVALIERS 84 DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 13 rebounds and Sacramento handed Cleveland its seventh loss in eight games with LeBron James out with a strained back and sore left knee. Rudy Gay added 23 points for Sacramento. Darren Collison had 16, and Carl Landry 11. Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Kyrie Irving scored 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter and had seven assists. Timofey Mozgov, acquired from Denver last week, had 14 points and 12 rebounds. JR Smith struggled after scoring 27 points in his second game since joining Cleveland in a trade with New York. He had four points on 2-of-10 shooting in 30 minutes. Cleveland is 1-8 in its last nine games to drop to 19-19. HAWKS 120, WIZARDS 89 Kyle Korver scored 19 points and DeMarre Carroll had 16 to help Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta beat Washington for its eighth straight victory. Korver was 5 for 7 from 3-point range, improving his NBA-leading percentage to 50.2. His smoothest move, however, was a behind-the-back pass to Carroll for a layup and a 64-54 lead in the third. Improving to 16-3 at home and 29-8 overall, the Hawks got 15 points from Al Horford and 11 each from Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Mike Scott. Atlanta has won 13 of 14 and 22 of 24. John Wall had 15 points for Washington and Nene added 14. The Wizards were outscored 33-12 in the fourth quarter. They won their previous three games. HEAT 104, CLIPPERS 90 Chris Bosh scored 34 points, Hassan Whiteside had career highs of 23 points and 16 rebounds off the bench and Miami beat Los Angeles to end a three-game road skid. Whiteside was 10 of 13 from the field and 3 of 4 from the line in 28 minutes. Dwyane Wade added 17 points and 10 assists. Blake Griffin scored 26 points and Chris Paul had 23 points and nine assists for the Clippers. They had won two straight and six of their previous eight. — AP NBA results/standings Atlanta 120, Washington 89; Miami 104, LA Clippers 90; Memphis 122, Phoenix 110 (OT); Sacramento 103, Cleveland 84; Portland 106, LA Lakers 94. Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Toronto 25 11 .694 Brooklyn 16 21 .432 Boston 12 23 .343 Philadelphia 7 29 .194 NY Knicks 5 35 .125 Central Division Chicago 26 12 .684 Milwaukee 20 19 .513 Cleveland 19 19 .500 Indiana 15 24 .385 Detroit 13 24 .351 Southeast Division Atlanta 29 8 .784 Washington 25 12 .676 Miami 16 21 .432 Charlotte 15 24 .385 Orlando 13 27 .325 6.5 7 11.5 12.5 4 13 15 17.5 11.5 12.5 17 24 6 10 14.5 19 0.5 3.5 7.5 Matsuyama, Walker share Kapalua lead England get off to a winning start CANBERRA: England’s new-look top order all scored half centuries as the tourists made a strong start to their trip Down Under for the World Cup with a thumping 216-run win over Australian Capital Territory XI yesterday. Eoin Morgan won the toss in his first match as captain since he replaced the sacked Alastair Cook and the tourists wasted no time in piling up 364 for six in their 50 overs at Manuka Oval. The top four batsmen-Ian Bell (51), Moeen Ali (50), James Taylor (55) and Joe Root (56) — all got to the half-century mark before Ravi Bopara and Chris Woakes put together a useful unbroken partnership of 105. Bopara’s quickfire 56 featured four fours and five sixes, including three in successive balls, and his stand with fellow all-rounder Woakes came from the last 50 balls of the innings. Spinner James Tredwell took 3-11 as England made light work of the ACT batting, Stuart Broad and Moeen also getting into the act with a couple of wickets apiece as the hosts were bowled out for 148 in the 33rd over. England take on an Australian Pr i m e M i n i s te r ’s X I a t t h e s a m e ground on Wednesday before the start of a triangular World Cup warmup series also featuring Australia and India. — Reuters GB 9.5 12.5 18 22 Western Conference Northwest Division Portland 30 8 .789 .486 Oklahoma City 18 19 Denver 17 20 .459 Utah 13 25 .342 Minnesota 5 31 .139 Pacific Division Golden State 29 5 .853 25 13 .658 LA Clippers Phoenix 22 18 .550 Sacramento 16 21 .432 LA Lakers 12 26 .316 Southwest Division Houston 26 11 .703 26 11 .703 Memphis Dallas 26 12 .684 San Antonio 23 15 .605 New Orleans 18 18 .500 KAPALUA: Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, putts on the 17th green during the third round of the Tournament of Champions golf tournament. — AP KAPALUA: Hideki Matsuyama, helped by three consecutive birdies on each nine, moved one step closer to his second PGA Tour victory by surging into a tie for the lead at the Hyundai Tour na m e nt of C ha m p i ons on Sunday. The 22-year-old Japanese, already regarded by his peers as one of the best iron players in the game, produced near-flawless golf as he fired a seven-under-par 66 in the third round on the hilly Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort. M atsuyama, who clinched his maiden PGA Tour win at last year’s Memorial Tournament, signed off with his eighth birdie of the day at the par-five 18th to post a 17-under total of 202 in the elite winners-only event. That put him level with American Jimmy Walker, a three-times champion on the U.S. circuit last season who briefly led by two shots on Sunday but was unable to get the putts to drop over the closing stretch on the way to a 67. “I made a lot of putts today, so it was a good round,” Matsuyama, who totalled only 26 putts, told reporters through an interpreter. “If I can play tomorrow like I did yesterday and today, I’ll have a chance (to win). “Obviously that’s going to be diffi- cult to do. I hope to be relaxed and be able to play my golf tomorrow.” Walker, one of four players tied for the lead overnight, burst two shots clear of a tightly bunched leaderboard with four birdies on the front nine as he reached the turn in fourunder 32. Though his advantage was briefly trimmed to one by fellow American Russell Henley, he immediately regained a two-stroke cushion by sinking a 12-footer to birdie the parfour 10th. However, Matsuyama drew level at the top with three birdies in a row from the 13th and Walker did well to salvage par at the 14th after his tee shot sailed way right into thick grass. Both players birdied the final hole to m ove t wo s t roke s c l e a r of t he chasing pack. “I hit really good shots all the way around the back (nine), a couple of bad putts,” said Walker. “I didn’t feel like I was losing any mo (momentum). “I was hitting it good. That’s all I was caring about was hitting it good, getting looks, because eventually I was going to make something.” South Korea’s Bae Sang-moon, among the four joint leaders overnight, carded a 69 to end the day tied for third at 15 under with American Patrick Reed (68).— Reuters TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 S P ORTS Nishikori eyes Kooyong title AUCKLAND: Caroline Wozniacki plays a backhand shot in this file photo. — AP Wozniacki retires with wrist injury SYDNEY: World number eight Caroline Wozniacki pulled out of her first-round match at the Sydney International with a wrist injury yesterday, just a week before the start of the Australian Open. The 24-year-old Dane, who lost the final of the Auckland Classic on Saturday, had already had her left wrist strapped when she was forced to retire at 6-4 1-1 down to Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. “I didn’t want to do it worse before Melbourne, so I’m just going to try and get some treatment on it and try and get ready for next week,” Wozniacki told reporters. “I still have a week to go, so hopefully it’ll be fine... I’m confident that I’ll be fine to play in Melbourne.” Zahlavova Strycova went through to a second round tie against local hope Sam Stosur, who had earlier progressed with a rain-disrupted 76(3) 5-7 6-3 victory over another Czech in Lucie Safarova. Former US Open champion Stosur had already had her first-round contest put back a day after wet weather in Sydney on Sunday. She held her ner ve throughout a three-hour contest peppered with rain interruptions and polished off the victory over the world number 16 with a thumping ace down the middle. It was a wel- come return to winning ways for Stosur, who blew a 5-1 lead in the third set last week to lose to American Varvara Lepchenko in Brisbane. “I was pleased with the way I served for the match,” she said. “After what happened last week, to step up and serve the way I did, I’m obviously very happy.” Third seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska enjoyed the more clement later conditions to beat France’s Alize Cornet 6-3 6-2 and reach the second round of a tournament she won in 2013. The world number five made it clear, however, that her focus over the next few weeks under new coach Martina Navratilova was on improving on a single semi-final appearance at Melbourne Park. “Martina’s going to be here tomorrow,” Radwanska said. “She’s really helping me on and off court. The goal is the grand slams so we’ll see how it goes.” In the men’s draw, fifth-seeded Argentine Leonardo Mayer downed Benjamin Becker 7-6(3) 6-2 to set up a meeting with young Australian Nick Kyrgios or Pole Jerzy Janowicz in the second round. Local top seed Casey Dellacqua overcame a second-set glitch to beat American Lauren Davis 6-4 1-6 6-4 and reach the second round of the Hobart International. — Reuters Past time to show the players some real money DALLAS: They’re gathering in Big D to revel in the finale of college football’s first playoff, a long-overdue idea that is bringing in hundreds of millions of extra dollars each year to those who run this supposedly amateur sport. No wonder the guy who oversees the playoff sounded so giddy. “College Football Playoff,” executive director Bill Hancock said, kicking off the championship weekend in a hotel ballroom not far from downtown Dallas. “Let me say that again. College Football Playoff. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?” It sure does, especially to those who won’t play a down when Oregon takes on Ohio State in late yesterday’s championship game. A new television deal with ESPN gives the conferences and schools an additional $320 million per year, a more than threefold increase that brings the total annual payout to an astonishing $475 million. That doesn’t count anything else - ticket sales from an extra game, additional side deals between the bowls and conferences, enhanced marketing opportunities. Now, it doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out that all that extra revenue should move along the debate about giving the players their fair share, an idea that so far has focused on providing the full cost of a scholarship (translation: let’s give them just enough so they don’t have to sell autographs to make ends meet), plus some worthy goals such as paying future education costs and providing long-term health care. Granted, that will be a sizeable chunk of money, but it’s really just chump change. For kicks, we broke out a calculator and found that $320 million divvied up among the approximately 11,000 scholarship football players at the 129 top-level schools would come to more than $29,000 a year When those numbers are tossed around, you can see how big a con that big-time college football has been perpetuating all these years. And when you see how quickly the playoff moved to reimburse player’s families for the cost of traveling to the games - agreeing in the bat of an eye to dole out around a half-million dollars - you realize that things can move a whole lot faster that we’ve been led to believe. But the forces against change are strong, so many snookered by the ridiculous notion that a college education is largely a sufficient reward for helping bring in millions of dollars to the ol’ alma mater. Even Brian Bosworth, quite the rebel during his playing days, now sounds like he’s pushing to be the next leader of the NCAA. “It’s a privilege to go to school,” the Boz said after being announced in the latest class of inductees for the College Football Hall of Fame. “That school is giving you a chance to get an education. That education can afford you an opportunity to do some great things in your youth that you’re passionate about, but it’s also a 40-year opportunity to create a work environment for you and your family. I think it’s a give-give on both sides of the coin.” Give-give? Give us a break. The players are the ones doing most of the giving, and they should be peeved that the Big Five conferences aren’t pushing to do more with their so-called reform efforts to assist students doubling as athletes. We can only hope that today’s players, and those still to come, will realize just how bad they ’re being ripped off. Hopefully they’ll keep pushing forward with the unionization effort that started at Northwestern. It won’t be easy. Many of those who once played the game are now willing to go along with the myth perpetuated for so long by the NCAA. Just listen to another Hall of Fame inductee, Lincoln Kennedy, who sounds like a grumpy old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn. “Personally, I think what’s lost focus in this whole scope of football and sport in the college world is the value of an education,” Kennedy said. “I listen to kids talk about how many times they’re going to be on TV, whether or not the team runs a pro-style offense or defense. What type of amenities they have at their facility. Whatever happened to the education?” Sorry, Lincoln, that horse long since left the barn. He ain’t coming back either, despite the insistence of mouthpieces such as Hancock who say there’s still something pure and genuine about big-time college athletics. “There will continue to be debate in the NCAA about how to do better for student-athletes, keeping in mind that this has to be part of higher education,” Hancock said. “It will not become a Triple-A for the pros. This is college sports. That is its charm, and none of us want to lose that.” Sorry, when it comes to football and men’s basketball players, they are absolutely right to believe that college as a nothing more than a necessary steppingstone on the way to the pros. Because that’s exactly what it is, a de facto minor league-slash-deal with the devil worked out by higher education, the NFL and the NBA. Well, enough already. Show them the money. Some real money. — AP MELBOURNE: Japan’s Kei Nishikori will hope to use the Kooyong Classic starting today as final preparation for a run at a possible first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The Asian ace, who has worked himself up to a record-setting fifth in the world rankings, claimed the Kooyong trophy a year ago over Tomas Berdych. Nishikori is now a serious threat in every event he enters thanks in large part to a breakthrough 2014 season, sparked by his Kooyong win, in which he reached the US Open final against Marin Cilic. Though the Croatian won the title, Nishikori’s performance launched the 25-year-old into the tennis elite. The semi-finalist at last week’s Brisbane International is the man to beat at the eight-player Kooyong event, which runs till Friday at the former home of the Open, the historic Kooyong Club in the tiny Melbourne neighborhood of Toorak. He heads a field comprising Frenchmen Gilles Simon and Richard Gasquet, the Spanish pair of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov, Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic and Australian hope Jordan Thompson. The Japanese star begins with a match against local player Thompson, the world number 274 who won last month’s Australian Open wild-card playoff to earn a place in the Grand Slam main draw. In other day one matches, Simon faces Verdasco, Dolgopolov takes on Krajinovic in a battle of young guns and Lopez plays Gasquet. In the wake of his New York success, Nishikori kept up his winning momentum, claiming ATP titles only a few weeks later in Kuala Lumpur followed by a home triumph in Tokyo at the Japan Open. And the crowd-pleaser announced his presence on the big stage with a semi-final place at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London, where he took a set off world number one Novak Djokovic. The Florida-based Nishikori remains humble about his career, saying that any dream Grand Slam title is likely to come later rather than sooner. “Winning might take some time, you need some luck too when you play,” he said in the run-up to Kooyong. “Hopefully it comes and one day I win a Grand Slam. “That’s my dream, so hopefully I can do it in a few years.” Nishikori takes confidence from last week at Brisbane, where he beat American Steven Johnson and Australian Bernard Tomic before falling to eventual finalist Milos Raonic. The event, whose past champions include Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, guarantees players three warm-up matches under identical conditions and surface as they will find at the Australian Open, which begins next week. —AFP BRISBANE: Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after missing a shot in this file photo. — AP Middle East and Asia boost investment in top level sports LONDON: A new report has highlighted the growing reach and depth of Asian and MiddleEastern investment in top-level sports around the world with no sign of any slowdown. Entitled “Emerging Giants”, the report released by sports marketing research company Repucom on Monday, examines the trend of investment in sports sponsorship from the Middle East into European soccer and from Asia into US sports franchises. Across Europe, $1.5 billion has been spent by Middle-Eastern investors and groups on team ownership, while in the last two years alone, Asian businessmen have invested approximately $1.1 billion in US sports franchises, the report says. English football clubs Manchester City, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest all have Middle-Eastern shareholders, while French champions Paris St. Germain and Spanish top flight club Malaga are 100 percent Qatari owned. Abu Dhabi Holdings spent $330 million for a 90 percent share in Manchester City in 2008 and so far their investment has been rewarded on the pitch with two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup. Likewise, Qatar Sports Investments spent $130 million for a 100 percent stake in Paris St Germain in 2011. Having labored in Ligue 1 for many years, PSG’s new-found spending power has seen them crowned champions in the last two seasons, while Brazilian David Luiz became the world’s most expensive defender in June when he joined from Chelsea for around 50 million pounds. Middle Eastern brands have also invested heavily in soccer sponsorship, with some of the largest European clubs now sponsored by Middle East airlines. Spanish giants Barcelona are sponsored by Qatar Airlines, Manchester City are backed by Etihad, while Real Madrid, PSG, Arsenal and AC Milan all carry the Emirates logo on their shirts. The United Arab Emirates, whose investment was virtually non-existent less than 10 years ago, has emerged as the biggest single investor in the sponsorship of European team soccer shirts, the report says. During the 2009/10 season, shirt sponsorship by Middle Eastern companies was worth about $24.6 million. In 2014, UAE companies, led by Emirates and Etihad, invested $163 million in shirt sponsorship as the Arab state surpassed Germany at the top of the sponsorship investment table. Similarly in the United States, Asian investment is increasing in sports ownership and sponsorship. Pakistan-born Shahid Khan became the NFL’s first minority ethnic owner when he bought the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012 for an estimated $760 million. —Reuters College playoff looks a lot like Super Bowl NEW YORK: The College Football Playoff was supposed to resolve arguments over who was No. 1 and provide fans with great moments - just as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been doing for decades. With more than week of buildup that includes everything from players suspended for bad behavior to a massive media day, the event the playoff resembles most isn’t the Final Four, but the Super Bowl. The first playoff games were a box office smash, earning tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars. Sponsors lined up to get a piece of the action, while in Las Vegas it was all action as the two games raked in the kind of money that only the NFL drew before. And now exhibit No. 1 is late yesterday’s title game, which is different from the Super Bowl in just one way: The players won’t be paid a dime. That will likely be changing, thanks to former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon and the judge in Oakland who ruled that players on big time football and basketball programs should get at least $5,000 a year for the rights to televise their names, images and likenesses. Barring a successful appeal by the NCAA, players enrolling after July 1, 2016 will get the money deposited in a trust fund for when they’re done playing ball. At that trial this summer, all sorts of dire pictures were painted about what paying the players might do to college sports. On the witness stand, the women’s athletic director at University of Texas said she was sure her institution would draw the line at money flowing to athletes because it went against the spirit of amateurism. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany went even further, saying the Rose Bowl could be canceled if players got too uppity. “These games are owned by the institution and the notion of paying athletes for participation in these games is foreign to the notion of amateurism,” Delany said. Well, guess what? The notion of amateurism was destroyed long ago, when pay for coaches began climbing into the millions and everyone but the athletes started making money off of games. If anyone was still clinging to the idea that somehow big time college sports aren’t also big time business enterprises, the new playoff system - with the $7.3 billion in guaranteed TV money over the next 12 years - offers plenty of evidence otherwise. But it’s not just about paying players. It’s about putting to rest the pretense that football - at least in the top five power conferences - is anything but a big business run to keep alumni dollars flowing into universities and provide the NFL with a minor league system at little or no cost to the league. It certainly is at Florida State, where school officials kept star quarterback Jameis Winston eligible despite a woman’s repeated claims - no charges were filed that he sexually assaulted her. Winston was given a slap on the wrist for the theft of crab legs from a grocery store and for making vulgar comments about female anatomy on campus, but winning a national championship for the school trumped everything. If that wasn’t NFL-like, how about the case of former Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor, who was dismissed from the team in July after he was Jameis Winston charged with punching and choking his girlfriend. Taylor was indicted by a grand jury in November, but that didn’t stop Alabama from signing him in its latest class of NFL prospects. Now two Oregon players are suspended for testing positive for recreational drugs. If we didn’t know better, it would look suspiciously like an NFL trifecta. College sports have changed, at least at the top levels. Big conferences make their own rules, the NCAA has been marginalized, and traditions have been tossed aside in the mad and ever continuing chase for television money. The new football playoffs are all part of that, giving us something that looks suspiciously like a Super Bowl from the stadium it is held in to the time in between the semifinals and the title game. They magnify the hypocrisy among those who claim they want college sports at their purest, but then sell out to the highest bidder. —AP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 S P ORTS Look at places, not points: United better off under Van Gaal LONDON: There’s a simple way of measuring if there has been any progress at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal: the Premier League position and the points tally. After Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Southampton, with United on 37 points after 21 games, it was inevitable comparisons would be drawn with Van Gaal’s predecessor. After 21 games, David Moyes had also collected 37 points. So after a year of turmoil, despite more than $250 million spent revamping the squad, United has made no progress? “You have been waiting for the moment to tell me I have the same points as David Moyes,” Van Gaal snapped after Sunday’s loss. The Dutchman’s irritability is partly justified. The priority is restoring United to the Champions League, ensuring this is a one-off season jettisoned from Europe’s elite competition. So with United in fourth place, Van Gaal is on target (even if United’s budget projections are for a third-place finish). For Moyes, 37 points was only adequate for seventh place during a season when he only spent the first week in the top four. And the downfall for Alex Ferguson’s anointed successor was United only collecting 20 points from the next 13 matches. On paper, United has the attacking potency to avoid such a slump in the second half of the season, without the distraction of European football. But the so-called Gaalacticos aren’t always living up to their star billing or mega salaries. It was risible that a team featuring Angel di Maria, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney couldn’t manage a shot on target, albeit against a Southampton team that has defied expectations to rise to third - above United on Sunday - with the league’s stingiest defense. “They came for a draw, I believe, and they go away with a victory,” Van Gaal said. “That is disappointing.” United, though, expected it was hiring a manager with the tactical acumen to come up with a “Plan B” to outwit opponents as he did at the World Cup last year with the third-place Netherlands. The former Barcelona coach talks about imposing a “philosophy” that remains a mystery to many. Equally mystifying was the complete absence of Radamel Falcao from Sunday’s squad when United required all the attacking vigor in its armory to break through such a sturdy back-four. Paying more than $60 million to turn that loan from Monaco into a permanent deal at the end of the season seems unthinkable at the moment, but predicting how the next five months will unfold would be foolish. “As a coach you have to take decisions and you have to look at the composition of your team and your selection and you have to look at your game plan,” Van Gaal said. “We have a lot of players who are coming back and (Falcao) has played the last five matches in a row.” Those five games capped an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Unlike Moyes, that included steering United into the fourth round of the FA Cup, albeit against weaker opposition. And Van Gaal’s job seems far more secure than his ill-fated predecessor. The air of gloom and negativity that pervaded Old Trafford last season has gone, and fan dissent has been quelled with a cocksure coach in the dugout. Publicly, Van Gaal is saying the right things. Moyes was ridiculed for saying of Manchester City: “It’s the sort of standard and level we need to try and aspire to get ourselves to.” Whereas Van Gaal just last week issued a typically crowd-pleasing declaration: “My ambition is that I have the best players who can collaborate with each other to form the best team in the world.” The starting point is ensuring strikers perform their primary function and find the net more consistently. Only then will the comparisons with the mediocrity under Moyes stop, even though United is in a more elevated league position. — AP Equatorial Guinea braced for Cup of Nations tourney MALABO: The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Equatorial Guinea on Saturday, with organisers crossing their fingers for a successful tournament after a build-up dominated by Morocco’s refusal to act as hosts amid fears over Ebola. The small, oil-rich central African state stepped in to save the day for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in mid-November when they agreed to host the competition, despite having barely two months to prepare. Morocco had initially asked the CAF to postpone the event to avoid any risk of a spread of the Ebola virus, which has so far killed more than 8,000 people in the worst-hit countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. However, that request was dismissed, and Morocco were thrown out of the competition. And excitement about staging the 16team event in football-mad Morocco has given way to hope that Equatorial Guinea will be able to stage a satisfactory tournament. “We are disappointed because Morocco is a great country with lovely stadia and fervent support,” Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri told Le Point Afrique. “Equatorial Guinea is a different country and the organisation will be different. We will just have to get on with it.” The Equatoguinean government have taken measures to prevent Ebola from reaching their soil, including hiring the expertise of a team of Cuban doctors, but as for the football, many matches are likely to be played in front of largely empty grounds in the former Spanish colony, which has a total population of just over 700,000. The country ruled with an iron fist by president Teodoro Obiang is not a footballing hotbed, although it does have experience of organising the CAN, having co-hosted the 2012 tournament with Gabon. The capital Malabo, on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea, and the largest city Bata, on the African mainland, both hosted games then and will do so again, with Bata the venue for the final. However, organisers are taking a step into the unknown with matches also being played in the interior towns of Mongomo and Ebebiyin, where facilities are seemingly scarce and the quality of the venues questionable. “ The accommodation in Ebebiyin and Mongomo is perfect and ready...there is no problem,” the country’s sports minister Pascual Eyegue Obama Asue insisted last week, before adding that “everything is being resolved” to get the stadia prepared on time. However, Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff, whose team will be based in Mongomo in the group stage, admitted his concerns last week, saying: “We know in advance that we are going to have infrastructural problems which is why we put back our departure for Equatorial Guinea until four days before our first game.” The leading team on the continent according to the FIFA rankings, Algeria find themselves in one of two incredibly tough groups, with the Desert Foxes drawn alongside Ghana, Senegal and a resurgent South Africa in Group C. The winners of that section can look forward to a quarter-final tie against the runners-up in Group D, which contains muchfancied Ivory Coast, Mali, Cameroon and Guinea. In contrast, the other half of the draw, featuring Tunisia, 2013 runners-up Burkina Faso and the hosts, lacks the same strength in depth. Playing down claims that Algeria are the favorites, Frenchman Gourcuff said: “We must guard ourselves from any excess of confidence. It would be a major mistake to listen to such predictions.” At least Algeria need not worry about Nigeria, with the 2013 champions unable to defend their trophy after surprisingly failing to qualify despite a good World Cup. Record seven-time champions Egypt also missed out, and so others, such as South Africa, will hope to make their mark. “I have told the players not to fear anybody because we have no reason to feel inferior,” said Bafana Bafana coach ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, who went unbeaten through qualifying but have had to deal