NEW YORK: New York was reeling yester-day after the murder of two uniformedcops by a man who said he was seekingrevenge for the recent killings of unarmedblack men by police. The two officers,Wenjian Liu, 32, Rafael Ramos, 40, wereshot in the head through the window oftheir patrol car in broad daylight inBrooklyn on Saturday in an attack thatshocked America’s biggest city just daysbefore Christmas. Police named the shoot-er as 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, alleged-ly a member of the “Black Guerrilla Family”gang. He fled to a nearby subway stationafter the attack, where he shot himself inthe head on the platform as a train doorfull of people closed.

The two officers “never had the oppor-tunity to draw their weapons. They maynever have actually even seen theirassailant, their murderer” said New Yorkpolice chief Bill Bratton. Just hours before

the shooting, Brinsley apparently boastedon Instagram of wanting to kill cops. “I’mputting wings on pigs today. They Take 1of Ours... Let’s Take 2 of Theirs,” read a com-ment seemingly written by Brinsley nextto a photo of a silver handgun, referencingthe police killings of unarmed blacks.

Brinsley had traveled from Baltimore,where police said he had shot and wound-ed his girlfriend, to New York. Baltimorepolice said they learned of the suspect’sposts on Saturday afternoon and calledNYPD officials to alert them that digitaldata showed he had traveled to the city’sborough of Brooklyn. But the call came inless than an hour before officials saidBrinsley, who was black, shot and killedthe two officers as they sat in their patrolcar near a major housing project. The offi-cers he killed were Hispanic and Asian-American.

Continued on Page 13

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2Fees forvisa renewal could increase 15

Muhammad Ali hospitalized with ‘mild’ pneumonia

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Iraqi PM visits Kuwait as neighbors eye closer ties

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Abadi thanks Kuwait for deferring compensation

Don’t miss your copy with today’s issue

KUWAIT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and an accompa-nying delegation arrived in Kuwait yesterday on an official invi-tation by HH the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. Talks between Sheikh Jaber andAbadi focused on fraternal relations and prospects of bilateralcooperation in various domains in order to serve the commoninterests of both countries. The two premiers also exchangedviews on their countries’ positions on regional and internationalissues of mutual interest. Earlier, HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received Abadi at Bayan Palace, wheretalks focused on issues pertaining to bilateral relations as well asissues of mutual interests.

Abadi later expressed his gratification at the Kuwaiti govern-ment’s acceptance to defer Iraq’s payment of compensation fordamages incurred as a result of its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.Abadi told the press that his country cannot pay its obligation toKuwait because it is currently facing severe security and humani-tarian crises and is financially exhausted owing to its ongoingfight against the Islamic State terrorist group.

He added that his meeting with Kuwaiti National AssemblySpeaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem tackled many common files, espe-cially those related to promoting bilateral ties. The Iraqi PMhoped that both countries would go past their “dark era”towards a more positive one. He pointed out that his country isagainst terrorism and IS, and appreciated Kuwait’s military sup-port to Iraq. He also urged the international community, includ-ing countries in the region, to further expand cooperation andhelp Iraq in this challenging time. Iraq is making progress infighting the IS militants, which is evident in their withdrawalfrom some parts of the country, Abadi said. He also extended aninvitation to Ghanem to visit Iraq in the near future. — KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (second right) receives Iraqi Prime MinisterHaider Al-Abadi (left) at Bayan Palace yesterday. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is also seen. — KUNA (See Page 4)

KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s assistant undersec-retary for residency and citizenship affairs Maj GenSheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah said that expatriates’ resi-dency validity would be limited to their passports’validity. “Those holding passports valid for a year willget one-year residency visa and those holding pass-ports valid for two will get a two-year residency,” heexplained, noting that the residency periods wouldbe determined in full years, meaning that the holderof a passport valid for 18 months would only get aone-year residency and that those holding pass-ports valid for less than 12 months would not beallowed to renew their residency until they renewtheir passports.

Jarrah stressed that valid iqamas on expired pass-ports will expire too and that sponsors will not haveany excuses of forgetting to renew their workers’passports before applying to renew their residen-cies. “A sponsor is mandated to notice the validity ofhis workers’ passports and we will never paste a resi-dency visa sticker on an expired passport or onevalid for only a few months,” he underlined. — Al-Rai

No residency for passports validless than a year

ABU DHABI: Oil-rich Arab Gulf countriesstood firm against non-OPEC crude pro-ducers yesterday, vowing they will not cutoutput nor hold an emergency cartelmeeting to support slumping prices. OPECkingpin Saudi Arabia and Kuwait said theywould not cut production even if non-OPEC members reduce their output, whilethe United Arab Emirates and Iraqshrugged off calls for an emergency meet-ing of the group.

“If they (non-OPEC countries) want tocut production they are welcome. We arenot going to cut, certainly Saudi Arabia isnot going to cut,” Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi told reporters on the sidelines of anenergy conference in the United ArabEmirates. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair

agreed. “I don’t think we need to cut. Wegave a chance to others and they were notwilling to do so,” Omair said, in a clear refer-ence to shale and sand oil producers fromNorth America and elsewhere. “OPEC willnot cut. Nothing will happen until Juneand there is no emergency meeting,” hesaid.

The global oil market has becomeincreasingly competitive in recent yearswith the surge in shale and sand oil pro-duction from countries outside thedecades-old alliance of the Organisation ofPetroleum Exporting Countries. World oilprices have fallen almost 50 percent sinceJune, mainly due to a supply glut, the weakglobal economy and a strong US dollar.

Continued on Page 13

Gulf stands firm on oil output‘Irresponsible’ non-OPEC producers blamed

ABU DHABI: Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi (second left) speaks with an uniden-tified official as he walks with Kuwaiti Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair (second right)and UAE Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohamed Al-Mazroui (right) during theopening session of the 10th Arab Energy Conference yesterday. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor charged the cap-tain and first officer of a Kuwaiti container shipwith manslaughter in connection with a collisionin the Red Sea this month that killed 25 Egyptianfishermen, state news agency MENA said yester-day. The fishing boat capsized after colliding withthe Panamanian-flagged ship Al-Safat after thecontainer vessel had passed through the SuezCanal on its way to Saudi Arabia. The defendantshave been detained since the incident and theprosecutor has ordered the seizure of the ship, lastreported as docked in Safaga port, 500 km south-east of Cairo.

The collision is at least the second in the lastfour months involving vessels passing through theSuez Canal. In September, two container ships col-lided at the northern end of the canal, knockingcontainers into the sea and delaying traffic in bothdirections. The Suez Canal is a key trading routebetween Europe and Asia, providing about $5 bil-lion in annual revenue for Egypt, which is diggingan extension to allow larger ships to pass throughthe channel at the same time.

Kuwaiti officials were not immediately availablefor comment on the criminal charges. Initialreports said 13 Egyptians had died in the collisionnear Ras Ghareb about halfway down the Gulf ofSuez, but the death toll increased to 25. The MENAreport said 134 other people were injured andthree were missing. — Reuters

Manslaughter charge for ship captain, officer

NEW YORK: NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton (right) stands beside Mayor Bill deBlasio as he wipes his eye during a news conference at Woodhull Medical Centeron Saturday. — AP

Shock and anger after two NY cops murdered

Gunman kills self

Rafael Ramos Ismaaiyl BrinsleyWenjian Liu

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s financialand economic affairs committee yesterdayapproved the commercial agencies law thatwill replace the decades-old law and regulatethe agencies’ market, head of the panel said.MP Faisal Al-Shaye said the 26-article law willbe sent to the Assembly’s Jan 13 session fordebate and approval. Among other things,the new bill includes guidelines for obtainingcommercial agencies in Kuwait and also forthe cancellation of such agencies.

The draft law penalizes those who falselyclaim to be agents of certain products, saidShaye, adding that penalties could range

from fines to shutting the business. The draftlaw also details guidelines and conditions forGulf agents to operate in the country, andthese are based on mutual treatment withGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) memberstates, he said. The new draft law obliges offi-cial agents of products to provide repair andmaintenance services for their products evenif they did not import them, provided thatproducts comply with Gulf and internationalstandards, the lawmaker said.

For example, agents are obliged to carryout service and maintenance works for vehi-cles not imported by them, provided theycomply with Gulf standards, Shaye said. Thelawmaker said that these were the main

points brought up by the Chamber ofCommerce and Industry and the committeewas in agreement with them. Shaye said thatthe committee will now start discussing thefive-year development plan law in addition toamendments to be submitted by the govern-ment to the privatization law linked to theimplementation of the development plan.The committee will also look into amend-ments to be proposed by the government tothe capital markets law.

In another development, the legal and leg-islative committee yesterday rejectedrequests to lift the parliamentary immunity ofMPs Abdlhameed Dashti, Nabil Al-Fadhl andFaisal Al-Duwaisan in order to face trial.

Nod to commercial agencies bill

L O C A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Kuwait may increase the fees collectedfrom expatriate workers for issuing or renewingwork visas, a senior government officialannounced.

Currently, the Ministry of Social Affairs andLabor collects KD 12 per new visa issued ortransaction to transfer a visit visa to a work visa,while renewing a work visa requires an annualpayment of KD 2. The Manpower PublicAuthority is currently studying the possibility ofincreasing the fees on par with rates found inother Gulf states where fees for similar transac-tions reach KD 100, General Director Jamal Al-Dousary said in a recent statement.

While fees for renewing work visas in otherGulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are highercompared to Kuwait, they are far from the KD100 mark that Dousary mentioned - with theexception of Qatar where the fee still reachesapproximately KD 80. Furthermore, Gulf statesadopt similar fees for new visa issuance andannual renewal.

Dousary also failed to mention other manda-tory fees that expatriates are required to paywhen renewing their visas in Kuwait every year,including KD 10 for Immigration and KD 52 forhealth insurance.

Reopening recruitmentThe senior official meanwhile announced that

the Manpower Public Authority ’s Board of

Directors could announce at the beginning of2015 the date for reopening recruitment of for-eigners in the private sector. The process, whichhas been suspended recently while revisions invisa regulations are in the works, was tentativelysupposed to resume by the new year’s start, butMinister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Al-Subaih said recently that the date was pushedindefinitely for further studying.

The authority’s board will meet in early 2015

and is expected to announce the new visa con-trols with a date for the recruitment reopening,Dousary explained.

The new regulations will allow firms to recruitworkers from abroad, though they would willstill be required to adhere to specific percent-ages based on the labor market’s needs, andbearing in mind the state’s demographic bal-ance. Other procedures including transferring adomestic worker’s visa to the private sector,transferring a visit visa to a work permit, andtransferring visas of workers signed by privatecompanies to work on government projects, willremain suspended. All procedures have beensuspended since December 15th and until theend of the year for the annual inventory.

Workers’ shelterIn other news, the Manpower Public

Authority officially opens the expatriate workers’shelter tomorrow under minister Subaih’spatronage. The government-sponsored shelterhouses 700 people, and is built to provide refugefor domestic helpers or private sector employeeswho are subjected to abuse by their employers.

Visa renewal fees

could increaseWorkers’ shelter opens tomorrow

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Health security, violence in thecommunity and moderation, and theireffect on the security of Kuwait, is beingdiscussed at a three-day forum.Organized by the National SecurityCollege, the forum is titled “ TotalSecurity in the Present and FutureChallenges”, and is being held at theCrowne Plaza Hotel from Dec 21 to 23,2014 to discuss various aspects ofnational security.

The forum tackles the challenges ofachieving total security that includeschallenges facing the developmentplan, human development, obstaclesfacing volunteering work of youth,demography and their effect on totalsecurity, including the role of NGOs andof strategic studies centers in achievingtotal security.

The forum, held under the auspicesof Ministry of Interior UndersecretaryGen Sulaiman Al-Fahd, was launchedyesterday with an opening speech byCol Hizam Al-Rashidi, Director ofSecurity Strategic Studies at theNational Security College. He mentionedsome of the goals of this forum. “We aimto raise awareness about total securityand its effect on society and highlightthe present and future challenges facingthe total security plan. We will also dis-cuss the role of youth volunteerism andthe midterm development plan. In addi-tion, we will analyze the challenges fac-ing the youth and their participation inbuilding national security. And finally,we will discuss the role of MoI in plan-ning the system of total security strate-gy in cooperation with NGOs and strate-gic studies centers,” stressed Rashidi.

Dr Waleed Al-Falah, AssistingUndersecretary for Quality Affairs andDevelopment at the Ministry of Health,spoke about health security and itseffect on total security. “We propose thesteps of strategic planning and thentransferring them to the executive plan.

In Kuwait, many people are sufferingfrom non-infectious chronic diseases.The government has signed the UnitedNations health security agreement,which we are working to apply com-pletely. People here suffer from manymain symptoms of these diseases suchas obesity, smoking, not practicingsports, bad nutrition and others,” heexplained.

“The danger of infectious disease ismuch higher as it’s easy to transfer andspread. Many institutions and states areproviding help to decrease incidents byusing modern technology. We hope tosee a national strategic view of healthsecurity in Kuwait and that the govern-ment and the parliament will bothapprove the health strategy,” Falah added.

Dr Mohammed Al-Shareef, businessmanagement teacher and head of theExcellent Per formance Center forConsultation and Training, mentionedsome of the security challenges facingthe institutions working on applyingtotal security in all fields. “The modernthreat of national security is not militaryanymore but through social media, andglobalization has increased securitychallenges on social and health security,”he stated.

Forum discusses health

security, violence

Senior Interior Ministry officials in attendance.—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Dr Waleed Al-Falah speaks atthe forum.

CrimeR e p o r t

Break in and assaultA female citizen in her forties accused three of her

late husband’s relatives of breaking into her house,assaulting her and destroying her furniture over somefamily problems because of inheritance, said securitysources.

Hit-and-runA 29-year-old Egyptian was seriously injured in a

hit-and-run accident while he was crossing the streetin Salmiya, said security sources. Case papers indicatethat eyewitnesses provided the police with a descrip-tion of the suspect’s vehicle. A case was filed and fur-ther investigations are in progress.

Drug traffickers caughtIn a wide-scale inspection campaign in Kabd, Jahra

detectives arrested 48 peddlers, said security sources.The suspects were referred to the proper authoritiesfor further action.

Home robberyA Lebanese reported that an unidentified robber

had broken into his Salmiya apartment and stolen jew-elry worth KD 5,000 and KD 3,500 in cash. A case wasfiled and further investigations are in progress.

KUWAIT: Farwaniya mosques’ supervisor Meshal Al-Otaibiis currently investigating a mosque imam and muezzin forinvolvement in a fight inside the mosque, said securitysources, adding that the fight started when the muezzintold a citizen in his forties to switch off his mobile phoneand stop using it inside the mosque as he was answering acall. The man did not like the instructions and the argu-ment with the muezzin developed into a fight thatinvolved the imam as well. The sources added that the manlater picked fights with other worshippers.

Road rageFour juveniles were referred to the minors’ department

after they were arrested for fighting over road priorityalong the Gulf Road, said security sources.

Girl escapes kidnapThree citizens were arrested for attempting to kidnap a

19-year-old expat girl in Sabah Al-Salem, said securitysources. Case papers indicate that the girl’s father reportedthat the three suspects tried kidnapping his daughter fromthe doorstep of the building the family lived in but shemanaged to escape from them. The father provided thepolice with the culprits’ vehicle license plate number andthe driver was later arrested. Further investigationsrevealed that the vehicle owner had an affair with the girland when she broke up with him, he asked two of hisfriends to help him kidnap her in retaliation.

Harasser nabbedA GCC national was arrested for harassing a female citi-

zen in her thirties and stalking her, said security sources.Case papers indicate that the woman filed a complaint not-ing that the suspect, with whom she had broken up, washarassing and threatening her night and day and that hehad been standing outside her house for hours in a waythat affected her reputation amongst her neighbors. Thesuspect was arrested outside the woman’s house andclaimed that she had bewitched him and that did every-thing under the effect of her spell.

Investigation into

Farwaniya mosque fight

No injuries in

basement fireBy Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A fire broke out yesterday in anArdiya building’s basement, said securitysources, noting that firemen rushed tothe scene and found that the basementwas being used as a husseiniya. No casu-alties were reported and further investi-gations are in progress to determine thecause of the fire.

Liquor possessionAn Asian man was arrested in

Farwaniya with of 3 boxes of homemadeliquor bottles he had loaded in a minibusbelonging to the company he worked for.

Man reports addict sonA citizen called the police requesting

the arrest of his drug addict son, saidsecurity sources. Case papers indicatethat the citizen called the police andgave them his house address in Egaila.Policeman raided the house and arrest-ed the 29-year-old son, and on searchinghis room, they found three packs ofheroin, two cans of lime, 6 syringes and3 pills. The sources also noted that sincethe man’s father was the one whoinformed the police, the son would betreated as a drug addict without press-ing any charges.

Search for driverA wide-scale search is on for a truck

that ran over and killed a 4-year-oldSaudi child in Jahra, said securitysources.

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: MP Abdul Rahman Al-Jeeranslammed coordination between variousministries, noting that there wasn’t any interms of linking the outcome of education-al facilities with local market needs. Jeeransaid a response he received from theMinister of Education Dr Bader Al-Essaabout this issue showed that only 21 out of54 government bodies responded to MoE’sinquiry about their needs.

Jeeran added that MoH said it wouldneed 4 nurses, 26 radiology experts, twofood genetics specialists, 81 doctors and 60vets over the coming five years. He notedthat most of the 21 bodies that respondedgave a similar number, which would be adisaster since 23,352 students would finishhigh school by 2019 and join universities“while Kuwait only needs four nurses and26 radiologists!”

Barrak threatens to grill Kandari MP Mohammed Al-Barrak slammed

what he described as the Minster ofCommunication Essa Al-Kandari’s practicesat the Ports Public Authority over nominat-ing people to assume leading positions.Barrak stressed that many of the nominat-ed people had not worked at the authority

and lacked the experience needed for theposts they were being nominated toassume. Barrak urged the Cabinet to reviewthe nominations and appointments madeby Kandari because he allegedly depriveddeserving and more qualified people fromthose positions.

Oil union discuss bonusesMembers of the oil sector employees’

syndicates strongly rejected the parliamen-tary recommendations concerning can-celling the ‘success bonus’, warning that itwas a right they would never give up. Themembers also stressed that they do notintend to go on strike and that they wouldfocus on debate and dialogue starting witha meeting with Oil Minister Ali Al-Omairtomorrow.

Projects fund recruitmentsMinister of Commerce and Industry

Abdulmohsen Al-Mudej denied theappointment of any Kuwaiti or expatriateemployees at the Small and MediumProjects Fund so far. Speaking in responseto a parliamentary inquiry made by MPKhalil Abul, Mudej stressed that he hadsent the fund’s organizational structure tothe civil services commission in May forapproval but received no reply so far.

Jeeran slams lack of

govt coordination

MoI warns of

ATM hackingKUWAIT: In an official letter signed byMinistry Of Interior Undersecretary Lt GenSuleiman Al-Fahd, the ministry warned theKuwaiti Banks Union against professionalATM hackers. The letter titled as ‘The PurpleDirective’ said that the ministry had received

a notice issued by the Interpol upon arequest of its central national bureau inMalaysia warning of professional hacking andwithdrawal of money from ATMs, and accord-ingly the ministry warned local banks to takethe needed security measures. —Al-Anbaa

MSAL closes 55 Social

Reform Society branches KUWAIT: Well-informed sources recently saidthat the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’scharities violations committee decided toclose down 55 out of 61 Social ReformSociety (SRS) branches in various gover-norates for violating charity regulations andthe Cabinet’s resolutions in this regard.

The sources explained that after examin-ing all the branches, the committee foundthat only 6 of them had proper licenses fromthe Zakat House or from cooperative societiesand that none had an MSAL license. “So asnot to close down all branches, the commit-tee considered those 6 branches licensed,though not by MSAL,” stressed the sources.Moreover, the sources added that the com-mittee was almost done examining all theother ten charities’ branches all over Kuwaitand that initial results showed that about 90percent of those branches were in violation.

Meanwhile, on an interview with a localdaily, MSAL’s assistant undersecretary for

legal affairs Dr Zaki Al-Sulaimi stressed that incollaboration with the ministries of foreignaffairs and of interior, the Central Bank andother relevant bodies, MSAL’s charitiesdepartment closely watches charity organiza-tions’ activities to prevent donations they col-lect from being misused for terrorist activities.

“We are absolutely sure that charity organ-izations are very patriotic and are keen onmaintaining Kuwait’s good regional and inter-national image at its best,” Sulaimi stressed,noting that those charities had a great role ingetting Kuwait win the title of an‘International Humanity Center’ by stretchinghelping hands to various countries world-wide.

Sulaimi also stressed his utmost trust inthe staff working with him in MSAL’s legalaffairs department and denied rumors aboutthe presence of corruption amongst them orthat any of them had been bribed to lose anycase for the ministry. — Al-Jarida

LOCA LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

KUWAIT: A view of Kuwait City taken from the top of the Hamra Tower in the state’s capital.— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Executive bylaw of the 2013 law that regu-lates investments has been issued and is in effect, saidthe Director General of Kuwait Direct InvestmentPromotion Authority Sheikh Dr Mehsaal Al-Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The executive bill had been issuedafter it was endorsed by the Deputy Prime Minister,Minister of Commerce and Industry Dr AbdulmohsenAl-Mudej and published in the official Gazette, thusturning effective as of December 14th, he said yester-day.

The authority staff have been recently preoccupiedwith drafting the executive regulations, along with rel-evant decisions, with respect of the abovementionedlaw, in coordination with a special commission of

experts. The 45 provisions of the law, which concernboth the local and foreign entrepreneur, have beenworded in a simple and explicit manner. They tacklepermits, privileges, concessions, complaints, legal pro-cedures and registration.

Sheikh Meshaal said the authority is tasked with lur-ing direct foreign enterprise, nationalizing local busi-nesses, improving the business environment, providingprocedural facilities and removing obstacles for busi-nesses. Sheikh Meshaal indicated that the law, in someparts, endorses the foreigner’s right for a 100 percentstake in enterprises, namely in shareholding, limitedand individual’s companies. The exact legal details offoreign ownership, however, remain unclear.

Kuwait ranked 141 out of 144 countries in the WorldEconomic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report2014/2015 in terms of foreign direct investment andtechnology transfer. It has one of the lowest rates ofFDI in the MENA region and in fact Kuwaiti investorsare among the highest in terms of investing abroad.The new enterprise laws are an effort to turn thisaround and help improve FDI figures for Kuwait. Otherconcerns for investors include lack of transparency,high rates of government corruption and an opaquelegal system.

To read the full text of the executive bylaw, visit:http://www.kfib.com.kw/pdf/pdf/B.pdf

—With material from KUNA

New investment law aims to

attract more FDI to Kuwait

The new FDI Law No 116/2013 for promoting directinvestment in the State of Kuwait is now publishedin the Official Gazette (Al Kuwait Al Youm) issue No

1136 of June 16, 2013; it will enter into force after a peri-od of six months as of the date of issuance. This lawbuilds on a base of compliance with a host of other eco-nomic and financial laws that were recently approvedwith the intention of modernizing legislation to becomemore accommodating and transparent in the face ofemerging economic and investment challenges.

In enactment of the new law, a public authority willbe established with the mandate to promote directinvestment, streamline the business environment forboth local and foreign investors, and serve as one of theeconomic implementing arms of the country by fulfill-ing this law’s stated developmental goals of transfer andsettlement of modern technology, creation of qualityjobs for local manpower, supporting the domestic pri-vate sector, and contributing to the diversification of theeconomic base to reduce dependence on oil. TheMinister of Commerce and Industry will chair the newauthority’s board of directors that is composed of repre-sentatives from both the public and private sectors.

The new law has reiterated the current incentivesthat allows foreign investors an equity share of up to100% when establishing a Kuwaiti company in accor-dance with the law, and grants foreign companies alicense to open and operate a branch in Kuwait, withmore details provided in the new law; it also allows for-eign companies, for the first time, to establish a repre-sentative office to exclusively conduct marketing studiesbut not commercial operations.

On the other hand the new law introduced novel arti-cles that are more compatible with international stan-dards, including the adoption of the “Negative List”approach by opening up all economic sectors to foreigninvestors except those exempted by the Council ofMinisters’ decisions; and considering the partnershipprojects established under Kuwait BOT Law No 7/2008,and Privatization Law No 37/2010, to be eligible to ben-efit from the incentives granted under this law.

An equally important issue under the new law is toimprove the procedures for issuing the “InvestmentLicense” by reducing the processing time needed to amaximum of 30 days from the date of receiving thecompleted application, and the establishment of “a onestop shop” in coordination with concerned governmententities involved in granting approvals in the pre-licens-ing phase.

This will render the current FDI Law No 8 for 2001repealed, and thus Kuwait Foreign Investment Bureau(KFIB) and the Foreign Capital Investment Committee(FCIC) will cease to exist; and all KFIB assets, liabilities,obligations and decisions will transfer to the newauthority. The transition phase will extend over the peri-od of six months until the executive regulations of thenew law are completed.

http://www.kfib.com.kw/NewsArchive.aspx

The new FDI

law - FACT BOX

By Douglas Silliman, US Ambassadorto the State of Kuwait

Iam pleased to invite our Kuwaiti part-ners to register for the 2015SelectUSA Investment Summit to be

held March 23-24, in the Washington,DC area. The United States and Kuwaithave a long and rich history of com-merce, investment andtrade. Those of you con-sidering investing inAmerica can exploreinvestment opportunitiesin the United States duringthis special event. Americawelcomes you.

Why invest in America?The United States has aGDP of more than $15 tril-lion, a population of morethan 310 million, a percapita income of morethan $48,000 and is rankednear the top of global benchmarks forease of doing business. It should comeas no surprise, given these factors, thatin 2013 the United States attractedsome $231 billion of foreign directinvestment from all around the world —more than any other country.

This Summit will showcase invest-ment opportunities from every corner ofthe United States to investors fromaround the world, and high-profile busi-ness and government leaders will sharetheir insights on the latest businesstrends with participants. The Summit isalso a great chance for Kuwaitis to net-work with US economic developmentleaders at the federal, state, and city lev-el and learn more about taking advan-tage of the favorable US business cli-

mate. Kuwaiti companies that invest inthe United States have access to anunparalleled global export platform,because we have free trade agreementsin force with 20 countries representingmore than 700 million consumers.

In addition to high-profile CEOs, gov-ernment leaders, and other experts, theSummit agenda is packed with practical

information, including ses-sions highlighting oppor-tunities across America,novel approaches to infra-structure investment, andon-line matchmaking. Itwill also include a tradeshow, where Kuwaitiinvestors can meet directlywith representatives of USstate, regional and localeconomic developmentorganizations to learnabout potential locations,resources, and incentives.

The Select USA Investment Summit willenable companies to answer key ques-tions more efficiently, such as why, howand where to invest. The first SelectUSAInvestment Summit in 2013 sold out:more than 1,300 participants came from60 countries, 48 US states, four territo-ries, and the District of Columbia. Kuwaitsent the largest investor delegationfrom the GCC. The Embassy is recruitinganother delegation of Kuwaiti investorsnow. We encourage you to get in touchwith my commercial team as soon aspossible to learn how the Summit can fitinto your expansion strategies.

Visit selectusasummit.com for moreinformation or contact my CommercialCounselor at Dao.Le@trade.gov.

US Investment Summit

open for registration

KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company,Kuwait’s first international petrochemical joint-venture, has further strengthened its partner-ship with the Kuwait Foundation for theAdvancement of Sciences (KFAS) through anumber of joint activities.

To embody the company’s tagline “Partners inSuccess,” the ongoing partnership betweenEQUATE and KFAS includes participation in initia-tives relevant to developing the capabilities ofEQUATE’s employees in science, technology andinnovation, as well as the adaptation of moderntechnologies and business best practices withina framework of sustainability.

One of the major initiatives EQUATE partici-

pated in recently was the KFAS InnovationChallenge Program, the first of its kind in Kuwaitand the region. The program aims to enhancethe business performance of Kuwaiti companiesby spreading the culture of innovation. The com-petitive and team-based program was devel-oped in collaboration with the Haas School ofBusiness, University of California, Berkeley, in theUSA. The program’s selection criteria was basedin part on the team’s potential to be innovativein the workplace.

EQUATE’s team received very high scores inthe Innovation Potential Index and was rankedas one of the top among 10 teams selected toparticipate in this program.

EQUATE’s team included Abdulrahman Al-Munayes, Barrak Al-Mattar, Khaled Al-Duhaimand Nayef Al-Sumairi, representing the functionsof Innovation, IT, Finance, in addition toResearch and Development (R&D).

KFAS Innovation Challenge was inauguratedwith an executive dinner to honor and recognizethe selected teams. The dinner was attended byKFAS Director General Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin,EQUATE President and CEO Mohammad Husain,Program Manager of ManagementDevelopment for Enterprises Dr Bassam Al-Feeli,executives from the other 9 selected companies,as well as several prominent scientific and busi-ness figures.

EQUATE and KFAS officials in a group photo.

EQUATE strengthens partnership with KFAS

EQUATE readies for

return to operationsKUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company,Kuwait’s first international petrochemicaljoint-venture, announced that it will soon bein the final stages of its plant maintenance(turnaround).

“EQUATE has successfully entered its finalstage of the turnaround’s operations relevantto a number of industrial units for ethylene,polyethylene and ethylene glycol,” saidEQUATE President and CEO MohammadHusain in a statement to the state newsagency, Kuna. The turnaround was complet-ed in cooperation with the EnvironmentPublic Authority (EPA).

Husain added, “Currently, EQUATE ispreparing to enter the stage of conductingthe plants’ return to operations (RTO) afterthe turnaround. “As one of the environmen-tal requirements for the RTO, the flares wereoperated within a controlled and precisemanner as part of the industrial safety guide-

lines when executing an RTO. All of thesepractices are global measurements that areapplied by all petrochemical plants and with-in the regulations of relevant regulatory bod-ies in Kuwait, as well as in accordance withinternational environment, health and safetystandards, especially as stipulated by theEPA.” Established in 1995, EQUATEPetrochemical Company is an internationaljoint venture between PetrochemicalIndustries Company (PIC), The Dow ChemicalCompany (Dow), Boubyan PetrochemicalCompany (BPC) and Qurain PetrochemicalIndustries Company (QPIC). Commencingproduction in 1997, EQUATE is the singleoperator of a fully integrated world-scalemanufacturing facility producing over fivemillion tons annually of high-quality petro-chemical products which are marketedthroughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa andEurope.— KUNA

UK-Kuwaiti coordination

committee meet in FebruaryKUWAIT: The Kuwaiti-British com-mittee tasked with bolstering bilat-eral relations was due to hold ameeting in Kuwait last week but itwas delayed till early next year, the

British Ambassador to KuwaitMatthew Lodge has disclosed.

The ambassador, in an interviewwith the Kuwaiti daily newspaperAl-Kuwaityah published yesterday,

said a large number of agreementswould be signed during the meet-ing, forecast in February, coveringcooperation in health, commercial,security and defense fields. Themeeting had been delayed becauseit coincided with the recently heldGCC summit, he indicated.

Ambassador Lodge disclosedthat number of British citizens inKuwait is estimated at 6,000, andmay be a little higher, noting thatmany Britons often come to thecountry to work in companiesaccording to limited time contracts,in addition to teachers who servefor a certain period of time.

Turning to commercial coopera-tion, the ambassador said the tradeexchanges between Kuwait andBritain is estimated at $3 billion,which is not a large figure, as hesaid, adding that it could be dou-bled in coordination with theKuwaiti Investment Office inLondon. Asked about estimated

value of Kuwaiti businesses inBritain, he indicated that theKuwaiti Investment Office inLondon is involved in enterprisesworth $30 billion, in addition toinvestments by Kuwaiti individuals.On democracy in Kuwait, Lodgesaid the democratic system in thecountry “is worth our full support,”indicating that democracy could betangibly sensed with the activitiesheld by the parliament and thepublic diwaniyas.

UK e-visaAmbassador Lodge affirmed

that with the planned issuance ofthe UK e-visa, in the first half ofnext year, Kuwaitis will be able tovisit the UK easily, noting that up to125,000 Kuwaitis went to Britainlast year.

On the Middle East, he con-firmed the UK is seeking along withother powers to pressure all con-cerned parties to resolve the

regional conflict, and that isthrough cessation of constructionof Israeli settlements and finding ajust settlement to the Palestiniancause. However, he affirmed thatthe British government remainedagainst recognition of a unilateralPalestinian state, in spite of a stepthat had been taken in this regardby the parliament.

Regarding Iran, the ambassadorexpressed his belief that the “theWestern rapprochement with Iranwould not be at the expense” ofBritain’s solid bonds with the GCCstates.

On the super powers’ campaignagainst the Islamic State (IS), heexpressed his belief that the alliedpowers would ultimately defeatthe IS, however this should bepart of a strategy to create a “posi-tive political atmosphere in Iraq”where all parties would be able totake part in political decision mak-ing. — KUNA

UK Ambassador Matthew Lodge

US Embassy statement

L O C A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

KUWAIT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and hisaccompanying delegation met His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Bayan Palaceyesterday, and talks between the two sides focused onissues pertaining to bilateral relations as well as issues ofmutual interest.

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah and other state officials attended the meeting.

The visiting Iraqi premier also held similar talks with HH thePrime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Parliament Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem. TheIraqi premier’s visit to Kuwait is part of a regional trip -which also includes a stop in Turkey - to lobby regionalsupport to Iraq’s efforts to combat terrorism and strength-en ties with neighbors, his spokesman Rafed Jabbouri toldKUNA Saturday evening. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Ministerof Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yaqoub Al-Sanea said yesterday stability of legisla-tive and executive powers led to achiev-ing several development, economic, cul-tural and intellectual projects.

Minister Sanea made the statementto reporters after opening the 21stAwqaf Forum on behalf of His Highnessthe Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who is spon-soring the Islamic gathering. The two-

day Forum is held under the title: “Life ofProphet Mohammad under AwqafSponsorship.”

He said that such stability serves pub-lic interests, adding that institutionalAwqaf work has recently realized a quan-tum shift, turning it from a scattered indi-vidual and popular activity to a science-base one for contributing to health care,

culture, scientific institutions and otherservices in the Muslim communities. TheFourm offers evidence that the KuwaitPublic Awqaf Foundation (KPAF) is eagerto serve the Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya (Life ofProphet Mohammad, PBUH) in coopera-tion with all the official, popular and vol-untary sectors in the country, Sanea said.

Contemporary methodThe Forum adopts a contemporary

technical method for tracing Life of

Prophet Mohammad through establish-ing the ‘Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya Complex’with the aim of disseminating Al-Sira inthe society. Since inception, KAPF hasbeen focusing on reviving the Awqafsunnah (way of life of the Prophet) andteaching the society on its importance,as well as managing Awqaf money saidSecretary General Abdulmohsen Al-

Jarallah Al-Kharafi. This has been donethrough preserving Awqaf and develop-ing them through legitimate investmentand economic channels, then spendingrevenues to meet the needs of the socie-ty in line with the aspired targets, headded. Kharafi noted that KAPF has beenassuming the responsibility of spreading“Life of Prophet Mohammad” throughsetting up a specialized complex aimingto culture people on Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya and the Prophet’s teachingsand practices.

Major eventKAPF’s Awqaf Forum has come to be

an annual major event that bringstogether top scientists and Awqaf work-ers in the world, Imam of the HolyMosque in Makkah, Council of SeniorScholars Member and former speaker ofthe Saudi Consultative Assembly andRoyal Diwan Advisor Dr Salih bin Humaidsaid. Bin Humaid said he welcomes takingpart in all religious and cultural events inKuwait, a country so keen on promotingIslamic legitimate sciences which stressesthe Islamic identity of the Kuwaiti society.

He added that the events and work-shops of the 2014 Awqaf Forum aims atformulating the future of the proposedAl-Sira Al-Nabawiyya Complex. MinisterSanea opened on the sidelines of the21st Awqaf Forum an exhibition on theComplex which is due to be built in theMeshrf neighborhood.

Awaqf, also spelled wakf, is under thecontext of ‘sadaqah’, an inalienable reli-gious endowment in Islamic sharia, typi-cally donating a building or plot of landor even cash for Muslim religious or char-itable purposes. — KUNA

Awqaf Forum highlights stabilityof legislative, executive powers

KUWAIT: Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic AffairsYaqoub Al-Sanea speaks at the forum. — KUNA

Iraqi PM meets Amir, senior officials

KUWAIT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi during his meeting with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister SheikhJaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and head of the honorary delegation and advisor at the Prime Minister Diwan, Sheikh DrSalem Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah are seen in attendance. (Right) His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and his Iraqi counterpart Haider Al-Abadi lead their respective countries’ delegations atyesterday’s talks. — KUNA photos

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi speaks to reportersafter emerging from his meet-ing with Parliament SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem.

KUWAIT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi meeting Parliament SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanem yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

L O C A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Celebrating the dignity of Kuwait with traditional arts and crafts

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of Sheikh DuaijKhalifa Al-Sabah, the second youth exhibitionof Kuwait Al-Karama (Dignity of Kuwait)opened this past weekend to showcase youngKuwaiti talent in the arts of photographingand painting, embroidery and other tradition-al handicrafts. More than 140 young artistsand crafts men and women took part in theexhibition, which was held on the Green Islandin Kuwait City, off the Gulf Road.

The aim of the exhibition was to supportyoung people in their efforts and highlighttheir skills, talents and creativity and encour-

age their achievements and innovation,explained Ferdous Al-Rashed, who is in chargeof Kuwait Al-Karama’s exhibition.

Gaining public attention is also part of therole of the exhibition. Talal Abdullah al-Fadli,the Chairman of Media Committee, said“Media have a major role in supporting theyouth and their talent, to show off creationsand to serve the community through exhibi-tions, youth activities and training courses.”

The exhibition, displaying traditionalKuwaiti handicrafts, and it hosted traditionalKuwaiti music and dancing, as well as a varietyof activities for children. This exhibition wasattended by Sheikh Duaij Khalifa Al-Sabah

himself and attended famous actors such asMohammad and Bader Al-Shuaibi andShaymaa. The first exhibition of Kuwait Al-Karama (Dignity of Kuwait) was held last year.

The event hosted Sheyaab Team, the showwas funny and amazing and different to seeyoung people dressed like old men andbehave like them. There were booths foryoung girls and guys who make different kindof food and sweets such as cupcakes andNutella crepes. The other side of the exhibitionwas old and traditional, some booths show usantique stuff and old Kuwaiti coins. The chil-dren had so much fun in games and fashionshow for their traditional Kuwaiti costumes.

Sheikh Duaij Khalifa Al-Sabah at the event. The Sheyaab Team.

One of the participants with Ferdous Al-Rashed and TalalAl-Fadli.

Rainbow Saaj booth.

KUWAIT: Leaders Group Company for Consultancy andDevelopment (Leaders Group) General Manager Nabila Al-Anjerisaid that the Horeca 2015 exhibition would be held under aus-pices of Commerce Ministry Undersecretary Abdul Aziz Al-Khaldiat Badriya Ballroom, Messila Jumeriah Hotel in the period of Jan19-21, 2015. Anjeri added that the exhibition has annually beenproving its effective contribution to supporting developmentprojects, encouraging small and medium projects and enhancingthe private sector’s role in reinforcing national economy.

Anjeri added that the exhibition managed to attract a largenumber of companies working in the field of hospitality, cater-ing, foodstuff and hotel equipment from within and outsideKuwait, which proves the significance of specialized fairs andexhibitions in scientifically setting development and moderniza-tion strategies according to market needs.

“The patronage of the commerce ministry’s undersecretary ofHoreca reflects his deep belief in the importance of private-pub-lic sector partnership in boosting national development plans,encouraging youth and creating new business fields to createmore job opportunities,” she underlined, pointing out that over15 ambassadors, a large number of diplomats, businessmen,major companies, hotels and restaurant owners and hospitalityexperts attended last year’s Horeca inauguration. She added thataside from the great benefits from the cooking competitionsheld during the exhibition, it also cemented cooperationamongst many of the participating companies.

Undersecretary to patronize Horeca 2015

Abdul Aziz Al-Khaldi

Nabila Al-Anjeri

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) organized a training course forKuwait Oil Company (KOC) employees as part of a special program to intro-duce oil sector employees to the banking sector’s work mechanism.

CAIRO: The Council of Arab EconomicUnity (CAEU) of the Arab League has cho-sen Kuwaiti professor of political sciencesHaila Al-Makimi among top Arabwomen in leadership and socialwork, the CAEU announced yes-terday.

Makimi will be honored forher prominent academic andprofessional activities and thesocial services interacting withthe Arab political, economic anddevelopment issues, head of theorganizing committee of the 8thWeek for Arab Culture, Ideal

Woman and Arab Tourism Festival HananNasr said.

The assistant undersecretary at Kuwait’sMinistry of Information will behonored by the end of the ArabTourism Festival, due in Luxor,Upper Egypt, between January9-16. Nasr noted that the Luxorfestival comprises two separateevents on Arab women andeconomy. She stressed keennessby the Festival to encourage effi-cient Arab women especially onthe professional and social lev-els. —KUNA

Kuwaiti professor honored

Haila Al-Makimi

GCC environmentmeetings KUWAIT: The 18th meeting ofthe GCC environment ministersand the 34th meeting for theirundersecretaries will kick-startin Kuwait today, Acting Director-General of the EnvironmentPublic Authority (EPA) Rajaa Al-Busairi announced yesterday.

The meetings will serve as aplatform for consultations andexchange of views aboutprogress in the efforts exertedto preserve the environmentand find suitable solutions toenvironment problems amongthe GCC countries, she added.

She pointed out that thesemeetings will discuss an array ofissues and follow-up on differ-ent environmental projects suchas the GCC green initiative andhow it could be implemented incooperation with the UN envi-ronmental program.

Some of the topics that themeeting will focus on are: SultanQaboos Prize for EnvironmentalPreservation, proposals for aGCC environment e-gate andsetting up programs to combatdesertification. —KUNA

GCC drug registrationmeeting kicks offKUWAIT: The 69th meeting ofthe Gulf Central Committee forDrug Registration (GCCDR)kicked off yesterday underpatronage of Minister of HealthDr Ali Al-Obaidi.

The meeting is a top priorityfor the GCC Health Ministers for itserves joint health programs ofthe Council’s member states, saidQais Al-Duweiri, AssistantUndersecretary of TechnicalAffairs in the Ministry of Health,in a statement addressed to theconferees on his behalf by a min-istry official. Since 1998, the GCCcountries have been sharing aunified drug registration pro-gram under the committee’ssupervision, to ensure safety andquality of medicines, he said. Thecommittee had issued a guide tomonitor drugs post-marketing inits 52nd conference in 2001, tostudy their side effects, qualityand report any bad medicines incoordination with pharmacies,he added. —KUNA

L O C A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

In view of the recent deterioration, regional menaces, thedrop in oil prices, the political stagnancy that only pulls usbackwards by issuing so many contradicting legislations

and endless numbers of proposed laws, namely with regardsto limiting public liberties, calls to launch a national dialogueproject are back.

The principle of dialogue is always welcomed but it is usu-ally demanded by the weaker party while the one enjoyingpolitical superiority rejects it in a most natural scenario that issubject to the gains and losses assessment. However, thosesponsoring dialogues are often impartial parties who mayreflect the concerns of the society’s silent majority. I may evengo as far as saying that most Kuwaitis of various sects and ten-dencies are experiencing a state of anger, anxiety and bewil-derment concerning possible future developments.

When groups of public figures called for dialogue two yearsago, some powers and political and public icons were soengulfed in closed circles gaining power carried on by the pub-lic support they got, while other powers, including the authori-ty, welcomed it. Well, things are reversed nowadays. Theauthority is politically assured and does not wish to open suchdoors, while many of the political movements and powers,who had politically lost public support, are making suchapproaches. Payment and similar treatment will surely be of nouse and such a project is doomed to reach a dead end.

Accordingly, the only way out at the time being is throughpublic national dialogue, not only among political powers thathave been worn out and may carry their agenda to the nextphase, but also amongst various Kuwaiti sects in order to ridgethe big gap that is full of tension and skepticism. Commongrounds amongst Kuwaitis are diverse and lead to unifiedgoals in any such new initiatives. These common factorsinclude reviving national solidarity and social coherence andmaintaining political and security stability, especially againstsectarian, tribal and regional ‘diseases’.

The youth are probably the most important factor in thisproject. Many groups of them may have the same concernsand the same aspirations, yet they are far apart and lack com-munication and coordination. However, a simple sincere effortcan revive them and create new leaders out of them so thatthey can become a nucleus of a strong national front that isable to impose its own opinion and future aspirations oneverybody including traditional political powers and theauthority. This will be a worthwhile project and we might seenew movements soon. I wish all those adopting the newmovement with a clear vision, devotedly and without expect-ing personal or political gains from it all the best and utmostsuccess! —Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Jarida

National dialogue over

kuwait digest

By Dr Hassan Jouhar

When I spoke in my previous article about thenecessity to set a law regulating e-publica-tions, some mistakenly thought I support the

government’s efforts in this regard, while the truth is,and regardless of the misinterpretation that is deep-rooted in the minds of so many people in the politicalarena, my call to have a law is very logical regardless ofmy opinion. In my article, I mentioned that issuing sucha law must not contradict with public liberties that arealready guaranteed by the constitution. It should notsilence people in any way nor limit responsible liberties.

Checking the reactions to that article, I found thatmany of those dealing with politics and those contribut-ing to forming public opinion know nothing about thislaw. They have not even read its draft. They believe thatit has to be an evil one since it was proposed by thegovernment. In fact, I do not blame them because manyof the laws suggested by the government have some-thing ‘fishy’ about them. But this particular law cameabout because it is unacceptable that we are in 2014and still lack a law to regulate and organize the largestmeans of communication on earth!

This law aims at organizing rather than silencing

people. It is still in blueprints and the first draft phaseand cannot be judged unless it is official and finally fin-ished and passed. It is the role of lawmakers and publicopinion leaders such as writers, bloggers and analyststo start discussing the law, expressing opinion aboutwhat needs to be amended or adjusted instead of criti-cizing it and portraying it as anti-liberties.

I urge them all to read the communication authori-ty’s organizational law to find out that the current ver-sion of the publication law is 100 times better, becausethat is the law that should have been questioned beforeit was passed, imposing KD 100,000 fines to whichnobody objected!

By the way, a new law is on the horizon under thename of the cybercrime law. This law will deal with thegreat deal of misuse and chaos prevailing online bysome users. Just for the record, we are the only countrythat does not have a law for cybercrimes although weuse more computers than Japan does!

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Anbaa

E-publicationcrimes

kuwait digest

By Thaar Al-Rasheedi

The free fall of Kuwaiti oil prices proved, like Isaid in previous articles, that we do not haveany control over our main natural resource,

the rise or fall of its prices nor its significance andthe world’s need for it. Nevertheless, we have beensquandering it in the past years over unfinished oroverestimated projects and on certain sectors toachieve better results that end up worse, rewardsfor nominal success and endless and unaccountedfor thefts.

However, oil prices are about to expose howfragile what we built over the years of abundanceis. Here we are talking about loans, lifting subsidies,tightening belts and reducing expenses once more,which clearly indicate thatour economic policies havebeen wrong over the pastdecades without adoptingthe policy of showeringpeople with unjustifiedgrants and incentives.

However, to avoid justgrumbling and complain-ing without offering actualsolutions to save whateverwe can save at themoment, in one of my pre-vious articles I talked aboutthe significance of developing our educational sys-tem even if it takes importing a complete success-ful educational experience and immediately apply-ing it in Kuwait, so that future generations canactually continue living in Kuwait and create newresources that would enable the state to survive, ifwe really wish to keep on surviving.

Today we say that the anticipated deficit mightbe a real opportunity that might hardly recur interms of having everybody shoulder their ownresponsibility towards their nation. By this I meanactivating article 48 of the constitution that statesthat “payment of taxes and public imposts is a dutyin accordance with the law which regulates

exemption of small incomes from taxes in such away as to maintain the minimum standard of liv-ing”.

I am not talking about collecting money with-out knowing how it is spent. I am talking abouttaxes to be institutionally collected and spent. Andonly then, nobody will be talking about how gen-erous the state is being with citizens because whatthey get will be part of what they have alreadypaid to the state in the form of taxes. It is as if weare paying money to an automobile insurancecompany, for instance, and the insurance companywill surely provide services that have already beenpaid for. Hence we can create a real sense of

responsibility. I am sure the authority

will not want to activatearticle 48 of the constitu-tion and wishes it will nev-er have to because itknows for sure that thiswould make it account-able for its repeated mis-takes before everybody,not only before fifty law-makers including a majori-ty that can be easilybought by simple favors

here or there. The whole thing will be under focusof over a million citizens who pay portions of theirmoney to the state and would never accept wast-ing it without holding whoever responsibleaccountable.

This is the nature of things. We take free thingsvery lightly and take very good care of dear things.We are facing a very bad situation nowadays and apossible financial depression. So, rebuilding thestate by actually giving citizens a more active roleto play through taking part in construction andaccountability is a must in order to put an end tosquander and put things back on the right track!

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Jarida

A great opportunity! kuwait digest

By Ali Mahmoud Khajah

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net

Fatwa to prevent chaos

The Fatwa and Legislations Department inKuwait released a fatwa (legal opinion) pro-hibiting jihad in any place around the world

without the state’s leader’s consent. The fatwa,which was based on the notion that this action leadsto chaos, is necessary to restore law and order insociety and protect the youth from the calls ofextremists who lure them under false promises ofeternal happiness in heaven.

The fatwa specifically bans Kuwaitis from joiningjihadist groups in Syria, Iraq and other countrieswithout the authorities’ consent. It came in responseto inquiries about the legal aspect of Kuwaitis going

for jihad, and explained that under sharia law, jihadis not allowed unless following a declaration fromthe state’s ruler, because he is responsible for thesafety and security of the country and its people.

It further warns that participating in conflicts inother countries could have negative effects on ourown, especially that the events going on in theregion require extra caution to protect our country.Finally, the fatwa urges young Muslims to consultreligious scholars with regards to sharia law matters.

The Muslim world needs to have confidencerestored in religious institutions and achieve harmo-ny between the message of these institutions andthat of the state. This is especially important at atime in which we are seeing many strange fatwasbeing issued, and thus the need for religious leader-ship that keeps up with the fast advancement of themodern era to have control under the umbrella ofmoderation.

In my view

Al-Anbaa

Corruption

Reform

Like all those working in the oil sector who get upwith the Fajr azan in winter and shortly after it insummer, my working day started early. On my

way to work, I noticed that there were no cleaningworkers on the streets. Things looked usual on a rou-tine working day. There were not enough people whousually run southwards heading to oil companies andfacilities mostly in oil sector SUVs that enables one toeasily tell they work for the oil sector though theycame from various countries around the world. Whereare they today? There is no one on the street. What ishappening? It seems like a Friday!

Glancing at my mobile phone, I notice it is Monday.But why does my phone not have any signal or net-work? Where are the dynamic features of everyday? Iheaded to the refinery I work at hoping that every-thing will be OK and that there was nothing unknownonly to me. I hoped that the severe cold would justifythe empty streets, though I knew this would be aweak excuse.

Entering the refinery, I was terribly shocked. Wherethe hell are the military and facility guards? Where are

the employees and the security guards? There isabsolutely nobody. What is happening? I must bedreaming.....but I know for sure this is reality....the fac-tories inside the refinery were all deserted.....the

machines were all motionless.....even if this was anearly working hour, I know for sure that those factorieswork 24/7.......that was why I was hesitant to check mywatch but I finally did. It was exactly 7:00 am. What a

mystery! It was like a puzzle I could not solve. Itseemed like life had stopped everywhere!

I drove back home, and before opening the frontdoor, I picked up my morning paper from its box tothe left of the door. But why did the paper have lesspages though it was not an official day off? The frontpage had a huge headline that read: “Day 65 Since theDepletion of the Last Kuwaiti Oil Well”. My god, what isthis?!

I continued reading the story to find out thatKuwaiti oil had depleted over two months earlier withthe result that many factories, companies and oilrefineries were closed down. Continuing the story, Ilearnt that three million expats had also left duringthe previous two months.

The above is the scenario I expect is going to hap-pen if we carry on with the current contradictions,misuse of our sole natural resource and the problemsthat we have not, so far, seen any glimpse of a seriousattempt to solve. The end of one income state willsurely be very bad and harsh!

—Translated by Kuwait Times from Al-Qabas

Day 65 after oil depletionin my view

By Abdul Rahman Al-Shammari

Entering the refinery, I wasterribly shocked. Where the

hell are the military andfacility guards? Where are

the employees and thesecurity guards? There is

absolutely nobody.

Today we say that theanticipated deficit might be

a real opportunity thatmight hardly recur in termsof having everybody shoul-der their own responsibility

towards their nation.

This law aims at organiz-ing rather than silencing

people. It is still in blueprintsand the first draft phase

and cannot be judgedunless it is official and final-

ly finished and passed.

The Muslim world needs tohave confidence restored in

religious institutions andachieve harmony between themessage of these institutions

and that of the state.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Iraq Kurd chief hails advances

Page 8

2014 frustrates US hopes for Mideast peacePage 8

ARIANA, Tunisia: A Tunisian woman wearing the national flag casts her vote yesterday at a polling station near Tunis. — AFP

Tunisians vote in historic runoff

First free presidential election in post-revolution TunisiaTUNIS: Tunisians voted in the runoff ofthe country’s first free presidentialelection yesterday, with authoritiesurging a big turnout to consolidatedemocracy after a chaotic four-yeartransition. Just hours before pollingbegan at 8:00 am (0700 GMT), troopsguarding ballot papers in the centralregion of Kairouan came under attackand shot dead one assailant and cap-tured three, the defence ministry said.Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa con-demned what he called a “desperateattempt” to disrupt the embrace ofdemocracy in the nation that triggeredthe Arab Spring. “The best response isto turn out calmly and in numbers,”Jomaa told Mosaique FM radio.

The second round vote pits 88-year-old favourite Beji Caid Essebsi,leader of the anti-Islamist NidaaTounes party, against incumbentMoncef Marzouki, who held the postthrough an alliance with the moder-ate Islamist movement Ennahda. “Thisis a big day. I am proud to take part inthis historic moment,” said BechirGhiloufi, a 54-year-old bank directorin Tunis. “It is important to progresstowards democracy.” It is the first timeTunisians have freely elected theirpresident since independence fromFrance in 1956. “It is time to move onand set up long-lasting institutions,”said Raja Gafsi, a 58-year-old worker,who like most voters is anxious to seepolitical and economic stability andsecurity return to Tunisia.

Ahead of the vote, which setsTunisia apart from the turmoil of otherArab Spring countries, jihadists hadissued a videotaped threat against theNorth African state’s political estab-lishment. Authorities deployed tens of

thousands of soldiers and police toprovide polling day security. By 1330GMT, turnout reached 36.8 percent,election organisers said. Polls weredue to close at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT)and the result could be announced asearly as Monday evening.

