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Speaker visits Avenuesdespite controversySpeaker visits Avenuesdespite controversy

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Much has been said about the need to diversify Kuwait’sincome away from oil, to reduce the number of expatri-ates and prepare the young generations for the future

that is to come. There is nearly daily talk of how to fight corrup-tion and how to reform the system so that Kuwait may attractmore foreign investment, develop its economy and more easilycompete with its neighbors.

What is missing from all these discussions of plans, proposalsand blueprints, however, is a clearly stated vision of whatKuwaitis themselves want for their future.

In the late 1950s when Kuwait’s oil wealth was new and thecountry just began to realize the possibilities it might achieve,the vision was dominated by the ideas of Kuwait becoming amodern, developed society and economy. Following the trau-matic experience of the invasion and the continued threat fromthe north, Kuwait languished in a state of semi-becoming. It lost

its role as the pioneer in the Gulf and inevitably fell behind itsneighbors.

Today, playing catch-up has become less important thanreaching a national consensus on what exactly Kuwait hopes tobecome. Should economic development and greater opennessdefine the next 20 years? Should Kuwait wean itself off foreignlabor - even if it means slimming down the private sector andthen growing a leaner, more localized economy? Should Kuwaitopen the door to foreign ownership of businesses and morefree trade zones (a la Dubai?) Should it focus on a particular sec-tor or sectors like finance, Islamic finance or should it pursue arounded strategy that includes services, manufacturing, IT, etc?

What about socially? Does Kuwait want to be liberal andopen or conservative and closed? Should it emulate Dubai orDoha or Riyadh? Should it encourage more intermarriagebetween citizens and foreigners or discourage this trend?Should Kuwait resist change at all costs and try to hold on to itsglorious past?

There are probably dozens of white papers filled with rec-

ommendations and proposals of every single step Kuwaitshould take - from reducing subsidies to implementing incometaxes to streamlining bureaucracy - sitting on the shelves ofgovernment offices. But what do the people want? Are hous-ing and new schools, hospitals and roads enough? And is thereany kind of agreement among the various segments and sec-tors of Kuwait society? It seems there are a lot of differentvisions of what Kuwait should be and little room for compro-mise.

Just before I graduated from college, one of our professorsmade us all write an essay: Where we want to be in 20 years.Most of us had never even thought about it. Graduation andfinding a job were as far as most of us had got. But the questionmade me think: What really mattered to me enough that I’dwant to be still doing it 20 years hence?

The same question should perhaps be posed to every citizenof Kuwait: What is it, at the core, that you long to see for Kuwait’sfuture? What do you want Kuwait to look like in 20 years?

The answers might surprise us all. l

L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Scribbler’s Notebook

By Jamie Etheridge

etheridge@kuwaittimes.net

A question for Kuwait

L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Local Spotlight

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

The Avenues mall opened in 2007, and sincethen it has been continuously developing tobecome a center of attraction and entertain-

ment for people of all ages and nationalities forvarious reasons. I agree that this mall has pushedshopping experiences to new levels, keeping up-to-date with new benchmarks. The Avenues is oneof the largest malls in the Middle East. So no onecan argue the fact that the Avenues has achievedhuge success in Kuwait and no other mall cancompete with it. But while achieving success iseasy, maintaining it is difficult and here is why.

Security is key. When you go to a mall, youexpect that you are safe and all security proce-dures have been taken care of to make your visitenjoyable and peaceful. No one wishes to spendhis/her night at the police station.

Last year, a young doctor was murdered by a

few young men in the mall. It was shocking newsand the court is still looking into the case. Sincethen, several negative incidents have occurred. Itis as if this crime gave the green light to all trou-blemakers and maniacs to rush to the mall tomake it risky. While the management has changedits policies over security, fights continue, some-times between families or teenagers.

The question is why these fights keep happen-ing? The mall is huge and has many entrances andexits and security men are all over. I think the rea-son is that it is very crowded. So crowded that youinevitably can run into someone you don’t knowor don’t want to see. No matter how big that mallis, you still feel you can’t get enough air, especiallyon weekends.

The second reason is that it is an amusementpoint for teenagers who think they are clever andhandsome, and eventually they act stupidly. Orwhat happened recently when a man took hislizard to the mall and became the talk of socialmedia. He did it for fun but it was not funny.

I never go to the mall on weekend nights. Idon’t think it is the right time to have your bestshopping experience. So avoiding rush timeswould be a better strategy. The mall is open allweek long. I try to choose week nights or schooldays when the crowd is less and shops are quite.All dining tables are available too with no waitingperiod.

Only then I can say that my shopping trip wasenjoyable.

Security is vitalKUWAIT: Sheikh Ahmed Al-Mesh’al (center) checkingthe new police academyconstruction site inReggae.

The question is why these

fights keep happening? The

mall is huge and has many

entrances and exits and

security men are all over.

L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

in my view

By Abdellatif Sharaa

a.sharaa@kuwaittimes.net

As I was driving down the King Fahad Roadtowards Kuwait City one afternoon, I saw alaborer watering the grass on the sides of the

road. I stopped my car and asked him why he wasdoing it at that time of day. I told him that it shouldnot be done at this hour because the heat is sointense, the sun is so bright that the water burns offand you end up scorching the grass.

To my surprise, the man agreed with me (Kalaminta mazboot), but said his boss had ordered him todo and so he did. Sadly enough, this is a phenome-non that takes place quite frequently all acrossKuwait. You see gardeners and workers wateringlawns in front of villas or grass in the roundabout orsprinklers in the parks and along the Corniche rightin the middle of the day. This is the absolute worstpossible time to do it.

I can’t help but wonder whether the PublicAuthority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resourcessupervises the use of water for these purposes oroffers any guidelines to conserve whatever is left ofsmall natural green areas around Kuwait. In manyplaces that are arid or semi arid, governments willlimit the times and days lawns can be watered as away to get the most efficient and effective use of thewater. There is too much wastage of water and ontop of that, the inappropriate timing further dam-ages the grass. Protecting our environment isn’t justa government responsibility. Have you ever thoughthow much will be the cost of having somethinggreen to grow in our dear Kuwait?

Here’s another thing to consider. The KuwaitTimes recently published a photo of garbage binsleft in the handicapped parking spaces along theseaside. The scene was really an eyesore in a beauti-fully manicured area, and there are many reasonswhy it was out of place. The municipality should notallow trash to be left at this time of the day rightthere in the open, especially that they are workinghard to maintain the integrity of the scenery andlandscaping and have their own inspectors there!Police should find out who placed the trash in suchparking spots, depriving its rightful users from hav-ing the convenience they designated for. TheEnvironment Public Authority should be appalledand it must act so decisively to prevent such actswith the force of law, bearing in mind that it isalready summer in Kuwait and insects are crawlingand flying with all the germs and viruses they cancarry with them especially that the area is highly fre-quented by citizens and expatriates alike.

I am surprised that on the same night the munici-pality announced that stray dogs will be collectedfrom streets and neighborhoods to be treated andexported. I did not hear one dog bark in the areawhere I live as we were hearing them almost all nightevery night as they pass by back and forth. Believeme, I feel something is missing. Strange for this tohappen and it must be a coincidence, but don’t youthink that it will be great for other things to happenthe same way? Think about it.

Have a great and happy weekend!

Scorching the grass

There is too much

wastage of water

and on top of that,

the inappropriate

timing further

damages the grass.

Protecting our

environment isn’t

just a government

responsibility.

KUWAIT: Kuwait FireServices Directorate (KFSD)

took part in Kuwait’s 6thData Security Forum andExhibition that was held

under auspices of HisHighness the Prime

Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah on May

7-8 at the Radisson BlueHotel. The event was held

in collaboration with theCentral Apparatus for IT.

6L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Many neighborhood baqalas will deliver straight to your door, sell you stuff on credit and often have roadside service. Baqalas extend credit to customers for days, weeks and even months if the baqala owner knows you or is familiar with you.

Ramatollah S, the owner of an Iranian baqala in Maidan Hawally, sells almost everything - from cooking gas to ice cream and even ashtrays and toothpicks. He sells fresh vegetables, processed frozen meat and all kinds of beverages, as well as Internet and prepaid phone cards.

“I have many customers and many of them buy on credit. They pay in the first week of the month or after their payday,” Ramatollah said. He also of-fers home delivery and curbside services. Despite the growing competition in this business, Ramatol-lah’s baqala is never short of customers from all walks of life and all ages. Ramatollah told Kuwait Times that when he opened his baqala in 1995, his was the only store in the area. “Now baqalas have mushroomed in this area and we have at least 10 around here now, but I have never had zero busi-ness - there are customers every day,” he said.

In the 1990s, the only competitor he had was a small jamiya (cooperative society). “They sell much cheaper of course, but we are more accessible,” he said. “The jamiya closes at 11 pm and opens at 9 in the morning. I open at 5 in the morning and close at 2 am. I also have lots of competitors nearby, and now we also have a live poultry shop, fresh fruit and vegetable stores and many laundries. We didn’t have these before. I also remember there was only one restaurant at the corner - now we have at least five restaurants,” Ramatollah added. “Yet I am pulling in KD 250- KD 350 every day,” he

noted. Maidan Hawally has grown vertically, with many expats settling here. Two- and three-storey buildings have been demolished and replaced with 10- to 15-storey structures. The population too has grown significantly, and the needs of the people have also changed. “Technology has affected people’s needs too. They spend more on technology and need more food. In this area, we now have about three mobile shops. But many customers still buy prepaid cards here. We also deliver to their flats without additional charges,” he remarked. Ramatollah has three employees in his baqala, helping him in the daily operations, includ-ing his 19-year-old son and a Bangladeshi worker he hired to deliver his products to customers who don’t want to leave their homes.

Challenges

There are many challenges in the baqala busi-ness. They are checked regularly by the Municipal-ity. “They check whether our stocks are fresh and we are following the standards. If they see irregu-larities like expired food products, they close down the baqalas. One of my friends in Salmiya was fined and closed because he was caught selling expired items. So in my baqala, I am very cautious. I check my products regularly,” Ramatollah said.

Many baqalas also face robberies. Unruly teens often snatch products and do not pay. “All we do is just shout at them - what else can we do? We are open and anyone can enter, so if there are crimi-nals planning to attack us, we cannot do anything. There have been such cases in my baqala before, but thank God, these have subsided,” he said.

Small stores convenient, famous for credit sales

Getting to know your local

Convenience stores, known in Kuwait as baqalas, are sprouting everywhere. You can see them in almost every street and corner, a sign of relentless economic

activities in this small but wealthy country. A single street in Salmiya may be home to five baqalas.

In one street in Salmiya, for instance, one can find five baqalas. Despite the growing competition in the supermar-ket business with big grocery chains stores, baqalas continue to meet the daily needs of the country’s residents. The reason is because they and more convenient, accessible and carry a variety of every day items.

By Ben Garcia

8L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Photo of the day

KUWAIT: An attendant feeds the giraffes at the Kuwait Zoo in this May 2013 file photo. Zoo attendance drops during the warmer months in Kuwait as people travel and spend less

time outdoors. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Finance Minister Anas Al-Saleh said yesterday the govern-ment has no plans to imposeincome tax on individuals but iscurrently undertaking a study torevise subsidies and an imminentdecision on diesel subsidies isexpected soon. Speaking toreporters outside the NationalAssembly, the minister howeverdeclined to provide any date forrevising subsidies or any details onwhat subsidies the government istargeting other than diesel.

But the minister reiterated thatthe revision of subsidies does notmean it will be “reduced but willmake sure it reaches those whodeserve and need it and will notundermine the interests of low andmiddle class people”. The ministersaid that the government study onsubsidies is focused on public sub-sidies that citizens do not benefitfrom. He did not elaborate. Salehalso did not make any specific refer-ence if the revision of subsidies willhit only expatriates or will be com-mon.

Last week, State Minister forCabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad

Abdullah Al-Sabah said that thegovernment plans to lift subsidieson diesel to save around KD600 mil-lion annually and reduce subsidieson fuel to save another KD600 mil-lion by giving citizens a ration cardwhich means that expats will haveto pay the full price.

Saleh said that following theNational Assembly session in Aprilwhen the fiscal situation of thestate was debated in the secret ses-sion, the government became con-vinced that certain subsidies, partic-ularly on diesel, has no justificationespecially that those who benefitfrom it are a few. Based on instruc-tions by the prime minister, theFinance Ministry has asked for datafrom the Ministry of Oil about subsi-dies on petroleum products and wegot them. “We are about to com-plete the study very soon and sub-mit the results to the council ofministers to take the appropriatedecision” the minister said.

The minister however insistedthat the decision will be purelytechnical and not motivated bypolitical threats by MPs. Saleh alsosaid that the subsidies on electricity

will also be revised and that elec-tricity will be sold on the basis ofconsumption categories but thiswill be a part of the revision on sub-sidies. The government has repeat-edly said that it is not possible tocontinue with the huge public sub-sidies which was put at more thanKD5 billion annually.

In another development,Assembly Speaker Marzouk Al-Ghanem made a surprising visit toThe Avenues Mall yesterday toattend the launch of a public opin-ion poll organized by the NationalAssembly. The move came afterGhanem said on Wednesday thatthe Avenues administration hadobjected to political events at themall and MP Yacoub Al-Sane, theorganizer of the event, also said thevisits of the Speaker and the PrimeMinister had been called off. Theevent is to poll the opinion of citi-zens about plans to restructurewages and end of service indemni-ty. A large number of youthactivists launched a campaign onTwitter calling to gather at the ven-ue to protest against the PrimeMinister and the Speaker.

KUWAIT: An Egyptian was arrestedin Farwainya for disguising as militaryofficial, said security sources. Casepapers indicate that a routine patrolstopped the man’s German-madevehicle and found out that he lookedpuzzled and he was wearing a mili-tary uniform.

Lawyer attackedAfter turning himself in, the

shooter of the Kuwaiti lawyer TurkiAl-Khaldi justified his criminal act as ameans of retaliation against thelawyer for filing several cases againsthim on behalf of his client; the shoot-er’s divorcee. The suspect, who gavein at the psychiatric diseases hospital,said that he had been waiting out-side the building where the lawyer’soffice is located for attacking him. Assoon as the lawyer came out andheaded towards his car with an Asian,the assailant ran them over with hisvehicle, stepped out of it and firedfour shots at the lawyer and one atthe Asian before fleeing the scene.

Shots fired at vehicleA Saudi national reported that

three shots had been fired at his vehi-cle while it was parked outside hisHouse in Sulaibiya, said security

sources. A case was filed and furtherinvestigations are still in progress todetermine the motive behind the fir-ing.

Kids kidnappedA Kuwaiti mother reported that

her divorced Saudi husband had kid-napped their two kids and left toSaudi Arabia without her knowledge.

Maid steals KD 1,200A citizen reported that his house-

maid had stolen KD1,200 before shefled the house, said security sources.

Egyptian collapses, diesA 57-year-old Egyptian fainted

and dropped dead following a car-diac arrest at the Ministry ofPlanning, said security sources. Casepapers indicate that the man just col-lapsed at 11.30 am and that allattempts to revive him failed.

Boy injured in brawlAn 11-year-old Kuwaiti sustained

several injuries in a brawl with otherpeers in Sabah Al-Salem, said securitysources noting that the boy wasrushed to Mubarak hospital for treat-ment.

No income tax but a revision of subsidies

Speaker launches public opinion poll at The Avenues

Fake military man arrested

9L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Newsin brief

KPI launches its renewed brand

KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), theinternational marketing arm of Kuwait PetroleumCorporation (KPC), has officially launched itsrenewed corporate brand. This initiative is part ofthe Company’s continuous efforts to refresh its cor-porate brand and strengthen its competitive posi-tion in line with its expansion projects, the compa-ny said in a release. The first visual manifestation ofthe new corporate brand will be the Capellen Nordstation in Luxembourg, which will be opened offi-cially on the 15th of May, it added. The Company’sbrand ‘Q8’ was launched in 1986 and renewed in1994. It reflects Kuwait’s maritime heritage; thesails symbolize the Arab dhow while the colors yel-low, red, and blue symbolize the desert, sun, andsea respectively, it noted. The new logo maintainsthis link with Kuwait’s heritage. There is a fresh andwelcoming light blue. The number of stripes in thesails has been reduced in order to appear less com-plex; whilst the shape of the sails is more curved togive a fresh younger look. Kuwait PetroleumInternational’s new brand value proposition is ‘eas-ing the journey”, it added.

Arab League, Kuwait discuss ‘resolutions’

CAIRO: The Arab League and Kuwait held a newmeeting yesterday to follow up on the implemen-tation of resolutions adopted during a recent Arabsummit held in Kuwait. The participating Kuwaitidelegation was led by the Gulf nation’s permanentdelegate at the league Ambassador Aziz Al-Daihaniwhile Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab LeagueAmbassador Ahmed bin Helli headed the bloc’sdelegation. Speaking to KUNA following the meet-ing, the Kuwaiti diplomat said the meeting - thesecond of its kind between both sides, was mainlymeant to assess how the recent Arab summit’s res-olutions were being properly put in place. Hevoiced much satisfaction with the new approachby the Arab League to monitor the implementa-tion of relevant resolutions. Al-Daihani cited therecent resolution to overhaul the inter-Arab bloc asa major issue tabled on the agenda of the League-Kuwait meeting. Four working teams set up to findthe optimal ways to revamp the league are expect-ed to come together at the Arab League on May 18and 19.

Egypt strengthening relations with Gulf

CAIRO: Strengthening ties with other Arab statesespecially with the GCC countries is a top priorityfor Egypt, said Egyptian Foreign Minister NabilFahmy said here late Wednesday. In a televisioninterview last evening, Fahmy lauded the Arabstates’ continuous support to Egypt, affirming thatEgyptian Armed Forces would carry on its rolepeace keepers in the region. The Foreign Ministerreaffirmed that Egypt would continue measures toreinforce the respect of human rights and democ-racy in the country, noting that the process so fardid consist of some mistakes; however, Egyptiansare moving on the right course to overcome obsta-cles. In regards to Egyptian-US relations, Fahmysaid that the two countries were keen on bolster-ing ties. On the pending issue of the GrandRenaissance Dam with Ethiopia, Fahmy said thatboth Egypt and Ethiopia should work out issues ofconflict in regards to the dam project, affirmingthat the matter should be resolved in a mannerthat benefit both countries.

KUWAIT: Bahrain-based Gulf FinanceHouse has appealed a decision byKuwait’s financial regulator to monitorits Kuwait-listed shares after the stockwas traded in high volumes ahead of acompany disclosure last year. In recentmonths, Kuwait’s Capital MarketsAuthority (CMA) has been clampingdown on what it sees as unusual marketactivity. Some executives and analystshave welcomed the move but others saythe watchdog is being heavy-handed.Kuwait’s regulator noticed GFH stocktraded in high volumes in May 2013, theIslamic investment firm said in a state-ment late on Wednesday.

The company’s shares are listed inboth Bahrain and Kuwait. That tradingspike came before an agreement signedin June between Bahrain-based KhaleejiCommercial Bank, an associate of GFH,and Bank Al Khair to study a possiblemerger. GFH said there was no relationbetween the memorandum of under-standing (MoU) and high trading vol-umes witnessed on May 19-21. “GFH hasfiled a petition with CMA Kuwait againstthis decision,” the company said, addingthe CMA has not imposed a financialpenalty.

The regulator notified GFH of itsprobe into the firm last September and

said in April this year that it wouldmonitor the stock for six months. Atthe time of the trading spike, GFHissued a market statement which saidthere was “no recent or major develop-ment” that could have caused the hightrading volume, the company said. TheCMA asks Kuwait-listed companies toexplain high trading volumes. TheMoU was s igned on May 30 andannounced June 3 following regulato-ry approvals, the statement said. Themerger plans were scrapped in Marchof this year after the two Islamic banksfailed to agree on the structure andvaluation of the deal.— Reuters

Bahrain’s GFH appeals Kuwait’s decision

Syrian held for killing Indian guards; bedoon still at large

Three kids escape fire miraculously

Snake caughtA snake was yesterday caught at Haya Al-Habib

Digestive System Center at Mubarak Hospital, said securitysources.

Fire in SalmiyaA fire broke out on the third floor of a Salmiya building

spreading suffocating fume all over the building, saidsecurity sources. Firemen from Hawalli and Salmiya rushedto the scene and evacuated all the tenants without anyinjury and managed to control the fire. Initial investigationshowed that the fire started because of an electric shortcircuit at an air-conditioning unit.

Miraculous escapeThree kids and their maid were miraculously rescued

when a huge fire broke out in the family house in Hitteen,said security sources. The kids and four adults remainedtrapped in the house that was engulfed by raging flamesuntil firemen broke into the house and evacuated them.They were all treated by paramedics on the scene.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A Syrian expat was arrested in connection with thearmed robbery and the gunning down of two Indian securityguards at a vegetable market in Sulaibiya recently while hisbedoon accomplice still remained at large, said security sources.The sources said the culprit was brought before the police by hisown folks after he admitted to committing the crime. Thesources added that the suspect confessed to the crime andinformed the police detectives about the involvement of his

bedoon accomplice in the crime. His accomplice, however, is stillat large. The suspect admitted that he and his accomplice used aKalashnikov machine gun to shoot at the victims, firing all 36rounds in the magazine. Both victims were Indian nationals -Sharangdharan was killed on the spot while his colleagueMuhammaed Rashid Thangal died shortly after arriving atFarwaniya hospital. According to reports, the assailants escapedwith KD13,000 from the victims after firing on them. A section ofthe local press had reported wrongly that the culprits werearrested last week following a raid in Sulaibiya.

KUWAIT: The body of one ofw the Indian security guardslie on the ground in this file photo.

L o c a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

News

Saudi woman killed defying driving ban

RIYADH: A Saudi woman was killed in a car crash inthe capital yesterday as she defied the kingdom’slong-standing ban on female driving, local mediareported. The woman, in her 20s, lost control of hervehicle and crashed into the wall of a youth club inRiyadh, according to the website of the local Al-Jazeera daily. The car caught fire and she died, it said.Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia is the only country inthe world where women are not allowed to drive.However, they usually get behind the wheel in desertregions away from the capital. Yesterday’s deadlyaccident was not the first of its kind involving awoman driver. In January 2012, a female driver wasinjured and her companion killed when their caroverturned in the northern Hael province. And inNovember 2010, a woman driver was killed alongwith three of her female passengers in a similar acci-dent. Women in the kingdom who have the meanshire drivers while others must depend on the good-will of male relatives. Women’s rights activists makefrequent calls to challenge the ban and those who doso post online videos showing themselves behind thewheel. In addition to not being allowed to drive,Saudi women must cover themselves from head totoe and need permission from a male guardian totravel, work and marry.

4 new MERS deaths, 18 more infections in Saudi

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced four moredeaths from the MERS coronavirus and 18 new infec-tions, as it battles to contain the mystery diseasewhich has now killed 121 people in the kingdom. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) after a five-daymission to Jeddah pinpointed breaches in its “recom-mended infection prevention and control measures”as being partly responsible for an increase in infec-tions in the Red Sea city. The disease, which firstappeared in the kingdom in September 2012, hasnow infected a total number 449 Saudis, accountingfor the bulk of cases registered across the globe. Twoof the latest deaths reported late on Wednesday-of a65-year-old woman suffering from several illnessesand a 45-year-old woman-occurred in the capitalRiyadh. Both died on Tuesday. In Jeddah, the com-mercial capital, a 70-year-old woman died on Mondayand a 60-year-old man died on Tuesday, the healthauthorities said. Among the 18 people newly infectedis a 10-year-old boy who was taken to a governmenthospital in Jeddah following an accident on April 29.After he was discharged from the hospital on May 2,MERS symptoms began to appear and he was rushedto intensive care.

in brief

BRUSSELS: The main challenge facing Islamic economy ispoor understanding of Muslim consumers and their needs,according to Professor Laurent Marliere, a Belgian expert onIslamic economy and finance. Interviewed by KUNA, he saidIslamic financing which is one of the most mature sectors ofthe Islamic economy, is unable to make a real breakthroughbecause of the very fact that it is industry-driven and not mar-ket-driven.

The term Islamic economy can be considered through vari-ous angles. Some take it to mean the economies of the 57member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) or to products offered in compliance with Islamic Sharia(jurisprudence) such as finance and food products. Othersbelieve it is one segment of the global economy, which focus-es on Islamic consumers, regardless of location.

“Islam and Muslims are a global paradigm with specificneeds and requirements that need to be serviced accordingly.The fact that large forums like the World Islamic EconomicForum (WIEF) hold their annual gatherings in non-Muslimcountries is evidence that the Islamic economy is a worldwidephenomenon,” stressed Marliere who is also head of ISFIN, anIslamic lawyers firm which has branches in 60 countries. Interms of figures, one could consider the 1.65 billion Muslimswho constitute the Ummah as the market of the Islamic econ-omy. But, he noted that Muslims across the world are hetero-

geneous in their consumption habits and added Islamic prod-ucts could also be potentially interesting to non-Muslims.

He referred to a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters in2013, which showed that the global expenditure of Muslimconsumers on food and lifestyle sectors was $1.62 trillion in2012 and expected to reach $2.47 trillion by 2018. Islamicfinancial assets in 2012 were estimated at $1.35 trillion in totaldisclosed assets and growing at 15-20 percent a year in mostmarkets. This report estimates the potential value of Islamicbanking assets in its core markets to be $4.1 trillion. “TheIslamic economy goes beyond Islamic countries. It is a de factoglobal endeavour, as most suppliers to the Islamic markets arebased in the West,” he said.

Marliere said that merely copying what Malaysia has donefor Islamic finance is “unrealistic because the Malaysian model,although a great lesson to the world, is not a complete successsince it has not managed to conquer more than a regionalspace. It has failed to become global.” He stated that the worldmap is no longer focused on the Atlantic or the link betweenthe US and Europe, but is now shifting to the Asia-Pacificregion, and opined that the Gulf region, in particular Dubai,could become a hub of Islamic finance. “Dubai has managedto combine an Eastern and Western cosmopolitan culture,which makes it easier to carry out business and trade,” heremarked. — KUNA

Islamic economy ‘going beyond Islamic nations’

Main challenge - poor understanding

KUWAIT: The American Women’s League(AWL) recently hosted a special farewellbreakfast party in honor of outgoing USAmbassador to Kuwait Matthew Tueller andhis wife DeNeece Tueller, the honorary presi-dent of AWL. Held at the Regency Hotel inSalwa, the breakfast was attended by AWLboard members, guests and members.Deborah Al-Qanai, AWL president, openedthe breakfast by welcoming everyone in bid-ding farewell to the Tuellers.