with the loss of murdered captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa. Meanwhile, little is expected of the hostswho face Congo Brazzaville in the opening game-after they were initially disqualified from the competition for fielding an ineligible player and only appointed a coach in Argentine Esteban Becker last week. — AFP LISBON: In this May 24, 2014 file photo Real’s Cristiano Ronaldo kicks the ball near to Atletico during the Champions League. — AP Atletico poised to eliminate Real MADRID: Atletico Madrid have the perfect chance to lift morale after Sunday’s La Liga defeat at Barcelona when they play their King’s Cup last 16, second leg at bitter local rivals Real Madrid on Thursday. Atletico have a 2-0 advantage over the holders from last week’s first leg at the Calderon and knocking Real out of the competition would mark the latest triumph for the Spanish capital’s second club over their neighbors. Diego Simeone’s men beat Real to win the Spanish Super Cup in August and followed up with a 2-1 success at the Bernabeu in La Liga in September. Real then embarked on a Spanish record run of 22 straight victories before losing at Valencia in La Liga and at Atletico in the Cup. Atletico fullback Juanfran dismissed the suggestion that the defeat at Barca would affect the way he and his team mates performed on Thursday. The winners of the tie will almost certainly meet Barca in the quarter-finals as the record winners have a 5-0 advantage ahead of their second leg at Elche on Thursday. “However today’s match had turned out, Madrid will want to turn the tie around,” Juanfran told reporters. “We will not allow that and I am convinced that we will get through,” added the Spain international. Real, the European and world champions, bounced back from the consecutive defeats with a 3-0 La Liga victory at home to Espanyol on Saturday. Clubs often use the Cup to give second-string players a chance to shine but coach Carlo Ancelotti is planning to field the strongest possible side. “We have time to prepare well for the match,” Ancelotti said after the Espanyol game. “The best team will play because we will try to turn the tie around and do all we can to get to the quarter-finals,” added the Italian, who led Real to Champions League and King’s Cup triumphs in his first season in charge in 2013-14. “Everyone is looking forward to this match but we have to remain calm for now. We will prepare and we will be playing at home which will help us.” This season’s edition of the Cup is the first time since 196970, when teams from lower divisions began competing, that only top-flight sides reached the last 16. Valencia and Sevilla are on track to meet in the quarter-finals, as are Malaga and Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal and Getafe. — Reuters AUSTRALIA: Japan’s Yohei Toyoda is tackled by Palestine’s Musab Battat (left) and Tamer Salah (right) during the AFC Asia Cup soccer match. — AP Kasim inspires Iraq as Japan hit four SYDNEY: Yaser Kasim’s wizardry earned Iraq a 1-0 win victory Jordan yesterday, while defending champions Japan were disappointed despite slamming four past Palestine. The late match between the Middle East rivals looked to be heading for a gritty draw before Kasim slalomed through three defenders to scored via a deflection deep in the second half. It was the touch of class that the game sorely needed and it sealed the points for Iraq as they strive to recapture the title they won in fairytale fashion in 2007. Iraq now sit behind Japan on goal difference after the opening games in Group D and they will have high hopes of reaching the last eight, where they could potentially face bitter rivals Iran. Kasim-style heroics were hardly required by Japan, who have won four of the last six Asian Cups and were up against a team playing in the continent’s showcase tournament for the first time. The match pitched European-based stars against struggling players from the blockaded Palestinian territories, and the Blue Samurai wasted little time getting off the mark in a 4-0 win. Just eight minutes were on the clock when Yashuhito Endo rifled Japan’s opener. Shinji Okazaki and Maya Yoshida also scored, either side of a Keisuke Honda penalty. But it was not the goal avalanche that some expected from Japan, 8-1 winners over Uzbekistan at the 2000 Asian Cup, and coach Javier Aguirre admitted there was still work to do. “I was happy and satisfied with the defence, but I saw some points to improve in attack,” he told reporters. “I expect those points to be improved through the training sessions. “What we were missing in the first half was probably speed and mobility, and the missing part I saw in the second half was middle range shots.” Man of the match Okazaki said: “As a result with four goals that was a great win, we played well. AUSTRALIA: Jordan’s goalkeeper Amer Shafi (right) and Odai Akl Saify of Iraq exchange words during the first round Asian Cup football match between Jordan and Iraq at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. — AFP Earlier record goalscorer Tim Cahill was named However, we could have been better. “We are not satisfied with four goals we should have scored as captain of Australia, deputising for the injured more. We should have played better, especially in Mile Jedinak, for today’s clash with Oman in going forwards, but overall it was a great result.” Sydney. “It’s amazing, I love playing for Australia Iraq’s Kasim became the second Swindon Town regardless of which country I’m in but to play at player to score at the Asian Cup after Massimo home, in front of my hometown fans and obviously Luongo also scored a cracker for Australia in the family and friends is very special,” said Cahill. “But with me, not a lot of emotion comes into it tournament curtain raiser last Friday. The club when I cross that white line. I feel that it’s going to team-mates were both named man of the match. Monday also featured the tournament’s first red be a massive game for us... there’s a lot on the line.” Victory could put Australia into the quartercards after Ahmed Mahajna was sent off for Palestine and Jordan’s Anas Bani Yaseen also got finals, provided South Korea avoid defeat against Kuwait in today’s other Group A tie. — AFP his marching orders. Jagielka eyes Everton revival in Cup replay LONDON: Everton captain Phil Jagielka says today’s FA Cup third round replay at West Ham offers his side the perfect chance to step up their recent mini-revival. Roberto Martinez’s side have endured a disappointing season which sees them languishing at the wrong end of the Premier League, but they have shown signs of getting back on track with a pair of battling draws over the last week. A 1-1 draw against champions Manchester City on Saturday was the second time in four days they had come from behind at Goodison Park after earning a late FA Cup third round equaliser against West Ham in midweek. The City result ended a run of four successive league defeats but England centre-back Jagielka knows victory against the Hammers at Upton Park in today’s replay is essential to their hopes of a more successful second half of the campaign. “A point was a decent result. It stops the rot but we still know we have to go out and win games and get ourselves in a better league position,” Jagielka said. “A draw against the champions was never going to be a bad result but the manner of getting back into the game against West Ham on Tuesday and the manner in which we performed and kept on going against City will make them (this week’s draws) really important going forward. “We hoped getting a last-minute goal to keep us in the cup was the turning point and we have built on that. “Now it depends how the next game goes, we need to go and win that game at West Ham. “We know it is going to be an important point for our season and we have to make sure it is a positive one. “The cup is a lot more cut-throat. We will take any sort of win to be in the next round.” Everton’s reward for a win in east London would be a trip to either League One promotion chasers Bristol City or fellow third tier side Doncaster, with their replay also scheduled for today. Tomorrow, Tottenham will look to bounce back from their surprise 2-1 defeat at struggling Crystal Palace when they face Burnley for the right to host Leicester in the fourth round. Mauricio Pochettino’s side squandered the lead at Selhurst Park in a loss that dented their bid to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish. And, despite Burnley’s lowly position in the league, the north Londoners can’t take anything for granted against Seam Dyche’s side, who secured a crucial 2-1 win over QPR on Saturday. Premier League high-flyers Southampton will try to avoid a giant-killing when they travel to second tier Ipswich. League One side Bradford face Championship strugglers Millwall at Valley Parade tomorrow, with the prize for the winner a glamour tie at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. — AFP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 S P ORTS DENVER: Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle (left) is knocked out of bounds by Denver Broncos free safety Rahim Moore during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game. — AP Colts upset Broncos, Packers beat Cowboys DENVER: Andrew Luck spoiled another Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning showdown. Hardly pressured all afternoon, Luck threw two touchdown passes and led the Indianapolis Colts past Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 24-13 on Sunday. The Colts (13-5) advanced to the AFC championship game at New England (13-4), which beat Baltimore 35-31 Saturday night. “I think we’re playing good team ball,” Luck said. “We’re feeding off each other. Offensively we’re making enough plays to put some points on the board. Great night. So proud to be a part of the Colts in this victory.” In Sunday’s other playoff game, a hobbled Aaron Rodgers rallied the Green Bay Packers from an 8-point deficit with two second-half touchdowns passes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-21. The Packers (13-4), helped immensely by a video reversal of a potentially game-changing Cowboys’ play with 4:06 remaining, went undefeated at Lambeau Field this season. They head to Seattle next weekend for the NFC title game. The Broncos (12-5) are left to deal with the hangover of yet another playoff debacle - and maybe questions about Manning’s future, as well as that of coach John Fox. Manning, who joined the Broncos in 2012 after his release from Indy, has gone one-and-done in the playoffs a record nine times in his otherwise stellar career, including twice in Denver, where he’s 38-10 in the regular season, but just 2-3 in the playoffs. Overall, he’s 11-13 in the postseason and this was one of his worst playoff performances ever. He never found a rhythm, constantly overthrew his receivers and finished 26 of 46 for 111 yards, one TD and no interceptions. Luck completed 27 of 43 passes for 265 yards with two TDs and two interceptions that were the equivalent of punts and no sacks. The Colts stretched a four-point halftime lead to 2110 when Luck drove the Colts 72 yards in 11 plays, hitting Hakeem Nicks from 15 yards midway through the third quarter. Luck then drove the Colts 54 yards in 13 plays in the fourth quarter, chewing up more than eight minutes before Adam Vinatieri’s 30-yard field goal made it 24-13 with four minutes remaining. Luck, who replaced Manning in Indianapolis in 2012, will be the only one of the four starting quarterbacks in the championship games next Sunday without a Super Bowl ring. Green Bay might not have had any time left in its season if not for referee Gene Steratore’s decision on a crucial Cowboys play late in the game. Dez Bryant’s leaping, bobbling 31-yard catch at the Packers 1 on a fourth-and-2 play was challenged by Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy. Instead of first-and-goal for Dallas (13-5), the ball went over to the Packers. “Some people think throwing the red flag is fun,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “It was such an impactful play, you had to challenge. It was a confident challenge. And a hopeful one, too.” One packed with controversy, as well. “Look, I’ll tell you this, I’ve never seen that a day in my life,” Bryant said. “I want to know why it wasn’t a catch.” Because Bryant didn’t maintain control all the way to the ground, as the rule states. Replays showed Bryant bobbling the ball as he rolled into the end zone, with part of it touching the field. Green Bay closed it out before a Lambeau-record crowd of 79,704 on Randall Cobb’s diving 12-yard reception of a deflected pass on third-and-11. That gave Cobb eight catches for 116 yards. The Cowboys’ first postseason trip to Green Bay since the 1967 “Ice Bowl” for the NFL championship resulted in their first road defeat of the season after eight victories. Dallas got 123 yards rushing from league leader DeMarco Murray and a courageous effort from Tony Romo, who hurt his left leg in the third quarter. Rodgers was also bothered by a left calf he injured in Game 15, losing much of his trademark elusiveness as the game wore on. Regardless, he was on-target for a short pass to Davante Adams that turned into a 41-yard score to make it 21-20. Then he sharply guided the Packers 80 yards to the winning points, a 13-yard bullet to backup tight end Richard Rodgers in the back of the end zone. He finished 24 for 35 for 316 yards and extended his record string without a home interception to 442 attempts. He has 39 TD passes in that span. — AP Anelka ‘too old’ to join Algerian club QATAR: In this handout picture released by the Qatar 2015 Organising Committee shows a general view of the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiya Arena in Doha. Qatar, pushing ahead with its sporting ambitions, has completed preparations for hosting the 2015 menís world handball championship which opens in Doha on Thursday. — AFP Qatar ‘ready’ for 2015 handball championship DOHA: Qatar, pushing ahead with its sporting ambitions, has completed preparations for hosting the 2015 men’s world championship which opens in Doha on Thursday, organisers said. “The championship will present a big challenge and Qatar is completely ready” to host the tournament, said Qatar 2015 organising committee director general Thani al-Kuwari. “The committee has completed 99 percent of preparations and only some minor details remain,” he told AFP, three days before the start of the tournament. The opening ceremony will take place in Lusail Hall, a stadium with a seating capacity for 15,000 spectators, while the final games, scheduled to take place on February 1, will be held in two other stadiums-Al-Sadd Club (7,000 spectators) and Duhail (4,000 spectators). Teams from 24 countries will participate in the championship and the first match on Thursday will take place between Qatar and Brazil. The opening ceremony will bring together 24 artists from different countries and will focus on the theme of “childhood.” The cup, made of pure gold, will be offered by Qatar, said Kuwari. ‘NO FATALITIES’ Kuwari also stressed that building of the stadiums went smoothly without causing fatalities in the ranks of thousands of foreign workers, most of them Asian, who built these facilities. Qatar has come under the media microscope since winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with doubts thrown up over corruption, its human rights record and treatment of its massive foreign workforce. But the gas-rich state was cleared by FIFA of corruption in November, world football’s governing body ruling out a re-vote for the tournament despite widespread allegations of wrongdoing. “No fatalities have occurred at our (construction) sites, said Kuwari, adding that the Lusail Hall alone took 31 million working hours, starting from December 2012, to build with 26,000 workers on the site per day, working in two shifts. Confident on the success of the championship, Kuwari said that nearly all tickets have been sold. Handball is not as popular as football in Qatar, but organisers are counting on the foreign communities, which make up a major part of Qatar’s population, to fill the stadiums. According to the organising committee chief, around 7,000 handball fans have arrived from abroad to attend the championship and the number is expected to rise. Qatar, which holds the world’s third-largest gas reserves, sees a new success in its hosting of the handball championship. Since successfully staging the 2006 Asian Games, Doha has fought hard to become a world-renowned sports event city. It held the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships, and for several seasons the opening meet of the Diamond League, in May last year. Doha was named in November as host of the 2019 Athletics World Championships. It hosted the World Swimming Championship in December and will host the 2016 UCI Road World Championship. — AFP ALGIERS: Controversial French striker Nicolas Anelka was yesterday refused permission to join an Algerian club on the grounds that he was too old. The 35-year-old former Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid star was on the verge of joining Nasr Athletique d’Hussein-Dey (NAHD). But the move was blocked by the Algerian Football Federation, Mahfoud Kerbadj, president of the Algerian professional football league, told APS news agency. “The rules concerning foreign players being allowed to play in the Algerian league are clear,” he said. “Only those aged under 27 and playing on the international level for their countries are allowed to sign up with our clubs.” Anelka has been training with NAHD and had hoped to sign an 18month contract with what would have been his 13th club. The 69-capped forward’s most recent employers were Mumbai City in the Indian Super League. Last March he was fired by English side West Bromwich Albion for “gross misconduct” after he made an alleged anti-Semitic gesture, known as a “quenelle”, as a goal-scoring celebration. That sacking was the latest in a long history of rows and disputes over the course of a career which saw him play for 11 different clubs in six different countries before heading to India. As well as playing in a host of top European clubs, he also had a brief spell with Shanghai Shenhua in China. —AFP Kasim inspires Iraq as Japan hit four Grizzlies outlast Suns, T’Blazers win TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 18 16 Colts upset Broncos, Packers beat Cowboys Page 19 SWITZERLAND: Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (center left) poses with his 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for Player of the Year with FIFA president Sepp Blatter (center right) and the other award recipients at the end of the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony. — AFP Ronaldo wins third Ballon d’Or ZURICH: Portuguese and Real Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo won his third Ballon d’Or yesterday at the FIFA ceremony in Zurich. The 29-year-old-who played a key role in Real Madrid’s charge to a 10th Champions League trophy-beat eternal rival and four-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona and Germany’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Ronaldo was the star of the night in which Real teammate James Rodriguez won the goal of the year award and Germany’s Joachim Loew was declared coach of the year. “I never thought I would win this trophy on three occasions,” Ronaldo said in his victory speech, signalling there would be no letup in his quest for football glory. “I want to be one of the greatest players of all time and of course this requires a lot of effort,” added the Portuguese striker who also won the award in 2013 and in 2008. Ronaldo led Real Madrid to their 10th European Champions League crown in sensational style in 2014, smashing Messi’s record of 15 Champions League goals in a single season with 17 in just 11 appearances. Cristiano Ronaldo shut out Lionel Messi for the second straight year in the battle for the Ballon d’Or and he is showing no sign of giving up his grip as king of world football. The 29-year-old Portuguese forward has been at the height of his powers again this year, terrorising opposing defences in the Champions League and Spain’s La Liga. He is also hungry for more. Asked at the Ballon d’Or ceremony what his favourite goal had been, Ronaldo was only halfjokin when he said: “For me the next goal is always the most important.” Despite a patellar tendinosis problem in his left knee that contributed to an underwhelming World Cup, the Portugal captain was clearly a deserving winner of a third Ballon d’Or in a year in which he guided Real Madrid to their 10th Champions League title (but first in 12 years) and continued to rewrite the history books. That night in Lisbon on May 24 illustrated better than most the two sides of Ronaldo’s character that has at times made him a divisive figure. Battling through knee troubles and frustrated for over 90 minutes, Ronaldo and his Galactico team mates looked set for one of the most embarrassing defeats in Real’s history as they trailed poorer city rivals Atletico Madrid until Sergio Ramos’s towering header in stoppage time. Further goals in extra time from Gareth Bale and Marcelo made the long-awaited “La Decima”, a tenth European Cup, secure in Lisbon. But it was not enough for Ronaldo who surged into the Atletico box and collapsed under the attentions of Gabi. His moment had finally arrived in the homeland he left 11 years ago for Manchester United at a crucial crossroads on the road to being the world’s best. Inevitably he slammed the penalty home to take his record-breaking tally to 17 goals in a single Champions League season. Yet, his outrageous show of vanity as he tore off his shirt and flexed his muscled torso was a reminder of why many had in the past preferred the more modest Messi. The preening side of Ronaldo will always exist. His latest Ballon d’Or will likely take up residence in the museum he opened to honor himself in his home city of Funchal on the island of Madeira. His story, though, is also one of a testament to extraordinary hard work and sacrifice. Ronaldo came from a poor background and many would say he has less natural talent than the elegant, diminutive Messi. But Ronaldo has transformed himself from the skinny kid that arrived at Old Trafford into a physical specimen of the type football has rarely seen. That physical transformation is a symbol of his desire to improve and raise the bar of achievement to a level previously thought impossible. When he scored his fourth hat-trick of the current campaign against Celta Vigo in December, he moved through the double century mark for goals in La Liga in just 178 games. His overall tally is a staggering 285 goals in 274 appearances for Madrid. It is no longer a question of whether Ronaldo will become their leading all time scorer, but when. Moreover, he is likely to pass Raul’s record tally of 323 having played more than 400 fewer games. There is more than goals to his game too. His wonderful reverse ball for James Rodriguez to open the scoring against Espanyol on Saturday took him joint top of the assist charts in La Liga too. As in the goal charts, Messi lurks behind in second. The rivalry between the two has marked an era unlike any other. Maradona and Pele, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer never played in the same league, at the same time, for the two of the biggest sides in the world, judged head-to-head, week in, week out. And for Ronaldo, the rivalry is certain to go on-just look at the Ballon d’Or count: Messi has four to Ronaldo’s three. Portugal’s king of football always wants more. — AFP Messi, Neuer, Ronaldo voted to FIFPro World XI LONDON: A combintation of file pictures show big English Premier League players who will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins this week. — AFP Fates entwined, Toure and Bony lead exodus LONDON: Ivory Coast team-mates and probable future club-mates Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony headline the departures from the English Premier League for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins this week. Toure, star of Manchester City’s title success last season, made a sluggish start to the campaign, but he has rediscovered his best form in recent weeks, scoring seven times in his last 11 appearances. His goals and driving midfield displays will be badly missed by Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who are breathing down Chelsea’s necks in the battle for the English crown. But the blow has been softened by the news that Frank Lampard’s contract has been extended until the end of the season, delaying his arrival at City’s sister club New York City FC. City also coped reasonably well in Toure’s absence during the last Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, winning twice and drawing twice while the former Barcelona player was in South Africa. “Yaya is a big miss for us because of what he has done at the club, but we have to deal with that and carry on this run we have been on,” said Toure’s midfield colleague James Milner. Swansea City are likely to find it altogether more difficult to compensate for the absence of Bony, who was the league’s top scorer in 2014 with 20 goals and has found the net nine times this season. But with the 26-year-old poised to complete a £28 million ($42.5 million, 35.8 million euros) move to Manchester City, he is likely to have played his last game for Swansea already. Swansea manager Garry Monk can at least turn to France international Bafetimbi Gomis, signed from Lyon during the close season, but he has found the net only four times in his 22 appearances to date. “Bafe is a different striker to Bony, but he is outstanding and I want him to enjoy this period and get some goals,” Monk said. “He is a class striker and now he is our main striker.” Newcastle United will also lose the services of an in-form striker, with Papiss Cisse having been called up by Senegal, but he was due to serve a three-match ban anyway for elbowing Everton’s Seamus Coleman. Newcastle, currently without a manager following the departure of Alan Pardew, must also cede Ivorian midfielder Cheick Tiote. West Ham United will lose Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, but his compatriot Diafra Sakho, who has scored nine goals since signing from Metz, has been ruled out of the tournament by a back injury. On-loan midfielder Alex Song will also not be taking part in the tournament after being omitted from Cameroon’s squad, which prompted him to announce his international retirement at the age of 27. Bottom club Leicester City must do without Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, who has had an influential role in the team’s improved recent form, but Ghanaian full-back Jeff Schlupp stays behind. — AFP ZURICH: All three players shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award were selected by their peers for the 2014 FIFPro World XI team. Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer and Cristiano Ronaldo were among seven 2013 team members who retained their places in worldwide voting by 23,000 members of national players’ unions. Germany’s World Cupwinning captain Philipp Lahm, Brazil captain Thiago Silva, and Spain pair Sergio Ramos and Andres Iniesta also stayed in the elite lineup. David Luiz was voted into the defense despite playing in Brazil’s 7-1 rout by Germany in the World Cup semifinals, when Thiago Silva was suspended. Still, the Brazilian pair was reunited for a second embarrassing loss, 3-0 against the Netherlands in the thirdplace match. Arjen Robben was picked as the only player from the Dutch team which started the World Cup by routing title holder Spain 5-1. Argentina had a second selection as Angel Di Maria joined teammate Messi. Toni Kroos completed the lineup as the third Germany player, and the fourth who played for Bayern Munich last year. As Kroos transferred in the offseason to join Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, the European champion also had four players in the FIFPro lineup. Di Maria was a standout in Madrid’s Champions League final victory, against city rival Atletico, before joining Manchester United. David Luiz was the other World XI player who switched clubs last season, moving from Chelsea to join Thiago Silva at Paris SaintGermain. Brazil failed to get a third player elected as there was again no place for Neymar. The star forward lost out to Robben in a three-man attack with Messi and Ronaldo, one year after Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the third forward elected. The other 2013 team members who lost their places were Dani Alves, Xavi Hernandez and Franck Ribery. FIFPro World XI 2014: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/Germany), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich/Germany), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil), David Luiz (Chelsea/Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid/Spain), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid/Manchester United/ Argentina), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid/Germany), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona/Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Portugal), Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/Netherlands). — AP Business Kuwait inflation sees slight annual uptick Page 22 Volkswagen, Ford take top awards TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 Page 25 Toyota launches ‘Mirai’ Fuel Cell Sedan McLaren Automotive races ahead Page 26 Page 23 DETROIT: Workers prepare the Alfa Romeo exhibit at the 2015 North American International Auto Show yesterday in Detroit. More than 5000 journalists from around the world will see approximately 45 new vehicles unveiled. — AFP (See Page 25) Venezuela, Iran plea hits Gulf OPEC brick wall ‘No output cut, market must absorb the surplus’ DUBAI/DOHA: A diplomatic push by Venezuela and Iran for an OPEC oil output cut has failed to soften the refusal of the group’s Gulf members to do so for now, delegates said yesterday. An oil price sinking under $49 a barrel yesterday is twisting the knife in Venezuela’s steadily shrinking economy and in sanctions-bound Iran. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday met Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman in Riyadh before heading to Qatar and Algeria on a tour to discuss the oil price crisis. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also weighed in and told Venezuela’s president on Saturday he backed coordinated action between Tehran and Caracas to reverse the more than 50 percent drop in crude since June 2014.But the Gulf members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, who account for more than half of the 12-member group’s output, are holding to their stance from OPEC’s November meeting in Vienna. “There’s a push from Venezuela for a cut, this is what they argued in Vienna and this is what they are lobbying for now. But from what I see there is no sign of cutting production from the Gulf states,” a Gulf OPEC delegate said. “The only solution is to have the market absorb this surplus and the extent of that will be assessed by OPEC by ministers during their meeting in June.” Another delegate said: “You need to give it some time to see the effect on prices. I think the Saudi oil minister was very clear on that.” Naimi firm Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi has said he convinced his fellow OPEC ministers that it is not in the group’s interest to cut oil output however far prices may fall. During Maduro’s visit to Saudi Arabia, it was agreed that a high-level commission between the two countries would meet every four months to review the market, a diplomatic source said. The source added that during Maduro’s meeting in Qatar, concern was expressed about prices but Qatar made no promises or commitments as to what action should be taken. OPEC holds its next scheduled meeting in June and sources say there has been no suggestion that it gather before then. Saudi Arabia is unwilling to shoulder any output cut unilaterally and any cut has to be a collective one by all OPEC members, the sources said. But Libya, Iraq, and Iran can all plead for an exemption from an output cut since they are either affected by war or sanctions, an argument that some other producers reject. “The only way for any agreement to work is a full commitment. Venezuela, Algeria, Iran, Nigeria and Iraq all have to cut,” another OPEC source said. — Reuters Goldman Sachs slashes its oil price forecasts NICOSIA: A Cyprus airways employee shouts as she is pushed against a police line during a protest against the closing down of Cyprus airways at the Ministry of Finance in Nicosia yesterday. — AFP LONDON: US bank Goldman Sachs slashed it oil forecasts yesterday, saying fuel prices needed to stay low for much longer in order to curb production and end a global supply glut. Goldman Sachs oil analysts led by Jeffrey Currie said the collapse in oil prices over the last six months, which has brought North Sea Brent crude down almost 60 percent to below $50 a barrel, would eventually balance the market. But they said crude oil prices could come down much further in the short term, possibly into the high $30s a barrel before the market saw a rebound. Goldman Sachs is one of the most influential US banks in commodities markets. In 2008, when oil prices were racing up towards their all-time high at almost $150 a barrel, the bank forecast crude could hit $200. The bank said yesterday it had cut its 2015 forecast for Brent to $50.40 a barrel from $83.75 and reduced its 2015 WTI price forecast to $47.15 per barrel from $73.75. For 2016, Goldman Sachs sees Brent at $70 and WTI at $65, down from $90 and $80 respectively. In the short term, Goldman Sachs was even more bearish: “To accommodate the substantial expected first half inventory build and using the storage arbitrage to the one-year ahead swap, we are revising down our 3-, 6- and 12month price forecasts for Brent to $42, $43 and $70 respectively, from $80, $85 and $90,” the bank said in a report to clients. WTI 3-, 6- and 12-month price forecasts have been cut to $41, $39 and $65 from $70, $75 and $80 a barrel. “While history would suggest that a storage blow-out would push spot prices below $35, we believe that by avoiding breaching storage capacity, the market will hover around $40, potentially dipping at times into the high $30s which we see as the likely lows of this cycle,” the report said. — Reuters Gulf markets edge down as oil drops MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Gulf stock markets ran out of steam yesterday after several strong sessions as oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel, although positive fourthquarter corporate earnings supported individual stocks. Brent crude traded below $49 after analysts at Goldman Sachs cut their average forecast for the benchmark in 2015 to $50.40 a barrel from $83.75. Saudi Arabia’s stock index slipped 0.1 percent as shares in petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries fell 1.9 percent; petrochemical industry earnings are under major pressure from weak oil prices. However Saudi banks, boosted by generally positive financial results, offset most of petrochemicals’ losses yesterday. Saudi Hollandi Bank jumped 2.0 percent after it beat analysts’ expectations with a 33 percent rise in fourthquarter net profit. The lender made 461.9 million riyals ($123.1 million) in the three months to Dec. 31; analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast it would post, on average, a net profit of 433 million riyals. Banque Saudi Fransi added 1.0 percent after posting a 211 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit, also ahead of analyst forecasts. UAE, EGYPT Dubai’s index edged down 0.7 percent after rising as much as 1.9 percent early in the session. Most stocks declined and real estate developer DAMAC, which had earlier in the day surged 21 percent from the last finish of its London-listed shares as it listed in Dubai, closed just 1.8 percent higher. “You cannot have a clear trend in the current environment,” said Sebastien Henin, head of asset management at The National Investor in Abu Dhabi. “The key point is oil prices. As long as investors don’t think that we have reached the bottom on oil, the market will be trendless.” Abu Dhabi’s bourse also edged down 0.7 percent, while Qatar fell 0.9 percent. Petrochemicals-to-steel conglomerate Industries Qatar tumbled 6.5 percent to 148.10 riyals after plunging its daily 10 percent limit in the previous session on a disappointing 2014 dividend proposal. The stock has turned technically very bearish after triggering this week a double top formed by this year’s highs and pointing in the medium term down to about 130 riyals. Oman’s benchmark rose 0.6 percent. Investment firm Al Anwar Holding, up 4.0 percent, was the top gainer after saying late on Sunday that its profit in the three months to Dec. 31 had more than doubled to 3.7 million rials ($9.7 million). Egypt’s bourse jumped 2.2 percent in a broad rally. GB Auto, the country’s biggest listed vehicle assembler and distributor, surged its daily 10 percent limit. The firm’s chief executive told Reuters last week that it was working on a rights issue and planned to invest $1.5 billion to build two new factories. Yesterday, the firm said the rights issue would be worth 960 million Egyptian pounds ($134 million). — Reuters TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 BUSINESS Kuwait inflation sees slight annual uptick in November NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Inflation in the consumer price index (CPI) witnessed a marginal uptick in November, mainly on the back of higher food prices. Despite the uptick, inflation remained largely subdued and is expected to end the year at or near 3 percent. The main source of upward price pressures has been international food inflation. Food inflation climbed in November, on the back of a recovery in international food prices. However, this is projected to subside in the near-term in-line with lower global food prices. A strengthening dinar is also set to keep any significant upward inflationary pressures at bay. Inflation came in at 3.1 percent year-on-year (y/y) versus October’s 3.0 percent y/y. (Chart 1). Core inflation continued to ease in November, coming in at 3.0 percent y/y after October’s 3.1 percent y/y, as inflation in most of its components slowed down or remained unchanged. Inflation in the food price index rose from 2.6 percent y/y in October to 3.3 percent y/y in November, in-line with a rebound in global food prices. Upward inflationary pressures on local food inflation are expected to subside in the near-term, however, on the back of a slowdown in international food prices. This in turn should help diminish pressures on the overall inflation rate.. Inflation in housing services was unchanged at 4.4 percent y/y in October. With changes in the inflation rate of this component reported once every quarter, the next report is due in December. A significant change in inflation in this segment is unlikely in the final quarter of 2014 and it is forecast to remain near current levels. Inflation in the clothing & footwear and furnishings & household main- tenance components held on to their downward trend in November. Clothing & footwear inflation eased from 1.6 percent y/y in October to 1.1 percent y/y in November. Inflation in the furnishings & household maintenance component slowed down from 5.0 percent y/y in October to 4.4 percent y/y in November. Inflation in the ‘other goods and services’ segment continued to show signs of resurgence in November. Inflation in this segment, which includes prices of personal care products and jewelry and certain business charges, accelerated to 1.0 percent y/y in November, from 0.2 percent y/y in October. Oil plunge may cost GCC billions of dollars in 2015 DUBAI: It’s a weekend morning at the Dubai Mall, a glitzy complex with 1,200 stores, and the shoppers are pouring in. A traffic jam has formed in the basement parking area. With passenger arrivals at Dubai’s airport at record highs, retailers expect a good month. The 55 percent plunge of oil prices since last June might be expected to usher in an age of austerity in the Gulf, which faces a steep drop in its income. But austerity isn’t happening. The economic defenses which the Gulf states built up after the global financial crisis five years ago, to cope with just such a drop in oil, are holding. Consumers are still spending, companies are investing, and governments are announcing record budgets for 2015. Some economists expect growth in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to accelerate this year. A number of building projects are likely to be slowed or suspended, especially in Bahrain and Oman, the smallest and financially weakest economies in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). If oil stays at current levels for several years, the big GCC economies may be forced into painful spending cuts. But for the foreseeable future, it’s largely business as usual in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, which have accumulated such large fiscal reserves that they can comfortably keep state spending at high levels. This is sustaining consumer and corporate sentiment as oil slides. Jarir, a top Saudi retailer, reported a 20 percent yearon-year jump in fourth-quarter sales. December purchasing manager surveys in Saudi Arabia and the UAE showed non-oil business growing at roughly the same pace as in June. Iyad Malas, chief executive of Majid AlFuttaim-Holding, one of the Gulf’s top shopping mall and leisure operators with over 27,000 employees, said the region’s business community was uncertain about oil prices but expected solid growth this year. “Big infrastructure projects have started and government spending is continuing...We’re not expecting a slowdown in retail sales this year in Saudi or the region,” he told Reuters, adding Majid Al Futtaim saw no reason to alter investment plans. The cost to the Gulf of cheaper oil is huge. Jason Tuvey at London’s Capital Economics estimates that if Brent crude averages $60 a barrel this year, GCC states will run a combined current account deficit of $60 billion. If oil were at $110, as it was in June, they would enjoy a surplus of $300 billion. But the structure of the Gulf’s oil industry minimizes the direct impact of oil price changes on economies. Oil export revenues do not flow straight to the private sector but to governments, which decide how much of them to spend. That means the key factor for economies is not the oil price but state budget policy. Government announcements over the past two weeks indicate state spending may fall marginally in real terms this year but will stay high and near record levels. Budget policy The government of Saudi Arabia, by far the largest GCC economy, plans to raise nominal 2015 spending by 0.6 percent from its 2014 plan. Dubai announced a 9 percent spending increase, and even Oman plans a 4.5 percent rise. Top officials of other GCC governments, including Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Kuwait, have said spending on economic development will not be cut. Some governments are using the oil price slide as political cover to raise taxes or cut subsidies, but are stopping well short of austerity. Kuwait cut diesel fuel subsidies but ruled out similar action for petrol; Abu Dhabi raised utility fees. So growth in the region looks unlikely to fall much if at all this year, and may actually accelerate if other factors are favourable. For example the initial, negative impact of Saudi labour reforms, designed to push more local citizens into jobs by making it harder to hire foreigners, seems to be fading. “We project real GDP growth in the GCC region to accelerate in the range of 5.0 to 5.5 percent in 2015 from an estimated 4.7 percent in 2014,” said Joannes Mongardini, head of economics at Qatar National Bank, the country’s largest bank. He added: “Unless there is a cut in public investments which is not expected - in the region, we do not see a major impact on overall business sentiment” from cheaper oil. GCC governments won’t be able to avoid big spending cuts indefinitely if oil prices stay low. With Brent at $50, the current level, all of them would probably run budget deficits. But their financial reserves are so large that they could cope with such deficits for years; the GCC’s foreign exchange reserves and sovereign wealth fund assets are worth over 160 percent of gross domestic product, Capital Economics calculates. Investment bank VTB Capital estimates that at an oil price of $60, the assets of the four big GCC states could fund public spending at current levels for two to five years, or cover budget deficits for four to 14 years - all without recourse to debt, while keeping the GCC’s currency pegs to the US dollar. So far, professional investors seem equally confident. GCC stock markets dominated by retail investors have plunged, but many fund managers think they were over-valued. Bond and currency forward markets have moved little, showing investors don’t expect financial stress in the region. John Sfakianakis, regional director of asset manager Ashmore in Riyadh, said that after a boom in the past decade, the Gulf was entering a new era because of cheaper oil - an era of slightly more modest growth, but by no means a slump. “There will still be good growth, not necessarily a substantial fall - rates of around 4.3 to 4.5 percent,” he said. — Reuters EXCHANGE RATES Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. UAE Exchange Centre WLL ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal transfer Irani Riyal cash 2.494 4.743 2.929 2.221 2.969 221.830 38.008 3.768 6.574 8.987 61.555 121.740 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham 78.618 80.995 766.050 783.050 80.289 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lira Morocco Dirham 41.650 41.132 1.376 157.170 416.070 1.978 2.101 32.385 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound Canadian dollar Turkish lira Swiss Franc Australian Dollar US Dollar Buying 294.700 350.990 448.240 249.750 128.710 291.780 244.450 293.500 GOLD 20 gram 10 gram 5 gram 238.100 121.740 61.560 COUNTRY SELL DRAFT Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal SELL CASH 233.38 251.88 293.73 350.66 294.90 448.33 2.51 3.778 4.732 2.227 2.958 2.926 80.14 782.70 41.12 419.01 764.77 81.21 78.55 230.38 252.88 291.73 351.66 297.90 451.33 2.53 4.048 5.032 2.662 3.493 2.790 80.60 784.77 41.72 424.66 772.07 81.76 78.95 Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Chinese Yuan Renminbi Thai Bhat Turkish Lira Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY SELL CASH Belgian Franc British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Romanian Leu Slovakia Swedish Krona Swiss Franc Turkish Lira Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Selling Rate 291.750 260.085 456.630 366.500 303.035 775.760 79.330 80.935 77.975 411.660 40.707 2.225 4.716 2.867 3.759 6.481 715.865 3.480 2.710 3.945 87.645 48.035 9.885 131.225 Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar America Canadian Dollar US Dollars US Dollars Mint Bangladesh Taka Chinese Yuan Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Korean Won Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone SELLDRAFT Europe 0.007677 0.439822 0.004424 0.042918 0.343478 0.034479 0.084531 0.008649 0.032654 0.284084 0.126731 0.008677 0.448822 0.016424 0.047912 0.351478 0.039679 0.084531 0.018649 0.037654 0.294284 0.133731 Australasia 0.234344 0.224878 0.245844 0.234378 0.243353 0.290600 0.291100 0.251853 0.295300 0.295300 Asia 0.003454 0.046034 0.035911 0.004404 0.000019 0.002409 0.003276 0.000262 0.080000 0.003012 0.002754 0.006503 0.000065 0.004054 0.049534 0.038661 0.004805 0.000025 0.002589 0.003276 0.000277 0.086000 0.003182 0.003034 0.006783 0.000071 Singapore Dollar South African Rand Sri Lankan Rupee Taiwan Thai Baht 0.218103 0.019621 0.001861 0.009116 0.008641 0.224103 0.028121 0.002441 0.009296 0.009191 Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar Turkish Lira UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal Arab 0.775237 0.038810 0.000082 0.000195 0.411598 1.000000 0.000146 0.024074 0.001199 0.759434 0.080236 0.077950 0.001748 0.153065 0.126731 0.079254 0.001331 0.783237 0.041910 0.000083 0.000255 0.419098 1.000000 0.000246 0.048074 0.001834 0.765114 0.081449 0.078650 0.001968 0.161065 0.133731 0.080403 0.001411 Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterlng Canadian Dollar Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 293.950 351.450 447.150 249.900 4.650 41.095 2.223 3.749 6.528 2.920 782.700 80.050 78.500 TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 BUSINESS Toyota ushers in the future with launch of ‘Mirai’ Fuel Cell Sedan KUWAIT: For the second time in a generation, Toyota has re-imagined the future of mobility with the Mirai1, its new hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) which was introduced to the world with its launch in Japan late last year on December 15. The Mirai will hit the streets of Europe and USA in late 2015. Using hydrogen an important future energy source as fuel to generate electricity, the Mirai achieves superior environmental performance with the convenience and driving pleasure expected of any car. The Toyota Mirai is a four-door, mid-size sedan with performance that fully competes with traditional internal combustion engines - but it uses no gasoline and emits nothing but water vapor. The groundbreaking fuel cell electric vehicle re-fuels in about five minutes, and travels up to 300 miles on a full tank. The Mirai uses the Toyota Fuel Cell System (TFCS), which features both fuel cell technology and hybrid technology, and includes Toyota’s new proprietary FC Stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The Mirai delivers everything expected of a next-generation car: an immediately recognizable design; driving exhilaration stemming from superior handling stability achieved by a low center of gravity; and quiet but powerful acceleration provided by the electric motor. According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, TOYOTA Motor Corporation, “The Mirai represents a pivotal moment in automotive history with Toyota unveiling a new, environmen- tally-friendly car that is a pleasure to drive and has zero emissions. Based on Toyota’s steadfast commitment to environmental sustainability, the Mirai was conceived to establish a future filled with vehicles that would diminish our dependence on conventional fuels and reduce harm to the environment. With the Mirai, Toyota is taking the opportunity to really make a difference for future generations with this bold and inspiring vehicle.” 1) Superior environmental performance The TFCS provides better energy efficiency than internal combustion engines, superior environmental performance with no emissions of CO2 or pollutants when driving, and the same level of convenience and autonomy as gasoline engine vehicles, and a hydrogen refuelling time of about three minutes2. As part of this, the new Toyota FC Stack achieves a maximum output of 114 kW. Electricity generation efficiency has been enhanced through the use of 3D fine mesh flow channels3 (a world first4), which ensure uniform generation of electricity on cell surfaces, providing compact size and a high level of performance. A new compact, high-efficiency, highcapacity FC Boost Converter has been developed to boost power generated in the Toyota FC Stack to 650 volts. Increasing the voltage has made it possible to reduce the size of the electric motor and the number of Toyota FC Stack fuel cells, leading to a smaller, higher-performance Toyota Fuel Cell System, thereby reducing system costs. 2) Safe and secure vehicle design The Mirai was designed with safety as a top priority, based on the basic approach of ensuring that hydrogen does not leak, and in the unlikely event that any leaks do occur, ensuring immediate detection and stoppage of hydrogen flow and preventing accumulation of hydrogen within the car body. This has been done by developing high pressure hydrogen tanks with excellent hydrogen permeation prevention performance, strength, and durability in addition to hydrogen sensors which provide warnings and automatically shut off tank main stop valves. Use of features such as a structure that efficiently disperses and absorbs impact energy across multiple parts ensures a high impact safety performance that protects the Toyota FC Stack and high-pressure hydrogen tanks during frontal, side or rear impacts. 3) Immediately recognizable design In terms of the exterior, a new technique has been employed in the front face design to emphasize the left and right grilles that draw in air for the oxygen supply and for FC system cooling. The novel front face underscores the vehicle’s individuality. The elegant side profile evokes the flowing shape of a droplet of water to express the vehicle’s characteristic of drawing in air and emitting water. The roof-side rails and hood appear to pop out of the body to create the impression of a low-tothe-ground vehicle while communicating a futuristic feeling. The interior of the Mirai has a sophisticated cabin space with soft padding on door trims and other interior surfaces, and a high-luminance silver finish throughout. The front seats provide superior body fit and hold through an integrated cover/seat foaming production process5. Eight-way adjustable power seats for achieving the optimal seat position and a motorized lumbar support function are installed as standard on the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The center meter cluster located in the central top level of the instrument panel includes a speedometer and multi-information display using a 4.2-inch high-definition TFT liquid crystal display with a design that appears to pop out. The battery layout also enables abundant trunk storage space. 4) Superior handling stability The high output Toyota FC Stack and optimal battery power control drive the electric motor and ensure powerful Qatar’s QNB earnings to be lifted by public spending Public spending, rising overseas revenue sustain earnings President Barack Obama speaks to media in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington yesterday.—AP Obama drops the tempered tone of economic message WASHINGTON: For most of last year, President Barack Obama tempered his pitch on the economy: It may be improving, he would say, but millions of Americans had yet to benefit from the rebound. But now that caveat is gone, replaced by a bullish new message as Obama marches into his second-to-last year. “American resurgence is real,” he says. “Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.” Despite multiple signs the recovery is indeed taking hold, some are saying otherwise, from conservatives to liberals in the president’s own Democratic Party who point to stagnant wages and a yawning income gap between rich and poor. The clashing messages reflect Obama’s need to boost his economic credentials and establish a post-recession legacy, and the desire by lawmakers to push their divergent economic policies. Obama’s retooled message, which he is unfurling as he approaches his Jan. 20 State of the Union address, comes as the public begins to warm toward the economy. An AP-GfK poll last month found negative perceptions of the economy overall are down compared with four years ago, with 57 percent describing it as “poor” compared with 83 percent who did in November 2010. The new tone was evident last week during trips to Michigan, Arizona and Tennessee, where he touted the government bailout of the auto industry, unveiled new housing measures and called for free community college. This week, he is focusing on information technology and cybersecurity with events in Washington and Iowa. For Obama, the idea of changing his tone on the economy gelled after the November midterm election, aides say. So in the two weeks in December before leaving for a Hawaii vacation, he huddled with his economic team to begin outlining themes for his Jan. 20 State of the Union address and recast his rhetoric. His audience, aides say, is the two-thirds of voters who were too disgruntled to cast ballots in November. “They need to understand that there are reasons to be optimistic, that there is true, tangible, solid growth and that we believe it’s going to portend good things,” White House communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in an interview. Some White House allies say there is a risk Obama’s new message won’t resonate, or may even backfire, if he doesn’t acknowledge many Americans are still struggling. “He’s got to paint a picture of why there are continued problems and what can be done about it,” said Lawrence Mishel, an economist and president of the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute. But White House officials no longer worry that optimistic assessments of the economy will seem tin-eared or that bright economic news will sour; concerns they still felt after encouraging first quarters in 2010, 2011 and even 2012.—AP DUBAI: Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest lender in the Gulf, is expected to post another quarter of healthy profits today, with high public spending at home and rising revenue from its international operations helping underpin growth. With QNB viewed as a gauge of the wider Qatari economy, the bank’s fourth-quarter results should signal the state’s resilience so far to falling oil prices, say analysts. The world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter, Qatar depends more on shipments of that commodity than oil, although prices of the two are closely correlated. Fifty percent owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, QNB’s fortunes are entwined with those of the state, especially as public sector loans account for about 60 percent of QNB’s lending activity and more 50 percent of its deposit base, according to HSBC. “There will be a positive trend in 2015 in that there will be a pick-up in government infrastructure projects. They can fund these projects even with lower oil prices and that will provide potential for credit growth for Qatar banks,” said Laila Sadek, director of financial institutions at Fitch Ratings. Analysts sur veyed by Reuters expect the bank to post an average net profit of 2.57 billion riyals ($685 million) in the fourth quarter, up 8.3 percent from the same period of 2013. QNB has been a major beneficiary of Qatar’s increase in public spending in recent years as the state invests in development projects and prepares to host the 2022 soccer World Cup. Qatar expects its economy will grow by 7.7 percent in 2015 despite the oil price slide, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said last month. Still, QNB’s year-onyear lending growth has slipped in the past two quarters, with delays in getting infrastructure projects started partially to blame The bank’s low cost base and low provisioning requirements would help shield it from slower credit growth of between 8 and 10 percent in 2015, said Elena Panayiotou, financial institutions analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. And despite sluggish lending in those quarters, QNB has continued to post strong profit growth, with its third-quarter earnings up 21 percent year-on-year. Like several other Gulf lenders, QNB has been focusing on expanding outside its small domestic market, a drive which has gained urgency as QNB’s lending profitability has been squeezed by competition from other cash-rich Qatari banks. The fourth-quarter results will be the first since the bank acquired a 23.5 percent stake in pan-African lender Ecobank in September. It also bought Societe Generale’s Egyptian business for $2 billion in March 2013 and has a presence in markets including the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Mauritania, South Sudan, Sudan and Tunisia. Those markets are likely to widen as the bank aims to achieve a profit contribution of around 40 percent from its overseas operations by 2017 — the year it wants to be the biggest bank in the Middle East and Africa. It is currently second in that geography by assets, behind South Africa’s Standard Bank. QNB is eyeing acquisitions or mergers in markets such as Turkey, Morocco and Saudi Arabia, the management have said. — Reuters responsiveness at all vehicle speeds. This provides an immediate increase in torque at the first press of the accelerator, and powerful and smooth acceleration thereafter. Handling stability and ride comfort are both improved through the location of major parts such as the Toyota FC Stack and high pressure hydrogen tanks centrally under the floor to achieve a low center of gravity and superior front-and-rear weight distribution, as well as the use of a high-rigidity body, which features enhanced rigidity around the rear suspension. Outstanding quietness is achieved by electric motor drive at all speeds and reduced wind noise, plus full sealing of all body parts. The use of sound-absorbing and sound-blocking materials optimally arranged around the cabin, including the use of noise-reducing glass for the windshield and all door windows also enhances the quietness of the ride. News i n b r i e f OPEC basket price down to $45.19pb VIENNA: The OPEC daily basket price went down by 49 cents to $45.19 a barrel on Friday, compared with $45.68 the previous day, the cartel said here yesterday. The average monthly rate for November hit $75.57pb compared to $59.46pb in December, it said. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venez). During their recent annual meeting, OPEC oil ministers decided to maintain the cartel’s production level at 30 million barrels per day. DAMAC shares surge on home market listing DUBAI: Shares in Dubai-based real estate developer DAMAC surged as they listed on the emirate’s bourse yesterday, after the company initially floated global depositary receipts in London in late 2013. DAMAC traded at 3.19 dirhams, up 14 percent from its London close last Friday. It dominated trading volume in Dubai; the market’s main stock index was up just 0.9 percent. Property firms enjoy richer multiples in Dubai than in London. DAMAC’s Friday close was at 5.9 times its 2013 earnings. Dubai’s biggest listed developer Emaar Properties trades at a ratio of 20.5 and its smaller competitor Deyaar is valued at 31.8 times 2013 earnings. Before its Dubai listing, DAMAC offered to allow holders of its London GDRs to exchange them for Dubai-listed shares. The offer closed last Friday and DAMAC has not yet announced its result. Qatar reserves reach record high of $46.5bn DOHA: Qatar’s international reserves hit an all-time high of $46.5 billion (39 billion euros) in November and are expected to climb higher despite falling oil prices, Qatar National Bank figures revealed. The latest figure was a jump of almost $7 billion on the level of reserves recorded by the energy-rich Gulf state at the same time in 2013. In its monthly monitor, the emirate’s largest commercial bank said it expected the new record to be broken in 2015 and for Qatar’s economy to power ahead over the next 12 months as it diversifies away from the energy sector. “Growth is expected to accelerate further in 2015 as the implementation of large infrastructure projects and a large influx of expatriates continue to drive double-digit growth in the non-hydrocarbon sector,” QNB said. Banque Saudi Fransi Q4 profit rises 211% ATHENS: A woman walks past a shop in central Athens on the first day of the winter sales yesterday. Global markets have been shaken by fears that Greece could abandon the euro if radical left-wing Syriza party wins the election on January 25. — AFP RIYADH: Banque Saudi Fransi, part-owned by Credit Agricole, posted a 211 percent rise in fourth-quarter net profit yesterday, beating analyst forecasts. Saudi Arabia’s fifth-largest bank by assets made 851 million riyals ($226.68 million) in the three months to Dec. 31, up from 274 million riyals in the same period a year earlier, according to a statement to Riyadh’s bourse. Analysts polled by Reuters on average forecast the bank would make a quarterly profit of 780.47 million riyals. The bank attributed its profit rise to higher operating income and a drop in expenses. Saudi companies issue brief earnings statements early in the reporting period before publishing more detailed results later. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 BUSINESS Europe stocks gain, Asia falls BEIJING: European stock markets were higher yesterday while Asian markets fell as investors digested another slide in the price of oil and strong hiring in the US. KEEPING SCORE: Germany’s DAX rose 1.1 percent to 9,751.14 and France’s CAC-40 added 1.1 percent to 4,223.56. London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent to 6,537.72. Wall Street looked set to recover some of Friday’s losses. Dow futures were up 0.4 percent at 17,718 and S&P 500 futures rose 0.4 percent to 2,042.80. Britain’s top share index rose yesterday, as falling crude oil prices boosted cruise operator Carnival and British engineering company GKN gained after a leading investment bank improved its rating for the shares. GKN rose 2.6 percent, leading the gains in the FTSE 100 , after Credit Suisse raised its price target for the stock to 410 pence from 380 pence and reiterated its “outperform” rating. Stocks were also helped by speculation of further mergers and acquisitions among drug companies, after the Dublin-based drugmaker Shire said it had agreed to buy NPS Pharmaceuticals for $5.2 billion. Acquiring New Jersey-based NPS will give Shire two important new drugs. Its shares rose nearly 2 percent in early trading but retreated later as investors scrutinised the financial implications of the deal. The takeover continues the dealmaking of 2014 among drug companies, as they jockey for promising assets amid a wave of new drugs emerging from research laboratories. “Healthcare remains top of the list in terms of likely M&A activity, with Shire news reinforcing this expectation,” said Keith Bowman, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. “The NPS takeover will give Shire two significant new drugs, diversifying Shire’s drug portfolio further. “Some beneficiaries of a lower oil price, such as Carnival, are adding to the market’s upside.” Holiday cruise company Carnival rose 2.4 percent, the secondbiggest gainer in the FTSE 100 index, after oil prices fell further following a cut in short-term forecasts by Goldman Sachs. Oil prices are at their lowest since April 2009 and have fallen for seven straight weeks. The benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 0.3 percent at 6,521.13 points by 0914 GMT after falling more than 1 percent in the previous session. However, energy shares were under pressure, with the UK oil and gas index falling 0.6 percent. US ECONOMY: A healthy month of hiring in December capped the best year for US job growth since 1999, demonstrating that employers are more confident than they’ve been since the Great Recession began. Nearly 3 million jobs were added in 2014, and continued solid hiring is expected to propel the economy this year to its fastest growth in a decade. The gains are putting further distance between the strengthening American economy and struggling nations overseas. But there was one discouraging sign: hourly pay declined by 5 cents in December. ENERGY: Oil slipped below $48 a barrel yesterday and is down 44 percent in the past three months, reflecting high supplies and muted demand from much of the world. Benchmark US crude was down 98 cents at $47.38 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract shed 43 cents on Friday to close at $48.36. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell $1.39 to $48.72 in London after losing 85 cents on Friday to $50.11. THE QUOTE: “If lower oil prices owe to a surge in supply, that would be the end of it and the global economy would be so much the better off in the end,” said DBS Group in a report. “But if prices are down because of weak demand instead, all bets are off. Economies, including the US, would be no better off.” ASIA’S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.7 percent to 3,229.32 and Seoul’s Kospi shed 0.2 percent to 1,920.95. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 24,045.96. Benchmarks in Sydney, Taiwan, Manila and Jakarta declined while Singapore and New Zealand rose. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday. CURRENCIES: The euro fell to $1.1811 from $1.1844 late Friday. The dollar rose to 118.81 yen from 118.54 yen. — Agencies Oil prices sink further, dollar hit by wage data HONG KONG: Oil prices tumbled again yesterday, while most Asian stock markets also retreated after a sell-off in New York at the end of last week in response to data showing weak US wage growth. The news on wages, which overshadowed another forecast-beating rise in job creation, pushed the dollar down against the euro because it complicates the Federal Reserve’s plans to raise interest rates. Sydney fell 0.78 percent, or 42.9 points, to close at 5,422.7 and Seoul closed 0.19 percent lower, or 3.75 points, at 1,920.95. Shanghai-which has surged more than 50 percent over the past year-slipped 1.71 percent, or 56.09 points, to 3,229.32. However, Hong Kong edged up 0.45 percent, or 106.51 points, to 24,026.46 thanks to a surge in market heavyweight Cheung Kong Holdings after it unveiled a multi-million-dollar restructuring plan last week. Tokyo was closed for a public holiday. Weak demand and a supply glut sent crude to new five-and-a-half-year lows, with analysts tipping further losses this week. The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate for February delivery, lost $1.06 to $47.30 a barrel, while Brent was down $1.32 to $48.79. Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said in a commentary: “Oil prices continued to tumble and headed for a seventh straight weekly loss as key producers show no sign of cutting output in the face of a supply glut.” Crude prices have lost more than half their value since the middle of last year, with weakness in key markets China and the euro-zone adding to the supply and demand crisis. Wall Street provided a negative lead for stock markets after figures showed US wages grew 1.7 percent year-on-year in December, barely keeping up with inflation and indicating consumer spending power remained low. The Dow slipped 0.95 percent Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0.84 percent and the Nasdaq lost 0.68 percent. Euro up against dollar Traders latched on to the data, ignoring the fact that unemployment fell to 5.6 percent, the lowest level in six and a half years, while 252,000 new posts were created in December to cap the best year for job creation since 1999. “Despite the robust US jobs data, markets chose to focus on the weak wages growth and the likelihood that it will keep the Fed Reserve ‘patient’ about any rate hike,” United Overseas Bank said. Economists took the report as allowing the Fed to delay raising interest rates. This dented speculation of an increase in April and made the dollar less attractive to investors. “This tug of war between deflation and expectations of the first rate hike in many years by the US Fed is likely to result in intense volatility,” Nader Naeimi at AMP Capital Investors in Sydney, told Bloomberg TV. In Asian trade the dollar bought 118.48 yen compared with 118.46 yen on Friday in New York. The euro fetched $1.1846 against $1.1842, while it was also at 140.22 yen compared with 140.29 yen. — AFP Gold dips below from 1-month high on dollar LONDON: Gold retreated from a onemonth high yesterday, as the dollar and shares rose, but doubts over the likely timing of an increase in US interest rates this year were seen likely to bolster investment demand in the short term. US nonfarm payrolls data on Friday showed US wages posted their biggest decline in at least eight years in December, even though payrolls increased by a brisk 252,000. The data added to speculation the Federal Reserve would be cautious in raising interest rates, which could help non-interest-bearing gold. Spot gold climbed to its highest since Dec. 11 at $1,231 an ounce, before edging 0.1 percent lower to $1,221.60 by 1019 GMT. The metal posted its biggest weekly gain since June last week at 2.9 percent, also snapping a three-week decline. “The market is dominated by this ongoing debate about whether the Fed looks at the jobs and the GDP growth or wage inflation and how their focus will impact the timing of interest rates hikes,” Societe Generale analyst Robin Bhar said. “In the meantime there are critical events such as the ECB meeting on monetary easing next week and then the Greek political elections, which could give support to prices at least until the end of the month, due to the need for safe havens.” The dollar index rose 0.2 percent against six major currencies, but stood below a nine-year peak hit last week, while European shares rose and oil prices fell to their lowest level since April 2009. Weaker oil prices tend to hurt gold as they reduce the need for gold as a hedge against oil-led inflation. But as equity markets have recently been hit by persistent weakness in oil prices, flight to safety demand bolstered the metal. Short-term investor sentiment turned slightly more positive towards gold, with holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rising 0.42 percent to 707.82 tonnes on Friday. Hedge funds and money managers raised their net long positions in gold and silver futures and options in the week to Jan. 6, US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed on Friday. Bullion was also getting some support from the physical markets, with buyers in top consumer China stocking up for the Lunar New Year holiday in February. Premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange were between $4 and $5 an ounce, steady from last week. Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.5 percent at $16.57 an ounce, while platinum and palladium rose 0.1 percent to $1,229.49 an ounce and $801.20 an ounce respectively. — Reuters TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 BUSINESS DETROIT: Mercedes-Benz introduces the c 350 Plug-In Hybrid at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. — AFP General Motors reveals the new Buick Cascada Convertible to the media.- —AFP Bring on the power Detroit auto show roars to life DETROIT: Luxury and performance vehicles look set to steal the headlines at the first major international auto show of the year in Detroit, further proof the industry is back to its boisterous best after near-collapse. The world’s top vehicle manufacturers were Sunday putting their finishing touches to their extravagant display stands and there was no mistaking the prevailing sense of optimism and anticipation. The US auto industry last year clocked up its best year in sales in nearly a decade and, with the low cost of gas and low interest rates, has created what analysts are calling a nearperfect storm. With host Detroit now on the long road to recovery after the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, experts are expecting the North American International Auto Show to let its hair down. More than 40 new car and truck models are forecast to go on display from, when the show opens its doors to the media. All the talk points to the luxury sector as being the one to watch this year. “I’m convinced the US economy and auto market are on the same upward trajectory as the city of Detroit,” MercedesBenz chief Dieter Zetsche said Sunday, presenting the new GLE Coupe-a hefty combination of power and luxe at an upscale downtown hotel. Much of the pre-show buzz has surrounded a new incarnation of Honda’s legendary Acura NSX supercar and Ford was expected to roll out one of its own in the shape of an eagerly awaited new GT. “The NSX is going to be beautiful. This is what you go into journalism for,” said Scott Burgess, Detroit editor at Motor Trend. “You could almost have a motor show just for the NSX.” Ford’s refusal to give any information away has served only to whet appetites and increase speculation.”Ford has been the quietest in not telling us what they have,” he said. Not to be outdone, Cadillac will show off its most powerful product in the brand’s 112-year history, the new 640 horsepower CTS-V. And then there will be Lexus with it GS F performance sedan. ‘Good and bad’ “It’s a very exciting time to be a luxury brand in the US. Luxury cars are making inroads into the mass market,” said Ravi Shanker, executive director and lead auto analyst at Morgan Stanley. Brian Bolain, corporate marketing manager, Lexus division, told the same Society of Automotive Analysts conference Sunday: “Luxury is about the brand, always has been, and will continue to be so.” But while the overall mood in Detroit is overwhelmingly more positive than in recent memory, it is not all good news. The European market “continues to bomb,” said Shanker, while emerging markets in Brazil and Russia “are struggling a bit.” And while the low price of gasoline is drawing buyers Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti executive director of design, talks about the Infinity Q60 concept unveiled at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. — AP back to gas-guzzling performance vehicles, there is a downside to that too, said Shanker. “It’s good because there are more dollars in consumers’ pockets,” he said. “But then it’s bad because lots of the US economy depends on the gas and oil industry.” And then there is the sensitive issue of recalls-a record 60 million vehicles in the US last year, with GM in particular in the spotlight over an ignition problem linked to dozens of deaths. But amid all the gleam and muscle on display, no one was talking about recalls as the show poised to open. — AFP Volkswagen, Ford take top awards Detroit names VW Golf car of the year SHENYANG: Workers assembling automobiles on the assembly line in a factory workshop in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning province. China’s auto sales exceeded 23 million vehicles last year, an industry group said yesterday. — AFP China 2014 auto sales beat 23m, but growth slows SHANGHAI: China’s auto sales exceeded 23 million vehicles last year, an industry group said yesterday, but annual growth halved from 2013 as a weaker economy took its toll on the world’s biggest car market. Sales rose 6.9 percent, or 1.51 million vehicles, to 23.49 million, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. That was short of an 8.3 percent growth target given by CAAM in July, itself a cut from an earlier forecast of 10 percent, Bloomberg News reported. In 2013, sales surged 13.9 percent to 21.98 million vehicles, helped by a recovery in Japanese brands that were earlier hurt by a political row between Beijing and Tokyo. CAAM described 2014 sales as “stable” in a statement. “Faced with a complex international environment and the arduous task of domestic reform, development and stability, the auto sector... achieved sound development,” it said. China’s economic growth eased to 7.3 percent in July-September, the worst quarter since the depths of the global crisis in early 2009, as policymakers accept slower expansion to carry out structural reforms. At least seven cities have slapped limits on vehicle numbers to cut congestion and pollution, including the southern boomtown of Shenzhen, which just announced a new policy to issue only 100,000 licence plates annually. But China remained the world’s biggest auto market last year, a title it has held since 2009, well ahead of the United States. Foreign brands shine Industry consultant Autodata has estimated total US sales last year reached 16.5 million units, up 5.9 percent from 2013. China’s passenger car sales, which account for the bulk of the market, rose a stronger 9.9 percent to 19.70 million vehicles in 2014, CAAM said. “The performance of the passenger car sector was within expectations and the slower overall growth is mainly due to a decline in sales of commercial vehicles,” John Zeng, general manager of LMC Automotive Consulting in Shanghai, told AFP. For 2015, passenger car sales were likely to maintain “relatively high” growth of nine to 10 percent, but an economic slowdown and stricter emissions regulations will hurt overall vehicle sales, Zeng said. He forecast overall auto sales growth of 7.2 percent for this year, nearly unchanged from 2014. Foreign automakers in China outpaced the overall market, with Germany’s Volkswagen (VW) as well as General Motors (GM) and Ford of the United States all reporting record sales for last year. VW delivered 3.67 million cars to customers in China in 2014, up 12.4 percent, the company said Sunday, despite recalling more than 500,000 of its vehicles. GM sold 3.54 million vehicles in China, up 12 percent from the previous high in 2013, it said last week. “GM expects industry demand to rise once again this year in China,” President of GM China Matt Tsien said in a statement. Ford sold 1.11 million vehicles in China in 2014, up 19 percent from 2013, according to the company. CAAM said that the market share of Chinese companies for passenger cars alone fell 2.1 percentage points in 2014, but gave no overall figure. Chinese firms held a 40.3 percent market share for passenger vehicles in 2013, previous figures showed. — AFP DETROIT: The Ford F-150 has been named North American Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show. The Volkswagen Golf was named North American car of the year at the Detroit auto show yesterday. The Golf saw off fierce competition from the Ford Mustang and Hyundai Genesis to take the prestigious award at the North American International Auto Show in a resurgent Detroit. Ford’s F-150 pick-up triumphed ahead of Chevrolet’s Colorado and the Lincoln MKC in the truck segment. The winners were decided by a jury of 57 journalists and based on qualities including design, safety, performance and value. The Detroit extravaganza, the first major international auto show of the year and the biggest in the United States, launches under renewed optimism that the industry has bounced back after years in the doldrums. The press preview days for the North American International Auto Show officially kick off with the awards. The announcements came yesterday morning at Cobo Center in Detroit. The other finalists for the car award were the Ford Mustang and Hyundai Genesis. The F-150 beat out the Lincoln MKC and Chevrolet Colorado for truck honors. About 60 automotive journalists vote on winners from the list of finalists. A vehicle must be all new or substantially changed for eligibility. This is the 22nd year for the awards. Organizers accept no advertising, though carmakers try to capitalize on the marketing value of the honors. SUV offensive Volkswagen’s latest push to become more than a niche player in the United States builds on a truism the German carmaker has long ignored: if you want to crack the US market, tune in to American customers. VW is aiming for leadership in global auto markets, backed by timely expansion in China and Latin America as well as its dominance in Europe. Yet it continues to struggle in North America. It swapped U. chiefs a year ago, disappointed by the results of a push into midsize sedans assembled at a $1 billion factory in Tennessee. US sales of VW-branded cars have dropped 16 percent since 2012. To fight back, the company plans to triple its product range in the fast-growing crossover segment and refresh models more quickly, company sources said. The campaign will include a five-seat variant of the forthcoming midsize sport-utility vehicle (SUV), a concept version of which will be unveiled on Monday at the Detroit auto show, the sources said. VW is also stepping up cooperation with dealers and assembling a team of 200 experts in R&D and design at its US plant to ensure vehicles better cater to American tastes. “It took us long to realize that the US market requires more special attention,” a senior manager at VW’s German headquarters said on condition of anonymity. “You have to have an ear on the ground to capitalize on trends and customer desires.” Michael Horn, VW’s new US chief, has reduced the product lifecycle from seven to five years for sedans and is planning similar changes for SUVs, one source DETROIT: Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America (left) and Dr Heinz-Jakob Neuser stand with the Volkswagen Golf, named the North American Car Of The Year at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. — AFP DETROIT: Joseph R Hinrichs (center), Executive Vice President and President of the Americas for Ford Motor Company, is surrounded by the media after accepting the North American Truck Of The Year award. — AFP said. “It’s the game you have to play in the hype- then, from last year’s 367,000, missing the goal by about a third. Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, at a heavy US market,” the source said. reception in Detroit on Sunday night, admitted it could be tough to more than double US sales to TARGET MISS VW’s past failings mean it will miss an 800,000 US 800,000 by 2018. “This will not be a walk in the park,” sales target for 2018, according to researcher IHS he said. “We are facing challenges in this great marAutomotive. It sees 547,000 sales of VW-brand cars by ket.” — Agencies TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 BUSINESS McLaren Automotive races ahead Over 1,600 vehicles delivered M cLaren Automotive ended 2014 with record sales as it has done every year since the company began production of luxury supercars in 2010. A total of 1,648 vehicles were delivered to customers around the world, an increase of 21 per cent over 2013 which was the company’s first year of profitability. In addition another 14 new retail locations were added bringing McLaren’s total global sales network to 68 sites. Following the international reveal of the 650S in CoupÈ and Spider form at the Geneva Motor Show where the two models were launched simultaneously, strong demand for McLaren’s core model range saw sales reach 1,400 units including some examples of the outgoing 12C. In addition, 248 examples of the 916PS petrol-electric McLaren P1 were delivered to customers around two thirds of the car’s total 375 unit production run. McLaren’s network of retailers grew to cover 30 markets with the additions of Chile, Scotland and Thailand. New sales outlets were also opened in existing markets, most notably Calabasas, Cape Town, Changsha, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Melbourne, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Tianjin. More development is planned in 2015. Growth was recorded across all four of McLaren’s regional business units. The Asia-Pacific region saw the biggest rise with sales increasing by 80 per cent over 2013 with 11 new retail locations across the region helping to fuel this growth. The North American market remained McLaren’s largest market • Asia-Pacific achieves 80% growth accounting for more than 30 per cent of overall sales, while sales in both Europe and the Middle East grew year-on-year by 10 per cent and nine per cent respectively. “With the continuously strong per formance of the Kuwaiti market, iconic luxury supercars such as the McLaren is a strong preference among buyers,” said Yousef Al-Qatami General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive Company, the exclusive importer of BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, Land Rover and McLaren in Kuwait. “As a result, our sales are on the rise with a huge demand expected this year. As reflected in its global performance, the Middle East market including Kuwait, remain as an important market for the brand.” McLaren Automotive continues to invest significantly in research and development for new models. 2015 will see the launch of the McLaren’s most attainable model yet, the new Sports Series which will debut at the New York International Auto Show in April. At the top of its range, the strictly limited edition track-only McLaren P1(tm) GTR will also enter production after the final road-going McLaren P1(tm) has been built. Commenting on the 2014 year end per formance, Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Automotive explained: ‘These latest results highlight that McLaren Automotive continues to push boundaries and set records year-on-year, and are testament to the energy and professionalism of the teams in Woking and around the world, including our retail partners. The past 12 months have seen the launch of the 650S in both coupÈ and Spider form, and the first full year of McLaren P1 production, and sees the third consecutive year of growth for the brand which is a fantastic achievement. ‘Since the opening of the first retailer in June 2011, McLaren has established a world-class network of retailers, with 14 key locations added in 2014, all of which continue to set benchmarks in the industry the world over. Add to this a range of groundbreaking models, shortly to be completed with the launch of the Sports Series later this year, and 2015 looks set to be another strong year for McLaren.’ Bridgestone appoints Zantrak as its first sole distributor in Iraq VIVA expands presence with 5 new branches in Kuwait KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed telecom operator, announced yesterday that it has added five new branches to its network amounting to a total of 63 branches across Kuwait, reinforcing its presence and growing closer to its customers. VIVA’s new branches are located in Sulaibikhat (Sama Al-Sulaibikhat Mall), Khaitan (Block 6 Hawazen Complex), Farwaniya Matafi St (Farwaniya - Matafi St - Farwaniya Commercial complex), Police Co-op (Al-Zahraa - Block 8 - in front of The Public Authority for Civil Information) and Mubarakiya ) Kuwait City Mubarakiya - Al-Jadeed Street - Building 69 Shop 2 ). The opening of these new branches come in line with the company’s expansion strategy to serve a wider audience across Kuwait by offering convenience in location, and in turn the provision of excellence in customer service, and unique and exclusive packages for its customers. VIVA’s network expansion with an additional five new branches is an achievement the company is proud to announce as it affirms its commitment to being as accessible as possible to its customers. VIVA will continue to move forward in the same direction, to ensure customers are served swiftly and efficiently. VIVA’s motivation to provide excellence in its services is driven by its passion to serve its customers and be closer to them wherever they are. VIVA is the fastest-growing telecom operator in Kuwait. Launched in December 2008, VIVA makes things Possible for its customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market through its customer centric approach. VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of choice in Kuwait by being transparent, engaging, energetic and fulfilling. VIVA continues to take a considerable share of the market by offering an innovative range of best value products, services and content propositions; a state of the art, nationwide network and world-class service. VIVA offers internet speeds of more than 100 Mbps, due to the implementation of the most advanced fourth generation (4G LTE) network in Kuwait resulting in superior coverage, performance and reliability. DUBAI: Bridgestone Middle East & Africa East FZE (BSMEA), a subsidiar y of Bridgestone Corporation, announced yesterday that it has appointed Zantrak International as its first sole distributor in the Republic of Iraq. Under this agreement, Zantrak International will exclusively distribute Bridgestone brand tires and tubes in Iraq for trucks and buses, light trucks and passenger cars as well as for industrial, motorcycle and agricultural use. The new distributorship will further strengthen BSMEA’s business in Iraq, an identified growth market for the company, by increasing its ability to offer high quality products and services to the country. “Iraq is a key Middle East growth market for Bridgestone we are delighted to partner with Zantrak International to support the expansion of our marketing and sales activities,” said Shoichi Sakuma, President of Bridgestone Middle East & Africa. “We are confident that Zantrak International will deliver strong sales across Iraq as a result of its commitment to excellence and its extensive nationwide presence.” Khalil Zantout, Chairman & General Manager of Zantrak International s.a.l, thanked Sakuma Shoichi Sakuma of BSMEA and Khalil Zantout of Zantrak International. for the trust that BSMEA has placed in Zantrak International and said: “We are proud to partner with BSMEA to be the first distributor for Bridgestone tyres and tubes in Iraq. We look for- Skyline Builders celebrates 25th anniversary KOCHI: On the occasion of celebrating its 25th anniversary, Skyline Builders honored its very first customers, PV Sathisa Baboo and Narayana Moorthy, home owners of Skyline’s first project, Skyline Mansion. They were felicitated by Skyline Builders CMD, K V Abdul Azeez. Founded in 1989, Skyline Builders has emerged as Kerala’s No 1 builder by completing 110 projects, with 24 ongoing projects, across 10 cities in Kerala. With a built-up area of over 13 million sq ft, Skyline Builders has a clientele of over 6000 customers in over 51 countries. The home builder has also received an award for All India Best Residential Apartment and been accredited a rating of 7 stars and DA2+ by CRISIL. Senior Vice President-Marketing, P A Verghese; Project General Manager, E A Abdu; Finance Controller, K R Vasudevan were also present on the occasion. KOCHI: On the 25th anniversary celebrations of Skyline Builders, first apartment owner P V Sathisa Baboo being honored by Skyline Builders CMD, KV Abdul Azeez. Project General Manager E A Abdu and Senior Vice President-Marketing, P A Verghese watch on. Global Brands names Gulf Insurance best insurance Brand in Kuwait 2014 Saudi’s SAFCO Q4 net profit falls 3% DUBAI: Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co (SAFCO) reported a 3 percent drop in fourth-quarter net profit yesterday, missing analyst forecasts due to lower ammonia sales and reduced profits from a sister company. The company, a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) , one of the world’s biggest petrochemical companies, made a net profit of 779 million riyals ($207.55 million) in the three months to Dec. 31, according to a statement to Riyadh’s bourse. This compares with a profit of 802 million riyals in the corresponding period a year earlier. In an Arabic statement, SAFCO said ammonia sales fell in the fourth quarter and it also received reduced profits from a sister company, although higher product sales prices partly offset these declines. Analysts polled by Reuters on average forecast SAFCO would make a quarterly profit of 892.6 million riyals. The company’s 2014 annual profit was 3.17 billion