Mudslinging During the Campaign A first round on Nov 23 saw Essebsi

win 39 percent of the vote, six per-centage points ahead of Marzouki, a69-year-old former rights activistinstalled by parliament two monthsafter December 2011 polls. NidaaTounes won parliamentary polls inOctober, making Essebsi favourite tobe the next president, but with pow-ers curbed under constitutionalamendments to guard against areturn to dictatorship. The campaignwas marked by mudslinging, withEssebsi refusing to take part in adebate with Marzouki, claiming hisopponent is an “extremist”.

Essebsi insists that Marzouki repre-sents the Islamists, charging that theyhad “ruined” the country since the2011 revolution which toppled veter-an ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali andgave birth to the Arab Spring.Marzouki in turn accused Essebsi, whoserved as a senior official in previousTunisian regimes, of wanting torestore the old guard deposed in therevolution. After voting yesterday,Marzouki vowed to respect the verdictof the ballot box. “The rules of thedemocratic game require that each ofus accepts the outcome of the vote ina sporting spirit,” he said.

‘The Dictatorship is Over’ Voters said they regretted the lack

of restraint shown by candidates dur-ing campaigning but said theybelieved Tunisia was on the path todemocracy. “Our candidates and theirpolicies perhaps aren’t the best butwe’re moving forward - the dictator-ship is over,” said shopkeeperMohammed Taieb. In an Internetvideo posted Wednesday, jihadistsclaimed the 2013 murder of two secu-lar politicians that plunged Tunisiainto crisis, and warned of more killingsof politicians and security forces. Themurders had threatened to derailTunisia’s post-Arab Spring transitionuntil a compromise government wasformed in January this year.

But defence ministry spokesmanBelhassan Oueslati said he did notbelieve the jihadists were behindSunday’s predawn attack. “The vigi-lance of the soldiers and the swiftnessof their response thwarted this opera-tion and led to the death of a manarmed with a hunting rifle and thearrest of three suspects,” Oueslati toldAFP. “Generally, the terrorists don’t usehunting rifles.”

In addition to the jihadist threat,Tunisia faces major challenges. Itseconomy is struggling to recover fromthe upheaval of the revolution, andthere are also fears of widespread job-lessness causing social unrest. “Theend of this transition is very importantfor the future of Tunisia.” said factoryowner Sami Ayadi, adding that overthe past four years he was oftenunable to pay his workers. “I think thatin the next five years the country willbe run by a stable government wehave chosen and by a president wehave also chosen,” added Youssef Kort,a doctor.—AFP

Assad says he backs trucesDAMASCUS: Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad told a top official from key supporterIran yesterday his regime is working on “rec-onciliations” to end the brutal civil war, statenews agency SANA said. His regime refersto local truces agreed between troops andrebels in several opposition-held areas as“national reconciliations”. However, Assadalso told Ali Larijani, the speaker of parlia-ment in Tehran, that Syria will continue tofight “terror” - a term the regime has usedfor its opponents, both armed and peaceful,since the outbreak of a 2011 revolt.

“President Assad emphasised the Syrianpeople’s determination to eradicate terror-ism,” said SANA, adding that he would alsocontinue to press for “national reconcilia-tions... all over Syrian territory”. Larijani’s vis-it comes less than a fortnight after Assadmet a top Russian envoy who said Moscowis hoping to relaunch peace talks and that itcould host a Syria-US meeting. Russia andIran are Assad’s main allies, supplying himwith financial, military and political supportin his bid to crush the rebellion. — AFP

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (right) meets Speakerof Iran’s parliament Ali Larijani in the Syrian capital yesterday. — AFP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State JohnKerry is ending 2014 much in the sameway he started it, frustrated in efforts topush Israel and Palestinians toward peace.With a diplomatic showdown looming thispast week over Arab plans to force Israelfrom occupied Palestinian lands withinthree years, Kerry prepared for a quick tripto Jordan in hopes of finding a calmeralternative. By Thursday, the crisisappeared to have been averted whenPalestinian and Jordanian officials saidthey wouldn’t push their resolution to animmediate vote in the UN Security Council,partly because the US threatened a veto.

The fast-moving political drama was asmall, if temporary, victory for America’schief diplomat in his quest to end genera-tions of fighting and tensions betweenIsraelis and Palestinians. But it also showedhow unlikely it is that Kerry can helprestart peace talks soon, much less achievethe lasting truce he long has hoped toarrange. “If people come together, worktogether, exert an effort to try to find thecommon ground here, I’m confident thatthe people of Israel are as interested inpeace as are the people in Palestine, in theWest Bank, in Jordan, and in the region,”

Kerry said recently. “But this is not themoment to opine on that process,” Kerrysaid.

Last January, Kerry was immersed inthe latest round of peace talks that wereset to expire in late April. He started theyear on a plane to Jerusalem, where hewas greeted by Palestinian protests,threats of new Israeli settlement construc-tion and criticism from US officials overhow the Obama administration was han-dling the delicate negotiations.

Final BreakdownThe hits kept coming. Even as he urged

both sides to resist tit-for-tat barbs, Kerrywas lambasted by Israel’s defense ministeras “obsessive” and “messianic” and accusedof ignoring demands that Palestinian offi-cials said had to be part of a final deal. Hepushed Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu to uphold a pledge to releasePalestinian prisoners, but to no avail. Heprodded Palestinian President MahmoudAbbas to consider recognizing Israel as aJewish state, but was soundly rejected. Inthe end, disputes over territorial borders,security, refugees and the fate ofJerusalem couldn’t be settled.

The final breakdown was set intomotion when Israel moved ahead withplans to build settlement units in an areaof east Jerusalem that Palestinians consid-er their territory. “And, poof, that was sortof the moment,” Kerry told a SenateForeign Relations Committee hearing inearly April, just weeks before a deadline fora framework plan toward a final peacedeal. Soon afterward, Abbas agreed toform a unity government with Palestinianpolitical rival Hamas, which Israel and theUS consider a terrorist organization. Israelangrily cut off the peace negotiations.

It only got worse. The Obama adminis-tration had warned that the aborted peacetalks could lead to a new Palestinian upris-ing. By summer, violence began to spiralwith the kidnapping and deaths of threeIsraeli teenagers, allegedly by Hamas. Thatwas followed by a suspected revengekilling of 16-year-old Palestinian youth byIsraeli extremists. The stage was set for a50-day war in the Gaza Strip, which Hamascontrols. The fighting killed at least 2,100Palestinians and 72 people from Israel.

At the height of the war in earlyAugust, when Kerry was traveling in India,he tried to arrange a ceasefire. He even

called a middle-of-the-night news confer-ence in New Delhi to announce that anagreement had been reached. That cease-fire fell apart in less than two hours.Netanyahu gruffly advised Kerry “not toever second-guess me again” on trying toforce a truce. Israel and Hamas agreed toan open-ended cease-fire largely brokeredby Egypt later in August.

But tensions between Israel andPalestinians remained high, and spikedlast month. Violent demonstrations ledIsrael in November to restrict Muslimaccess to a holy site in Jerusalem thatincludes the Al-Aqsa mosque, the thirdmost sacred place in Islam, and the ancientHebrew Temple Mount, the holiest place inJudaism. With the crackdown came a freshround of deadly Palestinian attacks.

Arab Proposal Neighboring Jordan, custodian of the

Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem and justone of two Arab nations at peace withIsrael, pulled its ambassador from Tel Avivin protest. But at the request of Palestinianleaders, Jordan last week sought a SecurityCouncil vote that probably further frayedthe kingdom’s relationship with Israel. The

Arab proposal would have set a 2017deadline for Israel to leave Palestinian ter-ritories. Officials on Thursday said the votewould be delayed while diplomatic discus-sions continued.

That gives time for the potential of analternative proposal to set the groundworkfor peace talks to resume, as Kerry and UNSecretary-General Ban Ki-Moon have sug-gested for months. Given the decades ofUS failure to broker a final peace deal,expectations were high that Kerry wouldbring a new approach. Now, critics in theMideast and Washington wonder why hebothered at all.

Dennis Ross, a former US diplomat andMideast peace negotiator, said the “prettysour atmosphere” between Israelis andPalestinians probably will prevent a finalpeace deal soon. But giving up, he said,will only “guarantee that things will getworse.” “If you say our only choice is to donothing or solve the whole problem,inevitably you’ll do nothing,” Ross said.“And you’ll create a vacuum, and thenthe worst possible forces will fill the vac-uum. But The notion that we’ll be able tosolve everything at once is also not real-istic.” — AP

2014 frustrates US hopes for Mideast peace

MOUNT SINJAR, Iraq: Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani speaks to journalists yesterday during a visit to Mount Sinjar in the autonomousKurdistan region in northwestern Iraq. — AFP

MOUNT SINJAR, Iraq: Iraqi Kurdish leaderMassud Barzani hailed advances by peshmergafighters against the Islamic State group yester-day as they battled the jihadists for a northerntown with the backing of US-led strikes.Thousands of the autonomous Kurdish region’speshmerga launched a major operation onWednesday which broke the second IS siegethis year of Mount Sinjar. The Kurdish offensivethreatens the links between the city of Mosul,the main IS stronghold in Iraq, and territory themilitants control in neighbouring Syria.

“During the past 48 hours, the peshmergaopened two main routes to Mount Sinjar,”Barzani said during a visit to Mount Sinjar,adding: “We did not expect to achieve all thesevictories.” In addition to breaking through to themountain, “a large part of the centre of the townof Sinjar was also liberated,” he said of the dis-trict’s main settlement to the south.

The Kurdish regional president said the pesh-merga might join an operation to retake Mosulitself. “We will take part if the Iraqi governmentasks us, and of course we will have our condi-tions,” he said, without specifying what thesemight be. The Kurdistan Regional SecurityCouncil said on Sunday that peshmerga forces

were advancing inside the town of Sinjar,“engaging and suppressing (IS) positions” withthe support of air strikes by international forces.Explosives disposal teams also cleared key roadsnorth of Mount Sinjar, it said.

Sweeping Offensive The US-led coalition said its forces launched

13 air strikes against IS in northern and westernIraq on Sunday, including four near Sinjar. TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights monitorreported “at least 12” coalition air strikes on ISpositions north of Syria’s second city Aleppoyesterday. IS spearheaded a sweeping offensivethat has overrun much of Iraq’s Sunni Arabheartland since June, presenting both anopportunity for territorial expansion and anexistential threat to the country ’s Kurdishregion.

Multiple Iraqi divisions collapsed in the earlydays of the militant advance, clearing the wayfor the Kurds to take control of a swathe of dis-puted northern territory that they have longwanted to incorporate into their autonomousregion over Baghdad’s objections. But afterpushing south towards Baghdad, IS then turnedits attention to the Kurds, forcing them back

towards their regional capital Arbil in a movethat helped spark US air strikes against thejihadists.

Backed by the raids, which are now beingcarried out by a coalition of countries, Kurdishforces have clawed back significant groundfrom IS. The conflict seems set to redraw theinternal boundaries of Iraq in favour of broaderKurdish control in the north.

Trapped Yazidis In his remarks on Mount Sinjar, Barzani said:

“ We will not leave an inch of the land ofKurdistan for (IS), and we will strike (IS) in anyplace it is located.” That siege was broken andmany of the civilians evacuated, but othersstayed behind and were again besieged by thejihadists in October. While both Kurdish and fed-eral forces have made gains against IS, thegroup remains a potent threat, holding exten-sive territory in Iraq and eastern Syria. IS begana major assault on Saturday on the strategictown of Baiji south of Mosul, sparking fightingthat lasted into yesterday. The province’s gover-nor and an army officer said the attack wasrepulsed, while two other officers said that pro-government forces lost ground. —AFP

Iraq Kurd chief hails

advances in battlePeshmerga nay join operation to retake Mosul

JERUSALEM: Israel police rounded upeight Jewish extremists from a racistanti-Arab organisation overnight, aspokeswoman said early yesterday, inthe second such swoop targeting thegroup within a week. The suspects wererounded up in a series of raids acrosscentral and southern Israel and theoccupied West Bank, police spokes-woman Luba Samri said. All eight belongto Lehava, an extremist rightwing groupthat fights against fraternisationbetween Jews and non-Jews whichcould lead to intermarriage. The grouphas been linked to an arson attack on aJewish-Arab school last month.

“Eight suspects who belong toLehava were arrested and detained forquestioning on suspicion of offencesinvolving incitement to carry out acts ofviolence and terror for racist motives,”Samri said in a statement. The raids tookplace in Herzliya and Rishon LeZion nearTel Aviv, in the southern town of Netivot,in Jerusalem, and in the Beitar Ilit settle-ment in the West Bank. In a separatedevelopment, five Jewish youths - fourof them minors - were picked up in apark in Jerusalem overnight carrying

two commando knives and a screwdriv-er as they were collecting stones toattack Arabs, police said.

Last Tuesday, police arrested 10Lehava members in raids across Israeland the West Bank. Among them wasthe group’s leader Bentzi Gopstein wholives in a settlement inside the southerncity of Hebron. Gopstein and two otherswere released to house arrest on Friday,Samri told AFP, indicating that they werelikely to be indicted “in the coming days.”The other seven were place on condi-tional release, she said.

On Dec 7, police arrested threeLehava activists on charges of settingfire to a f i rst-grade classroom atJerusalem’s Hand-in-Hand school onNovember 29. Daubed on the walls inHebrew were slogans reading “Death toArabs” and “There’s no coexistence withcancer.” Lehava activists follow theteachings of the late Meir Kahane, a vir-ulently anti-Arab rabbi whose Kach par-ty and another offshoot were banned in1994 after one of its members gunneddown 29 Musl ims in a f lashpointmosque in the West Bank city ofHebron. — AFP

Israel police detain 8

anti-Arab extremists

GAZA: Egypt opened the Rafah bordercrossing yesterday for incoming passen-gers from the Gaza Strip for the first timein almost two months, Palestinian andEgyptian officials said. Rafah is the onlymajor crossing between impoverishedGaza, home to 1.8 million Palestinians,and the outside world that does not bor-der Israel, which blockades the strip andallows passage mainly on humanitariangrounds. Egypt shut the crossing on Oct25 after Islamist militants in Egypt’s adja-cent Sinai region killed 33 members ofits security forces in some of the worstanti-state violence since Islamist presi-dent Mohamed Morsi was toppled inJuly 2013.

Since then, Cairo has opened thecrossing only twice to allow thousandsof Palestinians stranded in Egypt andbeyond to return to Gaza, which is domi-nated by the Islamist Hamas faction.Hamas has long had ties to the MuslimBrotherhood, which was ousted frompower in Egypt when Morsi was over-thrown, but its relations with the currentEgyptian government are tense. Maher

Abu Sabha, the Hamas-appointed direc-tor of crossings, said Rafah would openfor two days to allow Gazans with seri-ous il lnesses to travel to Egypt andbeyond for treatment and to allow for-eign nationals and students to travel.

An Egyptian official, citing “securityreasons”, said there was no decision yetto allow the permanent and full openingof the crossing as was the case beforeOct 25. Hamas’s leaders have distancedthemselves from violence in Egypt andin Sinai and say they have no armedpresence in areas outside Palestinianboundaries. Some children stood by thefence, while others sat or slept over lug-gage that piled up outside the gate astheir families awaited to pass.

“ I have been wait ing for threemonths to leave, this is very bad,” saidMnwar Shaath, 58, a Palestinian womanclad in a long black robe who lives inSaudi Arabia and came to visit family inGaza. “I am sick and I was afraid I maydie here, away from my children, I wantto go back and die among them,” shesaid. — Reuters

Egypt allows in Gazans

for first time since Oct

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yes-terday removed the powerful general intelligencechief appointed just days after the ouster ofIslamist leader Mohamed Morsi in July last year.General Mohamed Farid El-Tohamy was replacedby his deputy General Khaled Mahmoud FuadFawzy, Sisi’s office said in a statement, withoutspecifying why. “The president issued an ordersending General Tohamy, the head of general intel-ligence, into retirement,” it said, adding that he hadbeen given a medal for his work. General Fawzytakes charge of Egypt’s intelligence operationsfrom yesterday.

Former army general Sameh Seif Al-Yazal, anexpert on military strategy who has close ties withthe security services, told AFP that Tohamy, 67, hadbeen unwell and had “spent the last two months inhospital”. Tohamy was appointed spy chief after theouster of Morsi on July 3, 2013. Then army chief Sisigot rid of Morsi after mass street protests againstthe Islamist president’s turbulent one-year rule.

A subsequent government crackdown targetingMorsi supporters has left hundreds dead, thou-sands jailed and dozens sentenced to death inmass trials which the United Nations says are“unprecedented in recent history”. Most of the esti-mated 1,400 dead were killed when police stormedtwo pro-Morsi camps in Cairo in August last year.

Separately, an Egyptian court yesterday tried 26men for alleged debauchery after accusing them ofhomosexual activity at a Cairo public bathhouse ina case that sparked international condemnation.

The handcuffed defendants, many of whom werecrying, arrived at a Cairo court with their headsbowed as police pushed them inside a metal cage,an AFP correspondent reported. “I am innocent. Iwas in the hammam for therapy, I swear in thename of Allah,” said a defendant as he wept insidethe cage. “The police beat us every day and forceus to sleep on our stomachs,” said another.

The men were arrested on Dec 7 in a night-timepolice raid on a hammam in the Azbakeya districtof central Cairo. The nearly naked men were loadedinto police trucks in the middle of the night. AnEgyptian television presenter filmed the raid and

aired it days later. The families of the defendantswere banned by the judge from attending yester-day’s session. Angry relatives stopped photogra-phers from taking pictures outside the court, whilesome mothers cried and screamed.

“Don’t defame our sons, they are real men,”shouted one of the mothers. A brother of onedefendant insisted to AFP that he was innocent.“This is about our honour. This will destroy ourentire family,” he said, accusing television presenterMona Iraqi of fabricating the case. “It’s all becauseof a journalist who seeks fame,” he said. The courtpostponed the trial to Jan 4.—AFP

Sisi replaces spy chief

CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi (right) gives a medal and a badge to intelli-gence chief Gen Mohammed Farid Al-Tohamy yesterday. —AP

GAZA: Palestinians await permission to enter Egypt as they gather inside the Rafahborder crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip yesterday. — AFP

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I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

HAVANA: Daniela Martinez long figuredthat someday she would leave the strug-gles of daily life in Cuba and join heruncle in the United States, but after theevents of the last few days, the 18-year-old medical student thinks exile may notbe her only choice. “He always tells methings are better there,” Martinez said,gesturing with her chin toward the sealeading to Florida. Dangling her legsover the edge of the Malecon, the iconicconcrete seawall where entertainment-starved young Havanans gather eachevening, she said, “I think things aregoing to get better.”

For a generation that grew up believ-ing the best way to pursue their dreamswas to leave the island, the announce-ment this week that Cuba will open rela-tions with the United States is prompt-ing many to reevaluate their futures. Atthe same time, Cuban-Americans areconsidering what the changes will meanfor their lives, with some even wonder-ing whether they are significant enoughto present a once far-fetched chance forthem to return.

The five decades of estrangementsince Fidel Castro came to power in theCuban revolution have created an eco-nomic and psychological gulf muchwider than the 90 miles of the FloridaStraits. But the opening of relations, withincreased travel and communication,stands to narrow those differences andcreate new opportunities, especially foryoung people less burdened by the past.

For Cubans like Martinez, it maymean that becoming a doctor won’t lim-it her to a meager state salary. For oth-ers, there is the hope of Internet accessand an end to the desperation that leadsthousands to migrate each year. Cuban-Americans, meanwhile, see the possibili-ty of starting businesses in their home-land, connecting with their roots and

putting aside the bitterness of parentsand grandparents who were arrested,exiled or had property seized in the rev-olution.

“My family always said they weren’tgoing back until Fidel died,” said VanessaGarcia, a 35-year-old writer in Miamiwhose parents left Cuba in the 1960s.“But it seemed like that was somethingthat was hurting us rather than helpingus in many ways. It’s lasted much longerthan anybody thought it would.”

ChangeSome change already has been in the

works. Cuba did away with a longstand-ing restriction on overseas travel lastyear, and knowledge of modern culturehas been making its way into the islandvia TV and flash drives brought fromoverseas - enough for people here toknow what they are missing. Young peo-ple increasingly are on Facebook, even ifthey don’t manage to get online often.And in the other direction, Cuban-Americans have been visiting in greaternumbers, often helping to keep theirextended families afloat.

Many in Florida grew up hearingtheir grandparents’ stories about fleeingfrom communism. The revolution, theywere taught, brought an end to free-dom and ushered in tyranny. Cubans onthe island, meanwhile, learned fromstate propaganda that the Yankees werethe enemy and capitalism was savage.Anybody who left was called a “worm”.

But Cubans and Cuban-Americansfind that when they meet, they havemuch more in common than expected.They share the same hand gestures,slang and even taste in music. They lovebaseball with a passion. “Everybody saystheir grandmother’s flan is the best andnobody knows how to make a Cubansandwich except the place that they

know,” said Dave Sandoval, a musician inWashington.

Even after years of propaganda,Cubans are fascinated with some of themost hyper-American aspects of US cul-ture. Paula Pineiro, a 14-year-old highschool student and musician, is dying tosee the skyscrapers of New York whileclassmate Otto Rivero wants to seeDisneyland and Las Vegas, places heknows only from TV. “We want to havenew experiences,” says the 14-year-oldRivero. “I love casinos. They say they aremagnificent.”

Yusset Perez, 30, arrived in Miami 10months ago to join his wife and foundwork at a college as an administrativeassistant and computer lab manager.But now he’s thinking about opening abusiness back home. “I always wantedto maintain ties, not turn my back fromCuba entirely,” Perez said in Hialeah, theheavily Cuban Miami neighborhoodwhere he passed out flyers for the col-lege in front of a discount store special-izing in clothing and housewares des-tined to be sent back to the island.

Cartoonish Views Nearly everyone in Cuba seems to

have some familial connection to theUnited States, though people from thetwo countries can have cartoonishviews of each other. Many Cubans areenvious of the lifestyle and wealth oftheir relatives in the US, but can alsoconsider them materialistic and arro-gant. Many feel Americans don’t respecttheir accomplishments, such as inschools and medical care. BeatrizGarcia, a 25-year-old who teachesSpanish to foreign students, said thatwhile she hopes to see Cuba havegreater access to affordable consumergoods, she bristled at the notion the USis better. “Over there, they may have a

better economy,” she said, “but here wehave good education and health.”

Cuban-Americans, on the otherhand, sometimes see islanders as poorand unsophisticated, out of step withthe modern world. “It definitely feelslike a frozen 1950s version of every-thing my grandparents told me itlooked like,” said Garcia, the writer.Miami architect Jovan Rodriguez saidhe’s noticed improvements in Cuba,such as when he visited in February andfound that a relative’s home was for sale- something only made possible byrecent property reforms. It’s still notlegal for foreign nonresidents to pur-chase real estate, but he’s hopeful thatmay become possible. “This completelychanged my whole outlook toward thefuture as far as my relationship withCuba,” Rodriguez said. “I really made aprofound connection with the people. I

really hope to be able to go back soon,and I hope relations between our twonations make it easier for that to hap-pen.”

At the University of Havana, severalstudents said they are aware of prob-lems in their country but are optimisticabout the future. Sitting on the samesteps where Fidel Castro addressed jubi-lant crowds after rolling into Havana inJanuary 1959, Ernesto Gutierrez Leyva,20, said he would like to see Cuba movetoward greater political tolerance, per-haps even a multiparty system, an ideathat is still officially considered anathe-ma. The country “is broken, but youhave to fix it from here,” he said. And onthe Malecon, Martinez noted there areadvantages to staying in Cuba, such as afree university education. “I want to goto see it,” she said of the United States,“but live in Cuba.” — AP

Chance to breach divide for young in Cuba, US

HAVANA: A young Cuban woman waves a flag of her country during a concertof Silvio Rodriguez on Saturday.—AP

HAVANA: Members of “The Cuban Five”, (from left) Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez and RamonLabanino, wave to the public in front of a Cuban flag after a concert of Silvio Rodriguez on Saturday. — AP

HAVANA: Cuban President Raul Castro saidSaturday he was ready to discuss any topic withWashington after the historic bilateral rapproche-ment, but warned not to expect political change.And while the leader of the Americas’ only commu-nist nation hailed the agreement for removing of an“obstacle” in US-Cuba relations, he reiterated that“the most important thing, the end of the embargo”remained unresolved. Castro spoke at the close ofthe twice-yearly meeting of the one-party NationalAssembly, which unanimously ratified the dealbetween Havana and Washington, in a sessionlargely focused on the island’s historic renewal ofties with Washington.

“The Cuban people cheer this correct decision ofUS President Barack Obama. It represents theremoval of an obstacle in relations between ourcountries,” he said. “We reiterate our willingness forrespectful and reciprocal dialogue concerning dis-agreements,” Castro said, adding that Cuba “accept-ed dialogue... on any topic about all things here butalso in the United States.”

But he emphasized that his country was a “sover-eign state” that would not bow to pressure to changeits political or economic system. “In the same way thatwe have never suggested the United States change

its political system, we will demand respect for ours,”Castro said. The United States and Cuba made thebreakthrough in their Cold War standoff Wednesday,launching measures to ease a five-decade US tradeembargo as well as a prisoner exchange. First officialtalks are scheduled for January.

Easing the US Embargo Castro repeated Saturday his stance that “the

most important thing, the end of the economic,trade, and financial embargo against Cuba, stillneeds to be resolved”. However, most of the embar-go is codified in US law, which can only be changedwith congressional approval. That will likely provedifficult, with a number of US lawmakers, led byCuban-American Senator Marco Rubio, protestingObama’s shift in Cuba policy. For now, Castro saidhe counted on Obama using his executive powersto change the aspects of the embargo “for whichthe approval of Congress is not necessary.”

Similarly, he urged his US counterpart to reviewCuba’s “unjustifiable” inclusion on the list of coun-tries that sponsor terrorism, an issue Obama haspledged to address. Dissident groups in Cuba thisweek expressed regret that Obama did not wait for“a gesture from Havana on human rights” before

announcing the agreement. On Friday, Obamainsisted he shared the concerns of Cuban dissidentsand human rights activist “that this is still a regimethat represses it people”. “Through engagement, wehave a better chance of bringing about changethan we would have otherwise.” But the US presi-dent said he didn’t “anticipate overnight changes”.

In Miami, mostly older Cuban exiles marched inprotest at what they called the “treason” of Obama’sdeal with Havana. The assembly session was alsoattended by the “Cuban Five,” the group of intelli-gence agents jailed in the United States whose lastthree members were released in a prisonerexchange that paved the way for Wednesday’s land-mark rapprochement deal. The men are hailed asnational heroes in Havana, which says they werenot spying on Washington but rather on Cubanexile groups determined to attack the island. Thesession was extended from Friday to finish discus-sions on the Cuban economy, the originally sched-uled topic, reported state news agency AIN. DespiteCastro’s tentative steps toward reform since takingover from his older brother Fidel in 2006, the Cubaneconomy will achieve just 1.3 percent growth for2014, the council of ministers said earlier thismonth. — AFP

Castro hails thaw, won’t

change political system

Cuban leader wants embargo to end

RIO GRANDE, Nicaragua: As a conscriptedsoldier during the Contra War of the 1980s,Esteban Ruiz used to flee from battlesbecause he didn’t want to have to kill anyone.But now, as the 47-year-old farmer preparesto fight for his land, Ruiz insists, “I’m not goingto run.” Ruiz ’s property on the banks ofNicaragua’s Rio Grande sits in the path of a$50 billion transoceanic waterway set tobreak ground on Monday. Nicaraguan offi-cials will start building access roads on state-owned land as the first step in creating acanal expected to rival that of Panama - aproject supporters say will directly employ50,000 people and dramatically boost thecountry’s GDP.

Farmers like Ruiz insist they’ll fight “untilthe last breath” to protect their land. Whetheror not landowners do actually take up arms,Nicaragua’s government insists it is deter-mined to push through. The project is slatedto open a huge waterway over what is nowthe town of Rio Grande, an evangelical-domi-nated community of 2,000 people with only adirt road amid fields of corn, beans, bananaand sorghum. Everything within 10 km wouldbe subject to expropriation.

But the project, which opponents callPresident Daniel Ortega’s pipe dream, is pro-voking growing anger. Many complainOrtega is giving too much away to HKND, theHong Kong-based company set to developand operate it. Landowners fear they’ll be dis-placed without fair compensation.Environmentalists accuse the government ofram-rodding past mandated reviews andignoring the threat that cargo traffic will poseto Lake Nicaragua, the country’s main sourceof fresh water.

Earlier this month, residents of Obrajuelo,a sleepy fishing village on the banks of LakeNicaragua, threw stones at an SUV carrying aChinese team that showed up to survey theland. The following day, they burned tires onthe Pan-American highway, blocking it forhours. On Dec. 10, as many as 5,000 peoplemarched through the capital, Managua. Eventhough protesters complained that policeblocked canal-opponents trying to arrivefrom the countryside, observers said it wasthe largest anti-government action in years.

Political Opposition Such political opposition is vir tually

unheard of in a country where Ortega’sSandinista party dominates all branches ofgovernment, and the president and his wife,the government’s powerful communicationschief, keep a tight lid on dissent. “What itshows is that a significant part of theNicaraguan people have not bought into thecanal project,” said Francisco Aguirre-Sacasa,an economist, former Nicaraguan foreign

minister and ex-ambassador to the UnitedStates. “A demonstration of that size, despitethe impediments that were put in the way ofit, shows that the government is playing withfire in this case.”

Projected to span some 278 km betweenthe Caribbean and the Pacific, the canalwould be the realization of a dream that hasbeen studied and discarded multiple timessince the early 1800s. Backers say it would liftmany out of pover ty in the WesternHemisphere’s second-poorest country. Lastyear, Ortega’s allies in Congress fast-trackedlegislation granting HKND a 50-year conces-sion, renewable for another 50, to build andoperate a canal in return for a payment of$10 million a year once it’s up and running.The law lets HKND develop ancillary projects- ports, an airport, roads, a railway - even if itdoesn’t get built.

HKND hired the respected UK-based con-sulting f irm Environmental ResourcesManagement about a year ago to assess theenvironmental and social impact of a projectthat is expected to displace some 29,000people. In late July, just two weeks afterHKND announced its preferred route for thecanal, ERM held community meetings in sev-en cities over 10 days, according to a docu-ment on HKND’s website. Some who attend-ed the sessions left feeling they were merelybeing told what was going to happen ratherthan asked for input. Those who asked howmuch they would be paid for their landswere told only that officials would go door-to-door to inform them.

“It was so they could say, ‘We did themeetings’,” said Rosa Amelia Mora Novoa, a37-year-old homemaker in Rio Grande whoattended the session in Rivas, capital of thedepartment of the same name. Late lastmonth, HKND announced the environmentaland social reports had been completed andfound the impact would be minimal. Thereports, however, have not been released forpublic review even as the day neared for thefirst turn of shovels.

In a written response to questions fromAP, HKND said the reports would be sub-mitted for approval by the CanalCommission and the government in early2015. A person with firsthand knowledgeof the impact assessments, who lackedauthorization to discuss the matter andspoke on condition of anonymity, said notenough time was allotted for proper studyand consultation. “The studies are going tosay that there are a number of things thatneed to be considered, and some of themsimply can’t be considered when you’vealready decided how everything’s going topan out and you’ve already started doingit,” the person said.—AP

Rising anger as Nicaragua

canal to break ground

MANAGUA, Nicaragua: In this Dec 10, 2014 photo, farmers shout slogans against theconstruction of the planned inter-oceanic canal as they arrive for a national protestmarch. — AP

GOP fights to hang onto Senate - in 2016WASHINGTON: Senate majority in hand, ascen-dant Republicans are set to challenge PresidentBarack Obama and the Democrats on Capitol Hillcome January. But a much tougher election maptwo years from now could force the GOP right backinto the minority. In November 2016, Republicanswill defend 24 seats, Democrats 10. Seven of theGOP seats are in states that President BarackObama won with 50 percent or more of the vote in2012.

It’s a stark reversal from this past November,when Democrats were the ones contending with abrutal map, including candidates running in sevenstates Obama had lost. Democrats were crushed onElection Day, losing nine seats and their Senatemajority. It will be a tough climb for Democrats tomake up those losses, and there’s no guaranteethey will. But coming off November’s trouncing,Democrats sound eager about their chances in

states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Illinois,while Republicans are preparing more to defendpast victories than try to score new ones.

“There’s no doubt about it, it’s going to be a big-ger challenge than 2014,” said Sen. Ron Johnson ofWisconsin, among the Republicans at the top ofthe Democrats’ pickoff list. “But I think we have areally good opportunity here in the next coupleyears. We will reach out to the other side. I thinkAmericans, Wisconsonites, will find out that we’renot the party of ‘no.’”

Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, one of theDemocrats likely to be safely re-elected in 2016,said his party already is eyeing a path to retakecontrol of the Senate. Democrats would have togain a net of four seats if there’s a Democrat in theWhite House - because the vice president can casttie-breaking votes in the Senate - or five if the GOPwins the presidency. “Picking up four or five seats is

no small task, but we are certainly in a position todo so,” Schatz said. “The electorate is going to bedifferent and I think Democratic elected officialsand candidates and most importantly voters aregoing to be excited for a presidential race, andwe’re excited to play offense.”

Democrats faced strong headwinds on numer-ous fronts in November: Obama’s low approval rat-ings, a scandal involving Department of VeteransAffairs’ hospitals, the Ebola outbreak, the rise ofIslamic State extremists. Compounding everythingwas the painfully slow economic recovery. It’s toosoon to say what new issues may arise in the nexttwo years or how strong the economy will be. Butpresidential elections can favor Democratic con-gressional candidates by increasing turnout ofyoung and minority voters, and Democrats will nothave to spend time distancing themselves from anunpopular incumbent.—AP

MOSCOW: Russian authorities convincedFacebook to shut off a page inviting people toattend a rally in support of an opposition politi-cian, drawing ire from Internet users yesterday.

Supporters on Friday created an eventpage for January 15, the day President VladimirPutin’s biggest critic Alexei Navalny will hearhis verdict in a controversial embezzlementcase which could see him sent him to prisonfor up to 10 years. Russia’s Internet watchdogRoskomnadzor said yesterday that the pagehas been blocked on orders of the generalprosecutor.

The prosecutor “demanded to limit access toa number of resources calling for an unsanc-tioned mass event, including social networkinggroups. The demand has been fulfilled,” RIA-Novosti news agency quoted spokesman VadimAmpelonsky as saying. The Facebook event,called “Public gathering to discuss the verdict”,had over 12,000 people signed up at the time itwas blocked, and now opens only through anon-Russian IP and only for non-Russian users.

Navalny, whose leadership role in the oppo-

sition was built up over the years via his popularanti-corruption blog and carefully-managedInternet campaigns, criticized the social net-working giant for quickly bending underKremlin’s pressure. “It’s a rather unpleasant andsurprising behavior by Russian Facebook. Ithought they would at least demand a courtorder rather than rush to block pages as soon ascrooks from the Roskomnadzor (the Internetwatchdog) ask,” he wrote on his personal page.

Former US ambassador to MoscowMichael McFaul wrote on his Twitter blog thatthe block set a “horrible precedent” and thatFacebook should correct their “mistake” assoon as possible.

Supporters quickly signed up onto newly-created event pages and made new onesblasting Facebook’s “censorship”. Navalny, a 38-year-old lawyer, is accused together with hisbrother Oleg of embezzling nearly 27 millionrubles (more than half a million dollars at theexchange rate at the time) when Yves RocherVostok, the company’s Russian wing, used theirdelivery firm. —AFP

Russia makes Facebook block page of Putin’s top critic

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

DONETSK, Ukraine: As Italian andBarber fiddled with a broken televi-sion set in their base near Ukraine’sfrontline, Accurate laid down hisKalashnikov to tuck into a bowl ofborsch. Across rebel-held territoryin the war-ravaged east, since thestart of the Russian-fuelled conflictthe vast array of military nicknamesused by insurgent fighters hasbecome a strange feature of every-day life.

At separatist positions, the pro-Moscow combatants typically donot use surnames or first namesbut rather military monikers thatare designed to obscure their iden-tities, and often give clues abouttheir characters or past. Noisy orQuiet, Motorola and Wild Boar:translated from Russian, they makea long-and sometimes bizarre-list.

“Honestly speaking, I don’tknow how some people thoughttheirs up. Many chose somethingthat related specifically to them,but others just dreamt somethingup,” says bulky rebel Italian.

As for him, he spent four yearsworking as an agricultural and con-struction worker near Salerno andNaples in Italy before returning to

his native Donetsk region some fiveyears back. The introduction ofnicknames dates back to the begin-ning of the insurgency, when fight-ers wanted to disguise who theywere-not just from the enemy butalso from each other. “In the earlydays when this movement was get-ting started everyone was afraid fortheir life and that their family mightsuffer, and so they began usingcode names,” Italian says.

“We used them to be able tocommunicate with each other,because if someone doesn’t knowyour name then he has less infor-mation about you to use.”

‘Three dozen Tomcats’ Coming up with a good nom de

guerre is something of an art form.Two syllables is the best length-eas-ier to distinguish as a call-sign overthe radio, but short enough to beshouted quickly in the heat of bat-tle.It’s good also to choose some-thing original.

“We’ve got like three dozenTomcats,” says Cid, a commander inthe Oplot, or Fortress, battalion.

The former construction worker,who comes from a nearby town,

took his unusual name from themedieval Spanish knight El Cidknown for his military prowess andadvanced tactics.

“I liked the story of his life andhad read a bit about it, so I chose it,”says the grey-haired rebel, 40.

“I’m the only one with thatname in the insurgency. There isonly one Cid.” As the rebellion hasworn on into its eight month, thesituation is changing and codenames may be becoming things ofthe past. After fighting side by side,trust has grown among the fight-ers, and they say they’ve nowincreasingly started using each oth-er’s real names. “We foughttogether and bonded in differentsituations and got used to knowingeach other,” says Cid. And as theseparatists have strengthened theircontrol over chunks of this

region they are also attemptingto change their image. “We are try-ing to turn ourselves into a realarmy and not just a militia,” therebel commander says. “We aredrawing up lists and movingtowards using first names and sur-names, and the nicknames arebeing phased out.” —AFP

A lot’s in a name in rebel-held east Ukraine

MAIDUGURI: Nigerian soldiers stand guard at the offices of the state-runNigerian Television Authority in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Thousands of membersof Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremist Boko Haram group strike acrossthe border in Cameroon, with coordinated attacks on border towns, a troopconvoy and a major barracks. —AP

JOUE-LES-TOURS, France: Francestepped up security at police and firestations nationwide yesterday after aFrench convert to Islam was shotdead after attacking police with aknife. Bertrand Nzohabonayo waskilled Saturday after entering a policestation in the central town of Joue-les-Tours armed with a knife, serious-ly wounding two officers-slashingone in the face-and hurting another.“The investigation is leading towards

an attack... motivated by radicalIslamist motives,” said a source closeto the probe, which is being carriedout by anti-terror investigators fromthe Paris prosecutor’s office.

The assailant, a French nationalborn in Burundi in 1994, cried “God isgreat” in Arabic during the assault,added the source, speaking on con-

dition of anonymity. Local prosecutorJean-Luc Beck said investigatorswould seek to determine whether“he acted alone or if he acted onorders”, adding that none of the threeinjured police officers were in criticalcondition.

Interior Minister BernardCazeneuve, who rushed to the sceneof the attack on Saturday, said he hadordered “security measures to bestepped up” for police personnel and

firefighters across the country.

‘An isolated act’ Nzohabonayo had previously

committed petty offences but wasnot on a domestic intelligencewatch-list although his brother isknown for his radical views and oncepondered going to Syria, the source

said. On Thursday, Nzohabonayoposted the flag of the radical IslamicState group as his profile picture on aFacebook page identified as his byseveral experts on jihadist groups.

But paradoxically, he also liked apage called “Islamic State in Iraq: Notin my name”, for Muslims that “refuseto be associated” with violencewaged by the group in Iraq and Syria.Photos circulating on social networksshowed a smiling man with a shaved

head and black beard. One of his for-mer sports teachers said he was aquiet, reserved boy. “When he arrivedat the football club from the Parisregion, he was around 16 or 17,” saidthe teacher, who asked not tonamed.

“He wanted to be the referee,which is unusual at that age. He was

devoted to justice.” Several peoplenear his sister’s flat in a poor part oftown refused to believe the attackwas spurred by radical Islamicmotives. “That’s not what our town isabout. We have managed to installdialogue and understandingbetween communities,” said AhmedMoussaoui, a retired man who headsup a local association.

The mayor of the 36,000-strongtown told AFP the incident was a“real shock for all residents”.

“It’s an isolated act in a peacefultown,” said Frederic Augis.

* Concern over lone wolf attacks -A witness of Saturday’s incident at

the police station said he saw fourofficers grab Nzohabonayo to escorthim inside while telling him to “calmdown”, as he started yelling andstruggling. “I saw a large knife, andthen a policeman on the ground withhis neck full of blood, squirtingblood,” Sandgy Dumoulin said. “Thena policewoman had blood on herhead, and a third one-he’s the onewho fired the shots. He fired fourshots.”

The incident comes as govern-ments around the world brace for so-called “lone wolf” attacks by individu-als returning from waging jihadabroad, or who are simply followingIslamic State calls for violence incountries involved in a coalitionfighting the radical group. Last weekin Australia, an Iranian-born Islamistwith a history of extremism and vio-lence entered a cafe and held peoplehostage for 16 hours before beingkilled. Two of the hostages also died.In France last year, a recent convert toIslam also stabbed a soldier in thebusy Paris commercial complex andtransport hub of La Defense. And themain suspect in the murders of fourpeople at Brussels’ Jewish Museum inMay, Mehdi Nemmouche, spentmore than a year fighting withextremists in Syria. —AFP

France probes possible lone wolf ‘radical Islamic’ attack

‘An isolated act in a peaceful town’

The police station in Joue-les-Tours, where French police shot dead a man who attacked themwith a knife. Security was stepped up at police and fire stations across France yesterday. —AFP

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Thousands of members ofNigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremist BokoHaram group strike across the border in Cameroon,with coordinated attacks on border towns, a troopconvoy and a major barracks. Further north, BokoHaram employs recruits from Chad to enforce itscontrol in northeastern Nigerian towns and cities.

In Niger, the government has declared a“humanitarian crisis” and appealed for internationalaid to help tens of thousands of Nigerian refugeesdriven from their homes by the insurgency. Theserecent events show how neighboring countries areincreasingly being drawn into Nigeria’s Islamicuprising. Thousands of people have been killed inNigeria’s 5-year insurgency and some 1.6 millionpeople driven from their homes. “We are concernedabout the increasing regionalization of BokoHaram,” said Comfort Ero, Africa director for theInternational Crisis Group. The countries have beenslow to recognize “the gravity and extent of thethreat from Boko Haram.”

Ero cautioned that cooperation between theneighboring countries is weak. “None of the sides iswilling to share information with the other,” Ero said.“There’s always been a lack of confidence in termsof shared regional security.” She said there is alsodistrust of the capabilities of Nigeria’s once-proudmilitary, which has been battered by Boko Haram. Acourt-martial this week sentenced 54 soldiers todeath by firing squad for refusing to fight theextremists.

Chad responded this week by opening a region-al “counter-terrorism cell” against Boko Haram inN’Djamena, Chad’s capital 40 miles (60 kilometers)from the Nigerian border, according to an adviser toFrench Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. BokoHaram’s threat to neighboring countries was high-lighted on Wednesday, when some 5,000 insur-gents launched simultaneous attacks on bordertowns in Cameroon, that country’s Ministry of

Defense said. During the fighting, the militants setoff a roadside improvised explosive device that hit amilitary convoy. They also attacked the main borderbarracks at Amchide town, the defense statementsaid.

Cameroonian troops repelled the attacks andkilled 116 militants, while losing a sergeant and alieutenant, it said, adding that Boko Haram musthave suffered additional casualties on the Nigerianside caused by Cameroonian artillery fire. Fightersfrom Chad, Niger and Cameroon long have beenidentified among Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria.But residents fleeing Boko Haram now report thatChadian recruits are enforcing Boko Haram’s rule innortheast Nigerian border towns in Borno state.People who escaped from Gajigana village, whichwas attacked a week ago, said fighters they called“Chadian mercenaries” have taken charge of mostcommunities, even sitting in courts to adjudicatelocal disputes.

“They monitor every movement, all the thingswe do, the kind of people you meet with,” said KalliAbdullahi, who escaped to Maiduguri this week andspoke to The Associated Press. If residents break thestrict Shariah law “they will get you and kill you so asto instill fear in people,” he said.

Nigerian government officials confirm that BokoHaram controls 12 of 27 local government areas inBorno state, as well as some in Adamawa and Yobestates. And they long have had camps in Chad,Cameroon and Niger, say experts. The area wherethe four countries’ borders meet is generally poorand long has been ignored by governments.Desertification has intensified tensions. High unem-ployment means there are groups of disgruntledyouths who are an easy target for Boko Haramrecruitment. Across borders, people often belong tothe same tribe and speak the same local languages.Boko Haram offers signing bonuses and monthlypay to those who join, say residents. —AP

Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic uprising poses regional threat

KIEV: The authoritarian leader of Belarus visits Kiev yester-day hoping to revive stalled Ukrainian peace talks he hasbeen hosting in order to calm Europe’s volatile easternedge. But a high-ranking Ukrainian official said BelarussianPresident Alexander Lukashenko will be just as keen to usethe trip to build bridges to Europe that ease his depend-ence on an increasingly isolated Russia.

Two major rounds of negotiations in the Belarussiancapital Minsk in September produced deals on a truce anddisarmament that granted limited self-rule to the twoRussian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine that rebelledagainst Kiev in April. The agreements stemmed the worstfighting but were still followed by at least 1,300 moredeaths. The toll from Europe’s worst security crisis since theBalkans wars of the 1990s now stands at 4,700 — a figureUN officials warn is a conservative estimate.

The clashes left Ukraine in economic ruins and have

turned Russia in Western eyes into an international pariahthat foments conflicts in neighboring countries that haveaspirations to break their bonds with the Kremlin. Moscowdenies backing the insurgents and calls Russian fighters inthe war zone “volunteers”. It also defends its annexation inMarch of Ukraine’s Crimea region as the product of a refer-endum and not a covert deployment of troops.Lukashenko’s first visit to Kiev since its historic shift west-ward last winter comes as EU efforts to get the peace talksback on track are in full swing.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko overnight heldhis third conversation with German Chancellor AngelaMerkel since last weekend about the continued delay ofthe talks. The talks were first pencilled in for September 9and have since been hung up by Kiev’s refusal to discussthe resumption of social payments to militia-run regionsthat Poroshenko cut off last month. Poroshenko and

Merkel agreed that the new talks should “produce ademarcation line and establish a roadmap for withdrawingtroops and releasing hostages,” the Ukrainian president’soffice said. “Petro Poroshenko expressed the hope that allsides of the peace process make an effort to ensure the(meeting) happens soon,” it added on its official website.EU heads of state and Poroshenko had most recentlyhoped to see the Minsk talks convened in the presence ofEuropean and Russian envoys yesterday. But two top rebelnegotiators told AFP that no talks were scheduled for theimmediate future. “The Minsk date has still not been deter-mined,” separatist representative Vladislav Deynego said bytelephone.

Bridges to Europe A senior Ukranian government source told AFP that

both Lukashenko and Kazakh President NursultanNazarbayev-due in Kiev today-were now trying to makeamends for deciding to join a political and economic unionled by Moscow. Russia is lurching through a financial crisissparked by a plunge in the price of its oil exports and apunitive freeze on its firms’ ability to raise money on USand EU markets.

But Lukashenko in particular has been shunned bythe West for his intolerance of dissent and establishmentof what Washington once dubbed “the last dictatorshipin Europe”. Lukashenko and Nazarbayev “have sensedthat (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is weak,” the seniorUkrainian source said. “They would like to see Ukrainehelp them improve relations with Europe.” Belarus andKazakhstan officially joined Russia in a customs union in2010. Their alliance has since been strengthened into an“economic union” open to other countries. Putin hadhoped that Ukraine’s own participation would give thegroup the clout needed to become a real competitor tothe European Union that had room to grow in boomingAsia. —AFP

Belarus strongman looks to revive Ukraine peace talks

SHAKHTARSK: A man walks past the damaged residential building in the easternUkrainian city of Shakhtarsk yesterday. —AFP

KIEV: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (center right) talks with Belarusian PresidentAlexander Lukashenko, second left, during their meeting in Kiev yesterday. —AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

AHMEDABAD: Hardline Hindu groups came underfire yesterday after some 200 Christians were con-verted in the Indian prime minister’s home state,amid increasing concern at the right-wing govern-ment’s perceived pro-Hindu tilt. The radical VishwaHindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) said itconverted Christian tribal people to their originalHindu faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s west-ern home state of Gujarat late Saturday. The massevent drew widespread criticism from Christiangroups and Modi’s political opponents yesterday.They accused radical organizations linked to Modi’sruling party, like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), of forcing or enticing religious minorities toconvert to Hinduism.

“Extreme right wing is flexing its muscles.

VHP/RSS through Hindutatva (“Hinduness”) ... rewrit-ing history and economic policies,” Digvijay Singh, aleader of the opposition Congress party, posted onTwitter early yesterday.

A Gujarat-based priest said he could not “acceptthat anyone who has been a Christian will convert toother religion by personal choice”. “VHP is forcingpeople and luring them to convert their religion,”Father Dominic was quoted as saying by Zee Newschannel’s website. Saturday’s mass ceremony tookplace in a tribal village 350 kilometers (215 miles)south of the state capital Ahmedabad. It happenedhours after Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) and its ideological mentor RSS called fora new law to ban “forced religious conversions”.“Over 200 people were asked to throw their religious

pendants in a holy fire and were given new pen-dants with the image of (Hindu) Lord Rama,” AjitSolanki, a Gujarat state VHP secretary, said.

Solanki however denied using any kind of forceor monetary promises, maintaining that the conver-sions were voluntary. The world’s most populousdemocracy is a secular country under the constitu-tion and religious freedom is considered a funda-mental right.

The issue of mass conversions has paralyzedIndia’s parliament, with opposition lawmakersdemanding Modi make a statement on earlierreports of poor Muslims being coerced intoHinduism. A hardline group linked to the BJP wasaccused of converting some 50 slum-dwellingMuslim families about a week ago in the Taj Mahal

city of Agra. One of the converts told AFP they werepromised ration cards and other financial incentivesif they switched religions. Critics say Hindu hardlinegroups have become emboldened since the BJPwas elected, promoting a Hindu-dominant agenda.Modi, who spent his early years in the RSS, hasmade no comment on religious issues since becom-ing premier.

He was himself accused of failing to curb 2002anti-Muslim riots that claimed at least 1,000 liveswhen he was chief minister of Gujarat. He has alwaysrejected the accusations and India’s Supreme Courtfound no evidence to prosecute him. India is 80 per-cent Hindu while Muslims make up 13.4 percent ofthe 1.2 billion population. Christians, Buddhists,Sikhs and other religions account for the rest. — AFP

Mass conversion in Modi’s home state sparks anger

PESHAWAR: Pakistani Christians pray for the victims of the Peshawar school massacre at St John’s Cathedral in Peshawar yesterday. Hundredsof Pakistanis flocked to a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar yesterday to mourn the 149 people - mainly children — massacred by theTaleban and demand action against militants. — AFP

PESHAWAR: Thousands of Pakistanis flocked to aschool in the northwestern city of Peshawar yester-day to mourn the 149 people mainly children-mas-sacred by the Taleban and demand action againstmilitants. Men, women and children fromPeshawar and other cities visited the army-runinstitution to offer prayers for those killed in thecountry’s deadliest-ever terror attack.

Pakistan has described Tuesday’s bloody ram-page as its own “mini 9/11”, calling it a game-changer in the fight against extremism. Mournersplaced flowers, bouquets, placards and lightedcandles in front of photos of murdered students.Masons laid bricks and poured cement to raise theheight of the wall around the Army Public Schoolas mourners chanted slogans such as “Death to ter-rorists”, “Long live Pakistan army”, “The blood ofmartyrs will not go waste” and “Taliban are sav-ages”. “What kind of a person can kill a child?” askedlocal resident Imdad Hussain, who came to pray forthe children. “What kind of justice is this, what kindof Islam is this?” he asked, urging the governmentswiftly to wipe out terrorists.

A local woman, her face covered with a shawl,said parents had thought their sons and daughterswould be safe in school. But now they believedtheir children were not safe anywhere. “First theyattacked mosques, then markets and now theyhave started attacking schools. We cannot toleratethis. We can die, but we will not let our children bekilled,” she said.

Shugufta Bibi, 28, told AFP her friend lost hisson in Tuesday’s attack and she had come to payrespects to his memory. “I demand that the gov-ernment close in on the terrorists and hang themin public,” Bibi said. Tributes and condolencespoured in on social media websites Facebook andTwitter. The city’s Christian community will cancelChristmas celebrations and will just hold a serviceon December 25, said the Rev Patrick John of AllSaints Church. The school massacre has been con-demned even by the Afghan Taleban, who areloosely affiliated with the Taleban in Pakistan.

In a statement yesterday the regional Al-Qaedachapter also expressed grief at the killings and

urged fellow militants to target only security forces.“Our hearts are bursting with pain and grief overthis incident,” said Osama Mehmood, spokesmanfor Al-Qaeda’s South Asia chapter. After the schoolattack Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended a six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstatingits use for terrorism-related cases.

Two militants convicted of separate offenceswere the first to face the noose. Human RightsWatch termed the executions “a craven politicizedreaction to the Peshawar killings” and demandedthat no further hangings be carried out.

The two militants hanged Friday in the centralprovince of Punjab were Aqil, convicted of anattack on army headquarters in Rawalpindi in2009, and Arshad Mehmood-sentenced forinvolvement in a 2003 assassination attempt on

then-military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.Pakistan put all its airports on red alert

Saturday as the military intensified operationsagainst militants in the lawless northwestern trib-al areas. The Taleban said the school attack by asuicide squad was revenge for the killing of mili-tants’ families in that offensive.

The military has since June been waging theassault against longstanding Taleban and othermilitant strongholds.

But a series of fresh strikes since the Peshawarattack, in which dozens of alleged militants werekilled, suggest the campaign is being stepped up.The army has also been deployed to guard majorprisons housing militants. Officials have said therewould be up to ten more executions in comingdays. — AFP

Pakistanis pray, vow to fight terror at Peshawar school

Red alert as military beefs up crackdown

PESHAWAR: Pakistani soldiers provide security during a mass prayer for the victims of aschool massacre, in Peshawar yesterday. — AFP

PESHAWAR: Al-Qaeda’s regional branch yes-terday said its hearts were “bursting with pain”over the Taleban’s massacre at a Pakistanschool and urged the militants to target onlysecurity forces. The attack on Tuesday killed149 people-mostly children-in the northwest-ern Pakistani city of Peshawar.