“His Excellency has always been there tosupport AWL. AWL appreciates the effortsthe Tuellers have made in helping to pro-mote and support the League. His wife,DeNeece, has been with us at almost everyactivity and seminar. She has been with usfrom the inception of the AWL CancerSupport Group supporting and encouragingus to do our very best to educate and informeveryone about cancer. Her efforts in build-ing the AWL and the AWL Cancer SupportGroup have been much appreciated and weare grateful for her dedication and supportas well,” Al-Qanai said. She then presented,on behalf of the AWL, a plaque as a token ofappreciation to His Excellency, AmbassadorTueller and a commemorative plate to MrsTueller. She ended by saying, “We all wishthem the very best wherever life may leadthem in the future”

Ambassador Tueller said a few words of

thanks and praised the AWL for its effortsover the past year. He felt that the AWL hadmade a difference in the lives of its membersby promoting informative as well as enter-taining events, activities and seminars. Healso mentioned the new ambassador,Douglas Silliman, who will be arriving fromIraq. Tueller explained that he will be servingas US Ambassador to Yemen and will takeup his duties later this summer.

DeNeece Tueller gave a very warmspeech and mentioned her delight in help-

ing to rebuild AWL and promote the AWLCancer Support Group as she herself is a can-cer survivor. AWL member, DoreenAbdulelah, put it best when she said:“DeNeece Tueller has been the most signifi-cant of all the ambassadors’ wives in the his-tory of the AWL. She has been there to helpout and support every activity. She has beengenerous of her time and most hospitable inopening her home to host several parties forAWL members. No one has done as much asshe has.”

AWL bids farewell to US ambassador

KUWAIT: The American Womenís League (AWL) recently hosted a special farewell breakfast party in honor of HisExcellency, the American Ambassador, Matthew Tueller (center right) and his wife, DeNeece Tueller, the honorary presi-dent of AWL at the Regency Hotel.

KUWAIT: The American Ambassador’s wife DeNeece Tueller (left — front row)seen during the special farewell breakfast party the Regency Hotel .

Saudi plans to build pilgrimage airport

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is planning to build a newinternational airport to serve pilgrims to Makkah inthe nearby city of Taif, its General Authority for CivilAviation (GACA) said yesterday. GACA is preparing atender and will ask consortia of international andlocal companies to bid to develop the airport, andaims to award a contract in the first half of 2015,spokesman Khaled Al-Khaibani said. He said it will bedeveloped on a build-operate-transfer basis, in whicha developer finances the construction and recoups itsinvestment by operating the airport. The airport willserve visitors for the annual haj, as well as umrah, alesser pilgrimage to Makkah which can be performedat any time of year. GACA’s board approved the proj-ect on Wednesday and is working with theInternational Financing Corporation, the consultingwing of the World Bank, to help prepare the tender,the spokesman said. Most of the several million hajpilgrims coming from abroad each year now arrive ata special terminal in Jeddah’s international airport,but others fly into Medina, the city where Islam’sfounder established the first Muslim community.

15S Africa’s ANCrolls to victory

14Rebels blow up historic Aleppo hotel 12

World powersjoin search for abductedNigerian schoolgirls

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

SANAA: The US embassy was closed to thepublic yesterday in Yemen after a spate ofattacks against foreigners and fears that Al-Qaeda will seek revenge for a deadly offensivein the south. “The embassy is closed today.And this will remain in effect until furthernotice,” an employee at the US mission in aheavily-guarded neighborhood in northeastSanaa, told AFP.

Police were deployed along all roads lead-ing to the embassy and conducted a thor-ough inspection of vehicles in the vicinity inline with security measures put in place sever-al months ago. State Department spokes-woman Jan Psaki said Wednesday that theembassy would be temporarily closed to thepublic “due to recent attacks against Westerninterests in Yemen”.

These attacks “and information we havereceived have given us enough concern totake this precautionary step,” she said in a

statement. On Monday a Frenchman waskilled and another was wounded when gun-men opened fire on their car in Sanaa’s diplo-matic district. Both worked for a private secu-rity firm that officials said was guarding theEuropean Union delegation in Yemen.

On Wednesday, Yemeni security forcesshot dead the head of a “terror cell” behindMonday’s attack, the country’s supreme secu-rity committee said. Later that day the interiorministry said it was searching for suspectswhose vehicles were involved in recentattacks in Sanaa after “five Al-Qaeda terror-ists” were arrested in several parts of the capi-tal. The suspects had “arms, ammunition, anddevices used to carry out terrorist acts” intheir possession, it said. The developmentscame as Yemen pressed with a deadly offen-sive against strongholds of Al-Qaeda in theArabian Peninsula (AQAP) in the lawless southof the country.

As the operation entered its 10th day yes-terday the defense ministry announced thatthe army had seized control of a major AQAPstronghold in Azzan, in southern Shabwaprovince. Authorities have reported that sev-eral Al-Qaeda commanders were amongdozens of suspected militants killed since theoperation was launched on April 29. “Thesehuge losses will push Al-Qaeda to commithysterical and desperate acts by mobilising itssupporters and dormant cells to attack policeand army officers,” the interior ministry saidMonday.

Attacks on ‘crusaders’ everywhere The offensive against AQAP suspects was

launched in the rugged southern and centralprovinces, where a wave of US drone strikeskilled scores of suspected militants lastmonth. AQAP is seen by the United States asthe network’s deadliest franchise. The group,

a merger of Al-Qaeda in Yemen and SaudiArabia, has been linked to a number of failedterror plots against the United States.

AQAP leader Nasser Al-Wuhayshi vowed, ina rare video appearance last month, to attackWestern “crusaders” wherever they are. Al-Qaeda usually uses the term crusaders to referto Western powers, especially the ones whichhave intervened militarily in Muslim countries,mainly the United States, Britain and France. Inher statement on Wednesday the StateDepartment spokeswoman said thatWashington would “evaluate the security everyday and.. reopen the embassy to the publiconce it is deemed appropriate. The US embassyand several Western missions in Yemen closedin August after US warnings of an Al-Qaedaattack. AQAP took advantage of the weakeningof the Sanaa central government after a popu-lar uprising in 2011 forced out veteran presi-dent Ali Abdullah Saleh. —AFP

US closes Yemen embassySHABWA: Yemeni soldiers brandish their weapons as they take part in an offensive against extremists. — AFP

Western missions on alert as army advances against Qaeda

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Journalists in Jordan fight on live TV show

AMMAN: Two journalists in Jordan having a televised debateabout the civil war in neighboring Syria literally turned - andoverturned - the table on each other during an on-air brawl.The speakers broke apart the studio’s table they had beenseated in an attempt to fight each other.

The program aired Tuesday on the “Seven Stars” satellitetelevision channel. It featured journalists Shaker Al-Johari andMohammad Al-Jayousi talking about the 3-year-old war pit-ting rebels against President Bashar Assad’s government, aconflict activists say has killed more than 150,000 people.However, the debate fell apart as Al-Jayousi accused Al-Johari of supporting the Syrian rebels. Al-Johari then accusedal-Jayousi of taking money for supporting Assad. The twomen fought each other and pulled the table apart in theirscuffle. — AP

JOHANNESURG: South Africans protest yesterday in solidarity against the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls inNigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram three weeks ago. — AFP

KANO: World powers, including the United States and China, havejoined in the search for the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted byBoko Haram Islamists who have also killed hundreds in the country’snortheast this week. Amid global outrage over the kidnapping ofthe teenagers, the United States and France are sending specialistteams to Nigeria, while London has agreed to deploy “satellite imag-ing capabilities”. China promised to supply “any useful informationacquired by its satellites and intelligence services” to Nigeria.

The police on Wednesday police offered $300,000 (215,000euros) for information leading to the rescue of the girls. The latestinsurgent attack targeted the town of Gamboru Ngala on the bor-der with Cameroon, where gunmen this week razed scores of build-ings and fired on civilians as they tried to flee. Area Senator AhmedZanna put the death toll at 300, citing information provided bylocals, in an account supported by numerous residents.

Zanna said the town had been left unguarded because soldiersbased there had been redeployed north towards Lake Chad in aneffort to rescue the kidnapped girls. Nigeria’s response to the kid-nappings has been widely criticized, including by activists and par-ents of the hostages who say the military’s search operation hasbeen inept so far. President Goodluck Jonathan’s administrationhas sought to appear more engaged with the plight of the hostagesin recent days, especially after Boko Haram chief Abubakar Shekaureleased a video threatening to sell the girls as “slaves”. In a secondkidnapping, 11 more girls aged 12 to 15 years were seized Sundayfrom Gwoza, an area not far from Chibok and also in Borno state,Boko Haram’s base. The group’s five-year uprising has killed thou-sands across Africa’s most populous country and top economy, withmany questioning whether Nigeria has the capacity to contain theviolence.

Charred bodies, throats cut Islamist fighters riding in armored trucks and on motorcycles

stormed Gamboru Ngala after midday on Monday. The extremistsoverran the town, making it too dangerous for locals to immediatelyreturn, survivors said. When the militants left, residents discoveredtheir town “littered” with dead bodies, Musa Abba, a witness, toldAFP. “All economic and business centers have been burnt. The mar-ket in the town which attracts traders from all over the area... hasbeen completely burnt,” the senator said.

Gamboru Ngala has been attacked repeatedly in the past butAbba said “this (was) the worst Boko Haram attack (the town) hasseen”. The Cameroonian military has reinforced security in the townof Fotokol on the Nigerian border, a medical official told AFP byphone, requesting anonymity. “The toll is very heavy. We believe

there are more than 200 dead,” the source said, adding that 2,000Nigerians, including soldiers had fled to Cameroon. “Some of thebodies were charred. It was horrific. People had their throats slit,others were shot,” the source added.

In a fresh attack, suspected Boko Haram militants killed onWednesday seven people in Buji-Buji village, also in Borno state, thevillage head, Mohammed Garba told journalists. “Gunmen number-ing about 20 invaded our village around 3:00 am (0200 GMT) whilemost people were sleeping... The gunmen opened fire on people asthey attempted to escape from the ravaging fire. “Seven personsdied on the spot, while so many others were injured,” he said.—AFP

World powers join search forabducted Nigerian schoolgirls

Crisis overshadows world meet

For victim-turned-guide, Iraq gas attack still vividHALABJA: For years, Umed Rashid has guided visitors around amonument to victims of a 1988 gas attack in Iraq, but unlikemany guides, he learned about his subject first hand. The 40-year-old vividly recalls the horrifying period more than a quartercentury ago when his family was killed by a gas attack launchedby the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein, believed to bethe worst ever against civilians.

Now, he walks groups of tourists, visiting civil servants andstudents around a monument dedicated to the attack in thenorthern Kurdish town of Halabja, which lies in Iraq’sautonomous northern Kurdish region, a short drive from neigh-boring Iran. “I want to convey the story of Halabja to people bothoutside and inside Kurdistan,” Rashid says. “I want to tell themthat Halabja is not a city of one incident or event.

“It is a city of many calamities and disasters.” As Iraq’s eight-year war with Iran was coming to an end, Kurdish peshmergarebels, with Tehran’s backing, took over the farming communityof Halabja. The Iraqi military bombed the area, forcing the rebelsto retreat into the surrounding hills, leaving their families behind.

Suffocated to deathThen, at 11:35 am (0835 GMT) on March 16, 1988, Iraqi jets

swooped over the town, spraying a cocktail of chemical agentsincluding mustard gas that left residents writhing and coughingup green vomit before dying in agony. An estimated 5,000 peo-ple were killed, three-quarters of them women and children.

Just a teenager at the time, Rashid remembers his family pil-ing into a pick-up truck to try to escape. Apart from him, howev-er, everyone died of suffocation. He has a photograph of thetruck packed with around 25 dead villagers, including membersof his family, stopped on the road with the driver slumped overthe wheel. “When we escaped Halabja, we saw many martyrs onthe streets, but we could not help them because we had alreadybeen affected by the chemical gas,” he says. He himself brieflyslipped into a coma, to the point that rescue workers thought hehad also died and placed him in a coffin before he awokeagain.—AFP

AMMAN: This image shows an on-air fight between Jordanianjournalists Mohammad Al-Jayousi (left) and Shaker Al-Johari,(right) that took place during a talk show over a disagree-ment on the Syrian crisis. — AP

Abu Hamza managed strip club in London

NEW YORK: British hate preacher Abu Hamza told his USterror trial Wednesday how he once jointly managed aLondon strip club in his quest to live a Western, movie-stylelife. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, 56, better known in Britain asAbu Hamza Al-Masri, has pleaded not guilty to 11 kidnap-ping and terror counts that pre-date the 9/11 attacks.

Blind in one eye and with both hands blown off in anexplosion in Afghanistan, he faces life in prison in a maxi-mum security US prison if convicted by jury at the New Yorkcourt. Taking the stand for the first time in his trial, wearingtracksuit bottoms, a blue T-shirt and orange socks, theEgyptian-born former civil engineer spoke softly.

At one stage he elicited laughter from jury members bydoling out marital advice, saying it would be “silly” for a manto tell his wife he didn’t love her. “This is a silly kind of truth,”he said, explaining the man could easily change his mindmultiple times. “Maybe he loves her later” or “maybe she isthe best person for him,” he said in an almost scholarly voice.

He also said his engineering studies included the WorldTrade Center, destroyed in the 9/11 attacks he has praised,and the effect of “explosions” and demolition-which he saidbecame “useful” later in life. He is charged over the 1998 kid-napping in Yemen of 16 Westerners, conspiracy to set up ajihad training camp in Oregon in 1999, of providing materialsupport to Al-Qaeda, of assisting the Taleban and of sendingrecruits for terror training in Afghanistan.—AFP

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

BEIRUT: A rebel-claimed bombing yesterday in thenorthern Syrian city of Aleppo leveled a once luxurioushotel near the ancient Citadel that government troopsused as a military base, causing multiple casualties,activists and militants said. Syrian state television said theexplosion struck the Carlton Hotel in a government-heldarea on the edge of a contested neighborhood in the oldpart of Aleppo. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory forHuman Rights, which maintains a network of activists onthe ground, said at least 14 soldiers were killed in theblast. The Islamic Front, Syria’s biggest rebel alliancewhich claimed the attack, claimed to have killed 50 sol-diers. Both groups did not say how they know how manysoldiers died, and the claims could not be independentlyverified. In a live broadcast from the site of blast, the sta-tion’s correspondent in Aleppo stood on a huge pile ofrubble with twisted metal and palm trees sticking out,saying that the army had been using the building as abase and soldiers were positioned there at the time of theexplosion. In the broadcast, Syrian TV did not mentioncasualties but said the rebels blew up the building bytunneling underneath and planting explosives.

Deadly attacks against forces“They use tunnels like rats because they cannot face

the Syrian Arab Army,” the correspondent said, addingthat the explosion felt like an earthquake to thosearound Aleppo. The attack was the second carried out bythe Islamic Front against the Carlton. The first, allegedlycarried out also through explosives-packed tunnels,caused a partial collapse of the building in February. TheFront, an alliance of several Islamic groups fighting totopple Assad, appears to favor this technique and hasused it to carry out deadly attacks against governmentforces in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Yesterday’s explosion was much more powerful andsent an enormous mushroom of gray smoke into the skyand over the ancient city, according to a video postedonline by activists. The video appeared genuine, match-ing Associated Press’ reporting on the blast. The explo-sion was a blow to President Bashar Assad’s governmentin the north as his troops prepare to regain control of thecentral city of Homs following last week’s cease-fireagreement after a fierce, two-year battle with the rebelstrying to oust him. Rebels were completing their with-

drawal from Homs yesterday, a day after hundreds offighters evacuated from the city under the cease-firedeal. No such agreement appears to be in sight inAleppo, Syria’s largest city and former commercial hub.The city has been carved up into opposition- and gov-ernment-held areas since the rebels launched an offen-sive there in mid-2012, capturing territory along Syria’snorthern border with Turkey.

Syrian forces underplay war casualtiesIn recent months, government aircraft relentlessly has

bombed rebel-held areas of the city and the oppositionfighters have hit back, firing mortars into government-held areas. The rebels also have detonated car bombs inresidential areas, killing dozens of people. The IslamicFront posted a statement on its official Twitter accountyesterday saying that its “fighters this morning leveledthe Carlton Hotel barracks in Old Aleppo and a numberof buildings near it, killing 50 soldiers.”

The Observatory said Islamic Front fighters planted ahuge amount of explosives in a tunnel they dug belowthe hotel and detonated it remotely. It said the hotel wascompletely destroyed in the blast and at least 14 govern-ment soldiers were killed in the blast. The Syrian govern-ment does not publicize its casualties in the civil war.

Meanwhile yesterday, more rebels were expected toleave the central city of Homs as an evacuation of oppo-sition fighters moves into its second day. Homs Gov TalalBarazi told Syrian state TV that that the evacuationprocess is being conducted in “positive atmosphere.”

Barazi was seen touring Homs on Lebanon’s Al-ManarTV, which is owned by the Shiite militant groupHezbollah. Hezbollah has been battling rebels in Syriaalongside government troops for months. A reporterwith Syrian state TV was seen broadcasting live from anentrance to Homs Old City. Standing near the city’s mainsquare known as the Clock Square, the reporter inter-viewed a priest who said he hoped people in the citywould be safe again. The Observatory, which has beendocumenting Syria’s 3-year-old conflict, said that about250 opposition fighters remain in the old districts ofHoms, where they have been holed up under a cripplinggovernment siege for more than two years. TheObservatory’s head, Rami Abdurrahman, said more than960 left the city Wednesday. — AP

ALEPPO: A combo of image grabs taken from a video uploaded on YouTube bySyria’s biggest rebel alliance, the Islamic Front yesterday shows dust andsmoke billowing from an explosion at a luxury hotel turned army base. — AFP

Syrian rebels blow up historic Aleppo hotel

15I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

CAPE TOWN: Supporters of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and opposing Congress of the People (COPE) sing anddance together next to a polling station.—AFP

PRETORIA: The ruling African NationalCongress (ANC) swept toward victory inSouth Africa’s fifth post-apartheid elec-tion yesterday, handing President JacobZuma the clout to push through pro-business reforms in the face of unionand leftist opposition. Burdened withsluggish economic growth and damag-ing strikes in his first term, the scandal-plagued Zuma has devoted less and lesstime over the last year to the wishes ofunions, whose long walkouts have hitconfidence in Africa’s most developedeconomy.

He has also batted away oppositionfrom the far left, squelching someexpectations the Economic FreedomFighters (EFF) led by his former protegeJulius Malema - would ride a wave ofpopulist anger over widespread povertyand unemployment. The ANC, the liber-ation movement that swept to powertwo decades ago under the leadershipof Nelson Mandela, had won 63.7 per-cent of Wednesday’s vote with nearlytwo-thirds of districts counted, theIndependent Electoral Commission (IEC)said.

“With this, he is much less beholdento the left,” Cape Town-based politicalanalyst Nic Borain said, adding heexpected Zuma to appoint a technocratcabinet with the express mandate to roll

out policies to boost growth. “There’s nodeeply insightful change, but the bot-tom line is that by 2019 they are goingto have to be growing this economy andmaking sure they can still raise tax rev-enue.” Zuma hinted this week that theANC needed to take a more pro-busi-ness tack, accusing the main platinumunion of irresponsibility for draggingout a four-month wage strike, and hehinted at reforms in the pipeline. “Weneed an overwhelming majority so thatwe can change certain things so that wecan move faster,” Zuma told a news con-ference. “There are things you need toremove so you can move faster. I won’tbe specific.”

One influential minister said the ANCwould focus on policies adopted at a2012 leadership conference, when itrejected “wholesale nationalization” ofindustries and sought to quell investorconcerns with business-friendly pro-nouncements. “The policies of the newcoming government, the principles thatwill provide the framework for the newadministration, have already been setout,” Public Enterprises Minister MalusiGigaba told Reuters. “That is what weare going to implement.”

The ANC’s nearest rival, theDemocratic Alliance, was on 22.1 per-cent, upholding poll predictions the par-

ty would improve on the 16.7 percent itwon five years ago as it gradually shedsits image as the political home of privi-leged minority whites. The militant EFF,launched by Malema after he wasexpelled from the ANC in 2012, was inthird place with 4.9 percent.

ANC member shotTurnout was high across 22,000

polling stations nationwide, officialssaid, and voting passed off smoothlyalthough the ANC said one of its mem-bers was shot dead outside a polling sta-tion in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’shome province. Polls ahead of the elec-tion, the first to feature voters born afterapartheid, had put ANC support near 65percent, a touch below the 65.9 percentit won in the 2009 vote that broughtZuma to power.

The rand firmed as much as 1 percentagainst the dollar, to 10.35 - its strongestlevel this year - as the ANC’s margin ofvictory became clear. The benchmarkTop-40 stock index was little changed.The ANC’s enduring popularity has con-founded those who had expected itssupport to wane as the glory of its pastreceded into history and voters focusedinstead on the sluggish growth and slewof scandals that have typified Zuma’sfirst term.— Reuters

S Africa’s ANC rolls to victoryOpposition gaining ground after high turnout

DONETSK: Pro-Moscow rebels fighting in east Ukraine vowedyesterday to press on with disputed independence referen-dums, defying a call from President Vladimir Putin to postponethe vote in a bid to ease tensions. “The vote will happen on May11,” the leader of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic ofDonetsk, Denis Pushilin, told reporters. A referendum would alsotake place in the city of Lugansk, rebels there said.

A rebel spokeswoman in Slavyansk, a flashpoint town thathas been the focus of rebel combat against troops, confirmed toAFP the vote would take place despite an ongoing Ukrainianmilitary operation. The move reignited the crisis in Ukraine afterPutin on Wednesday made a surprise call to the rebels to post-pone their referendums and backed a presidential electionplanned by Kiev’s interim leaders on May 25 that he had onlyrecently described as “absurd”. Yetserday, Cold War-style ten-sions surged to the fore once again, with Russia test-firing ballis-tic missiles while its defense minister stressed the country’snuclear capable forces remained on “constant combat alert”.Putin said Kiev’s military operations against the rebels must endas a condition of the referendums being delayed.

Initially caught off guard by Putin’s appeal, the rebels yester-day rejected the Russian leader’s proposition. “The date of thereferendum will not be postponed,” Pushilin said. One Slavyanskresident who gave his name as Sergiy told AFP the referendum“must go ahead as soon as possible before the presidential elec-tion. Whatever happens, I’ll go and vote.”

‘Undeclared war’ Kiev vowed to press ahead with what it calls an “anti-terror-

ist” operation against insurgents holding a dozen or so townsand cities in the east. “The counterterrorist operation will go onregardless of any decisions by any subversive or terrorist groupsin the Donetsk region,” Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine’snational security and defense council, told reporters in Kiev.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said in a speech markingthe Soviet victory against Nazi Germany that Ukraine was facing“a real albeit undeclared war”. Putin had also said Wednesdayafter his meeting with OSCE chair and Swiss President DidierBurkhalter that Russia had withdrawn its estimated 40,000troops from the Ukrainian border.

But NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen toldreporters in Warsaw he had yet to see “any indications” thatRussia had actually done so. A Kremlin spokesman, DmitryPeskov said Moscow needed time to study the rebels’ snub.“This is a new development ... it needs to be analyzed,” Russiannews agencies quoted him as saying. The European Union saidthe planned referendums “could have no democratic legitimacyand would only further worsen the situation”.

‘Talking through his hat’ Putin’s proposals had appeared to offer the first glimmer of

hope that the seemingly inexorable decline into war might beaverted. But they sparked mixed reactions from a skeptical West.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed the“constructive tone” of Putin’s comments, but Yatsenyuk said theKremlin strongman was “talking through his hat”.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry issued a statement sayingPutin’s call to push back the referendums was “just a mockeryand by no means a sign of goodwill” because the votes were ille-gal. While the government wants to have a “full-scale nationaldialogue... a dialogue with terrorists is impermissible and incon-ceivable,” the ministry said.—AFP

Ukraine rebelssnub Putin

CARACAS: Hundreds of National Guard membersand police broke up four camps maintained bystudent protesters and arrested 243 people in anearly morning raid, Venezuelan officials said yes-terday. The camps consisting of small tents wereinstalled more than a month ago to protest againstthe government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Miguel RodriguezTorres said the tent cities were dismantled earlierin the morning. Rodriguez Torres told state televi-sion that the 243 people who were arrested wouldappear in court in the coming hours. The movewas announced just hours before top oppositionleader Leopoldo Lopez, who’s been in a militaryprison outside Caracas since February, is scheduled

to be in court for a hearing on whether he shouldbegin trial on charges stemming from the anti-government protests or whether he should befreed.

The latest clashes also come as the US Congressmoves closer to imposing economic sanctionsagainst Venezuela’s leaders. State Department offi-cials will brief a Senate committee on the violentstreet protests that have rocked the country forweeks, and a House panel will finalize its version ofa sanctions bill today.

The legislation in both chambers is relativelymodest. It centers on $15 million in new funds topromote democracy and rule of law in the SouthAmerican country. It bans visas for Venezuelan offi-

cials who crushed anti-government protests bystudents, opposition leaders and others andfreezes their assets.

The South American country has been roiledsince February by demonstrations that have killed41 people on all sides, and left another 785 injured.At least 2,200 people have been arrested in con-nection with the protests over the last few months.

Maduro’s administration has grown increasing-ly fed up with the demonstrations and last weekannounced that it had arrested 58 foreigners,including an American, on suspicion of inciting vio-lent street protests against the government. BothMaduro and Rodriguez Torres have denouncedwhat they describe as a plot to promote unrest

aimed at overthrowing the administration.Opponents have repeatedly rejected the gov-

ernment’s frequent allegations about coupattempts, calling them an effort to distract atten-tion from the country’s problems. They say theprotests arise from widespread discontent with 57percent inflation, record shortages and authoritari-an practices.

In Washington, US Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla, asponsor of the sanctions legislation in the Senate,said the message that penalties would carry isimportant. The move comes as human rightsgroups accuse Venezuelan security officials ofarresting, torturing and even killing unarmeddemonstrators.—AP

Venezuelan officials break up protesters’ camps

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

SEOUL: North Korea is making final prepara-tions to conduct its fourth nuclear test, SouthKorea’s defense minister said yesterday, buthe added that it could be a bluff. DefenseMinister Kim Kwan-jin told South Korean jour-nalists that North Korea is able to detonate anuclear device at any moment, though he did-n’t elaborate on what the final step of itspreparations would be, according to ministryofficials.

Kim also said that although North Korea isready to conduct a nuclear test, it may notintend to set off the device soon, and insteadis trying to trick outside observers into believ-ing a test is imminent, the officials said,requesting anonymity under departmentrules. North Korea has threatened in recentweeks to conduct a nuclear test to protestwhat it calls US and South Korean hostility andinternational condemnation over its rocket

and missile tests earlier this year. South Koreahas warned North Korea would face seriousconsequences if the test is made.