riyals, which was nearly flat versus its 2013 profit of 3.16 billion riyals. SAFCO, a big producer of ammonia and urea, is dependent on global demand and prices. Since mid-2013, global players have voiced concerns over the sustained fall in urea prices due to China’s ramp up in output. In the third quarter, SAFCO ended a fivequarter streak of decreasing year-on-year profits as urea prices recovered. — Reuters ward to working closely with Bridgestone to achieve results and to operate as an effective distributor by developing a robust customer base for the brand in our market.” Al-Sanousi receiving the award from Global Brand. KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance, the leading insurance services provider in Kuwait and the Middle East, won the ‘Best Insurance Brand’ award from Global Brands Magazine. The award ceremony took place on 15 December, 2014 at The Address Hotel in Dubai. The award recognizes Gulf Insurance’s superior brand in the insurance sector since establishment in 1962, and ongoing brand development efforts. The Gulf Insurance brand aims to create greater desirability across the insurance industry sector, with a primary focus on building long-lasting premium quality relationships that are rewarding and based on mutual respect. Winners were selected from a competitive group of candidates, all of whom possess unique and superior qualities in the evolving insurance sector. Gulf Insurance’s recognition comes in line for its exceptional commitment to quality, branding activities, customer service and performance, as well as providing a robust insurance system. Corporate Communication and Investor Relations Manager, Khaled Al-Sanousi, received the award on behalf of Gulf Insurance. He said, “We are pleased to gain international recognition for what we believe to be a world-class brand. We will continue to work towards exceeding expectations and excelling in our industry.” TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 technology Foreign investors add Indian online property portals to shopping cart NEW DELHI: Indian businessman Navin Bhartia’s Internet habits make him a dream customer for billionaire foreign media moguls like Rupert Murdoch. The 45-year-old from Kolkata likes to buy homes online, sometimes without visiting them. In the last four years, he has bought five properties for 40 million rupees ($641,900) on Proptiger.com, partly owned by Murdoch’s News Corp. Foreign investors like Murdoch have already put more than $200 million into portals that help people like Bhartia buy homes. Spurring the interest is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vow to provide a house to every Indian family by 2022 as the country’s growing army of Internet users embrace ecommerce. “Scale and growth of businesses like (online retailer) Flipkart are a proxy that consumers in India are comfortable doing transactions on the Internet,” said Mukul Singhal, principal at India-China fund SAIF Partners, which has invested $10 million in Proptiger. News Corp has a $30 million stake. India’s Internet legion, already bigger than Indonesia’s 250 million population and growing at an annual rate of more than 20 percent, has also lured property portal investment from the likes of Japanese telecoms-to-media firm SoftBank Corp. Last week Google Inc’s Google Capital unit invested an undisclosed sum in a site called Commonfloor.com. The need for long-term capital for startups like Proptiger and Housing.com also makes India more attractive for foreign investors compared with China, where local money dominates, according to one investor, speaking on condition of anonymity. Indian home buyers by tradition work with local brokers. But in a vast country with a property market already estimated by KPMG to be worth $121 billion in 2013, the Internet offers people like businessman Bhartia the ability to compare house prices hundreds of kilometres away without leaving home. “A single broker would have his own limited contacts...and he could have personal reasons for pushing a property. Online you get a very good and holistic view,” said Bhartia, whose firm manufactures gas cylinders. He bought his last two properties without visiting them at all. MODI MOVES Prime Minister Modi has already sought to make an impact on India’s still largely unregulated property market by making the listing of real estate investment trusts easier. He has paved the way for more foreign investment in construction, and eased land acquisition rules. “Real estate in India is very messy. There is a lot of information arbitrage and asymmetry...no credible pricing data and that is why there is a strong case for technology-based solutions,” said SAIF Partners principal Singhal. Driven by expectations that years of property market slowdown may come to an end soon, investment in property portals jumped five-fold to $193 million last year, according to data from Venture Intelligence. The research firm also expects India’s housing market to grow to $158 billion by 2020. Desperate to boost housing sales that have flagged as India’s economy stuttered in recent years, property developers are tying up with portals to push transactions online with special promotions. Developer Tata Housing, part of the $100 billion Tata group, in November sold homes worth more than 500 million rupees through a partnership with Housing. Buyers could see 3D models of the units, make a token payment online and complete the remaining purchase offline. Such websites, which charge subscription fees or a percentage of the sales price, still account for a fraction of home sales in India. For investors like News Corp, though, the Internet logic is inescapable. “India’s digital demographics are a key factor in looking at this space,” said Raju Narisetti, vice president of strategy at News Corp. “More of the research, decision-making and increasingly the early part of the journey of buying a home is all happening on the Internet.” — Reuters JACKSONVILLE: According to the website SpaceflightNow.com, the SpaceX ocean-going rocket landing pad returned to port carrying debris from the Falcon 9 rocket booster on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida. — AP SpaceX supply ship arrives at space station finally Dragon pulls up at orbiting lab with groceries CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: A shipment of much-needed groceries and belated Christmas presents finally arrived yesterday morning at the International Space Station. The SpaceX company’s supply ship, Dragon, pulled up at the orbiting lab two days after its liftoff. Station commander Butch Wilmore used a robot arm to grab the capsule and its 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms) of precious cargo, as the craft soared more than 260 miles (420 kilometers) above the Mediterranean. The space station’s six astronauts were getting a little low on supplies. That’s because the previous supply ship - owned by another company - was destroyed in an October launch explosion. NASA scrambled to get replacement equipment aboard Dragon, as did schoolchildren who rustled up new science projects. Then Dragon was stalled a month by rocket snags; it should have reached the space station well before Christmas. Mission Control joked about missing not only the December shipment date, but Eastern Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7 as well. “We’re excited to have it on board,” Wilmore said. “We’ll be digging in soon.” He’s especially eager to get more mustard. The station’s condiment cabinet is empty. NASA is paying SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. for shipments. Orbital’s rockets are grounded until next year, however, because of its launch accident. SpaceX is picking up as much slack as it can. Russia and Japan also plan deliveries this year. SpaceX is still poring over data from Saturday’s rocket-landing test, the first of its kind. After the first stage of the Falcon rocket peeled away as planned following liftoff, it flew back to a giant platform floating off the Florida coast. The guidance fins on the booster ran out of hydraulic fluid, however, right before touchdown, and it landed hard and broke into pieces. The California company ’s billionaire founder, Elon Musk, was encouraged nonetheless and plans another rocket-landing test next month. — AP Internet at heart of new tactics for Med people smugglers BRUSSELS: Migrants dreaming of Europe have their pick of social media sites that work like an online travel agent, advertising fares and offering tips on secure payments. Meanwhile, the traffickers who send them floating across the Mediterranean are buying scrapyard cargo ships over the Internet. That’s the picture of an increasingly sophisticated business in migrant smuggling painted by European officials and an EU document seen by The Associated Press. Information gathered from migrants rescued at sea “confirms that social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are widely used to share information on how to enter the EU illegally,” says the analysis compiled by security experts for EU policy makers. The document underscores the ingenuity and flexibility of human traffickers, as Libya’s mounting chaos forces them to turn away from the country as the preferred departure point. With thousands of sub-Saharan Africans willing to pay as much as 2,000 euros ($2,400) for a spot in an overcrowded dinghy - and wealthier Syrians now barely flinching at shelling out 9,600 euros ($8,000) for a place aboard a rusty cargo ship - criminal gangs from Turkey are homing in on a share of the profits. Social media, which helped spread the Arab Spring revolutions, are now a versatile tool in the hands of migrants and smugglers. Many use members-only Facebook accounts to share information about how to enter the EU illegally and elude authorities once inside. “Would-be migrants exchange information that can vary from routes to be used, asylum-related general information, facilitators’ contacts and also warnings regarding certain facilitators that usually just take advantage of migrants in order to obtain money from them,” says the EU document. One Facebook page, with several thousand likes, provides contacts via Viber and WhatsApp to an Istanbul office where secure payments for travel from Turkey to Greece can be made. Another has regularly updated information on travel document requirements in several countries, including Turkey. The sites have been confirmed by The AP. Buying cargo ships The Internet is also a good method for buying cargo ships that carry migrants across the Mediterranean, according to EU border agency Frontex. It says that about 15 cargo ships with would-be asylum seekers aboard have tried to reach Europe since August. More than 1,000 migrants were rescued in two incidents last week alone. Frontex spokesperson Izabella Cooper said one of the vessels used last week appears to have been purchased online from a scrapyard. While the smugglers share information online, there is little evidence they work as one gang. Crews have been variously Russian or Egyptian, and Frontex analysts have been unable to establish any pattern that might link the smugglers to any larger criminal enterprise. “There is no evidence of these networks being connected. This might just be a new business opportunity that someone has picked up in Turkey,” Cooper said in a telephone interview from Frontex headquarters in Warsaw, Poland. Almost 170,000 people were rescued in the Mediterranean last year, but hundreds died and more are missing. EU border authorities are struggling against opportunistic tactics, such as migrants scuttling boats and throwing motors overboard once they spot a coast guard ship. Under international law, that turns the encounter into a search-and-rescue mission obliging the coast guard to haul the vessel Migrants wait after disembarking from the cargo ship Ezadeen, carrying hundreds of migrants, in the southern Italian port of Corigliano, Italy. The cargo ship was stopped with about 450 migrants aboard after smugglers sent it speeding toward the coast in rough seas with no one in command. Migrants dreaming of Europe have their pick of social media sites that work like an online travel agent, advertising fares and offering tips on secure payments. — AP to European shores. Last week, smugglers used an even more dramatic method: They sent the Sierra-Leoneflagged Ezadeen at full throttle in rough seas toward the Italian coast Stray satellite signals help gauge snowfall in arid West DENVER: Climate scientists are gleaning valuable information about snowfall and droughts from errant satellite signals once considered a nuisance. The data comes from GPS receivers, mostly ones used by earthquake researchers to detect motion in the Earth’s surface. The receivers use signals from GPS satellites to measure movement. But there’s a problem: In addition to picking up signals directly from the satellites, the receivers also pick up satellite signals that bounce off the ground first, providing false readings. “First I tried to get rid of them because they were making the earthquake data bad,” said Kristine Larson, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado. But about four years ago, Larson and other Colorado scientists discovered those nuisance signals have some value. In winter, researchers can determine the depth of nearby snow by how long it takes the reflected signals to reach the receiver. If the ground is bare, they can tell how much moisture is in the soil by the strength of the reflected signal. That can be valuable information, particularly in the arid West, where snow depth in remote mountain ranges determines how much water will be DETROIT: A section of the Toyota exhibit is readied for the 2015 North American International Auto Show yesterday in Detroit. — AFP available to cities, farms and wildlife when the spring melt begins. Larson and a team of researchers now monitor about 500 GPS receivers, mostly in the western United States, for snow and moisture data. The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses the information from Larson’s team to supplement data from a nationwide snow-measuring network of about 3,000 human observers and more than 730 automated stations called SNOTEL, for Snowpack Telemetry. Operated by the US Agriculture Department, the stations have a pressure-sensing pad, precipitation gauge and thermometer and use radio signals to relay information about snow depth and moisture content. The stations are widely spaced and can be difficult to reach if they break, said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center. Data from other sources, including Larson’s team, helps fill in the gaps. “It gives us a better idea of what’s going on between data points and in data-poor areas,” Fuchs said. Larson said the soil moisture data could also help farmers know whether to expect floods. Heavily saturated ground can’t absorb much more rain and snow, making flooding more likely. With an annual budget of about $250,000, the project is relatively inexpensive because it uses data from GPS receivers installed and paid for by other projects, Larson said. And GPS receivers are plentiful and well-maintained, because the system is so integral to society, she said. The satellites provide precise timing and location information used in weapons, navigation, banking and other applications. — AP with hundreds of people locked inside. They then abandoned ship in high seas. A Frontex vessel from Iceland eventually managed to tow the Ezadeen to Italy. “It’s like from the movies. You would never think that ghost ships going on full speed could happen in real life,” Cooper said, “let alone with more than 360 people on board.” — AP Self-taught computer program finds super poker strategy NEW YORK: A computer program that taught itself to play poker has created nearly the best possible strategy for one version of the game, showing the value of techniques that may prove useful to help decision-making in medicine and other areas. The program considered 24 trillion simulated poker hands per second for two months, probably playing more poker than all humanity has ever experienced, says Michael Bowling, who led the project. The resulting strategy still won’t win every game because of bad luck in the cards. But over the long run - thousands of games - it won’t lose money. “We can go against the best (players) in the world and the humans are going to be the ones that lose money,” said Bowling, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The strategy applies specifically to a game called heads-up limit Texas Hold ‘em. While scientists have created poker-playing programs for years, Bowling’s result stands out because it comes so close to “solving” its version of the game, which essentially means creating the optimal strategy. Poker is hard to solve because it involves imperfect information, where a player doesn’t know everything that has happened in the game he is playing specifically, what cards the opponent has been dealt. Many real-world challenges like negotiations and auctions also include imperfect information, which is one reason why poker has long been a proving ground for the mathematical approach to decision-making called game theory. Tuomas Sandholm of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who didn’t participate in the new work, called Bowling’s results a landmark. He said it’s the first time that an imperfect-information game that is competitively played by people has been essentially solved. Bowling’s paper, released Thursday by the journal Science, introduces some techniques that could become useful for applying game theory in real-world situations. Bowling is investigating the possibility of helping doctors determine proper insulin doses for diabetic patients, for example. Game theory has also been used to schedule security patrols, and it has implications for other areas like developing strategies for cybersecurity, designing drugs and fighting disease pandemics. But Bowling doubts the poker strategy will let anybody make a fortune on the game itself. The kind of poker it applies to has waned in popularity over the past seven years or so, he said. Even online, the stakes tend to be small and “you’d be winning a few dollars, not raking in millions.” In the two-player game, each contestant creates a poker hand from two cards he is dealt face-down plus five other cards placed on the table face-up. Players place bets before the face-up cards are laid out, and then again as each card is revealed. The size of the wagers is fixed. Bowling said the computer’s strategy is far too complicated for anybody to memorize, with about 1,000 times the amount of information in the English-language Wikipedia. But his university has created a website where people can ask it for advice and even play against it. — AP TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 H E A LT H & S C I E N C E British Ebola patient recovering, no longer critical, says hospital LONDON: A British nurse diagnosed with Ebola last month is recovering and is no longer in a critical condition, the London hospital treating her said in a statement yesterday. Pauline Cafferkey, a 39-yearold nurse who normally works at a Scottish health centre, became the first person to be diagnosed with the disease in Britain after contracting it in Sierra Leone where she was volunteering at an Ebola clinic. “Pauline Cafferkey is showing signs of improvement and is no longer critically ill,” the statement from the Royal Free Hospital said. “She remains in isolation as she receives specialist care for the Ebola virus.” Cafferkey is being treated with blood plasma from an Ebola survivor and an unnamed experimental anti-viral drug, the hospital has said. The Royal Free, Britain’s main centre for Ebola cases, successfully treated British aid worker William Pooley with the experimental drug ZMapp-a drug made by the small biotech company Mapp Biopharma-ceutical in San Diego-after he was flown back to Britain last August, suffering from the disease. Supplies of ZMapp have since run out and none has been available to treat Cafferkey.—Reuters E-learning matches traditional training for doctors, nurses LONDON: Millions more students worldwide could train as doctors and nurses using electronic learning, which is just as effective as traditional medical training, a review commissioned by the World Health Organization has found. Researchers at Imperial College London who conducted the review said yesterday that wider use of e-learning might help make up for a global shortfall of 7.2 million health workers identified in a recent WHO report. Josip Car, who led the study, said that the use of electronic media and devices in education - already used by many universities and workplaces to allow “distance learning” to support campus- or office-based teaching - could enable greater access to education, especially in poorer countries where the need for health professionals is greatest. He said the barriers were mostly in access to computers and Internet connections. Car’s team carried out a systematic review of 108 existing studies to assess the effectiveness of e-learning for undergraduate health professional education. They also conducted separate analyses looking at online learning, requiring an internet connection, and offline learning, delivered using CD-ROMs or USB sticks, for example. They found that students gain knowledge and skills through online and offline eLearning as well as or better than they do through traditional teaching.—Reuters LAS VEGAS: This Jan 4, 2015 file photo shows the Zepp sensor and application on display at CES Unveiled, a media preview event for CES International.—AP photos Wearable sensors gather lots of data-now to make it useful ‘what’s technologically meaningful’ LAS VEGAS: It’s not just about how many steps you’ve taken or how many calories you’ve burned in a day. Wearable fitness trackers and health monitors are becoming more commonplace and diverse, but just what do you do with all of that data? “We have a lot of people buy wearables and then stop using them,” said Paul Landau, president of Fitbug, a British maker of fitness trackers. Landau attended the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas last week, promoting a series of 12-week fitness coaching programs that offer detailed and custom recommendations for getting in shape. “If you want to help people,” said Landau, “they’ve got to have more than just selftracking.” Health monitors aren’t just for fitness buffs. Startups and big tech companies at the gadget show promoted all kinds of uses for the data generated by wearable sensors - from mindfulness exercises to figuring out the best time to get pregnant. Other companies aim to offer value by aggregating data from different sources, so it can be viewed and interpreted together. That could be useful, but it also raises a host of privacy concerns. TRAVERSE CITY: Microfibers were found inside the body of a Great Lakes fish, shown in this July 28, 2014 photo.—AP Scientists: Great Lakes teeming with tiny plastic fibers TRAVERSE CITY: Scientists who have reported that the Great Lakes are awash in tiny bits of plastic are raising new alarms about a little-noticed form of the debris turning up in sampling nets: synthetic fibers from garments, cleaning cloths and other consumer products. They are known as “microfibers” - exceedingly fine filaments made of petroleumbased materials such as polyester and nylon that are woven together into fabrics. “When we launder our clothes, some of the little microfibers will break off and go down the drain to the wastewater treatment facility and end up in our bodies of water,” Sherri “Sam” Mason, a chemist with the State University of New York at Fredonia, said Friday. The fibers are so minuscule that people typically don’t realize their favorite pullover fleece can shed thousands of them with every washing, as the journal Environmental Science & Technology reported in 2011. Over the past couple of years, Mason and colleagues have documented the existence of microplastic litter - some too small to see with the naked eye - in the Great Lakes. Among the particles are abrasive beads used in personal care products such as facial and body washes and toothpastes. Other researchers have made similar finds in the oceans. A number of companies are replacing microbeads with natural substances such as ground-up fruit pits. Illinois imposed a statewide ban on microbeads last year. Similar measures were proposed in California and New York. Wave actions But microfibers have gotten comparatively little attention. They’ve accounted for about 4 percent of the plastic litter that Mason and her students have collected from the Great Lakes. The group drags finely meshed netting along the lake surfaces, harvesting tens of thousands of particles per square mile, and study them with microscopes. About three -quarters of the bits they’ve found are fragments of larger items such as bottles. Smaller portions consist of microbeads, Styrofoam and other materials. But when Mason’s team and a group from the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant program took samples from southern Lake Michigan in 2013, about 12 percent of the debris consisted of microfibers. It’s unclear why the fibers were three times as prevalent in that area as elsewhere in the lakes, although currents and wave actions may be one explanation, said Laura Kammin, pollution prevention specialist with Sea Grant. Ominously, the fibers seem to be getting stuck inside fish in ways that other microplastics aren’t. Microbeads and fragments that fish eat typically pass through their bodies and are excreted. But fibers are becoming enmeshed in gastrointestinal tracts of some fish Mason and her students have examined. They also found fibers inside a doublecrested cormorant, a fish-eating bird. Obvious solution “The longer the plastic remains inside an organism, the greater the likelihood that it will impact the organism in some way,” Mason said, noting that many plastics are made with toxic chemicals or absorb them from polluted water. She is preparing a paper on how microplastics are affecting Great Lakes food chains, including fish that people eat. There’s also a chance that fibers are in drinking water piped from the lakes, she said. Scientists reported last fall that two dozen varieties of German beer contained microplastics. Because microfibers are used so widely, there’s no obvious solution, Mason said. Persuading people to stop wearing synthetic clothes likely would be a tougher sell than the idea of switching facial scrubs. But pollution prevention remains the best way to protect the lakes, Kammin said. “It’s very hard to remove these microplastics once they’re out there,” she said.—AP Turning data into an experience “A lot of wearables today are just throwing numbers at people. We’re looking to synthesize that data and turn it into an experience,” says Jason Fass of Zepp Labs, a Silicon Valley startup that makes a tiny, wearable motion sensor for tennis, baseball and golf enthusiasts. Zepp has been selling sensors for a year, Fass said in an interview at CES, but he’s hoping weekend athletes will see more value in Zepp’s new smartphone app. It shows users an animated analysis of their swing, and lets them compare their moves with videos of pro athletes. The trend goes beyond sports. A Canadian startup called InteraXon displayed a headset that can measure brain activity, by tracking electrical impulses. It connects to an app that provides mental exercises to relax or focus the mind, but founder Ariel Garten predicts the technology might be integrated with other services in the future - to automatically adjust a wearer’s iTunes playlist, for example. Other exhibitors showed wearable motion sensors designed for the elderly person who lives alone, keeping a record of daily activity and sending an alert to family members if, for example, the wearer falls, or isn’t following his or her usual pattern of moving around the house. Colorado-based Prima-Temp introduced a cervical ring containing an electronic sensor that’s designed to track a woman’s internal body temperature. It can send a smartphone alert to the woman - and her partner - when it’s her optimum time to conceive a child. Tiny sensors that can track activity and health data have been a fixture at CES in recent years. LAS VEGAS: In this Jan7, 2015 file photo, Garmin’s Vivofit 2 fitness tracker is on display at the Garmin booth at the International CES. One in 10 Americans owns a fitness activity tracker - typically a wristband that measures things like heart rate, breathing and movement, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes the annual show. The Gartner research firm estimates more than 70 million such devices were sold worldwide last year. And that doesn’t count more sophisticated wearables that can measure body temperature, glucose levels or other health indicators. But as the novelty of these devices wears off, said CES chief economist Shawn DuBravac, consumers will become less interested in “what technologically can be done” and more focused on “what’s technologically meaningful.” Gathering the data in one place Apple and Google have developed mobile device software that can gather health and fitness data from wearables and other sources, displaying it in ways that are easy for consumers and their doctors to interpret. Samsung and Blackberry are also working on software to collect medical data. Silicon Valley startup Bellabeat makes several devices aimed at women, including a wearable activity tracker that looks like jewelry, a weight scale and a fetal heartbeat monitor for pregnancy. Instead of showing readings on each device, they’re designed to send information to a single smartphone app, “where you can see how your data is connected,” said co-founder Urska Srsen. “The future is going to be one where all your information is going to be in one place,” said WebMD CEO David Schlanger. Scientists from a South African company, LifeQ, were making the rounds at CES to promote their notion of using sophisticated algorithms to analyze data from a variety of wearable devices. LifeQ founder Riaan Conradie says his company can use “bio-mathematical modeling” to make meaningful health predictions, such as whether a person is at risk for a heart attack. But who gets to see all that data? The prospect of collecting and analyzing so much personal data - especially sensitive medical records - raises a host of privacy concerns. Consumer advocates worry the information could be used by insurance companies to deny coverage or raise rates. Speaking at CES last week, Federal Trade Commission chief Edith Ramirez warned tech companies against selling health information to data brokers, and urged them to guard against hackers. Prima-Temp’s Costantini said the information her company gathers on body temperatures and fertility might someday be analyzed for broader medical insights. But she said identities will always be shielded and all data is stored in compliance with federal confidentiality rules for health records. Companies that collect health information can’t operate in the same way as, say, online retailers who tell advertisers what kind of shoes you like to buy, said Samsung Electronics president Young Sohn. “We can’t just share that information like the marketing data you might get out of some e-commerce application,” said Sohn.