“Our hearts are bursting with pain andgrief over this incident,” Osama Mehmood,spokesman for Al-Qaeda South Asia chaptersaid in a four-page emailed statement.

“There is no doubt that the list of crimesand atrocities of the Pakistani army hascrossed the limit and it is true that this army isahead of everyone in America’s slavery andgenocide of Muslims... but it does not meanthat we should seek revenge from oppressedMuslims,” Mehmood said.

“The guns that we have taken up against

Allah’s enemy America and its pet rulers andslave army should not be aimed towards chil-dren, women and our Muslim people,” headded.

Al-Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiriannounced the creation of the new South Asiabranch in September to “wage jihad” inMyanmar, Bangladesh and India. The AfghanTaleban, who are loosely affiliated withTehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP), have alsocondemned the attack, saying killing innocentchildren was against Islam.

Pakistan described the bloody rampage asits own “mini 9/11”, saying it was a gamechanger in its fight against terror. The armyhas been waging a major offensive againstlongstanding Taleban and other militantstrongholds in the restive tribal areas on theAfghan border for the last six months. — AFP

Al-Qaeda ‘bursting with pain’ over Pakistan school attack

GUWAHATI: Three people were killed andfour others wounded in a bomb attack ear-ly yesterday in India’s restive northeast,police said, the second strike in the area inless than a week. The blast shook westImphal, state capital of Manipur, which bor-ders Myanmar-an area that has beenplagued by separatist violence for decades.

“Three laborers were killed in the blastand four more injured,” senior state policeofficial A. Singh told AFP by telephone fromImphal. An IED (improvised explosivedevice) was planted close to a bus depotand went off early yesterday morning,Singh added.

No rebel group has claimed responsibili-ty for the attack and it was not immediatelyclear what the motive was. The blast was

the second such strike in Imphal in lessthan a week. On December 15, a similarexplosion killed one person and injuredfive others. The remote state has long beenaffected by insurgent violence and is hometo dozens of tribal groups and small guer-rilla armies fighting New Delhi’s rule. Theyoften compete against each other in turfwars for dominance in the state. At least50,000 people have lost their lives in insur-gency-driven violence in six of India’s sevennortheastern states since the country’sindependence from Britain in 1947, author-ities say. The militants say the northeast hasbeen largely neglected by India’s politicalleaders, accusing them of focusing only onthe development of the country’s relativelywealthier eight northern states. — AFP

Bomb kills 3 in India’s restive northeast

IMPHAL: The body of a blast victim is seen as an Indian policeman stands at the siteof an explosion in Imphal, the capital of Manipur yesterday. — AP

LAHORE: Pakistan yesterday executed four more militants afterending a six-year moratorium on the death penalty following aTaleban school attack that killed 149 people, officials said. Thehangings follow those of two convicted militants on Friday afterdeath warrants for the six men were signed the day before.“Ghulam Sarwar, Rashid Tipu, Zubair Ahmed and Akhlaq Ahmedhave been hanged for an assassination attempt on GeneralPervez Musharraf”, Pakistan’s former leader, a prison official inthe eastern city of Faisalabad said. Pakistan’s decision to reinsti-tute executions was slammed by human rights groups, with theUnited Nations also calling for it to reconsider the move. Twosenior government officials of central Punjab province, wherethe executions took place, confirmed the hangings.

“The brutal killers were clearly frightened and sought mercyfrom the jail staff on their cruel, inhuman and un-Islamic act,” thestate-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. “They admittedthat their brutal and inhuman acts had finally brought them tothe gallows,” it added.

The government ended the six-year ban on capital punish-ment for terror-related cases following Tuesday’s bloody ram-page on an army run school that killed mostly children.Pakistan’s military chief on Thursday signed the death warrantsfor the six militants who were on death row, after the govern-ment ended the moratorium on Wednesday.

On Friday two militants Aqil, alias Doctor Usman, and Arshad

Mehmood were hanged in Faisalabad jail. Aqil was convicted foran attack on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009 andwas arrested after being injured. Arshad Mehmood was convict-

ed for his involvement in the assassination attempt onMusharraf in 2003. Pakistan’s decision came as the country’spolitical and military leaders have vowed to wipe out the home-

grown Islamist insurgency following Tuesday’s attack. Pakistanimposed a de facto moratorium on civilian executions in 2008,though hanging remains on the statute book and judges contin-ue to pass the death sentence. Only one person has been exe-cuted since then, a soldier convicted by a court martial andhanged in November 2012.

Bullet-riddled bodies Authorities yesterday found eight bullet riddled bodies in

Pakistan’s restive southwestern Baluchistan province, which isfacing a tribal insurgency, sectarian violence and Taleban attacks,officials said. Five bodies were recovered from the district ofPashin and three from that of Ziarat, provincial home secretaryAkbar Durrani said. “We have found eight bodies today which arebeing brought to Quetta for identification and further investiga-tion,” Durrani said. Local police confirmed the discovery of bodiesbut had no immediate details. Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest butleast developed and most sparsely populated province, is rackedby Islamist militants, banditry and sectarian violence betweenSunnis and Shiites. In October the Human Rights Commission ofPakistan said that more than 300,000 people, including minorityShiites and Hindus, had left Baluchistan over the past 10 yearsdue to rising unrest. Pakistani rights group Defence for HumanRights says as many as 2,000 people have disappeared fromacross the country, many from Baluchistan. — Agencies

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taleban yesterdayaccused the United Nations of “enmity andpolitical motives” in reporting that three-quar-ters of a record-high number of civilians killedand wounded this year were victims of theinsurgents.

Denouncing a UN report as “biased andunfounded”, the insurgents accused UN inves-tigators of intentionally skewing statistics toblame the Taleban. The United Nations saidthat for a second year, insurgents were respon-sible for about 75 percent of civilians killed,with the toll reaching a new high of 3,188through November, more than for any otherfull year since it began tracking numbers. The

Taliban said in a statement emailed to journal-ists the assertion was false. “Civilian casualtiesin the current war are mainly caused by theheavy blind US air bombardments,” the mili-tants said, citing disputed reports that a US airstrike killed several school children last week.

They also asserted that Afghan army,police and militias indiscriminately kill civiliansand slammed the United Nations for classify-ing government officials who were assassinat-ed as civilians - the Taliban consider all Afghangovernment workers legitimate targets. TheUnited Nations called on Friday on all sides ofthe war to work to limit civilian deaths andinjuries. — Reuters

Afghan Taleban decry ‘biased’ UN report

Pakistan hangs four more militants after school attack

FAISALABAD: Pakistani soldiers stand guard outside the Faisalabad prison as an execution of convicted militantstook place yesterday. — AFP

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

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister TonyAbbott, battling a slide in public support,reshuffled his cabinet yesterday, promot-ing the overseer of a tough immigrationprogram and throwing out his gaffe-pronedefense minister. Abbott said the shake-upwas for jobs and families and stressed afocus on financial issues as he deals withthe fallout of an unpopular belt-tighteningbudget.

“It is a sign that this government wantsthe economy to be front and centre in thecoming year,” he told reporters in Canberra.Abbott is nearing the end of his first full

year in office hobbled by missteps and asouring economy that have dragged hisapproval ratings to historic lows.

Faced with a collapse in commodityprices and an unruly upper house Senate,that has held Abbott’s first budget hostagesince May, voters have abandoned his con-servative government more quickly thanany other in three decades. The elevationof Immigration Minister Scott Morrison tosocial services minister underscored theshift in priorities away from the secretiveprogram of “turning back the boats” ofthousands of asylum seekers that helped it

win power a year ago.That policy has been criticized by the

United Nations, but Abbott laudedMorrison as “the master of difficult policyand administration” for almost entirelystemming the flow of boats over the pastyear. “He is a very tough and competentpolitical operator,” Abbott said ofMorrison. “He’s also a very decent humanbeing.”

Defense and women Defense Minister David Johnston lost

his job in the reshuffle which came a

month after he embarrassed the govern-ment with comments critical of govern-ment-owned ship-builder ASC, saying hedid not trust it to “build a canoe”.

The comment fuelled expectationsthat most of the work in an A$40 billionsubmarine program will go offshore.Reuters reported in September thatAustralia was leaning toward buying upto 12 off-the-shelf stealth submarinesfrom Japan.

Morrison will be replaced by PeterDutton, a former police detective, in thenew portfolio as Minister for Immigration

and Border Protection. Johnston will bereplaced by Kevin Andrews. Abbott alsoappointed a second woman to his cabi-net, following criticism of a lack of femalerepresentation. Sussan Ley was promot-ed to minister for health and minister forsport, joining Foreign Minister JulieBishop.

“All of our appointments are on merit,”Abbott said when asked if two womenwas enough. “As time goes by and thenumber of women in the parliamentincreases, I’m confident that there will bemore.” —Reuters

Australian PM reshuffles cabinet to focus on jobs, families

In this picture taken on December 3, 2014, Myanmar national and migrantworker Mi Htay collects wood in her garden outside her house in Ban NamKhaem village. —AFP

CAIRNS: The mother of seven ofeight children killed in Australia wascharged with their murder yesterday,police said, describing it as the mosttragic episode in their career as amakeshift memorial saw an outpour-ing of grief. The 37-year-old, namedin local media as Mersane Warria,was charged with eight counts ofmurder after the bodies of the chil-dren-four girls and four boys agedbetween two to 14 — were found inthe northern city of Cairns on Fridaymorning. The murders have stunnedAustralia, still reeling from a dramaticsiege in a central Sydney cafe thisweek, which left two hostages and a

gunman dead, and prompted wide-spread shock and anger.

“I would suspect it might be themost tragic event we have had todeal with,” Cairns detective inspectorBruno Asnicar told reporters. “All ofthe family has been advised (of thecharges). This is very raw and it is avery emotive time for everybody.The family is deeply upset but thecommunity is pulling together.”

The woman remained underguard in a Cairns hospital after beingarrested on Saturday and appearedbefore a magistrate at a bedsidehearing, Queensland police said in astatement. Police said the woman,

who is the mother of the sevenyounger children and the aunt of the14-year-old girl, has sustainedinjuries that are not life-threatening.There will be a formal hearing in aCairns court today, with police set tooppose bail. Officers have notrevealed the cause of death of thechildren but said they were lookinginto various scenarios, including suf-focation.

“We are considering that (suffoca-tion) and that’s why it’s taking a bit oftime,” Asnicar said earlier yesterday.Police previously said that kniveswere found at the house where thebodies were discovered. Autopsies

on the children were continuing andwould be completed late Sunday atthe earliest, police said.

Family in mourning In moving scenes at the makeshift

memorial established in a park nearthe crime scene, a man believed to bethe father of the three youngest chil-dren wailed “my babies, my babies”,Fairfax Media reported. He was joinedat the shrine of flowers and teddybears by other mourning relativesfrom the victims’ Torres Strait Islandercommunity. “The last time I saw hershe kissed me. She said she loved meand she asked for Aus$100 which Isaid I’d give to her on Saturday morn-ing on her birthday,” the father of theoldest victim told Fairfax. “My daugh-ter, she was beautiful.” QueenslandPolice have not officially confirmedthe identity of the mother or the fam-ily for cultural reasons. In someindigenous cultures it is considereddisrespectful to say a deceased per-son’s name.

Church services and communitygatherings were also held in Cairns toremember the children.

The dead children were reportedlydiscovered by the mother’s 20-year-old son when he arrived at the housein the Cairns suburb of Manoora onFriday morning. The deaths came as ashock to police, who said the housewas not known as a “problem house”.“I’m not trying to pretend that thisarea hasn’t been a problem in thepast,” Asnicar said. “But what I’m say-ing is that to my team we haven’t hadany particular issues here and it’s nota consideration of my investigationplan at all.” Cairns is a northern tropi-cal city with a population of morethan 150,000 people and is popularwith international tourists as a gate-way to the Great Barrier Reef, one ofAustralia’s biggest tourist sites. —AFP

Australian mother charged with murder of 8 children Mother of seven to appear in court today

CAIRNS: People hugging at the scene where eight children ranging from babies to teenagerswere found dead in a house in the northern Australian city of Cairns. —AFP

Myanmar migrants haunted by memory of tsunami missing

Some 230,000 people were killed inthe Indian Ocean tsunami set off by amagnitude 9.1 earthquake on Dec. 26,2004. A dozen countries were hit, fromIndonesia to India to Africa’s east coast.Scores of Associated Press journalistscovered the disaster, and as the 10thanniversary approached, the AP asked10 of them to describe the images thathave stuck with them the most. This isthe f if th of their stories, which arebeing published daily through Dec 26.

Jim Gomez, the AP’s chief corre -spondent in the Phi l ippines, wasdeployed to the worst-hit area, BandaAceh, I ndonesia : I accompanied abody-collecting team as it plumbedwrecked villages in Banda Aceh. Thebody collectors followed swarms offlies, and the stench, to find bodieshidden under col lapsed bui ldings.Once their rickety van was filled withbodies, it would dart across the city toa mass grave at the outskir ts, sirenwailing.

I rode beside the driver, who unlikeme wasn’t even wearing a medicalmask. Behind me was a small windowthrough which I could see the pile ofrotting human remains in the back.

Everywhere you looked, the sightswere simply graphic. But the imagesthat lingered long in my mind were notthe terrible scenes of massive death.What moved me were the sights ofpeople along the street as the vandrove by with a smell so strong therecould be no doubt about what it con-tained.

Most people turned their backs andwalked briskly away. Some did not,including a despondent, unkempt manwho looked like a father by his lonesome,and a downcast woman with a child.They covered their noses like everyoneelse, but examined our passing van as ifwhoever they were looking for might beinside. I watched them as we rolled away.Their eyes stayed fixed on the van until itvanished from sight. —AP

Tsunami: Scenes of grief, viewed from van of death

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia: Cars. Fishing boats.Houses. Entire villages. The 2004 tsunami leftBanda Aceh with mountains of debris up to 6 kilo-meters (4 miles) inland. Driving in the remadecommunities today, it’s easy to wonder where itall went. Some of it is still there - recycled intoroad materials, buildings and furniture. Some of itwas burned, creating new environmental hazards.And most of it was simply washed out to sea.

Ten years after that gigantic wave engulfedthis city of 4 million on the day after Christmas,

Banda Aceh has been almost totally restored. Thetangled mountains of rubbish are gone, and it’shard to imagine the destruction that once chokedrivers, blocked streets and ripped up trees by theroots.

The endless heaps of twisted metal, splinteredwood and broken concrete have all disappearedexcept for some scattered reminders for touristsand local residents. A drive along the coast high-lights a stunning coastline with new housesperched near the beach. Lush mangroves havebeen planted to help withstand future tsunamis,fishermen are back at sea and farmers are againworking their rice paddies.

Still, authorities are concerned about the

health and environmental risks posed by debriscontaminated by oil, asbestos and medicalwaste sitting on the seafloor off the coast and in32 unregulated dump sites around the city.“Unsafe disposal of waste will cause further envi-ronmental damage in the long term,” saidKuntoro Mangkusubroto, who headed the Acehand Nias Reconstruction and RehabilitationAgency, which led the massive clean-up effortand was dissolved in 2009 after the job wasjudged finished.

Hardest hit cityBanda Aceh, located on the northern tip of

Indonesia’s Sumatra island, was the hardest hitcity by the disaster, which devastated hundredsof communities in more than a dozen countriesaround the Indian Ocean.

The tsunami left an estimated 10 million cubicmeters (13 million cubic yards) of debris here,most of it washed into the ocean, Mangkusubrotosaid. If all that was squeezed into a 1-hectare (21/2 acre) field, it would create a tower of trash1,000 meters (3,000 feet) tall.

Cleaning up the wrecked city was a mam-moth, often overwhelming, task. For weeks, thestreets were strewn with rubble, and rescue work-

ers retrieved dead bodies from under houses andin ponds, said Abdul Mutalib Ahmad, whoworked at Banda Aceh’s only landfill and wit-nessed the tsunami from atop a three-story build-ing. “Debris was everywhere,” he said. “Wethought we were facing severe public healthproblem with the massive amount of waste.”

At first, many survivors simply burned woodand other garbage. But authorities discouraged

them from doing that because it polluted theair and could expose them to harmful toxins thatmight lead to respiratory problems. Some trashwas covered with oil or chemicals, making itextremely flammable and hazardous, and in atleast one case, a fire spread uncontrollably over alarge area.

As key roads were cleared, trucks began cart-ing tons of debris to the landfill every day for atleast a year, Ahmad said. But some wasteinevitably got dumped at random sites aroundthe city. They still contain leaky oil drums andasbestos-laced housing materials.

Hazardous waste that was found among therubble was buried in a separate marked areainside the city ’s landfill, according to TomiSoetjipto, the Indonesia spokesman for the UNDevelopment Program, which oversaw much ofthe clean-up. And nearly 50 tons of expired med-ications - some of it donated after the tsunami -sit in a warehouse awaiting safe disposal. Threemonths after the tsunami, the UNDP started a$40.5 million recycling program that employed400,000 temporary workers to pluck wood andstone from the rubble and use the materials

to rebuild roads and houses as well as to makefurniture. The recycled waste was used to recon-struct 100 kilometers (62 miles) of roads and man-ufacture 12,000 pieces of wooden furniture,Mangkusubroto said.

The UNDP’s Tsunami Recovery WasteManagement Project cleared about 1 millioncubic meters (1.3 million cubic yards) of debrisfrom the city, enough to fill 400 Olympic swim-ming pools. It also trained about 1,300 govern-ment workers in overseeing the program.

Some 67,000 metric tons of other recyclablematerials such as glass, plastic and cardboardwere diverted from landfills and sold in local mar-kets. Indonesian authorities say the clean-up waspossible only with the help of the internationalcommunity. “Finally, the mounting tsunami rub-bish was cleared. For such a huge job like that, theworld didn’t leave us alone to face it,”Mangkusubroto said. —AP

10 years on, where did all the tsunami debris go?

In this Monday, Dec 27, 2004 file photo, debris litter the front lawn of BaiturrahmanGrand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia. —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

BAN NAM KHEM, Thailand: A decade after tower-ing waves wrenched her newborn baby from herarms, Mi Htay remains haunted by memories ofthe children she lost in the tsunami whose bodies,like hundreds of other Myanmar migrants inThailand, were never identified.

No one knows exactly how many foreign labor-ers died when the tsunami cut into southwesternThailand as most lacked official work permits andtheir relatives did not come forward in the daysand weeks after the December 26, 2004, disasterfearing arrest or deportation.

An estimated 2,000 migrants from neighboringMyanmar are thought to have perished, deathsthat went almost unnoticed as the television cam-eras focused on foreign tourists and Thai victims.

Among them were Mi Htay’s eight-day-oldbaby-too young even to have been given a name-two of her other children, both toddlers, as well asher mother and a nephew. Despite the achingreminders of her loss, Mi Htay returned around ayear later to the small coastal village of Ban NamKhem, in Thailand’s worst-hit Phang Nga province,in search of work in the area’s fisheries.

“When I am working, I can forget what hap-pened,” the now 40-year-old said, pointing out thespot where the waves pulled her newborn awayfrom her grasp. “But when I see other families withtheir children going to eat, I feel so sad. If theywere alive, we would be like that. I can’t forget itfor one day.” In 2006 Mi Htay-whose two oldestchildren survived the disaster-was informed thatthe bodies of her mother and nephew had beenidentified as part of what was, at the time, thebiggest global forensic investigation.

The Indian Ocean tsunami, which was sparkedby the third-largest earthquake on record, claimedmore than 220,000 lives in one of the world’sdeadliest and most geographically widespreaddisasters.

More than 3,000 bodies were identified andreturned to families across the world by Thai andinternational experts in the years after the tsunamiusing dental records, DNA or fingerprints.

But Mi Htay’s three missing children were notamong them. “I presume they are dead. But maybethey are alive as they haven’t found the bodies.Maybe they are with other people. I keep thinkinglike that,” she said.

Migrants return Other than a small sign in Thai pointing to a

nearby evacuation shelter, there is little evidenceof the tsunami that wiped out nearly half of the vil-lage’s 5,000 people. The sparsely furnished apart-ments Myanmar nationals rent from Thais havebeen rebuilt and the pier is bustling with migrantssliding bucket-loads of freshly-caught fish offboats and into factories, where workers like MaMee Htay gut fish for around $10 a day.

There are more migrant laborers in Phang Nga

province than before the tsunami and now mostare registered, says Htoo Chit, director of theFoundation for Education and Development chari-ty. An estimated two million Myanmar nationalswork in Thailand, where they make up part of avast migrant labor force often working in low-paidjobs and poor conditions, subject to exploitation.Htoo Chit recalls the difficulty in identifying thedecomposing bodies of undocumented victimswith no official records, a problem compoundedby the mass deportation of over 2,500 migrants inthe aftermath of the tsunami.

“Most of them (the deported) lost their rela-tives. They didn’t want to come back to Thailandagain to claim the dead,” he said. Htoo Chit esti-mates around 1,000 Myanmar migrants werekilled or missing in Phang Nga alone. HumanRights Watch estimates the overall figure at some2,000 for all six tsunami-hit Thai provinces.

Some of these deaths are accounted for inThailand’s official toll of 5,395. The national policeforensic department has recorded around 400people still missing, a quarter from Myanmar.

Remains finally returned At the nearby Bang Muang cemetery, 369 bod-

ies lie unidentified beneath concrete headstoneslabeled simply with serial numbers on laminatedcards. Authorities believe the majority areMyanmar nationals but have no DNA samples tocheck against. The remains of a further 49 Thainationals lie identified but unclaimed. At the farend of the graveyard, an empty stainless steel cof-fin serves as a reminder of the scaled back-but stillongoing-operation to return corpses. Up until lastmonth it had been the resting place of Nepali tai-lor Rajan Dhaurali, whose body was identifiedthrough a DNA match with his sister two yearsafter he died in neighboring Khao Lak. But, with-out the documents to show he was a Myanmarnational, like others in his family who holdMyanmar passports but are Nepali by origin,police refused to release the body, according tothe Phuket Thai-Nepali Association.

It helped track down Dhaurali’s children andthe documents required to retrieve the remainsafter it was alerted to the case by media outletsahead of the tsunami anniversary. At the housewhere she now works as a live-in nanny in Patongtown, his daughter Depa, 20, said her family’s deepgrief was tinged with relief after finally crematingtheir father in November.

“I couldn’t believe it after 10 years... It felt bad,but in some ways it’s a relief. I would like to find mysister and mother too,” Depa said of the two familymembers who died the same day and whose bod-ies remain unidentified.

For now she, like Mi Htay, is focused on build-ing her life anew in Thailand, learning to live withunanswered questions as best as she can. —AFP

N E W SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Continued from Page 1

By yesterday, candles and flowers had piled up at animpromptu memorial at the scene of the shooting. MayorBill de Blasio and police chief Bratton somberly attended amass at Saint Patrick’s cathedral in New York led byCardinal Tim Dolan. But the double-killing, in a city wheremurders are at their lowest rates in 20 years, furtherstrained the already fraught relations between de Blasioand police.

A number of officers, in apparent homage to their slaincolleagues, turned their backs to the mayor at the hospitalSaturday night. Police officers accuse de Blasio of failing tosupport them and of being too sympathetic to demon-strators who, in recent weeks, have been protesting policeviolence against African-Americans. In July, Eric Garner, anunarmed father of six, died after police held him in achokehold while he was being arrested for selling individ-ual cigarettes illegally in New York. Michael Brown, an 18-year-old in the Ferguson suburb of St Louis, Missouri, wasshot dead by a police officer in August, sparking monthsof protests. Grand jury decisions not to indict either whiteofficer responsible triggered mass protests in New Yorkand other US cities.

“Mayor de Blasio... the blood of these two officers isclearly on your hands,” said Edward Mullins, president of

the Sergeants Benevolent Association of some 11,000active or retired New York police officers. Earlier thismonth, there was even an online petition in which policeasked the mayor not to attend their funerals if they died inthe line of duty.

The former Republican governor of New York, GeorgePataki, also condemned “these barbaric acts,” which hesaid were the “predictable outcome of divisive anti-coprhetoric of #ericholder & #mayordeblasio #NYPD.” Holderis the US attorney general. De Blasio responded yesterday,calling it “unfortunate that in a time of great tragedy,some would resort to irresponsible, overheated rhetoricthat angers and divides people”.

And a number of voices called for calm and for unity,including President Barack Obama, who on Saturday“unconditionally” condemned the killing, and called onAmericans “to reject violence and words that harm, andturn to words that heal”. The families of Garner and Brownalso strongly urged against “any kind of violence directedtoward members of law enforcement. It cannot be tolerat-ed. We must work together to bring peace to our commu-nities.” And Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams alsostressed that responsibility lay first and foremost with theshooter. “Blood is not on the hands of the mayor. Theblood is on the hands of the sick person who took the lifeof two innocent police officers.” — Agencies

Shock and anger after two NY cops...

AMMAN: Human rights groups took Jordan to task yesterdayas the country ended an eight-year moratorium on the deathpenalty by hanging 11 men convicted of murder. The menwere executed at dawn in a prison some 70 km from the capi-tal, interior ministry spokesman Ziyad Zoobi was quoted assaying by the official Petra news agency. Authorities said themen were all Jordanians convicted of murder, with no links topolitics or extremism, in 2005 and 2006. A source in the prisonsystem said the men were mostly in their 40s. “Some of theprisoners asked to have their final words passed on their fami-lies, others asked only to smoke a cigarette,” the source said.

Jordan’s last previous executions were in June 2006, and122 people have since been sentenced to death. Interior

Minister Hussein Majali had suggested recently that themoratorium might end, saying there was a “major debate” inJordan on the death penalty and that “the public believes thatthe rise in crime has been the result of the non-application” ofcapital punishment.

Experts said the government was responding to a rise incrime. “The authorities have been confronted in recent yearswith a wave of violence, criminality and murders and want tomeet the challenge by opting for deterrence and therenewed application of the death penalty,” said Oraib Rantawi,head of Amman’s Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies.

But rights groups denounced the ending of the moratori-um, saying it would make little difference to rising crime. “We

are surprised by this decision, which is a step back forJordan,” said Taghreed Jaber, the regional director for PenalReform International. Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East direc-tor at Human Rights Watch, said: “Reviving this inherentlycruel form of punishment is another way Jordan is backslid-ing on human rights.” She said that by resuming executions,“Jordan loses its standing as a rare progressive voice on thedeath penalty in the region”.

The head of Jordan’s Adallah (Justice) rights group,Assem Rababa, said the authorities would be better off tack-ling the root causes of crime. “Political and economic prob-lems are fostering crime,” he said. “The authorities shouldnot make a headlong rush (into executions) while ignoring

these problems.”London’s ambassador to Amman, Peter Millett, said

Britain believes use of the death penalty “undermineshuman dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence that ithas any value as a deterrent, and that any miscarriage of jus-tice is irreversible and irreparable”. A number of countries inthe Middle East continue to impose the death penalty forserious crimes, including Jordan’s neighbour Saudi Arabia,which has executed 83 people so far this year. China by farcarried out the most executions in 2013, numbering in thethousands, followed by Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and theUnited States, rights group Amnesty International said in areport in March. — AFP

An Indian man stands on the shore of the Arabian Sea during the sunset in Mumbai yesterday. Mumbai, which is also known as the financial capital of India, is the fourth most populous city in the world. — AP

Continued from Page 1

UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei was emphat-ic that OPEC, which pumps a third of global crude sup-plies, will not make any move soon to shore up the mar-ket. “We will not interfere with market fundamentalsand do something that is a short fix,” he said. “We needat least six months” to assess the market and “even ifnothing happens when we meet after six months, wewill not change our position,” Mazrouei said.

Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdulmahdi also ruled outcalls for an OPEC emergency session. “We have to waitand see the reactions of the oil markets and other coun-tries,” Abdulmahdi said, adding that he believes oilprices will stabilise around $60 a barrel. Saudi Arabia,Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq pump around 20 millionbarrels a day, or two-thirds of OPEC output. The carteldecided last month to maintain its productionunchanged at 30 million barrels per day, which led to aslump in oil prices.

The benchmark Brent oil price is hovering around$60 a barrel after losing almost half of its value sinceJune. Gulf ministers blamed “irresponsible” non-OPECproducers for the plunge in prices, but voiced confi-dence markets would rebound. “One of the main causesis irresponsible production by some producers from

outside the organisation,” the UAE’s Mazrouei said.Naimi lashed out at non-OPEC members, blaming theglobal price fall on a “lack of cooperation by main pro-ducing countries outside OPEC, misleading informationand speculators’ greed”. The Saudi minister said somehigh-cost unconventional producers will not be able tocontinue under low oil prices.

Analysts have said Saudi Arabia is content to seeshale oil producers - and even some OPEC memberssuch as Nigeria and Venezuela - suffer from low pricesrather than reduce output to boost prices. But Naimi dis-missed claims of a Saudi “plot” to push prices down forpolitical reasons, insisting that the kingdom’s policy is“based on pure economic principles”. Russia and OPEC-member Iran, whose economies rely heavily on oil rev-enues, have spoken of a market conspiracy to holdprices down after OPEC’s decision to keep output steady.

Gulf countries are forecast to lose at least half theirincome from oil, or around $350 billion a year, at currentprice levels. But Gulf bourses yesterday rallied for thesecond day in a row, as oil prices steadied. The DubaiFinancial Market surged 9.9 percent, Qatar was 7.6 per-cent higher and the Saudi bourse rose 2.5 percent. AbuDhabi shares increased 3.5 percent, Kuwait added 3.3percent, while the small markets of Oman and Bahrainrose 5.5 percent and 1.4 percent respectively. — AFP

Gulf stands firm on oil output

Jordan ends death penalty freeze, hangs 11

By Tami Abdollah and Eric Tucker

The hackers who hit Sony Pictures Entertainment daysbefore Thanksgiving crippled the network, stole gigabytesof data and spilled into public view unreleased films and

reams of private and sometimes embarrassing executive emails.One month later, the Obama administration confirmed whatmany had suspected: The North Korean government was behindthe punishing breach. US officials are promising a response,unspecified so far.

It was an extraordinarily public reaction from the highest lev-els of American government, considering that far more vitaldomestic interests have taken hits from foreign hackers in recentyears - including the military, major banks and makers of nuclearand solar power whose trade secrets were siphoned off in a mat-ter of mouse clicks. Yet even in a digital era with an endless cycleof cyberattacks, none has drawn the public’s attention like theSony breach and its convergence of sensational plotlines:l An isolated dictator half a world away.l Damaging Hollywood gossip from the executive suite.l Threats of terrorism against Christmas Day moviegoers.l The American president chastising a corporate decision to

shelve a satirical film.l Normally reticent law enforcement agencies laying bare their

case against the suspected culprits.“I can’t remember the US talking about a proportional

response to Chinese espionage or infiltration of critical infrastruc-ture for that matter, as a policy issue in the same way that we’retalking about this today,” said Jacob Olcott, a cyberpolicy andlegal issues expert at Good Harbor Security Risk Managementand a former adviser to Congress. President Barack Obama saidFriday the US would respond to the cyberattack, though he didnot say how, after the FBI publicly blamed North Korea. He alsocriticized Sony’s decision to cancel the release of “The Interview”,a comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader.

“This is uncharted territory,” said Chris Finan, a former WhiteHouse cybersecurity adviser. “The things we do in response tothis event will indelibly serve to influence future nation statebehavior.” North Korea has denied hacking the studio, and onSaturday proposed a joint investigation with the U.S., warningof “serious” consequences if Washington said no. The WhiteHouse sidestepped the idea, said it was confident that NorthKorea was responsible and urged North Korean governmentofficials to “admit their culpability and compensate Sony for thedamages this attack caused.”

Friday’s announcement was a critical moment in an investi-gation that united the government and cybersecurity profes-sionals who conducted painstaking technical analysis. Thebreach was discovered days before Thanksgiving when Sonyemployees logged onto their computers to find a screen mes-sage saying they had been hacked by a group calling itselfGuardians of Peace. Experts scoured months of system logs,determining through spikes in network traffic and other anom-alies that the attackers had conducted surveillance on the net-work since spring.

The first goal was to determine the extent of the damage tothe network, so crippled that investigators or any other visitorsneeded handwritten credentials to gain entry. As they exam-ined the malware, they detected that it was similar toDarkSeoul, used in attacks on South Korea banking and mediainstitutions and connected to North Koreans. Investigatorsdetermined the Internet protocol addresses used, and foundthat one in Bolivia was the same as one in the DarkSeoul hack.They also found time zone and language settings in Korean,and that the malware itself had source code believed to be heldby North Korea.

The FBI statement said clues included similarities to othertools developed by North Korea in specific lines of computercode, encryption algorithms and data deletion methods. Moresignificantly, the FBI discovered that computer Internet

addresses known to be operated by North Korea were commu-nicating directly with other computers used to deploy and con-trol the hacking tools and collect the stolen Sony files. Thatanalysis, along with a North Korean official’s declaration that“The Interview” was an “act of war,” served to bolster the case fora North Korean motive.

In general, it’s exceedingly difficult to pin down responsibili-ty for a cyberattack because hackers typically try to throw inves-tigators off their trail. North Korea’s Internet infrastructure is air-gapped, or not directly connected to the outside world, exceptby proxies through other countries, so it’s even more difficult toattribute the hack. Even when investigators do zero in on sus-pected culprits, there’s often a political calculation about whenand whether to publicly name them. The Justice Departmenttook the unusual step in May of announcing indictmentsagainst five Chinese military officials accused of cyberespi-onage, but in many other instances, the public never learns thenationalities of the hackers, much less their identities.

In Sony’s case, the FBI had been cautious about assigningblame to North Korea despite the evidence. Just a week beforethe public announcement, FBI Director James Comey had toldreporters, “Before we attribute a particular action to a particularactor, we like to sort the evidence in a very careful way to arriveat a level of confidence that we think justifies saying ‘Joe did it’or ‘Sally did it,’ and we’re not at that point yet.”

Beyond the FBI’s announcement Friday, there were nodetails on remedies for Sony, no statement holding North Korearesponsible for the already-known criminal acts of leakingcopyright material, and no demand that North Korea return thestolen data. “It seems highly unusual for the US government tomake an announcement like the FBI made today without a cor-responding plan of action, which is exactly what was missingfrom the statements,” Olcott said. “It was a press release toencourage more companies to work with the FBI in the future,but we actually don’t really know why.” —AP

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A N A L Y S I SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Sony saga blends intrigue, star wattage

By Alexandre Grosbois

Cuba’s iconic stock of refurbished vin-tage American sedans from the1950s may be facing their last trips to

the garage soon, following the historicthawing of ties between Havana andWashington. Flashy Pontiacs, Plymouths,Dodges and Chevrolets, as well as crudelypatched and rickety classics make up theCommunist island’s 70,000 “almendrones”,cars affectionately called large almonds fortheir rounded shape. Fancier classic modelsare rented for special occasions while theirmore rundown counterparts are driven astaxis and by families.

But they all have one thing in common:they survived the Cuban Revolution, theCold War, and the collapse of the SovietUnion. The almendrones owe their lastingnature to the master skills of local mechan-ics, as well as to the American embargo andCuban authorities who put the brakes onreplenishing the island’s stock of cars.Purchasing and selling the vehicles, whichhas only been allowed for the past threeyears, is only permitted for Cubans.

‘Puts Food on Table’ The easing of the five-decade US trade

embargo, one part of the rapprochementannounced Wednesday, is likely to awakenthe attention and desire of car connois-seurs worldwide, who are eager to snatchup the classic models. “You would have topay me good money to sell my car,” AramisCarmona, 40, told AFP, watching touristsfrom his white and red 1953 Chevy withhubcaps and a chrome bumper. “It putsfood on the table,” the amateur mechanicsaid. “When I have a little money, I buymotor oil instead of cooking oil, because Iknow that that will help me feed my family.”He said he had given new life to the “wreck”he bought ten years ago for $7,000.

During the Revolution Fidel rode aroundin an Oldsmobile with guns hidden in theseat. Ernesto “Che” Guevara went for rides,cigar in mouth, at the wheel of aStudebaker. This was before Cuba decided

to swap its Western cars for more “revolu-tionary” vehicles, like the famous RussianGAZ-69 jeep adopted by “El Comandante”Castro.

Never Blotted Out In the 1960s and 1970s, Peugeot 404s

made in Argentina, then Czech Skodas andSoviet Ladas tried to take over the road butwith limited success, as the vintageAmerican models kept passing from handto hand. Peugeots and Chinese modelsappeared on Cuban roads in the 1990s and2000s, but they, too, never overpowered

the omnipresent American classics.However, few original parts remain underthe cars’ hoods after numerous patchupsfrom crack mechanics who have broughtthem back from the dead multiple times.

Carmona said that he replaced hisChevy’s original motor four years ago witha BMW diesel model that consumed far lessfuel. The original went only 6 km per liter.British architect Norman Foster, struck bythe cars’ looks and upkeep during a recenttrip to Cuba, paid tribute in the book“Havana: Autos and Architecture,” where hedescribes a tight relationship between the

island’s history and its vehicles.He tells of Ruben Hernandez, who in

1951 bought a Buick Super Dynaflow. In1959, his family’s belongings were confis-cated in the Cuban Revolution, butHernandez managed to save the car. Thecollector ’s item now belongs to hisyoungest son William Hernandez whoinherited it in 1989. Since then, he’s taken itevery day to display alongside other flashycars at Havana’s tourist hot spots. For $25per hour, he offers passersby a ride back intime, in a vehicle whose days may now belimited. —AFP

Thaw could spell end for Cuba’s iconic cars

Israel’s high cost of living is set to dominate a March 17 elec-tion that could shake up Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu’s coalition, with voter anger symbolised by an

overpriced dessert. In a country where the influence of smallparties makes elections notoriously hard to forecast, manyexperts still expect rightwing leader Netanyahu to keep power.But the focus on domestic policy and economics, rather thanon security and Palestinian peacemaking, means the outcomeis even more difficult to predict than usual.

Some Israelis are speaking of an election that could sweepaway the familiar political order, in which left and right havejockeyed for power by appeasing interest groups while doinglittle to reform an economy dominated by big conglomerates.“I now believe we have a chance to exile our failed leaders. Wehave a moment to change the direction Israel goes,” said NaorNarkis, a 25-year-old former intelligence officer who becamean unlikely overnight national celebrity when he posted a pho-to on Facebook showing a chocolate pudding in Berlin sellingfor a third of the price of a similar “Milky” dessert in Israel.

The cost of living has been at the top of the domestic politi-cal agenda since 2011, when hundreds of thousands of Israelistook to the streets in protests sparked by the rising price ofcottage cheese, a popular staple. In the last election 18 monthsago, the issue helped propel TV personality and political new-comer Yair Lapid to the post of finance minister after his cen-trist party placed second. But since then, many Israelis sayLapid failed to deliver on promises of economic reform, andvoters say they are now more serious about holding politiciansaccountable. Polls predict Lapid’s Yesh Atid party will shrink toabout half its size.

Netanyahu’s own Likud party could also lose votes. It mighteven win fewer seats than a left-centre bloc led by oppositionLabour leader Isaac Herzog and centrist former peace negotia-tor Tzipi Livni, though Netanyahu could remain prime ministeranyway if they have difficulty forming a coalition. Polls showvoters shifting to a new centrist party led by Moshe Kahlon,one of the few politicians with a reputation as a successful eco-nomic reformer. As communications minister two years ago hewas behind a plan to allow new mobile phone operators intothe market, which helped bring down prices.

Netanyahu held onto power in the last election despite acampaign that critics said focussed too much on his familiartheme of national security, and not enough on economicissues. This time around, he is making the economy a centraltheme. On Sunday he proposed raising the minimum wage forcivil servants and marketing more lower cost apartments. Hehas promised to lift the 18 percent value added tax on milk,cheese, eggs and bread. Even his bedrock issue, national secu-rity, depends on “economic strength and economic growth”, hesays. “It’s for the needs of our lives, the quality of our lives. Tosecure the future of our youth, all this requires a strong econo-my.”

Young Will LeaveIsrael is a rich country, but its prices are higher and wages

are lower than in the United States and Western Europe. Sincebecoming a star over the “Milky” pudding, Narkis has arguedthat unless Israel becomes more affordable, young Israelis “willjust leave”. After military service, he asked himself, “‘What doesthis country have to offer me?’ The answer was not a lot. Even ifyou work here in a full time job you are not able to buy anapartment,” he told Reuters. “Israel is a country for very richJews and the rest can go,” he said. “The biggest threat to Israelis that young people won’t want to live here.”

Fixing the cost of living problem requires deep reforms ofan economy dominated by a few powerful conglomerates thathave stifled competition. Big companies are slated to be bro-ken up, but the process will take years. The government hasformed many committees to study the problem, but fewchanges have been made. A government survey in June foundthat 4 in 10 Israelis are not able to make ends meet and 47 per-cent are not satisfied with their economic situation. A basket ofbasic products was 12 percent more expensive in Israel thanthe OECD average last year, according to the Bank of Israel,while gross salaries are $10,000 lower. While Israel’s consumerprice index rose 23 percent in the past 11 years, food pricesjumped 39 percent.

High TaxesThe business sector puts much of the blame for high con-

sumer costs on Israel’s VAT and high import taxes aimed at pro-tecting farmers and producers. Uriel Lynn, who heads theFederation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, called this inter-vention “anachronistic”. “Stop wasting so much time and com-plicating things in making more laws ... and interfering sointensely in the way the business sector functions. Just exposethe total industry to importation,” he said. —Reuters

By Steven Scheer and Tova Cohen

Focus

Israelis whipped up in chocolate

pudding election

Old American cars are seen in a street of Havana on Dec 19, 2014. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

FRANCE: Lindsey Vonn will have to wait until the New Year for a record-equalling women’s World Cup victory after she crashed in a Super-G won byAustria’s Elisabeth Goergl yesterday.

The race in Val d’Isere was the American’s first chance of matching therecord of 62 wins set by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell in 1980.

She had dominated Saturday’s downhill on the same course but onSunday took a turn wide, crashed into a gate and was unable to

complete her last race of 2014. “Yesterday was a great day, but avery long day,” she said. “I missed a little bit of elevation(today) and I wasn’t able to make the gate.

“The positive thing is that my knees are good and I’m stillgoing home for Christmas with a big smile,” added the

American, who returned this month from a year out of actionafter two knee operations. The four-times World Cup cham-

pion will return in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, on Jan. 10and 11 while races scheduled for Semmering on Dec. 28and 29 were moved to Innsbruck for lack of snow.Former world champion Goergl mastered the tricky Vald’Isere course to clinch her seventh World Cup win inone minute and 25.42 seconds.—Reuters

Vonn’s record wait continues

LONDON: England cricket chiefs have moved quickly to make it clear thatAlastair Cook’s dismissal as one-day captain has not opened the door for areturn to international cricket for batsman Kevin Pietersen. The SouthAfrican-born maverick’s undermining of Cook was one of the reasonsPietersen was cast aside by England in January after England’s 5-0 defeat inthe last Ashes series in Australia.

The swashbuckling stroke-maker has a much better relation-ship with middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan, who hasreplaced Cook as captain for the World Cup in Australia andNew Zealand early next year. The 34-year-old batsman saidearlier this month that he still had hopes of a recall butEngland and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing directorPaul Downton moved to quell any hopes of a comeback. “Weparted company with Kevin in January because throughoutthe ECB management, from the dressing room up to theboard, it was felt that it was the right decision to go ina slightly different direction,” he told Britain’s DailyTelegraph.—Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi has announcedhis retirement from one-day internationals after next year’s World Cup inAustralia and New Zealand.

Afridi told a news conference on Sunday that after the World Cup, whichstarts on Feb. 14, he will focus on T20 matches leading up to the T20 WorldCup in India in 2016.

Afridi has been named captain of the national T20 side by the PakistanCricket Board. “I am the first Pakistan player to be able to announce hisretirement properly and on a high. I always wanted to do this having seenthe problems faced by other bigger players in the past,” he said.

“I have informed the Pakistan team management about my decision butnot the cricket board as yet. I want to go out of ODIs with self-respect andwith my fans wanting more from me,” he added.

Afridi, 34, has played 389 one-day internationals plus 27 tests and 77T20 matches for Pakistan. He held the ODI record for the fastest century,set in 1996 against Sri Lanka, until New Zealand’s Corey Anderson betteredit this year.

Afridi who is close to completing 400 wickets and 8000 runs in ODIs,having taken 391 wickets and scored 7870 runs so far, said he was hopefulhe will be able to reach this landmark in the World Cup.—Reuters

Afridi to retire from ODIs

S PORTS

No way back for Pietersen

PITTSBURGH: Penguins’ Blake Comeau (17) gets the puck behind the goalie in this file photo. —AP

PITTSBURGH: Derrick Pouliot scored in his NHLdebut and Sidney Crosby ended his drought with athird-period goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins intheir 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers onSaturday night. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 45shots for his fifth win in six games and 19th overall.

Pouliot, a prized prospect on defense, scoredthe eventual game-winner in the first period afterhe was recalled on Saturday. Nick Spaling nettedhis fifth for the Penguins, who won a season-highfifth straight game at home. Pittsburgh has defeat-ed Florida in 12 of the last 14 meetings at homeand 21 of 29 overall. Pittsburgh native VincentTrocheck, a healthy scratch the previous twogames, scored his third of the season for thePanthers, who went to overtime in their previousfour games. Crosby scored his 10th goal of the sea-son and first in nine games. Crosby, who missedthree games with the mumps, remains among theleague leaders in scoring despite recording justthree points in his last seven games.

KINGS 4, COYOTES 2Kings defenseman Alec Martinez scored the go-

ahead goal early in the third period during a powerplay, Marian Gaborik also connected with the manadvantage for his sixth goal in four games, and LosAngeles beat Arizona.

Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis also scored andJonathan Quick made 15 saves for the defendingStanley Cup champions on the third anniversary ofthe day Darryl Sutter was hired as coach. AnzeKopitar, who set a career high for points with a goaland four assists Thursday night in a 6-4 win over St.Louis, had three assists against the Coyotes. MartinHanzal and Kyle Chipchura scored for Arizona, andDevan Dubnyk stopped 31 shots.

ISLANDERS 3, LIGHTNING 1John Tavares and Anders Lee scored 12 seconds

apart in the third period, and New York stunnedTampa Bay with a late comeback.

Shut down nearly all night by first-year goalieAndrei Vasilevskiy, the Islanders stormed back inthe closing minutes after falling behind 1-0 onBrett Connolly’s goal 9:16 into the third.

Tavares tied it with 3:09 remaining, scoring fromthe slot while being knocked to the ice, and Leeput New York in front when he deflected in TravisHamonic’s shot. Nikolay Kulemin sealed it with 1:11left on an empty-net goal.

Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves for the Islanders,who have won four straight. With No. 1 goalie BenBishop out for the third straight game, Vasilevskiystopped 45 shots in his second NHL appearance.Tampa Bay is 2-5-1 in its past eight games.

BLUE JACKETS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2Jack Johnson scored the winner in the ninth

round of a shootout and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped39 shots in regulation and eight in the tiebreaker togive Columbus a victory over Chicago.

Johnson faked a forehand and then jammed ina backhand before Bobrovsky clinched the win byblocking Bryan Bickell’s low attempt.

It was the sixth game in a row to go past regula-tion for the Blue Jackets, who have a nine-gamepoint streak (8-0-1). Jack Skille and KevinConnauton scored goals for Columbus. PatrickSharp and Ben Smith tallied for the Blackhawks,and Corey Crawford made 17 saves. The BlueJackets ended a 13-game losing streak (0-10-3) tothe Blackhawks.

AVALANCHE 5, SABRES 1Alex Tanguay scored twice and Calvin Pickard

made 28 saves as Colorado beat Buffalo.The Avalanche also got goals from Cody

McLeod, John Mitchell and Erik Johnson in endinga two-game skid. Last-minute call-up JohanLarsson scored his first NHL goal for the Sabres,who had won six straight home games. Colorado

has won its last eight against Buffalo dating to2005.

CAPITALS 4, DEVILS 0Braden Holtby made 21 saves, Nicklas

Backstrom had two goals and an assist andWashington rolled past New Jersey. Alex Ovechkinadded a spectacular unassisted goal and defense-man Mike Green also scored as the Capitals extend-ed their point streak to eight games (6-0-2).

The shutout was the second of the season forHoltby, who has started every game in the Capitals’current run. He is now 11-3-3 in his last 17 starts.

Cory Schneider had 17 saves for the Devils, whoagain failed to win consecutive games for the firsttime since the middle of last month. New Jersey isnow 3-8-4 in its last 15 games.

RANGERS 3, HURRICANES 2Mats Zuccarrello scored in the shootout to lift

New York to its fifth straight win. Henrik Lundqvistmade 18 saves before stopping all three Carolinashooters in the tiebreaker.

Kevin Kline tied it with 2:23 remaining and J.T.Miller also scored in the third period for theRangers, who have earned at least one point innine straight games against Metropolitan Divisionopponents. Jeff Skinner and Chris Terry scored forCarolina, and Cam Ward made 32 saves. Zuccarrellobeat Ward with a wrist shot for the only goal of theshootout. Lundqvist stopped Skinner and NathanGerbe before gloving Terry’s backhand to end it.

FLYERS 7, MAPLE LEAFS 4Claude Giroux had two goals and two assists,

Jakub Voracek added four assists to take the NHLscoring lead and Philadelphia handed Toronto itssecond straight loss after a six-game win streak.

Voracek has 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 pointsin 32 games. RJ Umberger, Sean Couturier, NicklasGrossman, Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl alsoscored for the Flyers, and Ray Emery made 21saves. Joffrey Lupul, James van Riemsdyk, DavidClarkson and Peter Holland scored for Toronto.Jonathan Bernier stopped 34 shots, and JamesRiemer made one save on one shot in 10:28 ofrelief.

CANADIENS 4, SENATORS 1Brendan Gallagher scored the tiebreaking goal

in the second period and Carey Price stopped 24shots to lead Montreal. Brandon Prust, TomasPlekanec and Alex Galchenyuk also scored for theCanadiens, who completed a 4-1-0 homestand.

Erik Condra scored for Ottawa and Robin Lehner

stopped 25 shots. The Senators, coming off a 6-2win at home over Anaheim on Friday night,dropped to 3-2-1 since Dave Cameron replacedPaul MacLean as head coach. Gallagher got the go-ahead goal at 7:30 of the second as he finished offa 3-on-2 rush by shooting the puck into the openside of the net. Plekanec and Galchenyuk scored 44seconds apart late in the third to seal the win.

PREDATORS 6, WILD 5Mattias Ekholm scored his first goal of the sea-

son 1:45 into overtime, lifting Pekka Rinne andNashville over Minnesota. Rinne made 22 saves forhis NHL-leading 21st win. Ekholm circled frombehind the net and flipped a pretty wrist shot pastNiklas Backstrom. The nice move silenced thecrowd, which was cheering moments earlier whenThomas Vanek scored with 48 seconds left in thethird period to send the game to overtime.

Predators rookie Filip Forsberg scored his 13thgoal to put Nashville in front 1:48 into the third,and Roman Josi made it 5-3 less than eight minuteslater. Craig Smith, Matt Cullen and Calle Jarnkrokalso scored for the Predators. Zach Parise had twogoals for Minnesota, and Backstrom finished with27 saves after replacing starter Darcy Kuemper,who had a rough first night back after missing agame with an illness. Kuemper allowed three first-period goals on 14 shots and was pulled for thethird time in his last four home starts.

SHARKS 3, BLUES 2Brent Burns scored a power-play goal 4:22 into

overtime, and San Jose rallied past St. Louis for itsseason-best fifth straight victory. Marc-EdouardVlasic scored with 21 seconds remaining in regula-tion to tie the game for the Sharks. Joe Thorntondug the puck out of the corner before deliveringthe pass. Steve Ott scored his first goal in 10months late in the second period to put the Bluesahead. Patrick Berglund also scored for St. Louis.Andrew Desjardins had a goal for the Sharks, andAntti Niemi made 18 saves.

CANUCKS 3, FLAMES 2Chris Tanev scored 18 seconds into overtime

and Vancouver defeated skidding Calgary to snap afive-game losing streak. Radim Vrbata and YannickWeber scored in regulation for the Canucks.

Ryan Miller made 26 saves in his first win sinceDec. 2 at Washington. Johnny Gaudreau and DavidJones had the goals for Calgary, which has losteight consecutive games. The Flames have alsodropped eight straight in Vancouver since their lastwin on Dec. 23, 2011.—AP

Penguins thrash Panthers

Western ConferencePacific Division

W L OTL GF GA PTS Anaheim 22 8 5 101 96 49 San Jose 19 11 4 97 87 42 Vancouver 19 11 2 92 90 40 Los Angeles 17 11 6 94 84 40 Calgary 17 15 3 100 95 37 Arizona 11 17 4 74 104 26 Edmonton 7 20 6 69 110 20

Central DivisionChicago 22 9 2 102 67 46 St. Louis 21 9 3 100 81 45 Nashville 21 8 2 87 64 44 Winnipeg 17 10 6 80 76 40 Minnesota 16 12 3 91 84 35 Dallas 13 13 5 89 104 31 Colorado 11 13 8 83 100 30

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

Montreal 21 11 2 92 83 44

Tampa Bay 20 11 4 113 93 44 Detroit 17 8 8 93 82 42 Toronto 19 11 3 114 98 41 Florida 14 9 8 69 79 36 Boston 16 14 3 82 85 35 Ottawa 14 13 6 89 92 34 Buffalo 13 18 2 63 105 28

Metropolitan DivisionPittsburgh 22 6 4 102 72 48 NY Islanders 23 10 0 104 91 46 Washington 16 10 6 95 85 38 NY Rangers 16 10 4 92 81 36 Columbus 14 15 3 79 102 31 Philadelphia 12 14 6 88 96 30 New Jersey 12 17 6 77 102 30 Carolina 9 19 4 68 91 22 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point inthe standings and are not included in the loss col-umn (L).

NHL results/standingsLos Angeles 4, Arizona 2; Colorado 5, Buffalo 1; Philadelphia 7, Toronto 4; Montreal 4, Ottawa 1; Washington 4,New Jersey 0; NY Islanders 3, Tampa Bay 1; Pittsburgh 3, Florida 1; NY Rangers 3, Carolina 2 (SO); Columbus 3,Chicago 2 (SO); Nashville 6, Minnesota 5 (OT); Vancouver 3, Calgary 2 (OT); San Jose 3, St. Louis 2 (OT).

LOUISVILLE: Boxing legend MuhammadAli, who has suffered from Parkinson’sDisease for three decades, was in stablecondition after being hospitalized with a“mild” case of pneumonia, his spokesmansaid late Saturday.

The 72-year-old Ali was admittedSaturday and is not expected to remain inthe hospital long, Bob Gunnell said. “Hewas admitted earlier this morning andbecause the pneumonia was caught early,his prognosis is good with a short hospitalstay expected,” Gunnell said.

Pneumonia can be a dangerous compli-cation of Parkinson’s, the debilitating neu-rological condition Ali has suffered fromsince about 1984.

Parkinson’s causes shaking, balanceproblems and general loss of muscle con-trol. Ali ’s doctor Abraham Liebermanwarned in November that Parkinson’s canbe deadly because it makes sufferers sus-ceptible to falling or if people with the dis-ease have trouble swallowing and thendevelop pneumonia.

During the interview with the BBC,Lieberman said Ali did not have troubleswallowing. Gunnell said Ali was beingtreated by a “team of doctors” but did notgo into detail or say where Ali was admit-ted. In recent years, Ali has made fewerpublic appearances as Parkinson’s hasincreasingly taken its toll. He was seen inSeptember when he attended theMuhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards inLouisville, Kentucky where Ali was bornand where he keeps a home.

Ali had a storied career as a professional

boxer from 1960 to 1981.He dazzled theboxing world with slick moves in the ringand enamored the public with his wit andengaging personality.

He beat George Foreman in one of thegreatest fights of all time dubbed “TheRumble in The Jungle”, held in 1974 inZaire, now the Democratic Republic of theCongo.

Ali also had a thrilling rivalry with heavy-weight Joe Frazier that saw the two menslug it out in the ring and verbally spar outof it.

Ali was rarely afraid to spark politicalcontroversy, and his heyday coincided withthe US civil rights movement and theVietnam War. He converted to Islam in1964, changing his name from Cassius Clay.Ali refused to join the armed forces in 1967on religious grounds.

After his refusal he was convicted ofdraft dodging and banned from boxing foryears. In 1971 the US Supreme Court over-turned the conviction.

It has been claimed that the head shotsthe boxing great took in the ring during his21-year career contributed to his disease.

But Lieberman said in November hecould not be sure if there was a connectionbetween the effect of the punches and thedisease. Ali has been given dozens of nodsto his stature as a global icon, lighting theOlympic torch in 1996 and being named aUN messenger of peace in 1998.Hereceived the US’s highest civilian honor, thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Inaddition to Kentucky, he also lives inScottsdale, Arizona.—AFP

Muhammad Ali hospitalized

with ‘mild’ pneumonia

PARIS: Novak Djokovic and Serena Williamswere named as men’s and women’s WorldChampions for 2014 on Thursday by theInternational Tennis Federation (ITF).

It is the fourth time that Djokovic hastaken the top award after he wonWimbledon, the ATP World Tour finals andfinished the year ranked number one in theworld by the ATP.

The 27-year-old Serb is one of only fourmen to be named ITF World Champion fouror more times, alongside Ivan Lendl, PeteSampras and Roger Federer.

Williams won the US Open, the 18thGrand Slam title of her career, the WTA TourChampionship and was also ranked num-ber one by the WTA.

At 33 she is the oldest player ever to benamed an ITF Singles World Champion.“This was a year of challenges and tri-umphs, so to win another Grand Slam andretain my year-end number one ranking isan accomplishment I’m very proud of,” shesaid.

Americans Bob and Mike Bryan werenamed men’s doubles World Championsfor the 11th time in 12 years, while SaraErrani and Roberta Vinci of Italy becamewomen’s doubles World Champions for thethird successive year.

The ITF World Champions will receivetheir awards at the 2015 ITF WorldChampions Dinner on Tuesday 2 June, inParis, during Roland Garros. —AFP

Serena, Djokovic

top ITF awards

Novak Djokovic

p15_Layout 1 12/21/14 10:14 PM Page 1

S PORTSMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Mave, Suns triumph

MELBOURNE: The car of Caterham-Renault driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan veers off the track during an accident at the start of the FormulaOne Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 16, 2014. —AFP

LONDON: Formula One delivered a dramaticyear of riveting rivalry, political controversy,human tragedy and financial uncertainty in2014 as Lewis Hamilton joined the sport’s hallof fame as a double world champion.

A season of memorable, tense and furiousracing was overshadowed by one ferociousintra-team rivalry, a tragic rain-lashedreminder of its dangers and a prolongedfinancial furore that may threaten its stability.As Hamilton ended his year as champion, JulesBianchi remained in a serious condition in hos-pital after suffering severe head injuries whenhe crashed in Japan and the sport’s finances,and future were the subject of much specula-tion.

The sale in December of a nose sectionfrom a Marussia car, driven by Max Chilton, for£15,000 (pounds sterling) in an online auctionsale that followed the team’s collapse was fol-lowed by reports that the sport’s commercialowners were struggling to find a leader to suc-ceed 84-year-old ring-master Bernie

Ecclestone. At the same time, after a winlessseason, Ferrari confirmed more staff depar-tures - including the exits of engineeringdirector Pat Fry and chief designer NikolasTombazis-following a year of unprecedentedupheaval that saw two-time championFernando Alonso, tempted by a massive salary,departing for McLaren.

Rarely before had the gulf between F1’s‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ been exposed so starklyas it was in 2014 when the grid was reduced,in Texas, to 18 cars amid claims that a furtherthree teams were in revolt.

The season began in Australian sunshine atMelbourne where a new set of technical regu-lations ushered in an era of modern hybrid tur-bo-powered cars that spelt the end of RedBull’s dominance.

In the opening race at Albert Park, NicoRosberg emerged triumphant for Mercedesafter his team-mate Lewis Hamilton hadretired, but it was the Briton who had the lastlaugh, securing his second world title with a

dazzling victory under the floodlights at AbuDhabi’s Yas Marina circuit.

In between, the German and theEnglishman dominated the title race, mixingraw rivalry with tension and acrimony, and thenarrative of a sporting soap opera that sawSebastian Vettel and Red Bull crash to earthafter four successive years as champions.

Vettel’s departure to Ferrari and theRenault-powered team’s loss of not onlyhorsepower, but more than 60 trophies - someof which were recovered from a lake-after asmash-and-grab raid at its Milton Keynes basesummed up their season as much as DanielRicciardo’s huge Australian smile as he fin-ished third in the title race.

Ricciardo was the year’s most improveddriver, winning three races - in Canada,Hungary and Belgium - to add some necessaryspice and variation to the consistency ofMercedes as Hamilton and Rosberg reeled offa record 16 wins and 11 one-two finishes.

Hamilton’s triumph, by 67 points, was the

first by a Mercedes driver since the legendaryArgentine Juan Manuel Fangio took the title in1955 and came by dint of sheer determinationafter a run of setbacks that twice handed theinitiative to Rosberg in a roller coaster season.

The biggest flash points came at Monaco,Hungary and Belgium as Hamilton andRosberg, friends and rivals since being pairedas teenage karting team-mates, battled forglory amid a media focus that exposed theircontrasting backgrounds and approaches toracing.

As their differences rose to the surface, theMercedes team struggled to control their driv-ers’ rivalry, notably in Monte Carlo where theydisagreed after Rosberg had run off track infinal qualifying and Belgium, following a sec-ond lap collision in the race left Hamilton witha puncture.

That led to a team reprimand for theGerman and, from the following race in Italy,Hamilton seized the initiative to reel off fivesuccessive victories that gave him the momen-

tum to take the title.Of those, one came in Japan where, in tor-

rential rain, Frenchman Bianchi’s Marussia carcollided with a recovery vehicle and another atSochi, in the inaugural Russian Grand Prix,where Russian president Vladimir Putin usedthe event for political ends with a pre-raceshow of nationalism.

Bianchi was taken to hospital in Yokkaichiwhere he remained in a critical condition forweeks before he was transferred back to Nicein France to continue his recovery. It was hisand his team’s last race, the cash-strappedteam folding and going into administrationwith four races remaining.

The Caterham team also went into adminis-tration, but returned - with public support via‘crowd-funding’ - to race in the season-endingAbu Dhabi Grand Prix while up ‘for sale’ underits administrators. Granted a special dispensa-tion to race their 2014 cars in 2015, Caterham’sfuture remained precarious in late Decemberas a buyer was sought. —AFP

F1 delivers dramatic year of rivalry and tragedy

DALLAS: Monta Ellis equaled his seasonhigh with 38 points, including 11 duringthe final four minutes, to spark a late rallyas the Dallas Mavericks beat the depletedSan Antonio Spurs 99-93 Saturday in RajonRondo’s debut with the Mavericks.

Ellis broke a 91-91 tie with a basket fromthe right corner that sailed over the cornerof the backboard to give Dallas the lead forgood.

Rondo, the four-time All-Star whoplayed his first eight-plus seasons with theBoston Celtics, finished with six points on3-for-11 shooting. He had nine assists andseven rebounds. Acquired in a multi-playertrade Thursday, he went into the gameleading the league averaging 10.8 assists.Marco Belinelli led San Antonio with 21points. Aron Baynes added a career-high 16points.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dressed 10players and played only eight after his teamplayed triple-overtime games onWednesday and Friday. Veterans TimDuncan and Manu Ginobili, who logged 90and 71 minutes, respectively, in those twogames, were left home. Danny Green andTiago Splitter dressed but didn’t play.

SUNS 99, KNICKS 90Eric Bledsoe had 25 points and 10

rebounds, Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points,and Phoenix beat New York. Markieff Morrisadded 19 points for the Suns, who wontheir second straight after a six-game skid.Thomas made a 3-pointer to open thefourth quarter, giving Phoenix the lead forgood and triggering an 8-0 burst. MarcusMorris made another and Alex Lin tipped ina miss for a 75-68 lead, and the Knicks wereplaying catch-up from there.

Carmelo Anthony had 25 points and 11rebounds for the Knicks after missing agame with a sore left knee, but he was onthe bench for a rest when the Suns surgedinto the lead. New York has lost fourstraight and is 5-24.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, PELICANS 88LaMarcus Aldridge scored 27 points and

grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Portland overNew Orleans. While Portland (22-6) wascoming off a triple overtime win at SanAntonio a night earlier, it was New Orleansthat appeared tired. Including AnthonyDavis’ 3 of 14 shooting, the Pelicans (13-13)made only 35 percent of their shots. Davisfinished with seven points and sixrebounds.

Portland showed no signs of slowingdown from the 15 extra minutes againstthe Spurs. The Trail Blazers shot 53 percent

and forced 17 turnovers. Blazers pointguard Damian Lillard added 17 points andseven assists while one-time New Orleanscenter Chris Kaman had 16 points and sixrebounds in a reserve role. Austin Rivers ledthe Pelicans with 21 points.

HORNETS 104, JAZZ 86Kemba Walker had 20 points, Al

Jefferson added 19 points and 10 reboundsand Charlotte beat Utah. Jefferson nearlyregistered his third straight game with atleast 20 points and 10 rebounds but leftthe game with six minutes remaining witha mild groin strain and did not return.Jefferson was available to play, but theHornets had the game in hand and didn’twant to risk further injury.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 13 points and11 rebounds for the Hornets, who havewon back-to-back games for only the thirdtime this season.

The Hornets (8-19) had lost 10 straightgames against the Jazz with their last wincoming on Nov. 14, 2008. Gordon Haywardhad 14 points to lead Utah (8-20). RudyGobert had 11 points and 12 rebounds asthe Jazz had its two-game winning streaksnapped.

HAWKS 104, ROCKETS 97Kyle Korver scored 22 points, including

seven points late, to help Atlanta Hawkshold on to beat Houston. The game wastied with three minutes left before Atlantaused a 7-0 run to make it 97-90 with justunder a minute to go. Korver hit one of hisfour 3-pointers during that run.

Atlanta made seven free throws downthe stretch, with four from Korver, to securethe victory. The Hawks led by 16 points, butHouston used a big third quarter to tie itentering the fourth. The teams stayed closethroughout the fourth quarter, with thelead changing or the game being tied sev-eral times before Atlanta put it away in thefinal minutes.

Dwight Howard had 19 points and 11rebounds and James Harden added 18points with a season-high 14 assists for theRockets who lost their second straightgame.

NUGGETS 76, PACERS 73Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points, includ-

ing a 3-pointer to spark a key fourth-quar-ter run, and Denver hung on to beatIndiana. Ty Lawson added 15 points and 10assists for the Nuggets, who won games onsuccessive nights after losing six of sevencoming into the back-to-back set.

David West had 19 points and 10

rebounds to lead the Pacers, who lost forthe 10th time in 11 games. Indiana alsodropped its sixth straight game in Denver.

Both teams were held to season lows inscoring with Indiana hitting just 30.7 per-cent of its shots from the field and Denvermaking 36.6 percent.

With 27.5 seconds remaining in the thirdquarter, C.J. Miles, who finished with 16points, made a 3-pointer to even the scoreat 55-55 heading into the fourth quarter.

CLIPPERS 106, BUCKS 102Chris Paul scored nine of his 27 points in

the final 4:04 and Blake Griffin added 24,leading Los Angeles over Milwaukee.Griffin, coming off back-to-back 30-point

games against Indiana and Denver, pickedup his third foul with 5:41 left in the halfand the Clippers trailing 42-38. Griffinmade a critical tip-in of Paul’s missed 20-footer with 5 seconds to play.

Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton missed adesperation 3-pointer as time expired.Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukeewith 18 points and nine rebounds. JerrydBayless and former Clipper Jared Dudleyeach had 16 points as the Bucks’ benchoutscored the Clippers’ bench 59-23.

Trailing by nine with 5:24 left in the thirdquarter, the Clippers entered the fourthdown 83-82 on 3-pointers by Paul, JamalCrawford and JJ Redick during a 3:15 span.Redick finished with 23 points.—AP

DALLAS: Mavericks guard Monta Ellis (11) collides into San Antonio Spurs forwardAron Baynes (16) as he drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketballgame. —AP

LOS ANGELES: The NBA’s defining moment in 2014was supposed to be the San Antonio Spurs return tochampionship glory, but that was before the DonaldSterling saga took on a life of its own.

With the perfect blend of youth and experience, theSpurs dismantled the Miami Heat in one of the mostlop-sided finals in league history, showing the two-time defending champions that the secret to long-term success is strong leadership and developingyoung talent.

Future hall of famers Tim Duncan, Tony Parker andManu Ginobili teamed up to lead the Spurs past theHeat in five games. For France’s Parker and Argentina’sGinobili it was their fourth ring with the Spurs. For theVirgin Islands-born Duncan and coach Gregg Popovichit marked five rings together.

Duncan said number five means the most. “It issweeter than any other,” he said. “Whether it bebecause of the time frame or because I am coming tothe end of my career or because I can have these two(Ginobili and Parker) here. I can really remember it andenjoy the experience.”

The Spurs dismantling of the Heat in the finalsexposed the strengths of one team and the glaringweakness of another.

San Antonio’s future is in good hands with 23-year-old Kawhi Leonard who was named finals MVP in June.The Spurs had better teamwork and more depth, whilethe Heat put their faith in superstar James. Miami’s BigThree fizzled in the finals as knee injuries and ageappeared to finally catch up with guard Dwyane Wade.Chris Bosh showed just flashes of the brilliance he dis-played in the Heat’s two previous championship sea-sons. “It was a battle between one-on-one basketballand team basketball,” said Spurs’ Boris Diaw. Miamimade a big splash in 2010 with the signing of Jamesand he led them to two championships and two run-ner-up finishes in his four seasons there. But it all cameto a screeching halt after the 2014 finals.

As if the loss to the Spurs wasn’t enough, the Heatsuffered another knockout blow a month later whenJames jumped ship for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James was lauded for trying to make amends withhis hometown faithful who burned his jersey in publicwhen he left the Cavaliers after seven seasons inCleveland. The glow of the Spurs’ finals victory didn’tlast long as the Sterling controversy and scandalengulfed the league.

The Los Angeles Clippers owner was banned fromthe NBA for life and fined $2.5 million by the leagueafter recordings of him making racist comments to hisgirlfriend were made public. Sterling was the league’slongest tenured owner at the time. San Antonio’s suc-cess wasn’t the only on-court surprise in the 2013-2014 season. The Phoenix Suns won 48 games, aftermany picked them to finish in last place. Eventual sea-son MVP Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City to 59 winsdespite losing Russell Westbrook for big chunks of theseason to injuries. The Portland Trail Blazers improvedby 21 wins and returned to the postseason thanks tostrong per formances from Damian Lillard andLaMarcus Aldridge.—AFP

Spurs shine

brightest in 2014

p16_Layout 1 12/21/14 10:12 PM Page 1

S PORTSMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Al-Sheikha Sheikha Al-Abduallah Sheikh Mohammad Al Khalifa

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: The Kuwait national handi-capped basketball team began its par-ticipation in the 7th Gulf tournamentwith a 54-52 win over UAE, following astrong performance by both teams.Kuwait players were excellent in both

attacking and defending as they seek toretain the title in Kuwait for the seventhconsecutive time, bearing in mind thatthe UAE and Saudi teams are favorites towin the tournament. Meanwhile, theSaudi team defeated Bahrain 56-36.

The organizing committee held asimple opening ceremony in the pres-

ence of tournament sponsor and hon-orary president of the HandicappedSports Club Sheikha Sheikha Al-Abdullah, who expressed pleasure inpatronizing the tournament in a friendlyatmosphere, and considered the gather-ing of the youth in Kuwait as the “realgain” regardless of who will win the

tournament. She said Kuwait’s handi-capped sportspersons made manyachievements due to the major effortsof the club. She lauded the levels ofboth Kuwait and UAE teams in theopening match, which indicates thatcompetition will be tough.

Chairman of the GCC Organizing

Committee of Handicapped SportsSheikh Mohammad bin Duaij Al-Khalifalauded Kuwait’s hosting of the champi-onship and the outstanding prepara-tions by the organizing committee toensure its success. He hoped that thecompetitions reflect the major develop-ment handicapped sports have made.

Kuwait defeat UAE in 7th Gulf tournament

LANDOVER: The Philadelphia Eagles are on thebrink of elimination from the playoff race after a27-24 loss to the Washington Redskins on Saturdaynight. Kai Forbath kicked 26-yard field goal with 5seconds left to snap the Redskins’ six-game losingstreak. The Eagles lost their third in a row to fall to9-6. They need the Dallas Cowboys to lose theirfinal two games to have a shot at repeating as NFCEast champs.

The Redskins improved to 4-11. Robert Griffin IIIreturned as the Washington starter and won in hisfirst complete game in more than a year. He went16 for 23 for 220 yards with one interception. MarkSanchez committed two turnovers for the Eagles,including Washington rookie cornerback BashaudBreeland’s interception with 1:31 left that led to thewinning field goal. Sanchez was 37 of 50 for 374yards with two touchdowns to Riley Cooper.

The Eagles (9-6) will now focus their energies onrooting for the Indianapolis Colts to beat theCowboys (10-4) on Sunday. Philadelphia thenwould need to beat the New York Giants on theroad next week, then hope that Dallas loses to theRedskins. That would create a 10-6 tie atop the NFCEast, with the Eagles claiming first place becausethey hold the tiebreaker based on a better divisionrecord. Philadelphia’s loss clinched a playoff berthfor the Detroit Lions. The Eagles were eliminatedfrom the wild-card race.

CHARGERS 38, 49ERS 35Nick Novak kicked a 40-yard field goal nearly 5

minutes into overtime after Philip Rivers rallied SanDiego back from a 21-point deficit in the secondhalf, keeping the Chargers’ slim playoff hopes alivewith victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Rivers threw a tying 11-yard touchdown pass toMalcom Floyd with 29 seconds left in regulationafter completing a pair of fourth-and-longs as theChargers (9-6) forced overtime.

Phil Dawson’s 60-yard field goal attempt for SanFrancisco as regulation ended fell way short.Quinton Patton fumbled in overtime to set up SanDiego’s winning drive.

Rivers converted fourth-and-8 and fourth-and-10 on the key final San Diego drive of the fourthquarter. Rivers threw touchdown passes of 21 and

1 yard to Antonio Gates and another to EddieRoyal, but also was hurt by three interceptions. Onone of those, Antoine Bethea had a 49-yard returnfor his first career touchdown.

The 49ers (7-8) blew just their second gamewhen leading by 21 or more at halftime. They lost42-41 to Minnesota on Oct. 24, 1965, after leading35-14 at halftime. Colin Kaepernick ran 90 yards fora touchdown and Frank Gore had a 52-yard touch-down run as the Niners grabbed early momen-tum.—AP

Redskins shoot down Eagles

LANDOVER: Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox (91) during thesecond half of an NFL football game —AP

American Football ConferenceAFC East

W L T OTL PF PA PCT New England 11 3 0 0 442 280 .786 Buffalo 8 6 0 0 302 254 .571 Miami 7 7 0 0 327 301 .500 NY Jets 3 11 0 1 230 360 .214

AFC NorthCincinnati 9 4 1 0 311 289 .679 Pittsburgh 9 5 0 0 389 339 .643 Baltimore 9 5 0 0 376 267 .643 Cleveland 7 7 0 0 276 300 .500

AFC SouthIndianapolis 10 4 0 0 424 317 .714 Houston 7 7 0 1 324 277 .500 Jacksonville 3 12 0 0 232 389 .200 Tennessee 2 13 0 0 244 411 .133

AFC WestDenver 11 3 0 1 407 303 .786 San Diego 9 6 0 0 341 329 .600 Kansas City 8 6 0 0 322 254 .571 Oakland 2 12 0 0 213 381 .143

National Football ConferenceNFC East

Dallas 10 4 0 1 381 328 .714 Philadelphia 9 6 0 0 440 374 .600 NY Giants 5 9 0 0 317 339 .357 Washington 4 11 0 0 284 394 .267

NFC NorthDetroit 10 4 0 0 281 238 .714 Green Bay 10 4 0 0 436 325 .714 Minnesota 6 8 0 0 277 297 .429 Chicago 5 9 0 1 296 409 .357

NFC SouthNew Orleans 6 8 0 2 364 374 .429 Carolina 5 8 1 0 288 358 .393 Atlanta 5 9 0 0 348 369 .357 Tampa Bay 2 12 0 2 254 367 .143

NFC WestArizona 11 3 0 0 287 244 .786 Seattle 10 4 0 0 339 242 .714 San Francisco 7 8 0 1 286 323 .467 St. Louis 6 8 0 0 291 297 .429

NFL results/standingsWashington 27, Philadelphia 24; San Diego 38, San Francisco 35 (OT).

PARIS: AFP Sports writers maketheir picks of who will be the newnames to watch out for in 2015:

FOOTBALLPAULO DYBALA (Argentina)

Dybala, who recently turned 21,has already been in Europe for twoand a half years, joining Italian SerieA side Palermo from Instituto in hisnative Argentina in 2012. Already astandout in his homeland when justa teenager, striker Dybala is by nomeans unknown, but his stock con-tinues to rise. An exciting start tothis season with Palermo has seenhim score at an average of almostone goal every second game. Hisdays in Sicily could therefore benumbered, with Europe’s biggestclubs now being linked with mega-bucks offers. And with a CopaAmerica to come in Chile, 2015could be a very big year for the BocaJuniors fan.

GOLFBROOKS KOEPKA (USA)

The 24-year-old US college stand-out won his first top-tier tourna-ment late in the year at the TurkishAirlines Open which hoisted him toeighth in the Race to Dubai andearned him the European TourRookie of the year award. A big-hit-ter with plenty of deft touch aroundthe greens, Koepka left his Floridabase on turing pro in 2012 and histravels in Europe and Asia are reap-ing dividends. He tied for fourth atthe US Open, which earned him hisPGA Tour card for the 2014-15 sea-son and his first Masters invitation.He then placed 15th at the PGAChampionship before his strongshowing in Turkey.

TENNISBORNA CORIC (Croatia)

Only turned 18 in November,Coric finished the year at 96 in worldhaving been at 303 at the end of2013. He is the youngest playerranked in the top 100 after a seasonwhich saw him beat Rafael Nadal enroute to the Swiss Indoors semi-finals in Basel in October. Coric alsoreached Umag Open quarter-finalsin July and made his Grand Slamchampionship debut as a qualifier

at the US Open where he went on toreach the second round.

CRICKETTAIJUL ISLAM (Bangladesh)

Few cricketers have made suchimpressive starts to their interna-tional careers as Taijul Islam, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner fromBangladesh. In only his third Testsince his debut in September, Taijulbagged eight for 39 againstZimbabwe in Dhaka with controlledaggression rarely seen in a youngspinner. Those were the best Testfigures ever by a Bangladeshibowler. A month later, he becamethe first bowler in history to grab ahat-trick on his one-day debut,against the same opponents at thesame venue. It remains to be seenhow the hugely talented youngsterperforms on the big stage at theWorld Cup.

BASKETBALLANDREW WIGGINS (Canada)

Kobe Bryant says he looks atAndrew Wiggins and sees a “reflec-tion of himself ”. The MinnesotaTimberwolves gave up a lot (KevinLove) to trade for first overall pickWiggins who has shown incredibleathleticism and scoring prowess inhis rookie NBA season. The 19-year-old Canadian was named NBA rook-ie of the month for October andNovember. Wiggins earned theWestern Conference nod after aver-aging 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and1.0 assists per game.

RUGBY UNIONTEDDY THOMAS (France)

The 21-year-old Racing-Metrowing made a stunning internationaldebut against Fiji in November,becoming only the secondFrenchman to score a hat-trick oftries on his first appearance for LesBleus. The powerful, speedy backthen went on to score a dazzlingindividual try as France beatAustralia 29-26, socks rolled downaround his ankles. But Thomas wasthen unceremoniously dropped forthe third Test against Argentinaafter missing a training session.Rugby fans can only hope it was aminor indiscretion.—AFP

New names to

watch for in 2015

p17 2_Layout 1 12/21/14 10:40 PM Page 1

S PORTSMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

MARRAKECH: Real Madrid team players celebrate with the trophy after winning the final soccer match against San Lorenzo in the Club WorldCup soccer tournament. —AP

Real beat San Lorenzo

to lift Club World Cup

By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: The Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah annual shoot-ing tournament came to a conclusion on Saturday in a ceremony thatwas attended by Sheikh Abdullah Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, President of Kuwait and Arab Shooting FederationsDuaij Al-Otaibi, Deputy President of KSF Mohammad Mustafa Karam,Secretary General of Kuwait and Arab Shooting Federations Obaid Al-Osaimi, board members and shooting fans. Osaimi said the tournamentwas held as preparations are taking place for one of the most prestigiousand important tournaments, the HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAnnual Grand Prix in which more than 50 brotherly and friendly shootingfederations will participate. Osaimi thanked Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah forhis continued support of heritage sports, particularly shooting.

He said that the tournament enjoyed the participation of a large num-ber of outstanding shooters who exerted their efforts to get the bestresults. Results of the tournament are as follows:Air pistol - men:Saad Al-Ajmi, Ali Al-Mutairi, Hamad Al-NamshanAir rifle - men:Ali Al-Mutairi, Abdullah Al-Harby, Mohammad AbdulrahmanAir pistol - women:Iman Bouland, Israa Dashti, Athari GharbanAir rifle - women:Mariam Irzouqi, Zahra Al-Saffar, Munira Al-Anjari.Air rifle - women juniors:Ayat Al-Duwaikhi, Zahraa Al-Saffar, Reem Al-Bughaili.Air rifle - men juniors:Ali Al-Mutairi, Mohammad Abdulrahman, Abdelmalek FahadAir pistol - juniors:Khalifa Al-Zafiri, Mohammad Mishal, Abdulrahman Al-BaloodAir rifle - shooting school - men:Abdullah Al-Mutairi, Abdullah Adel, Abdullah Al-ShimmariCompound archery - men:Ahmad Al-Shatti, Hussein Al-Nasser, Abdullah Al-AjmiOlympic archery - men:Ahmad Al-Shatti, Mohammad Musallam, Abdullah Taha

Shooting tourney

concludes

MARRAKECH: Real Madrid won the Club WorldCup for the first time by beating San Lorenzo 2-0on Saturday with goals from Sergio Ramos andGareth Bale after being forced into a scrap bythe feisty South Americans.

Real scored in each half to clock up a 22ndsuccessive win in all competitions in a bruisingencounter which Guatemalan referee WalterLopez just managed to keep under control.

The Marrakech crowd gave the Europeanchampions fervent support and were expectinga gala exhibition, which San Lorenzo were notgoing to allow despite the obvious gulf in class.

“It’s a special day and this is a reward for allthe effort and work that we have put in as ateam,” said Ramos. Real nearly scored on theirfirst attack when Karim Benzema just failed to

connect with Ronaldo’s low cross from the right.After that, San Lorenzo did well to restrict

Real to a couple of chances in the opening halfhour only for their resistance to be broken at acorner when Ramos outjumped the defence inthe 37th minute to break the deadlock.

Ramos had already been booked and couldhave been sent off for an ugly face-to-face rantat the referee as the game, which featured 40fouls and numerous confrontations betweenplayers, threatened to get out of control.

Bale increased Real’s lead in the 51st minutewhen he was left unmarked to collect Isco’s passand diving keeper Sebastian Torrico allowed theWelshman’s weak shot to slip under his arm.

Real stopper Iker Casillas had to wait until the65th minute to be tested for the first time when

he saved a low diagonal effort from EmanuelMas.

He then made more difficult stops to denyJuan Mercier and Enzo Kalinski, although Realalso missed several chances to score a third onthe break.

“I told the players in the dressing room that Iwas proud to have led this team this year,” SanLorenzo coach Edgardo Bauza said.

“Each defeat hurts, even when it is against ateam as successful as Real Madrid, and we haveto accept it.” Real had previously won the oldIntercontinental Cup three times, with their lasttriumph coming in 2002. We deserved to winthis title,” added coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We cansay that Real Madrid is the best team in theworld at this moment.” —Reuters

LONDON: Jose Mourinho knows Chelseamust avoid a repeat of last season’s night-mare trip to Stoke if they are to re-establishtheir three-point lead at the top of thePremier League.

Mourinho’s side travel to the BritanniaStadium 48 hours after Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace drew thechampions level on points with the Blues.

City are behind the leaders only on goaldifference and while Chelsea bossMourinho insists his team will not feel anyextra pressure, anything less than victorywill hand Manuel Pellegrini’s team a majorlift heading into the busy Christmas period.

And if they are reassert their early stand-ing as favorites to be crowned champions,Chelsea must improve on last December’sshowing at Stoke when individual errorscontributed to the home side’s 3-2 victory.But Mourinho is confident his team havelearned their lesson and are more thancapable of matching Mark Hughes’ side.

“We played so well collectively last sea-son but we made two individual mistakesthat cost us the game. This is also part ofthe game,” Mourinho said.

“We have to play our football. Our foot-ball is the way we believe. “That’s part ofour project for this club. We have to gothere and play our game, but we know welltheir qualities as a team, and their qualitiesindividually.

“We also have to adapt to it. If we knowwe are going to play against Peter Crouchand against the kind of defenders theyhave - if you don’t adapt to that, you are introuble. “We can adapt to that because wehave qualities that allow us to do that.”

Crouch’s aerial threat and Stoke’s physi-cal strengths will provide a testing exami-nation for Mourinho’s line-up, which shouldinclude fit-again goalkeeper ThibautCourtois.

But Mourinho is confident his team cannegotiate the festive programme success-

fully. “Every team has to play these fourmatches in a short period of time. Everyoneis in the same circumstances,” he said. “Forus it’s difficult: three away games and onlyone at home, a London derby against oneof the best teams in the competition.

“The three away games are Tottenham,Southampton and Stoke, so difficult for us.But we are ready.” Stoke manager Hugheshas backed his team to trouble the leagueleaders problems and pounce on any weak-nesses. The Potters boast the second bestrecord in the Premier League against top-half sides after Manchester City and havealready beaten Arsenal, Manchester Cityand Tottenham this season.

Conversely, they are yet to beat anyonein that half of the table, making for a frus-tratingly inconsistent start for Hughes.“We’re not doing well against the bottom-half sides and that’s frustrated us,” Hughessaid. “I just feel that when we go up againstthe so-called bigger teams they are pre-pared to come out and attack and backtheir own ability.

“That can leave them a little bit exposedand we have been able to exploit theirweaknesses. “We find it more difficult whenteams get lots of men behind the ball. “Thetop teams will back their skill and abilityagainst yours. But on any given day we canbeat anybody in this league and we haveproven that this year.” Stoke skipper RyanShawcross is hoping for a repeat displayfrom their last home game when they ranout worthy winners over Arsenal.

“We have performed better against thebigger teams and it’s a game we’ll go intolooking for points,” Shawcross said.

“We’ve struggled when we’ve played theteams around us.”So it’s almost been a reliefto play these kind of games where weknow we can perform. “We will go outtoday and hopefully there will be a crowdwho are right behind us like they wereagainst Arsenal.”—AFP

Mourinho backs Chelsea to

avoid more Stoke misery

PARIS: Treve and her trainer CriquetteHead-Maarek proved ultimately to be theQueens of the track in 2014 but for a longperiod it appeared they would play the roleof Queen Mother-much respected but hav-ing lost her power.

She came to Europe’s most prestigiousrace the Prix de l ’Arc de Triomphe asdefending champion but with only Head-Maarek really believing in her after anunderwhelming season which had seenher fail to win her three previous starts.

Head-Maarek, who took the audaciousdecision to replace legendary ItalianFrankie Dettori on Treve with veteranThierry Jarnet prior to the Arc trial the PrixVermeille, had also managed to convincethe filly’s owner Qatari Sheikh Joaan al-Thani to persist in running her.

In the end the 66-year-old trainer neednot have worried for cometh the hourcometh the lady as Treve stormed home tobecome the first horse since Irish raiderAlleged in 1977/78 to win the Arc on suc-cessive occasions.

For Head-Maarek it was doubly sweet asshe had told AFP she would prove a clearlyannoyed Dettori wrong in his claim daysafter being so publicly humiliated thatTreve lacked the mental strength she pos-sessed the year before.

To say the Arc is part of the DNA of theHead family would be an understatement.Head-Maarek now has three wins to hername, her grandfather William Head andfather Alec trained two and four Arc win-ners respectively, while brother Freddiewon three as a jockey.

Alec Head not one given to displayinghis emotions cried openly in the winnersenclosure. “I am on a cloud, on a cloud,” said

Head senior, now 90. “I trained several Arcwinners, but Treve is the best of the lot. Iam overcome with joy for my daughterCriquette.”

For Jarnet, who at the age of 47 joinedan exclusive club to have ridden four Arcwinners, it was Head-Maarek who had dis-abused him of his doubts ahead of the bigday. “Only great champions can raise theirgame as Treve did today and in large partshe was able to because of both Criquette’sbelief and her ability to restore her to thetop of her game.”

Remarkably having been retired bySheikh Joaan in the immediate aftermathof the epic victory the team changed theirmind a week later and said she would beaimed at becoming the first horse to winthree Arcs. “It’s a case of the dust settling,”said Sheikh Joaan’s urbane racing managerHarry Herbert.

“Winning a third Arc would give her afantastic place in the history books.” The Arcwas just one of a number of top prizes tofall to the Qataris as they inched ever near-er to their target of being number one inthe Sport of Kings.

They certainly replaced their rivals fromDubai-Godolphin had a dreadful year win-ning just one Group One in the British Isles-as the leading opposition to the Irish teamof Coolmore Stud and their trainer AidanO’Brien. One of the jockeys that O’Brienlikes to call upon when his son Joseph haschosen the first choice for big races RyanMoore ended up being crowned the inau-gural winner of the world jockey of theyear. It was not a hard choice. He may lackthe charisma and bons mots of Dettori butthere is no better tactical rider than the 31-year-old Englishman.—AFP

BERLIN: The stadium’s terraces are packed tocapacity with the crowd singing loudly, butthere’s no match on-floodlit football has beenreplaced with carols by candlelight.

Welcome to second-division club FC Union’s‘Weihnachtssingen’-a candle-lit carol concertwith 27,500 fans expected to belt out festivesongs alongside a choir, a band and a small reli-gious service. Berlin-based Union, who are cur-rently mid-table in Germany’s second tier, havelong since sold all the tickets for Tuesday’s event,which has become a traditional date at the club’sAn der Alten Foersterei Stadium in the easternsuburb of Koepenick.

Free candles and song sheets are handed outat the entrance as players and fans sing Germancarols like ‘O Christmas Tree’ and ‘Silent Night’side-by-side on the pitch or in the stands.

Other German clubs have borrowed the ideawith 1860 Munich and Alemannia Aachen nowholding their own carol concerts on a smallerscale.

“For me, it’s the best of both worlds, you startto have that Christmas feeling with Gluehwein(mulled wine) and songs, but with a footballatmosphere in a filled stadium at the same time,”Union fan Juri Denecke told AFP.

The event has illicit roots when a group of 89Union fans, carrying Gluehwein and festive bis-cuits, climbed over the fence to break into thestadium in December 2003 to hold an impromp-tu carol concert on the pitch with friends andfamily.

The annual ‘secret’ gathering spread by wordof mouth, grew year on year and is now thebiggest event in the club’s calender. TorstenEisenbeiser, who helps organise it, was one ofthe original singers more than a decade ago andis staggered by it’s development. “No one at thetime thought we would ever reach such dimen-sions,” he admits.

Due to demand, it will be ticket-only for thefirst time this year, with five euros (six dollars) forstanding or 10 euros for a seat. The gates had tobe closed last December when the 27,500capacity was reached, leaving hundreds lockedout. “Preparations have been going on forweeks,” Union’s press officer Christian Arbeit toldAFP. “The biggest problem is getting enoughstaff, because it’s always held the last nightbefore Germans celebrate Christmas and manypeople are either on holiday or are preparingtheir own celebrations.

“But we need more employees for that

evening than we do for any other night of theyear. “More people came last year than fit in thestadium, so we had to limit numbers and thefans voted to charge five euros, with the moneygoing to the club’s youth section.

“All members got a free ticket to give as manypeople as possible the chance to come. “And italso gives long time Union fans, who built thisplace and kept the club alive, a little advantage.”

Arbeit is not only involved in organising theevent, he will be playing in it. “We try and keepthe programme as familiar as possible,” heexplained.

“There is always a choir from the same schoolin Koepenick and a parish priest from the town,while my parents and I will be on the trombone,clarinet and trumpet-like a small family celebra-tion. “So we can all feel at home-even if there arenow so many people.” The pitch will be well pro-tected after the 2012 event cost the club a quar-ter of a million euros because a new playing sur-face had to be laid after heavy rain and thou-sands of trampling feet ruined the grass.

While neighbors Hertha Berlin ply their tradein Germany’s Bundesliga, Union’s supportershave carved out a reputation for social initia-tives.—AFP

Berlin club swaps floodlit

football for candle-lit carols

Treve, trainer Queens

of the track

S PORTSMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Bayern 17 14 3 0 41 4 45 Wolfsburg 17 10 4 3 33 17 34 Leverkusen 17 7 7 3 28 20 28 M’gadbach 17 7 6 4 25 16 27 Schalke 04 17 8 3 6 28 21 27 Augsburg 17 9 0 8 22 21 27 Hoffenheim 17 7 5 5 29 25 26Hanover 96 17 7 3 7 21 26 24Eintracht 17 6 5 6 34 34 23

Paderborn 17 4 7 6 21 26 19 Cologne 17 5 4 8 17 23 19 Mainz 05 17 3 9 5 19 23 18 Hertha 17 5 3 9 24 35 18 Hamburg 17 4 5 8 9 19 17 Stuttgart 17 4 5 8 20 32 17 Werder 17 4 5 8 26 39 17 Dortmund 17 4 3 10 18 26 15 Freiburg 17 2 9 6 17 25 15

German League/standings

Hertha Berlin 0 Hoffenheim 5 (Brooks 23-og, Salihovic 26-pen, 39-pen, Shipplock 74, Rudy 84);Freiburg 2 (Frantz 45, Oliver 81) Hanover 96 2 (Bittencourt 83, Joselu 90+3).

Played SaturdaySchalke 04 0 Hamburg 0; Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Bellarabi 83) Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Meier 37-pen);Augsburg 2 (Feulner 20, Bodilla 51) Borussia Moenchengladbach 1 (Kruse 2-pen); Werder Bremen2 (Selke 3, Bartels 62) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Hummels 69); VfB Stuttgart 0 Paderborn 0; VfLWolfsburg 2 (Dost 16, Naldo 78) Cologne 1 (Maroh 11).

German league table after yesterday evening’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goalsagainst, points):

ITALY: Udinese midfielder Panagiotis Kone (left) is challenged by Sampdoria forward Stefano Chuka Okaka during a Serie A soccer match. —AP

MILAN: Italy striker Manolo Gabbiadini con-firmed he could quit Sampdoria in the Januarytransfer window after heading a late equaliser tosecure a share of the spoils in a 2-2 home drawwith Udinese yesterday. Gabbiadini has beenlinked with a move to Napoli and the highly-rat-ed 23-year-old told Sky Sport after the game: “Idon’t know if this will be my last goal in aSampdoria shirt, I always honour the shirt thatI’m wearing.”

It was Sampdoria’s ninth draw of the cam-paign but Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men were leftlamenting a missed chance to leapfrog Napoliinto provisional third place ahead of Lazio’s visitto Inter Milan in yesterday’s late game.

Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang gave thehosts a great start with a 15th minute opener atthe Luigi Ferraris stadium, firing into the emptynet after a blunder by visiting ‘keeper OrestisKarnezis.

But Udinese took a 2-1 half-time lead follow-ing quick-fire goals from Alexandre Geijo andDanilo in the space of three minutes.

Gabbiadini, who secured a share of the pointsfor Samp in a 1-1 draw away to Juventus lastweek, rescued the hosts again when he headedLorenzo Di Silvestri’s cross past Karnezis on thehour. “We’ve shown we’re a great side, not justfor what we did today but what we’ve beendoing all season. Our league position says it all,”said Gabbiadini.

Mihajlovic told Sky Sport he had no com-plaints.”Both teams tried to play to win, we had ablack-out for about three minutes and concededtwo goals,” said the coach.

“I told the lads not to change a thing, wewent back out looking for the equaliser and inthe end it was the right result.” Sampdoria are 12points behind Juventus, who will face Napoli inthe Italian Super Cup final in Doha today with achance for a double Christmas celebration afterthe latest slip-up by title challengers. Roma hadclosed the gap on Juventus to a point last weekbut had to settle for a scoreless draw at home toMilan on Saturday which left them three pointsadrift in second.

Coach Rudi Garcia admitted his side “lacked abit of creativity” but hinted Roma, in contentionfor the league, Italian Cup and Europa League,

were feeling the effects of those demands.“All the clubs welcome this break: footballers

aren’t machines, they can’t go ten months non-stop without resting,” said Garcia.

“I hope the guys come back from the holidaysutterly determined and with the same hungerwe’ve shown up till now.” Milan coach FilippoInzaghi was so delighted with the point he saidMilan should be aiming higher than just qualifi-cation for the Champions League. “We are Milan,we shouldn’t be fighting to finish third. Weshould be gunning for the title,” said the Milanhandler.

Elsewhere yesterday, Chievo and Torino werethe only two teams celebrating ending the yearwith a win. Alberto Paloschi struck late to securethe points as Chievo beat Verona 1-0 in the cityderby to give them some breathing space in thebattle for relegation.

Torino had defender Kamil Glik to thank for a

brace of goals in a precious 2-1 home win overGenoa which secured just their fourth win of thecampaign. “It was a very important victory forus,” said Glik, who bundled the ball past EugenioLamanna at the back post to level Falque Iago’s42nd minute opener before hitting the winnerjust after the hour.

“We didn’t change anything for the secondhalf, we were just determined to get the threepoints and succeeded. “We left everything outthere, that’s why we deserved this win.”

Argentinian striker German Denis, mean-while, struck a brace including a late leveller asAtalanta fought back to claim a point from a 3-3draw with visitors Palermo.

Fiorentina were sent on their way towards aseventh win of the campaign after Juan ManuelVargas struck on the stroke of half-time, only forLorenzo Tonelli to level just before the hour tosecure a point for visiting Empoli.—AFP

Sampdoria hold Udinese

Juventus 16 12 3 1 34 7 39Roma 16 11 3 2 28 11 36Napoli 16 7 6 3 28 20 27Sampdoria 16 6 9 1 22 14 27Lazio 15 8 2 5 26 17 26Genoa 16 7 5 4 21 15 26AC Milan 16 6 7 3 25 18 25Fiorentina 16 6 6 4 21 13 24Udinese 16 6 4 6 20 22 22Palermo 16 5 7 4 22 26 22Inter Milan 15 5 5 5 23 21 20

Sassuolo 16 4 8 4 17 21 20Empoli 16 3 8 5 17 22 17Torino 16 4 5 7 12 18 17Verona 16 4 5 7 18 27 17Chievo 16 4 4 8 12 19 16Atalanta 16 3 6 7 11 21 15Cagliari 16 2 6 8 21 29 12Cesena 16 1 6 9 13 30 9Parma 16 2 1 13 16 36 6Note: Parma deducted one point for failing topay player salaries.

Italian League/standings

Verona 0 Chievo 1 (Paloschi 81); Atalanta 3 (Denis 40-pen, 76, Moralez 55) Palermo 3 (Rigoni 6,Vazquez 1, 45+1); Fiorentina 1 (Vargas 44) Empoli 1 (Tonelli 57); Sampdoria 2 (Obiang 15,Gabbiadini 60) Udinese 2 (Geijo 31, Danilo 34); Torino 2 (Glik 52, 63) Genoa 1 (Iago 42).

Playing laterInter Milan v Lazio

Played SaturdaySassuolo 1 (Zaza 76-pen) Cesena 1 (Ze Eduardo 90+4); Roma 0 AC Milan 0

Italian Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late game (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goalsagainst, points):

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund went jointbottom of the Bundesliga yesterday afterHanover 96 scored two late goals to draw2-2 at Freiburg as Germany’s top flightbreaks for winter.

The Bundesliga starts its winter breakleaving last season’s runners-up Dortmundlevel on 15 points and a goal difference ofminus eight alongside last-placed Freiburg.

Goals by striker Mike Frantz and defend-er Marc-Oliver Kempf had put hostsFreiburg 2-0 up at their SchwarzwaldStadium before Hanover scored twice inthe last 10 minutes to claim a point.

Midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt struckon 83 minutes before their Spanish starJoselu netted in the third minute of addedtime to deny Freiburg their first win sincethe start of November.

Earlier yesterday, Hertha Berlin defenderJohn Brooks gave away his side’s first twogoals in their 5-0 thrashing at home byHoffenheim.

The USA international turned the ballinto his own net on 23 minutes at Berlin’sOlympic Stadium, then gave away a penal-ty three minutes later.

Bosnia midfielder Sejad Salihovic drilledhome the spot-kick and things went frombad to worse for Hertha. Brooks’ team-mateNico Schulz was unlucky to concede apenalty after nudging Hoffenheim captainAndreas Beck on 39 minutes and Salihovicconverted his second spot-kick.

Hertha capitulated in the second half asSven Schipplock added to the hosts’ miserywhen he walked the ball into an empty neton 74 minutes after a Hoffenheim counter-attack. Germany international SebastianRudy then came off the Hoffenheim benchto grab their fifth goal.

‘BLACK DAY’ “It was a black day for us,” admitted

Schulz, while Hertha coach Jos Luhukaysaid his side had contributed to their owndownfall.

“We really helped them, you only have

to look at the goals,” said the Dutchman.This was seventh-placed Hoffenheim’sbiggest victory in their seven years inGermany’s top flight while Hertha, 13th,have now leaked nine goals in their lasttwo games after drawing 4-4 at EintrachtFrankfurt on Wednesday. On Saturday,Dortmund suffered their 10th defeat fromtheir first 17 games, losing 2-1 at WerderBremen as teenager Davie Selke scored forthe hosts, then set up their second for FinBartels.

Second-placed Wolfsburg fought backto claim a 2-1 home win against mid-tableCologne which trimmed Bayern Munich’slead at the top back to 11 points.

Defender Dominic Maroh gave Colognea shock lead after just 11 minutes beforeDutch striker Bas Dost equalised five min-utes later.

Brazil defender Naldo then headed thewinner from a corner 12 minutes from time.Bayer Leverkusen stay third after comingfrom behind for a 1-1 draw at home toEintracht Frankfurt.

Eintracht captain Alexander Meier, theleague’s leading scorer, converted a penaltyto take him to 13 goals in 16 games thisseason, before Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabiequalised.

Roberto di Matteo’s Schalke 04 stay fifthafter being held to a goalless draw at hometo Hamburg, while Stuttgart remain abovethe bottom three places after their goallessdraw at home to Paderborn.

Meanwhile, Augsburg fought back for a2-1 win at home to fourth-placed BorussiaMoenchengladbach to go sixth.

On Friday, Bayern broke more leaguerecords as Bastian Schweinsteiger andArjen Robben scored in their 2-1 comebackwin at Mainz after Colombia midfielderElkin Soto had given the hosts’ a shock first-half lead. The Mainz result saw Bayern claimnew records for the fewest goals concededin the first half of a Bundesliga season andtheir 11-point lead after 17 games is also anew best mark.—AFP

Bundesliga takes

winter break

GERMANY: Augsburg’s Raul Bobadilla (center) and Moenchengladbach’s TonyJantschke challenge for the ball during the German First League Bundesliga soccermatch. —AP

PARIS: Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi scoredthe deciding goal on his first Ligue 1 start asMarseille beat Lille 2-1 yesterday to ensure thatthey will top the table at Christmas.

Batshuayi secured OM’s ninth consecutivehome victory, their most impressive run ofresults at the Stade Velodrome since 1990/91,after Idrissa Gueye had cancelled out the NolanRoux own-goal which gave the home side thelead. Marseille, who last won the title in 2010,lead defending champions Paris Saint-Germain-who drew 0-0 with Montpellier on Saturday-bythree points.

They are also five ahead of Lyon, who playBordeaux later, and Saint-Etienne, who beatEvian 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. Batshuayi, whohad only been used as a substitute in the leaguesince signing from Standard Liege in the sum-mer, was given the nod by coach Marcelo Bielsaafter Dimitri Payet was dropped for an allegedlack of effort in training.

And the Belgian Under-21 international didnot let the mercurial Argentinian coach down asMarseille secured the symbolic title of ‘AutumnChampions’ in front of a record Velodrome atten-dance of 62,048 spectators.

“I was especially eager for us to win this gamebecause for five months these players have putin so much effort, so to finish with a deservedvictory at home is their reward,” said Bielsa, whodismissed talk of a bust-up with Payet.

The France international winger had beenMarseille’s in-form player in recent weeks beforesurprisingly being sent away on his Christmasholidays early. “Nothing in particular happened. Isimply decided to choose another player todayand I didn’t think it was necessary for him to bein the squad of 18.”

Andre-Pierre Gignac and Batshuayi both hadchances before the hosts opened the scoring inthe 32nd minute when Roux, in attempting toclear a Florian Thauvin corner, only succeeded in

helping the ball into his own net.Andre Ayew had a shot cleared off the line by

Simon Kjaer before Gueye escaped without evena booking after catching Mario Lemina in theface with an arm.

The Senegal international made the most ofhis good fortune by levelling just after the hourmark with a shot from the edge of the area thatbeat Steve Mandanda in goal with the aid of adeflection.

However, the hosts sent the massed ranks ofMarseille fans-many in Santa Claus hats-intoecstasy in the 69th minute as Batshuayi turnedhis marker and let fly with a right-footed effortthat gave Enyeama no chance.

Batshuayi, 21, said the goal was a reward forall the hard work he had put in on the trainingground. “I owe a great debt to the coach for

showing his faith in me and giving me the start-ing role,” he said.

“When I was on the bench I was desperate toget on and then to start a match. “This is a clubdear to my heart and when I scored the goal I letout all the emotion I have had cooped up insideme since I joined. I think I have taken a step for-ward today.” Saint-Etienne continued their excel-lent league form by easing to victory againststruggling Evian at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Max Gradel opened the scoring in the secondminute before Romain Hamouma set up Rickyvan Wolfswinkel to score his fifth league goal ofthe campaign.

Hamouma saved the best for last though, cut-ting inside two defenders before arrowing a left-foot shot from the edge of the box into the topcorner.—AFP

Marseille finish year on top

FRANCE: Marseille’s supporters wear Santa Claus bonnets as they attend the French L1 foot-ball match against Lille at the Velodrome stadium. —AFP

DUNDEE: Dundee United moved up to sec-ond in the Scottish Premiership with a 2-1win over leaders Celtic to end the Hoops’eight game winning run yesterday.

With just one win in their past 21 match-es against the Glasgow giants the oddswere stacked against United before kick-off. Nadir Ciftci opened the scoring forUnited in the fifth minute with a superbstrike before setting up Stuart Armstrongto head home a second in the 65th minute.

Stefan Scepovic had a goal controver-sially chopped off for offside in the 81stminute before fellow substitute LeighGriffiths pulled one back for Celtic six min-utes later and then hit the post in stoppagetime. United survived to close to withinfour points of the Hoops at the top of thetable and gain some revenge for their 6-1thrashing at Parkhead in August.

“We lost the game because we weren’teffective enough. It’s a challenge we’vefaced in the last three or four games wherewe’ve created a lot of chances but don’ttake them,” a despondent Celtic managerRonny Deila said.

“We gave away some very stupid goalsand that’s something we need to do some-thing on.” United manager Jackie

McNamara was pleased with the commit-ment of his players. “I’m delighted and Ithink the players gave everything theyhad,” McNamara said.

“We rode our luck and Celtic put usunder a lot of pressure and we had a bit ofnervy finish when Griffiths got the goal butyou need a bit of luck when you’re playingagainst Celtic.”

Deila had been in the rare position ofnaming an unchanged side for the matchat Tannadice while United made threechanges from the side that lost toAberdeen. A trip on Celtic captain ScottBrown earned Ciftci a booking within thefirst 30 seconds but the Turkish striker soonatoned for his recklessness when he firedUnited in front in the fifth minute.

Armstrong’s pass was diverted into hispath by a Hoops defender and Ciftci heldoff the challenge of Efe Ambrose beforechipping an angled shot beyond CraigGordon. Celtic responded with StefanJohansen firing a low shot that got stuckbetween the legs of United ‘keeperRadoslaw Cierzniak. Celtic stopper Gordonthen had to be alert to make a superb one-handed save to deny a fierce strike fromConor Townsend.—AFP

Dundee end Celtic’s

winning run

16Mave, Suns triumph

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 201419

Sampdoria holdUdinese

F1 delivers dramatic year of rivalry and tragedy Page 16

LIVERPOOL: Arsenal’s Calum Chambers (right) fights for the ball against Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling during the English Premier League soccer match. — AP

LIV-ERPOOL: A bloodied and bandagedMartin Skrtel headed home a last-gasp97th-minute equaliser to earn Liverpoola 2-2 draw against Arsenal in thePremier League at Anfield yesterday.

Having bossed the f irst half,Liverpool went ahead through PhilippeCoutinho, only for goals from MathieuDebuchy and Olivier Giroud to leaveArsene Wenger’s Arsenal on the brink ofa smash-and-grab victory. But Giroud’saccidental kick to Skrtel’s head led tonine minutes of stoppage time and thetattooed Slovakian centre-back claimedhis revenge with a memorable header infront of the Kop.

But though the goal-Skrtel’s first ofthe season-gave Liverpool’s fans somemuch-needed Christmas cheer, it did lit-tle to improve their team’s standing inthe table following a run of only twowins in nine games.Brendan Rodgers’sside, who had Fabio Borini sent off, arenow 17 points below leaders Chelseaand nine points below the top four,while Arsene Wenger’s

Arsenal-destroyed 5-1 on their previ-ous visit in Februar y-trai l theChampions League places by fourpoints. With Liverpool fielding sevenmidfielders in a 3-4-3 formation, whichsaw Raheem Sterling reprise his role as a‘false nine’, it was unsurprising to seethe hosts dominate possession fromkick-off.

Steven Gerrard curled a free-kickwide in the early stages and AdamLallana drilled a left-foot effort narrowlyover after skilfully spinning onto a passfrom Lazar Markovic.

After f ielding a tame effort fromCoutinho, Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech

Szczesny produced a decisive stop,spreading himself to thwart Markovic,who had been freed to run at goal byGerrard’s flick.

Markovic also whipped a first-timeshot over the bar from a Sterling pass,before the breakthrough arrived in the45th minute.

After Giroud conceded possession,Jordan Henderson played a pass intothe feet of Coutinho, who threwDebuchy off-balance before drilling alow shot into the bottom-left corner.

There had been a sense of inevitabili-ty about the goal, but barely a minutelater, Arsenal silenced the Kop by equal-ising with their first attempt at goal.

Alexis Sanchez’s right-wing free-kickwas half-cleared, Mathieu Flamini keptthe ball alive, and Debuchy climbed atthe back post to head home via adeflection off Skrtel.

Skrtel’s misfortune continued early inthe second period as he was left with anasty gash on the back of his head afterbeing accidentally kicked by Giroud,

which prompted a six-minute stoppagein play.

Liverpool came close to scoringwhen play resumed, with Sterling slylyusing his hand to knock the ball pastthe onrushing Szczesny before crossingfor Gerrard, whose diving header sentthe ball over. But it was Arsenal whostruck next. Giroud cl ipped KieranGibb’s pass wide to Santi Cazorla andthen exploited sluggish defending tomeet the Spaniard’s low cross with ashot that flew past Brad Jones. Rodgerssent on strikers Borini and Rick ieLambert for the closing stages.

Borini drew a bri l l iant save fromSzczesny with a late header, but afterbeing booked for hurling the ball awaywhen a throw-in decision went againsthim, he was sent off after catchingCazorla with a high foot. Szczesny savedfrom Gerrard, but just as it looked likeArsenal would hang on, Skr tel metGerrard’s right-wing corner with anemphatic near-post header to earn the10 men a point.—AFP

Bloodied Skrtel earns Liverpool pointLiverpool 2

Arsenal 2

Chelsea 16 12 3 1 36 13 39Man City 17 12 3 2 36 14 39Man Utd 17 9 5 3 30 18 32West Ham 17 9 4 4 29 19 31Southampton 17 9 2 6 28 13 29Arsenal 17 7 6 4 30 21 27Tottenham 17 8 3 6 22 23 27Swansea 17 7 4 6 22 19 25Newcastle 17 6 5 6 18 23 23Liverpool 17 6 4 7 21 24 22Everton 17 5 6 6 27 27 21Aston Villa 17 5 5 7 11 21 20Stoke 16 5 4 7 18 21 19Sunderland 17 3 10 4 15 24 19West Brom 17 4 5 8 17 23 17QPR 17 5 2 10 20 32 17Crystal Palace 17 3 6 8 19 27 15Burnley 17 3 6 8 12 26 15Hull 17 2 7 8 15 24 13Leicester 17 2 4 11 15 29 10

Newcastle United 0 Sunderland 1 (Johnson 90); Liverpool 2(Coutinho 45, Skrtel 90+7) Arsenal 2 (Debuchy 45+2, Giroud 64).

Playing todayStoke v Chelsea

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played,won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

EPL results/standings

MADRID: Villarreal registered their sev-enth consecutive win in all competitionsto move above Sevilla on goal differenceinto fifth in La Liga thanks to a 3-0 victoryover Deportivo la Coruna yesterday.Jonathan dos Santos got the hosts off tothe per fect start when the on-loanBarcelona midfielder slammed home hisfirst goal for the club.

Argentine striker Luciano Vietto thenadded to his fine debut season in Spainwith two simple finishes five minutesapart midway through the second-half tomake the game safe before the hosts end-ed with 10 men when substitute TomasPina was sent-off.

Marcelino’s men shot themselves backinto contention for a return to theChampions League by inflicting AtleticoMadrid’s first defeat at the VicenteCalderon for 19 months last weekend andwere in no mood to lose any ground inthe battle for the top four as they flew outof the blocks.

They were rewarded with the openinggoal after just 10 minutes when Fabriciocould only parry Denis Cheryshev’s loweffort into the path of Dos Santos whogratefully steered the ball into an emptynet. The Deportivo ‘keeper redeemedhimself with fine saves from Cheryshev,

Vietto and Ikechukwu Uche to keep thevisitors in the game at half-time.

But despite an improved start to thesecond period they were hit again on thecounter-attack for the crucial second goal22 minutes from time when Victor Ruizsquared for Vietto to tap home.

Five minutes later it was 3-0 in similarfashion as this time Cheryshev rolled theball across the area for Vietto to slot homehis 12th goal of the season.

Villarreal’s day was somewhat souredas Pina only lasted four minutes beforebeing shown a straight red card for alunge on Alex Bergantinos, but Deportivocouldn’t manage a consolation, and theyremain just a point outside the relegationzone.

On Saturday, Luis Suarez scored hisfirst La Liga goal and Lionel Messi nettedtwice as Barcelona moved to within apoint of leaders Real Madrid with a 5-0thrashing of Cordoba.

Victory moves Barca six points clear ofchampions Atletico Madrid, who visitAthletic Bilbao late yesterday, but RealMadrid will end the year on top despitehaving played a game less due to theirparticipation in the Club World Cup thisweekend. Real host Sevilla in their lastgame of the year on Wednesday. —AFP

Villarreal climb after seventh straight win

NEWCASTLE: Adam Johnson scored adramatic 90th minute winner forSunderland as they beat NewcastleUnited 1-0 and claim a third successivevictory over their north-east rivals.

It was a high-tempo game in whichboth teams, especially Sunderland,missed a series of chances beforeJohnson settled it, starting and fin-ished a sweeping move involvingSteven Fletcher and Sebastien Larsson.Until then, it looked certain to end in astalemate, but Johnson relishes theseoccasions after scoring onSunderland’s two previous visits,which both ended in 3-0 defeats forNewcastle. This meeting was typicallycompetitive derby, littered with yellowcards as referee Anthony Taylor tried tokeep a grip on the game.

But, if there was little love lost onthe pitch, both sets of supporters dis-

played a refreshing respect for eachother. Sunderland’s fans joined the17th minute applause for the twoNewcastle supporters who died in theMH17 plane crash, then the home fansresponded similarly in the 33rd minuteto mark the £33,000 raised inSunderland in the wake of the tragedy.

By the end of the match, though,Sunderland fans were the ones mak-ing all the noise after a victory whichcame after their disruptive prelude tothe match when left-back AnthonyReveillere strained a calf muscle duringthe warm-up.

He was replaced by SebastienCoates, but it was not a straightfor-ward change because John O’Sheahad to switch to left-back to allowCoates to play in his normal position atthe heart of the defence. It did not getmuch better for Sunderland when thegame began as Coates was bookedwithin two minutes for a foul, addingto his concerns for the remaining 88.

Coates’s early foul on Ayoze Perezwas only one of a number of abrasivechallenges that brought three morecautions in the next 20 minutes. Bythe end, the yellow card count wasseven. Not surprisingly, Newcastle set-tled quicker than Poyet’s reshaped

side, with Paul Dummett wasting twochances and Cheick Tiote put an excel-lent 14th minute opportunity straightat Costel Pantilimon.

When Sunderland did get afoothold in the game throughLarsson and Lee Cattermole, they cre-ated far better openings and couldhave been ahead by the interval.

Connor Wickham almost headedin at the far post after Newcastle’sthird-choice keeper Jak Alnwickstruggled to deal with Johnson’s23rd minute free-kick. Alnwick wasmore impressive when he dealt withtwo further efforts from Wickhamlater in the half, but Sunderland wentclosest to a breakthrough when

Fletcher eluded Steven Taylor andsteered Larsson’s cross against thebar in the 26th minute.

Taylor was the man who stoodbetween Fletcher and a goal in the50th minute when he beat theScotland striker to Wickham’s cross,but also collided with a post and suf-fered a head wound. While he wasoff the pitch having stitches,Sunderland should have capitalisedthrough Jordi Gomez, but theSpaniard sliced his weak shot afterbeing presented with a gloriouschance by Fletcher. Fortunate to beon level terms, Newcastle finallythreatened a goal in the final third ofthe game. — AFP

Sunderland downNewcastle

Newcastle 0

Sunderland 1

LONDON: Sunderland’s Steven Fletcher (right) vies for the ballwith Newcastle United’s Sammy Ameobi (left) during their EnglishPremier League soccer match at St James’ Park. — AP

BusinessMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Russia growls across border

as Lithuania readies for euro

Page 22Chinese housing:

Fundamentals to

lead recovery

Page 23For Russia’s economy,

the worst is yet to come

Page 25Etihad Airways launches A380, B787 in Abu Dhabi

Page 26

HERTA: An Afghan girl walks in the old section of Herat province yesterday. Afghanistan’s economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance.Despite significant improvement in the last decade the country is still extremely poor and remains highly dependent on foreign aid. — AFP

DUBAI: The plunge in oil prices may take more of the frothoff Dubai’s booming real estate market, but broad-baseddemand for property is likely to prevent any crash. As theglobal financial crisis slashed oil and equity prices in 2008,Dubai’s real estate market began a collapse that roughlyhalved residential prices in 12 months and forced therestructuring of tens of billions of dollars of corporate debt.

So oil’s current slide is being watched closely in Dubai.During the last slump, a sharp downturn in the Dubai stockmarket preceded the beginning of the property crash byabout nine months; the stock index is now down 37 percentfrom its May 2014 peak. This time around, however, thereare major differences. The United Arab Emirates has built uphuge fiscal reserves which are expected to let the govern-ment keep spending heavily, insulating the economy fromthe reduction in oil revenues.

Also, Dubai’s real estate market looks healthier and lessvulnerable to a crash than it did in 2008, when frenzied buy-ing by speculators and overextended property developerscreated a bubble that was waiting to burst. “I wouldn’t saylower oil will have much effect on Dubai’s property marketin the long run because demand is there - if not from theGulf, then from India, China and Europe,” said Harshjit Oza,assistant director of research at Naeem brokerage in Cairo.

He said Dubai real estate would not be able to escape atemporary impact from cheaper oil, but noted the UAE as awhole was not as dependent on oil as the other big Gulfeconomies, and that Dubai - with little oil itself and bigtourism, travel and trading sectors - was even less exposed.

THREATDubai’s real estate industry began rebounding from its

last slump in 2012. Residential prices soared by roughly athird in the 12 months to mid-2014, bringing them neartheir 2008 peaks. In the last several months the market hasbegun slowing. Consultants CBRE estimate residentialprices rose just 3 percent in the third quarter of this yearand 2 percent in the fourth; Knight Frank calculates main-stream prices - for properties under 10 million dirhams($1.4 million) - fell 5.2 percent in the third quarter. The bigthreat to the market is that lower oil revenues in the Gulfcould slash the amount of money available to buy Dubaiproperty, just as the supply of new units increases nextyear as projects launched at the start of the boom are com-pleted.

But many analysts think such fears are misplaced. Oilrevenues do not flow directly into Gulf real estate markets;they go into state coffers, and governments then decide

how much they want to inject into their economies viastate spending.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have spent thelast five years building up fiscal reserves that will let themkeep spending actively even if Brent oil, at $115 a barrel asrecently as June, stays around $60 or goes even lower.

“There is no need now for a very steep and quick reduc-tion of spending, which would not necessarily be desir-able,” Harald Finger, the International Monetary Fund’shead of mission for the UAE, said last week. Gulf economicofficials, including the Saudi finance minister and the UAEeconomics minister, have made similar statements.

So the impact of cheaper oil on property prices is likelyto be more psychological than economic. And the marketis less jittery than it was at the start of the last downturn,because many of the excesses of the last boom have beenavoided.

DEMANDNew regulations have limited short-term speculation in

property - the central bank increased the size of depositsrequired from mortgage borrowers, and Dubai doubled itsland transaction fee. Despite their bullish rhetoric, devel-opers have launched projects more carefully than they did

a decade ago.Even if demand from the Gulf does ease, it may not mat-

ter much because interest in Dubai property is diversified.Figures from the Dubai Land Department show that whileUAE nationals bought a quarter of property in the emiratein the first half of this year and Saudis 7 percent, over a fifthwas bought by Indians and 12 percent by Britons.

“In the early part of 2015, weaker sentiment as a resultof lower oil prices and the ongoing uncertainty in the eurozone is likely to dampen residential investment activityfrom the Gulf and Europe,” Knight Frank wrote of the Dubaimarket.

“Emiratis and Indians, however, are likely to remainimportant investors in real estate.” Even if a long period ofcheap oil slows economic growth in the Gulf, it mayincrease wealth in the rest of the world - and some of thatmoney is likely to find its way to international cities such asDubai. This is a big difference from 2008, when the globalcrisis reduced wealth globally. “Purely from a real estatepoint of view, while there are potentially negatives - say ifthe oil and gas sector slows in terms of new office openingsetcetera - there are also a lot of potential positives, givenwhat it could do to the global economy,” said MatthewGreen, CBRE’s regional head of research. — Reuters

Dubai property market can ride out cheap oilBig Gulf governments likely to continue spending heavily

DUBAI: Stock markets around the Gulf rosesharply for a second straight day on Sunday afteroil prices bounced and before the release of SaudiArabia’s 2015 budget plan, which is expected toshow the kingdom continuing to spend heavily oneconomic development. The main Saudi indexrose 2.5 percent, bringing its gains over the pastthree days to 16 percent - though it is still 24 per-cent below its September peak. Trading volumehit its highest level since late August, a positivetechnical sign suggesting the market has estab-lished a floor.

Bourses in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulfplunged in the past several weeks because of fearsthat sliding oil prices would force governments tocut back sharply on their spending, hitting corpo-rate profits. Those fears have eased in the last fewdays. Brent crude oil bounced back above $60 abarrel late last week, while Saudi Finance MinisterIbrahim Alassaf said last Wednesday that his gov-ernment would continue spending strongly ondevelopment projects and social benefits in its2015 budget, which is expected to be announcedtoday.

Saudi real estate developer Dar Al-Arkan, whichcould benefit from government efforts to resolvethe country’s housing shortage, was the most

heavily traded stock on Sunday, soaring 9.3 per-cent.

Other big gainers included miner Ma’aden, up4.0 percent, and petrochemical producer SaudiKayan, up 9.8 percent. However, the Saudi marketcame well off its early highs, after rising 5.0 per-cent at one stage. Many oil traders are not surethat Brent crude has established a firm floor at$60, and any renewed slide towards $50 couldpush Gulf bourses down again.

DUBAI, QATARDubai’s stock market, the region’s most volatile

and one of its most heavily leveraged markets,was the biggest loser in the Gulf earlier this monthand it was the biggest gainer yesterday, as tradingvolume hit its highest level since late August. TheDubai index jumped 9.9 percent, adding toThursday’s 13.0 percent leap, as blue chip EmaarProperties rocketed 13.7 percent and builderArabtec gained 11.6 percent. The index is still 27percent below its September peak.

Qatar ’s market surged 7.6 percent, partlybecause it was closed for a national holiday onThursday so it missed out on the start of the Gulf’srally. Vodafone Qatar, the most heavily tradedstock, climbed its 10 percent daily limit, as did

Barwa Real Estate.Another positive for Qatar was that while FIFA’s

executive committee unanimously agreed onFriday to publish an “appropriate” version of theinvestigation into the bidding process for the2018 and 2022 World Cups, it insisted that Russiaand Qatar would still stage the tournamentsregardless.

Oman’s market performed well, climbing 5.5percent, after the executive president of the StateGeneral Reserve Fund, the country’s largest sover-eign wealth fund, told Reuters that the SGRF hadboosted its buying of shares in the local marketbecause prices had slid to attractive levels.

Bahrain underperformed the region, rising just1.4 percent, after Fitch Ratings cut Bahrain’s creditoutlook to negative at the weekend, following asimilar move by Standard and Poor’s. The Bahrainimarket had dropped relatively little during theGulf’s earlier downtrend, apparently because of itslow liquidity, so it has relatively small room torebound. The Egyptian stock market, which alsobegan rebounding on Thursday, got a furtherboost from news that Fitch upgraded Egypt’s debtto B, citing government policies to cut debt andstimulate growth. The index climbed 3.5 percentyesterday.-Reuters

Gulf markets continue rally MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

ABIDJAN: People are seen strolling along the newly opened Henri KonanBedie bridge (HKB) on Saturday in the Ivorian capital Abidjan. Both a bridgeand a highway, this new expressway links the north and south of Abidjan,bringing the districts of Riviera and Marcory closer together. —AFP

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange

Japanese Yen 2.455Indian Rupees 4.645Pakistani Rupees 2.917Srilankan Rupees 2.220Nepali Rupees 2.878Singapore Dollar 223.630Hongkong Dollar 37.783Bangladesh Taka 3.746Philippine Peso 6.549Thai Baht 8.939Irani Riyal transfer 61.555Irani Riyal cash 121.740

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 78.151Qatari Riyal 80.514Omani Riyal 761.500Bahraini Dinar 778.400UAE Dirham 79.812

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 42.450Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.887Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.367Tunisian Dinar 157.920Jordanian Dinar 413.600Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.966Syrian Lira 2.089Morocco Dirham 33.102

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 292.950Euro 360.330Sterling Pound 459.930Canadian dollar 255.180Turkish lira 126.270Swiss Franc 301.700Australian Dollar 242.270US Dollar Buying 291.750

GOLD20 gram 238.10010 gram 121.7405 gram 61.560

CurrencyTransfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 291.800Euro 366.550Pound Sterlng 461.000Canadian Dollar 252.550Indian Rupee 4.597Egyptian Pound 40.785Sri Lankan Rupee 2.212Bangladesh Taka 3.738Philippines Peso 6.522Pakistan Rupee 2.905Bahraini Dinar 776.900UAE Dirham 79.500Saudi Riyal 78.000

*Rates are subject to change

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFTEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007632 0.008632British Pound 0.452259 0.461259Czech Korune 0.005047 0.017047Danish Krone 0.044361 0.049361Euro 0.354006 0.362006Norwegian Krone 0.035743 0.041143Romanian Leu 0.084057 0.084057Slovakia 0.008572 0.018572Swedish Krona 0.034131 0.039131Swiss Franc 0.291709 0.301909Turkish Lira 0.124609 0.131609

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.230411 0.241911New Zealand Dollar 0.219694 0.229194AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.247352 0.255852US Dollars 0.288950 0.293650US Dollars Mint 0.289450 0.293650AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003432 0.004032Chinese Yuan 0.046192 0.049692Hong Kong Dollar 0.035698 0.038448Indian Rupee 0.004436 0.004837Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002381 0.002561Kenyan Shilling 0.003275 0.003275Korean Won 0.000255 0.000270Malaysian Ringgit 0.080985 0.086985Nepalese Rupee 0.002995 0.003165Pakistan Rupee 0.002745 0.003025Philippine Peso 0.006509 0.006789Sierra Leone 0.000065 0.000071Singapore Dollar 0.219794 0.225794

South African Rand 0.019360 0.027860Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001877 0.002457Taiwan 0.009211 0.009391Thai Baht 0.008575 0.009125

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.770861 0.778861Egyptian Pound 0.038725 0.041825Iranian Riyal 0.000081 0.000082Iraqi Dinar 0.000199 0.000259Jordanian Dinar 0.409260 0.416750Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000145 0.000245Moroccan Dirhams 0.024004 0.048004Nigerian Naira 0.001189 0.001824Omani Riyal 0.755147 0.760827Qatar Riyal 0.079783 0.080996Saudi Riyal 0.077510 0.078210Syrian Pound 0.001737 0.001957Tunisian Dinar 0.153886 0.161886Turkish Lira 0.124609 0.131609UAE Dirhams 0.078805 0.079954Yemeni Riyal 0.001323 0.001403

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 230.99 227.99Canadian Dollar 254.86 255.86Swiss Franc 308.83 306.83Euro 368.45 369.45US Dollar 292.70 295.70Sterling Pound 460.05 463.05Japanese Yen 2.55 2.57Bangladesh Taka 3.750 4.020Indian Rupee 4.606 4.906Sri Lankan Rupee 2.215 2.650Nepali Rupee 2.879 3.414Pakistani Rupee 2.918 2.790UAE Dirhams 79.54 80.00Bahraini Dinar 776.84 778.91Egyptian Pound 40.81 41.41Jordanian Dinar 415.89 421.54Omani Riyal 759.06 766.36Qatari Riyal 80.60 81.15Saudi Riyal 77.97

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 291.750Canadian Dollar 260.085Sterling Pound 456.630Euro 366.500Swiss Frank 303.035Bahrain Dinar 775.760UAE Dirhams 79.330Qatari Riyals 80.935Saudi Riyals 77.975Jordanian Dinar 411.660Egyptian Pound 40.707Sri Lankan Rupees 2.225Indian Rupees 4.716Pakistani Rupees 2.867Bangladesh Taka 3.759Philippines Pesso 6.481Cyprus pound 715.865Japanese Yen 3.480Syrian Pound 2.710Nepalese Rupees 3.945

Malaysian Ringgit 87.645Chinese Yuan Renminbi 48.035Thai Bhat 9.885Turkish Lira 131.225

Egyptian pound steady on official market

CAIRO: The Egyptian pound held steady at a centralbank dollar sale yesterday but weakened on the unoffi-cial market. The bank offered $40 million and said ithad sold $37.8 million at a cut-off price of 7.1401pounds to the dollar, unchanged from its last sale onThursday. The rates at which banks are allowed totrade dollars are determined by the results of centralbank sales, giving the bank effective control over offi-cial exchange rates. In the unofficial market, the poundwas trading at 7.80 to the dollar, one trader said, weak-er than Thursday’s rate of 7.78 pounds.

Iraq’s December oil exports from Basra topping 2.6m bpd

ABU DHABI: The head of Iraq’s state oil marketingbody, SOMO, said yesterday that he expected averageDecember oil exports from Basra to top 2.6 million bar-rels per day. Falah Al-Amiri was speaking to Reuters onthe sidelines of a meeting of ministers of theOrganization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries(OAPEC) in Abu Dhabi. Exports from Basra, Iraq’s mainoil-exporting hub, often fluctuate widely because ofweather or technical problems. In early Novemberthey were running at 2.4 million bpd, according toshipping sources.

Egypt’s Suez Canal revenue slips in Nov

CAIRO: Revenues from the Suez Canal fell to $442.8 mil-lion in November from $482.3 million in October, Egypt’sstate information website said yesterday. The fastest ship-ping route between Europe and Asia is one of Egypt’s mainsources of foreign currency. A major expansion of the 145-year-old waterway is planned.

Dollar stable against dinar at KD 0.292

KUWAIT: The US dollar exchange was stable against theKuwaiti dinar in yesterday’s trading at KD 0.292 while theeuro dropped to 0.357, compared with Thursday’s rates,said the daily bulletin of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK).The pound sterling exchange rate went up reaching KD0.457 while the Swiss franc went down at KD 0.297. TheJapanese yen remained unchanged at KD 0.002.

Newsi n b r i e f

KYBARTAI, Lithuania: Geopolitics plague Lithuanians atthis frozen Russian border post, where a return trip by carcan mean 48 hours of queuing. It is a reminder for some ofwhy the former Soviet republic will cement its move to theWest by joining the euro-zone next month.

Tensions with Moscow have simmered ever sinceLithuania became the first republic to declare independ-ence from the Soviet Union in 1990, although only 6 per-cent of the population are Russian speakers, far fewer thanin its Baltic neighbors. On Jan 1, it will be the last of theBaltic states to join the currency bloc, hoping like Estoniaand Latvia for more investment and lower borrowing coststo spur one of Europe’s poorest but fastest-growingeconomies. All three have felt the blowback from East-Westtension over Russia’s encroachment into Ukraine this year inthe form of Russian sanctions and military grandstandingon their borders. When Lithuanian President DaliaGrybauskaite announced military aid for Ukraine lastmonth, accusing Moscow of being a “terrorist country”,Russia launched a go-slow on the border with itsKaliningrad enclave - home to Russia’s Baltic sea fleet and,most Lithuanians suspect, tactical nuclear weapons.

The number of private Lithuanian cars crossing overplunged tenfold. “Before it only took a couple of hours,” saidunemployed Lionius Medelis, one of just three drivers hud-dled in the cold in the hope of buying cheap gasoline inKaliningrad. “It’s terrible what’s happening here.”

The move to the euro coincides with steps towardsgreater energy independence and requests for more NATOtroops in Lithuania, marking a new shift away from Moscow.But half those polled in this state of three million do notwelcome the euro.

“It is all a horror movie,” elderly Laima Krecikiene saidoutside a supermarket by the border. “Don’t you under-stand? Can you imagine how little money people in the vil-lages have? Just look at the prices, they shot up in anticipa-tion of the euro.” Market reforms and wider economic crisishave been tough for Lithuanians, driving many to emigrate.But few oppose its shift towards the West.

Russia’s move into Ukraine has awoken fears the Balticscould be next. NATO has scrambled its jets over 150 timesthis year after Russian sorties, three times more than lastyear. Moscow held surprise military exercises in Kaliningradin December with 9,000 troops and 55 ships.

Russian sanctions have hit Lithuania’s transport sector,which employs around 100,000, as well as its dairy industry.While the aim may be to bring the country back intoMoscow’s orbit, analysts say it is having the opposite effect,focusing business minds on the west and emerging mar-kets like Asia. “I think Russians are trying to educate us howto behave,” said Gitanas Nauseda, chief economist as SEB

bank in Lithuania. “But among executives the mentality ofhaving Russia in your strategic plan is disappearing.”

VocalWith Russia still accounting for some 20 percent of

exports compared with 60 percent going elsewhere in theEuropean Union, the government, which has been amongthe most vocal in Europe in denouncing Russia, says there issome way to go. Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius saidsome businesses still did not appreciate the risks of dealingwith Russia. “It’s better to work with less risky markets, makeuse of having a stable currency like the euro in Lithuania,have lower profits but long-term stability in business,” hetold Reuters. A big step came in October when“Independence”, a floating liquefied natural gas import ter-minal, arrived under heavy guard in Lithuania, marking theend of the Baltic state’s reliance on Russian gas by allowingit to import from countries like Norway as well.

While a Russian crisis could upset forecasts, the centralbank says euro zone membership could add 1.3 percent toGDP in the long term. The economy is expected to grow 2.9

percent this year. Massive public spending cuts coupledwith economic crisis saw Lithuanian GDP shrink by 15 per-cent in 2009, a drop that took until 2014 to recover. Arounda tenth of the population has emigrated, half since the cri-sis. Now Lithuania seems healthier than many EUeconomies, but central bank head Vitas Vasiliauskas said itcould not relax. “The euro gives you a lot of opportunities.At the same time you must move forward with reforms,” hesaid in an interview.

Deeper problems include creaking education and healthsystems and the brain drain, and even businesspeople areskeptical about the benefits of joining the euro.

Visvaldas Matijosaitis, CEO of Viciunai Group, producer offrozen products that exports to 56 countries and employs7,500 people, complained of a shortage of skilled labor - hiscompany is forced to bus in workers from 100 km (60 miles)away. “Productivity is not what it is in the West,” Matijosaitissaid, as lines of women filleted fish by hand nearby. “A lot ofinvestment would be needed to raise productivity.” Asked ifthe euro would help, he did not hesitate. “It changes noth-ing,” he said. — Reuters

Russia growls across border as Lithuania readies for euro

Baltic state one of most vocal opponents of Russia

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite addresses journalists as she arrives ahead of the European Union summitat the EU headquarters in Brussels. While a Russian crisis could upset forecasts, the Lithuanian central bank sayseuro-zone membership could add 1.3 percent to GDP in the long term. — AFP

ABU DHABI: Falling oil prices will not affectthe development of oil and gas infrastructurein Bahrain, including an import terminal fornatural gas and expansion of a majorpipeline and refinery, the country’s energyminister said yesterday. Global oil prices haveslumped by about half since June because ofoversupply fears, a move expected tosqueeze the budgets of oil producers.

Fitch Ratings downgraded Bahrain’s creditoutlook last week to negative, saying the fallin oil exacerbated an already challenging fis-cal situation.

But the implementation of projects won’tbe affected, Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza toldreporters on the sidelines of an energy con-ference in Abu Dhabi. Among the projects isa floating platform to import liquefied natu-ral gas (LNG), which will give the kingdomgas to fuel its industrial expansion.

“It will be the second half of 2017,” Mirzasaid when asked when the project would becompleted. He confirmed talks were held lastweek with a Russian delegation about possi-bly importing LNG from the European nation.Russia was among a number of nations to

have expressed interest in supplying Bahrain,but any agreements would depend on priceand the level of gas needed by the kingdom,which would vary over time, Mirza said.

A number of bidders recently submittedproposals to build the terminal, he said,declining to be drawn on their identities orwhen a decision on the winner would bemade. Among the expected bidders for the$500 million scheme are consortia includingPetrofac, Marubeni, Daewoo and SamsungC&T Corp, according to Project FinanceInternational, a Thomson Reuters unit.

Other projects planned by Bahraininclude the $5 billion Bahrain Petroleum Corefinery upgrade and expansion, for which abasic engineering study could be expectedby the end of next year, Mirza said. A newcrude pipeline between Bahrain and SaudiArabia could see work start in the secondhalf of 2015, he added. The minister hadsaid in a speech earlier yesterday that thenew pipeline would have a capacity ofaround 350,000 barrels of oil per day, com-pared to 220,000 bpd through the currentpipeline. — Reuters

CAIRO: Egypt has sufficient wheatsupply to last until late April, justafter the government will beginbuying wheat from the local har-vest, the supplies minister said in astatement yesterday.

Khaled Hanafi said the govern-ment would start procuring wheatfrom local farmers in mid-April. Hesaid the state would pay farmers420 Egyptian pounds ($59) perardeb, the equivalent of around150 kg. That is the same price itpaid last year.

The local price exceeds theprice Egypt pays in the internation-al market by more than $100 perton. The minister frequently issuesstatements about the level ofstrategic reserves, and these state-ments do not have a bearing onthe world’s top wheat importer’spurchases from international mar-kets. Indeed, Egypt’s state grainbuyer, the General Authority forSupply Commodities (GASC), saidon Saturday it had bought 300,000

tons of wheat from France andRussia in a tender due for ship-ment on Jan. 21-31. Nonetheless,the government’s policy aims toencourage farmers to grow moreto reduce the reliance on foreignsuppliers.

Hanafi said the governmenthopes to procure 3.6 to 3.7 milliontons of local wheat in the harvestseason that runs from April toJune. That target is down from the2014 aim of procuring 4 milliontons, and more in line with the 3.7million tons the governmentbought from this year’s local har-vest. The government signed adeal with an American companythis month to overhaul its localwheat storage system to cut ram-pant waste of the crop that occursdue to poor storage of the freshlyharvested grain.

Officials and the company saythey intend for the project to becompleted by the start of nextyear’s harvest. — Reuters

Egypt has sufficient wheat supply to last until April

Bahrain denies projects affected by oil slide

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of thelucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home aprize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prizeof KD 5,000 each, and they are:

1. ABDULLAH BASHEER SALMAN2. FAHAD YAQOUB ALMUTAWAA3. ZAHRAA MOHAMMAD KHADADA4. AWADH GHAYADH ALENEZI5. BHASKARAN NAIR THULASIDASTo further add to the anticipation of Yawmi account cus-

tomers, Burgan Bank now offers a Quarterly Draw with morechances to win higher rewards, entitling one lucky customer towin KD 125,000 every three months. The Yawmi Account nowoffers daily and quarterly draws, the quarterly draw requires cus-tomers to maintain a minimum amount of KD 500 in their accountfor 2 months prior to draw date. Additionally, every KD 10 in theaccount, will entitle customers to one chance of winning. If theaccount balance is KD 500 and above, the account holder will bequalified for both the quarterly and daily draws.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi accountand/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances tobecoming a winner. The more customers deposit, the higher thechances they receive of winning.

For more information on opening a Yawmi account or aboutthe new quarterly draw, customers are urged to visit their nearestBurgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call thebank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representa-tives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmiaccount or any of the bank’s products and services.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercialBank and third largest by assets in Kuwait, with a significant focuson the corporate and financial institutions sectors, as well as hav-ing a growing retail, and private bank customer base. BurganBank has five majority owned subsidiaries, which include JordanKuwait Bank, Gulf Bank Algeria, Burgan Bank - Turkey, Bank ofBaghdad, Tunis International Bank, in which Burgan Bank owns amajority stake. Burgan Bank Group has one of the largest regionalbranch networks with more than 231 branches across Kuwait,Turkey, Jordan, Algeria, Iraq, Tunis, Lebanon and Palestine.

Burgan Bank’s winnersof Yawmi account draw

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

By Jordi Rof and Mahmoud Galal

The Chinese property market suffered a signifi-cant downturn since the start of the year.Property prices decelerated from the yearly

growth rate of 9.6 percent in January to -3.7 percentin November for both residential and commercialuse in almost all top 70 cities. Property sales hasbeen contracting around 9.0 percent year-on-yearsince April, and real estate investment grew at theslowest pace in five years: 11.9 percent yearly in thefirst 11 months of the year.

To some extent, the deceleration of the propertymarket came as a relief for Chinese authorities, whowere concerned about the overheating of the sec-tor caused by the speculative side of demand andthe lack of investment alternatives for Chinesehouseholds. In order to curb that demand, a seriesof measures such as taxes on gains made on homesales were introduced.

However, the property slump induced a shift inpolicy by local governments, which reduced restric-tions on multiple home purchase in order to tacklethe excess supply. Additionally, in some cities suchas Fuijan, taxation was modified in order to encour-age property sales, and in Sichuan province, subsi-dized mortgages were approved. So far, the latestmeasures have failed to constraint the decline inprices, partly due to the sizeable discounts offeredby large developers, which are under pressure toimprove their cash-flows.

Moreover, the Chinese property market slumpwidens the set of policy options that People’s Bankof China (PBoC) has in order to stimulate the econo-

my and manage the deceleration. Before pricesstarted contracting, Chinese institutions had to facethe difficult task of sparking growth without fuelingproperty prices further. Currently, housing inflationhas ceased to be a cause for concern, allowing forwider monetary policy measures that PBoC hasbeen reluctant to use so far. The reserve require-

ment ratio (RRR) and some of the various interestrates that PBoC controls are the most likely candi-dates for such policy revisions. Lowering the RRRwould release funds for lending, boosting growthand lifting profits of financial institutions, whichmight face pressure in the future due to upcomingliberalization and the introduction of the deposit

insurance mechanism. The main lending rate was already lowered by

0.4 percentage points to 5.6 percent last November,with the aim of supporting new loans, and addi-tional cuts are likely to be implemented in themedium term. Nevertheless, Chinese policymakerswill be vigilant, since any relaxation of the lendingrates might lead to excessive leverage and mightspur non-official financial activity if deposit ratesare also cut. In the shorter term, the declines insales and prices are expected to continue, but mod-erations in the monthly declines of property priceshave already taken place and lower lending ratescoupled with improving affordability may have apositive effect on sales.

On a longer-term horizon the outlook remainspositive, since the fundamental drivers which sug-gested a strong performance of the property mar-ket in the long run have not vanished. The latestdata of the World Bank shows that urbanization isoccurring at rapid rates: urban population increasedby 3 percent in 2013, the equivalent of about 21million additional urban citizens. Additionally,urbanization of China is still in its infancy comparedto Europe and the US: while approximately 80 per-cent of inhabitants of these two economies live inurban areas, the percentage of urban population inChina is just 53 percent. China has been catching upstubbornly since the indicator was first released in1960, and its development path suggest this trendwill continue in the years to come.

The favorable outlook of the property market inthe years to come, leads to believe that it willremain a reliable source of growth in China.

Chinese housing: Fundamentals to lead recovery KCIC WEEKLY ANALYSIS ON ASIA

MINSK: Belarus blocked online stores and newswebsites yesterday, in an apparent attempt tostop a run on banks and shops as people rushedto secure their savings. In a statement Sunday,BelaPAN news company, which runs popularindependent news websites Belapan.by andNaviny.by, said that the sites were blockedSaturday without any warning. “Clearly the deci-sion to block the IP addresses could only be takenby the authorities because in Belarus the govern-ment has monopoly on providing IPs,” it said.

Other websites blocked yesterday wereCharter97.by, BelarusPartisan.org, Udf.by and oth-ers with an independent news outlook. Theblockage started on December 19, when the gov-

ernment announced that purchases of foreigncurrency will be taxed 30 percent and told allexporters to convert half of their foreign revenuesinto the local currency. “Looks like the authoritieswant to turn light panic over the fall of theBelarussian ruble into a real one,” Belarus Partisanwebsite wrote, calling the blockages “Decemberinsanity.” Internet shopping websites were alsoblocked en masse. Thirteen online stores wereblocked Saturday for raising their prices or show-ing them in US dollars, deputy trade minister IrinaNarkevich said, Interfax reported. The govern-ment announced a moratorium on price increas-es for consumer goods and ordered domesticproducers of appliances to “increase deliveries”

and keep prices the same at the risk of their man-agement being sacked.

Belarussians lined up for hours to clear outtheir bank accounts and swept store shelves tosecure their savings, stocking up on foreign-madeappliances and housewares.

The Belarussian ruble has lost about half of itsvalue since the beginning of the year, havingbeen hit hard by the depreciation of the Russianruble since its economy is heavily dependent onits giant neighbor. With foreign currency swiftlydepleted in exchange offices, Belarussians evenlaunched a black market website dollarnash.comwhere individuals could buy and sell dollars andeuros. — AFP

Belarus blocks sites, closes stores to stem ruble panic

People rush to secure savings amid jitters

MISNK: A woman walks past the empty shelves in an electronic shop in Minsk, yesterday. The Belarusian National Bank has imposed a 30 percent fee oncurrency exchange transactions for both businesses and individuals. Belarusians started snapping up electronics before prices soar. — AFP

ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister AntonisSamaras yesterday offered to hold earlyelections in late 2015 to clinch a crucialpresidential vote next week that couldaffect the country’s economic future.

“We can find the proper timeframe fornational elections, even at the end of 2015”,provided a president is elected and crunchEU-IMF loan talks are concluded, Samarassaid in a nationally televised address. “It is anational duty, and common sense also dic-tates, that we (first) conclude negotiationswith the (EU-IMF) creditors,” Samaras said.

Upcoming votes in parliament to elect asuccessor to President Karolos Papoulias,whose term ends in March, look likely toend in a stalemate which would automati-cally spark early elections.

Parliament last week fell 40 votes shortof the required 200 to elect the govern-ment’s candidate for president, former EUEnvironment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.Parliament will vote again on Tuesdaywhen 200 votes are again required in the300-seat chamber. Should that also fail, athird and final vote requiring 180 voteswould be held on December 29. Samarashad until now steadfastly refused to bringforward the elections, which are normallydue in June 2016.

But on Sunday, he also offered to broad-en his cabinet to include pro-Europeanvoices. “After the presidential election, wecan broaden the government to bring inother people who believe in the country’s

European perspective,” the PM said. Thegovernment coalition has only 155 law-makers in parliament, and most analystsagree that finding even 180 supporterswould be a tall order.

The presidential vote was further taint-ed by allegations by a small nationalist par-ty that people close to the governmentwere trying to bribe its lawmakers into vot-ing for Dimas.

European Union and InternationalMonetary Fund officials fear an early elec-tion-which could be held as early asJanuary 25 — would be won by radical left-ist party Syriza and undo Greece’s ongoingfiscal reforms. Syriza on Sunday argued thatSamaras’ efforts to persuade independentlawmakers to support his candidate wasfutile. “Above all, (the PM) fears the judg-ment of the people and he will not be ableto avoid it,” the radical leftists said. Greecerecently secured a two-month extensionfrom its international creditors to concludean ongoing fiscal audit that will determinethe release of some 7.0 billion euros ($8.6billion) in loans. This extension expires inFebruary, and the finance ministry haswarned that the state will face cash difficul-ties from March onwards.

In 2012, back-to-back elections wereneeded in May and June to form a shakycoalition government, stalling Greece’s fis-cal reforms and sparking speculation thatthe country was about to be ejected fromthe euro-zone. — AFP

Greek PM offers elections in 2015 to clinch IMF deal

ATHENS: In this image made from a TV monitor Greek Prime Minister AntonisSamaras, addresses the nation from his office in Athens yesterday. Greece faces earlygeneral elections if its 300-member parliament fails to elect a president by the thirdround of voting on Dec 29. — AP

BEIJING: Property billionaire Wang Jianlinrose from a local government bureaucrat toChina’s richest man by transforming a debt-laden state-owned housebuilder into thesprawling Wanda Group, and the flotation ofone of its subsidiaries this week will propelhim back up the table of fortune.

Wang has penchants for karaoke and col-lecting. He’s got an impressive collection offine art, property projects in top marketsaround the world, and an ever-expandingportfolio of companies including cinemachain AMC and yachtbuilder Sunseeker. Hetopped the Forbes China Rich List in 2013with an estimated net worth of $14.1 billion,but was displaced this year after charismaticInternet entrepreneur Jack Ma floated his e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group inthe world’s biggest ever initial public offer-ing (IPO). That is likely to change again afterDalian Wanda Commercial Properties, theflagship subsidiary of Wang’s Wanda Group,lists in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Wanda Commercial is selling a 13 per-cent stake for $3.7 billion before over-allot-ments-valuing the firm at $28 billion, and

Wanda Group’s 44 percent post-flotationshare at $12.5 billion.

Wang himself owns more than 98 per-cent of Wanda Group, with the remainingsliver held by his only son, Wang Sicong.Wang and his wife together own aroundanother 10 percent of Wanda Commercial.The parent conglomerate, which has inter-ests in hotels, entertainment and retail, lastyear saw more than 12.5 billion yuan in prof-its, according to its website.

‘Military rigor’The behemoth is a far cry from the near-

bankrupt, state-owned property developerin the northeastern port of Dalian whereWang was appointed as general manager in1988. Previously a government official in thecity’s Xigang district, according to Chinesemedia reports, he dug his first pot of goldfrom contracts to renovate shanty houses inthe area. As the company turned around, itwas renamed Wanda in 1992, and the state’sstakes were gradually bought out by Wangdirectly or through companies associatedwith him. —AFP

HAVANA: Milagros Diaz has been rolling cigars for 48years, so long she cannot even smell tobacco any-more, and she is thrilled that the US market is finallyopening up for her handmade Cuban “habanos”.

Since US President Obama announced onWednesday he would restore diplomatic ties withCuba and start dismantling economic sanctions,Americans have been filing into the cigar shop at theHotel Nacional in Havana, where she hand-rolls cigarsusing techniques little changed since the 19th centu-ry. “The Americans!” she said, her face lighting up asshe clapped her hands over her head. “They’re notscared anymore. I’m super happy because in my 67years I never thought I would see diplomatic relations.And we think we’re going to sell more, because this isjust getting started.”

Cigars have been Cuba’s signature product eversince Christopher Columbus saw natives smokingrolled up tobacco leaves when he first sailed to theCaribbean island in 1492.

Fidel Castro, who took power in Cuba’s 1959 revo-lution, was often seen puffing on his favored, long andthin lancero model until he quit in 1985. Cuban cigarsare considered by many as the best in the worldbrands such as Cohiba, Montecristo and Partagas - butthe US trade embargo blocks their access to a marketthat last year imported 317.6 million premium, hand-rolled cigars. When Obama unveiled the new Cubapolicy, which aims to end more than five decades ofconflict, among the first forbidden Cuban productslegalized was the cigar.

Under new rules to be implemented soon, theUnited States will make it easier for some Americansto travel to Cuba and they will be able to return with$100 worth of alcohol and tobacco.

The restrictions could be further loosened over

time. Wholesale shipments directly to the UnitedStates would require the US Congress to lift theembargo, or for Obama to declare an exception forcigars under the Trading with the Enemy Act.

Even the preliminary steps have delighted afi-cionados on both sides of the Florida Straits, as wellas Cubans working in the industry. Diaz, the cigar-maker, says the extra revenue could help tobacco

farmers better finance their fields and improve trans-portation for their workers. With carefully driedtobacco leaves that come from western Pinar de Rioprovince, she twists them into a bunch and stuffsthem into wooden molds that are pressed tight for atleast 20 minutes. Then they are ready for the outerlayer, which she carves with a “chaveta,” or half-moonshaped blade. —Reuters

Chinese tycoon set to build more billions with IPO

Cuba’s famed cigars get a foot in US market

NEW DELHI: An Indian roadside vendor covers herself with a shawl as she waits for cus-tomers in New Delhi yesterday. Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitely said that the govern-ment hopes growth will accelerate to 5.5 percent and that in 2015 “we have to first cross thesix-percent-mark. — AFP

BUSINESSMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

VOSKRESENSKOYE, Russia: In a myriad ofvillages like Voskresenskoye, nestled deep inthe Russian countryside, the monetary tur-moil roiling the nation’s large cities still seemsa largely distant threat.

“This crisis is for the rich, for people whohave dollars. We never had money here,” saidTamara Boychenko, a 68-year-old retired resi-dent of the village located in northwest Russiaabout 80 kilometres (50 miles) from SaintPetersburg. “I can’t afford much with my pen-sion of 15,000 rubles (200 euros, $250). LuckilyI have my vegetable garden,” said Boychenko,smiling.

That rustic, phlegmatic attitude is far

removed from Russia’s big cities, whose resi-dents watched in panicky dismay the plungeof the ruble-which in the first two days of lastweek alone lost a quarter of its value. Out invillages like Voskresenskoye, grim resignationis difficult to differentiate from stoic sang-froid.

“I don’t expect anything at all from eitherthe government or (President Vladimir) Putin”in this current crisis or in general, saidBoychenko. Her feelings were echoed byStanislav Kushevich, a farmer who runs asmall butcher’s shop nearby. “We can changenothing. We have no impact on anything,” hesaid with a sigh. Neither the turbulence of the

markets nor measures taken by the govern-ment have done much to improve or worsenhis lot, he believes. “I have no savings, and Ispend everything I make on my farm. I’ve nev-er travelled abroad, nor bought importedgoods,” the bearded 46-year-old said.

Fears over price hikes Still, the chaotic economic events raising

alarms in Russia’s cities are starting to resoundin the nation’s heartland. The swift and sud-den slide of the ruble, accelerated by declin-ing oil prices and the impact of Western sanc-tions slapped on Moscow over its annexationof Crimea and support for separatists in

Ukraine, have generated the first flushesof concern among a portion Russia’sbroader population.

At the top of the list of fears is theprospect of prices of all sorts of basicnecessities spiking, and Russians expectsthe authorities to take strong action tokeep a lid on price hikes.

Many food products and most con-sumer goods are imported in Russia,meaning the 50 percent drop in the val-ue of the ruble will inevitably find its wayonto price tags, although inflation is onlyrunning at 10 percent, according to gov-ernment statistics.

But in his annual marathon press con-ference Thursday, Russian PresidentVladimir Putin remained rather vague onthe burning questions lapping at Russia’seconomy. Instead, the Kremlin leaderpreferred to speak of an end of thespreading crisis “in two years, at worst”.

As concerns about Russia’s economicfate are slowly gravitating from cities tovillages, reactions to how the Kremlinhas responded still differ considerably.

“Putin is a good man, but what can hedo? It’s too complicated, the country istoo big, and corruption is everywhere,”

said Kushevich, before confessing to“preparing for the worst, as usual”.

That sense of fatalism was shared byTatyana, who sells candles in the smallchurch in the neighboring village ofKobrino. “It doesn’t really matter, we’reused to following along,” she said.

“We survived the fall of the USSR, andthe crisis of 1998. This isn’t the first time,and things will work out,” said Tatyana.Less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) awayin Saint Petersburg, listeners are moredivided and concerned about Putin’scomments on the crisis Thursday.

“I absolutely support Putin’s stand oninternational (issues),” said Anna, whomanages an advertising agency. “But onthe other hand, I didn’t hear the answersto the economic problems I was waitingfor. I saw no clear position on those,” sheadded.

For his part, Sergei Antonov said thatthe government hasn’t made its eco-nomic policy clear. “I have the impressionthat Putin doesn’t really know how topull the country out of this economicslump,” said a 30-year-old manager. “Ifhe’d have offered a clear and concreteplan, I’d feel a lot more at ease.” — AFP

In rural Russia, plunge of the ruble still a remote concern

ST PETERESBURG: A man walks along a street in the village of Voskresenskoye out-side Saint Petersburg. — AFP

KUWAIT: All main indices of Kuwait StockExchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s trad-ing in green zone, as the Weighted Indexclosed at 433.62, gaining 16.81 points,the Price Index stood at 6,432.65, reach-ing 202.56 points and the KSX 15 indexsettled at 1,050.02, with a gain of 51.8.

Number of trades reached 12,927, val-ue of traded shares amounted to KD 48,841,456.989 million and volume of theexchanged stocks reached 424,343,073million. The top gainers were(QURAINHLD), (ALDEERA), (SENERGY),(ANDC) and (INVESTORS). The top vol-ume shares were (ALDEERA), (GFH),(SAFRE), (SENERGY), and (ITHMAR).

Value of traded stocks reached someKD 9.6 million and volume of exchangedshares amounted to some 74.5 million,done in 2,314 transactions.

According to a weekend report,released by Al-Oula Financial BrokerageCompany, the KSE main indices had seena severe drop in last week’s sessions,causing a decline in the blue-chips. Themajor fall in the bourse was stimulatedby frenzy sell-offs, while the other Gulfstock markets witnessed a

drastic fall amid continuing decline ofoil prices, thus affecting investor’s senti-ments and prompting them to abstainfrom trades. — KUNA

KSE ends trading on positive note

GENK, Belgium: In the heart of westernEurope, the Belgian-Dutch-German rustbelt has been dealt another blow. Two carplants closed this month as companiessought cheaper labor elsewhere, the finalchapter of a manufacturing boom thatbegan when coal mines fuelling Europe’sindustrialization shut in the 1960s.

Now the region straddling three bor-ders is trying to reinvent itself. A 315 bil-lion euro EU investment plan, announcedon Thursday, is the latest potential help. Itaims to encourage investors to back proj-ects around Europe needing financingincluding the start-ups that could bringnew ideas to skilled but high-wage work-ers. The f inal production day at FordMotor Co’s plant in the eastern Belgiancity of Genk came barely two weeks afterGeneral Motors closed its Opel Bochumfactory across the border in Germany,both par t of automakers’ strategy toadapt to falling sales following the eurozone crisis.

“I worked at Ford Genk for almost 40years, I’ve never applied for another job inall my life,” said Pierre Boonen, 57, afterone of his last shifts at the plant that gen-erated work directly or indirectly foraround 10,000 people. “I never expectedthis.” Workers have been compensated,but many are over 40 and have little ideaof what to do next. “Even if the younghave a tough time finding a job, it’s evenworse for the older employees,” said 53-year-old worker Margot and as a group ofprotesters outside the plant help up signsreading “What now?”.

NEW MODELWith the euro zone economy facing

deflation and near record unemployment,investors are also looking to the EuropeanCentral Bank to revive business confi-dence with a US-style money printingstimulus program. And while the Limburgregion is home to other manufacturingand chemical industries such as chipdesigner Melexis to life sciences groupDSM contributing to an economic outputbigger than some euro zone countries,the demise of car manufacturing in bor-der shows that parts of Europe needs anew economic model.

“In the 1970s and 1980s, the policy was

to attract a big plant and that was goingto save you,” said Karen Maguire, anexpert at the Paris-based Organization forEconomic Co- operation andDevelopment. “That only lasts for so longunless you can innovate, upgrade anddiversify.”

One innovative local company isPolyscope, which set up in a disusedchemicals plant in Dutch Limburg in 2007.It exports granular plastics that are turnedinto paper coating or sun roofs to theUnited States and China. It employs 50people and has annual revenues of $40million.

“We need innovation connected to ourindustrial base,” said Patrick Muezers,Polyscope’s CEO and who previouslyworked in the automotive industry. “Wecannot all be consultants.”

‘WELKOM TESLA’Work has also begun on a 93-hectare

science park on the site of an old coalmine near Genk - its rotting brick build-ings and broken glass windows still dot-ted around - to be ready in 2017, with theaim of developing medical and energytechnology. Underpinning the entrepre-neurs are public initiatives aimed at effec-t ively removing the Belgian-Dutch-German border to create an economicregion that is not limited by nationalboundaries and linking smaller cities suchas Eindhoven, where Phil ips has itsresearch facilities, to the university citiesof Belgium’s Leuven and Germany ’sAachen.

“There’s a lot of potential here. In awider, 500-kilometre radius, you have 60percent of the purchasing power of thewhole of Europe,” said Johann Leten atFlemish business group Voka.

Some in Genk want to see the develop-ment of electric cars and have launched acampaign to convince US electric car pro-ducer Tesla to take over the Ford plant,starting an Internet site called ‘WelkomTesla’.

“Nobody was prepared for a completeclosure of the Ford plant,” said union rep-resentative Erik Verheyden. “It would begreat to produce a niche product herewith a guaranteed market. It could stillhappen.” — Reuters

As Ford closes, European rust belt seeks new ideas

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

The US dollar surged against its major counterparts asthe divergence between approaching tighter mone-tary policy in the US and looser policies in Europe,

Japan, and Switzerland continues to widen. In its latestmeeting the Fed acknowledged the improvement in theUS labor market and noted that the economy is makingprogress toward its goals in inflation and employment.That combined with an upbeat jobless claims reportpushed the Dollar to close the week higher. Additionally,the US dollar was lifted by the recent volatility stemmingfrom the Russian financial crisis, which drove investors toseek safety in the greenback.

The euro opened the week at 1.2473 and surged to ahigh of 1.2569 amid a series of positive data. However, theup move in the single currency quickly reversed followingthe Federal Reserve’s meeting. The Euro dropped to a lowof 1.2264 and closed the week at 1.2232. Sterling traded ina volatile manner last week, initially mimicking the euro bygaining to reach a high of 1.5785 after opening at 1.5729and then dropping amid the Feds meeting to a low of1.5543. Cable then recouped most of its losses amid a posi-tive retail sales figure. Finally, the Pound closed the weekat1.5634.

The crisis in Russia fuelled a flight to safety and pushedthe Swiss franc to surge to 0.9552 against the greenback.The greenback hit a 28-month high against the Swiss francat 0.9847 after the Swiss National Bank said it wouldimpose an interest rate of -0.25 percent on some largedeposits held by investors in SwissFrancs, as it seeks to dis-courage buying of the currency as a safe haven. The cur-rency closed the week at 0.9834. The Japanese Yen gaineddramatically at the beginning of the week as the Russiancrisis ignited the risk off trade and pushed investors to seeksafe-havens. Meanwhile, positive figures from the UShelped the US Dollar gain traction at mid-week. The USdollar climbed against the Yen after the Bank of Japanmaintained the level of its stimulus program and as joblessclaims data continued to support the greenback. The USD-JPY closed the week at 119.49.

Fed leaves Rates unchanged The Federal Reserve said it will be patient on the timing

of the first interest-rate increase since 2006, replacing apledge to keep borrowing costs near zero for a “consider-able time,” and raised its assessment of the labormarket.”The committee judges that it can be patient inbeginning to normalize the stance of monetary policy,” theFederal Open Market Committee said in a statement inWashington, replacing a calendar-based phrase with lan-guage that gives it more flexibility to respond to economicdata. It said the new guidance is “consistent” with its previ-ous “considerable time” wording. The labor market“improved further,” the Fed said. “Underutilization of laborresources continues to diminish,” it said, dropping the word“gradually” used in its previous statement. Stocks extendedgains and Treasury yields were higher after the Fed’sannouncement.

Housing starts growth New-home construction in the US exceeded a 1 million

annualized pace in November for a third consecutivemonth, continuing a slow recovery in the housing market.While housing starts declined 1.6 percent to a 1.03 millionannualized rate, they retreated from a 1.05 million pace inOctober that was stronger than previously estimated, asper figures from the Commerce Department. Economistsexpected a 1.04 million rate. The last time starts exceeded1 million for three months straight was in early 2008.

Building permits also fell last month, indicating a surgein construction is probably not in the cards for the immedi-

ate future. One positive aspect is that the recent turmoil infinancial markets has pushed down interest rates, whichcombined with a strengthening job market, means homebuying will be within reach for more Americans next year.Building permits declined 5.2 percent in November to a1.04 million annualized rate after an October pace of 1.09million. Economists expected a fall to 1.07 million within arange of 1.01 million to 1.1 million.

Consumer prices drop US consumer prices recorded their biggest drop in near-

ly six years in November as gasoline prices tumbled, but didlittle to change views the Federal Reserve would start rais-ing interest rates in mid-2015. The Labor department saidon Wednesday its Consumer Price Index fell 0.3 percent, thelargest decline since December 2008, after being flat inOctober. The CPI increased 1.3 percent in the 12 monthsthrough November, the smallest gain in nine months, afteradvancing 1.7 percent in October. Fed officials shrugged offthe disinflationary trend as transitory, in a statement at the

end of a two-day meeting. The US central bank offered anupbeat assessment of the economy and signaled it was ontrack to raise borrowing costs in 2015.

US manufacturing PMI falls US manufacturing activity in December expanded at

the slowest rate in eleven months, dampening optimismover the strength of the economy.US manufacturing pur-chasing managers’ index declined to a seasonally adjusted53.7 this month from a final reading of 54.8 in November.Analysts had expected the index to rise up to 56.1 inDecember. Weaker rates of output and new businessgrowth were the main negative influences on the headlinePMI figure in December. Similarly, the Philadelphia FederalReserve Bank said its business activity index fell to 24.5 thismonth from a reading of 40.8 in November. Any readingabove zero indicates expansion in the region’s manufactur-ing sector. Economists said November’s jump in the indexhad grossly exaggerated the strength of manufacturingand December’s sharp deceleration brought it in line withother factory indicators.

Unemployment claimsThe number of Americans filing new claims for unem-

ployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggestingthe labor market continued to strengthen. Initial claims forstate unemployment benefits declined by 6,000 to a season-ally adjusted 289,000 for the week ended Dec. 13, the LaborDepartment said, defying Wall Street’s expectations for a riseto 295,000. The four-week moving average of claims, consid-ered a better measure of labor market trends as it reducesweek-to-week volatility, slipped by 750 to 298,750.

Euro-zone manufacturing Private sector activity in the euro-zone grew at a slightly

faster rate in December, but the rate of expansion was stillone of the weakest seen over the past year, according todata released on Tuesday. Research group Markit said itspreliminary Euro zone manufacturing purchasing managers’index rose to a five-month high of 50.8 this month from afinal reading of 50.1 in November. Economists had expectedthe index to tick up to 50.5. The preliminary reading of the

euro-zone services PMI rose to a two-month high 51.9 froma final reading of 51.1 last month, compared to expectationsfor an increase to 51.5. The composite output index, whichmeasures the combined output of both the manufacturingand service sectors, rose to 51.9, also a two-month high,from November’s 16-month low of 51.1.

German business confidence German business confidence rose for a second month in

a sign that Europe’s largest economy is overcoming the softpatch it hit earlier in the year. The Ifo institute’s business cli-mate index, based on a survey of 7,000 executives, advancedto 105.5 in December from 104.7 in November, when it rosefor the first time in seven months matching market expecta-tions. The Bundesbank has said the German economy isshowing signs of strengthening after it effectively stagnatedin the middle of the year and managed only a “modest start”to the fourth quarter.

The Swiss National Bank announced that it will imposenegative interest rates on commercial bank deposits in a bidto stem a tide of money flowing from Russia’s financial crisis.

Swiss National Bank President Thomas Jordan cited that theRussian turmoil as a “major contributory factor” for the sur-prise decision to introduce a charge of 0.25 percent on sightdeposits, the cash-like holdings of commercial banks at thecentral bank.

The SNB also lowered its target range for the three-month Libor in an attempt to push the rate below zero. TheSNB move hints at the investment pressures that resultedafter Russia’s surprise interest-rate increase this week failedto stem a run on the ruble. Swiss officials acted as the tur-moil, along with the imminent threat of quantitative easingfrom the ECB, kept the Franc too close for comfort to its 1.20per euro ceiling. The SNB said it expanded the target rangefor three-month Libor to a 100 basis-point band of minus0.75 percent to 0.25 percent, with the aim of taking the rateinto negative territory.

BoE meeting Bank of England policy makers voted 7-2 to keep interest

rates at a record low this month as the majority said a“promising” pickup in wage growth was not enough to raiseconcerns about the outlook for medium-term inflation.”Asyet, pay growth was only roughly in line with, rather than inexcess of, productivity growth,” the Monetary PolicyCommittee led by Governor Mark Carney said in the minutesof its Dec. 3-4 meeting. Further increases would be required“to be consistent” with meeting the 2 percent inflation goal,it said.In the minutes, which were largely similar to theNovember meeting, the MPC said “by far” the most signifi-cant developments on the month were the continued dropin oil prices and a reduction in market interest rates. It saidthe former would be a net stimulus to the economy by low-ering costs for companies and boosting real incomes. In itsanalysis, the MPC said near-term activity in the UK and theUS “appeared a touch stronger than previously thought,”while the euro area outlook remained subdued.

UK inflation drops UK inflation slowed to the least in more than a decade in

November as tumbling oil prices pushed down transportcosts and food prices dropped. The rate of consumer-pricegrowth dropped to 1 percent, the least since 2002, from 1.3percent in October, the Office for National Statistics said inLondon today. Economists forecasted 1.2 percent. Oil priceshave fallen about 45 percent this year, pushing down energycosts across the world and helping to boost consumers’spending power.

BoJ policy statementThe Bank of Japan maintained unprecedented stimulus,

as Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s bid to stoke inflation facesincreasing challenges from the tumble in oil prices. The cen-tral bank will boost the monetary base at an annual pace of80 trillion Yen ($670 billion), it said in a statement, as forecastby all 33 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Exportshave shown signs of picking up, while production has start-ed to bottom out, the BOJ said, striking a more upbeat tonein its view of the world’s third-largest economy. Oil has lostmore than a quarter of its value since the central bankboosted easing on Oct. 31 to end a “deflationary mindset.”The economy is expected to continue a moderate recovery,as the effects of an April sales-tax increase dissipate, the BOJsaid in a statement. Inflation expectations appear to be ris-ing from a longer-term perspective, the bank said. Lastmonth, it said exports had been “more or less flat” and cited“some weakness” in production.

KuwaitKuwaiti dinar at 0.29250The USDKWD opened at 0.29250 yesterday morning.

Dollar surges as Fed keeps tighter policy NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT

KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwaitheld the Al-Najma Account Daily draw on21st December 2014. The draw was heldunder the supervision of the Ministry ofCommerce & Industry represented bySager Al-Manaie.

The winners of the Najma daily draw are:

Issa Doulatyari Dolatdost — KD 7000Mashok Mandoor Ali— KD 7000

Abdalnaser Addulghani Atai — KD 7000 Nawaf Ghdair Al-Enezi — KD 7000 Zainab Bader Naser — KD 7000

The Commercial Bank of Kuwaitannounces the biggest daily draw inKuwait with the launch of the new Najmaaccount. Customers of the bank can nowenjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the

highest in the country and another 4mega prizes during the year worth KD100,000 each on different occasions: TheNational Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha andon the 19th of June which is the date ofthe bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500,customers will be eligible for the dailydraw provided that the money is in theaccount one week prior to the daily drawor 2 months prior to the mega draw. Inaddition, for each KD 25 a customer canget one chance for winning instead of KD50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes thisopportunity to congratulate all luckywinners and also extends appreciation tothe Ministry of Commerce and Industryfor their effective supervision of thedraws which were conducted in anorderly and organized manner.

MOSCOW: Deep recession, skyrocketing pricesand a fragile banking system: although the rubleseems to have stabilized after its abysmal dropthis past week, Russia still faces the heavy conse-quences of the turbulence. For most Russians,the week ended with relief: after trading atunbelievable levels of 80 to the dollar and 100 tothe euro, the ruble appears to have stabilized ataround 60 and 73, respectively.

A double whammy of Western sanctions overUkraine and plunging oil prices finally caught upwith the country that depends on energyexports for half of government revenue, and theauthorities came out of their apparent stuporonly as the ruble’s plunge in value had alreadygained momentum. After the ruble fell by nearly10 percent on Monday, the central bank movedbeyond its limited currency market interven-tions and in the middle of the night hiked thekey interest rate by a tremendous 6.5 percent-age points to 17 percent.

But that failed to stop the panic, with theruble dropping by 20 percent on Tuesday-bankwebsites crashed as too many users tried to con-nect, and crowds packed Ikea until 2 am to get ahold of goods before announced price increasestook effect.

‘Confidence shaken’ President Vladimir Putin tried to put a brave

face on the crisis at his annual year-end pressconference, saying that recovery is “inevitable”,although he acknowledged it could take up totwo years to materialize. He did not announceany economic reforms or specific solutions tothe crisis.

“The trend of the economy in the next sixmonths is certainly going to be much worse”after this past week, said Chris Weafer, an analystwith Macro Advisory consultancy. “Confidence isshaken-in the central bank, in the currency, inthe direction of the economy,” he said.“Consumption and investment are going to takea hit because of higher (interest) rates, inflationwill be higher because of the weaker currency...the banks are going to turn to the governmentand shelves will be empty after the New Year.” Ina sign of the challenges ahead, several suppliershave halted deliveries in a bid to raise prices.

Some stores decided to close their shutters-Apple stopped sales via its Russian online store,while Ikea suspended sales of kitchens andhome appliances and warned that prices on thewebsite “may differ from prices in stores”.

Opel and Chevrolet are no longer deliveringto dealerships. Russian media said that storesselling imported alcohol or clothing includingZara, Topshop and Calvin Klein are also trying to

avoid selling at a loss while observers predictthat many Western brands will soon disappearfrom Russia.

That trend has begun and inflation-alreadyclose to ten percent-threatens to reach 15 per-cent in the coming months. This will hit the pur-chasing power of Russians, whose real incomesalready declined in the first 11 months of theyear compared with 2013. With the ruble havingnow lost nearly 50 percent of its value againstthe dollar in the past year imported food andconsumer goods are quickly becoming luxuries.Even the central bank estimates the economycould suffer a sharp contraction of nearly 5 per-cent next year if oil prices stay at current levels.

‘Crisis spreading’ “Events have moved quickly and there are

now growing signs that the currency crisis isspreading to the banking sector,” wrote emerg-ing markets economist at Capital EconomicsWilliam Jackson. Russia’s financial sector is par-ticularly vulnerable, as its state-controlled bank-ing behemoths and a multitude of smaller insti-tutions have been unable to raise funds in theWest due to sanctions over Russia’s annexing

Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine.The central bank announced measures

Tuesday aimed at ensuring their survival byimproving access to liquidity and easingaccounting standards. On Friday, Russian law-makers approved a bill on the recapitalization ofbanks worth one trillion rubles ($16 billion, 13billion euros). The finance ministry is also hopingto increase capital in the banking sector by 13percent and the volume of loans issued by 15percent.

For many Russians, the downward spiral ofthe ruble brought back memories of the crisis in1998, when Russia defaulted on its debt. “Peopleare behaving like it’s 1998 but there is no reasonfor it: Russia was a bankrupt country then andnow it’s actually financially in a pretty goodshape,” Weafer said. High oil prices over the pastdecade have allowed Moscow to pile up sub-stantial hard currency reserves. Even after hav-ing spent heavily to support the ruble, the cen-tral bank’s reserves still stand at around $400 bil-lion. Public debt is just over 10 percent of GDP.The budget remains balanced and the govern-ment has a big rainy day fund to draw upon tosustain social spending. — AFP

For Russia’s economy, the worst is yet to come

Shoes are displayed for sale at a street market in the village of Voskresenskoye outside SaintPetersburg. In myriad villages like Voskresenskoye, nestled deep in the Russian countryside,the monetary turmoil roiling the nation’s large cities still seems a largely distant threat. —AFP

Al-Tijari announces winners of Najma Account daily draw

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has launched anexclusive promotion in partnership withTurkish Airlines, to give the Bank’s cus-tomers a 15 percent discount on BusinessClass tickets and an additional 10KG bag-gage allowance when they purchase theirf l ight using their Gulf Bank Visa orMasterCard credit card. This promotionruns until 1 November 2015.

Gulf Bank is committed to providing

customers with a constantly expandingselection of new and exclusive promotionsin addition to its exceptional range offinancial products and banking services. Tofind out more about Gulf Bank’s promo-tions and offers, customers are encouragedto visit one of Gulf Bank’s 58 branches, con-tact the Customer Contact Center on1805805, or log on to the Bank’s bilingualwebsite at www.e-gulfbank.com.

Gulf Bank offers credit cardholders discounts in partnership

with Turkish Airlines

NEW DELHI: An Indian vendor carries a container of roasted papad - thin flatbread- in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP

KUWAIT: Honeywell announced yesterday thatGeorge Bou Mitri has been appointed as theGeneral Manager for Honeywell Kuwait. George

will be based in KuwaitCity and will focus onleveraging Honeywell’sexpertise and talent tohelp Honeywell expandfurther its presence inKuwait, provide world-class service to cus-tomers and help thecompany’s business par-

ticipate in the country’s drive to be a financial andcommercial hub in the region.

“We are delighted to welcome George toHoneywell. He has worked many years in theregion and has extensive knowledge of Kuwait. Hewill be a great asset as Honeywell looks to build itspresence in Kuwait and drive business growth,”saidNorm Gilsdorf, president for Honeywell Russia,Central Asia and Middle East.”George will concen-trate on driving profitable growth and ensuring topquality service for customers across Honeywell’soperations in Kuwait. He will also be focusing ondeveloping the business in-line with the recentlyannounced Kuwait Development Plan (KDP) for2015-2020, aimed at transforming Kuwait.”

Kuwait is an important market for Honeywelland over the last 50 years the company has playeda significant role in a number of the country’supstream and downstream oil and gas projects,providing technology solutions for safer, more effi-cient and productive operations. With expertise in awide range of solutions from simple service and

maintenance of building control systems to com-prehensive design, installation, integration andongoing optimization of multiple facility and man-agement systems, Honeywell is also heavilyinvolved in supporting the development of severalof the country’s hospitals, airports, refineries, hotelsand education facilities. Over recent years, Kuwaithas witnessed an increased activity in its projectsmarket according to Middle East Economic Digest(MEED). The country is the fourth largest in the GCCwith a market value of $217 billion (KD 62 billion)and over $20.7 billion (KD 6 billion) worth of con-tracts awarded by the Government, making Kuwaitthe fastest growing projects market in the region.

“Kuwait is embracing significant economicdiversification outside the traditional hydrocarbonindustries and focusing on other economic oppor-tunities, in particular within the infrastructuredevelopment segment. Honeywell’s wide range ofproducts and solutions makes us the ideal partnerto support the infrastructure requirements ofKuwait. I am looking forward to collaborating withour customers and partners to support the nation’svision and to grow this dynamic business further,”said George Bou Mitri, General Manager, HoneywellKuwait.

In his previous role, George was responsible fordriving business growth and managing operationsfor General Electric(GE) Lighting in the Middle East,Africa and Turkey as General Manager. Prior to thatGeorge was the President and CEO of Iraq, Kuwaitand the Levant, and was responsible for the overallstrategy for the company in the region while devel-oping and expanding the growth of GE’s differentbusinesses.

B U S I N E S SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

KUWAIT: Ooredoo Kuwait now offersHuawei’s latest smartphone, the slenderAscend Mate 7 with its Shamel plans start-ing from KD 15/month. The new deviceboasts a 6-inch HD display, 13-megapixelcamera, in addition to the dual-SIM cardfunctionality which is available only in thegold model. The device is available in 3different colors: Black, silver with a capaci-ty of 16 GB, and gold a capacity of 32 GB.Customers can couple this device with the

Shamel plan that best suits their needs,starting from Shamel 15 and ending withShamel 58.

The release of the Ascend Mate 7 byOoredoo comes as part of the company’spledge to provide users with the latestand the most advanced devices.Ooredoo’s postpaid plans, Shamel, comewith a variety of perks and features aimedto give users the most value for their mon-ey. This includes minute rollover, sharing

internet with other users, and free roam-ing packs. Additionally, customers areautomatically enrolled in Nojoom rewardsprogram which gives users discounts andfree vouchers from a variety of retailersand service providers across Kuwait.

Ooredoo customers are eligible toenter a chance to win a Corvette Stingray2015 for every KD they spend on Ooredooservices, from today until the 15th ofFebruary.

Ooredoo’s operations in Kuwait dateback to December 1999 when it launchedwireless services as the second operator.The company today provides mobile,broadband internet and corporate man-aged services tailored to the needs of cus-tomers and businesses. Ooredoo is guidedby its vision of enriching people’s lives andits belief that it can stimulate humangrowth by leveraging communications tohelp people achieve their full potential.

Ooredoo offers Huawei Ascend Mate 7for free with Shamel plans

DUBAI: The legendary FordMustang received another accoladerecently, as the 2015 all-new modelgrabbed the ‘2015 Best Sports Car’title from the Middle East’s topmotorsports monthly, Sport Automagazine.

The award was presented toWilliam Clay Ford Jr ExecutiveChairman, Ford Motor Company byGerard Saunal, editor-in-chief ofSport Auto during the iconic revealof the all-new Mustang atop BurjKhalifa, the world’s tallest sky-scraper in Dubai. The award reflectsMustang’s legacy of 50 years’ con-tinued production as well as itsimpressive performance.

“When the original Mustangdebuted in April 1964, it created agreat impression and set the tonefor what a true muscle car shouldbe like,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam,Marketing, Sales and Service direc-tor of Ford Middle East & NorthAfrica. “Today, the all-new 2015Mustang not only sets the bench-mark once again for its segment,but it continues to build on its 50-

year legacy as a truly iconic musclecar that has captured the heartsand minds of fans around theglobe.

“We are pleased with SportAuto’s recognition which joins avery long list of awards and acco-lades that the Mustang has addedto its name over the decades,” hesaid.

For his part, Gerard Saunal said:“The Mustang was selected as theSport Car of the Year 2015 winnerbecause of Ford’s clever under-standing of what a popular sportcar should be. Ford has cleverlycombined price affordability, eco-friendliness with its 4-cylinderengine, and great road handlingwith its new rear independent sus-pension. These are improvementsthat paid respect with the greatheritage of the Mustang’s designand unique presence on the road.”

The Mustang experienceThe way Mustang looks, drives

and sounds is key to the visceralexperience that makes drivers justwant to get in the driver’s seat andhit the road. The Mustang is thefirst car to offer four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines that each produce

at least 300 horsepower. With morepowertrain options to choose from,there is a Mustang to fit anylifestyle. The 3.7-liter V6 andupgraded 5.0-liter V8 are joined byan all-new 2.3-liter EcoBoost enginethat brings state-of-the-art technol-ogy to Mustang.

The Mustang’s EcoBoost engineuses direct injection, variable camtiming and turbocharging to deliv-er plenty of usable performanceacross a broad RPM range. A uniqueintake manifold and turbochargerhousing enable it to deliver theperformance Mustang driversexpect with 310 horsepower and320 lb.-ft. of torque.

Mustang GT continues with thelatest edition of the throaty 5.0-literV8, now featuring an upgradedvalve train and cylinder heads thathelp boost output to 435 horse-power* and 400 lb.-ft. of torque*. Anew intake manifold featurescharge motion control valves topartially close off port flow at lowerengine speeds. This increases theair charge tumble and swirl for

improved air-fuel mixing resultingin improved efficiency and idle sta-bility.

With 300 horsepower and 270lb.-ft. of torque on tap from thestandard 3.7-liter V6, even the mostaccessible Mustang delivers theperformance customers expect.Drivers will appreciate smoothershifts from the updated manualgearbox, while a reworked auto-matic transmission features newsteering wheel-mounted shift pad-dles for drivers who want thechoice between convenience andcontrol.

All-new shape, yet unmistakably Mustang

The clean-sheet design of bothMustang fastback and convertibleevokes the essential character ofthe brand, retaining key design ele-ments - including the long sculptedhood and short rear deck - withcontemporary execution.

Several key design featuresdefine the all-new Mustang, includ-ing:l A lower, wider stance with a

reduction in roof height, andwider rear fenders and track

l The return of Mustang fastback

with a sleeker profile enabled bymore steeply sloped windshieldand rear glass

l Three-dimensional, tri-bar taillamps with sequential turn sig-nals

l Contemporary execution of thesignature shark-bite front fasciaand trapezoidal grilleThe information and controls an

active driver needs are all readilyaccessible in the aviation-inspiredcockpit, which is executed with thehighest degree of craftsmanshipever found in a Mustang. Large,clear instrumentation puts vehicleinformation right in front of thedriver in the roomier cabin, whileimproved ergonomics and tactileswitches and knobs provide bettercontrol. The added width and anew rear suspension contribute toimproved shoulder and hip roomfor rear-seat passengers, and amore usefully shaped trunk canaccommodate two golf bags.

Slipping through the airDesign and performance are

two of the essential attributes thathave made Mustang appeal to mil-lions of fans for five decades.Performance can be improved byincreasing the output of the power-plant or reducing the amount ofwork it has to do. The sleeker shapehelps it slip through the air withless effort. Each of Mustang’s threeavailable engines gets a uniquegrille that allows in only as much airas that specific powerplant needs.Active grille shutters will help makethe Mustang powered by the new2.3-liter EcoBoost engine evenmore fuel efficient by further reduc-ing drag at higher speeds whenextra cooling capacity is not need-ed. The shutters can completelyclose off the grille, sending air overand around the car instead ofthrough the engine compartment.

Carving up the curvesWhen life throws drivers a curve,

the all-new Mustang sets new han-dling benchmarks for the brand,delivering world-class dynamicsand ride quality.

Mustang features all-new frontand rear suspension systems. At thefront, a new perimeter subframehelps to stiffen the structure while

reducing mass, providing a betterfoundation for more predictablewheel control that benefits han-dling, steering and ride.

The new double-ball-joint frontMacPherson strut system alsoenables the use of larger, morepowerful brakes. The 2015 Mustanghas the most capable brake lineupever offered on a Mustang. At therear is an all-new integral-link inde-pendent rear suspension. Thegeometry, springs, dampers andbushings all have been specificallymodified and tuned for this high-performance application. New alu-minum rear knuckles help reduceunsprung mass for improved rideand handling.

Smarter than your average ponyThe all-new Mustang features a

significant amount of innovativetechnologies providing drivers withenhanced information, control andconnectivity when they want it.From Intelligent Access with push-button start to SYNC and MyKey inevery Mustang built, plus standardTrack Apps(tm), MyColor(r) gaugesand a new Shaker Pro AudioSystem, drivers will be able to cus-tomize their time behind the wheel.

The feeling of freedom and con-fidence Mustang instills in its driv-ers is amplified when they can takecontrol of how the car behaves. Ona twisty back road or a weekendtrack day, the driver can tap thetoggle switches on the console toquickly adjust steering effort,engine response, and transmissionand electronic stability control set-tings using the available SelectableDrive Modes to create the perfectMustang at any time.

The advanced new Ford-devel-oped stability control system istuned to maximize Mustang’sdynamic capabilities. When thetime comes to turn up the wick atthe track, Mustang GT includesstandard launch control on manu-al-transmission models thatenables drivers to achieve smooth,consistent starts every time. Whenit’s time to back off and relax for thedrive home, available advanceddriver-assist features includingBlind Spot Information System(BLIS) with cross-traffic alert andadaptive cruise control can helpease the load.

More airbags, more high-strength steel

An all-new inflatable airbagrestraint design provides the frontseat passenger with knee airbagprotection while significantlyreducing system size and weight,enabling a roomier interior formore comfort. This new airbag ispart of a standard comprehensivesafety system that includes a morerobust package of sensors, safetybelt anchor pretensioners,improved exterior lighting anddouble the total number of airbagson the fastback Mustang.

50 years of MustangApril 17, 2014, marked the 50th

anniversary of the introduction ofthe original Ford Mustang and each2015 model celebrates the mile-stone with a badge on the instru-ment panel that includes the gal-loping pony logo and the words“Mustang - Since 1964.” Mustangcontinues to be built in the UnitedStates at Flat Rock Assembly Plant.

All-New 2015 Ford Mustang is Sport Auto’s best sports car

KUWAIT: Lufthansa customers will be ableto reach the ski slopes even faster this win-ter. A new helicopter service from Munichwill commence on 1 January 2015.Lufthansa’s hub in southern Germany is theperfect departure point to reach the nearbyski resorts as quickly as possible. Whether it’sGarmisch-Partenkirchen, Zillertal, Kitzb¸hel,SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental or otherresorts in the Alps - as long as there is a heli-pad on site, customers will be able tochoose their own destination. The service

can be booked now and will operate untilthe end of April.

In Munich, Lufthansa customers will becollected directly from their aircraft andlooked after by Munich Airport’s VIP service.The company HTM Helicopter Travel MunichGmbH will then take them to their desiredholiday destination. First Class passengerscan book this exclusive transfer with theservice hotlines 0800 627 0508 and +49 6986 799 444, while Business Class passengerscan call HTM at +49 89 21547172.

Lufthansa to offernew helicopter

service from Munich

ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline ofthe United Arab Emirates, has capped an incredible12 months by unveiling its first Airbus A380 andBoeing 787 aircraft to more than 200 of the world’smedia in Abu Dhabi. The doors to the airline’s twonew flagship aircraft - in the distinctive new ‘Facetsof Abu Dhabi’ livery - were opened for the first timeto reveal the new cabin interiors, which include theultra-luxurious Residence by Etihad, the only three-room suite in the sky. Etihad Airways also unveiled anew cabin crew uniform at a spectacular catwalkfashion show. It’s the first major uniform re-launchsince the airline’s formation in 2003 and incorporatesthe same colours used for the cabin interior and newaircraft livery. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “As wehave done so many times in our short history, we arereshaping the landscape of modern air travel in ourown way. “Today is the culmination of many years ofhard work and tremendous endeavour by hundredsof people both in our airline and outside. “With thelaunch of these aircraft, we usher in a new era ofunparalleled luxury, comfort and service. These inno-vations represent our vision for the future.”

In addition to the media event at Abu Dhabi air-port, Etihad Airways is also hosting an event for trav-el industry partners and one for the airline’s stafftoday, ensuring that by the end of the day more than1,500 people will have toured the two new aircraft.The fashion show saw 22 Etihad Airways cabin crewshowcasing the new uniform which has beendesigned by Italian couturier, Ettore Bilotta. It com-bines elegance, comfort and practicality and the col-ors are derived from the new brand identity.

Bilotta, in collaboration with the airline’s GuestServices and Guest Experience divisions, chose a

warm chocolate brown as the base color for the dif-ferent uniform variations. A deep purple color isadded for cabin crew and lounge staff, and a burntorange accent color for ground crews and SpecialServices personnel. Following today’s events in AbuDhabi, the A380 and Boeing 787 aircraft will contin-ue test operations before starting commercial flights.The A380 will operate daily to London Heathrowfrom 27 December and the 787 to Dusseldorf from 1February 2015. The entry into commercial service ofthe A380 will see the introduction of The Residenceby Etihad(tm), a new cabin that has captured theimagination of the air travel industry since it wasunveiled in May 2014. The Residence by Etihad(tm)features a living room, separate ensuite shower room,and bedroom, and as another first in the airline indus-try, a dedicated Butler.

Measuring 125 square feet in total, The Residenceby Etihad is located on the forward upper deck of theA380 and is for single or double occupancy. The A380is also the only Etihad Airways aircraft to offer the FirstApartment which is a complete living space with areclining lounge chair and an ottoman, which opensup to become a separate 80.5 inch long fully-flat bed.The First Suite on the Etihad Airways B787 offersguests an enhanced suite with chilled mini-bar, com-plete privacy and centre seats which can be joined tocreate a double bed. A total of 70 Business Studios arelocated on the upper deck of the A380, and the B787has 28 Business Studios, all offering aisle access and afully flat bed of up to 80.5 inches long.

The Economy Smart Seat also debuts on theA380 and Boeing 787 and has enhanced comfortwith the unique ‘fixed wing’ headrest on each seat.Etihad Airways will take delivery of four A380s andthree Boeing 787-9s in 2015.

ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the UAE’s nationalcarrier, has received financing from Abu DhabiCommercial Bank (ADCB) for its first AirbusA380-800 aircraft, which was showcased to thepublic for the first time today at Abu DhabiInternational Airport.

ADCB is providing financing for one A380-800 aircraft following a competitive globalrequest for proposal. The A380 is the first of afleet of ten A380s on order from Etihad Airwaysto enter service.

James Rigney, Chief Financial Officer ofEtihad Airways, said: “We are thrilled to securestrong interest from Abu Dhabi’s local banks aswe continue our journey of expansion. The newA380 marks the pinnacle of our service develop-ment with the unveiling of the Residence by

Etihad bringing a new level of luxury to the skiesnever before seen in aviation history.

“ADCB delivered competitive, market leadingterms and conditions - a reflection of the grow-ing sophistication of local banks’ knowledge andexpertise that is now giving them the competi-tive advantage.”

During the past ten years, Etihad Airways hasraised more than US$8 billion from 68 financialinstitutions to fund the purchase of aircraft andengines.

Ala’a Eraiqat, CEO and Board Member ofADCB, said: “We are delighted to have financedEtihad Airways’ first A380-800 following a com-petitive bidding process and share the successof this state of the art aircraft. Together, we arechampioning Abu Dhabi’s commitment towards

excellence and innovation, each in our respec-tive fields, creating a legacy for the UAE. TheA380 financing has been structured entirely in-house by ADCB meeting the highest aircraftfinancing standards.”

Earlier this year, Etihad Airways delivered aseries of comprehensive training seminars toUAE banks to share and promote local, specialistknowledge of aircraft financing.

The Residence by Etihad(tm), exclusivelyavailable on the A380, can accommodate singleor double occupancy and features a living room,separate bedroom with a double bed, andensuite shower room. Guests in The Residencewill also have a personal Butler. It will com-mence operations from Abu Dhabi to LondonHeathrow from 27 December 2014.

ADCB provides financing for Etihad’s first Airbus A380-800

Etihad Airways brings momentous year to close withA380, B787 launch in Abu Dhabi

Honeywell expands presence in Kuwait George Bou Mitri named as GM for Kuwait

DUBAI: Among a range of security incidents, tar-geted attacks and malicious campaigns stand out,particularly in terms of their scale and impact onbusinesses, governments, public and private insti-tutions. Over the last 12 months, the company’sGlobal Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) hasreported on seven advanced persistent cyber-attack campaigns (APTs). Between them, theseaccounted for more than 4400 corporate sector tar-gets in at least 55 countries worldwide. This yearalso saw a number of fraud campaigns that result-ed in losses totaling millions of dollars.

The number of victims affected by targetedattacks in 2014 is 2.4 times that of 2013, when upto 1800 corporate targets were discovered.

Cyberespionage In 2014, organizations in at least 20 sectors were

hit by advanced threat actors. The sectors includethe public sector (government and diplomaticoffices), energy, research, industrial, manufactur-ing, health, construction, telecoms, IT, private sec-tor, military, airspace, finance and media, amongothers. Cyberespionage actors stole passwords,files and audio-streamed content, took screen-shots, intercepted geolocation information, con-trolled web-cameras, and more. It is likely that inseveral cases these attacks were performed bystate-sponsored threat actors, for example theMask/Careto and Regin campaigns. Others are like-ly to have been the result of professional cyber-crews organizing ‘attacks-as-a-service’, for example,

HackingTeam 2.0, Darkhotel, CosmicDuke, EpicTurla, and Crouching Yeti.

Regin is the first ever cyber-attack platformknown to penetrate and monitor GSM networks inaddition to other ‘standard’ spying tasks. Darkhoteltargeted C-suite victims, including CEOs, SeniorVice Presidents, Sales and Marketing Directors andtop R&D staff when they stayed at dozens of luxuryhotels worldwide, hunting for sensitive informationon connected equipment. These two threat actorshave been in operation for a decade, making themamong the oldest on the APT scene.

“Targeted operations could mean disaster forthe victim: resulting in the leak of sensitive infor-mation such as intellectual property, compromisedcorporate networks, interrupted business process-es, and the wiping of data. There are tens of scenar-ios that all end up with the same impact: the loss ofinfluence, reputation and money,” said Alex Gostev,Chief Security Expert at the Global Research andAnalysis Team at Kaspersky Lab.

Fraud operations In June 2014, Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research

and Analysis Team reported on its research into anattack on the clients of a large European bank. Theattack had resulted in the theft of half a millioneuros in just one week.

In October, GReAT experts published the resultsof a forensic investigation into a new direct attackon ATMs in Asia, Europe and Latin America.Millions of dollars were stolen from ATMs world-

wide without the attackers requiring access tocredit cards.

In the forecast for the next year, Kaspersky Lab’sexperts expect to see further evolution of theseATM attacks, where APT techniques are used togain access to the ‘brain’ of cash machines. The nextstage will see attackers compromising the net-works of banks and using that level of access tomanipulate ATM machines in real-time.

To watch Kaspersky Lab’s video “Game of cyber-thrones: attacks on the corporate sector and busi-ness executives in 2014”, please click here.

To read more about key events that havedefined the threat landscape in 2014, please readthe full report on the Securelist website. KasperskyLab’s Predictions for 2015 Statistics for 2014 and avideo about consumer threats in 2014 are avail-able.

t e c hnolo g yMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

BERLIN: Security flaws in a system used by cell-phone carriers around the world could open thedoor to wide-ranging surveillance of mobile phonetraffic, according to a German researcher who dis-covered the problem. The issue affects a telecom-munications standard called Signaling System 7, orSS7, which is used by carriers to manage connec-tions between cellular networks. The Berlin-basedSecurity Research Lab, which discovered the prob-lem in August, said a skilled person could exploitthe flaws to eavesdrop on the phone calls, textmessages and data traffic of billions of people.

“Given how valuable such spying capabilitiesare to states and other criminal actors, I would bevery surprised if we are first to find these hackingvectors,” company researcher Karsten Nohl saidFriday.

Nohl said cellphone companies were quietlytold about the problem earlier this month. TheWashington Post and Germany’s SueddeutscheZeitung newspaper reported on it Thursday.

At least two German cell companies, T-Mobileand Vodafone Deutschland, said they have takenmeasures to prevent criminals and spies from

exploiting the flaws to eavesdrop on customers.The global cellular operators body GSMA said it,

too, was told of the problem and was awaiting fur-ther details to be presented at a computer securityconference in Hamburg, Germany, next week.

A spokeswoman for GSMA said the reportedproblem affects 2G and 3G networks, but not thenewest 4G standard. “The research disclosuresmade to the GSMA enabled us to conduct a prelim-inary analysis, consider the implications and pro-vide recommendations to our members, includingmobile network operators and infrastructure ven-

dors, on how to mitigate the identified risks,” ClaireCranton told The Associated Press.

Nohl noted that carriers can easily close thesecurity hole by blocking certain network requestssubmitted over SS7 - a three-decades old system -by other companies.

“We were really surprised that most of themdon’t do that,” he said. “It’s like the Internet beforefirewalls became popular.” Users can protect them-selves independently of their cellphone carriers byusing applications that encrypt their calls, mes-sages and emails, Nohl said.— AP

Security flaws allow global cellular eavesdropping

CULVER CITY: An exterior view of the Sony Pictures Plaza building is seen in Culver City. President Barack Obama declared Friday that Sony“made a mistake” in shelving the satirical film, “The Interview,” about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader. He pledged the US wouldrespond “in a place and manner and time that we choose” to the hacking attack on Sony that led to the withdrawal. — AP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obamamoved to prevent US anger at North Koreafrom spiraling out of control yesterday by say-ing the massive hacking of Sony Pictures wasnot an act of war but instead was cyber-van-dalism.

Washington’s long-standing dispute withNorth Korea, which for years has centered onits nuclear weapons program, has entered newterritory with the accusation that Pyongyangcarried out an assault on a major Hollywoodentertainment company.

Obama and his advisers are weighing arange of options on how to punish NorthKorea for the attack after the FBI concluded onFriday that Pyongyang was responsible. NorthKorea has denied it was to blame.

The hack attack and subsequent threats ofviolence against theaters showing the filmprompted Sony to withdraw a comedy, “TheInterview,” prepared for release to movie the-aters during the holiday season. The moviedepicts the fictional assassination of NorthKorean leader Kim Jong-un.

Obama and free speech advocates criticizedthe studio’s decision, but Sony PicturesEntertainment CEO Michael Lynton defendedit.

Obama put the hack in the context of acrime. “No, I don’t think it was an act of war,” hetold CNN’s “State of the Union with CandyCrowley” show, which was taped on Friday andaired yesterday. “I think it was an act of cybervandalism that was very costly, very expensive.We take it very seriously. We will respond pro-portionately.”

Obama said one option was to return NorthKorea to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror-ism, from which Pyongyang was removed sixyears ago.

At a time when so much information is digi-tized, “both state and non-state actors aregoing to have the capacity to disrupt our livesin all sorts of ways,” he said.

“We have to do a much better job of guard-ing against that. We have to treat it like wewould treat, you know, the incidence of crime,you know, in our countries.”

Republican Senator John McCain disagreedwith Obama, telling CNN the attack was themanifestation of a new kind of warfare.

Republican Representative Mike Rogers,chairman of the House IntelligenceCommittee, criticized Obama for embarking ona two-week vacation in Hawaii on Friday with-out responding to the attack.

“You’ve just limited your ability to do some-thing,” Rogers told Fox News Sunday. “I wouldargue you’re going to have to ramp up sanc-tions. It needs to be very serious. Remember - anation-state was threatening violence.”

North Korea has been subject to US sanc-tions for more than 50 years, but they have hadlittle effect on its human rights policies or itsdevelopment of nuclear weapons. Experts saythe nation has become expert in hiding itsoften criminal money-raising activities, largelyavoiding traditional banks.

NORTH KOREA DENIES ATTACKNorth Korea said on Saturday that US accu-

sations that it was involved in the Sony attack

were “groundless slander” and that it wanted ajoint investigation into the incident with theUnited States. It said it could prove it had noth-ing to do with the attack.

The White House said on Saturday itremained confident North Korea was responsi-ble. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation saidPyongyang’s actions fell “outside the bounds ofacceptable state behavior.” Obama says NorthKorea appeared to have acted alone.Washington began consultations with Japan,China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, NewZealand and the United Kingdom, seekingtheir assistance in reining in North Korea.

Japan and South Korea said they wouldcooperate. China, North Korea’s only major ally,has yet to respond, but a Beijing-run newspa-per said “The Interview” was not a movie forHollywood or U.S. society to be proud of.

It was the first time the United States haddirectly accused another country of a cyberat-tack of such magnitude on American soil andset up the possibility of a new confrontationbetween longtime foes Washington andPyongyang.

US experts say Obama’s options in punish-ing North Korea could include cyber-retalia-tion, financial sanctions, criminal indictmentsagainst individuals implicated in the attack oreven a boost in US military support to SouthKorea, which is still technically at war with theNorth.

But the effect of any response would be lim-ited, given North Korea’s isolation and theheavy sanctioned already in place for itsnuclear program. —Reuters

Obama: Sony hack not an act of war

WASHINGTON: T-Mobile US will pay atleast $90 million, mostly in refunds, forbilling customers for cellphone text servic-es they didn’t order, under a settlementwith federal regulators.

The Federal Trade Commissionannounced the agreement Friday with T-Mobile over bill ing for unauthorizedcharges, a practice known as “cramming.” T-Mobile, the fourth-largest U.S. cellphonecompany, is paying at least $67.5 million inrefunds to affected customers plus $18 mil-lion in fines to the 50 states and the Districtof Columbia, and $4.5 million in fines to theFederal Communications Commission. TheFTC sued T-Mobile in July, accusing it ofbilling customers for subscriptions to textservices like $9.99-per-month horoscopesor celebrity gossip updates that they didn’twant or authorize. T-Mobile collected 35percent to 40 percent of the charges, evenafter being alerted by customers that theywere bogus, the FTC alleges.

Officials told reporters on a conferencecall that the $90 million was a floor, not amaximum, for the amount that T-Mobilecould end up paying. “It could be wellnorth of $100 million,” said Bill Sorrell, theattorney general of Vermont.

A T-Mobile spokeswoman said the com-pany had no immediate comment on thesettlement. T-Mobile began a refund pro-

gram in July and has said it has notifiedcurrent and former customers. The compa-ny didn’t provide an estimate of how muchit has paid in refunds to date.

Many consumers aren’t aware that third-party companies can put charges on theirphone bills for text services, regulators say.

T-Mobile US Inc., based in Bellevue,Washington, is controlled by Germany’sDeutsche Telekom AG. It’s the No. 4 US cell-phone carrier after Verizon Wireless, AT&Tand Sprint.

Under the settlement, T-Mobile mustprovide full refunds to all its customersaffected by the “cramming,” and theamount it pays in refunds and fines mustreach at least $90 million. If the payoutdoesn’t reach that amount, the differencebetween what T-Mobile pays and $90 mil-lion will go to the FTC for additional reliefto consumers, consumer education or oth-er uses.

T-Mobile also must contact all of itsaffected customers, both current and for-mer, to tell them about the refund programand how they can make a claim. That mustbe done in a “clear and conspicuous way,”the FTC said. Going forward, T-Mobile mustget customers’ explicit consent before put-ting third-party charges on their bills. Thecompany must clearly indicate any third-party charges on the bills. — AP

T-Mobile to pay $90m for unwanted services

Corporate sector targets in2014 has doubled since last year

Mask Careto

BOULDER CITY: Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval speaks at an event toannounce the FAA’s first issuance of an unmanned aerial systems test site spe-cial airworthiness certificate. —AP

BOULDER CITY: An aerial drone test-ing program got off to a bumpy startFriday in Nevada, when the firstunmanned aircraft authorized to flywithout direct Federal AviationAdministration supervision crashedduring a ceremony at a remote site.

“This is still a great day for Nevada,”Gov. Brian Sandoval said after theorange aircraft dubbed the SensurionMagpie was launched by hand, flewabout 10 feet and plunged nose-firstto the desert floor.

“This is testing,” the governor said.“This is why we’re here.” Company andFAA officials said the drone wasn’tdamaged. But they didn’t try to fly itagain during the ceremony.

“Protocol is to troubleshoot theproblem,” said Bruce Tarbert, an officialwith the Nevada Institute forAutonomous Systems - the testingagency that became the first in thenation to gain FAA approval to issueairworthiness certificates on its own.

Certification was made official earli-er, Tarbert and FAA officials said, whenthe pilotless airplane weighing lessthan 8 pounds and a wingspan ofabout 5 feet flew for about 15 minutesbefore guests arrived. The Republicangovernor and GOP US Sen. Dean Hellerand US Rep. Joe Heck were amongthose on hand for regional FAA officialGlen Martin to present a framed certifi-cate making what Martin called a mile-stone for the unmanned aerial systemsindustry. Democratic US Sen. HarryReid sent a staff representative.

“Today marks the first time that aspecial airworthiness certificate hasbeen issued to any UAS applicant atany UAS test site,” Martin said, and thefirst time an FAA-designated represen-tative was authorized to issue the doc-ument.

Sensurion Aerospace CEO Joe Burnstold the 40 people who attended that

they were witnessing the birth of anew industry involving unmanned aer-ial vehicle research, development andoperations.

The use of drones is expected togrow quickly not only as a way todeliver pizza or packages by air, but tospray crops, inspect power lines, col-lect seismic data and provide an eye inthe sky to news crews and police.

Steven Hill, the governor’s econom-ic development chief, noted the timingand location of the ceremony held ona sunny and clear morning in a vastexpanse of desert about 30 miles eastof downtown Las Vegas.

“We have 320 flying days a year,” Hillsaid. “We are probably one of the fewlocations in the country that has theability to confidently schedule a flighton Dec. 19.” Nevada was one of sixstates chosen a year ago as a test sitefor drones while the FAA developsoperating regulations.

The first FAA-authorized commer-cial drone operation over land beganin June in Alaska. New York, NorthDakota, Texas and Virginia also haveauthorization for drone testing.

Sandoval compared the fledglingdrone industry in Nevada to the cell-phone industry 25 years ago, and saidhe hoped Nevada would become ahub for drone development “so ourkids and grandkids can stay here andhave a career manufacturing and fly-ing UAV’s.”

Nevada, with vast expanses of openand undeveloped land, already has atop US drone surveillance and combatoperations center at Creech Air ForceBase about 35 miles northwest of LasVegas. It is also home to an air combattraining center at Nellis Air Force Base.Hill said the state has three other offi-cial drone testing facilities at airportsin Mercury, Fallon and Stead, nearReno. — AP

First drone in Nevada test program crashes in demo

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

GENEVA: The death toll from Ebola in the three worst-affected countriesin West Africa has risen to 7,373 among 19,031 cases known to datethere, the World Health Organization said on Saturday. The latest data,posted overnight on the WHO website, reflected nearly 500 new deathsfrom the worst ever outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever in Guinea, Liberiaand Sierra Leone since previous WHO figures were issued on Dec 17.

Sierra Leone accounts for the most cases, 8,759, against 7,819 forLiberia. But Sierra Leone’s death toll of 2,477 is far less than 3,346 record-ed in Liberia, leading some experts to question the credibility of the fig-ures reported by Freetown.

Sierra Leone’s government this week launched a major operation tocontain the epidemic in West Africa’s worst-hit country. President ErnestBai Koroma said on national television that travel between all parts ofthe country had been restricted as part of “Operation Western AreaSurge”, and public gatherings would be strictly controlled in the run-upto Christmas.

Sierra Leone’s leading doctor, Victor Willoughby, died of Ebola onThursday, hours after the arrival in the country of an experimental drugthat could have been used to treat him, the government’s chief medicalofficer said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday praised health careworkers fighting the Ebola virus as he paid his first visit to Liberia andSierra Leone following the outbreak. — Reuters

GENEVA: More than 7,370 people have now died from the Ebolavirus, almost all of them in west Africa, the World HealthOrganization said Saturday. The UN health agency reported that asof December 16, there had been 19,031 cases of infection from thedeadly virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, of which 7,373people had died. The death toll in other countries remained thesame: six in Mali, one in the United States, and eight in Nigeria,which was declared Ebola-free in October. Spain and Senegal,which have both been declared free from Ebola, meanwhile count-ed one case each, but no deaths.

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, which overtook Liberia as the nation with the most

infections, counted 8,759 cases and 2,477 deaths on December 16.The previous toll stood at 8,356 cases and 2,085 deaths.

Liberia Liberia, long the hardest-hit country, has meanwhile seen a clear

decrease in transmission over the past month. The latest WHO tallysaw the country with 7,819 cases and 3,346 deaths, up from the7,797 infections and 3,290 deaths recorded in the previous update.

GuineaIn Guinea, where the outbreak started a year ago, 2,453 Ebola

cases and 1,550 deaths were recorded as of December 16. The pre-vious totals showed the country with 2,416 Ebola cases and 1,525deaths.

Healthcare workers Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses known to man, is spread only

through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected personshowing symptoms such as fever or vomiting. People caring for the sickor handling the bodies of people infected Ebola are especially exposed.WHO’s latest figures show a total of 649 healthcare workers wereknown to have contracted the virus, and 365 of them had died. — AFP

Ebola death tollin three African

countries hits 7,373

Facts of Ebola death toll

MONROVIA: Liberians voted Saturdayin long-delayed Senate elections in theEbola-ravaged west African nation asUN chief Ban Ki-moon wound up aregional tour to assess the fight againstthe epidemic. In nearby Guinea, wherethe UN chief staged a one-day Saturdaybefore heading to Mali, violence brokeout in southern Kissidougou whenhundreds of youngsters went on therampage against an Ebola health cen-tre set up by Doctors Without Borders(MSF).

Angry youths fearing an outbreak ofthe disease “ransacked installations,notably MSF tents, set fire to tarpaulinsand smashed chairs to chase out thestaff,” police commissioner AlfredHoulemou told AFP by phone. InLiberia, the vote for 15 of the 30 seatsin the upper house of parliament hadbeen postponed twice already sinceOctober as the epidemic swept theimpoverished nation. More than 3,340people have now died from Ebola inLiberia, making it the country with thehighest number of fatalities in the cur-rent outbreak, followed by Sierra Leoneand Guinea.

The overall death toll in the threecountries over the past year hasclimbed to 7,373, according to the lat-est World Health Organization tally.Balloting in Liberia opened at 7:30 am(0730 GMT) and polling stations beganclosing at 5:00 pm. Some polling sta-tions had opened late in the seasidecapital Monrovia and in several loca-tions in the interior of the country.

Football star George Weah-the for-mer African footballer of the year whoplayed for Chelsea and AC Milan beforeretiring in 2003 — and the son ofPresident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, RobertSirleaf, are among the 139 candidatesin the running for a seat. Weah, 48, ranunsuccessfully against Johnson Sirleaffor president in the country’s 2005 elec-tion. After casting his vote in northernKendeja, Weah said he was sure of vic-tory. “I am more than confident that Iwill win ... My victory was stolen fromme in previous presidential elections.This time I will not allow it,” he said.

The first provisional results areexpected today. Monrovia’s streetswere deserted Saturday although therewere long queues outside polling sta-tions. Bars, offices and businesses wereclosed, an AFP journalist said. Earlier,Liberia’s Deputy Health Minister TolbertNyensuah had said all voters would betested and those with high tempera-tures asked to cast their ballots in aseparate area.

Voters have to wash hands Joey Kennedy, a spokesman for the

national election commission, addedthat all voters had to wash their handsbefore entering polling stations andmaintain at least a metre’s distancefrom each other. The polls came asneighboring Sierra Leone issued aclampdown on public gatherings andNew Year festivities following a surge innew Ebola infections. In Guinea, theUN secretary general said the spread of

the disease had been “noticeablyslowed down” in parts of the country,but that in the south “it is worrying tosee that the number of people ill is con-tinuing to rise.”

Ban later landed in the Malian capi-tal Bamako for talks with PresidentIbrahim Boubacar but made no state-ment after the meeting. Hoping toblunt criticism the United Nations hascome under for an allegedly slowresponse to the virus, Ban began histour in Liberia after flying in fromGhana, where the UN Ebola mission isheadquartered. He pledged to help

the affected countries rebuild theirhealth systems.

“Today we have reason to be cau-tiously optimistic that this terrible out-break can be defeated,” Ban had saidwhile touring Liberia. “The spread ofthe virus is slowing down in Liberia.Our response strategy is working.” Banis accompanied by Margaret Chan,head of the World Health Organization;David Nabarro, the UN coordinator forthe fight against Ebola; and AnthonyBanbury, the head of the UN Missionfor Ebola Emergency Response orUNMEER. — AP

Liberian voter turnout low asEbola overshadows senate election

Special measures in place at polling stations

LIBERIA: UN chief Ban Ki-moon greets a member of a medical unit.

LIBERIA: Polling station agents prepare a polling station in Monrovia during parliamentary elections on December 20, 2014. — AFP photos

LOS ANGELES: So how exactly do you save an almostextinct rhinoceros? Turns out, a test tube baby rhino couldbe the solution, being sought by experts on three conti-nents. But it won’t be easy. Keepers at California’s world-renowned San Diego Zoo announced this week thatAngalifu, one of its two northern white rhinos, had died atthe ripe old age of 44. That leaves only five other membersof the species in the world: one female in California, one inthe Czech Republic, and two females and one male-the soleremaining on the planet-in Kenya.

The trouble is, four of the five are already on their lastlegs-being already into their 40s, for a species with an aver-age age of 43. Only one, a female in Kenya, is still young, hav-ing been born in 2000. “It is seriously going to be an uphillbattle. There is absolutely no doubt about that,” RandyRieches, curator of mammals for the San Diego Zoo SafariPark, told AFP. “We’re looking at a bunch of different options,”including in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination, hesaid, while admitting they were “grasping at straws at thispoint in time.”

The real problem, he said, is in Africa, where rhinos havebeen hunted for decades. The northern white rhino hasbeen nearly wiped out by poaching for their horns, and bywars, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. Ten yearsago there were known to be some 30 animals living wild inthe Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (DRC).

Poacher problem Aware that they were threatened, conservationists

organized for a handful of them to be transported to Kenya-but in the end the DRC authorities blocked the move, sayingthe animals should be kept in the country. “That proved tobe a very poor decision, because they weren’t able to pro-tect them because of the remoteness” of the park, saidRieches, who has worked with rhinos for over three decades.

The poachers took swift advantage of the decision.

“There were gangs coming through at that point in timefrom several different countries,” he said. He added: “Now ithas become so horrific with rhino poaching because rhinohorn prices gone through the roof. They’re doing it now withgunships. The rangers on the ground are so severely out-matched. It’s just almost impossible. “They are literally put-ting their lives on the line to try to stop the rhino poaching,”he said.

Coming back to the current conundrum, he said it wasimportant that the three places with surviving rhinos-SanDiego, the Czech Republic’s Dvur Kralove Zoo, and Kenya’sOl Pejeta Conservancy-work together. A Czech expert visitedthe California facility a month ago, while a German expertwas recently in Kenya to retrieve semen samples.

“We’re actually in partnership with everyone that still hasanimals,” said the US expert. “So everyone is trying methodson their own, but working together with samples.”Specifically, they have frozen samples of semen. The ideawould be either to try to fertilize eggs in the laboratory-thetest tube rhino scenario-or alternatively to impregnate asouthern white rhino, of which there are far more.

You would then then take female calves from that combi-nation, and combine them with sperm from another north-ern white. But the best you could hope for would be a 15/16pure northern white, Rieches said. In any case, he is notexpecting a breakthrough overnight. The gestation periodfor a northern white rhino is 17 months. “So this is a longterm project. We’re in it for the long haul... it will take timebefore something comes to fruition, it certainly will be a cou-ple of years,” he said. For Rieches, the quest is personal. Hehas worked for the conservancy group San Diego ZooGlobal for 36 years, and is on the board of directors of theInternational Rhino Foundation. If the last northern whiterhino dies, he will be devastated. “A large portion of my lifehas been rhinos... it’s going to be a huge, huge thing for meif this happened on my watch, if this happened during mylifetime.” — AFP

Experts ‘grasping at straws’ to save near-extinct rhino

SAN DIEGO: This undated photo courtesy of theSan Diego Zoo Safari Park, in California shows anorthern white rhino, Angalifu, who passedaway on December 14, 2014. — AFP

MAPUTO: Mozambique has passed alaw permitting women to terminateunwanted pregnancies under speci-fied conditions, a move hailed byactivists in a country where clandes-tine abortions account for a largenumber of maternal deaths. PresidentArmando Guebuza on Thursday qui-etly signed into law a revised penalcode bill that eases prohibitions inabortion regulations. The new lawspecifies that abortions will have tobe carried out in recognized and des-ignated health centers by qualifiedpractitioners. Termination must becarried out within the first 12 weeksbut in case of rape, the period isextended to 16 weeks.

It will also be allowed when thepregnancy poses a serious risk to thehealth or life of the mother or in caseof foetal abnormality. InMozambique, the earlier law outlaw-ing abortion, except in cases wherethe mother’s life or health is endan-gered, dates to the late 19th century,when the mainly Catholic Portuguesecontrolled the country. The othermajor creed in Mozambique is Islam,a faith which also does not supportabortion. But the Catholic church saidit was not against the legal reform.“It’s not a matter of law but of con-science,” said Joao Nunes of theEpiscopal Conference ofMozambique. “We will rather work onraising awareness among our com-munity not to resort to abortion, tochoose life.”

The change came after a decade ofspirited lobbying by reproductive

health advocates in Mozambique,where clandestine abortions are oneof the leading causes of deathsamong pregnant women and girls.Abortion accounts for 11 percent ofmaternal deaths in Mozambique,according to health watchdogs. Themove is a victory for women becauseit’s not so “restrictive” anymore butmore should still be done, said IvoneZilhao, a Maputo-based sexual andreproductive health doctor withPathfinder, an international NGO thatpromotes safe and legal abortionservices.

Her colleague Estrella Alcaldedescribed the development as “a fun-damental step, but we still have chal-lenges ahead of us in terms of imple-mentation.” The law will only be inforce after six months. In the mean-time, the health ministry will have towork out the details of the regula-tions.”The law in itself is not enough,”said Muluka Miti-Drummond of theSouthern African Litigation Centre, anNGO promoting rights in the region.

“The government of Mozambiquemust ensure that adequate resources,including infrastructure, sufficientnumber of duly trained health profes-sionals and appropriate sanitizedequipment, are available and accessi-ble to all in all parts of the country,”she said. Many African countries havestrict laws that prohibit abortion,leaving women to resort to resort tosecret and unsafe methods of termi-nation such as insertion of knittingneedles or coat hangers to prick thefoetus. — AFP

Mozambique decriminalizes

abortion

LONDON: Britain yesterday lifted allrestrictions at a duck farm in northernEngland after last month’s outbreak ofH5N8 bird flu, the same strain seen inrecent cases across Europe. “All restric-tions following the outbreak of Avian Fluin Yorkshire last month have now beenlifted,” the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement.“This means that all poultry-keepingfarms within the 10-kilometre (six-mile)surveillance zone around the infectedproperty are now allowed to move poul-try and other animals without restriction.

“Other restrictions covering the stor-age, transport and sourcing of meat

products are also lifted.” Chief vet NigelGibbens added: “Protecting our countryfrom animal diseases is important for oureconomy, and our robust and thoroughapproach to tackling this outbreakmeans we are able to lift these restric-tions at the earliest possible pointallowed by EU law.” Some 6,000 duckswere culled at the breeding farm nearDriffield, east Yorkshire, following theconfirmation of the outbreak onNovember 16. H5N8 appears to be simi-lar to a virus that has been infecting birdsin China, Japan and South Korea sincethe beginning of the year, the WorldHealth Organization said. — AFP

Restrictions lifted atBritish bird flu farm

H E A LT H & S C I E N C EMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

DUBLIN: Thousands of anti-abortion protesters filling Dublin’s major thoroughfare, as they march against Ireland’s abortion bill.

DUBLIN: Ireland is debating its ban on abortionagain as doctors keep a brain-dead pregnantwoman on life support, awaiting a judge’s ver-dict on what do to with the living fetus. Irishmedia reported Thursday that relatives want toturn off the woman’s life support systems butdoctors are refusing because the law requiresthem to defend the right to life of her 16-week-old fetus. Fetuses typically cannot survive out-side the womb until around 24 weeks. An experton Irish medical law, Dr Adam McAuley, saidDublin High Court most likely would determinewhether the woman will be kept alive artificiallyuntil the baby can be delivered. The case isscheduled for Tuesday.

“The law isn’t clear, and when there is conflict,the matter will have to come before the court,”said McAuley, a Dublin City University law lectur-er. Such disputes have become increasingly fre-quent in Ireland, a predominantly Catholic landfrom which more than 4,000 women travelannually to receive abortions in neighboringEngland. That option doesn’t exist for ill womenmedically unable to leave the island.

Last year after bitter debate, lawmakersamended Ireland’s abortion ban to make termi-nations legal if doctors deem the woman’s life atrisk from continued pregnancy. That step hadbeen delayed for two decades. It finally hap-pened after an Indian woman died from bloodpoisoning linked to her own dying fetus; theIrish hospital had refused her abortion pleas, cit-ing the fetus’ heartbeat.

An increasing number of legislators sayIreland should legalize abortions in cases involv-ing rape, fatal fetal abnormalities, or long-termhealth risks to the woman. On Tuesday, lawmak-

ers overwhelmingly rejected an oppositionmotion to legalize abortion outright. But to thesurprise of government colleagues, HealthMinister Leo Varadkar criticized existing law asunreasonably restrictive and cruel. Varadkar saidthe ban exerts “a chilling effect on doctors.

Difficult decisions that should be made bywomen and their doctors, a couple or the next-of-kin where there is no capacity, and on thebasis of best clinical practice, are now made onfoot of legal advice. That isn’t how it should be.”— AP

Irish face new abortion rowover brain-dead woman

DUBLIN: A Saturday, July 6, 2013 file photo showing Stephen and Pauline O’Brien, fore-ground, holding Catholic rosary beads as they march in an anti-abortion protest. — AP photos

HARTFORD: A dentist whose patientdied after developing complicationswhile getting 20 teeth pulled and severalimplants installed will not be allowed towork until after a comprehensive reviewof his practice. The Connecticut StateDental Commission voted 5-0 Wednesdayto suspend the license of Dr Rashmi Patel,who has offices in Enfield and Torrington,after finding that he didn’t properly carefor two patients, including the womanwho died in February. Patel, 45, ofSuffield, denied wrongdoing in both cas-es. His license was temporarily suspendedin April pending a final determination bythe commission.

Under the discipline, Patel’s license willbe suspended until he successfully under-goes a review of his practice by theAmerican Association of Dental Board,which may take several months. He alsowill be permanently banned from per-forming conscious sedation, and he willbe on probation for five years after thelicense suspension is lifted. David Tilles, alawyer for the state Department of PublicHealth, recommended that Patel’s licensebe revoked, telling the commission thatPatel’s practice “was and is a threat to thesafety of his patients.”

Patel declined to comment. Askedwhether Patel will appeal to state court,his lawyer, Paul Knag, said he and hisclient will be discussing their next steps.“Based on the evidence, these chargesshould have been dismissed,” Knag toldthe commission. “He didn’t act in a reck-less manner. He acted based on whatvery distinguished experts thought wasappropriate.” The commission found that

Patel improperly cared for 64-year-oldJudith Gan of Ellington at his Enfieldoffice on Feb. 17, when he was to extract20 teeth and perform six implants.Officials said Gan’s oxygen levels droppedduring conscious sedation after her teethwere pulled and she later died at a hospi-tal.

The commission ruled that Patel failedto properly respond to Gan’s decreasingoxygen levels, her respiratory distress andher cardiopulmonary distress. The com-mission also found that Patel should nothave attempted to perform so many pro-cedures on Gan in one office visit, giventhat her medical history included a heartattack six months before the visit, twostrokes within the previous two years andmedication that could have affected herresponse to the sedation.

Patel also violated care standards inDecember 2013 when another patientunder conscious sedation to have teethextracted inhaled a piece of gauze calleda “throat pack” designed to protect himfrom swallowing foreign objects, thecommission found. The patient beganflailing, his blood pressure became highand he was rushed to a hospital, butrecovered. The panel also concluded thatPatel on several occasions improperly del-egated sedation to assistants not trainedfor such a procedure. Richard Kenny, alawyer for Gan’s husband, Michael Gan,said his client wanted Patel’s licenserevoked, but believes the discipline hand-ed down Wednesday was severe andaddressed the problems. Kenny saidMichael Gan plans to sue Patel over hiswife’s death. — AP

Dentist suspended;patient died after

teeth pulled

FRANCE: The NHS could start prescribingstem-cell therapies within the near futureafter the European Medicines Agency gavethe go ahead for the first treatment. The firststem-cell therapy has been approved byEuropean regulators in a major step forwardfor advanced medicine in Britain. TheEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) has rec-ommended Holoclar, a treatment in which apatient’s own healthy stem cells are used togrow new cells which are then transplantedinto the eye. It is a major step forward forstem-cell therapies which have so far beingconfined to the lab and clinical trials. Expertspredicted advanced treatments will be avail-able on the NHS within a few years.

“This is exciting both because there areno other treatments for this sort of damageto the eye and because this is the first exam-ple in which a ‘medicine’ based on stem cellshas been approved for use in humans,”Professor Graham McGeown, Reader inPhysiology, Centre for ExperimentalMedicine, Queen’s University Belfast.

“Because the cells come from the patientthemselves, there should be no worries thatthe body will reject them as can happenwhen using a transplant from another per-son.

“This treatment will only be allowedunder carefully defined conditions, however,so that the outcomes can be carefully moni-tored to see if the treatment works anddoesn’t have any unexpected side-effects.”

Stem cells can act as a repair system for thebody.

Limbal stem cells are located in the eye atthe border between the cornea - the clearfront part of the eye - and the sclera - thewhite of the eye. Physical or chemical burnscan cause loss of these stem cells, resultingin limbal stem cell deficiency, LSCD, a condi-tion that is estimated to affect about 3.3 outof 100,000 people in the European Unionand around 650 people in Britain.

Symptoms include pain, sensitivity tolight, inflammation, excessive blood vesselgrowth, clouding of the cornea, and eventu-ally blindness. In LSCD the limbal stem cellsbecome so diminished that they eyes can nolonger make new cells to repair damage.

The new treatment takes a small sampleof the patients healthy cornea, removes thestem cells and grows them until there aresufficient numbers to put back into the eye.The cells themselves then repair the dam-age. Moorfields Eye Hospital in London hassuccessfully treated around 20 people withHolocar so far in trials.

Prof Chris Mason, from University CollegeLondon, told the BBC: “This move wouldenable far more people to access it, youcould now prescribe this.” The EMA decisionto approve Holoclar will now be sent to theEuropean Commission for market authoriza-tion. It will then be up to Nice to decidewhether to approve the therapy for use onthe NHS. — Reuters

First stem-cell therapyapproved for medical

use in Europe

W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Greetings

Australia Embassy

Australian Visa Application Centre, Level 25, Al TijariaBuilding Al Soor Street, Opp. Al Shuhada GardenSharq, Kuwait City. Working hours and days: 09.30 -

17.30 Sunday - Thursday. Submissions of new applicationscan be made until 16.30 each day. The last hour of opening isfor decision letter collection only.

Website Address: www.vfs-au-gcc.com. Information emailID: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com Telephone: +971 42055900.

Contacts page on VFS website for Kuwait: (including map)http://vfs-au-gcc.com/contactus_KBOQ.html.Visa options for lodgement with VFS: (to download forms,

checklists, fee list) http://vfs-au-gcc.com/allaboutvisa.html

All photos submitted for What’s Onshould be minimum 200dpi.Articles must be in plain text andshould include name and phonenumbers. Articles and photos thatfail to meet these requirements willnot be published.

Please send them tonews@kuwaittimes.net

What’s On - Submission Guidelines

TIES CENTER

The Effects of Food Additiveson the Body and Mind

by Dr Kamel Al-FarrajWhat are the effects of addictivechemicals in food? Why do foodcompanies add so many chemicals?Why is fast food bad for you? Whatdo neuroexyto toxins do to yourfood and to your brain? Dr Kamel willanswer all these questions and manymore. Tuesday, December 23 @ 7pm

Happy birthday toJoana MariaSogil who cele-

brates her 1st birthdaytoday.

Movenpick Al Bida’a makes the Festive Seasonmore magical with its festive offerings featuring awide range of gastronomic delights, live enter-

tainment and special room packages.With Christmas and New Year around the corner,

Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait has set thestage for a grand festive season celebration to see out2014 and welcome 2015.

The festivities begin with a Christmas Eve Dinner buffetat the main restaurant ‘Breeze’. Guests will be treated to anelegant international buffet featuring traditionalChristmas dishes such as freshly roasted chestnuts andturkey with gravy, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings,

with the option to dine indoors or alfresco at the restau-rant terrace overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

Moreover, the Executive Chef at the resort ‘EmmanuelThomas’ and his team have put together a magnificentChristmas Brunch buffet packed with internationalChristmas Day favorites including pan-seared chestnuts,duck fois gras, roast turkey, duck rillettes with briochecrostini, stollen cake, yuletide logs and a lot more. Themenu is designed to please foodies of all ages. And to geteveryone in the party mood, there is everything fromcheery Christmas music to fun-filled activities and, ofcourse, a visit from Santa Claus with giveaways for chil-dren.

To top off the captivating mood of Christmas, the NewYear celebrations are set to thrill. Two restaurants and aBallroom come together for the most extravagant dinnerof 2014 featuring sensational dÈcor and the finest cuisinesfrom all over the world. The New Year menu includes inter-national buffet, seafood specialties, live cooking stationsand a wide range of sweets. In addition to chefs’ creations,guests will look forward to the music and entertainmentwhich will be available throughout the evening.

A special festive room package is also available whichincludes an overnight stay at one of the pool view rooms,New Year’s Eve dinner for two and breakfast on New Year’sDay for two.

Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait reveals Christmas, New Year offers

Al Mulla International Exchange, the leading moneyremittance company in Kuwait, announces the nameof the first winner of its latest campaign that has been

launched on the 15th of November, 2014 targeting itsEgyptian customers who transfer money to their home coun-try.

During the first draw Esam Mostafa Ali Shahat won theLancer EX car, which is one of the six cars that Al MullaInternational Exchange allocated for this promotion. the pro-motion includes a draw every two week where one of theircustomers will have the opportunity to win a Lancer EX cardelivered in Egypt with all duties paid.

With regards to the promotion, Rakesh Joshi, GeneralManager expressed his happiness with the regards to the suc-cess of the promotion which encouraged the Egyptian cus-tomers to transfer money to their home town through any of

Al Mulla International Exchange branches that are located allover Kuwait during the last two weeks. Joshi further added:“We consider the market of Egypt one of our core businesssegments from the perspective of money remittance. TheEgyptian community constitutes a major expatriate popula-tion and we had been contemplating for long to have some-thing exclusive for them. This promotion will give them thechance to win a Lancer EX car whenever they transfer moneyto their families in Egypt.”

Al Mulla International Exchange assured all customersremitting to Egypt will need to fill in a coupon to enter thedraw once they conduct any transaction to Egypt from any oftheir branches located all over Kuwait. Now after the first drawAl Mulla International Exchange is still allocating 5 cars for thewinners, ensuring the delivery of the car of the winner inEgypt either to him personally or to someone on his behalf,

noting that Al Mulla International Exchange will be undertak-ing all the costs associated with delivering the car in Egypt.

Joshi explained: “During the last couple of months therewas a remarkable increase in the volume of remittances toEgypt, making it a key market to all organizations and mar-kets.” He concluded: “We believe that it is necessary to launcha rewarding promotional campaign that is specifically tai-lored to our Egyptian customers in order to gain their trustand loyalty. We continuously strive to provide the highestquality of customer service as well as a full range of value-added services to facilitate our customers’ lives.” Concludingthat this is the second campaign that was launched targetingthe Egyptian customers and community after the largestprize money promotion announced by any exchange com-pany for a single nationality in the history of Kuwait remit-tance market, where cash prizes exceeding USD 130,000 was

given to the winners during this promotion that ran for sixmonths.

This promotion is another value addition for Al MullaInternational Exchange Egyptian customers that seek an effi-cient and secured manner for their remittances. Al MullaInternational Exchange which was established in 2001 alwaysassures providing outstanding services and seeks to surpassexpectations and satisfaction of its customers, it alwaysstrives to provide all its branches with the latest technologiesenhancing the experience of its customers and making inno-vation to remittances and money transfer solutions. There areplenty of unique services that include free insurance, loyaltypoints and programs, SMS confirmations on all transactionsalong with fast and secure transactions from home or theoffice through the website www.amxremit.com that areextended by Al Mulla Exchange to its customers.

Al Mulla International Exchange announces first Lancer EX winner

The Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait observed theInternational Migration Day 2014 on Dec 18, 2014 atChancery with due importance. Around 300

Bangladeshis attended the observation program. To markthis day a discussion meeting was held. Messages of theHon’able President, Prime Minister, Minister, Ministry ofExpatriate’s welfare and Overseas Employment and othershad been cited. Major General Mohammad Ashab Uddin,Ambassador of Bangladesh in Kuwait, presided over thediscussion meeting. Abdul Latif Khan, Counsellor (Labour),

prominent persons from Bangladesh Expatriate’s commu-nity in Kuwait and some workers took part in the discus-sion and expressed their views on various issues pertinentto the welfare of Expatriates.

Speaking on the occasion the Ambassador ofBangladesh in Kuwait, H.E. Major General MohammadAshab Uddin discussed on the significance of the day andhighlighted the various initiatives taken by theGovernment of Bangladesh for the welfare of Bangladeshiexpatriates. He also urged the Bangladeshi expatriates in

Kuwait to contribute more to the development ofBangladesh through their remittances utilizing theirknowledge and skill.

The Ambassador termed expatriates as the sun of soiland emphasized on the contribution of expatriates to thenational economy . He expressed vow to take necessarysteps to protect the rights of expatriates and their families.He also called upon the expatriates to be honest, sincereand Law abiding for the upliftment of their image and thatof their motherland.

Bangladesh Embassy observes International Migration Day

British Embassy closure:The British Embassy in Kuwait will be closed Tuesday, 23 to Thursday,25 December 2014, and on Thursday, 1 January 2015 for theChristmas and New Year holidays. The Embassy will re-open onSunday, 28 December 2014 after the Christmas holiday and Sunday,4 January 2015 after the New Year holiday. The Visa and ConsularSections will be closed on the same days.

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South African Embassy closure:On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, the South AfricanEmbassy will be closed from Wednesday, 24th to Thursday 25thDecember 2014 and from Wednesday, 31st to Thursday1st January,2014. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Sunday,4 January 2014. Please note that the working hours will be from 8h00to 16h00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8h30 to12h30, for emergencies please contact number 94924895. “On thebehalf of the South African Embassy, we wish you a happy FestiveSeason and a Prosperous New Year.”

PG Binu inaugurates the first annual meet of Snehalayam Kuwait asSam Mathew, Baluchandran and Shobha Nair look on.

W H AT ’ S ONMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Living a fine life also means living a relaxedstress-free life, and when it comes to luxuri-ous serenity, what other options are there

than Al-Hamra Thermae, a state-of-the-art-five-star Gym and Spa. Al-Hamra Thermae Gym isKuwait’s best find, especially when looking for atop of the line luxurious place to clear your mind,and enjoy a none-like-other workout experience.

Al-Hamra Thermae is located in the heart ofKuwait’s highest skyscraper and most prestigiousbusiness tower, Al-Hamra tower. The sport centerhas plenty to offer in the way of both relaxationand fitness. Dedicated for gents, ladies, and chil-dren at separate premises, which include but notlimited to, a spacious pool, roof-top jogging trackarea, open-air yoga classes, crossfit exercises,workout studios, massive free weight area, andfully equipped fitness equipment with thenewest technology ever found in the field withinthe entire Middle-East region.

Anti-gravity treadmillsAl-Hamra Thermae is proud to be the first, and

sole gym within the State of Kuwait to house anti-gravity treadmills. When it comes to sport injuriesand physical therapy, these uniquely designedtreadmills, invented by NASA, have captured theattention of major sport clubs around the world -just to name few, Chelsea, and AC Milan. Throughthese antigravity treadmills you will feel weight-less, and you shall burn double the calories thatyou would achieve with a normal treadmill. Thisnot only guarantees a strong workout, but a high-ly exclusive, one-of-a-kind, experience as well.Furthermore, people with knee injury, and obesi-ty would avail the benefits of utilizing such tread-mill technology. In addition, the antigravity tread-mill finds its way as a rehabilitation tool forParkinson’s patients, who are experiencing thismachine at Al-Hamra Thermae premises. It wasthe utmost joy for Al-Hamra Thermae officials tohear the feedback of one of the lady members,who is experiencing a walking disability. Afterusing the antigravity treadmill, she stated that “itis her first time ever to feel that she can walk andjog, in an incline and decline manner, for hoursusing this treadmill.”Al-Hamra Thermae is invitingits potential members to come and experiencethe moon walk!

Innovative luxuryIf floating in air doesn’t impress you enough,

you can still find a line of extraordinary cardiomachines, and in the same vein of exclusive inno-vative luxury; the line of cardio machines includesmart treadmills, recumbent bikes, ellipticalmachines, and upright bikes: enough number ofcardio machines to accommodate hundreds ofmembers working out simultaneously. These car-dio machines are newly introduced to the Kuwaitigyms, and Al-Hamra Thermae are the exclusivedistributors, which provides an instant mainte-

nance to the cardio machines, and ensures adamage-free equipment. The cardio machinesare Internet connected to Google Earth engine,which means you can now enjoy walking/joggingin any place you like around the world, while youare still under the roof of Al-Hamra Thermaepremises. During your calorie-burnout sessions,you can share the cardio experience with yourother friends at the gym, compete with othersaround the world, and experience the topology(incline, decline) of places you have selected tovisit virtually, view satellite images, street viewsynchronized to your jogging speed, and maps ofany spots in the world. Al-Hamra Thermae isoffering their clients annual iFit accounts, which is175 KD absolutely free. At Al-Hamra Thermae car-dio area, you will always remember those placesyou have jogged once around the globe!

Cycling fitnessThe gym also offers a patented-trend in

cycling fitness classes: spinning classes; these arenot any spinning classes as such, where the spin-ner wears a wired helmet, enabling the user tospin in a virtual 360-degree environment togeth-er with other fellow members. The patented sys-tem is synchronized to the speed and force uponwhich the member is applying to the cycling ped-als. Furthermore, the spinning bikes can be tiltedto the sides when members are virtually experi-encing sudden curves, enabling them to burncalories in a fun and interactive ways.

Interactive technology doesn’t stop there, asthe gym also offers stair master machines thatwould allow users to select the roughness of theirstair climbing. Furthermore, members can selectamong many world attractions to climb theirstaircases, eg, Burj Khalifa, Taj Mahal, thePyramids, and many more.

The interiors of the gyms are spectacular, andit is proudly a Kuwaiti design, and they had beenimplemented/executed by the umbrella/ownercompany of the Al-Hamra Thermae. All weightmachines are designed and made in Panattasport Italy, where all seats are made of cashmerefabric, and they have been uniquely netted bythe Thermae logo. With a breath-taking view atthe 74th floor, the Thermae stands alone amongits peer gyms, to be the highest in Kuwait andthe region. Rising way above clouds, the mem-bers can view Kuwait all the way from FailakahIsland, in a clear day, up to oil tank farms inAhmadi. Many members watch main highwaysbefore leaving the gym to avoid any traffic jamson their way!

Workout studiosAl-Hamra Thermae is proud to host the high-

est workout studios within the State of Kuwait,where in cloudy days only the tip of KuwaitTowers appears from distance. The gym providesthe latest and most exclusive custom-made serv-

ices imaginable. For example, all their weightmachinery is custom made exclusively for thegym clientele: helping members to work out asefficiently as possible; also, members can scanthe barcode on the machines with their mobilephones, and then upload movies on how to uti-lize the machine equipment.

Through its well-qualified and certified train-ers, the gym offers various classes for their mem-bers including antigravity yoga, where they canrelax and separate their minds from the weightof gravity and drift off into blissful rejuvenatingstates of body and mind. Advocating classes’diversity, Al-Hamra Thermae always gives thechance to its members to rate classes instantly,and design their own monthly schedules. Theclasses include all kinds of yoga (therapy, bal-ance, static, hormone, etc.), swimming classes,aqua cardio, kickboxing, aqua kickboxing, Tae Bo,Aerobic, Zumba, TRX, Fitball, various dancingcourses, Kangoo jumping, Crossfit, and manymore. A very distinctive class is Aqua therapy,which is a class given by Al-Hamra Thermaephysiotherapists to alleviate back, neck, and/orlimb pain. Al-Hamra Thermae is proud to be thefirst gym to have a fully equipped Queenax Italystudio that offers 1000 plus functional trainingprograms.

Certified trainers Al-Hamra Thermae members can have one-

on-one sessions with their certified personaltrainers. PT sessions can range from getting yourperfect customized workout plan to get the bodyshape you dream of having. Also, members canbook sessions with the highly competent physio-therapists of Al-Hamra Thermae to stay relaxedand pain-free. Physiotherapy PT sessions includeusing the gym for therapeutic purposes, havingcustomized water therapy exercises in the pool,and having various medical massages to alleviateany sort of pain. Al-Hamra Thermae is the onlygym in Kuwait that provides effective cellulitetreatment sessions, using a state-of-the-artequipment, especially to members at a post stageafter giving birth.

There are no hidden fees at Al-HamraThermae, where nutrition consultancy servicesare provided absolutely free for the members. Tostand competitively unique is a challenge, andthus the Thermae has created a joint programbetween fitness sport management, and thenutrition consultant centered on the member;therefore, and as created by the owner, a cus-tomized software is being presented to the mem-ber, enabling her or him to choose the best work-ing plan and eating habit that would fit his or herlifestyle, where advisory board of trainers, andnutritionists shall be at the member’s disposal.The nutritionist is collaboratively working withthe fitness instructors to provide a nutritional eat-ing plan, as well as a dietary guidance for our

beloved members. Children also have shares offun, where dedicated classes are offered, just toname few, yoga, swimming, ballet, martial arts,Zumba, and kick boxing.

Outdoor trackThe exclusive spacious outdoor track is locat-

ed right above the shopping area, at the centerof Al-Hamra Tower. This roof garden is exclusivefor Al-Hamra Thermae with a million-dollar view(as the scene goes). The track is located in anopen air overlooking Kuwait City’s glorious sky-light with another view of the extended out flarewalls of Al-Hamra Tower to be seen from abovethe jogging track area. Also, on the roof gardenarea of the Al-Hamra Thermae, there are a num-ber of outdoor fitness machines that allow mem-bers to train using their own weights as a count-er balance force. Furthermore, crossfit and chal-lenge classes take place within this area. The roofgarden has a number of water features andplants to alleviate the temperature during a hotsummer day.

The rooftop also accommodates the spectac-ular indoor luxury swimming pool area, which isdecorated with marvelous golden mosaic fromSicis Italy, and water fountains from Spain; it isdefinitely an ideal location to take a happy ener-gizing dip after a long day at work. For thosewho would like to relax and unwind, the twoavailable spacious Jacuzzis are also an awesomeoption. It is worth mentioning that the poolwater is treated with ultra violet (UV), and ozoneinstead of treating it with a conventional chemi-cal chloride. This means that the water is healthi-er for the hair and skin, and it is at a much higherhygiene level than chlorine water since the poolis maintained and inspected twice a day by theowner’s company. This is also quite beneficial forthose suffering from Paranasal sinuses.Furthermore, there is a newly added air ventila-tion/anti-microgerm system in the pool area,which is actually a medical-grade system. This isthe same system that is usually used in ICUswithin hospitals. Furthermore, the pool is air-conditioned and equipped with anti-humiditysystem. The capacious pool accommodates floorand wall messages, and has 6-air bed messages.Moreover, you can swim endlessly which isattributable to the 3 counter-current unitsinstalled within the pool. The swimming poolarea is equipped with alternating light systemthat provides a relaxing environment duringevening time through a light therapy (pho-totherapy) system. Members can enjoy the pri-vate and exclusive pool terrace to have their nat-ural sun tanning. The ramp in the center of thepool allows wheel chairs to easily enter the poolarea for handicapped members’ hydrotherapy.

Exclusive benefitsWith all these innovative, one-of-a-kind, ben-

efits, Al-Hamra Thermae offers so much more toits exclusive members. Only members of the gymget to utilize the access key (water-resistance-wrest band, card, or Swarovski key chain), whichunlocks pretty much everything from the eleva-tor to the lockers. This means that non-memberscannot go up to the gym without assistance,which gives it a very private atmosphere, and anair of both exclusivity and security. Furthermore,members can top up their access key with cash,so this would save the hassle in carrying moneyor credit cards around the place. Within the lock-er area, there is a monitor that shows availableempty lockers, and a terminal to inform mem-bers of their utilized locker number, in case theyhave forgotten where they have stored theiritems.

As if these services and benefits weren’talready enough, Al-Hamra Thermae also allowsmembers to book the swimming pool, and theexclusive outdoor track area in advance for pri-vate events. The majestic pool at Al-HamraThermae has been the destination of those whoaspire above conventional measures, which isembodied by the underwater fashion shootingheld at the Thermae pool. The exclusive joggingtrack area has been the selection of top brandssuch as H&M headquarter. The gym presents“The Earth CafÈ” that offers healthy food anddrinks for its members. Also, there is a wet area,where sauna, steam, Turkish bath, mud room,and salt room amenities are all available. Thegym is designed, to a certain degree, to accom-modate disabled members, enabling them tobenefit from the Thermae services.

Social clubAl-Hamra Thermae is more than a gym, it is a

social club, where members are considered partof the family. The Thermae has organized bookclubs, and has encouraged social interactions.Just recently, we have been honored to discussone of the books of one of our most beloved, val-ued member, Mrs. Laila Al-Othman, which washeld within the pool area. Also, Al-HamraThermae is honored to have contributed inassisting many Ph.D. students in their theses, bywelcoming them to conduct their researcheswithin the Thermae premises. Many of theThermae fund raising proposals have been chan-neled towards cancer research at top academicinstitutes around the world. Al-Hamra Thermae isplanning in the soon future to expand, and tohave an off-premise horse riding program, ten-nis, pedal, as well as scuba diving. Al-HamraThermae simply enlightens the path towards ahealthy, social, and more fun lifestyle in abovenorm measures. At the moment there are numer-ous packages that Al-Hamra Thermae is offeringthrough one of its social media channels(@alhamra_thermae), and through its smart-phone application (www.alhamra-thermae.com).

Al-Hamra Thermae Gym opens at Hamra Tower

T V PR O G R A M SMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

STANDING OVATION ON OSN MOVIES HD CHASING MAVERICKS ON OSN MOVIES HD

RED 2 ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

01:00 What Women Want-PG03:15 Crank04:45 Barricade-U06:15 One Day-PG08:15 The Odd Life Of TimothyGreen-U10:00 Owning Mahowny-U11:45 The Nightmare BeforeChristmas-PG13:00 Toy Story 3-FAM15:00 Last Orders-PG17:00 Crank18:30 Barricade-U20:00 Death At A Funeral21:45 Fun With Dick And Jane23:15 The Haunted Mansion

00:45 Philly Throttle01:35 Philly Throttle02:25 Idris Elba: King Of Speed05:00 Troy06:00 Wheeler Dealers06:50 Robson Green’s ExtremeFishing Challenge07:40 Fast N’ Loud08:30 Storage Hunters08:55 Container Wars09:20 Garage Gold09:45 How It’s Made10:10 How It’s Made10:35 Fast N’ Loud11:25 Philly Throttle12:15 Highway To Sell13:05 Storage Hunters13:30 Container Wars13:55 Garage Gold14:20 Robson Green’s ExtremeFishing Challenge15:10 Wheeler Dealers16:00 Fast N’ Loud16:50 How It’s Made17:15 How It’s Made17:40 Treehouse Masters18:30 Gold Rush19:20 Gold Rush20:10 Container Wars20:35 Garage Gold21:00 Gold Rush21:50 Gold Rush22:40 Alaskan Bush People23:30 Gold Rush

00:45 Cake Boss01:10 Cake Boss01:35 Ultimate Shopper02:25 I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant02:50 Body Bizarre03:40 Long Island Medium04:05 Say Yes To The Dress04:30 Say Yes To The Dress05:00 Toddlers & Tiaras06:00 Something Borrowed,Something New06:25 Ultimate Shopper07:15 Super Saver Showdown08:05 World’s Worst Mum08:55 Randy To The Rescue09:45 Cake Boss10:10 17 Kids And Counting10:35 Little People, Big World11:00 Toddlers & Tiaras11:50 Say Yes To The Dress12:15 Say Yes To The Dress12:40 Ultimate Shopper13:30 Cake Boss13:55 Cake Boss14:20 Ultimate Shopper15:10 Something Borrowed,Something New15:35 Cake Boss16:00 Driving Me Crazy16:50 17 Kids And Counting17:15 Little People, Big World17:40 Toddlers & Tiaras18:30 Something Borrowed,Something New18:55 Say Yes To The Dress19:20 Say Yes To The Dress19:45 Your Style In His Hands20:35 Cake Boss21:00 The Face UK21:50 Return To Amish22:40 Long Island Medium

00:00 The Soup00:30 Giuliana & Bill02:20 E! News03:15 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills03:40 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills04:10 E!ES05:05 THS06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians06:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 Style Star08:20 E! News09:15 Giuliana & Bill10:15 Giuliana & Bill11:10 Kourtney And Khloe Take TheHamptons12:05 E! News13:05 Extreme Close-Up13:35 THS14:30 Style Star15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians17:00 The Drama Queen18:00 E! News19:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take TheHamptons20:00 House Of DVF21:00 Fashion Bloggers21:30 Fashion Bloggers22:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills22:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills23:00 Untold With MariaMenounos

00:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics00:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics00:55 Siba’s Table01:20 Siba’s Table01:45 Chopped02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives03:25 Charly’s Cake Angels03:50 Siba’s Table04:15 Siba’s Table04:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics05:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics05:30 Reza, Spice Prince Of India05:50 Siba’s Table06:10 Have Cake, Will Travel06:35 Have Cake, Will Travel07:00 Roadtrip With G. Garvin07:25 Roadtrip With G. Garvin07:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives08:15 Chopped09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back ToBasics09:30 Chopped Canada10:20 Recipes That Rock10:45 All You Can Meat11:10 Roadtrip With G. Garvin11:35 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook12:00 Chopped12:50 Siba’s Table13:15 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco13:40 Mystery Diners14:05 Guy’s Grocery Games14:55 Roadtrip With G. Garvin15:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:45 Amazing Wedding Cakes16:35 Chopped17:25 Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco17:50 Guy’s Big Bite18:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives18:40 Siba’s Table19:05 Grandma’s Secret Cookbook19:30 Mystery Diners19:55 Burger Land20:20 Guy’s Grocery Games21:10 Amazing Wedding Cakes22:00 Guy’s Big Bite22:25 Guy’s Big Bite22:50 Jenny Morris Cooks TheRiviera23:15 Jenny Morris Cooks TheRiviera23:40 Burger Land

00:10 Paul O’grady For The Love OfDogs00:40 The Hungry Sailors01:30 Brendan’s Magical MysteryTour02:00 Emmerdale02:55 Coronation Street03:25 Andrew Lloyd WebberSpecial: 40 Years...04:45 Paul O’grady For The Love OfDogs05:15 Four Weddings UK06:10 The Chase07:05 Brendan’s Magical MysteryTour07:30 Andrew Lloyd WebberSpecial: 40 Years...08:50 Paul O’grady For The Love OfDogs09:20 Tales From NorthumberlandWith Robson Green10:15 Four Weddings UK11:10 Emmerdale12:00 Coronation Street12:30 The Hungry Sailors13:25 The Chase14:20 Holiday: Heaven On Earth14:45 Four Weddings UK15:35 Tricked16:30 Cilla17:25 Paul O’grady For The Love OfDogs18:20 The Jonathan Ross Show19:10 Coronation Street19:35 Tricked20:30 Cilla21:25 Paul O’grady For The Love OfDogs22:20 Coronation Street22:50 Emmerdale

00:00 Salvage Code Red01:00 The Truth Behind02:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines03:00 Family Guns04:00 Tigers Of The Snow05:00 Wild Untamed Brazil06:00 Ultimate Airport Dubai07:00 Britain’s Underworld08:00 Salvage Code Red09:00 The Truth Behind10:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines11:00 Tigers Of The Snow12:00 Predator CSI13:00 Engineering Connections14:00 Situation Critical15:00 Battleground Brothers16:00 Ancient Megastructures17:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines18:00 Britain’s Underworld19:00 Battleground Brothers20:00 Ancient Megastructures21:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines22:00 Britain’s Underworld23:00 Tigers Of The Snow

00:00 Enlisted00:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart01:00 The Colbert Report01:30 Billy Crystal 700 Sundays02:30 Mixology03:00 Hot In Cleveland03:30 The Goldbergs04:00 Growing Up Fisher04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon05:30 Better Off Ted06:00 Til Death06:30 My Name Is Earl07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers08:00 Growing Up Fisher08:30 Better Off Ted09:00 Hot In Cleveland09:30 Dads10:00 Baby Daddy10:30 My Name Is Earl11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon12:00 Til Death12:30 Growing Up Fisher13:00 Better Off Ted13:30 My Name Is Earl14:00 The Goldbergs14:30 Dads15:00 Baby Daddy15:30 The Daily Show With JonStewart16:00 The Colbert Report16:30 Til Death17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Raising Hope18:30 The Goldbergs19:00 Dads19:30 Baby Daddy20:00 Friends With Better Lives20:30 Mystery Girls21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 Web Therapy22:30 Web Therapy23:00 Mixology23:30 Friends With Better Lives

00:00 Suits01:00 The Killing02:00 The Americans03:00 Supernatural04:00 How To Get Away WithMurder05:00 Once Upon A Time06:00 Suits

08:00 Bones09:00 Once Upon A Time11:00 How To Get Away WithMurder12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Bones15:00 Rake16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Bones19:00 Once Upon A Time20:00 Revenge21:00 Outlander23:00 Supernatural

00:00 Witches Of East End02:00 Good Morning America03:00 Grimm04:00 The Knick06:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 2410:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street11:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show12:00 Castle13:00 Witches Of East End14:00 2415:00 Live Good Morning America17:00 Castle18:00 Witches Of East End19:00 2420:00 Castle21:00 Witches Of East End22:00 Grimm23:00 The Knick

00:00 Red 202:00 Outpost: Black Sun04:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange06:00 Alex Cross08:00 Red 210:00 Marvel’s Hulk vs. Thor &Wolverine11:30 Waterworld13:45 The Rock16:00 Red 218:00 Maximum Conviction19:45 Waterworld22:00 Stolen

00:00 Outpost: Black Sun-PG1502:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG04:00 Alex Cross-PG1506:00 Red 2-PG1508:00 Marvel’s Hulk vs. Thor &Wolverine-PG09:30 Waterworld-PG1511:45 The Rock-PG1514:00 Red 2-PG1516:00 Maximum Conviction-PG1517:45 Waterworld-PG1520:00 Stolen-PG1522:00 Daylight-PG15

00:00 All In Good Time-PG1502:00 Mr. 3000-PG04:00 Gambit-PG1506:00 Look Who’s Talking Too-PG1508:00 The Guilt Trip-PG1510:00 All In Good Time-PG1512:00 Gambit-PG1514:00 Wild Hogs-PG1516:00 The Guilt Trip-PG15

18:00 Girl In Progress-PG1520:00 See No Evil, Hear No Evil-PG1522:00 Mental-PG15

01:00 Between Us-PG1503:00 The Glass Man-PG1505:00 Straight A’s-PG1507:00 Now You See Me-PG1509:00 Red Lights-PG1511:00 Straight A’s-PG1513:00 Between Us-PG1515:00 The Last Harbor-PG1517:00 Red Lights-PG1519:00 Trespass-PG1521:00 The English Teacher-PG1522:45 The Master-R

00:15 Dead Presidents-1802:30 Bad Karma-1804:30 Beastly-PG1506:30 Glory-PG1509:00 Bully-PG1511:00 Pop Star-PG1513:00 Robot & Frank-PG1515:00 Reviving Ophelia-PG1517:00 Bully-PG1519:00 Texas Killing Fields-PG1521:00 Kramer vs. Kramer-PG1523:00 The Last King Of Scotland-18

01:00 Svengali-PG1503:00 Heaven’s Door-PG05:00 The 7:39-PG1507:00 Vamps-PG1509:00 Chasing Mavericks-PG1511:00 Standing Ovation-PG1513:00 In A World...-PG1514:45 There Be Dragons-PG1516:45 Chasing Mavericks-PG1518:45 Captain Phillips-PG1521:00 Closed Circuit-PG1523:00 Jackass Presents: BadGrandpa-18

01:00 Pacific Pirates02:45 Garfield’s Pet Force04:30 Quest For A Heart06:00 Barbie As The Princess AndThe Pauper08:00 Tony Hawk: Boom BoomSabotage10:00 Patoruzito11:30 Luke And Lucy: The TexasRangers13:00 Garfield’s Pet Force14:30 Planet 5116:00 Barbie As Rapunzel18:00 Patoruzito20:00 A Cat In Paris22:00 Planet 5123:30 Barbie As Rapunzel

00:00 Why Stop Now-PG1502:00 Quartet-PG1504:00 The Greatest Movie EverSold-PG1506:00 Planes-PG08:00 Death Clique-PG1510:00 Absolute Fear-PG1512:00 The Greatest Movie EverSold-PG1514:00 The Sapphires-PG1516:00 Death Clique-PG1517:45 Life Of Pi-PG20:00 Homefront-PG15

22:00 Pain & Gain-18

02:00 Hero Indian Super LeagueHighlights02:30 Challenge Series GolfHighlights03:00 Women’s Rugby World CupHighlights03:30 Top 14 05:30 Ryder Cup Official Film07:00 Trans world Sport08:00 Top 14 Highlights08:30 PDC World DartsChampionship12:30 Ryder Cup Official Film14:00 Hero Indian Super LeagueHighlights14:30 Snooker UK Championship17:30 Golfing World18:30 Top 14 Highlights19:00 NFL21:30 Top 14 Highlights22:00 Live PDC World DartsChampionship

00:00 Live NFL03:30 Golfing World04:30 PGA Tour Highlights05:30 PGA European Highlights06:30 Women’s Rugby World CupHighlights07:00 V8 Supercars Highlights08:00 V8 Supercars Highlights09:00 Top 14 Highlights09:30 Snooker UK Championship12:30 Trans world Sport

00:00 New Zealand v South AfricaODI Highlights01:00 Australia v South Africa T20IHighlights07:00 ICC Cricket 36007:30 Story of the World Cup 199210:00 Big Bash League T20Highlights11:00 Live Big Bash League T2014:30 ICC Cricket 36015:00 LG ICC Awards 201416:00 Big Bash League T20Highlights17:00 Big Bash League T2020:30 ICC Cricket 36021:00 LG ICC Awards 201422:00 Big Bash League T20Highlights23:00 Story of the World Cup 1992

00:00 According To Jim00:30 Castle01:30 Grey’s Anatomy02:30 Brothers And Sisters03:30 Brothers And Sisters04:30 Castle05:30 Happy Endings05:55 Happy Endings06:30 The Bridge07:30 The Walking Dead08:30 Castle09:30 According To Jim10:00 Grey’s Anatomy11:00 Brothers And Sisters12:00 Brothers And Sisters13:00 Castle14:00 Happy Endings14:30 Happy Endings15:00 The Bridge16:00 The Walking Dead17:00 Grey’s Anatomy18:00 According To Jim18:30 The Listener19:30 The Listener20:30 According To Jim21:00 Melissa & Joey21:25 Melissa & Joey

01:30 Sitting Target03:05 The Tender Trap-PG05:00 Speedway-FAM

07:00 The Secret Partner-PG08:30 Return Of The Gunfighter-PG10:10 Raintree County-PG12:55 Murder Ahoy-FAM14:30 Spinout-FAM16:00 Seven Brides For SevenBrothers-FAM17:40 The Merry Widow-FAM19:25 Challenge To Lassie-FAM20:40 Texas Carnival-FAM22:00 The Wrath Of God-1823:50 Northern Pursuit-PG

01:00 Miracles Decoded02:00 American Pickers03:00 Miracle Rising05:00 Miracles Decoded06:00 Counting Cars06:30 Counting Cars07:00 American Pickers08:00 Pawn Stars08:30 Pawn Stars09:00 Christmas Specials10:00 Pawn Stars11:00 Pawn Stars11:30 Pawn Stars12:00 Pawn Stars12:30 Pawn Stars13:00 Pawn Stars13:30 Pawn Stars14:00 Pawn Stars14:30 Pawn Stars15:00 Christmas Specials16:00 Pawn Stars17:00 Pawn Stars17:30 Pawn Stars18:00 Pawn Stars18:30 Pawn Stars19:00 Pawn Stars19:30 Pawn Stars20:00 Pawn Stars20:30 Pawn Stars21:00 Pawn Stars21:30 Pawn Stars

13:30 Top 14 Highlights14:00 WWE Superstars15:00 WWE Smackdown!17:00 NHL19:00 WWE Experience20:00 WWE Afterburn21:00 WWE This Week21:30 Afrasia Golf Masters22:30 Golfing World23:30 NHL

ClassifiedsMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Kuwait

Fajr: 05:13

Shorook 06:38

Duhr: 11:46

Asr: 14:36

Maghrib: 16:54

Isha: 18:17

Prayer timings

112

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY(18/12/2014 TO 24/12/2014)

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Monday 22/12/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeBBC 043 Dhaka 00:05JAI 574 Mumbai 00:10JZR 239 Amman 00:25JZR 267 Beirut 00:30JZR 539 Cairo 00:40THY 772 Istanbul 00:45FDB 069 Dubai 00:55QTR 1084 Doha 01:00RJA 642 Amman 01:05DLH 637 Dammam 01:15PGT 858 Istanbul 01:35GFA 211 Bahrain 02:30MSC 403 Sohag 02:30UAE 853 Dubai 02:35JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 02:50FDB 067 Dubai 02:55MSR 612 Cairo 03:10ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:10CEB 7694 Manila 03:10QTR 1076 Doha 03:45MSC 401 Alexandria 04:05JZR 503 Luxor 05:25THY 770 Istanbul 05:35TZS 170 Bahrain 05:40BAW 157 London 06:40KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 07:10FDB 053 Dubai 07:45QTR 1086 Doha 07:50KAC 352 Kochi 08:10KAC 302 Mumbai 08:20KAC 206 Islamabad 08:25UAE 855 Dubai 08:40KAC 362 Colombo 08:45KAC 344 Chennai 08:45ABY 125 Sharjah 09:00ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:20GFA 047 Bahrain 09:40FDB 055 Dubai 09:40IRA 667 Esfahan 09:45QTR 1070 Doha 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 11:00AXB 889 Mangalore/Bahrain 11:15MSC 405 Sohag 11:25JZR 165 Dubai 11:30JZR 561 Sohag 11:45IRC 6521 Lamerd 11:50MEA 404 Beirut 11:55SYR 341 Damascus 12:00UAE 871 Dubai 12:50MSR 610 Cairo 13:00KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:05

KNE 472 Jeddah 14:25SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30FDB 057 Dubai 14:30KAC 538 Sohag 14:50GFA 221 Bahrain 15:00OMA 645 Muscat 15:00KAC 788 Jeddah 15:10KAC 284 Dhaka 15:15ABY 127 Sharjah 15:45UAE 857 Dubai 15:45FDB 051 Dubai 16:00KNE 460 Riyadh 16:00KAC 562 Amman 16:20QTR 1072 Doha 16:40RJA 640 Amman 16:55ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:55SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 777 Jeddah 17:55UAE 875 Dubai 18:00JZR 177 Dubai 18:20KAC 118 New York 18:30FDB 063 Dubai 18:40ABY 121 Sharjah 18:40KAC 786 Jeddah 18:45QTR 1080 Doha 18:50GFA 048 Istanbul 19:10KAC 618 Doha 19:15KAC 774 Riyadh 19:15KAC 674 Dubai 19:25KAC 542 Cairo 19:25GFA 217 Bahrain 19:30KAC 104 London 19:55KAC 614 Bahrain 20:00JAI 572 Mumbai 20:00OMA 647 Muscat 20:20FDB 061 Dubai 20:20DLH 634 Frankfurt 20:50ALK 229 Colombo 21:10MEA 402 Beirut 21:20ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:30FDB 073 Dubai 21:35UAE 859 Dubai 21:40GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45QTR 1074 Doha 21:55KNE 480 Taif 22:00JZR 135 Bahrain 22:05ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:15AIC 975 Chennai/Goa 22:30FDB 059 Dubai 22:30JZR 185 Dubai 23:15THY 764 Istanbul 23:35PIA 205 Lahore 23:40FDB 071 Dubai 23:45

Departure Flights on Monday 22/12/2014Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 Ahmedabad/Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05PIA 206 Lahore 00:40FDB 072 Dubai 00:45UAL 981 IAD 00:55JAI 573 Mumbai 01:10BBC 044 Chittagong/Dhaka 01:35DLH 637 Frankfurt 02:15KAC 283 Dhaka 02:25THY 773 Istanbul 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 03:25MSC 404 Sohag 03:30UAE 854 Dubai 03:50FDB 068 Dubai 03:55ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:10QTR 1085 Doha 04:30CEB 7695 Manila 04:40MSC 406 Sohag 05:05JZR 560 Sohag 05:10QTR 1077 Doha 05:15THY 765 Istanbul 05:40FDB 070 Dubai 06:30JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 06:35JZR 164 Dubai 06:55RJA 643 Amman 07:05GFA 212 Bahrain 07:15THY 771 Istanbul 07:30KAC 537 Sohag 08:20FDB 054 Dubai 08:25BAW 156 London 08:45QTR 1087 Doha 08:50KAC 787 Jeddah 09:25KAC 671 Dubai 09:25ABY 126 Sharjah 09:40UAE 856 Dubai 09:55ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:20KAC 561 Amman 10:25GFA 047 Istanbul 10:25FDB 056 Dubai 10:35IRA 666 Esfahan 10:45QTR 1071 Doha 11:00KAC 165 Rome/Paris 11:15GFA 214 Bahrain 11:25KAC 541 Cairo 12:05AXB 890 Mangalore 12:15KAC 103 London 12:20JZR 776 Jeddah 12:20MSC 402 Alexandria 12:25UAE 874 Dubai 12:30IRC 6522 Lamerd 12:50MEA 405 Beirut 12:55KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00

SYR 342 Damascus 13:00JZR 176 Dubai 13:45MSR 611 Cairo 14:00UAE 872 Dubai 14:15KAC 673 Dubai 15:00QTR 1079 Doha 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:10KAC 617 Doha 15:15KNE 473 Jeddah 15:20SVA 501 Jeddah 15:45GFA 222 Bahrain 15:45KAC 773 Riyadh 15:50OMA 646 Muscat 16:00KAC 613 Bahrain 16:10ABY 128 Sharjah 16:25KNE 481 Taif 16:50FDB 052 Dubai 17:00JZR 266 Beirut 17:05QTR 1073 Doha 17:40JZR 538 Cairo 17:45UAE 858 Dubai 17:45ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:50RJA 641 Amman 17:55SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:50JZR 134 Bahrain 19:10ABY 122 Sharjah 19:20UAE 876 Dubai 19:40QTR 1081 Doha 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:55GFA 048 Bahrain 19:55GFA 218 Bahrain 20:15JAI 571 Mumbai 21:00KAC 331 Trivandrum 21:10KAC 351 Kochi 21:15FDB 062 Dubai 21:20OMA 648 Muscat 21:20TZS 171 Bahrain 21:50ALK 230 Colombo 22:10ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:15KAC 301 Mumbai 22:15MEA 403 Beirut 22:20FDB 074 Dubai 22:30GFA 220 Bahrain 22:30UAE 860 Dubai 22:50KNE 461 Riyadh 22:50KAC 205 Islamabad 22:55ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00QTR 107 Doha 23:05JZR 502 Luxor 23:05KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:30FDB 060 Dubai 23:55

SHARQIA-1THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 12:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 3:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 6:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 9:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 2:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 6:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 10:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3HOME 12:30 PMHOME 2:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 4:15 PMP.K -HINDI 6:45 PMDECOR (Arabic) 6:45 PMDECOR (Arabic) 9:45 PMHOME 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-1HOME 11:45 AMHOME 1:30 PMHOME 3:30 PMP.K -HINDI 5:15 PMDECOR (Arabic) 5:15 PMDECOR (Arabic) 8:15 PMDECOR (Arabic) 10:45 PMHOME 1:15 AM

MUHALAB-2THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 11:30 AMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 2:15 PMMONTANA 5:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 7:15 PMMONTANA 10:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-3NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:45 AMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 1:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 3:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 5:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 7:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 9:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:45 PM

FANAR-1FOXCATCHER 11:45 AMTHE GOOD LIE 2:30 PMFOXCATCHER 4:45 PMTHE GOOD LIE 7:30 PMFOXCATCHER 9:45 PMFOXCATCHER 12:30 AM

FANAR-2NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 2:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 6:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 10:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:45 AM

FANAR-3DECOR (Arabic) 11:30 AMDECOR (Arabic) 2:00 PMDECOR (Arabic) 4:30 PM

DECOR (Arabic) 7:00 PMDECOR (Arabic) 9:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 12:05 AM

MARINA-1HOME 11:45 AMHOME 1:45 PMHOME 3:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 5:15 PMDECOR (Arabic) 7:45 PMDECOR (Arabic) 10:15 PMHOME 12:45 AM

MARINA-2NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 2:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:00 PMPENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR 4:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 6:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 10:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:05 AM

MARINA-3THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 11:30 AMMONTANA 2:15 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 4:30 PMMONTANA 7:15 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 9:30 PMMONTANA 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1HOME 1:15 PMHOME 3:15 PMHOME 5:15 PMHOME 7:15 PMHOME 9:15 PMHOME 11:15 PMHOME 1:15 AM

AVENUES-2THE GOOD LIE 12:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 2:30 PMTHE GOOD LIE 5:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 7:30 PMTHE GOOD LIE 10:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 12:45 AM

AVENUES-3THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 11:30 AMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 2:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 5:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 8:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 11:30 PMP.K -HINDI 12:30 PMP.K -HINDI 3:30 PMP.K -HINDI 6:30 PMP.K -HINDI 9:30 PMP.K -HINDI 12:30 AM

360º- 1THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 11:30 AMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 2:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 5:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 8:30 PMP.K -HINDI 8:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 11:30 PM

360º- 2THE GOOD LIE 1:30 PMTHE GOOD LIE 4:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 6:30 PMTHE GOOD LIE 9:00 PM

THE GOOD LIE 11:45 PM

360º- 3MONTANA 1:15 PMMONTANA 3:30 PMMONTANA 5:45 PMMONTANA 8:00 PMMONTANA 10:15 PMMONTANA 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.1THE GOOD LIE 11:30 AMTHE GOOD LIE 1:45 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES -3D 4:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 6:45 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 9:00 PMTHE GOOD LIE 12:05 AM

AL-KOUT.2MONTANA 11:30 AMFOXCATCHER 1:45 PMFOXCATCHER 4:30 PMMONTANA 7:15 PMFOXCATCHER 9:30 PMMONTANA 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 2:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 6:15 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 10:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:45 AMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 1:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 3:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 5:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 7:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 9:45 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-2P.K -HINDI 1:00 PMDECOR (Arabic) 1:00 PMDECOR (Arabic) 4:00 PMP.K -HINDI 6:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 6:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 9:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 12:00 AM

BAIRAQ-3MONTANA 12:00 PMHOME 2:15 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 4:00 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 7:00 PMMONTANA 10:00 PMHOME 12:15 AM

PLAZANIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 3:30 PMP.K -HINDI 5:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 5:30 PMDECOR (Arabic) 8:30 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 11:00 PM

LAILANIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 4:00 PMDECOR (Arabic) 6:00 PMNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB 8:30 PMTHE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 10:30 PM

ACCOMMODATION

CHANGE OF NAME

C/A room available fromJan 25, 2015 for a decentcouple or single ladyes in inFarwaniya beside Kabayansupermarket for Filipinosonly. Call 66152130.22-12-2104

Room for rent in C-A/C flatfrom 25 Dec 2014 for cou-ple, airport road Khaitan.Contact: 66253647.(C 4889)17-12-2014

I, Utukuru Rama Gubbaiah,holder of Indian PassportNo. J2020031 herebychanged changed myname to Utukuru RamaSubba Reddy. UpparapalliKonduru Penagalur,Kadapa, A.P. (C 4891)22-12-2014

I, A. Sahaya Newton, sonof Thiru Augustine, born on24th February 1980 (nativedistrict: Tirunelveli), resid-ing at old No.40, New No.6-40, Thilagar Street,Perunkudi, Kavalkinaru,Tirunelveli-627105, shallhenceforth be know as A.MARIA SAHAYA NEWTON.18-12-2014

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

You should find it quite easy to have good conversations with those you lovethis morning. Perhaps in having pre-prepared for the week ahead, you can

relax and spend the day as you like. Extra time around a breakfast table this morning maygive you inspiration for a new routine or any number of activities that are possible for thisday. This is a very happy, emotionally settled time in your life. This is also a great time tothink about your own situation, past successes and planning your future goals. There is anopportunity to wash the car and visit with friends this afternoon. A shop you don’t usuallyenter has a special appeal and you may find a gift or some special item that would be help-ful toward game night with friends.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Laugh timidly and make someone else laugh. You may find that you enjoyyour job or the responsibility it holds more than usual. Time flies! Gentleness and a feelingthat you belong are very important issues in your life, and so is needing emotional security.You need to feel attachments and you crave a sense of the intimate life. Having your ownhome may be foremost on your mind; patience. In social circles your mannerism put you ina popular situation-remember that networking is a grand way to open doors of opportuni-ty. Opportunity may come as a better job, perhaps at a different company, or a hobby orother subject that holds your attention. Perhaps someone knows of a house for sale or a carbarely used; go hunting.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You may find yourself temporarily blocked this morning. Remember thedefining word is “temporarily” so back away from whatever is causing the

mind blockage and come back to the topic in a little while. You may soon find exactly whatis needed to smooth out all the frustrations. Your ability to take action and get thingsaccomplished is valued. Most of the important action coming from you just now is that youexercise patience. After the noon meal, a co-worker may want to walk a little before head-ing back to work and you may be fortunate to have a bookstore or some other shop nearbythat will create fun conversations and a little laughter. Gaining things materially may bright-en your mood this evening-a lucky time.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Your talent for understanding and being sensitive to other people’s needsputs you in a likely position of communicating regarding groups and society. Collectingand sharing information with those around you assumes more emotional significance.Impatience and edginess can be eliminated through some form of exercise. Take yourbreaks and do some walking or climbing stairs. Admit occasionally that you can be just asconfused and frustrated as anyone else. There is a tendency to be too strict with yourself.Your ambition is intensified. New professional directions are within reach, but it is importantfor tonight to bring your focus to those you love before they begin to think they have been

replaced.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You may need to tenaciously hang on to your wallet today, as a spendingspree may wipe you out, basically, because of your appreciation of the beauty and value ofeverything that you encounter at this time. You feel loving to those around you and you areappreciative of your own life and self, in general. This may be an exceptional day for any-thing job-related. There is a more energetic and outgoing quality to your life style now.Besting others in the heat of competition and taking on a leadership role mean more toyou now than in the past. Second best will not cut it with you now. You have a need to bethe center of attention. This urge takes hold in your life-a craving to be appreciated for yourgifts and who you are is strong.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

An unfinished project needs your attention this morning. Clear determina-tion affecting others could be made now. Someone that you are close to,

knowing of your ability to guide and give good sound advice, could come to you with theneed for a better understanding to a personal and emotional problem. Feeling more intro-verted and more like sharing some time with your lover or with close friends is what guidesyou. This may not be a time when you feel very outgoing or would care to present yourselfto the outside world. Your feelings are much more reflective than expressive. Making gooddecisions that revolve around others’ needs is valued. You just naturally seem to know whatthe community at large wants and needs at this time.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

There is a good possibility of a career turning point that may require somecareful thought and good judgment on your part. A turn of events in the workplace couldgive you a real breakthrough. The current flow of events may dictate a few careful movesbut you can do it. You have much energy to accomplish what is needed at this time.Appreciating things of value is easy for you now, even the idea of value itself. You may findyourself gaining materially at this time, as it is certainly a time when material things have agreat deal of importance. You feel a big need for emotional security and you may have tomake your wishes known by speaking up to those that need to know. Offer your assistancewhere you see that you could be helpful.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Complete insight into your own inner self or psychology could come to thesurface soon but do not fear, all of this is quite manageable. You may, however, find yourselfin the mood for acute and penetrating conversations or thoughts. Solving problems ormaking important decisions should be easy for you most any time. You will find a wayaround just about any obstacle and should be able to guide yourself with ease. Your senseof inner direction is good and should lead to opportunities. Wanting to expand your hori-zons and trying to be the best that you can be could have you exploring some interestingplaces. Your attention may be sparked in areas such as politics, education, travel, religion orlaw, to name a few of the possibilities.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

This day begins cheerfully, with a strong feeling that all is right with theworld. You may have the opportunity to add your thoughts to some profes-

sional discussion today. You will be guided to help others see both sides of a subject orviewpoint. A yearning for the stimulation of new ideas and ideals is emphasized now. Thisafternoon you might enjoy browsing through a hobby store to gain some ideas for somefuture home projects. Meeting new people is a special happening at this time. A new friendwill be made this afternoon as you visit and enjoy the company of old friends. It would be agood idea to reinforce your relationships at this time. Update your address book, take pic-tures, etc. Enjoy an evening of cheer.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Allowing yourself to trek into the future with new concepts in your work, youcan leave some of the old patterns behind. There are many new and exciting

years ahead of you in the business you have chosen and the business will be lucky to haveyou and your skills. Dare to be different and allow your aesthetic and perceptive side toemerge. Going out and about to gather and exchange information becomes a more pro-gressive part of your life. This is a very mental as well as social time. Much of your emotionalsupport and feeling of security comes from your many past accomplishments . . . Of course;friends, family and social standing are also a positive. Be watchful of the old ideas and makeyour way into the future with new and positive thoughts.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

This may not be the most appropriate time to make important decisions thatcould change your living situation or life circumstances. Today seems to be

more of a pay-attention sort of day. However, it would be best for you to live your day aseasily as possible-move with the flow of the day. You will find the best surprises through theadventures you choose to take. New discoveries this afternoon may create the need tochange some schedules; for the better. If you want a date for dinner tonight, you will haveto be the resourceful one and ask or create the opportunity. You may decide to cook or pickup some preferred food for the evening. Be open to a different idea for dinner-the subject isthe date, not necessarily the dinner.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Some may see you as a bit on the restrained side; this works to your advan-tage when there is a necessity to trust that you will be silent in matters of importance. Yourfriends may have a very special use for your many talents. You have a good memory andyou are trustworthy and inventive whenever you or someone near you needs help withmost anything. Today there will be several opportunities to verbalize your enthusiasm forhelping others. Tonight there are opportunities to catch up with family matters and talkabout genealogy as well as professional hopes and dreams. Some fun conversations withchildren bring family together. There is time to play a fun game together or watch the latestmovie this evening. Everyone can relax and relate.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 762

ACROSS1. A federal agency established to regulate therelease of new foods and health-related prod-ucts.4. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (tradename Meclomen) used to treat arthritis.12. Nocturnal mouselike mammal with fore-limbs modified to form membranous wings andanatomical adaptations for echolocation bywhich they navigate.15. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant)note of a major or minor scale in solmization.16. A poisonous crystalline alkaloid extractedfrom the nightshade family.17. American prizefighter who won the worldheavyweight championship three times (bornin 1942).18. A loose sleeveless outer garment madefrom aba cloth.19. Desert shrub of Syria and Arabia havingsmall white flowers.20. Unaged colorless liquor originating inRussia.21. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind andraisins and almonds.23. A member of a North American Indian peo-ple speaking one of the Hokan language.24. A port in southwestern Scotland.25. In operation or operational.26. An honorary degree in science.28. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.30. Dry brandy distilled in the Armagnac districtof France.34. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions ofthe Old World.36. Being or occurring in fact or actuality.37. By bad luck.41. Oblong cream puff.43. A statute in draft before it becomes law.45. United States writer (born in Poland) whowrote in Yiddish (1880-1957).47. A legal document codifying the result ofdeliberations of a committee or society or leg-islative body.48. An agency of the United Nations affiliatedwith the World Bank.50. (archaic or Scottish) Faithful and true.52. A constellation in the southern hemispherenear Telescopium and Norma.53. An accidental hole that allows something(fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.55. A Russian river.56. Of or relating to or near the groin.58. A hemoprotein composed of globin andheme that gives red blood cells their character-istic color.61. An enclosure made or wire or metal bars inwhich birds or animals are kept.62. A medieval hood of mail suspended from abasinet to protect the head and neck.66. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.69. Any plant of the genus Acanthus havinglarge spiny leaves and spikes or white or pur-plish flowers.74. A hotel providing overnight lodging for trav-elers.75. French composer of operas (1842-1912).78. Having any of numerous bright or strongcolors reminiscent of the color of blood or cher-ries or tomatoes or rubies.79. Someone who claims to speak the truth.80. A master's degree in business.81. A lyric poem with complex stanza forms.82. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows gen-erally northward to the Atlantic Ocean.83. Extremely pleasing.

DOWN1. Loose or flaccid body fat.2. A Chadic language spoken south of LakeChad.3. According to the Old Testament he was apagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel(9th century BC).4. Philippine tree similar to the breadfruit treebearing edible fruit.5. The 7th letter of the Greek alphabet.6. Of or relating to a creed.7. (often followed by `of') A large number oramount or extent.8. Large elliptical brightly colored deep-sea fishof Atlantic and Pacific and Mediterranean.9. Evergreen Australasian tree having white orsilvery bark and young leaves and yellow flow-ers.10. Half the width of an em.11. A state in the western United States.12. A member of an agricultural people ofsouthern India.13. A resin used in adhesives and paints.14. A crown-like jewelled headdress worn bywomen on formal occasions.22. Sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsu-pial with gray furry ears and coat.27. Someone who works (or provides workers)during a strike.29. Type genus of the Amiidae.31. Reconnaissance (by shortening).32. A republic on the island of Malta in theMediterranean.33. Australian clover fern.35. A Russian prison camp for political prison-ers.38. A white or colorless vitreous insoluble solid(SiO2).39. Lean end of the neck.40. A very large person.42. Being one more than one.44. Of a quality, as in.46. The capital and largest city of Yemen.49. The blood group whose red cells carry boththe A and B antigens.51. A trivalent metallic element of the rare earthgroup.54. An inn in some Eastern countries with alarge courtyard that provides accommodationfor caravans.57. (informal) Very bad.59. An image represented as a two dimensionalarray of brightness values for pixels.60. Decrease in size, extent, or range.63. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfectionsof the skin.64. A group of African languages in the Niger-Congo group spoken from Senegal east as faras the Ivory Coast.65. The sacred city of Lamaism.67. A person of unquestioning obedience.68. (prefix) Within.70. A former communist country in easternEurope and northern Asia.71. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutraliz-ing.72. A small cake leavened with yeast.73. An Arabic speaking person who lives inArabia or North Africa.76. A period marked by distinctive character orreckoned from a fixed point or event.77. The rate at which energy is drawn from asource that produces a flow of electricity in acircuit.

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OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

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Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

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Dasmah 22532265

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Shaab 22518752

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Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

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South Jahra 24775066

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North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

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Sir Ben Kinglsey played Gandhi because he wanted to feel close to a father fig-ure. The 70-year-old actor had a tough childhood, which he previouslydescribed as “horrible”, partly because of his absent dad, so portraying the

leader of India’s non-violent independent movement against Britain in ‘1982’ movieGandhi helped him to plug the gap of his missing parent. He said: “At the time I justfelt that Bapu [an affectionate nickname for Gandhi, meaning dad] was something Ineeded. ‘I need you Gandhiji. Because you are something that’s missing in my life.’ “Kingsley - whose birth name is Krishna Bhanji - admitted playing other strong char-acter has enabled him to fill a“vacuum” in his life created byhis tough upbringing. Heexplained: “I am actually filling avacuum with the fathers that Iplay.”By playing Gandhi, ItzhakStern, Massoud Behrani, I am fill-ing the vacuum in me. In littleKrishna.” The father-of-four alsohad a tough time with his twobrothers and sister, which headmits is still a “scar” in his life.He added to The Times newspa-per: “All I can tell you is that myfour children, from differentmamas, love each other verymuch. Whereas the sibling rivalrybetween me and my siblings isstill a scar on us and we are notclose.”

36L I F E S T Y L EMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

G o s s i p

Andy Serkis is so glad he didn’t have to wear a latex mask to portray Caesar in the‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise. The 50-year-old actor used motion-capture technologyto play the part in ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ and this year’s follow-up ‘Dawn of

the Planet of the Apes’ but insists it would’ve filled him with “horror” if he had to wear simi-lar costumes to the stars of the 1968 original ‘Planet of the Apes’ film. He said: “When youthink back to the originals I remember reading interviews with Roddy McDowall and KimHunter talking about the necessity to keep their faces moving so they could get facialexpressions through the latex masks that they were wearing covering their faces - and they

still did an amazing job. “Thethought of having to do that inthe present day fills me withhorror. To have to fight throughlatex but that’s what perform-ance capture allows you to do. Itallows you to internalize andjust be the character andbehave in a naturalistic way.”While both recent ‘Planet of theApes’ movies had some impres-sive special effects, Serkis insiststhe emphasis is still on the char-acters’ personalities rather thanthe technology being used. Headded: “In the realm of perform-ance capture and all its poten-tial, where it is going it onlybecomes more transparent andyou don’t think about the tech-nology you think about what itcan do and how it enables youto tell stories. “That happens asit gets better. Which is why thisfilm, you don’t think about thevisual effects you just thinkabout the characters.”

Andy Serkis’ latex ‘horror’ Michael Keaton wants to give money to his fans. The

‘Beetlejuice’ actor thinks it is “amazing” he has forged acareer as an actor and feels obliged to hand out money to

his fans to thank them for their support. He said: “It’s kind of amaz-ing that people are sticking by me. When they come up to me in thestreet, I just want to write them cheques.” The 63-year-old star - whois also known for starring in the 1989 ‘Batman’ movie as well as the1992 sequel ‘Batman Returns’ - also admitted he is relieved andpleased people have continued to support him throughout his act-ing life, despite making mistakes. He continued: “I’m just shockedand thankful that I’ve gotten away with everything - experimentinghere, trying at this, failing at that, being good in some things, not sogood in others.” However, the father-of-one - who stars in the criti-cally acclaimed 2014 movie “Birdman’ as protagonist, Riggan -acknowledged his tendency to swap genres has made for an over-complicated career during which he could have made more moneyif he had stuck to making commercially successful movies. Speakingabout hopping between different types of films, he explained toThe Guardian newspaper: “I suppose I’m patting myself on the backhere, but you’ve got to have a sizable pair of balls to be that way.Financially I could’ve done a whole lot better - and by the way, I’mdoing just fine. But that’s the short game. Maybe I could’ve gone ondoing the same stuff and people wouldn’t have got bored but youknow what? I would have got bored.

Keaton wants to give money to fans

Rodriguez to direct Fire and Ice remake

Robert Rodriguez will direct a remake of ‘Fire and Ice’. The 46-year-old filmmaker has joined the project - which is being created bySony Pictures - which will see the 1983 movie reimagined as a

live-action movie. The original animation - which was released by Foxbut grossed less than $1 million - was based on characters developedby Ralph Bakshi, who directed the project, and Frank Frazetta, and toldthe story of an Ice Lord who destroyed a village with a glacier, with thesole survivor determined to get revenge. The movie will be a new proj-ect for the director following the moderate success of ‘Sin City: A Dameto Kill For’ which was released earlier this year, grossing $38 millionworldwide. So far the film has been funded by Bond Films’ Gary MichaelWalters, Matthew Rhodes and Michel Litvak, who have been workingon development drafts with the screenwriter. The movie’s announce-ment follows the news Sony Pictures have pulled the planned release oftheir new movie ‘The Interview’ following a hacking of their computersand threats of terrorist attacks due to the controversial nature of thefilm, which is about a plot to assassinate the North Korean leader KimJong-un. The studios are now expected to lose up to $75 million on thefilm, but have continued to announce new projects including an unti-tled sci-fi film which will be produced by J. J. Abrams.

Clooney slams lack of support for Sony

George Clooney failed in a bid to unite Hollywood against the Sony hackers. The‘Monuments Men’ star and his agent Bryan Lourd drafted a petition to film industryexecutives and business people urging them to support the studio in the face of a

cyber attack but no one would sign the document. George said: “All that it is basically say-ing is, we’re not going to give in to a ransom. As we watched one group be completely vili-fied, nobody stood up. Nobody took that stand... “It was a fairly large number [who refusedto sign]. Having put together telethons where you have to get all the networks on boardto do the telethon at the same time, the truth is once you get one or two, then everybodygets on board. It is a natural progression. So here, you get the first couple of people to signit and ... well, nobody wanted to be the first to sign on. Now, this isn’t finger-pointing onthat. “This is just where we are right now, how scared this industry has been made. Quitehonestly, this would happen in any industry.” Following a number of terror threats, Sonyhave withdrawn controversial comedy ‘The Interview’ - which is about an assassinationattempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - from release and George is concernedabout the repercussions globally, not just in the movie industry. In an interview withDeadline, he added: “Here, we’re talking about an actual country deciding what contentwe’re going to have. This affects not just movies, this affects every part of business that wehave. “That’s the truth. What happens if a newsroom decides to go with a story, and acountry or an individual or corporation decides they don’t like it. Forget the hacking partof it. “You have someone threaten to blow up buildings and all of a sudden, everybody hasto bow down.”

Ben Kinglsey: Gandhi rolewas my father figure

Michael Stipewouldn’t win The Voice

Michael Stipe doesn’t think he would last “five seconds” on ‘TheVoice’. The former R.E.M. frontman doesn’t think his group - whoseparated in 2011 after three decades together - would be suc-

cessful if they were starting out now because his vocals are so unusual. Hesaid: “If you look at TV shows like The Voice, I wouldn’t have lasted five sec-onds. “I don’t have perfect pitch. My voice is too odd to have been appreci-ated in that context. I’m not sure we would have made it to our thirdalbum.” The ‘All the Way to Reno’ hitmaker recently worked on the sound-track for his friend Tom Gilroy’s film ‘The Cold Lands’ and though he foundit “terrifying” at first, he enjoyed the process so much, he wants to work onmore music for movies. He told The Sun newspaper: “It was terrifying and Iloved i. I write melodies and lyrics and I’m a great arranger but I’d neverwritten a piece of music before. I’d always relied on other great musicians.“But this felt really good. I like a challenge so I may do it again.”

Sir Paul McCartney still uses John Lennon as a“judge” of his songwriting. The Beatles legendadmits he will scrap lyrics if he doesn’t think his late

bandmate - who was assassinated in 1980 - would haveapproved of them. He said: “I imagine myself back into aroom with John, and I’ll think [about a lyric], ‘Ugh, that’sno good.’ And I’ll imagine him saying, ‘No, can’t do that.’So I’m using him as a sort of judge of what I’m doing.” The72-year-old musician found himself feeling emotional athis wife Nancy’s 55th birthday party in Tokyo last monthbecause the guests were entertained by Queen andBeatles tribute bands and he was overwhelmed by theuniting power of music. He explained to Billboard: “I hada kind of very emotional moment when we were sittingthere - it could have been the alcohol. “And I’m thinking,‘My God.’ The power of British music finally came hometo me. All the way across the world, in Japan, these guyswere breaking down Queen songs, and the othersBeatles songs. They were replicating them amazingly.They got all the orchestra parts on ‘I Am the Walrus.’ Theymay not even speak the language that well, but theyspeak these songs beautifully. “I should know that we’vehad that effect, because it’s historically true. But it doesn’talways come home to you in quite the way it did thatnight. I was welling up and I was [thinking] ‘I can’t well upto a Queen tribute band.’”

McCartney still considers Lennon’s opinion

The Vaccines’ Justinslams Christmas songs

The Vaccines’ Justin Young thinks Christmas songs arerubbish. The 27-year-old frontman has slammed fes-tive hits for being of poor quality, saying he thinks

people only listen to them because they are so familiar. Hesaid: “I think if you listen to most old Christmas songs,they’re not good, but we grew up with them so they’reingrained in us.” The ‘Teenage Icon’ singer went on to say heisn’t a fan of any recent seasonal tunes such as ArianaGrande’s ‘Santa Tell Me’ or Leona Lewis’ 2013 single ‘OneMore Sleep’ either because the artists are so desperate tocreate the perfect track. He continued: “When people writea good new one it seems try-hard or overly earnest.” Despitebeing a scrooge when it comes to Christmas music, the hit-

maker recalled a cherished memory from achildhood when he dressed up as Santa

Claus and rode a four-legged animalon the big day as a surprise for his

parents. He added to NME maga-zine: “I remember one Christmasdressing up as Father Christmasand riding a pony - that was awhite Christmas. I borrowed it tosurprise my parents. I was, like,four. It’s difficult to explain.” —

Bang Showbiz

This image released by Music Box Films showsAgata Trzebuchowska in a scene from “Ida.” —AP

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows, standing from left, TessaThompson, Omar Dorsey, Colman Domingo, David Oyelowo as MartinLuther King, Jr, André Holland, Corey Reynolds and Lorraine Toussaint in ascene from “Selma.” —AP

37L I F E S T Y L EMONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

M u s i c & M o v i e s

The list of contenders for best foreign filmgot a bit smaller Friday as the Academy ofMotion Pictures Arts and Sciences

announced the nine features that will advanceto the next round of voting. Included are RubenOstlund’s patriarchy-skewering avalanche film“Force Majeure” from Sweden, AndreyZvyagintsev’s “Leviathan,” about a property dis-pute in a small Russian costal town, and PawelPawlikowski’s Polish drama “Ida,” about a youngwoman with dreams of being a nun who discov-ers some dark secrets in her family’s past. Allrecently received Golden Globe nominations,too.

Damian Szifron’s black ensemble comedy“Wild Tales,” from Argentina, also made theshortlist, as did Estonia’s “Tangerines,” theGolden Globe-nominated film about a man car-ing for a wounded soldier. Other films on theshortlist include Abderrahmane Sissako’s“Timbuktu,” the first Mauritanian film ever sub-mitted, Georgia’s “Corn Island,” the Netherlands’“Accused,” and Venezuela’s “The Liberator.”

Missing from the list were a few high profilefilms, such as the drama “Two Days, One Night,”from the Dardennes brothers. Star MarionCotillard has been singled out for her perform-ance as a young mother in a desperate situationin a number of recent critics’ awards. Eightythree countries submitted films for considera-tion. Xavier Dolan’s critically beloved coming-of-

age drama “Mommy” also failed to make the cut.Of the 83 countries who submitted entries,

six were chosen by a committee of several hun-dred Academy members based in Los Angeleswho were tasked with screening the originalsubmissions. Three additional features werethen added by the Academy’s ForeignLanguage Film Award Executive Committee. Thefive final nominees will be selected from this

group of films and announced, along with theother Academy Award nominees, live on Jan 15.Winners will be presented at the 87th AcademyAwards on Feb 22. —AP

9 films advance in Oscarsshortlist for best foreign film

In this photo released by K&S Films, actress Erica Rivasperforms in “Relatos Salvajes” or “Wild Tales,” inArgentina. —AP photos

This photo released by Magnolia Pictures shows, from left, Johannes BahKuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren and Vincent Wettergren ina scene from the film, “Force Majeure,” a Magnolia Pictures release.

In this image released by the Cohen Media Group, Edgar Ramirez portrays SimonBolivar in a scene from the film, “The Liberator”.

Year’s top album is Sam Smith’s

‘In The Lonely Hour’

Up for a good long listen? Check outthe Associated Press’ top albums of2014 list:

1. “In the Lonely Hour,” Sam Smith: SamSmith’s album was an emotional rollercoaster - a ride you couldn’t get off ofeven if you tried. The songs, anchoredby his piercing voice, had the power tomake you cry, smile, shiver and evendance. Tracks like the radio hit, “StayWith Me,” and “Leave Your Lover” areintense and emotional, making for anhonest, beautiful album that soothesthe soul. There can only be only replywhen he sings, “Oh, won’t you stay withme?” That would be a resounding, “Yes.”

2. “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” J. Cole: J. Cole:Another honest man: J. Cole. The insane-ly talented rapper captures so much onhis third album, tackling various topicsfrom losing his virginity to growing upin Fayetteville, North Carolina to con-temporary rappers, who should takenote. His rhymes are smart, and he is apowerful storyteller that, at times,echoes rap king Nas.

3. “LP1,” FKA twigs: FKA twigs’ ethereal andeerie album is heavenly. The Englishsinger’s soft vocals layered over weirdbeats make this 10-track set a must lis-ten, thanks to addictive tracks like “TwoWeeks,” “Numbers” and “Lights On.”

4. “Sucker,” Charli XCX: Let’s boom clap forCharli XCX and her top notch album,“Sucker.” The mix of rock and pop songsare confident and catchy, and prove thatalthough Charli XCX was the side chickon songs like Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” andIcona Pop’s “I Love It,” she’s the real lead-ing lady.

5. “Aquarius,” Tinashe: Tinashe, who is alsopart of the alternative R&B movement,delivered an album that moved the nee-dle this year. Though she had a huge hit

with the addictive “2 On,” the singerproves she’s much more than a one-hitwonder on “Aquarius.” Her whisperyvocals glide over the songs’ beats sonicely you’ll constantly hit repeat. “JustLike Vegas” is only one of the manystandouts.

6. “Evergreen,” Broods: The parents ofbrother and sister duo Broods should beproud. The New Zealand group’s album,“Evergreen,” is a winner with instrumen-talist Caleb Nott shining on the eclectic,alternative production, giving GeorgiaNott a platform to showcase her calm-ing vocals, especially on “Killing You” and“Mother & Father.”

7. “My Everything,” Ariana Grande: ArianaGrande has already launched four Top10 hits from her second album, butthere’s so much more that bangsbeyond “Bang Bang” on “My Everything.”The powerful vocalist nails it with a coolblend of R&B and pop songs that ’salmost as good as her revering 2013debut.

8. “Montevallo,” Sam Hunt: Props tosinger-songwriter Sam Hunt for blend-ing country music with elements ofR&B, electronica and hip-hop. It mightsound wild, but it works on his debutalbum, mainly thanks to Hunt’s swaggerand sexy sing-talk vocal delivery. SamSmith isn’t the only Sam stealing hearts.

9. “Do It Again,” Robyn and Royksopp:Swedish singer Robyn and Norwegianduo Royksopp 5-song dance EP is oh sogood, and a tease. Full album please?

10.“1000 Forms of Fear,” Sia: From“Chandelier” to “Elastic Heart” to “Eye ofthe Needle,” Sia’s latest album is justanother laudable effort in her rich cata-log, which is worth exploring if you’vejust discovered the gem this year. —AP

The top 10 films of 2014, according to APFilm Writer Jake Coyle:

1. “Ida” - Where did this perfect little gemcome from? Its director, Pawel Pawlikowski,wasn’t previously a major name in interna-tional cinema. Yet at a time when mostfilmmakers can’t keep their movies undertwo hours, Pawlikowksi plunges into Polishhistory and back again in less than 90 min-utes. Yes, an austere, black-and-whitePolish film doesn’t sound like the mostappetizing stuff. But it’s a hauntingly beau-tiful film, and thanks to the tremendousAgata Kulesza, there’s humor here, too.

2. “Boyhood” - One of the most memorableparts of film in 2014 was seeing the moviesplay with time, capturing it in elapse(“Boyhood”), bending its particles(“Interstellar”) and wryly gazing at itscourses across centuries (Jim Jarmusch’sexcellent “Only Lovers Left Alive”). RichardLinklater ’s 12-years-in-the-making“Boyhood” is a landmark, for sure. But for amuch-lauded masterpiece, it’s incrediblyhumble, warm and humanistic.

3. “ The Grand Budapest Hotel” - WesAnderson’s heroes are, like him, devoteesof brilliant escapes: the beachside oasis of“Moonrise Kingdom,” the play land ofRushmore Academy, the pre-war eleganceof this film’s Eastern European resort.Dreams are inevitably punctured by out-side forces, and a new, compromised life

must be found - some melancholy combi-nation of fantasy and reality. Usually, BillMurray’s there somewhere.

4. “Mr. Turner” and “Birdman” - In a year richwith colorful portraits of artists (the obses-sive, rigorous drummer of “Whiplash,” thearrogant, oblivious author of “Listen UpPhilip”) these two most stood out:“Birdman” for its blisteringly kinetic flowand the raging ego of Michael Keaton’sactor; and the masterful “Mr. Turner” for itstotal lack of pretention and Timothy Spall’sgruff, grunting painter.

5. “Interstellar” - Admittedly, I’m a suckerwhen it comes to stories about dads anddaughters. Many critics poked holes in theimperfectly stitched cosmic fabric ofChristopher Nolan’s space epic, but I foundthe time-traveling epic - science fictionbuild on science fact - grandly moving. SoI’m a sentimentalist who digs space. Sueme.

6. “Inherent Vice” - Obviously, I’m also an easymark for a glorious mess. Paul ThomasAnderson’s adaption of Thomas Pynchon isprobably a noble failure in an impossibletask. But there’s no movie I’m keener toreturn to, to again feel its electric songsand its scruffy sadness.

7. “The Immigrant” - A number of films in2014 weren’t shy about their Big AmericanThemes. Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” wasthe most mesmerizing; JC Chandor’s “AMost Violent Year” the most atmospheric;

and Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” thetautest. But James Gray’s period Ellis Islandtale was the most majestic. The film’s pow-erful last shot is an absolute knock out.

8. “Under the Skin” - Equal parts beautiful andterrifying in its alien mystery, JonathanGlazer ’s extraterrestrial shocker (withScarlett Johansson as the other-worldlybeing that touches down in, of all places,Glasgow) made for a searing cinematicexperience of sound and imagery.

9. “Leviathan” - There’s a stout Russian muscu-larity to Andrey Zvyagintsev’s bleak, Job-liketale of corruption in a coastal Russian town.A framed portrait of Vladimir Putin above thepolice chief looms large.

10.“Starred Up” - Four walls, a father and a son,plus a whole lot of violent rage. The ingredi-ents of this British prison drama are simple,but its force is ferocious. In one of the moreremarkable father-son dramas you’ll see (ayoung punk gets locked up in the same facili-ty as his dad), Jack O’Connell (the star ofAngelina Jolie’s “Unbroken”) dramaticallyarrives. But the movie’s also a reminder thatthere’s no more riveting actor in movies thanBen Mendelsohn, who plays the father.

Also just as good: “Two Days, One Night,” “TheBabadook,” “Selma,” “Ernest & Celestine,”“Locke,” “Citizenfour,” “Stranger By the Lake,”“Dear White People,” “Timbuktu,” “The Trip toItaly” and “Neighbors.” —AP

The AP’s top 10 movies of the yearMoviegoers helped Peter Jackson bidfarewell to Middle Earth in style, pushing“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five

Armies” to $90.6 million over its first five days intheaters. The franchise finale debuted Wednesdayon 3,875 locations and easily trumped trackingwhich had predicted a debut in the $70 millionrange. For its inaugural weekend, the fantasyadventure earned $56.2 million. “There have beensix visits to Middle Earth and this is the final oneand it became so important for people to comeout to this in a big way,” said Jeff Goldstein, WarnerBros. distribution executive vice president. “Theaction was there and Peter made a fabulousmovie.” This “Hobbit” faced stiffer competitionthan the previous installments in the form of twomajor family releases, “Annie” and “Night at theMuseum: Secret of theTomb.” Previous Jacksonfilms, such as “The Hobbit:An Unexpected Journey”and “The Desolation ofSmaug,” more or less hadtheir opening weekends tothemselves. The latest“Night at the Museum”seemed to suffer the mostfrom all the activity, pullingin a modest $17.3 millionfrom 3,785 theaters. Thatwas substantially belowestimates that were in the$26 million range. It also trails previous entries inthe family series. The first “Night at the Museum”bowed to $30.4 million in 2006 and “Night at theMuseum: Battle of the Smithsonian: premiered to$54.2 million in 2009. Twentieth Century Fox,which backed the $127 million production, willhave to hope that families turn out in force overthe holidays and that the franchise’s core audiencedidn’t age out of the series during the five yeargap between sequels. “Annie” brought in $16.3million, a hair above prerelease tracking the pro-jected a debut of $15 million. It’s a welcome bit ofgood news for Sony Pictures, the studio behindthe $65 million production. Sony has beenbrought to its knees in recent weeks by hackers

linked to North Korea, forcing the cancelation ofits other big Christmas release, “The Interview.”

Best marketing“Annie” was originally supposed to debut on

Christmas, but Sony moved up its debut. “It wasbold to go into this territory with ‘Night at theMuseum’ and ‘The Hobbit,’ but there’s somethingspecial about ‘Annie,’” said Rory Bruer, SonyPictures president of worldwide distribution. “Weknew the picture itself would be the best market-ing told and we think that the word-of-mouth isgoing to spread.” The musical remake earned an Aminus CinemaScore, and played well with families,who made up 76% of the audience, and females,who comprised 70% of the opening crowd. “FiveArmies” did impressive business, but it could not

match the sendoff given toJackson’s “The Lord of theRings” wrap-up, “The Returnof the King,” which made$124 million in 2003 duringits first five days at the boxoffice. Comparisons with thefirst two “Hobbit” films aredifficult because theyopened on Friday while thelatest chapter bowed at mid-week. “An UnexpectedJourney” kicked off with$84.6 million, while “TheDesolation of Smaug”

debuted to $73.6 million. New Line teamed withMGM to finance the $700 million “Hobbit” trilogy.Globally, the series remains a monster, crossingthe $200 million mark worldwide on Saturday. Itshould end its first weekend with around $300million in global ticket sales. Last weekend’schamp, “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” fell sharply in itssecond frame, plunging more than 65% to $8.1million and capturing fourth place on the charts.The $140 million production has made $38.7 mil-lion since it debuted. It will have to play better inforeign markets if it wants to recoup its heftybudget. In fifth place, “The Hunger Games:Mockingjay - Part 1” lapped up $7.7 million, bring-ing its domestic total to $289.2 million. —Reuters

Box Office: ‘The Hobbit’ rulesthem all with $90.6 Million

Luke Evans, left, and OrlandoBloom appear in a scenefrom “The Hobbit The Battleof the Five Armies.” —AP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

Michelin-star food and vintage drink: air-lines are pulling out all the stops to caterto their first-class passengers’ tastes, as

they seek a larger slice of the highly profitablemarket. “Business class has become the main bat-tleground for all companies because the market inthis very profitable sector is highly competitiveand the clients very demanding,” said BertrandMouly-Aigrot, aviation expert at Archery strategyconsulting. The consultancy estimates the airlinefood market is worth a tasty 10 billion euros ($12.3billion) with a wide discrepancy between the vari-ous classes of travel.

A dish in economy tends to cost between fiveand nine euros, business class between 15 and 30euros and for first class, the sky is-literally-the limit.Singapore Airlines touts itself as “the only compa-ny to offer the world’s two most prestigious drinks:Dom Perignon and Krug Grande Cuvee”. The airlinespends around 18.4 million euros ($22.5 million)every year just on drinks, with catering amountingto 5.5 percent of its total costs. And with compa-nies scrambling to stand out from the crowd withthe extravagance of their menu, they are hiringtop chefs to create tasty morsels. “A meal helps tomake people feel secure, to comfort people, to de-stress people,” said Anne-Sophie Pic, the onlyfemale chef in France to hold three Michelin stars,who creates the first-class menu for Air France.

Posh picnic hampers But serving haute cuisine to highly internation-

al and demanding diners at 30,000 feet brings its

own challenges. The chefs have to create a menuwithout certain ingredients-raw fish is banned forexample and cabbage and beans ill-advised giventhe close proximity and confined environment ofthe cabin. Cultural niceties also have to be takeninto account and not just the well-known aver-sions to pork: rabbit, for example, is considereddelicious in France but seen as bad luck in certainreligions-not what you want when flying.

Additionally, tastebuds act differently at alti-tude and the cabin air is very dry, which also

affects how the food tastes. Chefs find themselveshaving to add flavor enhancers to compensate.“We add ginger to our sauces to give them a cer-tain bite,” said Michel Nugues, one of the top chefsat Servair airline catering firm. The challengesdon’t stop there. Getting the timing and balanceof flavors right for a Michelin-star dish is hardenough on the ground, never mind when havingto reheat the food at altitude. At the main Parisairport, Charles de Gaulle, thousands of sous-chefs whip up the food, dress the plate, then chill

and store the meals that are served around theclock on planes around the world. When just afew seconds of overheating can destroy a meal,chefs are so obsessed with the delicate issue ofreheating their creations properly that they oftentrain the stewards and air hostesses themselves.And with so many different nationalities onboard, when it comes to the menu, variety is thespice of life. “The funny thing is our internationalguests usually want to try Indian food. The Indianones want to try the international food. Of course

we always offer them different choices,” said LieveVannoppen, European catering manager for theIndian airline Jet Airways. Boris Eloy, director ofmarketing and innovation at Servair, said thatwhile the technology behind the catering is cut-ting-edge, the concept of offering air passengerssomething special dates back to the early days offlight. “In 1933, the barmen of the Ritz andGeorge V Hotels would spend their days off mak-ing picnic hampers for Air France passengers,”said Eloy. — AFP

Considered taboo in many parts of the world, eatinghorsemeat remains sufficiently widespread in Italyfor the country to have to import live animals des-

tined for the slaughterhouse. And contrary to popularperception, not all are tired old specimens on their lastlegs, according to a horse-loving couple based in thecountry village of Vigone near Turin in northern Italy whoare seeking to raise awareness of the trade with neigh-boring France. In the last four years, Tony Gerardi and hiswife Miky Daidone have saved around 40 healthy younghorses from the butcher’s knife by training them for rolesranging from ploughing up fields to helping hyperactivekids to learn how to concentrate and relax.

“People think that slaughtered horses are all matureadults, even old and worn out,” Daidone told AFP. “But inthe vast majority of cases it is young horses that are eat-en because their meat is more tender. “That’s why every

year there are thousands of colts and fillies importedfrom France to be slaughtered in Italy.”Gerardi andDaidone know they are not going to stop the trade.Instead their goal is to demonstrate a practical alterna-tive through their “Save the Working Horse” project. Oncethey have identified someone willing to take a horse,they make a date with local importers to choose the ani-mal which will get a last-minute reprieve.

Daidone admits the selection process can be difficult.“Obviously we can only take one at a time and the otherswill go to the slaughterhouse. But that is how it is andnot all of the horses have the psychological or physicalcharacteristics required for a working life.”They are not,she says, out to change the world. “As far as I am con-cerned, people can eat what they like and it is not realis-tic to try to ban something that has been done for solong. “Rather the concept is to try to make people reval-

ue these animals and say, “Look: see what they can do’.”

Heart of a Lion Most of the horses they take are of the Trait Comtois

breed, a medium-sized French working horse that wasused in the cavalries of Louis XIV and Napoleon and isfamed for its docile temperament. After arriving at Gerardiand Daidone’s ranch L’Estancia, the horses are allowed torecover from what have often been traumatic journeysbefore the initial phase of breaking them in begins. “Tonytakes care of that because most of these horses are wild,they can be skittish and it can be dangerous,” explainsDaidone. “Then I help him and in the final phase the newowners come to learn how to continue the training.Usually that all takes about three weeks.”

The horses that pass through L’Estancia are bound for avariety of roles. Some will simply become riding horses,

either as family pets or at country trekking centers andfarms offering holiday accommodation. Others are trainedto pull sight-seeing carriages or provide children’s ponyrides in tourist spots. There is also growing interest in Italyin the use of horses in therapy for people suffering suffer-ing anxiety, post-trauma stress and other mental problems,including children with attention deficit disorder. One sup-porter of Gerardi and Daidone’s initiative is Henry

Finzi-Constantine, who uses heavy horses rather thantractors to pull ploughs at the nearby Castello di Tassarolo,a wine estate. “Tony has a keen eye,” he said. “When I gotmy horse Cyrus from him he said ‘Henry, this is your horse.’“That was a Monday and he was due to be slaughtered onthe Wednesday. So I had to empty my pockets on theTuesday.” “But Tony was right: Cyrus has the head of anangel, the heart of a lion and the backside of a farmer’sdaughter. He is by far the best horse in the stable!” — AFP

Tony Gerardi of “Save the Working Horse” project leads horses saved from the slaughterhouse during training at his ranch in Vigone. — AFP photos

Spared the butcher’s knife, horses get new lease of life in Italy

An employee setting dishes at airline catering company Servair’s factory at Paris’ Roissy - Charles de Gaulle airport. (Right) Dishes at airline catering company Servair’s factory. — AFP photos

In the dogfight over posh airline food,

the sky’s the limit

An employee cooking meat at airline catering company Servair’s factory. An employee holding a meal tray. Photo shows pastries, cakes and cream desserts.

An employee setting lobster dishes. Employees setting fish meals.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

Afghan tattoo artist, Reza Yousifi, 19, prepares a needle’s for tattoos whileclient Mehdi, 17, waits in a hairdressing salon in Kabul. — AFP photos

Afghan client Mehdi, 17 reacts as tattoo artist, Reza Yousifi, 19, tattooes adesign onto Mehdi’s arm.

Afghan bodybuilder, Milad, 21, exercises with a dumbbell along with hispartner Muzafar, 21 at a bodybuilding gym.

In its continuous efforts to provide the best for itscustomers, Ahmed YousufBehbehani Group,Kuwait’s exclusive and official distributor for a

wide variety of luxury watches, announced its newpartnership with Vacheron Constantin; the world’soldest watchmaker.

The company also debuted the brand’s first bou-tique in Kuwait at Salhiya Complex, where it willexhibit an impressive collection from this Swisswatchmaker, which stands as a tribute to the her-itage of watch-making worldwide.

On this occasion, Ahmed YousufBehbehani GroupCEO, Abdul Ghani Behbehani expressed: “We areboth extremely delighted and proud to haveVacheron Constantin join our portfolio of brands,and to have opened the doors of its first boutique inKuwait.”

“We’re very adamant to offer the best and themost luxurious brands to our clients, and VacheronConstantin is considered one of the world’s leadingwatchmaking brands.

Anyone who appreciates fine craftsmanship andexquisite luxury understands the value of the brand.With this new launch, and the boutique’s debut, webelieve that the world’s oldest watchmaker will findtremendous interest in Kuwait,” he added.

Vacheron Constantin: HeritageFrom its first men’s timepiece made in 1755, to

beautiful modern pieces, Vacheron Constantin hasalways made exclusive men’s watches. Today, thebrand has an impressive collection of both men’s andwomen’s watches, with every piece standing tributeto the craftsmanship, attention to detail and heritageof its watchmakers.

Owning a Vacheron Constantin is more than justowning a classic timepiece; it is more akin to owninga piece of time itself, and part of a watchmaking lega-cy that has lasted 260 years. Those who appreciatewatches for more than their timekeeping value willappreciate the passion and exquisite detail that goesinto every piece.

The Patrimony Collection represents the iconicityof Vacheron Constantin and has been a demonstra-tion of the watchmaker’s finest pieces for almost 260years. Another feature from the Collection lines isTraditionnelle, which upholds classical design valuesand has been the flagship of Vacheron Constantin’sbrand.

Calibre 2755 represents a timepiece that took 3years to develop, encompassing complex mecha-nisms that ensure the watch needs little tuning every100 years.

Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani debutsKuwait’s first Vacheron Constantin boutique

Exposure to Western culture since 2001 hastransformed Afghanistan’s previously isolat-ed society, and a love of tattoos has taken

hold - despite inking parlours being illegal.Under the Taliban’s tough 1996-2001 regime,personal fashion statements were outlawed andpolice squads patrolled the streets looking formen who had beards that were too short or hairthat was too long. Now, 13 years after the Talibanwere ousted, young men in Kabul, Herat and oth-er cities wear skinny jeans and embroidered jack-ets, and take pride in elaborate hairstyles sculpt-ed with thick gel.

Tattoos have also become popular, influencedby international music stars, sports heroes-andUS soldiers-who often display elaborate body art.The practice is one unexpected legacy of the US-led NATO intervention in Afghanistan, whichends its fighting role against the Taliban onDecember 31. Many Muslims consider tattoos tobe forbidden under Islamic law, and some mul-lahs in Afghanistan are fiercely critical, describingit as a mutilation of the human body.

Faced with such opposition, getting a tattoo

requires determination, ingenuity and insideknowledge. “It is illegal to have a tattoo shop. Ido it in secret and if the government finds outabout me they might come and arrest me,” RezaYousifi, 19, an underground tattoo artist in Kabul,told AFP. “My friends who are tattoo artists previ-ously had shops but they were arrested and theirshops were closed.” Yousifi, who has a tattoofrom the X-Men movies on his arm, first devel-oped his passion while living in Iran as a refugeeand then became a skilled artist himself.

He uses his friend’s male beauty salon in ashopping mall as cover to avoid the attentions ofthe authorities, keeping his tools hidden at homeand only taking them to the salon when he has aclient. After 2001, a number of tattoo parlours setup in Kabul, openly advertising their business asAfghans hungrily adopted outside fashions andcustoms. But religious leaders complained, andthe government shut them down.

Skin sin? “It is considered a sin in Islam to have a tat-

too,” said Yousifi. “People who have tattoos ontheir arms hide them under their sleeves, butdespite that it is rapidly growing in popularity.”He says his clients are young men, and some-times women, who believe that tattoos add asense of adventure and attitude to their restrict-

ed lives. The designs often reflect deep emo-tions: broken hearts, images of lost friends, orthe pain of growing up surrounded by conflict.

“Many of my clients like angry, aggressivedesigns related to the war. But there are somewho want romantic ones like pictures of girls,”Yousifi said, pulling off his surgical gloves. “Wealways tell them that our tattoos are permanent,and they should be careful about what they

choose.” Mehdi, 17, one of his clients, wears low-cut jeans, spiky hair and has a newly inkedanchor design on his right arm, which is red rawafter having ink drilled into the skin. “I first sawtattoos in India,” Mehdi said. “I was veryimpressed. I then decided to find a good artist inKabul. I am now in love with my tattoo. “Theyounger generation know why we want them...This is what I care about, I don’t care about what

other people say.”Tattoos, or “tacs” as they are known, are also

popular among Kabul’s body-builders-anothernew activity that has boomed since the US-ledinvasion that ousted the hardline Taliban. At aclaustrophobic basement gym echoing with thenoise of clanking weights, one in every threemen has a tattoo. The designs range from tribalpatterns, star signs and names to dragons,swords and eagles. “My tattoo shows barbedwire with a bird flying out of it. For me, it meansfreedom,” said Basir. In the gym, they proudlyshow their decorated muscles, but they knowthat outside a tattoo could bring trouble.

“When I go outside, I wear long sleeves,” Basirsaid. “The insurgents cut off people’s fingers forvoting, so I am afraid they might cut my arm for atattoo.” With the international presence inAfghanistan falling fast, the future direction ofAfghan society is uncertain after the tumultuousexperience of recent years. For some mullahs, theend of NATO’s war is a chance to re-establish tra-ditional values and end the baleful influence ofthe West. “Tattooing is un-Islamic and most peo-ple hate it and make fun of those who do it,” saidMullah Abdul Latif, leader of a mosque in westKabul. “It is a Western culture. There is no roomfor it here.” — AFP

Tattoos embody Afghan socialrevolution, but critics push back

Afghan boxing student, Asil Patan, 21 ties the laces of his shoe as trainer Ahmad Nazir, 26, prays before a boxing training session on a hill-side of Kabul.

Afghan boxing trainer, Ahmad Nazir, 26, reactsafter a break in training at a boxing club.

Boxing trainer, Ahmad Nazir, 26, puts on his boxing gloves as his student Omid, 12, assistsin tying the laces.

Boxing trainer, Ahmad Nazir, 26, (second left) is reflected in a mirror as he chats with hisfriends at a boxing club in Kabul.

Afghan bodybuilder, Muzafar, 21, looks atthe tattoo on his arm as he stands in frontof a poster of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

39Tattoos embodyAfghan social revolution, but critics push back

MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014

Around 250 people dressed in Santa Claus costumes pose for photographers before a parade in the streets of Vallauris, southeastern France, Saturday. — AP

Christmas-once banned in China-hasexploded in the atheist nation in recentyears, with marketeers using everything

from saxophones and Smurfs to steam trains toget shoppers to open their wallets. Anyone walk-ing into a shopping mall is welcomed by an orgyof festive cheer: shop windows are bedeckedwith plastic Christmas trees, garlands andbaubles, while the strains of “Jingle Bells” fill theair. On the streets, banners reading “HappyChristmas” adorn schools and hotels, while fes-tive messages are splashed across adverts andthe media. In many restaurants, staff wear ubiq-uitous Santa Claus hats topped with felt reindeerantlers. Christmas is celebrated widely acrossAsia, particularly in commercial centers likeJapan and Hong Kong, where it has become amajor shopping holiday shorn of most religioustrappings.

It has particularly gathered momentum inChina since 2010, when then vice president XiJinping-now the country’s head of state-poppedinto Father Christmas’s cabin during a visit toFinland. “At shopping malls, Santa has become apromotional tool for pushing Christmas sales-and Chinese like to shop,” said Sara Jane Ho,founder of a finishing school popular amongBeijing’s wealthy. This year she has noted theproliferation of young Father Christmases, histraditional beard and rounded belly replaced bya saxophone.

“Saxophone is seen as a very Western thing,and Santa Claus is seen as a very Western thing,so it’s almost natural they go together,” said Ho.In fact in China almost anything seen as Westernis used to evoke Christmas: teddy bears, theSeven Dwarves, fairground carousels or evensteam trains. Last year, a shopping mall in Shanxiprovince featured a giant Father Christmas, theedge of his jacket lifted as if caught by a gust of

breeze in emulation of the iconic image ofMarilyn Monroe.

More like Valentine’s Day This Christmas craze is mainly limited to

young urbanites from the middle or upper class-es. “At my home in the country, people don’t cel-ebrate Christmas. By contrast, their children whohave moved to the city celebrate it: onDecember 24, they meet with friends and go outto have fun,” said Guo Dengxiu, a migrant fromeastern Anhui province. Many Christmas ‘tradi-tions’ have been brought back by young Chinesewho have studied abroad, said Ho, meaning theholiday often bears more resemblance toValentine’s day than the commemoration of thebirth of Jesus Christ.

“In the West, you have a big meal with your

family, just cooked at home, you exchange gifts,and afterwards you would attend a Church serv-ice,” she said. “In China, you have a big meal at arestaurant, with friends or with your romanticsignificant other-so it’s a romantic date-and itwould be followed by going to the cinema,karaoke, clubbing or a costume party.” The com-mercial importance of Christmas in China is typi-fied in the eastern city of Yiwu, which suppliessome 60 percent of the world’s decorations,where a dip in international orders has beenfilled by domestic demand.

But Chinese traditional holidays, such as Lunarnew year celebrations, remain more importantoccasions for families to get together, professorBenoit Vermander from Fudan University inShanghai told AFP. He sees China’s love ofChristmas as “a close mixture between attraction

to ‘globalised’ Western customs and a fascinationwith religion, which is clearly shown by the popu-larity of Christianity in the big cities of the East”.“China celebrates both Christmas and theWestern new year and, a few weeks later, theChinese new year. In this way, it has two culturalidentities: one reflecting its ancestral culture andthe other reflecting globalised culture, borrowingfrom Christian tradition,” Vermander says.

‘Two cultures’ The rise of Christmas has also been driven by

the swelling ranks of Christians in the world’smost populous country. The last official figures,from 2010, say there are 23 million Protestantsand 5.7 million Catholics in China, but some esti-mate they could number several times morethan that. China’s communist authorities exer-

cise strict control over religion and only allowChristians to join government-sanctionedchurches. This has prompted the proliferation ofunderground congregations-particularlyProtestant ones-whose followers often complainof religious persecution. But some in China seethe rise of Christmas as stemming more from theweakening of traditional values. The “Christmasfrenzy” represents a “shipwreck” of the Chineseculture, according to a paper written by a groupof 10 Chinese PhD students, published by theTaiwan-based Institut Ricci this month. “Aftermore than 100 years during which the Chinesehave subverted the course of their own history,violently condemned their own culture anddenounced their own traditions, Chinese culture,especially Confucianism, has officially disap-peared and completely sunk.” — AFP

Christmas in China with saxophones, Smurfs and steam trains

A Santa Claus salutes a girl. A Santa Claus salutes a boy. Santa Claus poses with a girl.

A Santa Claus poses with a clients at the Intercontinental hotel of Beijing.