Pyongyang could be trying to gain lever-age with Washington. The US demands thatthe North give up nuclear activities beforelong-dormant negotiations can resume, a con-dition North Korea refuses to accept. NorthKorea says it needs nuclear weapons as adeterrent against US military threats. ManyNorth Korea watchers had suspected a nucleartest would occur when President BarackObama visited Seoul last month, but nothinghappened. Analysts remain divided overwhether North Korea will go ahead with a testsoon. A fourth test would mark another defi-ant response to US-led international pressureson Pyongyang to abandon its nuclearweapons program. North Korea conductednuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Western

experts believe North Korea has a handful ofrudimentary bombs, though it’s not yetbelieved to be capable of producing warheadssmall enough to mount on a long-range mis-sile that could threaten the US. Anothernuclear test could put the North a step closerto that goal. Recent months have seen ani-mosities flare up on the Korean Peninsula withPyongyang conducting a barrage of rocketand missile tests and resuming fierce rhetoricagainst Seoul and Washington. Before then,the North had been gradually dialing down itsthreats and seeking improved ties with SouthKorea in what foreign analysts said was anattempt to lure investment and aid.

Yesterday, Seoul’s Defense Ministryannounced that a joint investigation by SouthKorea and the US concluded that three dronesfound in the South in March and April wereflown by North Korea on military surveillance

missions. A ministry statement called thedrone flights a military provocation and saidSouth Korea will react strongly. North Koreahas denied it sent such drones and accusedSouth Korea of plotting a fabrication.

South Korean defense officials said thedrones are considered crude and low-techbut that it’s the first time North Korean droneshave been found crashed in South Korea. Thetwo Koreas are divided along the world’smost heavily armed border since the 1950-53Korean War ended with an armistice, not apeace treaty. About 28,500 American troopsare deployed in South Korea as buttressagainst potential North Korean aggression. Ayear ago, Pyongyang made a torrent ofthreats to launch nuclear strikes against Seouland Washington in protest of UN sanctionsthat were toughened following its third bombtest. — AP

North Korea preparing for 4th nuclear test?

BANGKOK: Anti-government protesters sing a song as they ride on a truck during a rally yesterday. — AP

BANGKOK: Thailand’s deposed premier Yingluck Shinawatra facesa possible five-year ban from politics after anti-graft officials ruledyesterday that she should face impeachment proceedings, a movesure to further enrage her supporters. But the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said it would not extend its probeinto a costly rice subsidy scheme to the rest of the caretaker cabi-net as feared by officials of the battered ruling party.

That could have seen the cabinet ousted and sent the kingdomspinning into a deeper political crisis. “The commission considersthere is enough evidence to indict (Yingluck) and refers (the case)to the Senate,” Panthep Klanarongran, chief of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) told reporters.

If found guilty by the upper house Yingluck could face a five-year ban from politics. The NACC said is still considering whetherYingluck should face criminal charges, which could see her given ajail term. Her billionaire elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra, livesoverseas to avoid a prison sentence for corruption that he con-tends was politically motivated in the wake of his ousting by anarmy coup in 2006. Thailand remains stuck in a political quagmirewith the ailing government staggering on despite a slew of legalchallenges and protests on Bangkok’s streets. Anti-government

protesters, who accuse the Shinawatras of poisoning Thailandwith corruption, said they would appoint a new governmenttoday-a move that would risk further political violence.

“Today we will take steps towards appointing a new govern-ment,” protest spokesman Akanat Promphan told AFP earlier, say-ing the government had lost “all legitimacy”. The protesters areknown for their hyperbolic statements and it was not immediatelyclear what legal basis their vow was based on.

But Akanat said the Thai constitution has an article that mayenable the appointment of a new executive body by the Senate.The appointment of a new premier by the anti-government group“is the red line not to be crossed,” said Thailand-based author andacademic David Streckfuss. “The Red Shirts will rise en masse,” hesaid referring to Shinawatra supporters who are due to hold amass rally tomorrow in a Bangkok suburb. The NACC’s decisioncomes a day after the Constitutional Court removed Yingluck fromoffice for abusing her power in the 2011 transfer of a security offi-cial. The ruling Puea Thai party swiftly appointed a deputy premierand commerce minister-Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan-asYingluck’s replacement and vowed to push for new elections onJuly 20 to cut a path through the turmoil. —AFP

Thailand’s deposed premier Yingluck faces politics banThai PM indicted over rice subsidy scheme

BEIJING: China has detained a prominent former journalist forleaking “state secrets”, police said yesterday, the latest move tosilence critics of the ruling Communist Party ahead of June’s 25thanniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Gao Yu, 70, was“criminally detained on suspicion of providing state secrets tosources outside China”, the Beijing public security departmentsaid in a message on its verified microblog yesterday.

Gao, the former deputy editor-in-chief of the magazineEconomics Weekly, is a well-known journalist who was namedone of the International Press Institute’s 50 “world press freedomheroes” in 2000. Her political writings have seen her jailed in thepast. In 1993, she was sentenced to six years in prison on a similar“state secrets” charge.

She was paraded yesterday on state-run China CentralTelevision, in the latest instance of authorities publicly shaminginfluential critics of Beijing with televised confessions. It showedher being escorted down a hallway and interrogated by two uni-formed police officers.

“I believe what I have done has touched on legal issues andhas endangered the country’s interests,” said Gao, whose facewas obscured on the broadcast. “What I have done was a big mis-take. I earnestly and sincerely have learned a lesson from thisexperience and admit my guilt,” she said.

Gao had been missing for the past two weeks, and her associ-ates became alarmed when she did not show up at a privateTiananmen-related gathering she had been scheduled to attend.According to the official news agency Xinhua, Gao was held onApril 24 on suspicion of having sent a copy of a “highly confiden-tial” document to an overseas website last June. Police seized“substantial evidence” from her home and Gao has “expresseddeep remorse about what she did”, Xinhua said, adding that shewas “willing to accept punishment from the law”. The Xinhuareport did not name the document that Gao is alleged to haveleaked.

But Gao has written previously on “Document No. 9”, aCommunist Party internal communique calling for a harsh crack-down on dissent and warning against “perils” such as multi-partydemocracy and universal values. The document circulated earlylast year and its full text was published by a Hong Kong-basedmagazine last August. —AFP

FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO: Visitors stroll in a flower garden cov-ered by over 800,000 Shibazakura or Moss Phlox in fullbloom during the Fuji Shibazakura Festival yesterday. — AFP

China detains journalist over ‘state secrets’ leak

I n t e r n a t i o n a lFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

KABUL: Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan announced thestart of their annual “spring offensive” yesterday, vowing afinal summer of bloody attacks on foreign forces before the13-year NATO combat mission ends. The Islamist extremistssaid that the offensive, beginning on Monday, wouldcleanse “the filth of the infidels” from the country, andwarned that Afghan translators, government officials andpoliticians would also be targeted.

The “Khaibar” offensive, named after an ancient battlebetween Muslims and Jews, will coincide with a plannedsecond round of elections next month to choose a succes-sor to President Hamid Karzai, who has ruled since the fallof the Taleban in 2001. The 51,000 US-led NATO troops stilldeployed in Afghanistan are set to withdraw by December,ending a long and costly battle to defeat the rebels, wholaunched a fierce insurgency after being ousted from pow-er. A small number of US troops may stay on from next year

on a training and counter-terrorism mission, but theTaleban warned that the insurgency would continueagainst even a few thousand US troops. The Taleban “insistson the unconditional withdrawal of all invading forces... andsees the continuation of its armed Jihad (as) imperative toachieving these goals,” said an English-language statementon the group’s website. “If the invaders or their internalstooges believe that reducing the number of foreign forceswill dampen our Jihadi fervour then they are sadly mistak-en.” It added that attacks during the coming “fighting sea-son” would target US military bases, foreign embassies andvehicle convoys, as well as the Afghan government.

‘Barbaric invaders’ “The days of... the barbaric invaders (on) the pure soil of

our country have come (to a) close, due to your 13-yearJihad and sacrifices,” it told its fighters. Afghanistan’s fight-

ing season traditionally begins in April or May as snowrecedes from the mountains, and the Taleban mark theoccasion with an annual declaration to attack foreign forcesand unseat the Kabul government. “The main target of thecurrent year’s blessed Jihadi operation shall be the foreigninvaders and their backers under various names like spies,military and civilian contractors and everyone working forthem like translators,” it said. The offensive will consist ofsuicide bombings, “insider attacks” by Afghan soldiers andcomplex assaults on military facilities.

“Such war techniques which shall inflict maximum loss-es on the invaders while preventing corporeal and financiallosses on the ordinary civilians,” it added, though insurgentattacks often kill non-combatants. The Taleban had vowedto disrupt the first-round of presidential elections on April 5,but they failed to launch a major attack on the campaign oron polling day. —AFP

Taleban set to attack before NATO exit

VARANASI: As he contemplated the vast crowds that greet-ed Narendra Modi in India’s holiest city, the would-be primeminister’s top aide proclaimed the wave of support for hisboss had become a “tsunami”. Rather than deny the opposi-tion’s assertion, the governing Congress party shot back thattsunamis leave a trail of death and destruction.

The salvo was typical of the war of words being waged inVaranasi, one of the final contests in the world’s biggest elec-tion and whose combatants include two of India’s mosttalked-about politicians. If his Bharatiya Janata Party’s plancomes off, Modi will emerge next week as Varanasi’s mem-ber of parliament and India’s prime minister.

But opposing him is anti-corruption champion ArvindKejriwal, who six months ago prevented the BJP from takingcharge of Delhi’s state assembly in a stunning electoraldebut. The expectation this time is of a win for Modi inMonday’s poll, the last day of voting in the whole six-weekelection. National results are due next Friday.

“Everyone in Varanasi, everyone in India, knows that Modiis the frontrunner,” said T P Singh, a politics professor at thecity’s Banaras Hindu University. “The people of Varanasi areexcited that they won’t just be voting for their MP but alsofor their PM.” A sacred city around 420 miles (680 kilometers)east of Delhi, Varanasi is a perfect platform for Modi to pres-ent himself as a sound administrator and proud Hindu. Thecity on the banks of the river Ganges teems with templesand traffic, and it is regarded as particularly auspicious forHindus to be cremated by the holy waters. Boys play cricketonly yards from the burning bodies.

Higher calling Modi’s pitch has been to revive a city whose famous silk

industry is fighting for survival. A BJP “vision document”includes pledges to clean up the filthy Ganges and makeVaranasi an education hub. The BJP’s national secretary,Rameshwar Chaurasia, says Modi’s candidacy should alsohave a knock-on effect in neighboring states. “Democracy isa game of numbers and it was felt Modiji (ji is an Indian hon-orific) would change the dynamics of at least 59 seats,” hetold AFP.

Uttar Pradesh state, which is home to Varanasi, accountsfor 80 out of 543 seats in the parliament, making it by far themost important state. Congress appears to be an also-ran inVaranasi after fielding a former BJP cadre who is accused ofattempted murder. Laxman Nishad, who rows pilgrims downthe Ganges, said he would vote for Modi, a four-term chiefminister of the relatively thriving coastal state of Gujarat.

“He has turned Gujarat into a golden place,” said theboatman, 65. If Modi’s governance record adds to his appeal,his reputation as an unabashed Hindu nationalist as a formermember of the radical Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh groupdivides voters. “He’s a hard worker and capable man whobelieves in Hindu culture,” said Swamy Shesh Naryan as hetook an early morning dip in the river. “There is nothingwrong with someone who is proud of his roots.”But TajMuhammad, a Muslim lawyer in Varanasi, said: “We don’t

think that even one percent of (Muslim) votes will go to him.”The 63-year-old leader remains deeply controversial aftermore than 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, were killed in riotsin Gujarat in 2002 shortly after he came to power.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Narendra Modi sharp-ened his attack on India’s election authorities yesterday,accusing them of discrimination in barring him from hold-ing rallies to back his candidacy in Varanasi. “With fullresponsibility, I’m accusing India’s election commission ofdiscrimination,” Modi told supporters at another rally in theelectorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, where one in everysix Indian voters lives. The independent monitoring agencyis widely credited for ensuring free and fair elections inIndia, in which 815 million voters have been called to thepolls over five weeks. — Agencies

MULTAN: Lawyers in Pakistan went onstrike yesterday to mourn a colleagueshot dead for defending a university lec-turer accused of blasphemy, the latestkilling linked to the controversial law.Gunmen stormed the office of RashidRehman in the central city of Multan onWednesday evening and started firingindiscriminately, killing him and two oth-ers in the room. It is the latest high-profilekilling linked to Pakistan’s strict lawsagainst defaming Islam, which rightscampaigners say are often used to settlepersonal disputes. A prominent provincialgovernor and a Christian federal ministerwere assassinated in separate incidents in2011 for criticizing the laws. Last month aChristian couple were sentenced to deathfor sending a “blasphemous” text mes-sage, with their lawyer suggesting theywere framed. Police official Zulfiqar Alisaid that Rehman’s attackers were youngmen who reached the scene on motorcy-cle, and made no attempt to conceal theiridentity using masks. Rehman, who wasabout 50 and married without childrenwas pronounced dead in hospital. He washit by five bullets including one in thehead and one in the heart, according toDoctor Ashiq Malik of the city’s NishtarHospital.

“We are observing a strike and nolawyer will appear in any court today tomourn and protest the killing of our col-league,” Sher Zaman Qureshi, presidentof the District Bar Association Multan, toldAFP. “We demand that the killers ofRashid Rehman should be arrested imme-

diately.” He added that Rehman had toldthe association he had received deaththreats and they had asked the police toprovide security, but the request wasdeclined.

“Rashid Rehman had informed us thathe was being threatened by various peo-ple to stop defending the blasphemycase, otherwise he will be killed,” Qureshisaid. Rehman was representing JunaidHafeez, a lecturer at Bahauddin ZakariyaUniversity who is accused of makingderogatory remarks. Hafeez was knownat the university for his liberal views andthe blasphemy case was registered afterpressure from right-wing student groups,according to a student who did not wishto be named.

Rights activist An official at the independent

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan(HRCP) said that for a year, no lawyer wasprepared to take up the case over fearsof attacks from extremist religiousgroups. But Rehman, who was also arights activist and coordinator of theHRCP, decided to defend Hafeez. Duringthe first hearing in March this year,which took place inside a prison forsecurity reasons, Rehman receivedthreats from the complainant’s lawyers.“During the hearing the lawyers of thecomplainant told Rehman that hewouldn’t be present at the next hearingas he would not be alive,” said the HRCPin a statement issued after the incidentin March.—AFP

Lawyers strike to mourn Pakistan defense lawyer

MULTAN: An injured colleague of slain Pakistani lawyer Rashid Rehmanarrives at the hospital after an attack by gunmen. — AFP

Modi ‘tsunami’ forecast on India’s holy GangesModi accuses election agency of discrimination

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister of the western Indianstate of Gujarat and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi gesturesduring an election rally. — AFP

O p i n i o nFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

By Bernard Condon

Nancy Strumwasser, a high school teacher from Mountain Lakes,New Jersey, always thought she’d have two children. But thelayoffs that swept over the US economy around the time her

son was born six years ago helped change her mind. Though she andher husband, a market researcher, managed to keep their jobs, shefears they won’t be so fortunate next time. “After we had a kid in 2009,I thought, ‘This is not happening again,’” says Strumwasser, 41,adding, “I never really felt comfortable about jobs, how solid they canbe.” The financial crisis that followed the collapse of US investmentbank Lehman Brothers in 2008 did more than wipe out billions inwealth and millions of jobs. It also sent birth rates tumbling aroundthe world as couples found themselves too short of money or toofearful about their finances to have children. Six years later, birth rateshaven’t bounced back. For those who fear an overcrowded planet,this is good news. For the economy, not so good. We tend to thinkeconomic growth comes from working harder and smarter. But econ-omists attribute up to a third of it to more people joining the work-force each year than leaving it. The result is more producing, earningand spending.

Now this secret fuel of the economy, rarely missing and littlenoticed, is running out. “For the first time since World War II, we’re nolonger getting a tailwind,” says Russ Koesterich, chief investmentstrategist at BlackRock, the world’s largest money manager. “You’regoing to create fewer jobs. ... All else equal, wage growth will be slow-er.” Births are falling in China, Japan, the United States, Germany, Italyand nearly all other European countries. Studies have shown thatbirths drop when unemployment rises, such as during the GreatDepression of the 1930s. Birth rates have fallen the most in someregions that were hardest hit by the financial crisis.

In the United States, three-quarters of people surveyed by Galluplast year said the main reason couples weren’t having more childrenwas a lack of money or fear of the economy. The trend emerges as akey gauge of future economic health - the growth in the pool ofpotential workers, ages 20-64 - is signaling trouble ahead. This laborpool had expanded for decades, thanks to the vast generation of babyboomers. Now the boomers are retiring, and there are barely enoughnew workers to replace them, let alone add to their numbers.

Growth in the working-age population has halted in developedcountries overall. Even in France and the United Kingdom, with rela-tively healthy birth rates, growth in the labor pool has slowed dramat-ically. In Japan, Germany and Italy, the labor pool is shrinking. “It’s likehealth - you only realize it exists until you don’t have it,” says AlejandroMacarron Larumbe, managing director of Demographic Renaissance,a think tank in Madrid. The drop in birth rates is rooted in the 1960s,when many women entered the workforce for the first time and cou-ples decided to have smaller families. Births did begin rising in manycountries in the new millennium. But then the financial crisis struck.Stocks and home values plummeted, blowing a hole in householdfinances, and tens of millions of people lost jobs. Many couplesdelayed having children or decided to have none at all.

Fewer BabiesCouples in the world’s five biggest developed economies - the

United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom - had350,000 fewer babies in 2012 than in 2008, a drop of nearly 5 percent.The United Nations forecasts that women in those countries will havean average 1.7 children in their lifetimes. Demographers say the fertil-ity rate needs to reach 2.1 just to replace people dying and keep pop-ulations constant. The effects on economies, personal wealth and liv-ing standards are far reaching: A return to “normal” growth is unlike-ly: Economic growth of 3 percent a year in developed countries, theaverage over four decades, had been considered a natural rate ofexpansion, sure to return once damage from the global downturnfaded. But many economists argue that that pace can’t be sustainedwithout a surge of new workers. The Congressional Budget Officehas estimated that the US economy will grow 3 percent or so in eachof the next three years, then slow to an average 2.3 percent for nexteight years. The main reason: Not enough new workers.

Reduced pay and lifestyles: Slower economic growth will limitwage gains and make it difficult for middle-class families to raise theirliving standards, and for those in poverty to escape it. One measureof living standards is already signaling trouble: Gross domestic prod-uct per capita - the value of goods and services a country produces

per person - fell 1 percent in the five biggest developed countriesfrom the start of 2008 through 2012, according to the World Bank. Adrag on household wealth: Slower economic growth means compa-nies will generate lower profits, thereby weighing down stock prices.

And the share of people in the population at the age when theytend to invest in stocks and homes is set to fall, too. All else equal,that implies stagnant or lower values. Homes are the biggest sourceof wealth for most middle-class families. Births might pick up again,of course. In France, where the government provides big subsidiesand tax breaks for children, birth rates are back where they were inthe early 1970s. In other countries, women who put off having chil-dren in the recession might play catch up soon, as they did afterWorld War II. Demographers note that women were having childrenlater in life even before the crisis, and so births are likely to rise any-way.

But even a snapback in births to pre-recession levels will leave

families much smaller than they were decades ago, a shift that hasalready affected industries and economies around the world. InJapan, sales of adult diapers will exceed sales of baby diapers thisyear, according to Euromonitor International, a marketing researchfirm. In Germany and Italy, towns are emptying as families shrink andthere aren’t enough children to replace older ones who are dying.And in South Korea, where births have fallen 11 percent in a decade,121 primary schools had no new students last year, according toYonhap, the country’s government-backed news agency.

Park Hyun-kyung, a 34-year-old hospital administrator in Daegu,South Korea, says she would like to have three children, just like herparents. But she and her husband have decided to stick to one, ifthey have any. “Most jobs are not secure enough to allow couples tohave a baby and raise kids,” she says. In China, where the working-age population is set to shrink next year, the government is relaxinga policy that had limited many families to one child. It might not helpmuch. Chinese are choosing to stick to one on their own.

Lei Qiang, a logistics manager in Shanghai with a 2-year-olddaughter, has ruled out another child. “I just couldn’t think howexpensive it is to have two,” says Lei, 39. Economists are worried notjust because growth is stalling in working-age populations. Theirnumbers as a share of the total population in many countries isfalling. Economists like to see this share of total population rise,because it means more people are earning money, expanding thetax base and paying for schools for the young and pensions andhealth care for the old. Before the recession, the number of thesepotential workers as a proportion of total population was falling inthree of the world’s six biggest developed economies - Japan,

Germany and Italy. Now the proportion is also dropping in theUnited States, France and the United Kingdom, according to invest-ment firm Research Affiliates, using data from the United Nations.

Economists say it is rare for the number of working-age people asa share of the total population to fall in so many major countries atthe same time. It’s usually because of war and famine, although suchproportions also fell in the 1950s as baby boomers were born andpopulations surged. The six countries with declining proportions ofworking-age people now, plus China, accounted for 60 percent ofglobal economic output in 2012, according to Haver Analytics, aresearch firm. The drops are small, a few tenths of a percentage pointeach year off proportions of working age people, which had peakedin developed countries at 61.4 percent in 2009. But ResearchAffiliates expects the working-age share of total population to fallsteadily for several decades, slowing economies each year, until theybottom at about 50 percent in 2040 or so.

Productivity Growth A country can compensate for this demographic drag on econom-

ic growth by encouraging people to work longer or to use technolo-gies to increase output. But most economists doubt that suchchanges are forthcoming or would be enough. “You need incredibleproductivity growth,” says Michael Feroli, a JPMorgan economist. Hesays economic growth of 3 percent is unlikely on a “sustained basis”even for the United States, which is blessed with a flow of immigrants,albeit a slowing one, to soften the blow.

Robert Arnott, chairman of Research Affiliates, thinks investors andpolicymakers don’t realize how much demographics will hurteconomies now because they never appreciated how much theyhelped in the past. Payrolls rose as the oldest baby boomers startedworking in the mid-1960s - then kept rising as those born later tookjobs. Retirees were relatively few because most workers were young.And many women joined the workforce for the first time.

It was an unusual confluence of beneficial demographic shifts, andperhaps unrepeatable. “The developed world in the past 60 years hashad the most benign demography in the history of man,” Arnott says.But economic growth in developed countries will “tumble” to nomore than a tepid 1.5 percent a year, on average, until 2040 or so, heestimates. And Arnott says economic growth per capita, a roughgauge of living standards, may “swing negative.” It’s already on itsway. From 1960-2000, GDP per capita rose an average 2.6 percent ayear in the big six developed countries. Since then, it has grown lessthan 1 percent a year. Arnott thinks the demographic drag is going toworsen, subtracting roughly a percentage point from the annual ratein the next few decades.—AP

Fear of economic blow asbirths drop around world

In this April 14, 2014 photo, a 3-year-old boy plays in the playground of Community Day Preschool of Garden Grove in GardenGrove, California. According to the school’s executive director Sue Puisis, enrollment at the preschool has dropped by morethan 50 percent since 2008. — AP

Page 30

Page 23

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Models walk the runway during the

Christian Dior Cruise 2015 show at Brook-

lyn Navy Yard on May 7, 2014 in the

Brooklyn borough of Brooklyn City.—AFP

Bearded Eurovision

drag queen draws

controversy

Picasso painting fetches $31 million in NY auction

You can walk on theceiling

of this house

Page 21

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Many would agree with naturalist DavidAttenborough that nature “ is thegreatest source of visual beauty.” And

that includes the creepy crawlies: From snakes’skins to the intricate physiology of the smallestbug, we can’t help but be impressed by thebeauty of creatures that buzz, flit and slither.

Art ists and designers have long usedinsects, reptiles and other small animals asinspiration. Let’s grab our nets and catch a fewof the most intriguing recent examples: In his“Pheromone” ser ies , art ist and designerChristopher Marley of Salem, Oregon, marrieshis passion for crisp design with a fascinationfor insects, sea organisms and birds by arrang-ing them simply yet artfully on plain back-grounds in shadow boxes.

A stripey mountain kingsnake seems poisedto meander north of the frame in which heresides. A prion urchin looks like a tiny alienspacecraft, sprung from the confines of theocean floor. Dozens of beetles are arrangedlike the iridescent squadron of an entomologi-cal army. Butterflies form kaleidoscopic prisms.

The displays are an arresting mix of scienceand art. The specimens, which died of naturalor incidental causes, come from museums,breeders and zoos around the world, Marley

Decor beautythat’s inspired by

insects, reptiles and other creatures

In this photo Snakes slither in severaldirections, yet there’s a symmetryand elegance that brings the imageryinto a more decorative format.

In this photo ‘3 Snakes’ by Christopher Marley incorporates elements of nature into contem-porary art pieces.

says. “Sharing the thrill of discovery is one ofthe most driving aspects of my work,” he says.

New York artist George Venson createsbirds, snakes and octopuses in vibrant,painterly hues, and then arranges the imageson wallpaper. He wants the walls to “comealive,” and there’s a sense of movement ineach design. Snakes slither through back-grounds of ink, acid green or ruby.

In Osborne & Little’s exotic Komodo wallpa-per collection, holographic foil lizards skitteracross a black, silver or gold background. LosAngeles designer Paul Marra’s Snake Lanternforges two sinuous creatures into the form ofa steel and brass pendant lantern.

Sculptor Mike Libby once found a deadbeetle and got to thinking about how it hadmoved. He began dissecting and experiment-ing - at the same time taking apart an oldwristwatch, and using those pieces - until he’dcome up with the first of an ongoing collec-tion of fantastical steampunk arachnids, beesand other creepy crawlies. He uses real insectcarcasses and bits from watches, vintage type-writers and old sewing machines to fashion

carapaces, wings, antennae and pincers for hismechanical menagerie.

As Aristotle put it: “In all things of naturethere is something of the marvelous.” — AP

Photo shows ‘Limited Aesthetica Prism’ byartist Christopher Marley, who turns elementsof nature into contemporary art pieces. Marleyarranges masses of insects like these butter-flies and tropical beetles to create a gorgeousand dramatic kaleidoscope.

Photo providedby Insect Lab,inspired by science fictionand science fact,Insectlab.comcustomizes preserved insectspecimens, suchas this grasshopper,with antiquewatch parts andmechanical components.