—AP Got help paying for health care? Watch your mailbox WASHINGTON: If you’re among the millions of consumers who got financial help for health insurance last year under President Barack Obama’s law, better keep an eye on your mailbox. The administration said Monday it has started sending out tax reporting forms that you’ll need to fill out your 2014 return. Like W-2s for health care, they’re for people who got health insurance tax credits provided under the law. Because this is the first time Americans will experience the complex connections between the health care law and taxes, there’s concern that some people may not realize the new forms are important, and that they do need to open that envelope. Some consumers may not know what to do with the paperwork. Called 1095-A, the forms list who in each household got subsidized coverage through the health insurance exchanges, and how much the government paid each month to help with premiums. You don’t actually file the form with your tax return, but you can’t complete your return without the information it contains. Taxpayers, or their tax preparers, will use the financial details to fill out yet another form - 8962. That one is used to determine whether people received the right amount of assistance that they were legally entitled to. The amount of the tax credit is based on a formula that takes into account income, household size, and health insurance costs in your community. Those who got too much of a subsidy will get their tax refunds reduced by the IRS. For example, you can get dinged if your income went up during the year, and you didn’t realize you had to report that to HealthCare.gov or your state insurance exchange. If you received less of a subsidy than you were entitled to, the IRS will owe you instead. Insurance exchanges The Health and Human Services department said it has started sending out forms to consumers in states where the federal government is running the insurance markets. The first batches should start arriving by midweek. The forms can also be downloaded from your HealthCare.gov account. States running their own insurance exchanges - including California and New York - will send out the forms separately. But they still must meet a Feb. 2 postmark deadline. Insurers say the feds have told them that they expect to mail about 4.5 million forms and they’re tackling the massive job state by state. Tax preparation companies are seeing a whole new line of business in the health care law. But insurers are worried that perplexed consumers will pepper them with tax questions they’re not qualified to answer. The health care law will mean lots more work for the IRS, and Commissioner John Koskinen is warning Congress that budget cuts could hamper taxpayer services this filing season. The Obama administration has been trying to offer reassurance. “In the coming weeks, HHS will work with other agencies, tax preparers and community organizations to arm ... consumers with the information they need to know as they prepare to file their taxes,” Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. The health care law provides subsidized private health insurance for people who don’t have access to coverage on the job. Funneling the subsidies through the tax system allowed the White House to claim that the law was “the largest tax cut for health care in American history.” But the downside is it adds more complexity to a tax system that’s already impenetrable for many people.—AP H E A LT H & S C I E N C E TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 Britain’s health service to halt access to some costly cancer drugs LONDON: Several expensive cancer medicines will no longer be available on Britain’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) following an overhaul of an over-budget drug funding scheme, NHS England said yesterday. The revamp was triggered by the escalating cost of supplying modern cancer therapies, which often cost tens of thousands of pounds for a course of treatment. Drug companies have been in urgent talks with the health service about the cuts. In some cases that has resulted in price reductions, allowing certain medicines to stay on the list, but other firms have failed to reach a workable deal. Japan’s Eisai said it was “outraged” by a decision to de-list its breast cancer drug Halaven. Other notable drugs being dropped include Sanofi’s prostate and bowel cancer drugs Jevtana and Zaltrap. The changes follow a review of the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF), which pays for treatments deemed too costly under the normal process for evaluating medicines. The fund has overspent hugely since it was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron in 2011. Manufacturers argue that the de-listings fly in the face of evidence that their medicines offer clear benefits, but critics of the CDF claim it was set up for political reasons, resulting in money being wasted on excessively pricey drugs. While most drugs have been retained, the list of approved clinical uses for medicines has been cut to 59 from 84 previously. Despite the revamp, the CDF budget will still increase to an expected 340 million pounds ($515 million) in the year from April 2015 from 280 million in 2014/15. If action had not been taken, the projected cost would have grown to around 420 million in the coming year. “There were drugs that did not offer sufficient clinical benefit so we simply cannot go on funding those,” said Peter Clark, chair of the CDF and a practising oncologist. “There were others that offered some benefit but were costly and I am pleased that a number of pharmaceutical firms worked with us to make prices more affordable, saving millions of pounds that can now be reinvested in other treatments.” — Reuters Girl in China got HIV through blood transfusion BEIJING: A five-year-old girl in China contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, state media reported, the latest case to shine a light on an issue that has long bedeviled the country. According to the official news agency Xinhua, the girl, nicknamed Maomao, was infected during an operation for congenital heart disease in 2010 in the eastern province of Fujian. She tested positive for HIV last year after she had come down with a fever for 17 days, Xinhua said. A Fujian government official told the news agency that one of eight donors whose blood was used during the operation was in a “window period” during which the virus was undetectable. The donor was later found to have HIV. Nearly half a million people are living with HIV/AIDS in China, according to figures released last month by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In the 1990s, rural parts of China-particularly the central province of Henan-were hit by the country’s most debilitating AIDS epidemic. It stemmed from a tainted governmentbacked blood donation program and infected tens of thousands of people, including entire villages. Currently, sexual transmission accounts for more than 90 percent of infections, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP). But transmission through blood transfusions remains an issue. Wu Zunyou, the head of the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, told yesterday’s China Daily newspaper that about 10 people in China annually are infected with HIV through blood transfusions. China Daily By contrast, the last two such cases in the US took place in 2008 and 2002, according to the UK-based charity AVERT. Screening of donors’ blood led to the detection of 2,237 cases of HIV/AIDS in the first 10 months of 2014, Wu told the China Daily. In the Fujian case, an investigation found that “neither the hospital nor the blood centre had broken any law” as the donor was in the window period, Xinhua reported on Sunday, adding that negotiations on compensation were underway with the family. The same donor’s blood was also used for two other operations, and officials are trying to track down the patients, Xinhua said. In an op-ed yesterday, commentator Tie Yonggong wrote in the Beijing Times that “a child who becomes infected with AIDS due to a blood transfusion is not just a family’s tragedy; it’s a systematic risk to all of society”. “In addition to this child, there are others who also received blood from the same source,” Tie wrote. “So, remedying the loopholes in the system is in the interests of the safety of many people.” — AFP China quietly toughens travel restrictions on West Africans BEIJING: China has been quietly toughening travel restrictions on students and businessmen travelling from Ebola-hit West Africa even as it increases support to fight the deadly disease on the ground in the region, diplomats say. Beijing-based ambassadors from Liberia and Sierra Leone, whose countries along with Guinea are the hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak, say some of their nationals are staying away from China due to the new procedures. No cases of Ebola have so far been reported in China. “You have many Liberians, Guineans and Sierra Leonians whocome frequently to conduct business,” Dudley Thomas McKinley, Liberia’s ambassador to China, said in an interview. “Of course this has impacted them in a negative way and has slowed it down. “It has impacted the numbers of people travelling to China from those regions, whether for business or for study,” he added, saying he planned to raise the concern with China’s Foreign Ministry. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied there was any change in visa policy for West African applicants. Most West Africans enter China through the southern province of Guangdong, which neighbours Hong Kong. The Guangzhou Daily said 438,000 Africans, mostly traders, passed through the provincial capital from January to October last year. Victor Bockarie Foh, Sierra Leone’s ambassador to China, said he himself faced stepped-up screening when he returned to Beijing after a recent trip to his home country. “I came back and at the airport I was very rigorously examined,” he said, adding he did not fault China for stepping up restrictions on travelers from his country. “If you fly with a disease like this, it is like flying with a bomb,” he said. “They (China) have not closed their doors. They are only being careful.” McKinley said Liberian students, including those on a government scholarships, had difficulties obtaining visas in time to begin the fall semester. Most of their cases were worked out but some had postponed their studies by a term, he said. The Embassy of Guinea did not respond to repeated requests for comment. China is not alone in tightening travel restrictions. The United States has toughened health checks for passengers from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Other countries such as Australia have stopped issuing visas altogether for citizens from the impacted countries. China, Africa’s biggest trade partner, promised last year to send over 1,000 personnel to help fight the outbreak that has killed over 8,000 people. Beijing has also contributed over $100 million in aid to the anti-Ebola effort. — Reuters Metabolism pointer for quitting smoking PARIS: How quickly a smoker breaks down nicotine is a guide to which therapy is best for kicking the habit, according to research published yesterday. Most smokers who try to give up tobacco fail within the first week, so matching them to the best treatment is essential, its authors said. Previous research has found a link between tobacco craving and levels of an enzyme called CYP2A6 which breaks down nicotine. The faster the nicotine is metabolized, the likelier it is that the smoker will want to light up again soon, and the harder it will be to quit. Scientists in the United States and Canada used a biomarker-the speed at which CYP2A6 does its job-to see whether nicotine patches or a non-nicotine replacement drug called hantix or Champix) were more effective. Smokers who broke down nicotine quickly-most smokers, in fact-were twice as likely to quit if they used varenicline than if they used patches, they found. They also had a better chance of staying of tobacco six months later. Slower metabolizes found nicotine patches to be as effective as varenicline, but without that drug’s side effects. The studies covered 1,246 smokers who wanted to quit, divided roughly equally into fast and slow metabolizes. The smokers were randomly assigned to an 11-week course that comprised either a nicotine patch plus a dummy pill, varenicline plus a dummy patch or a dummy patch and a dummy pill. The study did not cover electronic cigarettes, which some advocates say are a useful tool for giving up smoking. The results should lead to a simple blood test for nicotine metabolism so that doctors can better advise patients, the authors hope. “As many as 65 percent of smokers who try to quit relapse within the first week,” said Caryn Lerman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-led the study. “Matching a treatment based on the rate at which smokers metabolize nicotine could be a viable clinical strategy to help individual smokers choose the cessation method that will work best for them.” Around six million deaths annually can be attributed to tobacco, and smoking inflicts around $200 billion (169 billion euros) in health costs annually, the paper said. The study appears in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. — AFP AmerisourceBergen buys animal-health firm for $2.5 bn NEW YORK: US pharmaceutical distributor AmerisourceBergen announced yesterdaythat it plans to acquire animal-health company MWI Veterinar y Supply for $2.5 billion. AmerisourceBergen said the deal would enable it to expand its services into animal health. MWI sells pet food, animal medications, vaccinations and other goods. “Animal health is a growing market in the US and internationally, and is a logical extension of our pharmaceutical distribution and services businesses,” said AmericsourceBergen chief execute Steven Collis. “Utilizing AmerisourceBergen’s knowledge of manufacturer and provider services, our global reach and partnership philosophy, combined with MWI’s expertise in veterinary and agricultural markets, we will collaboratively launch the next generation of superior animal health products and services together.” MWI had sales of $3 billion last year, while AmerisourceBergen had sales just under $120 billion and about 14,000 employees. AmerisourceBergen said it would purchase MWI for $190 per share, about a 17.4 percent premium to its price before the deal. In late-morning trade, shares of AmerisourceBergen dipped 0.1 percent to $92.94, while MWI jumped 8.1 percent to $189.93. — TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 W H AT ’ S O N Albanian artists display works at Modern Art Museum A lbanian formative artists Sunday evening displayed their paintings and works at the Modern Art Museum, all depicting different aspects of life in their country. Ali Al-Yoha, Secretary General of the National Council for Literature, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), said he was happy to introduce the fine works of the Albanian artists. He said those artists were known for their contributions to art, ranging from dress design, graphics, movies and cartoons in addition to formative art. Hosting these exhibitions will contribute to better interaction among countries and people, said Al-Yoha. The exhibition is part of activities of the 21st Al-Qurain Cultural Festival. Albanian Ambassador to Kuwait Kotim Morina said the Albanian artists belong to different schools, traditional and modern, and their technique in drawing dealt with nature, personal photos and dress design. He hoped the Kuwaiti visitors would enjoy the displays. — KUNA The recipe for the Dubai Food Festival 2015 T he Dubai Food Festival 2015’s full and flavoursome line-up of new and returning gastronomic consumer and business events, celebrity chefs, activities and promotions, has been announced by Dubai Festivals and Retails Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).Marking the Festival’s second edition, this year’s Dubai Food Festival(DFF) will welcome a bursting calendar of delicious and diverse events across four key themes, including Emirati Cuisine, Homegrown restaurants, Multi-cultural Dining and Street Food and International Chefs and Restaurants. With exclusive and new events set to include the region’s-first foodie film nights, Dubai Food and Film, and nine back-to-back celebrity chef cooking sensations as part of the new-for-2015 and Middle East’s first, Fatafeat Kitchen, the Festival will also welcome a fleet of the city’s favourite food trucks in the Food Truck Convoy. Another highlight comes in the form of celebrity chef’s taking over the kitchens of the Dubai Creek’s iconic floating restaurants as part of Dine On The Creek. The 23-day city-wide extravaganza will also bring back 2014 event favourites, Beach Canteen, Dubai Food Carnival, Taste of Peru, GulFood and the Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) amongst many more, to satisfy the culinary cravings of Dubai’s visiting and resident foodies. Celebrity Chefs Promoting the depth and diversity of the city’s gastronomic offering as it positions Dubai as a leading international hub for world-class food, DFF 2015headliners include the Michelin-starred Jason Atherton, award-winning Greg Malouf, TV favourite Sanjeev Kapoor, Queen of the Arabic Kitchen, Manal Al Alem, criticallyacclaimed chef and best-selling author, Silvena Rowe, and the renowned Saudi Arabian Super Chef Yousef Khumayes, many of whom have restaurants in the Emirate. Her Excellency Laila Mohammed Suhail Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said:”This year’s edition of the Dubai Food Festival will incorporate a varied and extensive events calendar, showcasing our Emirate at its culinary best. Along with welcoming a number of internationally-renowned chefs, including those who have established restaurants in Dubai, the Festival will celebrate another key element of Dubai’s gastronomic offering, its most-loved home-grown concepts. “The Festival programme has been designed to both highlight the range of flavours that inspire Dubai’s menus, drawn from the cuisines of the 200 nationalities that live in the city, as well as the traditions of Emirati cuisine and hospitality, an increasingly important element of our tourism offer. We look forward to welcoming residents and visitors from the region and beyond throughout February to experience the depth and diversity of our city’s culinary credentials,” continued H E Laila Suhail. Four Key Themes International Chefs and Restaurants Regional and international celebrity chefs will appear at Fatafeat Kitchen (20 - 21 February), which will welcome nine in total including Egyptian cuisine expert Chef Salma Soliman to take part in live cooking demonstrations. Another of the Festival’s inaugural events, Dine On The Creek(Various dates, to be announced soon), will see celebrity chefs including Sanjeev Kapoor, Manal Al Alemand Yousef Khumayes serve up their internationally award-winning dishes in traditional Emirati surroundings. Emirati Cuisine The new-for-2015 Made In Dubai event(27 - 28 February at Zabeel Park) will pay particular homage to Emirati hospitality and culture, as it showcases 96 delicious yet often unknown Emirati dishes through tastings and master-classes with local chefs. Homegrown The bigger and better 2015 Beach Canteen, which this year takes residence at Kite Beach for the entirety of the Festival (6 28 February), plays host to nine of Dubai’s very best homegrown restaurants and concepts. Offering visitors a unique beach dining experience, the Beach Canteen will also serve up pop-up restaurants from celebrity chefs, Jason Atherton (26 - 28 February), Sanjeev Kapoor (21 February) and Yousef Khamayes (6 - 7 February) and a variety of other entertainment. Similarly, the Urban Bazaar local foodie street market (6 February, atThe Archive, Safa Park and 27 February, at Creek side, Bur Dubai) will host stalls showcasing homegrown concepts. Multi-cultural Dining and Street Food Celebrating multicultural dining and street food, DFF will welcome homegrown food trucks including local favourites Moti Roti, Raw Coffee and Burger Fuel, to take part in the Food Truck Convoy (Various dates). The trucks will arrive at key locations throughout the Festival, serving up the very best street food cuisine. DFF will also welcome Street Nights(20 - 21 February), which will pair street art with street food in the city’s up-and-coming arts precinct, Al Quoz. Similarly, a showcase of award-winning street-food photographer Penny De La Santos’ most stunning images of the multicultural dining and street food on offer in Dubai will be on show at Dubai Airport during February. “With a theme of ‘Find your Flavour’, Dubai Food Festival 2015 promises entertainment for the entire family as it challenges festival goers to truly discover Dubai’s unique and growing culinary offer. Along with expanding 2014 event favourites, such as the highly popular Beach Canteen, Dubai Food Festival 2015 will see the addition of some truly memorable events and activities that, while inspired by global foodie trends, will have a distinctly Dubai flavour”, said Dubai Food Festival 2015 Director, Debra Greenwood. Further Dubai Food Festival 2015 events and details will be announced in the coming weeks as the launch of the Festival approaches. For the most up to date information regarding this year’s DFF, visit www.dubaifoodfestival.com. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 W H AT ’ S O N The general supervision department of guidance held a health exhibition in Ahmadi Governorate, during the 18th annual scouts camp. The event was supervised by Dhiya’ Bader Bughaith, and was held under the slogan: “Our health means security”. Sebamed was part of the event, and gave advises on skin care to the visitors. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat Landmark Group to launch ‘Art Olympiad’ R eiterating its commitment to the society, Landmark Group Kuwait is all set to host the Art Olympiad 2015 for the eighth year in a row on January 20 from 8.00 am - 2.00 pm at Centrepoint, The Avenues. Children aged 14 years and below are eligible to enter the competition. This initiative has been a part of Landmark Group’s ongoing corporate social responsibility where young artists have an opportunity to showcase their talents. Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Group, Kuwait said, “Landmark Group regards service to the community as a crucial component that plays a pivotal role in the country’s progress. As a premier organization and a frontrunner in various strategic initiatives, it is our responsibility to con- tribute to the welfare of the society in which we operate. This is one of our core values. The Art Olympiad has become an annual event, and we hope to continue to raise the spirits of the students and encourage them to express their views strongly and in an innovative manner.” “Year after year I am always amazed at the outstanding art work created the talented young students. The judges look forward to their lovely creations and are impressed each year. The positive and enthusiastic feedback we have received from schools and students as well as the growing number of participants are a clear indication of the successful engagement the Landmark Group has with the community.” As always, Landmark Group is keen on maintaining an excellent rapport and creating awareness about relevant issues among the youth with constant activities and events, while setting a platform for approx 150 students from schools of repute across Kuwait. Children will be provided with a craft pack that includes a drawing sheet and a variety of art materials such as paints, pencils and crayons. Art Olympiad aims to bring fun and entertainment to young artists by encouraging their creativity and also by rewarding them for their participation in the art competition. It provides a grooming platform for these students by helping them improvise their flair and encourage their innovative ability through art. Some of the participating schools for this year’s Olympiad are: Kuwait American School, Salmiya, The English School, Salmiya, Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School Ahmadi, Indian Educational School Jleeb, Indian Learners Own Academy, Al Ghanim Bilinguil School, Canadian Bilingual School, Indian English Academy School- Don Bosco, Indian Central School, Kuwait National English School Students will be judged on the basis of creativity, workmanship, overall impression and relevance to the theme. Judging will be held in two age categories: 1) 9-11 years, 2) 12-14 years. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded for each category. A total of eight winners will be selected at the end of the competition. Each winner will be awarded with exciting grand prizes and many other valuable gifts. They will also receive certificates and trophies in recognition of their participation, and their schools will be given a plaque of appreciation. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 TV PROGRAMS 00:25 Being Eileen 00:55 Eastenders 01:25 Doctors 01:55 Being Erica 02:40 Whitechapel 03:30 Scott & Bailey 04:15 The Weakest Link 05:00 Woolly & Tig 05:05 The Green Balloon Club 05:30 Gigglebiz 05:45 Boogie Beebies 06:00 Nina And The Neurons: In The Lab 06:15 Woolly & Tig 06:20 The Green Balloon Club 06:45 Gigglebiz 07:00 Boogie Beebies 07:15 The Weakest Link 08:00 The Vicar Of Dibley 08:30 Moone Boy 09:00 Eastenders 09:30 Doctors 10:00 Being Erica 10:45 The Weakest Link 11:30 The Vicar Of Dibley 12:00 Moone Boy 12:25 32 Brinkburn Street 13:15 Eastenders 13:45 Doctors 14:15 Being Erica 15:00 As Time Goes By 15:30 The Vicar Of Dibley 16:00 Moone Boy 16:25 The Weakest Link 17:10 Eastenders 17:40 Doctors 18:10 Being Erica 19:00 As Time Goes By 19:30 Being Eileen 20:00 Call The Midwife 20:45 Mistresses 21:35 Saxondale 22:05 Money 23:00 Rev. 23:30 Being Eileen 00:00 00:55 01:15 02:05 02:30 Living 02:55 03:50 04:10 04:40 05:30 05:55 06:40 07:10 Living 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:15 10:05 10:50 11:40 12:05 Living 12:30 13:20 13:45 14:40 15:25 16:15 16:40 Living 17:10 18:00 18:25 19:15 20:10 Taylor 20:35 21:00 21:25 22:20 23:10 23:35 00:20 01:10 02:00 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:05 04:30 05:00 Homes Under The Hammer Simply Italian Come Dine With Me Celebrity MasterChef Rachel’s Favourite Food For Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Paul Hollywood’s Bread Homes Under The Hammer Simply Italian Come Dine With Me Celebrity MasterChef Rachel’s Favourite Food For Paul Hollywood’s Bread Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Homes Under The Hammer Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Celebrity MasterChef Rachel’s Favourite Food For Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Homes Under The Hammer Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Celebrity MasterChef Rachel’s Favourite Food For Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Homes Under The Hammer Homes Under The Hammer Nordic Cookery With Tareq Nigellissima Home Cooking Made Easy Celebrity MasterChef Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me The Good Cook Gold Rush Alaska: The Last Frontier Fast N’ Loud Auction Hunters The Liquidator Dallas Car Sharks How It’s Made How It’s Made Dual Survival 06:00 06:50 07:40 08:30 08:55 09:20 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:25 12:15 13:05 13:30 13:55 14:20 15:10 16:00 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:30 19:20 20:10 20:35 21:00 Grylls 21:50 22:40 23:30 Grylls Siberian Cut Car Chasers Fast N’ Loud Auction Hunters The Liquidator Dallas Car Sharks How It’s Made How It’s Made Gold Rush Gold Rush Alaska: The Last Frontier Auction Hunters The Liquidator Dallas Car Sharks Siberian Cut Rods N’ Wheels Fast N’ Loud How It’s Made How It’s Made Dual Survival Dive Wars Australia Manhunt The Liquidator Dallas Car Sharks Get Out Alive With Bear 08:20 E! News 09:15 Live From The Red Carpet 11:10 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 11:35 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 12:05 E! News 13:05 Extreme Close-Up 13:35 Beyond Candid With Giuliana 14:30 Style Star 15:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 16:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:00 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 18:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills 19:00 E!ES 20:00 Live From The Red Carpet 22:00 E! News 23:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The Hamptons Dive Wars Australia Manhunt Get Out Alive With Bear 00:05 Chopped 00:55 Amazing Wedding Cakes 01:45 Guy’s Big Bite 02:10 Guy’s Big Bite 02:35 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 03:00 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco 03:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 03:50 Amazing Wedding Cakes 04:40 Reza, Spice Prince Of Thailand 05:05 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 05:30 Reza, Spice Prince Of Thailand 05:50 Siba’s Table 06:10 Sweet Genius 07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 07:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 08:15 Chopped 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:30 Farm Kings 10:20 Recipes That Rock 10:45 Reza, Spice Prince Of Thailand 11:10 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 11:35 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook 12:00 Chopped 12:50 Siba’s Table 13:15 Jenny Morris Cooks The Riviera 13:40 Mystery Diners 14:05 Guy’s Grocery Games 14:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin 15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:45 Farm Kings 16:35 Chopped 17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks The Riviera 17:50 Reza, Spice Prince Of Thailand 18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:40 Siba’s Table 19:05 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook 19:30 Mystery Diners 19:55 Burger Land 20:20 Guy’s Grocery Games 21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes 22:00 Reza’s African Kitchen 22:25 Reza’s African Kitchen 22:50 Ching’s Restaurant Redemption 23:40 Burger Land 00:00 Violetta 00:45 The Hive 00:50 Art Attack 01:15 Art Attack 01:40 Jungle Junction 01:50 Jungle Junction 02:05 Jungle Junction 02:15 Jungle Junction 02:30 Violetta 03:10 The Hive 03:20 Art Attack 03:45 Art Attack 04:10 Jungle Junction 04:20 Jungle Junction 04:35 Jungle Junction 04:45 Jungle Junction 05:00 Art Attack 05:25 Art Attack 05:50 Mouk 06:00 Dog With A Blog 06:25 Liv And Maddie 06:50 So Random 07:15 I Didn’t Do It 07:40 Jessie 08:05 Austin & Ally 08:30 Binny And The Ghost 08:55 Suite Life On Deck 09:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 09:45 Hannah Montana 10:10 That’s So Raven 10:35 Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge 12:15 Austin & Ally 12:40 Jessie 13:05 I Didn’t Do It 13:30 So Random 13:55 Liv And Maddie 14:20 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 14:55 Jessie 15:20 I Didn’t Do It 15:45 Liv And Maddie 16:10 Austin & Ally 16:35 Binny And The Ghost 17:00 I Didn’t Do It 17:25 Jessie 17:50 Prank Stars 18:15 Dog With A Blog 18:40 Good Luck Charlie 19:05 I Didn’t Do It 19:30 Liv And Maddie 19:55 Austin & Ally 20:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 20:45 Suite Life On Deck 21:10 Hannah Montana 21:35 That’s So Raven 22:00 Suite Life On Deck 22:25 A.N.T. Farm 22:50 Shake It Up 23:10 Wolfblood 23:35 Wolfblood 00:00 Giuliana & Bill 00:55 The Soup 01:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 02:20 E! News 03:15 Escape Club 04:10 THS 05:05 E!ES 06:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 06:55 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 07:50 Style Star 00:40 The Hungry Sailors 01:30 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs 02:00 Emmerdale 02:25 Emmerdale 02:55 Coronation Street 03:25 Tricked 04:20 The Widower 05:15 Murdoch Mysteries 06:10 The Jonathan Ross Show 07:05 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs 07:30 Tricked 08:25 The Widower 09:20 The Chase 10:15 Murdoch Mysteries 11:10 Emmerdale 11:35 Emmerdale 12:00 Coronation Street 12:30 The Hungry Sailors 13:25 The Jonathan Ross Show 14:20 Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs 14:45 Murdoch Mysteries 15:35 The Chase 16:30 Midsomer Murders 18:20 The Jonathan Ross Show 19:10 Coronation Street 19:35 The Chase 20:30 Midsomer Murders 22:20 Coronation Street 21:00 Killer Women 22:00 True Blood 23:00 Mistresses 23:15 Emmerdale 23:45 Murdoch Mysteries NAT GEO CHANNEL HD 00:00 Predator CSI 01:00 My Dog Ate What? 02:00 Mega Breakdown 03:00 Car SOS 04:00 Hunter Hunted 05:00 Fight Science 06:00 Crime Lab 07:00 Puma: Lion of The Andes 08:00 Predator CSI 09:00 My Dog Ate What? 10:00 Mega Breakdown 11:00 Megacities 12:00 How Hard Can It Be? 13:00 Caught In The Act 14:00 Wild Untamed Brazil 15:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 16:00 Chasing UFOs 17:00 Space Mysteries 18:00 Pirate Patrol 19:00 Ancient Secrets: China’s Lost Pyramids 20:00 Chasing UFOs 21:00 Space Mysteries 22:00 Pirate Patrol 23:00 Megacities 00:00 Mystery Girls 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 Two And A Half Men 01:30 Getting On 02:00 Jonah From Tonga 02:30 Louie 03:00 Back In The Game 03:30 The Michael J. Fox Show 04:00 New Girl 04:30 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 05:30 My Boys 06:00 Last Man Standing 06:30 The Simpsons 07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 08:00 New Girl 08:30 My Boys 09:00 Back In The Game 09:30 Dads 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 10:30 The Simpsons 11:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 12:00 Last Man Standing 12:30 New Girl 13:00 My Boys 14:00 The Michael J. Fox Show 14:30 Dads 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 Two And A Half Men 16:30 Last Man Standing 17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers 18:00 Back In The Game 18:30 About A Boy 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 Two And A Half Men 22:00 Web Therapy 22:30 Ja’mie: Private School Girl 23:00 Louie 23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 White Collar Bates Motel Banshee Supernatural Revenge Bones White Collar Necessary Roughness C.S.I. Bones Revenge Necessary Roughness Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. White Collar Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. Criminal Minds State Of Affairs 00:00 01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Unforgettable Good Morning America Dracula Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Unforgettable 24 Live Good Morning America Unforgettable 24 Unforgettable Dracula True Detective 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:15 12:00 14:00 15:45 18:00 20:00 22:00 A Good Day To Die Hard Lockout 40 Days And Nights Marvel’s Doctor Strange Iron Man Hellboy: Blood & Iron Escape From L.A. A Good Day To Die Hard Iron Man Red Dawn Escape From L.A. Pitch Black 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:15 10:00 12:00 13:45 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 Lockout-PG15 40 Days And Nights-PG15 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG Iron Man-PG15 Hellboy: Blood & Iron-PG15 Escape From L.A.