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Pablo Picasso’s 1932 oil painting “LeSauvetage” sold at auction for more than$31 million on Wednesday after a bidding

war at Sotheby’s in New York which saw it surgepast its estimated pre-sale price. The surrealistmaster’s enigmatic work-which was last sold adecade ago went under the hammer for$31.525 million following frenzied bidding overseveral minutes. The painting had been expect-ed to fetch between $14 million and $18 million.

The painting was part of 14 Picasso worksoffered by Sotheby’s as part of its auction ofImpressionist and Modern Art. In total, eightlots were sold for an aggregate $62.088 mil-

lion however one of the lots expected to gen-erate most activity-Picasso’s “Tete de Marie-Therese” (“Head of Marie-Therese”), valuedbetween $15 million and $20 million, failed tofind a buyer. Another important work “LaSeance du Matin” by French master HenriMatisse, sold for $19.205 million, just below itslower estimate of $20 million. A canvas byFrench impressionist Claude Monet, “Le PontJaponais” (“The Japanese Bridge”) meanwhilefetched $15.845 million, in line with its esti-mated range of between $12 million and $18million. Sotheby’s reported total sales of justunder $219 million. — AFP

A beveled glass butterfly alights on silveredbamboo to make an elegant picture framefrom Z Gallerie.

Heavy aluminum is cast into antler shapes to formthe legs of an intriguing and sophisticated sidetable from Z Gallerie.

A dragonfly with antique watch parts andmechanical components.

In this photo Eric Fausnacht andChristopher Kline, Bucks County, PA artistscreate whimsical screen prints and throwpillows by manipulating photographs offarm animals, such as this sheep, thatreside on Fausnacht’s farm.

This photo shows George Voutsa’s hand drawn butterflies that flit withabandon across a vibrant background hue in a wallpaper that’s part of aseries that includes also octopi, birds and flowers.

In this photo silver metallic paint on cast resin creates an intriguing and glamorous accent inthis herd of galloping horses from Z Gallerie.

Picasso painting fetches $31 million in NY auction

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Lea Michele’s ‘Legends of Oz:

Dorothy’s return’marks box-office debut for Clarius Entertainment

Lea Michele will be singing at Clarius Entertainment’scoming out party at the box office this weekend.She’s voicing Dorothy in the 3D animated family

film “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return,” the first releasefrom the two-year-old marketing and distribution com-pany. It’s not expected to challenge “The AmazingSpider-Man 2” or “Neighbors” for No. 1, but getting thatfirst film into the marketplace is milestone for the Clariusteam. It will be in a healthy 2,641 theaters, impressive fora first outing.

“We can’t be more pleased with the way exhibitionhas embraced us and given us their full support on ourfirst picture,” said Michael Pade, distribution president atLos Angeles-based Clarius, told TheWrap.

The debut is a little bittersweet, however. Marketingveteran Geoffrey Ammer, who was president and chiefexecutive of the company, died in September of 2012.His memory is very much on the minds of the youngcompany’s staff as they go into their first box-officeweekend.

The Clarius team includes creative marketing chiefAndrew Williams, acquisition head Louise Chater andClaire Heath, who’s handling publicity. William Sadleir isfounder and chairman of the new company, which is partof the Clarius Capital Group. In addition to this weekend’sopener, the company has two other films set for releasethis year. The Rob Reiner-directed comedy “And So ItGoes” stars Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton and isscheduled to open on July 11. The Nicole Kidman-ColinFirth thriller “Before I Go to Sleep” is set for Oct 24. MarkStrong co-stars.

New kid on the block“Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return” from Summertime

Entertainment is inspired by Frank L Baum’s “TheWonderful Wizard of Oz” and the adventure book serieswritten by his great-grandson, Roger Stanton Baum.“Dorothy’s Return” finds her back in the Kansas homethat was devastated by the same tornado that whiskedher over the rainbow.

Most of the familiar Oz characters are in this one.Kelsey Grammer voices the Tin Man, Dan Aykroyd theScarecrow, Jim Belushi is the Lion and Bernadette Peterspipes up as Glinda. Martin Short, Hugh Dancy, PatrickStewart, Megan Hilty and Oliver Platt give voice to newcharacters.

Bryan Adams wrote original songs for the movie,which is directed by Daniel St Pierre and Will Finn andproduced by Summertime founders Ryan Carroll andRoland Carroll and Bonne Radford. Clarius would like tosee a first weekend in the low-teen millions for the PG-rated “Legends of Oz,” which was produced for $70 mil-lion, low by animation standards. That could be tricky,with “Amazing Spider-Man 2” aiming for the familycrowd and Fox’s “Rio 2” still in more than 3,000 theatersin its fifth week. But “Dorothy’s Return” will be the newkid on the block - just like Clarius. — Reuters

This imagereleased byUniversal Picturesshows RoseByrne, left, andSeth Rogen in ascene from‘Neighbors.’ —AP

Iwant to live in Nicholas Stoller’s world. In his last film, thebewilderingly underrated “The Five-Year Engagement,” hedemonstrated an impressive sense of fairness when medi-

ating the protracted resentments between unhappy fiancésJason Segel and Emily Blunt.

Stoller displays a similar empathy for both sides of a feudin “Neighbors,” and it’s that rare emotional intelligence -along with the film’s sly, surprising jokes and self-aware side-stepping of comedy clichés - that makes this Seth Rogenvehicle an instant classic.

As the first couple among their friends to move to the‘burbs and pop out a kid, Mac and Kelly Radner (Rogen andRose Byrne) are anxious about losing their cool cred evenbefore a frat house full of perpetual spring breakers moves innext door. Mac and Kelly’s first night as neighbors to a herdof party monsters gives them the chance to binge on beerand blunts like they’re skipping class tomorrow. But whenDelta Psi prez Teddy (Zac Efron) and his right-hand dude Pete(Dave Franco) throw parties night after night, the new par-ents scheme to rid the house next door of its frat infestation.

Efron’s ultramarine eyes twinkle with a sociopathic glint,but Stoller and writers Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brienaspire to something much more ambitious than a showdownbetween the good bougies and the petty millennials. Teddyspends a pitifully huge amount of time planning a kegger forthe ages, but he and Pete ensure that the fraternity is a realbrotherhood. His natural leadership abilities allow him to foilone of Mac and Kelly’s plans - to turn a pledge named

Assjuice (Craig Roberts) against his housemates - with anunexpectedly kind pep talk, ultimately earning the teen’sadmiring loyalty.

Back-and-forth pranksDelta Psi also boasts the film’s most interesting relation-

ship, that between slacker Teddy and studious Pete. As grad-uation looms closer, their friendship is strained by theirinevitably divergent paths, and Stoller uses their increasingdistance to ask compelling questions about hedonism anddebauchery. “Neighbors” is keenly aware that college is abubble, and thus mines real poignancy from the fact thatTeddy is using his vendetta against Mac and Kelly to distracthimself from his uncertain future.

While the fully developed relationships between the char-acters ground the film, the high-concept gags will keep audi-ences’ bellies sore from laughter. The back-and-forth pranksbetween the Radners and the frat house escalate in nastinessand hilarity, and self-contained flights of comic fancy keep thejokes rolling in, as when Teddy and Pete affirm their bond bytrying to think of as many different ways to say “bros beforehos” as possible. A shirtless, sometimes pants-less Rogen aimsfor somewhere between Will Ferrell and Lena Dunham inrevealing his body; the effect is both amusingly repulsive andpolitically transgressive. And because it wouldn’t be a SethRogen movie without a bazillion cameos, we’re treated tomemorable scenes with comedy pros Hannibal Burress, LisaKudrow, Jason Mantzoukas and Randall Park.

‘Nei

ghbo

rs’ r

evie

w

Rogen’s suburbanitesvs Frat Boys

comedy is an instant classic

Paul Simon performed a rousing setand accepted an award from NewYork University in his first public

appearance since he and wife Edie Brickellwere arrested on disorderly conductcharges. The 72-year-old performed morethan a dozen songs Wednesday night at theBeacon Theatre in New York, where he washonored at the 2014 NYU Steinhardt VisionAward Gala. He played guitar and sang hitssuch as “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” “LateIn the Evening” and “You Can Call Me Al.”

Simon and 48-year-old Brickell becamephysical with each other during an argu-ment inside a cottage on their New Canaan,Connecticut, property last week. Brickelltold police Simon shoved her and sheslapped him. Brickell didn’t attend

Wednesday’s event, which raised $1.1 mil-lion for scholarships. “After my fee of a mil-lion is deducted, that’s $100,000,” Simonsaid to laughs. He was energetic anddanced onstage, and the crowd stooddancing with him on songs like “Me andJulio Down by the Schoolyard” and“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” dur-ing the 75-minute set.

Simon was honored for his humanitarianwork and accomplished music career, whichincludes 12 Grammy Awards and two induc-tions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, asa solo artist and as part of Simon &Garfunkel, among other accolades.Performance students and alumni from theSteinhardt School of Culture, Education, andHuman Development joined him when he

sang “Still Crazy After All These Years.” “So,money well spent,” Simon said after the per-formance as the crowd laughed. Ticketswere priced at $300 and $200, and only theground floor of the three-tiered BeaconTheatre was occupied. —AP

Simon makes 1st public appearance since arrest

Singer Paul Simon and his wife EdieBrickell

L i f e s t y l eFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Conchita Wurst poses on the red carpet during an opening ceremony in Copenhagen.

Conchita Wurst gives a per-formance in front of a smallaudience of fans on May 1,2014 at Huset, one of the siteshosting fans of the May 10Eurovision song contest, inCopenhagen. — AFP photos

Austria’s bearded drag queenConchita Wurst has hogged thelimelight ahead of Saturday’s

Eurovision Song Contest final, but thingshave gotten hairy for her among sociallyconservative Europeans. “I created thisbearded lady to show the world that youcan do whatever you want,” said Wurst, thedrag persona of 25-year-old Austrian singerTom Neuwirth, at a recent press conferencein Copenhagen.

“If you’re not hurting anyone you can dowhatever you like with your life and, it’s socheesy, but we’ve only got one (life),” sheadded. Wurst’s James Bond theme-like bal-lad “Rise Like a Phoenix” is widely expectedto make it through today’s semi-final in theDanish capital, but few pundits believe shewill take the Eurovision crown.

However, comments by ArmenianEurovision hopeful Aram MP3 — one of thebookies’ favorites this year-that Wurst’slifestyle was “not natural” have boosted herprofile, even though the stand-up comedi-an later claimed his comments were a joke.“He apologized by saying his commentswere a joke and badly translated,” Wurstsaid. “I have to say that if it’s a joke it’s notfunny ... but he apologized and that’s finefor me,” she added. There have also beenpetitions to have her removed from thecompetition in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia,where a law banning “gay propaganda”was signed by President Vladimir Putin lastyear.

St Petersburg lawmaker Vitaly Milonovreportedly asked his country’s Eurovisionselection committee not to send anyRussian musicians to the event, which he

accused of being “blatant propaganda ofhomosexuality and spiritual decay”.

Cultural divide The outrage highlights a cultural divide

between Eastern Europe and the countriesof the west. Wurst said her own songreflected the experience of growing up asan outsider in rural Austria. “It’s a story ofgoing through bad times and strugglingthrough difficult things, and growing out ofit and hopefully becoming a better person,”she said. “For me of course it’s so close tomy life ... emotionally, growing up,” sheadded. Her creator, Tom Neuwirth, rose tofame after finishing second on Austrian tal-ent show Starmania in 2006, after which hejoined a short-lived boyband. ConchitaWurst first appeared in 2011, when shemade it to the final of another reality show.The following year she came second in theTV program that selects the centralEuropean country’s Eurovision entry.

Although much of the controversy overher appearance has centered on EasternEurope, it hasn’t always been smooth sail-ing in her home country. The leader of theright-wing FPOe party, Heinz-ChristianStrache, called her “ridiculous” and threwhis support behind another singer, AlfPoier, who suggested she needed psychi-atric help. “If someone doesn’t know ifthey’re a man or a woman, they should goto a psychotherapist rather than to thesong contest,” Poier was quoted byAustrian media as saying. A German-lan-guage Facebook page protesting the deci-sion to send her to Copenhagen has gar-nered over 38,500 “likes”. — AFP

BeardedEurovision drag

queen draws controversy

While host country Denmark was widelytipped to take the Eurovision crown last year,the outcome looks more uncertain this time

round. Here are some of the songs people inCopenhagen have been talking about this week:

Armenia: Aram MP3 - ‘Not Alone’Long the bookmakers’ favorite, Aram MP3’s dubstepballad was abandoned by punters after Tuesday’ssemi-final in favor of Sweden’s Sanna Nielsen. Theemotional song may have beenhampered by a somewhat unemo-tional performance by the stand-upcomedian, whose name dates backto his previous career impersonat-ing famous singers.

Sweden: Sanna Nielsen - ‘Undo’The Swedish balladeer became thebookies’ top choice by a narrowmargin after delivering a stellarsemi-final rendition of what couldwell have been a Disney themesong. To be fair she has had time topractise-this year was the blondesinger’s seventh attempt at becom-ing Sweden’s Eurovision candidate,a tough task in a country that takesthe event incredibly seriously.

The Netherlands: The CommonLinnets - ‘The Calm After theStorm’ Singers Ilse DeLange and Wayontravelled to Nashville, Tennessee toperfect this mellow country song,

which has seen its odds slashed since Tuesday.“Understated” is hardly a word associated withEurovision, and faced by competition from Greece’strampoline, Ukraine’s giant hamster wheel and twoRussian twins on a seesaw, this number may fail toleave an impression. However, if an outsider is goingto win, this could be it.

Britain: Molly - ‘Children of the Universe’For many Brits, Eurovision is an excuse to get drunk

and drop mildly xenophobic jokesabout other Europeans, after which itis concluded that for political reasons,nobody voted for them. But thingscould be about to change. After thename recognition of eighties powerballad icon Bonnie Tyler failed to deliv-er last year, Britain is represented byunknown singer-songwriter MollySmitten-Downes, who some Britishfans believe could hand them theirfirst victory since 1997’s “Love Shine aLight” by Katrina and the Waves.

Austria: Conchita Wurst - ‘Rise Like aPhoenix’Although hardly a candidate for thetop spot, Austria’s bearded drag queenis likely to get a lot of attention for hereye-catching appearance, which hasprompted petitions in eastern Europeto have her removed from the compe-tition. The beard and the hair may befake, but Wurst is a real star whosesong would not sound out of place inthe next James Bond movie. — AFP

Eurovision: Five acts to watch

Molly representing theUnited Kingdom at theEurovision Song Contestwith her song ‘Childrenof the Universe’. —AFP

25FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

24Juices are the perfect fast food for today’s eat-on-the-run lifestyle. They contain

all the goodness of the whole product in a condensed form. For example, a pound of carrots can be a significant source of calcium and protein, but those

ten carrots may be more than your willing to eat at a single meal. Juic-ing concentrates that one pound into a single glass of easy to drink juice. These nutrients are quickly assimilated since the body does not have to separate out of the fiber.

Don’t be afraid to ex-periment with different combinations of juices, just let your taste buds be your guide. Vegetable juices that taste “strong” such as spin-ach and beet, are high in compounds that should be consumed in small quantities. Dilute these with milder tasting juices such as carrot, celery, or apple juice.

Not only are fruit and vegetable juices your best convenience foods, they provide thousands of substanc-es, some of which have well-known functions, and some whose roles in the human body are not yet under-stood or recognized. Current wisdom recognizes three roles that fruit and vegetables play in the human body:

Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients essential for growth and renewal

Fruits and some vegetables contain substantial amounts of carbohydrates which supply most of the energy we use to live and perform work. Fruits and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins. Vitamins regulate metabolism and help in the conversion of the fats and carbohydrates into energy.

Fruits and vegetables have a protective effect

Fruits and vegetables can protect the body from such

major diseases as cancer and heart dis-ease. Some are high in substances called anti-oxidants, such as beta carotene, Vi-tamins C and E and selenium, which are nutrients that protect cell membranes from the damage of free radicals.

Fruits and vegetables have a medicinal effect

Fruits and vegetables can be your best non-prescription drugs. For example, blueberries are an effective anti-diarrheal agent, and ginger is as ef-fective as well-promoted motion-sick-ness drug, and new studies show that it also relieves nausea and stomach discomfort caused by pregnancy.

If your family is new to juicing, start with a base juice of carrots and apples. Even if you go no

further in your juicing adventures, a healthful drink will serve you well because it’s packed with such essen-tial nutrients as beta carotenes. Start with that basic, delicious juice. After that, maybe add one other item, like a rib of celery, or something else very mild and great tasting. Then work up to adding more things. Try a small handful of parsley or a half-inch chunk of ginger. Step up to bolder flavors, adding in small handfuls of additional vegetables at first, until your family’s palate adjusts. A beet is a wonderful thing to add. It makes the juice a beautiful color, it’s rich in iron, and the leaves are extremely rich in minerals.

Juice it for al l its worth!RUBY RED

GRAPEFRUIT REFRESHER

No need to add any sugar on top of your morning grapefruit anymore with this freshly squeezed grapefruit juice recipe.

Squeeze in a blood orange to bring out more of that ruby red color and to add a balance of sweet-ness. The Ruby Red Grapefruit Refresher is sure to complement any breakfast.

Ingredients 4 Ruby Red

grapefruits1 blood orange

Directions1. Wash and cut grape-

fruits and blood oranges into halves

2. Juice on citrus squeezer directly into glass3. Mix thoroughly and serve

CA

RR

OT J

UIC

E B

OO

ST

The Carrot Juice Boost is an easy and delicious way to incorporate more carrots and vitamin-C into your diet. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotenes,

and fiber and are known to ward off cancer, heart disease, and even improve your vision! Add a small piece of ginger for a little bit of added spice.

Ingredients8 carrots2 oranges1 Meyer lemon1 small piece ginger

Directions1. Wash and rinse all fruits and vegetables2. Juice oranges with citrus squeezer directly into glass3. Squeeze Meyer lemon by hand directly into glass4. Juice carrots and ginger and pour into glass5. Mix thoroughly and serve

The Citrus C-Breeze is a refreshing juice to have on a hot summer afternoon. The tanginess of the Ruby Red grapefruit, the sweetness of the oranges and Meyer lemon, and the sourness of the lime create a blend of citrus that will whisk you

away.

Ingredients3 oranges1 Ruby Red grapefruit1 Meyer lemon1 lime

Directions1. Wash and rinse all fruits2. Cut fruits into halves3. Juice oranges and grapefruit on citrus squeezer directly into glass4. Hand squeeze lemon and lime directly into glass so no pulp is added5. Mix thoroughly and serve

CITRUS C-BREEZE

SWEET BEET BOLDNESS

The sweetness of the apple, pear, and carrots complement the earthy and bold flavor of the beets in the Sweet Beet Boldness. The cucumber, celery, and lemon add a refreshing element that cleanses the palette and ends with a smooth fin-

ish. Beets are rich in antioxidants and are known to ward off cancer.

Ingredients1 red beet5 carrots3 celery stalks1 cucumber1 pear1 Meyer lemon

Directions1. Wash and rinse all fruits and vegetables2. Cut off ends of carrots and celery and cut into halves3. Cut off ends of cucumber and cut into quarters4. Cut pear into quarters and remove core5. Cut off ends of beet, peel, and cut into quarters6. Juice in juicer7. Squeeze lemon into juice and mix thoroughly before serving

FRIDAY, MAY 9 2014

26M o v i e s

Dude, what were they thinking?

Most disappointing comic book movies

of all-timeGiven their potential to literally make

billions of dollars at the box office – perhaps even more than any other type

of movie in this modern cinematic age – it’s no wonder that the studios have turned their attention to comic book adaptations. Yes, the movie-going public have become obsessed with the likes of the comic book movie over the course of the last decade.

The AmazingSpider-Man (2012)Given its standing as a reboot of a franchise that

probably didn’t need to rebooted so soon in the first place, there should have been a sense of “new

and innovative” about The Amazing Spider-Man. Instead, we got yet another basic re-telling of the Peter Parker origin story, with not a whole lot to separate it from the original Sam Raimi version. Were the studio afraid to take risks? Were the writers and director out of ideas? So although The Amazing Spider-Man was a good enough film, there’s no denying that it was a thoroughly disap-pointing one, too.

Iron Man 3 (2013)Iron Man 3 is probably one of the most dividing comic book movies in

cinema history; whereas many enjoyed its conceits as a buddy flick, complete with quipping dialogue, rapid-fire jokes, and a generally light-

weight plot, others thought it blasphemous in its insincerity, bombastic action scenes and the liberties it took with a certain famous villains. Let’s not beat about the bush: it was the Mandarin that caused such an uproar amongst fans and general movie-goers alike, who felt betrayed and disap-pointed with the way Marvel handled the character.

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

27M o v i e s

Superman Returns (2006)Bryan Singer jumped ship from the X-Men franchise to direct Superman

Returns, but he might as well have stayed put – chances are we would’ve been gifted with a far better third X-Men movie (Brett Ratner be gone), and

this bizarre mess of half reboot/half sequel might have been shelved. Almost twenty years after the last Superman film, then, Warner Bros decided to revisit the character in a movie that would’ve been better off as a straightforward reboot, but instead ended up being a confusing mass of half-realized ideas and concepts.

X-Men:The Last Stand (2006)When Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise after

Warner Bros offered him the chance to direct Superman Returns, 20th Century Fox were left

trying to find a replacement director who would be able to replicate the success of the first two installments. After trying for Joss Whedon, among others, the job eventu-ally fell to Matthew Vaughn, who was forced to leave during pre-production due to scheduling issues. His replacement, and the man whose name now appears beneath the “Directed By” tag? Brett Ratner, best known for his Rush Hour movies.

The Dark KnightRises (2012)

Undoubtedly, The Dark Knight Rises – the follow-up to the immensely popular cinematic milestone that was The Dark Knight – is one of the most curious comic book movies ever made. On one hand, it’s a

technical and visual marvel, filled with great performances, admirable in its mission to be the dark, final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. On the other hand, it’s a strange, bombastic mess – a movie that trips up on its own conceits time and time again, until the only sane reaction is that of utter bewilderment. It’s like a overambitious first novel.

Hulk (2003)

What a strange beast is Ang Lee’s admirable but ultimately yawn-in-ducing take on the Hulk, who is arguably the most difficult comic book character to adapt to film. Lee, best known for films like

Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, isn’t a natural fit for the material… it’s clear from the get-go that his idea of a Hulk movie isn’t just things getting smashed and broken, but one rich with existential drama. This might’ve worked had the majority of the movie not felt so flat and tiresome, the action scenes dull and sort of bonkers.

FRIDAY, MAY 9 2014

28C e l e b r i t y

Kate Moss is one of the world’s most photographed supermodels, but that doesn’t mean she is camera ready all the time. The beautiful Brit isn’t shy about showing off her naked face every now and then.

Kate Hudson is a bombshell when she hits the red carpet, but without the help of hair and makeup artists she’s just an average girl.

Kate Hudson

Diana Ross is just like us – she hits the grocery story without a stitch of makeup.

Diana Ross

Makeup – Oneperson,

Kate Moss

2 faces

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

29C e l e b r i t y

Janice Dickinson

Tyra Banks

Lindsay Lohan

Katie Holmes

Janice Dickinson, the self-proclaimed “world’s first supermodel,” hits the streets with nearly nothing painted on her face.

Lindsay Lohan doesn’t always have time to put makeup on before she leaves the house (or rehab!)

Tyra Banks looks beautiful – but drastically different – without her makeup.

Katie Holmes looks like your average girl-next-door without makeup.

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

30H o u s e s

An upside-down house is a new tourist attraction in Shanghai. Now you can know what it feels like to suspend gravity, or at least make it look like you are in photos. An upside-down house has been built in Fenjing Ancient Town, Jinshan District, which is south of Shanghai, and is now open to the public.

The three-room house was designed by a Polish designer and took five months to complete, according to The Daily Telegraph. All the furniture is stuck to the ceiling — from the sofa to the dining room table and chairs — which emphasizes the in-verted look. The house even features a sloping floor, which made some of the guests feel dizzy and disoriented. But of course, there were plenty of photo ops. Similar houses have been built in Russia, Germany, and Poland.

—www.housebeautiful.com

You can walk on theceiling

of this house

L e i s u r eFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

ACROSS1. (New Testament) The sages who visited Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortlyafter Jesus was born.5. A unit of electrical charge equal to the amount of charge transferred by a cur-rent of 1 ampere in 1 second.12. A group of African language in the Niger-Congo group spoken from theIvory Coast east to Nigeria.15. Chief port of Yemen.16. Intravenous beta blocker (trade name Brevibloc) that acts for only a shorttime.17. (often followed by `of') A large number or amount or extent.18. A place where ships can take on or discharge cargo.19. Having a horizontal surface in which no part is higher or lower than another.20. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).21. Projectiles to be fired from a gun.22. A garment that covers the head and face.23. Swiss naturalist who was one of the founders of modern zoology (1516-1565).25. A sharply directional antenna.28. A radioactive element of the actinide series.30. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiat-ed material.31. Morally bad or wrong.33. Made from residue of grapes or apples after pressing.36. (Norse mythology) God of light and peace and noted for his beauty andsweet nature.39. Black tropical American cuckoo.40. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.41. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.42. An ax used to slaughter cattle.44. An organization of independent states to promote international peace andsecurity.45. Fallow deer.50. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.51. A special lineage.53. A colorless odorless gaseous element that give a red glow in a vacuum tube.54. Informal terms for a mother.56. One thousand grams.57. The great hall in ancient Persian palaces.58. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.59. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.61. Tag the base runner to get him out.62. An associate degree in nursing.64. Panel forming the lower part of an interior wall when it is finished differentlyfrom the rest.70. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.72. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.74. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.76. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducingpollution and protecting the environment.

C R O S S W O R D 5 4 279. A human limb.80. An informal term for a father.81. A great raja.82. A light touch or stroke.

DOWN1. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley inNE Nebraska.2. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.3. Full of germs or pathological microorganisms.4. Located within the hull or nearest the midline of a vessel or aircraft.5. Distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers.6. A mouth or mouthlike opening.7. An official at a baseball game.8. Hang loosely or laxly.9. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.10. A landlocked socialist republic in central Asia.11. A short high tone produced as a signal or warning.12. A festival featuring African-American culture.13. Something that remunerates.14. The sixth month of the civil year.24. The language of the nomadic Lapp people in northern Scandinavia and theKola Peninsula.26. Clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion.27. Clothes moths.29. An appetizer consisting usually of a thin slice of bread or toast spread withcaviar or cheese or other savory food.32. A ballroom dance in triple time with a strong accent on the first beat.34. (Old Testament) A son of Jacob and forefather of one of the tribes of Israel.35. A historical region of southwestern India on the west coast.37. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.38. A momentary flash of light.43. Lake in northwestern Russia near the border with Finland.46. A large fleet.47. A unit of information equal to one million (1,048,576) bytes.48. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.49. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.52. Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases.55. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.60. The basic unit of money in Yemen.63. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.65. An informal term for a father.66. An endorsement.67. A pilgrimage to Mecca.68. The basic unit of money on Malta.69. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.71. A slight amount or degree of difference.73. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.75. Someone who is morally reprehensible.77. Before noon.78. A state in midwestern United States.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

S t a r sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345Central African Republic 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689Gabon 00241Gambia 00220Georgia 00995Germany 0049Ghana 00233Gibraltar 00350Greece 0030Greenland 00299Grenada 001473Guadeloupe 00590Guam 001671Guatemala 00502Guinea 00224Guyana 00592Haiti 00509Holland (Netherlands)0031Honduras 00504Hong Kong 00852Hungary 0036Ibiza (Spain) 0034Iceland 00354India 0091Indian Ocean 00873Indonesia 0062Iran 0098Iraq 00964Ireland 00353Italy 0039Ivory Coast 00225Jamaica 001876Japan 0081Jordan 00962Kazakhstan 007Kenya 00254Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965Kyrgyzstan 00996Laos 00856Latvia 00371Lebanon 00961Liberia 00231Libya 00218Lithuania 00370Luxembourg 00352Macau 00853Macedonia 00389Madagascar 00261Majorca 0034Malawi 00265Malaysia 0060Maldives 00960Mali 00223Malta 00356Marshall Islands 00692Martinique 00596Mauritania 00222Mauritius 00230Mayotte 00269Mexico 0052Micronesia 00691Moldova 00373Monaco 00377Mongolia 00976Montserrat 001664Morocco 00212Mozambique 00258Myanmar (Burma) 0095Namibia 00264Nepal 00977Netherlands (Holland)0031Netherlands Antilles 00599New Caledonia 00687New Zealand 0064Nicaragua 00505Nigar 00227Nigeria 00234Niue 00683Norfolk Island 00672Northern Ireland (UK)0044North Korea 00850Norway 0047Oman 00968Pakistan 0092Palau 00680Panama 00507Papua New Guinea 00675Paraguay 00595Peru 0051Philippines 0063Poland 0048Portugal 00351Puerto Rico 001787Qatar 00974Romania 0040Russian Federation 007Rwanda 00250Saint Helena 00290Saint Kitts 001869Saint Lucia 001758Saint Pierre 00508Saint Vincent 001784Samoa US 00684Samoa West 00685San Marino 00378Sao Tone 00239Saudi Arabia 00966Scotland (UK) 0044Senegal 00221Seychelles 00284Sierra Leone 00232Singapore 0065Slovakia 00421Slovenia 00386Solomon Islands 00677Somalia 00252South Africa 0027South Korea 0082Spain 0034Sri Lanka 0094Sudan 00249Suriname 00597Swaziland 00268Sweden 0046Switzerland 0041Syria 00963Taiwan 00886Tanzania 00255Thailand 0066Toga 00228Tonga 00676Tokelau 00690Trinidad 001868Tunisia 00216Turkey 0090Tuvalu 00688Uganda 00256Ukraine 00380United Arab Emirates00976

Things are coming to a difficult stalemate regarding the love inyour life, Aries. Perhaps you've felt like everything was going fineand you had nothing to worry about. In reality, this notion of"fine" was just your self-denial hard at work making you think thatyou could continue on your path without really considering howyour actions affected others. Be prepared for a reality check thatyou didn't see coming.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Love is very real to you. You're apt to take it very seriously,perhaps even too seriously, Taurus. This is one of thoseemotions that eventually takes over your brain and leavesno room for rational thoughts on the topic. The good newsis that matters regarding love and romance should be stabi-lizing at this time, giving you the opportunity to face thisarea of your life from a rational perspective.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Matters of the heart are likely to get a bit sticky, Gemini.Perhaps you feel as if someone is shutting off from you andbeing very stubborn about it. Perhaps this person is giving youthe cold shoulder and refusing to acknowledge you until youcrawl back with an apology. The problem is that your pride isstubborn, and your view on the matter is equally so, makingany resolution difficult.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Your warm, loving, romantic nature is noticed whether yourealize it or not, Cancer. Perhaps you sometimes feel like thereisn't enough excitement in your life - especially your love life.Don't think this means you need to change in order to pleaseothers. Your stable, quiet nature is comforting to those whounderstand and appreciate it. The last thing you want to dotoday is pretend to be someone you aren't.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

When it comes to romance in your life, Leo, there may be agreat deal of talk but not enough action. Perhaps you're a ter-rific flirt who can keep things moving at a quick pace intellec-tually, but nothing really comes of it when you have to takeconcrete action and manifest those words in a romantic set-ting. This is one day when this conflict of interests makes itselfknown more blatantly than usual.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Things are coming to a dramatic climax for you in matters oflove and romance, Virgo. Perhaps you've been nurturing a rela-tionship. You've put a lot of passion and soul into building astrong connection. This is a time of reckoning in which you takea step back and see what you've gained from it all. Do you havea partner for life or someone who doesn't appreciate you asmuch as you think they should?

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

For you, Libra, love is like an adventure, crazy sport, or somesort of video arcade game. Lately, you may have been toocaught up in the fantasy aspect of it without taking intoaccount the practical nature and nitty-gritty of what it takes tokeep a relationship afloat. You might need to take a more real-istic view of it now. Be more sensitive to your emotions andhonor them accordingly.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Love and romance should be going well for you now, Scorpio.However, today you could find that things get a bit uneasywhen either you or your partner suspects something isn't trueor is suspicious about the situation at hand. Someone may getcaught in a difficult predicament when the veil of deception issuddenly lifted and the truth revealed. There could be somedifficult explaining to do.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

The notion of truth could get shot down today due to someonewho knows you better than most, Sagittarius. It won't take along, drawn-out conversation or deep explanation to reveal thefact that there is a bit of deception that has been covering thetruth. Don't try to hide from loved ones who are only trying todo what's best for you. Be open and honest with those whoreally care.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Issues of love and romance should be going well for you, Pisces,and you'll find that regardless of where you are in your relation-ships, you're right where you need to be. There's an element offantasy at work today that's making you much more susceptible toromantic dreams and ideas. The good news is that you have thepower to put these dreams into motion. Manifest your wildest fan-tasies with a loved one tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You need to slow down in matters of love and romance,Aquarius. You're likely acting on the assumption that things arefine and you can continue moving at lightning speed eventhough you long ago lost your road map. There's a degree offantasy in your world. It doesn't take into account the fact thatthere are areas where you need to be more sensitive to yourpartner and perhaps take things more slowly and methodically.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

COUNTRY CODES

Do what you can to stabilize your emotions, Capricorn.Romance should be on a slow, steady path as long asyou're honest with yourself and others about how you feel.Perhaps you're so caught up in your fantasy world that youfail to see that things are actually moving in your favor.Conflict that arises today may be uncomfortable, but ulti-mately it will shed more light on the truth of the situation.

T V l i s t i n g sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

SKYFALL ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

00:45 Whale Wars01:35 Untamed & Uncut02:25 Man, Cheetah, Wild03:15 Call Of The Wildman03:40 Call Of The Wildman04:05 Swimming With Monsters: SteveBackshall04:55 Animal Cops Phoenix05:45 ER Vets06:10 ER Vets06:35 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors07:00 Escape To Chimp Eden07:25 Animal Maternity Ward08:15 Wild France09:10 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner09:35 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner10:05 Man, Cheetah, Wild11:00 Animal Precinct11:55 Escape To Chimp Eden12:20 Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors12:50 Animal Clinic13:45 Austin Stevens Adventures14:40 Man, Cheetah, Wild15:30 My Cat From Hell16:30 The Magic Of The Big Blue17:25 Too Cute!18:20 Bad Dog19:15 Tanked20:10 Treehouse Masters21:05 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari21:35 Lion Man: One World AfricanSafari22:00 Tanked22:55 Treehouse Masters23:50 Animal Cops Phoenix

00:00 Chelsea Lately00:30 The Dance Scene00:55 The Dance Scene01:25 Style Star01:50 Style Star02:20 E!ES03:15 Extreme Close-Up03:40 Extreme Close-Up04:10 E!ES05:05 E!ES06:00 E!ES07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill10:15 THS12:05 E! News13:05 Fashion Police13:35 The Fabulist14:05 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 The Drama Queen18:00 E! News19:00 The Fabulist19:30 Fashion Police20:00 Eric And Jessie: Game On20:30 Eric And Jessie: Game On21:00 Giuliana & Bill22:00 Hello Ross22:30 E! News

00:00 Cherry-1802:00 Grabbers-PG1504:00 The Money Pit-PG1506:00 Daddy Day Camp-FAM08:00 A Thousand Words-PG1510:00 Problem Child-PG12:00 The Money Pit-PG1514:00 Rookie Of The Year-PG16:00 Problem Child-PG18:00 A Kiss For Jed Wood-PG1520:00 Superbad-1822:00 Cherry-18

01:00 Bad Karma-1803:00 Out Of Sight-PG1505:00 Broken-PG1507:00 Teenage Paparazzo-PG1509:00 Stardust-PG11:15 Mad Love-PG1513:00 The Music Never Stopped-PG1515:00 Prosecuting Casey Anthony-PG1517:00 Mad Love-PG1519:00 Shadow Dancer-PG1521:00 Six Degrees Of Separation-1823:00 Best Laid Plans-18

01:00 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits03:00 The Happets04:30 Puppy In My Pocket: The Movie06:00 Free Birds08:00 Cinderella10:00 Curious George: Swings IntoSpring11:30 Madagascar13:00 The Pirates! Band Of Misfits14:30 Freddy Frogface16:00 Curious George18:00 Curious George: Swings IntoSpring19:30 Ben 10: Race Against Time21:30 Freddy Frogface23:15 Curious George

01:00 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded-1803:00 The Double-PG1505:00 Class-PG1507:00 Fastest-PG1509:00 The Three Stooges-PG1511:00 Beastly-PG15

00:00 IPL Highlights01:00 IPL Highlights02:00 IPL Highlights03:00 ICC Cricket 36003:30 IPL Highlights04:30 IPL Highlights05:30 IPL Highlights06:30 ICC Cricket 36007:00 IPL Highlights08:00 IPL Highlights09:00 ICC Cricket 36009:30 IPL Highlights10:30 IPL Highlights11:30 IPL Highlights12:30 IPL Highlights13:30 ICC Cricket 36014:00 IPL Highlights15:00 IPL Highlights16:00 IPL Highlights17:00 ICC Cricket 360

00:00 Doctors00:30 My Hero01:00 The Cafe01:25 Stolen02:55 Incredible Journeys With SteveLeonard03:45 My Hero04:15 The Weakest Link05:00 Boogie Beebies05:15 Little Human Planet05:20 The Green Balloon Club05:45 Poetry Pie05:50 Gigglebiz06:05 Boogie Beebies06:20 Me Too!06:40 The Green Balloon Club07:05 Gigglebiz07:20 The Weakest Link08:05 My Hero08:35 The Cafe09:00 Eastenders09:30 Doctors10:00 Incredible Journeys With SteveLeonard10:50 The Weakest Link11:35 The Cafe12:00 My Hero12:30 The World’s Toughest DrivingTests13:20 Eastenders13:50 Doctors14:20 The Weakest Link15:05 Incredible Journeys With SteveLeonard15:55 My Hero16:25 The Weakest Link17:10 Eastenders17:40 Doctors18:10 Casualty19:00 Saxondale19:30 The Vicar Of Dibley20:00 Incredible Journeys With SteveLeonard20:50 Getting On21:20 Bedlam22:00 Mad Dogs22:45 Alan Carr: Chatty Man23:35 Eastenders

00:30 Sons Of Guns01:20 Amish Mafia02:10 Extreme Smuggling03:00 You Have Been Warned03:50 Border Security04:15 Baggage Battles04:40 The Liquidator05:05 How It’s Made05:30 How Stuff’s Made06:00 Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell07:00 You Have Been Warned07:50 World’s Biggest Ship

00:00 Inside01:00 Dangerous Encounters02:00 World’s Deadliest Animals03:00 Pirate Patrol04:00 Blowdown05:00 Diggers05:30 Diggers06:00 Pirate Patrol07:00 Nat Geo Amazing!08:00 Inside09:00 Dangerous Encounters10:00 Brave New World11:00 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey12:00 Stonehenge Decoded14:00 Family Guns15:00 None of the Above15:30 None of the Above16:00 Animal Autopsy17:00 Dangerous Encounters18:00 Street Monkeys

00:20 World’s Deadliest Killers01:10 Fish Warrior02:00 Built For The Kill02:50 World’s Deadliest: Jaws & Sins03:45 Shane Untamed04:40 Ultimate Animal Countdown05:35 Built For The Kill06:30 World’s Deadliest: Jaws & Sins07:25 Shane Untamed08:20 Ultimate Animal Countdown09:15 Let Elephants Be Elephants09:40 Wild Lab: The Shark Test10:10 World’s Wildest Encounters11:05 America The Wild12:00 Hooked12:55 World’s Deadliest13:50 That Shouldn’t Fly14:45 Shane Untamed15:40 Ultimate Animal Countdown16:35 Night Stalkers17:30 Wild Gabon18:25 Secret Life of Predators19:20 World’s Deadliest20:10 That Shouldn’t Fly21:00 Shane Untamed21:50 Ultimate Animal Countdown22:40 Night Stalkers23:30 Wild Gabon

00:00 Almost Human01:00 Necessary Roughness02:00 Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.03:00 Nip/Tuck04:00 American Idol06:00 Almost Human07:00 Betrayal08:00 Zero Hour09:00 Necessary Roughness10:00 American Idol12:00 Emmerdale

00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Colbert Report01:30 Family Guy02:00 Brickleberry02:30 Weeds03:00 Last Man Standing03:30 New Girl04:00 Seinfeld04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 My Boys06:00 Breaking In06:30 Friends07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Seinfeld08:30 My Boys09:00 Last Man Standing09:30 The Mindy Project10:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine10:30 Friends11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 Breaking In12:30 Seinfeld13:00 My Boys13:30 Friends14:00 New Girl14:30 The Mindy Project15:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 Breaking In17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Last Man Standing18:30 New Girl19:00 Enlisted19:30 The Michael J. Fox Show20:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 It’s Always Sunny InPhiladelphia22:30 The League23:00 Weeds23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers

00:00 Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters02:00 Battlestar Galactica: Blood &Chrome04:00 One Life06:00 Pizza Man08:00 Zambezia10:00 Batman: The Dark KnightReturns Part Two12:00 Parental Guidance14:00 Zambezia16:00 Rewind18:00 Cash20:00 Gangster Squad22:00 Friends With Kids

00:00 The Veteran-1802:00 Virtuosity-PG1504:00 The Blood Bond-PG1506:00 The Speed Of Thought-PG1508:00 Drop Zone-PG10:00 The Philly Kid-PG1512:00 Abandoned-PG1514:00 Drop Zone-PG16:00 Armageddon-PG1518:30 Abandoned-PG1520:00 Shaft-1822:00 Grave Encounters-18

08:40 Fast N’ Loud09:30 Border Security09:55 Baggage Battles10:20 The Liquidator10:45 How It’s Made11:10 How Stuff’s Made11:35 Sons Of Guns12:25 Destroyed In Seconds12:50 Destroyed In Seconds13:15 Destroyed In Seconds13:40 Destroyed In Seconds14:05 Border Security14:30 Baggage Battles14:55 The Liquidator15:20 Bush Pilots16:10 Fast N’ Loud17:00 Ultimate Survival17:50 Wheeler Dealers18:40 You Have Been Warned19:30 Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell20:20 How It’s Made20:45 How Stuff’s Made21:10 Baggage Battles21:35 The Liquidator22:00 Fast N’ Loud22:50 Wheeler Dealers23:40 Extreme Car Hoarders

19:00 Doomsday Preppers20:00 Situation Critical21:00 Doomsday Preppers22:00 Doomsday Preppers23:00 A Traveler’s Guide To ThePlanets00:35 The Jonathan Ross Show

01:30 Emmerdale02:25 Coronation Street02:55 Come Dine With Me Ireland03:25 Four Weddings UK04:20 The Hungry Sailors05:15 May The Best House Win Abroad06:10 The Jonathan Ross Show07:05 Come Dine With Me Ireland07:30 Four Weddings UK08:25 The Hungry Sailors09:20 May The Best House Win Abroad10:15 Doc Martin11:10 Emmerdale12:00 Coronation Street12:30 The Jonathan Ross Show13:25 May The Best House Win Abroad14:20 Doc Martin15:10 Come Dine With Me Ireland15:35 The Chase16:00 Tom Daley Goes Global17:15 Blandings17:55 Come Dine With Me Ireland18:20 Doc Martin19:10 Coronation Street19:35 The Chase20:30 Tom Daley Goes Global21:25 Blandings21:55 Come Dine With Me Ireland22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale23:45 Doc Martin

13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Zero Hour15:00 Almost Human16:00 Emmerdale17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Zero Hour19:00 Glee20:00 American Idol21:00 The Client List22:00 Survivor: Cagayan23:00 Nip/Tuck

00:00 Deep Rising02:00 Summer’s Blood04:00 Heebie Jeebies06:00 Meteor Storm08:00 Skyfall10:30 Hellboy: Sword Of Storms12:00 Legendary Amazons14:00 Stealth16:00 Hellboy: Sword Of Storms18:00 Vantage Point20:00 Stealth22:00 Summoned

01:00 Old Stock03:00 Comes A Bright Day05:00 Atlas Shrugged07:00 Old Stock09:00 Kathmandu Lullaby10:45 Atlas Shrugged12:30 Quiet Flows The Don15:30 Carnage17:00 Hyde Park On Hudson19:00 Straight A’s21:00 Nobody Walks23:00 Locked In

13:00 Five-PG1515:00 Moonrise Kingdom-PG1517:00 The Three Stooges-PG1519:00 Celeste And Jesse Forever-PG1521:00 Cloud Atlas-18

01:00 Trans World Sport02:00 Premier League Darts05:30 NRL Full Time06:00 European tour weekly 06:30 Inside The PGA Tour07:00 Golfing World08:00 ICC Cricket 36008:30 Trans World Sport09:30 Seven World Series10:00 Total Rugby10:30 Live Super Rugby12:30 Live Super Rugby14:30 International Rugby League16:30 Live Snooker WorldChampionship20:00 Trans World Sport21:00 Live Snooker WorldChampionship

02:00 Live NHL05:00 WWE NXT06:00 Trans World Sport07:00 Sevens World Series Highlights07:30 Super League09:30 NRL Full Time10:00 Live International Rugby League12:00 Live Snooker WorldChampionship World Championship16:00 Super Rugby18:00 WWE NXT19:00 WWE Bottom Line20:00 WWE Smackdown22:00 Live PGA Tour

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

KuwaitKNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY

(08/05/2014 TO 14/05/2014)

SHARQIA-1THE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 1:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 3:00 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 5:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 7:45 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 9:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 11:45 PM

SHARQIA-2THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 1:45 PMJUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 4:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) 6:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 9:15 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3JOE (DIG) 1:00 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 3:30 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 5:30 PMJOE (DIG) 7:30 PMJOE (DIG) 10:00 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1JOE (DIG) 1:30 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 4:00 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 6:15 PMJOE (DIG) 8:15 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 10:45 PMJOE (DIG) 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-2THE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 1:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 3:45 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 5:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 7:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 10:00 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 12:05 AM

MUHALAB-3THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 2:00 PMJUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 5:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 7:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) 9:45 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 12:30 AM

FANAR-1TRACKS (DIG) 1:15 PMRIO 2 (DIG) 3:30 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 5:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 8:00 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 10:15 PMTRACKS (DIG) 12:30 AM

FANAR-2TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 12:30 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 2:30 PMJOE (DIG) 4:30 PMJOE (DIG) 7:00 PMJOE (DIG) 9:30 PMJOE (DIG) 12:05 AM

FANAR-3BRICK MANSIONS (DIG) 12:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 2:15 PMTRACKS (DIG) 5:00 PMTRACKS (DIG) 7:15 PMTRACKS (DIG) 9:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 11:45 PM

FANAR-4THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 1:45 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 4:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 7:15 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 10:00 PMIN THE BLOOD (DIG) 12:45 AM

FANAR-5THE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 2:00 PMNO FRI+SATJUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 2:00 PMFRI+SATJUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 4:15 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 6:15 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 8:15 PM

THE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 10:15 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 12:15 AM

MARINA-1JUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 1:30 PMJUNGLE SHUFFLE (DIG) 3:30 PMJOE (DIG) 5:30 PMTRACKS (DIG) 8:00 PMJOE (DIG) 10:15 PMJOE (DIG) 12:45 AM

MARINA-2THE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 1:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 3:45 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 5:45 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 7:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 9:45 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 12:05 AM

MARINA-3THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 1:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 4:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG-3D) 6:45 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 9:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 2:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 5:30 PMNO FRI+SATSpecial Show “THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG)” 5:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 8:30 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2THE QUIET ONES (DIG) 1:15 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 3:30 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 5:45 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 8:00 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 10:15 PMTHE QUIET ONES (DIG) 12:30 AM

AVENUES-3SALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 12:30 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 2:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 5:00 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 7:15 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 9:45 PMSALEM ABO OKHTO (DIG) (Arabic) 12:05 AMNO SUN+TUE+WEDAVENUES-4JOE (DIG) 1:15 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 3:45 PMJOE (DIG) 5:45 PMSpecial Show “TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG)” 5:45 PMJOE (DIG) 8:15 PMTHE LOVE PUNCH (DIG) 10:45 PMJOE (DIG) 12:45 AM

360 º- 1JOE (DIG) 1:00 PMJOE (DIG) 3:30 PMJOE (DIG) 6:00 PMJOE (DIG) 8:30 PMJOE (DIG) 11:00 PM

360 º- 2TRACKS (DIG) 1:45 PMTRACKS (DIG) 4:15 PMTRACKS (DIG) 6:45 PMTRACKS (DIG) 9:15 PMTRACKS (DIG) 11:45 PMNO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 3TINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 2:00 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) 3:45 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG) 5:45 PMTINKER BELL AND THE PIRATE FAIRY (DIG-3D) 8:00 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 9:45 PMTHE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (DIG) 12:30 AMNO SUN+TUE+WED

Prayer timings

Fajr: 03:32Shorook 05:00Duhr: 11:44Asr: 15:20Maghrib: 18:29 Isha: 19:54

CHANGE OF NAME MATRIMONIAL

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I, Sarfraz Hussain, holder ofIndian Passport No. F8709331 hereby change myname to Sarfraz HussainDiwan as per Gazette ofGujarat State, India. (C 4718)9-5-2014

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BusinessFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Dubai leads earnings growth in Gulf as profits soarPAGE 37

Barclays bank lifts jobs cull to 19,000

PAGE 39

DUBAI: The parent company of the Middle East’s biggest air-line, Emirates, posted an annual profit yesterday of $1.1 billionas it enjoyed a dip in fuel costs and boosted capacity with theaddition of two dozen new planes. The growth comes at a timeof resurgence for the carrier’s home base of Dubai. The Mideastcommercial hub has rebounded sharply from a financial crisisthat came to a head in 2009 as its vital trade, travel and proper-ty sectors benefit from an improving global economy.

Dubai International Airport, Emirates’ home, now rivalsLondon Heathrow as the world’s busiest airport for internation-al passengers. Emirates Group, which includes the airline andrelated businesses such as the Dnata ground and travel servicesprovider, said the profit represented a 32 percent increase overthe previous year.

It was the Dubai government-owned company’s 26thstraight profitable year - a rare unbroken winning streak in theindustry. Emirates is the largest of three government-backedGulf airlines that are increasingly challenging Western andAsian carriers for long-haul travelers.

It and rivals Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi-based EtihadAirways have turned their desert hubs into major transconti-nental transit centers packed with duty-free shops and teemingwith passengers connecting to flights from around the globe.

CompetitionSheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman

and CEO, acknowledged growing competitive pressures andsaid a major runway overhaul in Dubai would prove challeng-ing in the months ahead. But he said the carrier remains poised

for further growth. “We are moving into the new financial yearwith confidence and a strong foundation for continued prof-itability,” he said.

Revenue for the fiscal year, which ran through the end ofMarch, rose 13 percent to $23.9 billion. The company’s saleswere helped by a surge in passenger numbers, which were up13 percent to 44.5 million. Emirates took delivery of 24 newwide-body planes during the fiscal year, including 16 of thedouble-decker Airbus A380 aircraft and eight Boeing’s 777s.

It operates more of both types of planes than any other air-line, and has dozens more of each on order. Its fleet now boasts217 aircraft in total.

While the additional planes resulted in higher overall fuelcosts, average prices per gallon of jet fuel dipped by 4 percentduring the year, the company said. Among the new destina-tions Emirates added over the past financial year were Boston,Kabul, Stockholm and Kiev. The carrier last year began operat-ing out of a new 20-gate concourse linked to its existing termi-nal at Dubai International that purpose-built to accommodatethe mammoth A380 aircraft.

The airport ranked second behind Heathrow in terms ofinternational passengers carried in 2013, but topped theLondon hub in the first quarter of this year. Emirates’ expansioncould be slowed this year, however, as the airport undertakes amuch-needed runway overhaul that began last week. The proj-ect, which runs into July, forced Emirates to cut flights to 41cities and switch flight times on others. Sheik Ahmed estimatedthe runway project will cost the company 1 billion dirhams, or$272 million, in lost revenue this year. — AP

Emirates profit surges to $1.1 billionME’s biggest airline enjoys dip in fuel costs, boost in capacity

DUBAI: Emirates Airlines chief Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum arrives for a press conference in Dubai yester-day.— AFP

DUBAI: Emirates Airbus passenger planes parked at their grates on tarmac in Dubai airport in United Arab Emirates yesterday. — AP

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

DUBAI: Dubai’s bourse has outpaced other Gulf markets by a widemargin in terms of companies’ first-quarter profit growth, datashow, supporting its position as the top performer in the region.

The emirate’s benchmark soared 108 percent last year and is up57 percent this year, making it one of the world’s top-performingstock markets over the past 17 months. Although some analystsbelieve the market is overbought, its fundamentals have improvedsignificantly. The combined net profit of Dubai-listed companiesthat posted results by May 1 jumped 34.1 percent year on year,as calculated by Reuters based on data compiled by Kuwait’s KIP-CO Asset Management Company. The figure does not includethe earnings of Emaar Properties because the Dubai bellwetherhas yet to publish its full financial report. If Emaar’s preliminaryfigures were included, it would lift Dubai’s profit increase to 38.3percent.

Banks and property companies dominate Dubai’s bourse andsome analysts think that structure partly explains the jump. “Mostof the stocks (in Dubai) are very cyclical, meaning that these com-panies are benefiting from the macro improvement in Dubai,which is why you have such a strong uptrend,” Sebastien Henin,head of asset management at The National Investor in Abu Dhabi,said. Others say that profits in the wider economy have risen by a

similar margin, even if important sectors such as tourism and retailare largely absent from the bourse. “I am pretty sure businessacross sectors is doing very well, especially in areas such as hospi-tality, retail and transport,” Amer Khan, senior executive officer atShuaa Asset Management, said. “It all points to a significantlyimproving economy, and that is trickling down into earnings.”

Dubai’s economy is expected to grow by about 5 percent thisyear, a similar pace to 2013. Selling prices for residential propertyrose by about a third in the first three months of the year comparedwith the same period in 2013. “Whether (the current valuations) arejustified will depend on whether this growth continues,” Khan said.

DOUBLE DIGITSEarnings in Abu Dhabi have risen 11.6 percent. This was large-

ly thanks to First Gulf Bank and telecoms operator Etisalat, whichposted profit increases of 27.2 percent and 10.9 percent respec-tively, accounting for 54 percent of Abu Dhabi companies’ com-bined quarterly profits. In Saudi Arabia, total reported profit fromlisted companies rose 10.9 percent. Excluding Saudi BasicIndustries, which accounted for a quarter of total earnings andwhich suffered a 1.8 percent profit fall, combined profits rose 15.8percent.—Reuters

Dubai leads growth in Gulf as profits soar

Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia post double-digit growth

LINAYUNGANG: A man works on a dock at Lianyungang port in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu province yesterday. China’sexports and imports rose marginally in April, official data showed, rebounding from sharp declines the month before amid agrowth slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. — AFP

PARIS: A man enters a Dia discount supermarket yesterday in Paris. Spanish hard discountsupermarket group Dia announced it is selling its troubled French operations, which employsome 7,500 people in 900 stores. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s government approved a temporary5 percent tax on wealthy individuals to fund socialprograms, the cabinet said in a statement late onWednesday, less than three weeks before the coun-try votes for a new president. The tax rise, which willapply to those earning over one million Egyptianpounds ($142,200) a year, still needs to be passed byInterim President Adly Mansour before it can beimplemented and will only be applied for a tempo-rary period.

“In pursuit of the principle of social justice, thecabinet has approved the suggested amendmentfrom the finance ministry on the income tax law withregard to implementing an additional temporaryfive percent tax on income more than one millionpounds,” the statement said. After the army’s ousterof freely elected Islamist president MohammadMorsi in 2013, a presidential election to be held thismonth is widely expected to be won by army chief

Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.However, the new president faces severe eco-

nomic challenges. Egypt’s economy has been ham-mered for the past three years as turmoil following amass uprising in 2011, calling for social justice andbetter distribution of wealth, drove foreign investorsand tourists away. The country of 85 million hasbeen struggling to curb a budget deficit that swelledto around 14 percent of GDP last year and is underpressure to cut subsidies that eat up around a fifth ofits budget but risks triggering protests if it does so.Those subject to the temporary tax will be givensome choice over which areas their funds can bespent in. “It will be allowed for the (tax payer) to usethe amount of the tax to finance one or more serviceprojects from the public projects in the education,health, agriculture, housing or infrastructure sectorsin the various provinces and cities across the coun-try,” the statement said. — Reuters

UAE federal credit bureau tostart in June: CEO

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates’ long-awaited federal creditbureau will start work in June, its chief executive said, provid-ing financial institutions with data on the population in thelatest move to limit the risks of a new credit bubble.

Until now, banks in the UAE have often been unable toaccess data on consumers at other financial institutions whenmaking lending decisions. Borrowers could obtain moneyfrom many lenders and run up debts they sometimes couldnot repay.

This has threatened the health of the whole economy -property prices in Dubai plunged more than 50 percentbetween 2008 and 2010 after a speculative bubble burst,pushing the emirate close to default.

Marwan Lutfi told Reuters in an interview in Dubai that Al-Etihad Credit Bureau, which was first announced last year, hasso far collected 22 to 24 months of data from around 70 creditdata providers like financial institutions, telecommunicationcompanies and various government bodies in the UAE.

Once the credit bureau is launched, everyone with a UAEID card and who is part of the active credit population, whichis estimated at almost half the UAE inhabitants of some 10million people, will be part of this credit database. “I’m confi-dent that May will be a productive and successful month interms of uploading data. We are hopeful that banks willincrease their efforts in submitting correct data formats andthat comprehensive reports will be readily accessible aroundJune,” said Lutfi, who was appointed as the bureau’s chiefexecutive in October last year.

“Even though the bureau is ready to provide its services,true value will only be extracted when all banks’ historic datais uploaded in the database and the reports are comprehen-sive and include data from all financial institutions in theUAE.”

The bureau had previously set the end of the first quarterof 2014 as the deadline for uploading all data but the planwas delayed due to inaccurate information or errors in thedata being submitted because every bank has its own systemand the output has to be matching the bureau’s data submis-sion criteria. “We are ready to start operation but it’s a delicatebalance that we are trying to achieve in collaboration with thefinancial industry,” Lutfi said in an interview this week.

“We believe that consumer banks will submit the correcteddata formats during the month of May,” Lutfi said. The bureauhas started capturing data on consumers with less than 15million dirhams ($4.1 million) of credit.

The next step will focus on the commercial arena whichwill include all companies in the UAE, especially small to medi-um-sized enterprises, Lutfi explained. He said the businesscommunity in the UAE were eager for the service to start. “Ihave not met a single CEO or senior executive in the UAEfinancial industry who does not want to see the bureaulaunched yesterday,” Lutfi said. — Reuters

Egypt cabinet approves tax rise for wealthy

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

BEIJING: Chinese performers hold up cards showing the various apps available for online users for shopping and otherservices at the launch of a mobile phone in Beijing. — AP

BEIJING: Alibaba, the e-commerce giantplanning a blockbuster share sale in theUS, shook up China’s vast but sleepyretailing industry by popularizing onlineshopping. Now it and China’s otherInternet giants are mounting challengesin areas from banking to broadcasting.

The new wave of change was trig-gered by the abrupt shift of ChineseInternet users to surfing the Web viasmartphones or tablets. Some 81 per-cent of China’s 618 million Internet usersnow go online wirelessly. Companiessuch as Alibaba that arose in the era ofthe desktop computer-based Internetare scrambling to roll out mobile-friendlyservices. The services Web users flock toare usually privately owned, while theyare leaving behind traditional state-owned companies that control manyindustries. Video websites compete withstate TV, online financial services drawdeposits away from banks and instantmessaging apps take revenue from gov-ernment-owned phone carriers.

“I try to buy everything online,” saidCao Ying, a 30-year-old software engi-neer in Shanghai. Like many young pro-fessionals, Cao lives through her smart-phone. Grocery shopping, paying bills,finding a taxi: whatever Cao needs is justan app away. “I’m one of those peoplewho are driving shopping centers out ofbusiness,” she said. Some Chinese lead-ers welcome the competition as a tool tomake the government-dominated econ-omy more productive. In the 1990s,Beijing encouraged desktop computer-based online commerce that shook upretailing. Today, China’s leaders areallowing a wave of disruption to flowfrom mobile Internet. Still, it is unclearhow far the trend will be allowed to runif politically favored companies arethreatened. A commentator for state tel-evision called online financial services“parasites.”

The shift to mobile Internet is“putting a lot of pressure on traditional

retailers and banks to offer a better serv-ice,” said Ben Cavender, an analyst forChina Market Research Group, a consult-ing firm in Shanghai.

The fiercest competition is among atrio of giants that dominate China’sInternet: Alibaba Group in e-commerce,Tencent Holdings in games and BaiduInc in search.

Since the start of last year, they havespent more than $7 billion to create oracquire e-commerce, social networkingand other mobile services. The flurry ofdeals is also bringing them into head-to-

head competition with each other forthe first time. “These three used to belike three mountains in the ChineseInternet business. But now they have toget into a major war against each other,”said Bing-Sheng Teng, a specialist in cor-porate strategy at the Cheung KongGraduate School of Business in Beijing.The three are little known outside China.But that is likely to change. Alibaba filedTuesday for a US initial public offeringthat analysts say might raise up to $20billion and be among the biggest IPOsever. —AP

Mobile Internet shakes up stodgy China industries

Online shopping has become the buzzword

BRUSSELS: The European Central Bankhas left its benchmark interest rateunchanged at a record low of 0.25 percentamid growing signs that the economicrecovery in the 18-country euro-zone isgaining momentum. The bank’s 24-mem-ber rate-setting council made the decisionyesterday at a meeting in Brussels.

A rate cut could give growth a smallboost in theory by lowering borrowingcosts for banks and companies. It couldalso help lower the euro, which is near a 21/2-year high against the dollar at around$1.395. A weaker euro would helpexporters and boost inflation, which at anannual 0.7 percent is well under thebank’s 2 percent goal.

The euro was little changed after thedecision, trading at $1.3945 15 minutesafter the announcement at 1145 GMT.Surveys of purchasing managers and oth-er indicators have suggested that theeuro-zone economy is picking up steam.Unemployment has fallen slightly butremains high at 11.8 percent. TheEuropean Commission, the EU’s executivearm, predicts 1.2 percent growth this year,though inflation is expected to remain

weak for some time. Low inflation makesit harder for people and governments toreduce debt. There have also been worriesabout deflation, an extended drop inprices that can cripple growth by pushingconsumers to delay purchases in hopes ofbargains. Investors are waiting to hear ECBPresident Mario Draghi give his outlook ata post-decision news conference. Draghihas emphasized that the bank is ready totake action in case the economic outlookworsens.

A cut in the benchmark rate wouldlower the cost to banks of borrowingmoney from the ECB and other banks, andin theory they could pass that lower rateon to businesses and consumers. But thatmight only have a small effect. Rates arealready very low, and some banks are notpassing on lower rates because they havefinancial troubles of their own.

Analysts think the ECB might take oth-er steps to boost inflation. One measurethat has been discussed is a negativeinterest rate paid on money banks depositat the ECB, which could push them to lendand help lower the euro further. Currentlythe rate is zero. —AP

ECB keeps interest rates on hold

China’s largest bank ICBC bars

services for BitcoinSHANGHAI: China’s biggest bank ICBC has banned activitiesrelated to trading in Bitcoin, it said yesterday, joining at least10 other Chinese banks participating in a government crack-down on virtual currencies. Bitcoin, invented in the wake ofthe global financial crisis by a mysterious computer guru, is aform of cryptography-based e-money that can be storedeither virtually or on a user’s hard drive, and offers a largelyanonymous payment system.

Speculators drove China’s Bitcoin prices into the financialstratosphere last year, peaking at 7,588.88 yuan (now $1,224)in November, before they crashed following moves byexchanges, financial institutions and the government to reinin the virtual currency. “From this date, any institution or indi-vidual must not use accounts set up with our bank for thedeposit and withdrawal... and transfer of funds for Bitcoin andLitecoin trading,” the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC) said in a statement on its website.

Litecoin is another virtual currency. The move aimed to“protect the property rights and interests of the public, pre-vent money laundering risks as well as to safeguard the statusof the renminbi as the legal currency”, ICBC said, referring toChina’s yuan currency.

China tightly controls the yuan and enforces capital con-trols, which e-currencies threaten by their very nature. ICBCthreatened to suspend and close bank accounts if clientsfailed to comply with the new rules. Earlier this week, China’smain Bitcoin exchanges pledged to practice “self discipline”including tracking suspicious trading and preventing moneylaundering. Five markets, including China’s largest BTC China,said they would halt risky activities such as margin tradingand short-selling, and make regular reports to the govern-ment, according to a joint statement posted Tuesday.

In its annual financial stability report released late lastmonth, China’s central bank labelled Bitcoin “a tool for specu-lation” and warned against risks the e-money could pose tocapital flows as well as its possible use in illegal activitiesincluding drug dealing and money laundering. Last month,the central People’s Bank of China instructed banks and third-party payment providers to “completely cut off the capitalchain” for Bitcoin trading, the Southern Metropolis Dailynewspaper reported.

The central bank has so far made no public statement toconfirm the action but at least 11 banks have ceased provid-ing services related to Bitcoin, according to separateannouncements. They include China’s “Big Four”: ICBC, Bankof China, China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank ofChina. The moves have hurt the value of Bitcoin in China. OnThursday afternoon, Bitcoin was trading at 2,781.97 yuan eachon BTC China, down 11 percent from April 25 when banksbegan announcing the bans. — AFP

PURWAKARTA: Indonesian government, Nissan andDatsun high rank officials launch the Datsun Go+ andinaugurate the New Nissan plant in Purwakarta, West Javaprovince yesterday. According to Nissan, the inaugurationof its newest Nissan manufacturing facility dedicated tothe production of Datsun cars for Indonesia, will boosttheir local production from 100,000 units per year to250,000 as part of the expansion campaign by theJapanese automotive giant to become a leading brand inthe Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. — AFP

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

LONDON: Scandal-hit Barclays said yesterday it will shrink itsinvestment bank unit as part of plans to axe 19,000 jobs acrossthe entire group over the next two years. The British lender willthis year cut 14,000 positions, or one-tenth of its global work-force, more than an initial plan to remove a maximum of 12,000jobs in 2014. A total of 7,000 investment bank staff will lose theirjobs by 2016 — more than a quarter of the division’s employees.Barclays also said in a statement it will also create a “bad” bankhousing assets with a combined value of £115 billion ($195 bil-lion, 140 billion euros) that would be sold or simply allowed torun down. As part of the group’s overhaul, Barclays will incur £800million of extra costs, exit its European retail banking businessand place a large focus on its Africa-wide and credit card busi-nesses.

Chief executive Antony Jenkins has been on a mission toreduce the influence played by Barclays’ investment bank unitover the entire group since replacing Bob Diamond-the much-maligned former CEO who was forced to resigned following the2012 Libor rate-fixing scandal.

“This is a bold simplification of Barclays,” Jenkins said in yester-day’s statement. “We will be a focused international bank, operat-ing only in areas where we have capability, scale and competitiveadvantage.” Jenkins, the former retail head of Barclays, said thebank would become “leaner, stronger, much better balanced andwell positioned to deliver lower volatility, higher returns, andgrowth”. Barclays employs about 139,000 staff worldwide, whilethe investment bank unit has roughly 26,000 employees.

Barclays creates ‘bad’ bank The bank will meanwhile create Barclays Non-Core-a unit

grouping “assets which do not fit the strategic objectives” of the

group, the statement said. “Barclays will look to exit or run downthese assets over time,” it added. The majority of these so-calledrisk-weighted assets (RWAs), or about £90-billion worth, are cur-rently under the control of the investment bank unit.

Barclays will rid itself also of £16 billion worth of Europe retailRWAs and £9.0 billion of other risk-weighted assets. The bankexpects to incur costs on top of the £2.7-billion restructuringamount it had announced 15 months ago.

Barclays’ share price jumped 4.69 percent to 254.70 pence inmidday trading on London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index, whichwas showing a gain of 0.46 percent. The lender earlier this weeksaid pre-tax profits almost halved at its investment banking armduring the first quarter. They dived 49 percent to £668 million inthe three months to the end of March compared with a year earli-er, hit by sliding revenues. Barclays is still seeking to fix a reputa-tion badly damaged by its role in the Libor scandal, while it hasalso been probed along with other banks over possible manipula-tion of foreign exchange trade. Despite poor earnings, Barclaysincreased the money available for staff bonuses by almost 10 per-cent earlier this year, angering some politicians and union bosses.The Libor scandal erupted two years ago when Barclays was fined£290 million by British and US regulators for attempted manipula-tion of Libor and Euribor interbank rates between 2005 and 2009.Euribor is the euro-zone equivalent of Libor.

In addition, Barclays was last year forced into a huge £5.8-bil-lion shares sale, or rights issue, to meet regulatory demands tostrengthen its capital buffers. Diamond, who headed the invest-ment unit before becoming chief executive, was one of theworld’s highest paid bankers before and after the global financialcrisis and helped to turn Barclays into a leading player in invest-ment banking. — AFP

HK propertymoguls on trial in

huge graft caseHONG KONG: A blockbuster corruption trial involving Hong Kongproperty tycoons Thomas and Raymond Kwok got under wayThursday, with all five defendants pleading not guilty to briberycharges. The billionaire Kwok brothers, who jointly chair develop-ment giant Sun Hung Kai Properties, were arrested along with HongKong’s former chief secretary Rafael Hui in a major swoop by thecity’s anti-graft watchdog in March 2012. The Kwoks, aged 62 and60, were accused of bribing Hui, who once held the second-highestposition in the southern Chinese territory’s government.

The trio are among five people charged with offences related topayments and unsecured loans amounting to HK$34 million ($4.38million). The Kwoks are ranked fourth on the Forbes Hong Kong2014 rich list, with an estimated family wealth of $17.5 billion.Dressed in dark suits, the brothers smiled as they arrived at court ina storm of camera flashes, while more than 100 reporters waitedinside. Hui, 66, declined to discuss the case as he waited outside thecourtroom, but told reporters he was “not feeling relaxed”. All thedefendants, who have previously proclaimed their innocence, con-firmed their not guilty pleas as the hearing got under way, withThomas Kwok seen listening to a translation of proceedingsthrough headphones.

Tight reporting restrictions were in place, with judge AndrewMacrae warning media to confine their coverage to the basic factsof the trial, following defense lawyers’ criticism of earlier reporting.Hui is accused of misconduct in being “favorably disposed to SunHung Kai Properties... and Thomas Kwok and Raymond Kwok” whilein office in return for payments, according to a Department ofJustice indictment. The charges against Hui, who was the city’s chiefsecretary from 2005 to 2007, also relate to rent-free use of luxuryapartments and acceptance of unsecured loans, the document said.The other defendants are another Sun Hung Kai director, ThomasChan, and Francis Kwan, the former non-executive director ofinvestment company New Environmental Energy Holdings. After hewas charged in July 2012, Raymond Kwok said: “I believe I have notdone anything wrong and that the Hong Kong judiciary system isfair. I will fight the accusations and I hope it will prove my inno-cence.” —AFP

Barclays bank lifts jobs cull to 19,000

Investment bank to shrink further

LONDON: Pedestrians pass a branch of Barclays Bank in the rain in London yesterday. British bank Barclays says it will cutaround 14,000 jobs this year as it looks to streamline its operations and reduce the size of its investment banking arm. — AP

HONG KONG: Agricultural Bank of China said it wouldissue up to 80 billion yuan ($12.83 billion) of prefer-ence shares, the first of the country’s big four lendersto unveil such plans to bolster their capital bases. As anera of record profit growth draws to an end for Chinesebanks, they are becoming increasingly thirsty for capi-tal. New funds will help them sustain lending withoutfalling foul of tough new global rules on capital ade-quacy ratios, a measure of how much capital bankshold in reserve against assets such as loans.

The Agbank deal would take the form of a privateplacement, the bank said in a filing with the Hong

Kong stock exchange yesterday. Following theissuance, the bank’s tier 1 capital adequacy ratio wouldbe boosted by 0.83 percentage point to 10.08 percent,it said.

All four of China’s biggest banks are expected toissue preference shares of a magnitude similar toAgBank’s proposed offering. Industrial andCommercial Bank of China, AgBank and ChinaConstruction Bank could issue 80 billion yuan, whileBank of China may issue up to 100 billion, according toDaiwa Capital Markets estimates. The AgBank offeringis pending approval by Chinese banking regulators.

The lender said it will issue an initial tranche of up tohalf the approved total within six months of permis-sion being granted.

“We believe the issuance of preferred shares willallow for an alternative fundraising channel withouthaving a dilutive impact on existing shareholders,which should ease pressure on the bank sector’s valua-tion,” said analysts for Daiwa Capital Markets in anApril research note.

Preference shares come with a greater claim on thecompany’s assets than common stock, but do not offervoting rights. — Reuters

China’s AgBank plans $12.8bn preference share issue

HONG KONG: Thomas Kwok (center), one of the chairmen ofdevelopment giant Sun Hung Kai Properties arrives at thehigh court in Hong Kong yesterday. — AFP

B u s i n e s sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

OSLO: Norway’s energy boom is tailing off years ahead ofexpectations, exposing an economy unprepared for life afteroil and threatening the long-term viability of the world’s mostgenerous welfare model. High spending within the sector haspushed up wages and other costs to unsustainable levels, notjust for the oil and gas industry but for all sectors, and that isnow acting as a drag on further energy investment.Norwegian firms outside oil have struggled to pick up theslack in what has been, for at least a decade, almost a single-track economy. How Norway handles this “curse of oil” - hugewealth that bring unhealthy dependency in its train - mayhold lessons across the North Sea in Scotland, which votes onindependence from the United Kingdom later this year, rely-ing at least in part on what it sees as its oil revenues.

Norway had the foresight to put aside a massive $860 bil-lion rainy-day cash pile, or $170,000 per man, woman andchild. It also has huge budget surpluses, a top-notch AAAcredit rating and low unemployment, so tangible decline isnot imminent.

But costs have soared, non-oil exporters are struggling, thegovernment is spending $20 billion more oil money this yearthan in 2007 and the generous welfare model, which dependson a steady flow of oil tax revenue may not be preparingNorwegians for tougher times. “In Norway, job security seemsto be taken for granted, almost like it’s a human right to havea job,” says Hans Petter Havdal, CEO of car-parts makerKongsberg Automotive.

Kongsberg Automotive has only 5 percent of its workersleft in Norway, having moved jobs to places like Mexico, Chinaand the United States, and keeping only high-tech, automatedfunctions at home. It says it is struggling with high labor costsand even problems such as excessive sick leave.

“It’s a bit discouraging that the sick leave in Norway is twicethe level of other plants,” Havdal said. “That is to me an indica-tion that something is not as it should be.” With per capitaGDP around $100,000, the Norwegian lifestyle has becomesuch that the work week averages less than 33 hours, one ofthe lowest in the world, and while unemployment is low, thereis large underemployment, made possible by benefits.

In 2012, a new word entered the Norwegian lexicon - to“nave”, or l ive off benefits from welfare agency NAV.“Approximately 600,000 Norwegians ... who should be part ofthe labor force are outside the labor force, because of welfare,pension issues,” says Siv Jensen, the finance minister.

Company executives and some government officials sayNorway needs to limit wage increases to productivity, limit oilcost growth, cut taxes like neighbors have done and spendless of the oil money. Some say it should even depreciate itscurrency.

The Scottish National Party’s argument in favor of inde-pendence has centered on the promise that Scotland canreplicate the success of Norway’s oil economy, creating a sov-ereign wealth fund for future generations, while public cofferswould be only half as dependent on oil and gas.

Unfortunately for Scotland, the glory days of British hydro-carbon production are already in the past, with North Sea out-put down around two thirds since its peak. A net oil and gasexporter until the turn of the century, Britain will importalmost half of its hydrocarbon needs this year, mostly fromNorway, rising to two-thirds by 2026, the government hassaid.

Turn for big oilThe fortunes of the oil industry, which accounts for a fifth

of Norway’s economy, have shifted abruptly as the global oilsector slammed on the brakes. Costs are spiking and capitalspending has been so high that energy firms are selling assetsto pay dividends. With oil prices seen falling this year andnext, appetite for capital expenditure is low.

Investments, which tripled over the past decade, are nowseen declining in the years ahead, confounding earlier expec-tations for a steady increase, while oil production remains flat,

despite years of heavy spending. Energy companies are cut-ting some of their most innovative projects, a big worry as thesector has relied on cutting edge innovation to offset its highcosts. The government puts the best face on this, but admitstimes are changing. “The boom is probably over. But we’re notlooking at a steep decline in investment or production,” saysoil minister Tord Lien. “The costs are rising too high and toofast. The Norwegian costs have risen a little bit more than else-where.”

Shell has called off a multi-billion dollar gas project thatwas seen as a step towards platform-free offshore productionafter costs on the pilot project hit seven times the initial esti-

mate. It would have placed all equipment on the seabed,including compression, and would have powered it from theshore, a huge technological step. Statoil, the state-ownednational champion, has slashed spending, eliminatingadvanced projects like an Arctic rig that would have been ableto operate in two-metre thick ice.

“Cutting back on capital spending is hurting innovation,”says government oil regulator chief Bente Nyland. “Whenyou’re cutting back, you’re focusing on your production (and)your income ... This will have a long-term impact because youhave to make decisions on projects now.”

Norway is the world’s seventh biggest oil exporter, and itsupplies a fifth of the European Union’s gas, a critical positionas tensions with Moscow over Ukraine raise concerns aboutRussian supplies.

It also boasts the world’s highest GDP per hour worked,according to the OECD, but labour productivity has declinedsince 2007, and since 2000 its unit labour cost has risenaround six times faster than in Germany.

NO going back Handelsbanken economist Knut Anton Mork said Norway

must act if it is to avoid decline. “The oil boom has ended,”Mork said. “Norway needs to rebalance to a more sustainablelevel, which can be done either through a nominal deprecia-tion or through an internal devaluation of wages. “Absent nec-essary adjustments, Norway after oil may face a structural crisissimilar to that in Finland after Nokia.” Industry-leading mobilehandset maker used to account for nearly a fifth of Finland’sexports and a quarter of its corporation tax before its rapiddecline as rivals cornered the market in smartphones.

Neighbor Sweden, meanwhile, cut sickness and unemploy-

ment benefits and lowered income, wealth and corporate tax-es. Its tax burden has fallen by four percentage points of grossdomestic product, now making it lower than France.

But such wage adjustment in Norway is unlikely in the nearterm, and unions dispute that the country has a competitive-ness problem. Industrial workers nearly went on strike in Apriluntil last-minute concessions. “We haven’t been in a situationsince the second world war that we had any cutbacks on rightswe have negotiated,” said Stein-Ragnar Noreng, CEO for con-sultancy KPMG’s Norwegian unit.

“There is no sign of willingness from unions or the govern-ment to go into any kind of discussion. This could be very dan-gerous because investments will go down.”

Knut Sunde, director of employer interest group Area Tradeand Industrial Policy, also sees little chance of muchchange:“It’s a high-cost country and will always be, so there’sno dreaming about ever coming back to the good old dayswhen Sweden was expensive and Norway was cheap. We’llnever go back.” — Reuters

End of oil boom threatens Norway’s welfare model

Oil investments falling, high costs deter growth elsewhere

Norway has resisted the temptation to splurge all the windfall since striking oil in the North Sea in 1969. — AFP file photo

S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

NEW YORK: Wearing diamond studs and pressing acellphone to his ear, Missouri defensive end Kony Ealysaunters into a gift suite, compliments of Diddy, andcloses his eyes as he slides into a barber chair for a trim.He’s looking serious and busy like the pro he may soonbe when the NFL draft is over. Ealy, the swag swirlingaround him, from luggage to Ciroc, is among dozens ofprospects on the verge of the big time, leaving old livesbehind and heading to the circus of media, money anda shot at stardom. The NFL’s annual draft begins lateyesterday at Radio City Music Hall.

Ealy is projected to go late in the first round. Does heworry about where he’ll land, considering he never lefthis home state for college?

“Don’t matter, ‘cause now it’s a business. You haveto treat it like a business,” the straight-faced Ealy saidTuesday between his visit to the Old Spice groomingstation and a round of interviews at Diddy’s Sean Johnheadquarters, just a few blocks from where the draftwill be held and one of his many stops during a crazyweek of appearances. Ealy wasn’t much interested inthe gift tables, and he shrugged off the pressure. “I’mhandling it like I’ve been there before and that’s what

I’ll keep doing. That’s something my high school coachtold me and I never forgot it,” he said.

Fellow draft prospect Sammy Watkins, a wide receiv-er from Clemson, picked up a Hawaiian shirt and aleather bracelet, his Beats headphones on his head ashe prepared for another jump outside his comfort zone.The Floridian gave up offers from three schools there tohead for college in South Carolina, so unlike Ealy, healready knows what it feels like to live far from familyand old friends. Watkins’ head was spinning. This is hisfirst trip to New York City. He had just stepped off theplane and went straight into a few days of crazy, tour-ing the 9/11 Memorial Site, handling phone calls andwaiting on his family to arrive.

“I’m gonna have some fun,” he laughed. “I’m gonnago out a little bit with the fam. We’re gonna party it up.”And the first thing he’ll buy if a big contract comes hisway? “I gotta get my mom whatever she wants,” hesaid. “Whatever she needs.” Watkins has a good ideahow his life would change, on and off the field, if hemakes the pros. At college, he said, there was always aparty: “We lived it up. I’ll miss the team the most. Mybrothers.”

In the NFL, “You’ve got to push yourself. The game isquicker, faster. Some of these guys have families, kids andjust want to do the job. I’m ready for that,” he said.

Ealy’s already a little bit Hollywood in long leatherpockets on his sweats and a matching leather zip shirt.But, like Watkins, his dreams haven’t changed that muchsince he played ball in high school. He wants to help hisdad make ends meet back in the St. Louis area.

Growing up playing both basketball and football, hecan feel his big moment: “Being able to provide for myfamily, you know what I’m sayin’? That was the dreamthen and that’s it now.” Morgan Moses, an offensive tack-le at Virginia, may also go late in the first round. He, too,had never been to New York and has never lived awayfrom his home state. He had one foot in the Sean Johngreen room, scooping up a few gift bags, and anotherback on campus. “You know, it’s crazy. I’m finishing upwith school and I’m here, but I’m working on my last 20-page paper,” he smiled.

Moses, at 6-6 and more than 300 pounds, plans to relyon his years at Fork Union Military Academy back home inVirginia to navigate the pros. It’s where he straightenedhimself out after a rough patch in high school.—AP

NFL draft prospects consider life in big time

NEW YORK: Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-AndreFleury had his shutout streak snapped but thePenguins still ended up victorious, beating theNew York Rangers 4-2 on Wednesday to take a3-1 lead in the second round series.

Fleury, who had held the Rangers scorelessin the previous two wins, only faced 15 shots asPittsburgh grabbed a commanding best-of-sev-en advantage to move one win from a secondstraight Eastern Conference final appearance.

The Penguins lost to the Boston Bruins in lastyear’s conference final. Against New York,Pittsburgh used stout defense and forced theaction. “We went after them (New York) and did-n’t sit back,” Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosbytold reporters, after finishing with two assists.“We didn’t allow them to have much time andspace.” Brandon Sutter put the Penguins ahead2-1 in the second period, while Jussi Jokinenand Chris Kunitz added scores in the third toclinch the win.

Left winger Carl Hagelin and center MatsZuccarello scored for New York, who lost back-to-back games at home and three straight over-all. The Rangers never led in the game and spentmost of the night chasing the play. They gavethe puck away 25 times and won only 18 of 49faceoffs.

“We didn’t pick a good night to manage thepuck the way we did tonight,” said Rangerscoach Alain Vigneault. “I don’t want to take anycredit away from Pittsburgh. They forced theplay and they played a real solid game withoutthe puck that obviously forced us into a lot ofthose turnovers.”

New York continued to struggle on theirpower-play and did not convert either of theirtwo chances. The Rangers have gone scorelessin their last 36 power-play chances. TheRangers now head to Pittsburgh for Game Fiveon Friday when they will try to stave off elimi-nation. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (71), of Russia, celebrates a goal as ChrisKunitz and New York Rangers’ Brian Boyle (right) skate near during the first period of asecond-round NHL Stanley Cup hockey playoff series. — AP

NEW YORK: Russia’s Khadjimurat Gatsalov (left) attempts a takedown on Kyle Snyder, ofthe United States, during an exhibition wrestling match in Times Square. Wrestlers com-peting in the exhibition included past and potential future Olympic athletes from theUSA, Russia, Bulgaria, Venezuela, Spain and Canada. — AP

Penguins down Rangers to take control of series

NEW YORK: High above the temporary wrestlingmat in Times Square, the news scrolled across avideo screen about Russian troops pulling backfrom the Ukrainian border. Russian wrestling greatKhadjimurat Gatsalov felt none of that tensionWednesday when he took on an up-and-comingAmerican. He later thanked the fans for theirwarmth toward the Russians who represented theinternational team in the outdoor competition.

“Politics doesn’t affect the sport,” Gatsalov saidthrough a translator. “Anything going on,” headded, “it’s not going to ever affect the sport.” TheUS team won eight of the 11 matches in the thirdwrestling competition held in Times Square to ben-efit nonprofit Beat the Streets. Last year’s eventtook place at Grand Central Terminal, when topAmerican, Russian and Iranian wrestlers competedin a show of unity to try to keep the sport in theOlympics. Four months later, the IOC voted in favorof wrestling. The tweaked rules encouraging morescoring, which were part of the sport’s bid to stay inthe games, were on display Wednesday.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist JordanBurroughs, a New Jersey native, beat Russia’s

Atsamaz Sanakoev by fall at 74 kilograms. “I had toput on a show,” Burroughs said of the rare chanceto compete in front of family and friends.

Gatsalov, a five-time world champion, defeatedAmerican teen Kyle Snyder 6-3 at 97 kilograms.Gatsalov, now 30, won an Olympic gold medal adecade ago in Athens. Snyder, a dozen yearsyounger, is the 2013 junior world champion. AUkrainian wrestler, Alina Makhinya, also took part.The 2013 women’s world champion lost 11-5 at 69kilograms to Randi Miller, the 2008 Olympic bronzemedalist. In the other matches, David Taylor beatYabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan 6-0 at 74 kilograms.Jordan Oliver defeated Boris Novachkov of Bulgaria4-1 at 65 kilograms.

Brent Metcalf beat Magomed Kurbanaliev ofRussia 11-9 at 65 kilograms. Ed Ruth defeatedTaymuraz Friev of Spain at 86 kilograms with a 10-0tech. Jimmy Kennedy edged Alexander Bogomoevof Russia 2-1 at 61 kilograms. Helen Maroulis beatVenezuela’s Marcia Andrades at 55 kilograms.Haislan Garcia of Canada topped Logan Stieber 6-2at 65 kilograms. Georgi Vangelov of Bulgaria beatNahshon Garrett 5-4 at 57 kilograms. — AP

American wrestlers win Times Square event

S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Cardinals thrash BravesATLANTA: Adam Wainwright pitched eight strong innings, MattHolliday drove in three runs and Peter Bourjos homered to leadthe St. Louis Cardinals past the Atlanta Braves 7-1 on Wednesday.

Wainwright (6-2) helped himself, leading off the third with adouble and coming around to score. Holliday broke it open witha two-out, two-run single in the fourth.

Wainwright bounced back from his worst start of the season,having surrendered 10 hits and six runs to the Cubs. He allowedsix hits, struck out six and was lifted after throwing 103 pitcheson Wednesday.

Bourjos hit his first homer of the season in the second offMike Minor (0-2). Minor lasted just 4 1-3 innings, roughed up for11 hits and six runs. One night after breaking a seven-game los-ing streak, their longest in nearly two years, the Braves fell again.

MARLINS 1, METS 0Marcell Ozuna hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the ninth

inning as the Miami Marlins completed a three-game sweep ofthe New York Mets.

Miami’s Tom Koehler gave up two hits in eight innings. SteveCishek (3-1) pitched a perfect ninth. The Marlins went 8-1 ontheir homestand, a franchise record for a nine-game stay. TheMets have lost six of seven. Giancarlo Staton singled — only thethird hit for Miami — to start the ninth against Carlos Torres (2-1).Casey McGehee walked on a 3-2 pitch, and Stanton took third ona flyout. Kyle Farnsworth relieved and Ozuna, who had struck outin his previous three at-bats, hit a fly to center fielder JuanLagares. His throw home was slightly off-line, and the ballskipped away from catcher Anthony Recker as a sliding Stantontagged the plate with his left hand.

PIRATES 4, GIANTS 3Gerrit Cole won for the first time in nearly a month as the

Pittsburgh Pirates beat San Francisco. Cole (3-2) outpitched TimLincecum (2-2) for the second time in his 11-month major leaguecareer, allowing three runs and seven hits in eight innings withseven strikeouts and a walk. Fill-in closer Mark Melancon workeda perfect ninth for his second save in three chances. Ike Davis hadthree hits for the Pirates. Brandon Belt hit his ninth homer anddrove in all three runs for San Francisco.

NATIONALS 3, DODGERS 2Stephen Strasburg recovered from another rough first inning

to pitch into the eighth and Wilson Ramos produced a go-aheadsacrifice fly in his first game since opening day as the WashingtonNationals edged the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After waiting through a rain delay of more than 1½ hours tothrow his first pitch, Strasburg (3-2) did what he’s done all sea-son: struggled to get the first three outs, then been fairly domi-nant. This time, he gave up four consecutive singles, includingrun-scoring hits by Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig, during a 28-pitch first as Los Angeles went ahead 2-0.

DIAMONDBACKS 3, BREWERS 2Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer for the second straight

game to back Bronson Arroyo and lead the ArizonaDiamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Goldschmidt hit his seventh homer after Martin Prado led offthe third with a single. Goldschmidt went 7 for 15 in a three-game-series. Arizona took two of three from the team that beganthe day an NL-best 22-12. Arroyo (3-2) allowed an unearned runand five hits in 7 1-3 innings. —AP

DETROIT: Miguel Cabrera hit a two-runhomer and the Detroit Tigers won theireighth straight game, beating theHouston Astros 3-2 Wednesday night.The Astros lost its fifth in a row.

Cabrera connected in the first inning.A day earlier, he homered in a four-hit,four-RBI performance. Victor Martinezhomered, extending his hitting streak to10 games for the three-time defendingAL Central champions. Rick Porcello (5-1) allowed two runs and seven hits in 62-3 innings. Joe Nathan pitched theninth for his seventh save in ninechances, striking out Matt Dominguezwith a runner on third to end it. BradPeacock (0-3) allowed three runs andfour hits in 6 2-3 innings.

ROCKIES 9, RANGERS 2Nolan Arenado had three hits to

extend his hitting streak to 27 games,matching Colorado’s team record, andthe Rockies had their third lopsided vic-tory over Texas in as many nights.

Arenado’s two-run double in the firstinning put the Rockies ahead to stay andequaled teammate Michael Cuddyer’srecord streak from last season.

Carlos Gonzalez homered forColorado, which has outscored Texas29-5 in three games this week. TheRockies won 8-2 and 12-1 at home witha combined 34 hits before the teamsshifted to Texas for two games. Everystarter had a hit for the Rockies, who fin-ished with 16 and got 12 of them in 3 2-3 innings off Colby Lewis (2-2). Jorge DeLa Rosa (4-3) struck out four and walkedthree. The lefty gave up two runs oversix innings.

ORIOLES 4, RAYS 3Adam Jones hit a pair of solo homers

and Jonathan Schoop launched atiebreaking, two-run shot that sent theBaltimore Orioles over the Tampa BayRays.

Schoop’s drive in the seventh inningoff Brandon Gomes (2-2) put the Oriolesahead 4-2. Jones hit leadoff homers inboth the second and fourth off CesarRamos. It was his fourth multihomergame.

David DeJesus homered for the Rays,who are 0-4 against the Orioles this sea-son. Ryan Webb (1-0) went 1 1-3 score-less innings for the win. Tommy Hunterstruggled for the second straight game,pitching the ninth for his 10th save.

INDIANS 4, TWINS 3Mike Aviles’ two-out single in the

ninth inning lifted the Cleveland Indiansover the Minnesota Twins. AsdrubalCabrera led off the inning with a doubleagainst Casey Fien (3-1).

After Lonnie Chisenhall’s sacrificebunt, Yan Gomes grounded out. Avileshit a hard grounder into center field forCleveland’s first walk-off win of the sea-son — the Indians had 11 walk-off winslast season. John Axford (1-3), who hadallowed game-winning home runs in hisprevious two outings, survived a shakyninth.

RED SOX 4, REDS 3Will Middlebrooks hit an RBI single

with the bases loaded, capping a two-run rally in the eighth inning that sentthe Boston Red Sox over Cincinnati Redsfor a sweep of the two-game inter-

league series.David Ortiz and Mike Napoli also

drove in runs for the World Series cham-pion Red Sox, who reached .500 for thefirst time since the fourth game of theseason.

Craig Breslow (2-0), who also got thewin in Tuesday’s game, pitched one hit-less inning. Koji Uehara struck out thefinal three batters for his eighth save. JJHoover (1-4) took the loss.

BLUE JAYS 10, PHILLIES 0Mark Buehrle became the first six-

game winner in the majors, EdwinEncarnacion hit a three-run homer andthe Toronto Blue Jays beat Philadelphiafor the seventh straight time.

Erik Kratz and Juan Francisco both hittwo-run homers for the Blue Jays, whoblew open a pitcher’s duel betweenBuehrle and Cliff Lee (3-3) with a nine-run, 12-batter seventh inning. Toronto

won its season-high fourth straight.Buehrle (6-1) allowed three hits in seveninnings to lower his ERA to 1.91.

ATHLETICS 2, MARINERS 0Fill-in starter Drew Pomeranz pitched

five scoreless innings for his second winin his past 20 starts and the OaklandAthletics salvaged a split of a double-header by beating Seattle.

In the opener, the Mariners overcamea shaky start from ace Felix Hernandezto win on Justin Smoak’s two-out singlein the 10th inning. Yoenis Cespedeshomered as the A’s snap a six-gamehome losing streak. Pomeranz (2-1) wassharp in his first major league start sincelast July, allowing two hits and no walks.Jim Johnson got his second save andfirst since losing the closer’s job a monthago.

Erasmo Ramirez (1-4) was called upfrom Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the dayto make the start. In the first game,Yoervis Medina (2-1) stranded two run-ners in the ninth for the win, andFernando Rodney pitched the 10th for

his ninth save in 10 chances. Ryan Cook(0-1) took the loss.

YANKEES 9, ANGELS 2Derek Jeter ended a home run

drought of 161 at-bats in his final regu-lar-season game against the Angels, andthe Yankees kept Hector Santiago win-less.

Vidal Nuno (1-0) allowed a run andfour hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck outthree and retired 14 of his last 15 bat-ters. The left-hander’s only other victoryin seven big league starts was May 13 oflast season, when he pitched five score-less innings of three-hit ball at Clevelandin a 7-0 decision.

Unless both clubs meet in the play-offs, this was Jeter’s swan song againstthe Angels, who dropped two of three inthe Bronx 1 1-2 weeks ago. JeredWeaver, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout andHowie Kendrick carried a 12-foot-long

pinstriped paddleboard with Jeter’s No.2 and the Yankee logo to the middle ofthe diamond and presented it to himfollowing a milestone-studded videotribute as the sellout crowd of 44,083roared its approval.

WHITE SOX 8, CUBS 3Gordon Beckham homered for the

second straight night and Paul Konerkohad a big three-run double, leading theWhite Sox to a victory over the slidingCubs.

Jose Abreu collected three more hitsas the White Sox roughed up TravisWood on their way to their fourthstraight win, extending their season-best streak. The rookie slugger doubledtwice to run his major league-best totalto 24 extra-base hits.

The White Sox also got a nice gamefrom shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who sin-gled in a run in the first and made a ter-rific over-the-shoulder catch to robWelington Castillo of a hit in the ninth.Ramirez then threw to first to double offStarlin Castro for the second out. –AP

Tigers and Rockies triumph

ARLINGTON: Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Arenado (28) follows through on a dou-ble to left off of Texas Rangers relief pitcher Scott Baker in the fourth inning ofa baseball game. — AP

ATLANTA: St. Louis Cardinals’ Matt Holliday (7) fol-lows through on a single to left center scoringCardinals’ Adam Wainwright and Matt Carpenter asAtlanta Braves catcher Evan Gattis (right) is shown inthe fourth inning. — AP

43S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

SPAIN: Na Li from China serves the ball during a MadridOpen tennis tournament match against Sloane Stephensfrom the US in Madrid, Spain. —AP

Li, Serena inMadrid q-finals

MADRID: Australian Open champion Li Na advanced to theMadrid Open quarterfinals coming back from a set down,while two-time defending champion Serena Williams wonmore routinely yesterday.

After a poor opening set, the second-ranked Li overcame aslew of unforced errors and a bothersome toe problem tobeat Sloane Stephens of the United States 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on theclay at the Magic Box tennis center. “After the first set I waslike, ‘calm down,’” said Li, who needed two hours to pull outthe win. “I say, ‘OK, I cannot only think about what happenedfor the game, you have to look forward otherwise you cannotmake it.’”

Williams earned her 650th career victory with a 6-2, 6-3 winover Carla Suarez Navarro, who couldn’t carry over the successof winning her first career title in Portugal on Saturday to theSpanish capital.

Williams, in pursuit of her 60th title, hit 27 winners to herSpanish opponent’s five, while securing seven break points inthe sun.

“She made me work for every point and it wasn’t an easywin,” the top-ranked American said. “She just won last week,so she is definitely not an easy player to play.”

Williams goes on to play 2011 champion Petra Kvitova afterthe fifth-seeded Czech beat countrywoman Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-3.—AP

OKLAHOMA CITY: Newly crowned MVPKevin Durant scored 32 points andRussell Westbrook recorded a triple-double as the Oklahoma City Thunderbeat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-101on Wednesday to level their secondround playoff series.

A day after he was named the NBA’stop player, Durant came up with a per-formance that included 12 reboundsand nine assists.

Westbrook backed him up with 31points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as thehome Thunder tied the best-of-sevenseries 1-1. Durant lifted his new trophyin front of the Oklahoma City crowd pri-or to the game, but quickly had to focuson lifting his team.

“I didn’t want to take that momentfor granted. It was surreal. I wanted toenjoy it, but focus on the game at thesame time,” Durant told reporters. “Iliked our intensity and focus to start thegame.”

Having been blown out in a GameOne home loss Monday, Oklahoma Cityresponded with a second-half surge andled by 20 in the fourth quarter.

Chris Paul tallied 17 points and 11assists for the Clippers after a careershooting performance that includedeight three-pointers in the previousgame.

Paul spent much of the game chas-ing Westbrook, who notched his thirdtriple-double in the last five games. “Ithink (Westbrook) played harder than all

of us combined,” Paul said. “He was allover the place. We have to play better.”

Los Angeles trailed by five at halftimebut the Thunder broke the game openin the third quarter where theyoutscored the Clippers 33-21.

It was a good night for the Oklahoma

City supporting cast including SergeIbaka and Thabo Sefolosha, who tallied14 points apiece.

Los Angeles All Star forward BlakeGriffin had a quiet night with 15 pointsand six rebounds. Game Three is todayin Los Angeles.—Reuters

Thunder level series

OKLAHOMA CITY: Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives pastOklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) in the third quarter of Game2 of the Western Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series. —AP

INDIANAPOLIS: Roy Hibbert emergedfrom a deep playoff slump to help res-cue the Indiana Pacers as they edgedWashington 86-82 on Wednesday toavoid falling behind by two games inthe Eastern Conference semi-final.Hibbert, coming off a Game One per-formance in which he failed to record apoint or rebound, broke through with28 points and nine rebounds thatallowed Indiana to tie the best-of-sevenseries 1-1. Indiana’s seven-footer hadbeen under fire for his poor playthroughout the post-season and hecredited his team for helping him regainform. “Paul (George) took me out on hisboat yesterday and we sat there andfished - we didn’t even talk about bas-ketball,” Hibbert told reporters.

“My team mates really believed inme. I’m thankful for such great teammates.” Things were not as harmoniousfor the whole game for the top-seededPacers, who trailed 77-74 with five min-utes to go before answering with a 10-2run that clinched the contest.

Lance Stephenson hit a 3-pointerwith 21.4 seconds left, giving the Pacersa five-point lead. Stephenson finishedwith 12 points, and guard George Hillscored 14.

Marcin Gortat tallied 21 points and11 rebounds to lead the Wizards.Bradley Beal added 17 points and sevenassists while point guard John Wall hada second difficult shooting night, mak-ing just 2-for-13 from the field. TheWizards now head home to Washingtonfor Game Three today.Washington sur-prised Indiana by jumping on them ear-ly in Game One, but it was the turn ofthe Wizards to be blindsided by Hibbert

in the rematch. “We knew he was goingto get touches, no one expected him toscore 28,” Gortat said. “The most impor-

tant thing is to make sure he’s not goingto come back the next game with thesame effort.” —Reuters

Hibbert fires Pacers past Wizards

INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (right) lies on the court asWashington Wizards guard Bradley Beal flips over while they go for a looseball during the first half of game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal NBAbasketball playoff series. —AP

44S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

DOHA: Jamaican sprinting starlet Shelly-AnnFraser-Pryce will headline an impressive line-up at the opening Diamond League meet inDoha today, with unstoppable EthiopianGenzebe Dibaba also going in the women’s3,000m.

Fraser-Pryce, the reigning two-timeOlympic sprint champion who also claimedworld 100m gold in Moscow last year, willarrive in the Qatari capital brimming with con-fidence after her podium-topping outing inthe world indoor 60m in Poland in March.

After skipping a couple of meets, includingthe Penn Relays, on medical advice, Fraser-Pryce bounced back to win the 200m at theKingston Invitational last week.

“My outdoor season has begun,” she saidon her Facebook page. “As an elite athlete Ididn’t take kindly to resting for two weeks,

because I believe I need to work hard and trainconsistently to perform well. But I rested.”

She added: “So as always I just wanted toexecute and see where I was and what neededto be worked on. “The 200m came and I com-pleted it in 22.53sec with quality athletes inthe field. My number one priority after anyrace is to finish healthy and I did.

“It was assessment time in my head firstand then to hear from my coach. Overall it wasa good outing and I was pleased. “I now lookforward to competing in my first 100m in Dohaand you know it will be exciting.” Fraser-Prycewill be one of 10 Olympic champions and a fur-ther 25 Olympic medallists poised to competein the opening meet of the 14-leg DiamondLeague that travels to the United States, Asiaand Europe.

Elsewhere on the track, Genzebe Dibaba

will aim to convert one of the most memorableindoor campaigns in recent memory to out-doors. In a span of just five days in February,the 23-year-old Ethiopian shattered two worldindoor records, first over 1500m in Karlsruhe,Germany, and then at 3000m in Stockholm.

Her 3:55.17 run in the 1500m knocked morethan three seconds from the previous markwhile her 8:16.60 performance in theStockholm 3000m smashed the old record bymore than seven seconds. It was the fastestperformance the world has witnessed since1993 indoors or outdoors; only three womenhave ever run faster, all outdoors.

Dibaba then capped her indoor campaignwith a world 3000m title in Sopot to furthermove out of much-decorated s is terTirunesh’s shadow, and looks set to be adaunting challenge for all-comers this sea-

son, fitness notwithstanding.Another outstanding female athlete on

show will be New Zealand’s Valerie Adams, thedominant figure in women’s athletics and shotput. The double Olympic champion also hasfour outdoor and three indoor world titles, andwill arrive in Doha with a winning streak of 46finals, having not lost a competition sinceAugust 2010.

In the absence of Usain Bolt, Jamaicanteammate Warren Weir will be the star attrac-tion in the men’s 200m, compatriots NickelAshmeade and Rasheed Dwyer also in the line-up. Missing the opening meet of the elite trackand field, however, is 800m Olympic championand world record holder David Rudisha, outwith a calf muscle injury. “I’m very disappoint-ed not to be able to race in Doha,” the Kenyansaid. —AFP

Impressive line-up at Diamond League in Doha

BARCELONA: Fernando Alonso returnsto race on home soil this weekend hop-ing for an unlikely resurrection of theform and pace that delivered his andFerrari’s last victory.

That came a year ago in the 2013Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit deCatalunya where the two-time worldchampion won ahead of KimiRaikkonen, then of Lotus, and FelipeMassa in the second Ferrari. A repeat ofthat result would delight not only localSpanish fans, but also deliver a Ferrarione-two as Raikkonen joined the Italian‘scuderia’ this season for a second time.

It would also please Williams fans,too, as the much-improved British teamis now home for the likeable Massa. Ayear ago, the race may have been wonby Alonso, but qualifying was dominat-ed by the fast Mercedes pairing of NicoRosberg and Lewis Hamilton, who tookthe front row. Rosberg led for 10 laps,before he fell away and finished sixthbehind the two Red Bulls-a scenario thatis less likely this season since Mercedeshave won all four of the opening ‘fly-away’ races ahead of this opening roundof the European part of the season.

This year has seen not only Mercedes

domination with Hamilton reeling offthree straight wins following Rosberg’sopening triumph in Australia, but also asolid consistency from Alonso in thechasing Ferrari. It has also witnessed RedBull sliding out of contention for victo-ries, a scenario that may change thisweekend as the Milton Keynes outfit,along with the rest, will introduce a raftof car and engine updates for what isoften a dull and predictable spectacle.

Aware of this threat to their suprema-cy-they lead the title race with 154points to Red Bull’s 57 while their driversalso head the drivers’ standings withRosberg on 79 and Hamilton on 75 —Mercedes have also focused on improv-ing performance.

The Spanish race comes three weeksafter the Chinese Grand Prix and thatgap has allowed everyone to work ondeveloping their machines.

Mercedes have struggled to competein the ‘development race’ since return-ing to F1 in 2010, but both Hamiltonand Rosberg believe they have what isneeded to stay on top.

“We’re not sitting comfortably-weknow we’ve got more work to do,” saidHamilton. “We are quicker on the

straights, but the Red Bull is very, veryquick though the high-speed (corners),which tells me they maybe have a littlebit more down-force than us.

“Last year there was a massive gap.We’ve definitely closed that up, but Ithink we can do a better job, so we’regoing to keep pushing.”

Rosberg said: “It’s taken four and ahalf years, but we really have a strongteam now. Starting with Toto (Wolff)and Paddy (Lowe) at the top, I think wehave a good structure all the way.

“This year’s development race will bemuch more extreme than we’ve seen inrecent years, because the regulationsare so new.” Talking about their in-teamduel, Hamilton added: “Nico is drivingreally well, he’s pushing me very hardand keeping me on my toes.

“We’re going to see from race to race,there are going to be times when he’sgoing to be quicker and I’m going to bequicker, as we saw last year.

“What I’m really trying to focus on isthose circuits where I am maybe weaker,or not as close to him. I want to closethat gap. (It’s) damage limitation (forme) on those races and I think Bahrainwas one of those races.”—AFP

Alonso eyes F1 Ferrari resurrection in Spain

MONTMELO: Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain (right) talks with Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany dur-ing a news conference at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo yesterday. —AP

Alastair Cook

Cook grateful forEngland support

ABERDEEN: Alastair Cook said yesterday the backing of his col-leagues and team management had persuaded him to continueas England captain after he questioned his own position follow-ing a wretched Ashes series.

Cook found himself under the spotlight after England’s recent5-0 thrashing in Australia, a campaign where the opening bats-man managed just 277 runs at an average of under 28. Teamdirector Andy Flower resigned and one-day coach Ashley Gileswas axed following England’s embarrassing defeat by theNetherlands at the subsequent World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

“Disconnected” star batsman Kevin Pietersen was sent intointernational exile but the England and Wales Cricket Board hier-archy remained strong in their support of Cook.

“I was asked about (my future) after Sydney and after a long,gruelling winter, I gave it consideration,” Cook, speaking inAberdeen, where England play Scotland in a one-day internation-al on Friday, told reporters. “I think it would be wrong if I didn’t,”he added.

“We’d lost a lot of games and we hadn’t played to the stan-dard that side was capable of, and the stuff we were doing wasnot making a difference. “If you don’t question your position asleader then, you never will.” But with backing from the likes ofStuart Broad and Ravi Bopara, a longstanding colleague of Cookat Essex as well as with England, the left-hander decided to carryon as skipper.

“It was nice that the guys I spoke to, other members of theside, were very supportive and that’s good to hear,” Cook said. “Ispoke to Stuart Broad and Ravi Bopara and they said ‘no, youmust carry on’.

‘GREAT HONOUR’“The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board), since Paul

Downton’s come in, they’ve backed me and we’ve got to justifythat confidence.

“It’s a great honor to captain England, when we walk out atthe venues and they announce the England (team) led by me it’sa great feeling. But you’ve got to be winning games of cricket.”

England launch their new era against a Scotland side who willbe among their pool opponents at next year’s World Cup inAustralia and New Zealand.—AFP

45S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

PARIS: Paris St Germain celebrated their secondconsecutive Ligue 1 title with two games tospare despite suffering their first home leaguedefeat of the season in a 2-1 loss to StadeRennes on Wednesday. Laurent Blanc’s teamsecured the championship shortly before kickoffafter second-placed Monaco were held to a 1-1draw by En Avant Guingamp.

The result left PSG, on 83 points, with anunassailable seven-point lead at the top of thestandings. “It was important to confirm what wedid last season,” midfielder Blaise Matuidi toldreporters.

“It’s the result of our hard work. It’s sad wedid not win today but all dreams are not per-fect,” said goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

“The first 10 months were good but the lastmonth was not good,” captain Thiago Silva said

as the players’ children played football on thepitch. “I am proud of the players. We broughtthe title, it rewards the good work of all the staffand our ability to quickly apprehend the squad,”Blanc, who took charge after Carlo Ancelotti leftat the end of last season, told Canal Plus.

“I did not want to watch the Monaco gamebut there is always someone to tell you theresult. My pre-game chat lasted 10 seconds,” hetold a news conference, Blanc refused to official-ly confirm whether he had extended his contractuntil 2016. “You will know soon,” he said.

PSG, who also won the League Cup this sea-son, needed Guingamp to snatch at least a pointat Louis II to be crowned champions withoutkicking a ball.

Dimitar Berbatov headed home from point-blank range to open the scoring for Monaco in

the 77th minute, only for Fatih Atik to level fiveminutes from time.

The result triggered scenes of celebration atthe Parc des Princes a few minutes before thekickoff of the PSG v Rennes game. Guingamp,who beat Rennes in the French Cup final lastSaturday, are 16th in the standings, two pointsabove safety. PSG, knocked out in theChampions League quarter-finals as they werelast year, claimed the Ligue 1 lead in Octoberafter thrashing Bastia 4-0 and never surrenderedit. Monaco will finish second while Lille and StEtienne will battle it out for third place in the lasttwo round of matches. There were a few boos athalftime at the Parc des Princes after goals byFoued Kadir and Paul-Georges Ntep gaveRennes a 2-1 lead.

Ezequiel Lavezzi opened the scoring for PSG

on three minutes after being set up by EdinsonCavani. Kadir beat Sirigu with a low cross shot inthe 23rd minute and Ntep’s free kick sailed pastthe Italian keeper. The crowd’s discontentchanged to pure joy as striker Zlatan Ibrahimovicmade his comeback from a five-week injury lay-off when he came on for Lavezzi in the 56thminute. The Swede forced Benoit Costil into aspectacular save with a 40-metre strike but hefailed to add to his 30 league goals this season.

PSG defender Alex had the best chance toequalise in stoppage-time but his headercrashed against the bar. The result meant thatRennes, now 13th with a six-point lead over18th-placed Sochaux, have secured their placein the top flight as bottom clubs Evian ThononGaillard and Sochaux, 17th and 18th respective-ly, must still play each other.—Reuters

PSG title celebrations dampened by Rennes defeat

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s players (from left) Lucas Digne, Argentinian Javier Pastore, Italian goal keeper ItalianSalvatore Sirigu, Christophe Jallet and Uruguayan Edinson Cavani celebrate their League One title. —AP

PARIS: Paris St Germain are not even mid-way through their five-year-plan to winthe Champions League but their secondconsecutive French Ligue 1 title feels likelittle more than a consolation.

Having splashed over 200 million euros($278.5 million) on transfers since com-pleting their takeover in 2012, Qatariinvestors QSI expect PSG to be a force tobe reckoned with on the European stage.Under Carlo Ancelotti and Laurent Blanc,however, the French champions wereeliminated in the quarter-finals of Europe’spremium club competition in 2013 and2014, both times on away goals byBarcelona and Chelsea respectively.

“We’ve had a very nice season, whichwe sealed with this title,” Blanc said afterPSG won the League Cup last month.

“But to have an outstanding season, wewill need to shine on the European stage,”he added.”The club, the media, the fansand the staff are obsessed by this objec-tive. Yes, we will have to be ready becauseeverybody is obsessed.”

“We had a great season apart from thelast month. Next year we have to be backto win the Champions League,” captainThiago Silva told Canal Plus onWednesday.

PSG were knocked out by Barca in theChampions League last season withoutlosing a game, held to a 2-2 draw at theParc des Princes before drawing 1-1 at theCamp Nou in the return leg.

This season, it seemed they wouldreach the next level after beating Chelsea3-1 at home, but they paid the price forBlanc’s tactical limitations and the team’slack of experience in a 2-0 defeat inLondon without the injured ZlatanIbrahimovic. Meanwhile, the capital sidehave been crushing the opposition inFrance, winning the French title with twogames to spare.

CAVANI DOUBLEThey added the League Cup, beating

Olympique Lyon 2-1 in the final thanks toa double by Edinson Cavani. The Uruguay

striker disappointed in the ChampionsLeague last eight but showed his worth atthe Stade de France.

PSG reached new heights domestically,arguably becoming one of the best everFrench league teams, even if they failed tomatch Nantes’s achievement in the 1994-95 season when the Canaries lost only onegame. Yet, they look set to break Lyon’srecord of 84 points (2005-06), as well aspassing the record for most victories (25)set by Nantes (1966 and 1980), StadeReims (1960) and Monaco (1961).

Stade Reims’s 1960 record goal differ-ence of plus 63, though, seems out ofreach despite Ibrahimovic’s performances.

The Sweden striker has scored 25 goalsfrom 31 league appearances, leadingCavani (16 goals in 30 games) in the scor-ing charts.

PSG’s blessing could be Monaco’s riseto the top level after Russian billionaireDmitry Rybolovlev invested massively inthe principality club during the close sea-son.—Reuters

Europe still a step too far for dominant PSG

Park Chu-young

Forgotten frontman Park seals

World Cup placeSEOUL: With a club career in freefall and his name all but for-gotten by South Korean fans and media, Park Chu-young’schances of being on a plane to Brazil for the World Cup finalsthis summer looked slim at best, as he faded behind thescenes at Arsenal.

Few would have bet that going on loan to Watford in theEnglish second tier in January would have sparked a changein fortunes, but yesterday the willowy striker was named inSouth Korea’s 23-man squad for Brazil to cap a remarkablereturn. Park has no shortage of critics, many who say his lossof club form and inability to stay fit makes him too big a risk totake to Brazil. But with World Cup and Olympic experienceunder his belt, coach Hong Myung-bo said Park’s contributioncould be crucial in Brazil.

“At this World Cup we will have to battle some of theworld’s best players, and it was hard to exclude Park given hisexperience,” Hong told a news conference at the NationalFootball Centre (NFC) in Paju, north of Seoul.

“In addition to that, we don’t have anyone who can replacehim, and he gets on well with the rest of the squad, those arethe reasons that we selected him.” With 62 caps and 24 goals,the 28-year-old is one of the most experienced players inHong’s young squad. He won a bronze medal at the 2012London Games, when Hong was coach of the Olympic team,and at the World Cup in South Africa two years earlier foundthe net against Nigeria in a 2-2 draw that saw the Koreansadvance to the last 16. He also scored an own goal againstArgentina in group play.

CLUB STRUGGLESPark made just seven first team appearances for Arsenal

after arriving from Monaco in August 2011. After spending aseason on loan at Celta Viga, he toiled again at Arsenal beforebeing sent on loan to Watford to get first team football.

Hong said at the time he was relieved that Park had theopportunity to make a “fresh start” and called the forward upto the squad for a friendly against Greece in March.—Reuters

S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Lionel Messi

MADRID: The Spanish league title racenow looks like a two-way fight, withAtletico Madrid and Barcelona headingfor a championship showdown in thelast round if they both win this weekend.

Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw at RealValladolid on Wednesday improvedAtletico’s chances of winning its firstleague title since 1996, although it willprobably have to hold off Barcelona atCamp Nou in the last round. However,Atletico could be crowned championwith a victory against Malaga on Sundayif Barcelona fails to win at Elche.

Madrid’s untimely draw giftedBarcelona the chance to win its fifth titlein six seasons despite the defendingchampions recent stumbles through theclosing stages of a turbulent season.

With two matches remaining,Atletico has 88 points, Barcelona 85, andMadrid 84. Barcelona hosts Atletico onthe final match day, and would defendits title if it wins the last two games.

Here are five things to know aboutthe 37th round of matches:

IN THE HUNTBarcelona has been the big winner in

Atletico and Real’s recent slip-ups, hav-ing written off its title defense two weeksago. But now there is suddenly renewedhope that the team can avoid a first sea-son without a major trophy since 2007.

“I never thought these results wouldhappen,” Barcelona forward PedroRodriguez said. “The league has given usa second chance. We’ve got to go for it.”

INJURY WOESMadrid must decide whether it will

continue fighting for the league titledespite slim chances of winning, or focuson getting the squad healthy for theChampions League final on May 24.

Forwards Cristiano Ronaldo andAngel Di Maria and defender Pepe allcame away with injury problems fromthe draw at Valladolid, while Gareth Balemissed the match completely along withdefenders Dani Carvajal and RaphaeleVarane. “We’ll know soon. I don’t thinkCristiano Ronaldo has a major problem,”Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said aheadof Sunday’s game at Celta Vigo. “Pepe

finished the game and we’ll see. I don’tthink Di Maria is a big worry.”

SLEEPING LIKE A BABYAtletico coach Diego Simeone is not

losing any sleep over his team’s titlechallenge. Atletico returns to its VicenteCalderon Stadium for the final time thisseason, hopeful it can clinch the champi-onship on home turf against Malaga.

Atletico has to recover from a demor-alizing 2-0 loss at Levante, which camedays after its rousing victory overChelsea to reach the Champions Leaguefinal. Unlike Madrid, Atletico doesn’thave the option of resting players withthe Lisbon final in mind, knowing everypoint can be decisive.

The Argentine coach is enjoying theunexpected position Atletico finds itselfin. “I sleep well because this is my pas-sion and I’m in the place where I want tobe, coaching the team I want to,”Simeone said. “I can’t complain.”

CELTA’S PRIZED COACHCelta Vigo doesn’t expect to be losing

coach Luis Enrique just yet. Enrique metwith Barcelona sporting director AndoniZubizarreta earlier this week, fuelingspeculation the former Barcelona playerwould be replacing Gerardo Martinonext season.

Despite the very public interest, Celtawill not let the former Roma coach gowithout a fight. “That meeting doesn’treally seem too bad to us,” Celta vicepresident Ricardo Barrios said. “There’sno plan B, our plan A is Luis Enrique willbe our coach because he still has onemore year to go on his contract.”

RELEGATION IN SIGHTWith last-place Real Betis already rele-

gated, two more teams are facing thedrop. Six teams are within five points ofeach other, with Osasuna and Getafecurrently in those final two drop spots.

Valladolid looks to follow up itsMadrid result at Betis, while Almeriaand Granada’s game could leave oneof the clubs in trouble as they flirt withthe drop. Games with title or relega-tion implications will all kick off onSunday. — AP

BERLIN: Four teams are fighting for the chance to playin the Champions League next season as theBundesliga finale on Saturday promises a nail-bitingclimax and a battle for Hamburg SV to avoid their firstever relegation. Third-placed Schalke 04, three pointsahead of Bayer Leverkusen, have the best chances tokeep their place with a win over 17th-placedNuremberg and grab the last automatic ChampionsLeague group stage spot.

Schalke, who competed in Europe’s premier clubcompetition this season as well, could successfullycomplete a roller-coaster season with a strong finish.

They could be boosted by the presence of captainBenedikt Hoewedes, back from injury as the defenderraces to be fit this week.

“I really want to help the team reach its goal,” saidHoewedes after returning to team training this weekfollowing more than a month out with a muscle injury.

“I feel 100 percent and I have full confidence that Ican play from the start. But at the end this is not aboutme but about the club.” “We only need a point but wewill play to win with our attacking game.” Schalke willalso have winger Jefferson Farfan back but will bewithout suspended top striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Their opponents are desperate for a win that couldpossibly see them snatch the relegation-playoff spotfrom Hamburg SV, who are a point ahead in 16th.

Combined with a Leverkusen win against visiting

Werder Bremen that is also the only scenario forSchalke to miss out on the third spot.

CHASING BAYERWith the fourth place leading to the Champions

League qualifying rounds, Leverkusen will have tokeep an eye on the rear view mirror with VfLWolfsburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in with achance to finish fourth.

In-form Wolfsburg, in fifth place a point behindLeverkusen, take on Gladbach in a crunch match withBorussia two further points behind in sixth.

At the other end of the table Hamburg’s stadiumclock counting the total years, months, days and hoursthe team has been in the Bundesliga would have to beturned back to zero if they fail to equal or better theresults of Nuremberg and last-placed EintrachtBraunschweig.

Former European champions Hamburg, a pointahead of Nuremberg and two above Braunschweig,are the only team to have played every season in theBundesliga since the league’s creation in 1963, right-fully earning the nickname ‘dinosaur’.

When they travel to European hopefuls Mainz 05on Saturday their thoughts will only be on holding onto the Bundesliga lifeline as they cannot catch up15th-placed VfB Stuttgart any more to secure an auto-matic Bundesliga spot for next season. — Reuters

ROME: Juventus’s clash with AS Roma was set to beSunday night’s Serie A showcase but neither club knowswhat time the match will start as the fallout fromSaturday’s Italian Cup final chaos continues. AntonioConte’s Juventus travel to the Italian capital flush withthe success from their third straight league title, whichwas handed to them before Monday night’s 1-0 winagainst Atalanta after Roma collapsed 4-1 at Catania onSunday.

The match was due to kick off at 1845 GMT but is nowset to be moved forward following the outbreak of vio-lence before the Italian Cup final, in which three Napolifans were shot at following clashes in the Tor Di Quintoarea of the city.The Ministry of the Interior is worried aboutthe prospect of revenge attacks on Roma fans from Napolisupporters, who will be returning south from their deadrubber match with Sampdoria.

Napoli, who sealed third place and a ChampionsLeague playoff spot with a 3-0 win over Cagliari onTuesday, will play two matches behind closed doors for a

number of offences carried out by fans on Saturdayevening, including a pitch invasion, throwing of flares andsmoke bombs and booing the national anthem.

The match kicked off 45 minutes late as false rumoursof the death of a Napoli fan circulated and the sight of theorganisers holding discussions with “ultra” leaders hassparked soul-searching around the violence that continuesto blight the game in Italy. “It’s not possible that a sportingevent becomes an almost event of war,” said InteriorMinister Angelino Alfano. “We decided with (PrimeMinister Matteo) Renzi to intervene at the end of the sea-son when we will choose the new measures to come intoforce for the new season.” Striker Mattia Destro returns forRoma after serving a three-match ban for hitting Cagliaridefender Davide Astori last month. With Giuseppe Rossiscoring in his first league game since January inFiorentina’s 4-3 defeat to relegation-threatened Sassuoloon Tuesday, Destro will be keen to use the final two gamesof the season to impress Italy coach Cesare Prandelli aheadof the World Cup in Brazil.—Reuters

Champions League spots add drama to Bundesliga finale

Spanish title fight down to Atletico, Barcelona

Chaos reigns before Juventus, Roma clash

TURIN: Juventus players lift their coach Antonio Conte as they celebrate in this file photo at the end of a ItalianLeague soccer match against Atalanta. — AP

47S p o r t sFRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

LONDON: The English Football Association saidyesterday it wants to limit the number of non-European Union players in Premier League teamsin a bid to bolster home grown talent.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke alsoannounced an overhaul of the work permit sys-tem and the creation of a new division forPremier League ‘B teams’ in a bid to improve the

health of the English game. The work permit pro-posals include a blanket ban on non-EuropeanUnion players for clubs outside the top flight,bringing England in line with other Europeancountries. There are currently 66 English playerseligible to represent England playing regularly inthe 20 Premier League teams and Dyke has set atarget of increasing that number to 90 by 2022.

A BBC study published in October found thatEnglish footballers accounted for just 32% of theminutes played in the Premier League, comparedto 59% for home-grown players in Spain and50% for home-grown players in Germany’s topleague. The report was produced by a commis-sion set up by Dyke in October to investigate whythe number of English players in the Premier

League is falling. “This decline is a problem incountries right across Europe, but it is a signifi-cantly bigger problem in England than anywhereelse and if the trend continues, we fear for thefuture of the English team,” Dyke said. “If this can-not be reversed, a future England manager willhave fewer and fewer top-level English playersfrom which to choose.”—AFP

FA to limit foreigners in English Premier League

LONDON: Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against AstonVilla in this file photo. —AP

LONDON: Manager Manuel Pellegriniexpects Manchester City to be crownedEnglish champions for the second timein three seasons with his side needingonly a point from their final home gameagainst West Ham United on Sunday.

City will win the Premier Leagueunless Sam Allardyce’s West Ham pulloff a major upset at the Etihad Stadiumand Liverpool beat Newcastle United atAnfield.

City, who beat Aston Villa 4-0 onWednesday, head into the final match ofthe season with 83 points, two ahead ofLiverpool whose collapse at CrystalPalace on Monday when they blew a 3-0lead to draw 3-3, left their title hopes intatters. “Of course, I expect to win thetitle now because we are top of thetable,” Pellegrini said. “Winning the nextgame means we can win the title...

“We are not thinking of drawing. Weare thinking of trying to play. As we didso far during the whole season here atthe Etihad.”

The only way Liverpool can end their24-year-wait for the title now is if Citylose to West Ham and Liverpool win. IfCity draw and Liverpool win, City wouldwin the title on goal difference.

City have beaten West Ham threetimes this season, winning 3-1 at Upton

Park in the league and routing theLondoners 9-0 on aggregate in theCapital One (League) Cup semi-finals, soan upset looks unlikely. The only otheroutstanding issues to be decided arewhether Tottenham Hotspur orManchester United take the final EuropaLeague place and the final confirmationof Norwich City’s relegation. Norwich,who battled to a 0-0 draw at Chelsea onSunday, have 33 points, three behindWest Bromwich Albion but with a huge-ly inferior goal difference they look sureto go down.

Outgoing champions ManchesterUnited and big-spending TottenhamHotspur have had to lower their ambi-tions after disappointing seasons.

DUBIOUS CONSOLATIONBoth teams would have been confi-

dent of challenging for ChampionsLeague places, but they changed man-agers during the campaign and are noweyeing the dubious consolation of aEuropa League spot. Tottenham, insixth, go into their final match againstAston Villa at White Hart Lane knowing apoint would ensure they take theEuropa League spot in what could wellbe Tim Sherwood’s last match in charge.

United, who beat FA Cup finalists

Hull City 3-1 in their last home match ofthe season, travel to Southampton inwhat is almost certain to be interimmanager Ryan Giggs’s last game incharge with Louis van Gaal expected tobe named as the manager following lastmonth’s departure of David Moyes. Onlyif United won and Spurs lost wouldUnited take sixth place thanks to a supe-rior goal difference. If United fail to dothat their 24-year run of European foot-ball since English clubs were allowed tocompete again after the end of the banimposed following the Heysel Stadiumdisaster, will come to an end.

The last time United failed to qualifyfor Europe before the ban was imposedin 1985 was in 1981 when they finishedeighth in the league.

There is little to play for apart frompride and prize money in the othergames. Chelsea travel to bottom clubCardiff who are returning to theChampionship after their first season inthe top flight since 1962 found themshort of class.

Fulham, also doomed after 13 yearsin the top flight, host the season’s mostimproved team Crystal Palace, who weredeep in relegation trouble when coachTony Pulis arrived in November but havenow climbed to 11th.—Reuters

City confident of making their point

Celtic held in3-3 thriller

GLASGOW: Two goals in two minutes helped St Johnstone comefrom behind to claim a 3-3 draw with Scottish champions Celticin a thrilling match at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday.

St Johnstone had already hit the post with an early chancebefore Tim Clancy stabbed home the opener in the eighthminute. The hosts came close through Stevie May with a swerv-ing shot before the striker saw his 43rd minute penalty saved bystand-in keeper Lukasz Zaluska. St Johnstone’s missed chancescame back to haunt them in the 53rd minute when substituteKris Commons levelled matters from the penalty.

Teemu Pukki put Celtic in front in the 73rd minute beforeVirgil van Dijk made it 3-1 four minutes later to seemingly put theHoops on course for victory.

However, a late rally saw St Johnstone’s Scott Brown pull oneback in the 84th minute before Michael O’Halloran headed homea little over a minute later to seal a point. Elsewhere, PartickThistle secured their Premiership survival with a 4-2 win overHearts while Hibernian slipped into the relegation play-off posi-tion after Kilmarnock leapfrogged them with a 1-0 win over StMirren. “We looked a little bit disjointed and it might have beendue to the amount of changes I made but I expect us to have bet-ter quality,” said a disappointed Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

“Our first half performance was flat and lacked real impetus. Inthe second half we were excellent going forward and I’m reallydisappointed with the goals we’ve conceded near the end.”

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright was full of praise for hisplayers. “I felt we had really good opportunities before Celtic gotback in the game,” Wright said.

“We knew Celtic would change it at half-time and we wereunder pressure a little bit but I think overall we certainly deserveda point out of the game. To come back says a lot about them interms of their character.”

FRINGE PLAYERS At McDiarmid Park, Lennon handed a host of his first team

regulars a rest as fringe players such as keeper Zaluska, DerkBoerrigter, Amido Balde and Pukki were handed a rare chance toimpress. However, it was the St Johnstone players, eager to catchWright’s eye before the Scottish Cup final next weekend, who gotoff to a flying start.

The home side came close early on when O’Halloran’s lowshot came back off the post before Clancy put St Johnstoneahead in the eighth minute. Steven Anderson knocked down acorner into the path of Clancy who stabbed the ball past stand-inkeeper Zaluska. May was inches away from doubling StJohnstone’s advantage just before the break when he used hisstrength to make room for a shot 20 yards out that swerved justround the wrong side of the post.

The striker then blew a golden chance to make it 2-0 in the43rd minute when his poor penalty, earned following BeramKayal’s clumsy challenge on O’Halloran, was saved by Zaluksa.

There was still time before the break for St Johnstone tothreaten again but after tearing the Celtic defence apartO’Halloran blazed his final effort over the bar. Celtic brought onBrown and Commons at the break and the pair helped fire Celticlevel in the 53rd minute.

The Hoops skipper was felled in the box by Gary McDonaldand Commons showed May how to do it from the penalty spot ashe fired his effort high into the net past Mannus.

The Hoops then found themselves in front for the first time inthe match in the 73rd minute went Pukki got on the end ofCharlie Mulgrew’s low cross into the box to steer it home.

Celtic extended their lead after van Dijk fired home superblyfrom the edge of the area after Commons’ initial shot wasblocked. Brown started the fight back for St Johnstone when hisdeflected shot flew past Zaluska from outside the box beforeO’Halloran stooped to head David Wootherspoon’s header intothe net a minute later.—AFP

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Spanish titlefight down to Atletico,Barcelona

Spanish titlefight down to Atletico,Barcelona

Alonso eyesF1 Ferrari resurrectionin Spain

Alonso eyesF1 Ferrari resurrectionin Spain

Li, Serena in Madrid q-finalsLi, Serena in Madrid q-finals

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MADRID: Serena Williams from US returns the ballto Carla Suarez from Spain during a Madrid Opentennis tournament match.— AP