-PG15 A Good Day To Die Hard Iron Man-PG15 Red Dawn-PG15 Escape From L.A.-PG15 Pitch Black-PG15 Police Story-PG15 THE EAST ON OSN MOVIES HD 00:00 Bad Milo!-18 02:00 Maid In Manhattan-PG 04:00 Girl In Progress-PG15 06:00 All In Good Time-PG15 08:00 Parental Guidance-PG 10:00 Maid In Manhattan-PG 12:00 Son Of Rambow-PG 14:00 Bringing Down The HousePG15 16:00 Parental Guidance-PG 18:00 In A World...-PG15 20:00 Friends With Kids-PG15 22:00 Schuks! Your Country Needs You-PG15 01:00 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2-PG15 03:00 Stuck In Love-PG15 05:00 Red Lights-PG15 07:00 Old Stock-PG15 09:00 Everything Must Go-PG15 11:00 Red Lights-PG15 13:00 Christmas Magic-PG15 15:00 Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor-PG15 17:00 Everything Must Go-PG15 19:00 The Factory-PG15 21:00 Trespass-PG15 23:00 As I Lay Dying-18 00:30 02:00 04:00 06:00 09:00 10:30 12:30 14:30 PG15 17:00 All Things To All Men-PG15 The Glass Man-PG15 Atlas Shrugged-PG15 Meet Joe Black-PG15 Robot & Frank-PG15 The Glass Man-PG15 Life Happens-PG15 Snow Falling On CedarsRobot & Frank-PG15 MAN OF STEEL ON OSN MOVIES PREMIERE HD 19:00 Son Of Rambow-PG 21:00 Promised Land-PG15 23:00 For Greater Glory-PG15 01:15 03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:15 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00 The East-18 Dawn Rider-PG15 Return To Nim’s Island-PG Sky Force-FAM The Butler-PG15 The Chateau Meroux-PG15 Peeples-PG15 Epic-PG The Butler-PG15 The Heat-PG15 3 Days To Kill-PG15 American Hustle-18 01:00 Barbie And The Diamond Castle 02:45 Home Alone 3 04:30 The Happy Cricket 2 06:00 Garfield’s Pet Force 08:00 Top Cat: The Movie 10:00 Barbie In The Nutcracker 11:30 Everyone’s Hero 13:00 The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale 14:30 Top Cat: The Movie 16:00 The Great Bear 18:00 Barbie In The Nutcracker 20:00 Shark Bait 22:00 The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale 00:00 The Worricker: Salting The Battlefield-PG15 01:30 Transformers-PG15 04:00 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You-PG15 06:00 Marvel’s The Invincible Iron Man-PG 08:00 Skyline-PG15 09:45 One Direction: This Is Us-PG 11:30 Man Of Steel-PG15 14:00 Despicable Me 2-PG 16:00 Skyline-PG15 18:00 Stolen-PG15 20:00 Parker-PG15 22:00 Insidious: Chapter 2-PG15 00:00 Live MSNBC Now With Alex Wagner 01:00 Live MSNBC The Ed Show 02:00 Live MSNBC Politicsnation 03:00 Live NBC Nightly News 03:30 ABC World News With David Muir 04:00 Live MSNBC All In With Chris Hayes 05:00 Live MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 06:00 Live MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 07:00 NBC Nightly News 07:30 ABC World News With David Muir 07:57 NBC Nightly News 08:18 ABC World News With David Muir 08:39 Live ABC Nightline 09:06 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 10:00 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 11:00 Live ABC World News Now 11:30 Live ABC World News Now 12:00 Live NBC Early Today 12:30 Live ABC America This Morning 13:00 Live ABC America This Morning 13:30 Live ABC America This Morning 14:00 Live ABC America This Morning 14:30 MSNBC First Look 15:00 Live NBC Today Show 18:57 MSNBC Hardball W/ Chris Matthews 19:38 MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show 20:19 MSNBC The Last Word W/ Lawrence O’Donnell 21:00 Live MSNBC Ronan Farrow Daily 22:00 Live MSNBC The Reid Report 23:00 Live MSNBC The Cycle 02:00 Top 14 Highlights 02:30 Trans World Sport 03:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 04:30 Hero Indian Super League Highlights 07:00 PGA Tour 11:00 Top 14 Highlights 11:30 Snooker - The Masters 15:30 Top 14 Highlights 16:00 Live Snooker - The Masters 20:00 Futbol Mundial 22:00 Live Snooker - The Masters 00:00 Super Rugby Final Highlights 00:30 Currie Cup Final Highlights 01:00 ITM Cup Final Highlights 03:00 ICC Cricket 360 03:30 WWE This Week 04:00 Live WWE Raw 07:30 Top 14 Highlights 08:00 Super Rugby Final Highlights 08:30 Currie Cup Final Highlights 09:00 ITM Cup Final Highlights 09:30 Super League Final Highlights 10:00 NRL Final Highlights 10:30 Rugby League 4Nations Classifieds TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 Kuwait SHARQIA-1 090 (Kuwaiti Film) NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 090 (Kuwaiti Film) THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH SHARQIA-2 SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (08/01/2015 TO 14/01/2015) 12:00 PM 1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM 11:45 AM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM SHARQIA-3 LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME 11:30 AM 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM MUHALAB-1 NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 090 (Kuwaiti Film) THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:15 PM 2:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM MUHALAB-2 THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME VICE THE IMITATION GAME 11:30 AM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM MUHALAB-3 SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON 12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM FANAR-1 AUTOMATA 090 (Kuwaiti Film) AUTOMATA UNBROKEN VICE AUTOMATA AUTOMATA 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM FANAR-2 NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:30 AM 1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM FANAR-3 THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME VICE 090 (Kuwaiti Film) THE IMITATION GAME 090 (Kuwaiti Film) THE IMITATION GAME 11:45 AM 2:15 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM MARINA-1 INTO THE WOODS 11:30 AM THE IMITATION GAME LEGEND OF THE NEVER BEAST 090 (Kuwaiti Film) VICE THE IMITATION GAME THE IMITATION GAME 2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM MARINA-2 THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2 ANGEL OF DEATH 11:45 AM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM MARINA-3 SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON 12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM AVENUES-1 NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM AVENUES-2 VICE VICE VICE 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 12:15 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM AVENUES-3 AUTOMATA AUTOMATA AUTOMATA VICE AUTOMATA AUTOMATA 1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM FOR SALE 360º- 1 SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON 11:30 AM 1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM 360º- 2 TEVAR (HINDI) TEVAR (HINDI) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 090 (Kuwaiti Film) 1:15 PM 4:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM 360º- 3 INTO THE WOODS INTO THE WOODS INTO THE WOODS TEVAR (HINDI) INTO THE WOODS VICE 12:00 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM AL-KOUT.1 SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON-3D SEVENTH SON SEVENTH SON 11:30 AM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM Toyota Camry - GL 2014, light blue color, km 12000, KD 4100. Mob: 50994848. (C 4904) Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 2013, white color, km 44000, KD 2000. Tel: 66729295. (C 4905) 12-1-2015 Pajero jeep, newly paint, model 1996, color red, passing Sept 2015, use by a lady. Call: 66152130. 8-1-2015 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in Sharhabel Hawally for single / couple Filipino available from January 5, 2015, with TFC. Please contact mobile 51080902. (C 4902) 8-1-2015 Sharing accommodation available in a flat at Jabriya, area - 10 near Jabriya Indian School for decent working ladies or couple from February-2015. Contact: 99300513. (C 4898) 5-1-2015 CHANGE OF NAME I, Greeshma Jayaraj holder of Indian Passport No: F3536524 R/o Aishwarya, Kakkad P.O. Kakkad, Kannur Dt, Kerala 670005, hereby change my name to Greeshma Avish. (C 4903) 10-1-2015 I, Lasya Priya, Holder of Indian Passport No: Z 2519965, D/o Soma Sundara Rao Maddukuri have changed my name as Lasya Priya Maddukuri and shall hence forth my name be known / called as Lasya Priya Maddukuri. This is for kind information of all concerned. 8-1-2015 I, Thiru Sakthivel R. (Hindu) holder of Indian Passport No. E6574227, Subbaiyapillai street, Pattukkottai, Thanjavur, Prayer timings Fajr: 05:20 Shorook 06:44 Duhr: 11:57 Asr: 14:51 Maghrib: 17:10 Isha: 18:31 Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw) Airlines BBC JAI JZR JZR KLM JZR THY FDB QTR PGT ETH KAC GFA UAE JAI FDB RJA ETD MSR KKK PIA QTR MSC THY DHX BAW KAC KAC FDB QTR SVA KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE FDB ABY ETD FDB QTR GFA IRA UAE MSC JZR MEA UAE MSR KAC FDB KAC JZR KAC QTR KNE SVA Flt 043 574 239 267 411 539 772 069 1084 858 620 1786 211 853 526 067 648 305 612 6507 205 1076 401 770 170 157 416 412 053 1086 512 352 302 206 332 855 8057 125 301 055 1070 213 675 873 405 165 404 871 610 514 8063 382 561 672 1078 472 500 Arrival Flights on Tuesday 13/1/2015 Route Dhaka Mumbai Amman Beirut Amsterdam/Dammam Cairo Istanbul Dubai Doha Istanbul Addis Ababa Jeddah Bahrain Dubai Chennai/Abu Dhabi Dubai Amman Abu Dhabi Cairo Istanbul Lahore Doha Alexandria Istanbul Bahrain London Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta Manila/Bangkok Dubai Doha Riyadh Kochi Mumbai Islamabad Trivandrum Dubai Dubai Sharjah Abu Dhabi Dubai Doha Bahrain Lar Dubai Sohag Dubai Beirut Dubai Cairo Tehran Dubai Delhi Sohag Dubai Doha Jeddah Jeddah Time 00:05 00:10 00:25 00:30 00:40 00:40 00:45 00:55 01:00 01:35 01:45 02:25 02:30 02:35 02:50 02:55 03:05 03:10 03:10 03:20 03:20 03:45 04:05 05:35 05:40 06:40 06:45 07:10 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:20 08:25 08:30 08:40 08:55 09:00 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:40 10:40 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:50 13:00 13:10 13:25 13:45 13:45 13:55 14:05 14:25 14:30 FDB GFA OMA KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB NIA KAC QTR RJA ETD SVA GFA JZR UAL JZR UAE TAR JZR FDB ABY KAC QTR SYR KAC KAC AXB KAC KAC KAC GFA KAC KAC KAC JAI MSR FDB OMA DLH ALK MEA ETD FDB UAE GFA QTR JZR KLM ETD FDB AIC PIA UAL JZR JZR THY FDB 057 221 645 788 284 127 857 051 251 562 1072 640 303 510 215 325 982 777 875 328 177 063 121 786 1080 341 618 774 393 542 674 678 217 166 104 742 572 618 061 647 636 229 402 307 073 859 219 1074 135 415 309 059 981 239 981 185 553 764 071 Dubai Bahrain Muscat Jeddah Dhaka Sharjah Dubai Dubai Alexandria Amman Doha Amman Abu Dhabi Riyadh Bahrain Al Najaf IAD Jeddah Dubai Tunis/Dubai Dubai Dubai Sharjah Jeddah Doha Damascus Doha Riyadh Kozhikode Cairo Dubai Muscat/Abu Dhabi Bahrain Paris/Rome London Dammam Mumbai Alexandria Dubai Muscat Frankfurt Colombo Beirut Abu Dhabi Dubai Dubai Bahrain Doha Bahrain Amsterdam Abu Dhabi Dubai Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad Sialkot Bahrain Dubai Alexandria Istanbul Dubai 14:30 15:00 15:00 15:10 15:15 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:20 16:40 16:55 16:55 17:15 17:30 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:15 19:15 19:15 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:20 20:20 20:50 21:10 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:55 22:05 22:15 22:15 22:30 22:30 22:35 23:10 23:15 23:25 23:35 23:45 Airlines AIC PIA FDB JAI BBC KLM DLH KAC ETH THY PGT KAC UAE FDB ETD MSR KKK PIA QTR MSC QTR THY FDB JAI JZR RJA JZR GFA THY FDB BAW QTR KAC SVA KAC KAC FDB ABY KAC UAE ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC GFA IRA KAC JZR KAC MSC UAE MEA KAC JZR MSR FDB Departure Flights on Tuesday 13/1/2015 Flt Route 976 Goa/Chennai 206 Lahore 072 Dubai 573 Mumbai 044 Dhaka 411 Amsterdam 635 Frankfurt 283 Dhaka 621 Addis Ababa 773 Istanbul 859 Istanbul 381 Delhi 854 Dubai 068 Dubai 306 Abu Dhabi 613 Cairo 6508 Istanbul 206 Lahore 1085 Doha 406 Sohag 1077 Doha 765 Istanbul 070 Dubai 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 164 Dubai 649 Amman 560 Sohag 212 Bahrain 771 Istanbul 054 Dubai 156 London 1087 Doha 513 Tehran 513 Riyadh 671 Dubai 787 Jeddah 8058 Dubai 126 Sharjah 101 London/New York 856 Dubai 302 Abu Dhabi 561 Amman 056 Dubai 1071 Doha 165 Rome/Paris 214 Bahrain 674 Lar 541 Cairo 776 Jeddah 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat 402 Alexandria 874 Dubai 405 Beirut 785 Jeddah 176 Dubai 611 Cairo 8064 Dubai DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION Time 00:05 00:40 00:45 01:10 01:35 01:55 02:15 02:25 02:45 02:55 03:25 03:40 03:50 03:55 04:05 04:10 04:10 04:30 04:30 05:05 05:15 05:40 06:30 06:35 06:55 07:05 07:10 07:15 07:30 08:25 08:45 08:50 08:55 08:55 09:25 09:25 09:40 09:40 09:50 09:55 10:20 10:25 10:35 11:00 11:15 11:25 11:40 12:05 12:20 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:45 14:00 14:10 UAE JZR KAC QTR FDB KAC KNE SVA GFA KAC OMA JZR ABY KAC FDB JZR NIA QTR UAE JZR ETD RJA SVA GFA JZR JZR TAR JZR UAL ABY UAE QTR FDB SYR AXB GFA KAC KAC JAI MSR KAC OMA FDB DLH DHX ALK ETD KAC MEA FDB GFA UAE KAC ETD QTR KLM KAC PIA FDB 872 324 673 1079 058 617 473 501 222 773 646 552 128 741 052 266 252 1073 858 538 304 641 511 216 184 238 328 134 982 122 876 1081 064 342 393 218 361 343 571 607 351 648 062 636 171 230 308 301 403 074 220 860 205 310 1075 415 411 240 060 Dubai Al Najaf Dubai Doha Dubai Doha Jeddah Jeddah Bahrain Riyadh Muscat Alexandria Sharjah Dammam Dubai Beirut Alexandria Doha Dubai Cairo Abu Dhabi Amman Riyadh Bahrain Dubai Amman Tunis Bahrain Bahrain Sharjah Dubai Doha Dubai Damascus Kozhikode Bahrain Colombo Chennai Mumbai Luxor Kochi Muscat Dubai Dammam Bahrain Colombo Abu Dhabi Mumbai Beirut Dubai Bahrain Dubai Islamabad Abu Dhabi Doha Dammam/Amsterdam Bangkok/Manila Sialkot Dubai 14:15 14:25 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:20 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:00 16:10 16:25 17:00 17:00 17:05 17:15 17:40 17:45 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:15 19:20 19:40 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:15 20:15 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:20 21:35 21:50 22:10 22:15 22:15 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:30 23:35 23:55 34 stars TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 CROSSWORD 783 STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) This is a good day to start new projects–your instinct for success is in full bloom. If you must explain any motivations, be sure you are on solid ground–be self-critical. Make sure others understand your position as well as you. Your communicative abilities are accented. This is an excellent time to sway others to your cause through speeches or clever arguments; your thinking is most lucid and grasping. Be careful, though, of taking arguments to the extreme in trying to find a logical reason for every event that occurs–especially the actions of loved ones. Companionship with others is most rewarding and you should take every opportunity to be with friends. You can be helping them as much as their presence is helping you. Taurus (April 20-May 20) You will find communication problems of the past seem to magically clear up. Papers lost are found, etc. At this time, you may actively be concerned about the welfare of others in your business or people who work under you. Try listening to their needs before deciding for yourself how best to help them. You may react suddenly against things that previously seemed to be the normal thing to do. Also, this is a good time to lead the way on a project, for your originality is strong. You may need to feel more secure now, perhaps through some material or sentimental objects that you possess. There may be a great deal of financial panic with your monetary situation and it may be as difficult to gauge as an elevator going up and down. Gemini (May 21-June 20) ACROSS 1. Any competition. 5. A naturally occurring weak estrogenic hormone secreted by the mammalian ovary. 12. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget. 15. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause). 16. An adult member of the Boy Scouts movement. 17. European strong-scented perennial herb with gray-green bitter-tasting leaves. 18. A round shape formed by a series of concentric circles. 19. The act of rubbing down. 20. Either extremity of something that has length. 21. A name that has been assumed temporarily. 23. Queen of England as the 6th wife of Henry VIII (1512-1548). 25. An archaic name for Easter or Passover. 27. A gathering of passengers sufficient to fill an automobile. 30. A small hard fruit. 31. A pilgrimage to Mecca. 34. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships. 36. A European river. 38. A Loloish language. 40. An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle. 43. A group of islands in the southeastern West Indies. 45. A high-crowned black cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey and Iran and the Caucasus. 48. (Akkadian) God of wisdom. 49. A bachelor's degree in naval science. 50. A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water. 51. A Russian river. 55. Of or relating to near the ear. 56. Broad in the beam. 59. A rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys. 60. A small drink of liquor. 61. A light touch or stroke. 62. Owed and payable immediately or on demand. 64. Any of numerous venomous fanged snakes of warmer parts of both hemispheres. 67. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily. 70. Half the width of an em. 72. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. 75. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad. 77. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling). 78. Type genus of the family Myacidae. 79. The lowest brass wind instrument. 80. A deciduous tree of the family Ulmaceae that grows in the southeastern United States. 81. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea. DOWN 1. A summary that repeats the substance of a longer discussion. 2. Scale-like structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly. 3. A shrub of the genus Carissa having fragrant white flowers and plumlike red to purple-black fruits. 4. Spin or twist together so as to form a cord. 5. The rate at which red blood cells settle out in a tube of blood under standardized conditions. 6. Flesh of fish found in colder waters of northern Atlantic coast of the United States. 7. Leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion. 8. Father of the storm gods Marut. 9. Discharge from the external ear. 10. Not of long duration. 11. Bulky grayish-brown eagle with a short wedge-shaped white tail. 12. (Greek mythology) One of the mountain nymphs. 13. Tough Asiatic grass whose culms are used for ropes and baskets. 14. English monk and scholar (672-735). 22. Lac purified by heating and filtering. 24. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar. 26. A public promotion of some product or service. 28. Xerophytic evergreen shrubs. 29. A doctor's degree in optometry. 32. Of or relating to the palm of the hand or to the area at the base of the thumb. 33. An angry disturbance. 35. Praise, glorify, or honor. 37. The district occupied entirely by the city of Washington. 39. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables. 41. With rapid movements. 42. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike. 44. A state in midwestern United States. 46. A French river. 47. A city in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. 52. The acetylated derivative of salicylic acid. 53. A Mid-Atlantic state. 54. A small cake leavened with yeast. 57. Hard white substance covering the crown of a tooth. 58. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice. 63. Relatively small fast-moving sloth. 65. An inhabitant of Lappland. 66. Small cubes with 1 to 6 spots on the faces. 68. Common Indian weaverbird. 69. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology. 71. The cry made by sheep. 73. 4-wheeled motor vehicle. 74. A doctor's degree in dental medicine. 76. A metallic element of the rare earth group. This is a productive working day–an excellent time to get many things accomplished. You are self-assertive but if you find yourself working on a project, it would prove favorable for all if you elicited the aid of associates. You may have the opportunity to speak up about your ideas for a new delivery time that would help eliminate a backlog of merchandise–coming or going. This would be best in written form and signed with a date so that you are the one getting credit for your ideas. You make a positive difference at work and higher-ups will notice and respond in positive ways. Later today you may find yourself enjoying a long conversation with friends, writing a letter, or making a special purchase over the internet. Mental endeavors are favored. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Tensions between you and a partner or loved one this morning may increase because of a difference of opinion. You may need to take the first step in some sort of negotiations–agree to disagree first and then sit down and write out what each of you want for an end result. Before making decisions, give this some time to develop, you will be pleased with the outcome. This is also a good day for planning, writing or expanding your intellectual horizons whether you are in the workplace or at home. Negotiations in the workplace go very well as you discover the agreed upon outcome of this meeting. Perhaps two departments have different ideas on what is needed and can compromise. Tonight requires a helmet–fun. Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may find the need to reorganize and be more conservative in the workplace. All of this should go rather smoothly. Your more common sense qualities are obvious and found to be valuable. You have the foresight to write out an outline before you give a lecture or advise others. If you are not in charge, you could find yourself running your family or your personal life as finely tuned as those running a big company. You usually have the zest and enthusiasm that is necessary to accomplish many things. Also, this is a time to clear up differences with a friend by speaking your mind. You express inner confidence and assertiveness in approaching and communicating with others. Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your actions may be slowed today, helping you to be more realistic about your abilities and expectations for success. You take a serious attitude to just about all aspects of your life. This is an excellent time to sit down and get many things accomplished. You should take note to make sure that you are clearly understood when speaking with superiors–there could be misunderstandings. If needed, make this a day to do your research. Interactions with the opposite sex on a professional level may occur often this week; dress for success. Take the time before making any major decisions about the future of your career or someone else’s. This afternoon you will be visiting with old friends. Grab a party hat, there are celebrations to enjoy. WORD SEARCH PUZZLE Libra (September 23-October 22) This may not be a good time to try new things or break away from the old routine. There may be a heavy burden of responsibility just now–you will probably have to work hard to make yourself understood. However, this period also marks a time when many projects come to fruition, especially large ones. Clear thinking and communication among co-workers is important. You should not hesitate in going great lengths to make yourself clear–this could prove very productive. If you are into some sort of educational studies, this afternoon, studying and research are highly favored. Exchanging stories with old chums later today is easy and extremely pleasant. There is a chance to have a special time with someone you love this evening. Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Everything points to you making more and more decisions. You have sufficient energy to apply yourself to the workplace as well as to an additional job that could help to bring in extra money. If you need the support, psychological or physical, the support will be there for you. Clear decisions affecting others could be made. You put forth an effort to improve your income, through physical or manual activity. This is a time when the desire for material success and considerable monetary gain is great. Perhaps it is time to purchase a home instead of renting apartments. This is a great time to plan future entertainment with loved ones, perhaps a concert, museum trip, art showing or a play with your loved one. Your powers of creativity are great. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Now is the time to make time for a special date, apply for a job or otherwise make yourself known. You may spend a great deal of time engaged in intellectual pursuits in the home. You may even decide to establish a business or use your home and family members in some manner to succeed financially–perhaps a family business. There is an air of seriousness to all your dealings with partners now. You are concerned more about the future of business, than at any other time. Later today you will be able to separate yourself from business. There is not only a desire for outdoor, physical activity this afternoon, but there is ample opportunity to partake in it. You truly enjoy crowds–watching others and learning about people. Love is in bloom this evening. Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a positive day! Schedule that conference; give that party; plan for the future. There are emotional beginnings–a new attitude–perhaps the establishment of new habit patterns that will set the tone for you for quite some time to come! This could mean an addition to the family–a birth or a wedding. Your ability to make things run smoothly should produce excellent results. You are extremely communicative to associates around you. This is a most positive time to exchange ideas and seek new business–not necessarily a job position. You may find yourself running errands for others this afternoon. This evening is yours to enjoy. This could mean a dinner date or a soak in the tub. Enjoy your surroundings this evening. Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a busy day! Concentrate on your own goals–firm up ongoing projects or begin new ones. Working alone today is not a problem for you. The encouragement or advice of others is not really necessary for now. Now is your chance to be yourself–for yourself. Good communication is at a high just now. Your timing should be perfect and those around you should find you most natural. You could come up with new solutions. Do not forget to include some physical activity in your day. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. General good feeling and harmony among family members and friends make this a happy time. A change of scenery may be in order soon. Pisces (February 19-March 20) There is much contemplative thinking about your work at this time. There should also be a great deal of communication about ways in which you can help improve working conditions for a particular group of people. You should find this a good day to communicate with members of the opposite sex. Your disposition is open and welcome to all you meet. You are filled with energy that is best applied in your work or in accomplishing your goals. This is also a most favorable time to work in a group of close associates. Changes at home should be undertaken soon and this will secure your peace of mind. Relations with a spouse or business partner are on solid ground. Expressing affection should come easily. Don’t worry, something borrowed will be returned. Yesterday’s Solution Yesterday’s Solution Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 INTERNATIONAL CALLS GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital Ahmadi 24812000 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Chest Hospital 24849400 Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Adan Hospital 23940620 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 PHARMACY Jahra Capital Al-Razi Hospital Physiotherapy Hospital Farwaniya Hawally 24846000 24874330/9 Kaizen center 25716707 Rawda 22517733 ADDRESS PHONE Afghanistan 0093 Luxembourg 00352 Albania 00355 Macau 00853 Algeria 00213 Macedonia 00389 Andorra 00376 Madagascar 00261 Angola 00244 Majorca 0034 Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23915883 23715414 23726558 Anguilla 001264 Malawi 00265 Modern Jahra Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92 24575518 24566622 Antiga 001268 Malaysia 0060 Argentina 0054 Maldives 00960 Armenia 00374 Mali 00223 Australia 0061 Malta 00356 Austria 0043 Marshall Islands 00692 Bahamas 001242 Martinique 00596 Bahrain 00973 Mauritania 00222 Bangladesh 00880 Mauritius 00230 Barbados 001246 Mayotte 00269 Belarus 00375 Mexico 0052 Belgium 0032 Micronesia 00691 Belize 00501 Moldova 00373 Benin 00229 Monaco 00377 Bermuda 001441 Mongolia 00976 Bhutan 00975 Montserrat 001664 Bolivia 00591 Morocco 00212 Bosnia 00387 Mozambique 00258 Ahlam Khaldiya Coop Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop 22436184 24833967 New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11 24734000 24881201 24726638 Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop 25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241 Adaliya 22517144 Botswana 00267 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Khaldiya 24848075 Brazil 0055 Namibia 00264 Brunei 00673 Nepal 00977 Kaifan 24849807 Bulgaria 00359 Netherlands 0031 Shamiya 24848913 Burkina 00226 Netherlands Antilles 00599 Shuwaikh 24814507 Burundi 00257 New Caledonia Cambodia 00855 New Zealand 0064 Abdullah Salem 22549134 Cameroon 00237 Nicaragua 00505 Nuzha 22526804 Canada 001 Nigar 00227 Cape Verde 00238 Nigeria 00234 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 Cayman Islands 001345 Niue 00683 Central African 00236 Norfolk Island 00672 Chad 00235 N. Ireland (UK) 0044 00687 Qadsiya 22515088 Dasmah 22532265 Chile 0056 North Korea 00850 Bneid Al-Gar 22531908 China 0086 Norway 0047 Colombia 0057 Oman 00968 Shaab 22518752 Comoros 00269 Pakistan 0092 22459381 Congo 00242 Palau 00680 Cook Islands 00682 Panama 00507 00506 Papua New Guinea 00675 Qibla Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082 Costa Rica Mirqab 22456536 Croatia 00385 Paraguay 00595 Cuba 0053 Peru 0051 Cyprus 00357 Philippines 0063 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Poland 0048 Czech Republic 00420 Portugal 00351 Denmark 0045 Puerto Rico 001787 Diego Garcia 00246 Qatar 00974 Djibouti 00253 Romania 0040 Dominica 001767 Russian Federation 007 Sharq 22465401 Salmiya 25746401 Jabriya 25316254 Maidan Hawally 25623444 Bayan 25388462 Mishref 25381200 Dominican Republic 001809 Rwanda 00250 22630786 Ecuador 00593 Saint Helena 00290 Egypt 0020 Saint Kitts 001869 W Hawally Sabah 24810221 El Salvador 00503 Saint Lucia 001758 Jahra 24770319 England (UK) 0044 Saint Pierre 00508 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Saint Vincent 001784 Eritrea 00291 Samoa US 00684 Estonia 00372 Samoa West 00685 Ethiopia 00251 San Marino 00378 Falkland Islands 00500 Sao Tone 00239 Faroe Islands 00298 Saudi Arabia 00966 Fiji 00679 Scotland (UK) 0044 Finland 00358 Senegal 00221 France 0033 Seychelles 00284 French Guiana 00594 Sierra Leone 00232 New Jahra 24575755 West Jahra 24772608 South Jahra 24775066 North Jahra 24775992 North Jleeb 24311795 Ardhiya 24884079 Firdous 24892674 French Polynesia 00689 Singapore 0065 Omariya 24719048 Gabon 00241 Slovakia 00421 N Khaitan 24710044 Gambia 00220 Slovenia 00386 Georgia 00995 Solomon Islands 00677 Germany 0049 Somalia 00252 Ghana 00233 South Africa 0027 Gibraltar 00350 South Korea 0082 Greece 0030 Spain 0034 Greenland 00299 Sri Lanka 0094 Grenada 001473 Sudan 00249 Guadeloupe 00590 Suriname 00597 Guam 001671 Swaziland 00268 Guatemala 00502 Sweden 0046 Guinea 00224 Switzerland 0041 Guyana 00592 Syria 00963 Haiti 00509 Fintas 23900322 PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists Paediatricians Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272 Dr. Khaled Hamadi Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700 Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60 Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581 Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 25340300 Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444 Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099 Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514 Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100 Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282 Dermatology 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians Endocrinologist 25665898 Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955 Dentists Dr Anil Thomas Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444 Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557 Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888 Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755 Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148 Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25728004 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3 Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 [email protected] www.soorcenter.com Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 22666288 Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 22655539 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan General Surgeons Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25330060 3729596/3729581 Neurologists Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875 Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman 22636464 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135 Kaizen center 25716707 Noor Clinic 23845955 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667 Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123 2611555-2622555 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677 Serbia 00381 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Taiwan 00886 Honduras 00504 Tanzania 00255 Hong Kong 00852 Thailand 0066 Hungary 0036 Toga 00228 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Tonga 00676 Iceland 00354 Tokelau 00690 India 0091 Trinidad 001868 Indian Ocean 00873 Tunisia 00216 Indonesia 0062 Turkey 0090 Iran 0098 Tuvalu 00688 Iraq 00964 Uganda 00256 Ireland 00353 Ukraine 00380 Italy 0039 United Arab Emirates 00976 Ivory Coast 00225 United Kingdom 0044 Jamaica 001876 Uruguay 00598 Japan 0081 USA 001 Jordan 00962 Uzbekistan 00998 Kazakhstan 007 Vanuatu 00678 Kenya 00254 Venezuela 00582 Kiribati 00686 Vietnam 0084 Kuwait 00965 Virgin Islands UK 001284 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Virgin Islands US 001340 Laos 00856 Wales (UK) 0044 Latvia 00371 Yemen 00967 Lebanon 00961 Yugoslavia 00381 Liberia 00231 Zambia 00260 Libya 00218 Zimbabwe 00263 Lithuania 00370 TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 lifestyle A W A R D S Highs and lows in fashion from the Golden Globes W carpet, was featured in all silhouettes, from Helen Mirren in a fitted Dolce and Gabbana embellished gown to “Girls” stars Lena Dunham in a backless satin Zac Posen and Allison Williams in a strapless sequined Armani Prive number. Taylor Schilling opted for a deep red Ralph Lauren halterneck gown with a flowing skirt. But welcome pops of color amid the red and white came from nominees such as Amy Adams, who opted for a periwinkle Versace one-shouldered gown. Maggie Gyllenhaal opted for a dusky pink strapless dress and Anna Kendrick channeled her “Into The Woods” character Cinderella in a blush pink embellished Monique Lhuillier gown. Last year’s red carpet darling Lupita Nyong’o stood out in a purple Giambattista Valli gown covered in ruffled flower motifs, which Wilson said led the trend for texture tonight. “There’s a real movement in 3-D texture in fashion, and it looks like Lupita is wearing fireworks,” he said. “She wears bright colors so beautifully, it’s quite stunning.” Jessica Chastain led the metallic trend in a bronze Versace plunging number, while Reese Witherspoon went for all out glamour in silver sequined fitted Calvin Klein. Jennifer Lopez shimmered in a plunging silver Zuhair Murad. — AP ith lots of easy breezy makeup, minimal jewelry and loose hair, the Golden Globes opened the awards season with a red carpet chock-full of sparkly metallics, bright whites and dramatic reds. Among those lauded by fashion pros Sunday night at the Beverly Hills, California, awards night was Julianne Moore as she led a parade of silver in custom Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci. Her sequins faded to black and a cascade of feathers at the bottom. “For me she was it. She looked amazing, but the metallic trend was debated all over social media. A lot of people see it as very flashy but I think it looks great because it’s just a new, totally different texture and something that’s more interesting than just the same old strapless gowns,” said Eric Wilson, fashion news director for InStyle magazine. Style and beauty expert Mary Alice Stephenson agreed, adding Emma Stone’s sparkly silver-and-black Lanvin jumpsuit to her top five. It had a big floorlength sash at the waist, after all. “Emma Stone broke a lot of rules and that’s what Golden Globes fashion is about. It was this great respite from all the boring gowns. And her hair was down. It was super glamorous and a little bit edgy,” she said. Extending last year’s red trend was standout Viola Davis in Donna Karan Atelier. And there was plenty for us to love or hate, including a daring white Vera Wang Collection gown for “Gone Girl” costar Rosamund Pike. She showed off midriff cutouts, a strappy barely there back and plunging neckline soon after giving birth. Singer/actress Jennifer Lopez it completely relevant on today’s modern The look was criticized by some as ill-fitcarpet,” King said. Ruth Wilson of “The ting at the top but lauded by Aya Kanai, Affair” stood alone in green, an edgy formexecutive fashion director of Cosmopolitan fitting Prada with a high neck and blackand Seventeen, as “white hot and sexy.” A and-turquoise detailing. Other highs and chartreuse Gucci column gown worn by lows: Naomi Watts with a knockout diamond Amal Clooney: The awards season debut Bulgari Serpenti necklace was a questionof George’s bride was much anticipated. able color to others while she was lauded Her long, baggy white gloves with a black as a vision by Joyann King, editor of Dior Haute Couture one-shoulder gown HarpersBazaar.com. “I love how she took and long Harry Winston earrings had lots the classic Old Hollywood glamour equaof fingers tweeting. “To glove or not to tion - memorable hue, over-the top jewels, glove,” laughed Stephenson. “It was a big red lip and Veronica Lake curls - and made moment. People had high expectations for what she was going to wear. I think the gloves were ill-fitting. Her hair was down and she had that train coming off the Dior dress and the long earrings. It could have been a modern Audrey Hepburn moment but it wasn’t.” Uzo Aduba: Crazy eyes was, in a word, awesome. The “Orange Is the New Black” co-star rarely disappoints on the red carpet. This time around she wore a halterstyle beaded gun metal design by Randi Rahm with ruby touches and a crystalembellished neckline. “She just looked hot! Her hair looked great smoothed back,” Kanai said. Kerry Washington: Usually solidly on point, she wore an of-the-moment midi length design by Mary Katrantzou. It was off-the-shoulder with pink and purple panels that were “too competitive with each other,” King said. “A monochromatic color choice would have been better.” Stephenson agreed. “It was a little too pristine and buttoned up. She did not look comfortable.” Julianne Moore Actress Sienna Miller Kate Hudson Viola Davis Amal Clooney Amy Adams White, red and blue White was the chosen hue for the chilly night. Nominee Emily Blunt spun a Grecian twist on the classic white dress in a draped Michael Kors gown, while Kate Hudson opted for a flesh-baring Versace fitted dress with cutouts. Julia Louis-Dreyfus kept a sleek look in one-shouldered Narciso Rodriguez. Sienna Miller in Miu Miu and a pregnant Keira Knightley in Chanel opted for white with floral prints. Red, often regarded as a risky choice for stars for fear of blending into the Lena Dunham Emily Blunt Julia Louis-Dreyfus Keira Knightley TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 lifestyle Emma Stone Lupita Nyong’o A W A R D S Anna Kendrick Naomi Watts Ruth Wilson Salma Hayek Maggie Gyllenhaal Allison Williams Jennifer Aniston Helen Mirren Kate Beckinsale Reese Witherspoon Chrissy Teigen Nina Dobrev Katie Holmes Kerry Washington Catherine Zeta-Jones Diane Kruger Heidi Klum Eva LaRue TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 lifestyle A W A R D S In this image released by NBC, producer Jonathan Sehring, foreground, accepts the award for best dramatic film for ‘Boyhood’ at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. — AP/AFP photos “B Jonathan Sehring, from left, Richard Linklater, Lorelei Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, John Sloss and Ethan Hawke pose in the press room with the award for best motion picture - drama for ‘Boyhood’. ‘Boyhood,’ ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ top Golden Globe Awards gory last year for “American Hustle,” and she had predicted on the red carpet that she wouldn’t be winning again. “To say I’m underprepared for this moment is a huge understatement,” Adams said. “Huge! I didn’t even apply lip gloss.” oyhood” continued its award season streak by winning three awards, including best drama, at the 72nd Golden Globes on Sunday. Director Richard Linklater and supporting actress Patricia Arquette were the widely-lauded film’s other winners. The musical/comedy category offered a surprise, with “The Grand Budapest Hotel” edging out “Birdman” for best film. Director Wes Anderson thanked Hollywood Foreign Press members “Dagmar, Munawar, Helmut, Anka...” continuing with the list of exotic-sounding names. Eddie Redmayne won best actor, drama for “The Theory of Everything,” while Julianne Moore won best actress, for the indie “Still Alice.” Backstage, the actress said she was going to celebrate by “eating a lot of potato chips. I haven’t eaten since 3:30 pm.” Michael Keaton won best actor in a musical/comedy for “Birdman.” He talked about growing up in on a Pennsylvania farmhouse, as the seventh child of a large family. “I couldn’t remember a time when my father wasn’t working two jobs,” Keaton said. He teared up when speaking In this image released by NBC, filmmaker Wes Anderson, second left, accepts the award for best motion picture comedy or musical for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. Richard Linklater poses in the press room with the award for best director for ‘Boyhood’. Eddie Redmayne poses in the press room with the award for best actor in a motion picture - drama for ‘The Theory of Everything’. did an impersonation of Bill Cosby, who has been in the news for a series of rape allegations. Jeffrey Tambor won best actor in a comedy series for playing a transgender woman in Amazon’s “ Transparent.” He thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press for “putting us on the map and making people aware of our story,” Tambor said. “I would like to dedicate my performance and this award to the transgender community,” he said, raising up his trophy. “Thank you for your courage, thank you for your inspiration, thank you for your patience and thank you for letting us be part of the change.” In honoring “Transparent,” the first Amazon series to win a Golden Globe, for best comedy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association shined a light on LBGT rights. Producer creator Jill Soloway dedicated the award to Leelah Alcorn, the transgender teen from Ohio who committed suicide last week because he didn’t feel accepted. Matt Bomer won best support- ing actor for his portrayal in HBO’s adaptation of “The Normal Heart,” and he acknowledged the victims of HIV/AIDs. “To the generation we lost and the people we continue to lose to this disease I just want to say we love you, we remember you,” Bomer said. Heartfelt speech John Legend and Common took the stage to accept best original song for “Glory” for “Selma,” the only win for the Paramount Pictures drama. In a heartfelt speech that referenced current events, including the murder of two New York City police officers, Common explained what drew him to the project about he 1965 civil rights marches. “I felt this was bigger than a movie,” Common said. “I am the unarmed black kid who maybe needed a hand, but instead was given a bullet. I am the two fallen police officers fallen in the line of duty. ‘Selma’ has awoken my humanity.” He added, “Now is the time to change the world. ‘Selma’ is now.” In a night of uncharacteristically few celebrity winners, George Clooney added a much-needed boost of star power to the Globes when he accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award. “Ive had a pretty good year myself, and I’m not just referring to the fabulous reviews of ‘The Monuments Men,’” Clooney joked. “It’s a humbling thing when you find someone to love,” he said as his wife Amal Alamuddin looked on. “Amal, I couldn’t be more proud to be your husband.” He made light of the Sony hack. “It’s a good chance for us to meet face to face and apologize for the snarky things we said to each other,” he said, before ending his speech by talking about the worldwide marches in solidarity of the 12 people killed in the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. “They didn’t march in protest,” Clooney said. “They marched in support of the idea we don’t march in fear.” The Golden Globes, which honors both television and film, plays an important role in shaping the Oscar race. Arquette won best supporting actress for “Boyhood,” cementing her status as the frontrunner in the category. “Sorry, I’m the only nerd with a piece of paper,” said Arquette, who thanked her “onscreen family” cast of Ethan Hawke and Ellar Coltrane, as well as director Linklater. J.K. Simmons won best supporting actor for “Whiplash,” for his portrait of a demanding music instructor. He said that his co-star Miles Teller inspired him every day to “scream at his face.” In a surprise that speaks to the Weinstein Co.’s strength in awards-season campaigning, Amy Adams beat out favorite Emily Blunt (“Into the Woods”) by taking home the award for best actress in a musical/comedy for playing artist Margaret Keane in Tim Burton’s “Big Eyes.” Adams was recognized in the same cate- Difficult material On the TV side, the Golden Globes lived up to its reputation as the hippest award show, often giving prizes to freshman shows over veterans. Showtime’s “The Affair” won best TV drama and its star Ruth Wilson won best actress. Newcomer Gina Rodriguez won best actress in a TV comedy for CW’s “Jane the Virgin.” A shaken Rodriguez thanked everyone from her fellow cast to CBS chief Leslie Moonves. Netflix had a good night. Kevin Spacey landed his first-ever Golden Globe for “House of Cards.” “This is the eighth time I’ve been nominated,” he said. “I cannot believe I won.” Maggie Gyllenhaal won best actress in a TV mini-series for the streaming service’s “The Honorable Woman.” She talked about the wealth of roles for different women on TV. “When I look around the room at the women who are around here, what I see actually are women who are sometimes powerful and sometimes not. Sometimes sexy and sometimes not. Sometimes honorable and sometimes not,” she said. Joanne Froggatt won best supporting actress for “Downton Abbey.” She thanked the show’s creator Julian Fellowes and made note of the difficult material involving her character. “After the storyline aired, I received a number of letters from survivors of rape,” she said. FX’s “Fargo” picked up the award for best miniseries or TV movie, edging the likes of HBO’s “ True Detective.” Its star, Billy Bob Thornton, also won the award for best actor in the miniseries category. “These days you get into a lot of trouble for anything you say,” he noted. “So I’m just going to say thank you.” He was one of the few winners of the night who didn’t take a political stance. — Reuters Maggie Gyllenhaal accepts the award for best actress in a mini-series or TV movie for her role in ‘The Honourable Woman’. Actress Julianne Moore poses with the award for Best Actress- Motion Picture, Drama for her role in ‘Still Alice’. about his love for his son Sean. “Two things I said I wasn’t going to do, cry and give air quotes,” he said. “Damn.” Racy monologue The Golden Globes are usually known for more lighthearted hijinks, but this year’s telecast took on a more somber tone, as many of the winners reflected on serious news events, from Ferguson and Charlie Hebdo to LGBT rights. Hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, back for the third (and last) time, kicked off the evening with a racy monologue that poked fun of North Korea’s opposition to “ The Interview” and the unprecedented hack that brought Sony Pictures to its knees. They also Filmmaker Wes Anderson accepts the award for best motion picture comedy or musical for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel. Actress Ruth Wilson poses with the award for Best Actress, TV Series, Drama for her role in ‘The Affair’. Actor Michael Keaton with the award for Best Actor - Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical for his role in “Birdman”. Actor Kevin Spacey poses with the award for Best Actor - TV Sereis, Drama for his role in “House of Cards”. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 lifestyle A W A R D S Sarah Treem, foreground, accepts the award for best TV drama series for “The Affair”. Actor Jeffrey Tambor (third right) and show creator Jill Soloway (third left) pose with the award for Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical for ‘Transparent.’ FULL LIST OF WINNERS Full List of Winners: Best Motion Picture - Drama Winner: Boyhood Lead Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Winner: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama Winner: Julianne Moore - Still Alice Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel Lead Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical Winner: Michael Keaton - Birdman Lead Actress - TV Drama Winner: Ruth Wilson - The Affair Director Winner: Richard Linklater - Boyhood Lead Actor - TV Drama Winner: Kevin Spacey - House of Cards Best TV Drama Winner: The Affair Actress - TV Miniseries or Movie Winner: Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Honorable Woman Foreign Film Winner: Leviathan, Russia Lead Actor - TV Comedy Winner: Jeffrey Tambor - Transparent Screenplay Winner: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo - Birdman Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Winner: Patricia Arquette - Boyhood Noah Hawley, third from left, accepts the award for best mini-series or TV movie for the series ‘Fargo’. Animated Feature Winner: How to Train Your Dragon 2 Lead Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical Winner: Amy Adams - Big Eyes Supporting Actor Series, Miniseries, or TV movie Winner: Matt Bomer The Normal Heart Original Song - Motion Picture Winner: Glory - Selma (John Legend, Common) Original Score - Motion Picture Winner: Johann Johannsson - The Theory of Everything Best TV Comedy or Musical Winner: Transparent Lead Actress - TV Comedy or Musical Winner: Gina Rodriguez - Jane the Virgin Actor - TV Miniseries or Movie Winner: Billy Bob Thornton - Fargo TV Miniseries or Movie Winner: Fargo Alexander Rodnyansky, left, and Andrey Zvyagintsev pose in the press room with the award for best foreign film for ‘Leviathan’. Jeffrey Tambor accepts the award for best actor in a TV series, comedy or musical for his role in ‘Transparent’. Actress Gina Rodriguez (right), winner of Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy for ‘Jane the Virgin,’ and sister Ivelisse Rodriguez pose in the press room. Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries, or TV movie Winner: Joanne Froggatt - Downton Abbey Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Winner: J.K. Simmons - Whiplash Amy Adams poses in the press room with the award for best actress in a motion picture - musical or comedy for ‘Big Eyes’. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, winner of the award for best screenplay - motion picture for “Birdman”. John Legend, left, and Common pose in the press room with the award for best original song ‘Glory’ in a film for ‘Selma’. Dean DeBlois, left, and Bonnie Arnold, winners of the award for best animated feature film for ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’. Actress Joanne Froggatt holds the award for Best Supporting Actress - Series/Mini-Series/TV Movie ‘Downtown Abbey’. Warren Littlefield, from left, John Cameron, Noah Hawley and Geyer Kosinski pose in the press room with the award for best miniseries or television film for ‘Fargo’. Matt Bomer accepts the award for best supporting actor in a series, mini-series or TV movie for his role in ‘The Normal Heart’. Johann Johannsson accepts the award for best original score for “The Theory of Everything”. Writers Alejandro Gonz?lez In?rritu (second right), Nicol?s Giacobone, Armando Bo and Alexander Dinelaris pose with the award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture. ‘Boyhood,’ ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ top Golden Globe Awards TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 39 With humor and humility, Clooney accepts lifetime Golden Globe W hen actor-director George Clooney accepted his lifetime award at Sunday’s Golden Globes awards, he used his acceptance speech to both put the value of awards in perspective and voice his support for the victims of the deadly attack on French newspaper Charlie Hebdo. “Today is an extraordinary day,” Clooney said as he accepted his Cecil B. DeMille award recognizing his work as actor, filmmaker and activist. “Millions marched not only in Paris but all around the world, and there were Christians and Jews and Muslims, leaders of countries all over the world, they didn’t march in protest, they marched in support of the idea that we will not walk in fear. Je suis Charlie.” Clooney, 53, who wore a “Je Suis Charlie” lapel pin, demonstrated self-deprecation in his acceptance speech, poking fun at himself for having lost more Globes than won. “If you’re in this room, you’ve caught the brass ring, you get to do what you’ve always dreamed to do and be celebrated, and that ain’t losing,” he said. Clooney, who has starred in films including “Oceans Eleven,” “Syriana” and “The Descendants,” paid tribute to late stars Lauren Bacall and Robin Williams, saying “I have no idea what hardware Robin Williams took home but I sure remember ‘Carpe diem.’” He also quipped about the backbiting emails that leaked when Sony Pictures was hacked, encouraging everyone to make amends, and the unfavorable reviews for his 2014 film, “Monuments Men,” joking: “I’ll get you back.” All eyes were on the actor and his new wife Amal as they made their red carpet debut as a married couple on Sunday. “It’s a humbling thing when you find someone to love, and even better when you’ve been waiting your whole life,” a choked-up Clooney said on stage to his wife. “Amal, whatever alchemy it is that brought us together, I couldn’t be more proud to be your husband.” Earlier in the night, stars such as Jared Leto, Helen Mirren, Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger also voiced support for the Charlie Hebdo victims, while Theo Kingma, president of Golden Globes organizers the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, made a poignant speech on stage. “As international journalists we also understand the importance of freedom of artistic expression. Together we will stand united against anyone who would repress free speech anywhere, from North Korea to Paris,” he said. — Reuters George Clooney, left, and Amal Clooney arrive at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. — AP /AFP photos Six lessons from the Golden Globes T In this image released by NBC, Tiny Fey, from left, Margaret Cho and Amy Poehler speak at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards. George Clooney poses with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Presenter Oprah speaks on stage. Winfrey Co-hosts Tiny Fey, left, and Amy Poehler introduce Oprah Winfrey. Jared Leto presents an award on stage. Model Cara Delevingne and singer/actress Selena Gomez Actors Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger In this image released by NBC, presenter Meryl Streep speaks on stage. he Golden Globes winners won’t influence Oscar nominations, since the ballots are already in. Still, Sunday’s ceremonies offered some interesting insights into Oscar possibilities and into the state of this year’s awards race. 1 The big obvious winners Sunday evening were “Leviathan,” “Grand Budapest Hotel,” Michael Keaton, Richard Linklater and Eddie Redmayne. The reaction of the 1,200 people in the Golden Globes audience is a bigger Oscar clue than the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. results. The HFPA has 80-plus voters and none is a member of the Academy, so their choices don’t necessarily reflect AMPAS. However, virtually everyone at the BevHilton Sunday was an industry member and their reactions showed widespread enthusiasm for those films and individuals. 2. The other big winners included “The Wedding Ringer,” “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Tomorrowland.” Because the Globes are telecast around the world, the ceremony is a great opportunity to plug current or upcoming films, via the nominations-and presenters. There were nice mentions for those films via presenters Kevin Hart and Colin Firth and footage from “Tomorrowland” in the George Clooney montage. 3. Sunday winners shouldn’t feel over-confident. Last year, Alex Ebert won for music score for “All is Lost,” but wasn’t even nominated for an Academy Award. 4. The actor, picture and director races are still up for grabs. Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne scored, but nothing is certain: There were at least five other contenders who could still land Oscar bids or even wins. However, Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore and J.K. Simmons seem unstoppable. Their Globe wins follow multiple prizes from critics, and it’s always good to have a reputation as a winner. As a bonus, all gave good acceptance speeches: humble, sincere, thoughtful. That’s always reassuring. 5. “Birdman” is looking good. A lot of recent awards talk has centered on the stalwart “Boyhood,” plus newer challengers like “Selma,” “American Sniper” and even “Nightcrawler.” But the screenplay win was a reminder that it’s more than a model of technical artistry and great performances. And one of the film’s themes is, “Even if you’re out of work for a long time, you still have talent and value as a human.” That concept hits home to everyone in the industry. 6. Despite all this handicapping, don’t read too much Oscar-ness into Sunday’s awards. The Globes have an erratic track record of predicting Academy results: Only four Globe best picture winners in the last 10 years also went on to Oscar wins. On the other hand, the vast majority of last year’s GG winners also won an Oscarbut even then, none was an off-the-wall or startling choice: Alfonso Cuaron, Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto, “Frozen,” et al. In an unpredictable year, like 2014, a lot of things can happen in the next six weeks. It’s been said before, and will be said again: The Globes are fun. Twenty years ago, when they returned to network television, the Globes touted themselves as Oscar omens. But they’ve taken on their own identity and some people love to complain about the long day, but people actually have a good time. And there were surprises, like the win for “How to Train Your Dragon 2” that kept up suspense. Plus, the references to world events from HFPA prez Theo Kingma, Jared Leto and George Clooney were brief and appropriate.— Reuters
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz