Lifestyle puts Saudis at heart attack risk Social media

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
RABI ALTHANI 25, 1436 AH
Train derails after
hitting boulder in
India, killing 11
Kuwait ranks
6th in diabetes
prevalence
No: 16433
United under
van Gaal are
‘miserable’
150 Fils
4Lifestyle
12puts Saudis
46
at heart attack risk
Social media turning Saudis into ‘electronic potatoes’
KOBANI: Kurdish female fighters move to another secured point in the contested zone of Kobani, Syria. Kurdish
fighters in Syria have ambitions to become the chief force fighting Islamic State group extremists in the country building on their victory in Kobani to ally with moderate rebels and push the jihadis ever further. — AP
Assad ‘part of the
solution’ in Syria
VIENNA: Any resolution to the fighting in Syria must involve
President Bashar Al-Assad, the United Nations envoy to Syria
Staffan de Mistura said yesterday in the first such acknowledgement by the UN. “President Assad is part of the solution,”
de Mistura told a joint press conference with Austrian Foreign
Minister Sebastian Kurz in Vienna. “I will continue to have very
important discussions with him,” he added, noting that “the
only solution is a political solution.”
This was the first time a UN envoy on Syria explicitly named
Assad as part of a peaceful solution after nearly four years of
fighting between government troops and rebels seeking the
leader’s overthrow. De Mistura, who was in Damascus this
week meeting with Assad, is due to deliver a report on his mission to the UN Security Council on February 17. If no solution to
the conflict is found, “the only one who takes advantage of it is
(the Islamic State group) ISIS Daesh,” de Mistura said, referring
to the jihadists who have taken over parts of Syria and Iraq. The
group is a “monster waiting for this conflict to take place in
order to be able to take advantage,” he said.
Kurz meanwhile agreed that “in the fight against IS it can be
necessary to fight on the same side” but insisted that “Assad
will never be a friend or even a partner.” Human rights groups
have accused Syria’s government of indiscriminate bombardment of civilians in rebel-held areas, including with crude “barrel bombs”-allegations Assad denied in a BBC interview this
week. In the interview, he also complained that in the fight
against IS, “there is no dialogue” with the US-led coalition,
which began airstrikes in September. “There’s, let’s say, information, but not dialogue,” the embattled leader said.
20 IS fighters killed
Meanwhile, US-led air strikes killed at least 20 Islamic State
fighters in northeastern Syria near the border with Iraq, an
organization monitoring the conflict said yesterday. Rami
Abdulrahman, who runs the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, said 19 explosions were heard during the air strikes in AlShadadi in the northeastern province of Hasaka on Thursday.
One civilian was also killed in the air strikes, he said. The USled alliance started bombing Islamic State targets in Syria in
September as part of a strategy aimed at rolling back the
group’s territorial gains in Syria and Iraq. Jordanian war planes
participating in the alliance carried out bombing raids against
Islamic State targets on Thursday, Jordanian state TV reported,
without giving the location of the air strikes. — Agencies
Min 11º
Max 24º
RIYADH: Social media are turning Saudis into “electronic potatoes” and contributing to unhealthy lifestyles which leave one
in four at risk of suffering a heart attack over the next decade,
experts said. Researchers calculated the 10-year risk of a heart
attack for more than 4,900 urban Saudis with no history of
heart disease. Most of them were aged 20-40 and more than
half were women.
One-quarter of the subjects were diabetic, which had a
major impact on risk, said the European Society of Cardiology,
which is participating in the conference and issued a statement
on the findings. “Diabetes doesn’t occur in isolation. Diabetic
individuals had a significantly increased prevalence of other
risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, smoking and dyslipidemia,” or high cholesterol, said Muhammad Adil Soofi, lead
author of the study and a cardiologist at Prince Salman Heart
Centre. “As a result of the high level of risk factors, 26 percent
of participants were at high risk of having a heart attack or
dying from a heart attack in 10 years,” the statement said.
Soofi’s research was presented at the Saudi Heart
Association’s (SHA’s) 26th annual conference, which runs until
Monday. In the statement, he said urbanization, lack of education and Westernization could be to blame for the unhealthy
lifestyles of young Saudis. “They eat more fast food and deepfried items and on top of that do not exercise,” he said. In Saudi
Arabia and other Arab states of the Gulf, healthy lifestyles are
rare, said Hani Najm, the SHA vice president.
“Young people’s addiction to smart phones and social
media has turned them into electronic potatoes, today’s version of the couch potato... “They have zero intention of
being physically active,” Najm said, calling on governments
to provide free indoor gyms and green spaces for exercise.
On February 28, Riyadh is to hold its first publicly organized
run, over a five-kilometer route, to promote a more active
lifestyle. In Qatar, another energy-rich Gulf state, more than a
million workers were given a day off work Tuesday to take
part in a nationwide day of sport amid growing concern at
obesity levels. — AFP
DHUBA, Saudi Arabia: A Saudi man runs in front of a big
wave as high winds batter the coast in the Saudi Red Sea
port city of Dhuba, located in Tabuk Province, northwest
of the Saudi capital Riyadh. — AFP
LOCAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Kuwaiti business men to participate in Expo Pakistan 2015
Karachi hosts event from Feb 26
By Nawara Fattahova
KUWAIT: Karachi is hosting the annual Expo Pakistan 2015
from February 26 to March 1, 2015. This year a delegation
of about 70 businessmen from Kuwait will be visiting this
Expo. On this occasion, the Pakistani embassy held a press
conference at its premises on Thursday to shed light on
the Expo and provide more information on this event. A
documentary about Pakistan was played along a presentation about the expo during the conference.
The 9th edition of the largest trade fair in Pakistan is
being organized by the Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
(TDAP), at the Expo Center Karachi, it was announced in
the press conference adding the situation is safe in Pakistan.
“Visitors should not have any worries regarding their safety in
Pakistan, as the government is keen to assure high level of security.
Many people are coming to Karachi to visit the Expo, which is a big
event so we want them to feel safe and to ensure their security,” said
Ambassador of Pakistan to Kuwait Muhammad Aslam Khan during the
press conference.
The ambassador also spoke about the attack on a Kuwaiti diplomat’s vehicle in Pakistan. “The incident was not a serious accident and
nobody was injured. Only a material damage took place on the window of the vehicle. The case is still under investigation, the ambassador said.
Largest collection
The Expo trade fair, conceptualized in 2004 and held annually since
2005, showcases the largest collection of Pakistan’s export merchandise and services under one roof. Foreign exhibitors, including from
the neighboring countries, also use this platform to launch their products. Over the past eight years, Expo Pakistan has become a popular
hub for a large number of businesses worldwide, giving them a head
start in buying and ordering for the coming seasons.
KUWAIT: Ambassador of Pakistan to Kuwait Muhammad Aslam
Khan speaks at the press conference. — Photo by Fuad Al-Sheikh
Every year, business deals worth US Dollar one billion are struck at
this mega event. Over 90 memorandums of understanding were
signed between business partners and chambers during the last Expo.
About 1,000 businessmen, from about 70 countries are attending the
Expo every year to explore business opportunities. A large variety of
products would be on display this year in 523 stalls spread over 6 big
exhibition halls across the sprawling state of the art premises of
Karachi Expo Center.
The bilateral relations between Kuwait and Pakistan are very high.
“The two countries have much in common. Our friendship is strong
and has cooperation in many fields. We also have strong economic
partnership, and Pakistan is the largest buyer of diesel from Kuwait.
Yet, unfortunately the value of trade is not compatible with the volume of political level, as there may be lack of knowledge from both
sides about the opportunities available in both the countries. We
need to fill this gap and the Expo is one of the great opportunities for
this,” stressed the Ambassador.
Mega city
Karachi is one of the greatest mega cities in the world. According
to a survey conducted in 2014 and published in March, 2015 by the
Mercer group and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Karachi is
ranked as the cheapest city on the face of earth.
“Contrary to the perceptions based on media projections, Karachi
is not even distantly seen in the list of most insecure, dangerous or
violent cities of the world.
Stringent security measures are made to ensure fool-proof security
during the entire show. 8 editions of Expo trade fair have been held
successfully since 2005, without a single troublesome incident. Hence,
there is no reason for any concerns on security grounds,” he further
said.
The Embassy joins the TDAP in inviting you to the 9th Expo
Pakistan. The Commercial Section of the Embassy would be happy to
extend all necessary cooperation to facilitate all participation in the
Expo. They may be contacted at [email protected]. The interested may also like to visit the Expo website at expopakistan.gov.pk.
LOCAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 , 2015
Foreign Minister
leaves for
GCC meeting
KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh
Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah is scheduled to head to Saudi
Arabia today to take part in the planned GCC foreign ministers’
extraordinary meeting. Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled is heading a
delegation, including his bureau’s director, Ambassador Sheikh Dr
Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, the director of the GCC
affairs department, Ambassdor Nasser Hajji Al-Muzain, the State of
Kuwait Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Thamer Al-Jaber AlAhmad Al-Sabah and a number of other ministry officials.
The GCC has not revealed agenda of the special ministerial meeting, which is held in Riyadh and coincides with various significant
international and regional developments, namely the events in
Yemen. The GCC, which groups Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, had sought to reach a settlement for the
political crisis in Yemen. The regional bloc was established in early 80s
of the past century to coordinate policies at various levels. — KUNA
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh
Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah
ASOSAI elects executive
council members
KUALA LUMPUR: The Asian Organization of Supreme Audit
Institutions (ASOSAI) has elected members of its executive board for
the 2015-2018 mandate.
In remarks to KUNA, Ismail Al-Ghanem, Kuwait Audit Bureau’s
undersecretary, acknowledged that Kuwait was “unfortunate” in the
voting, however he applauded the Kuwaiti delegation’s active participation in the polling, which had been forecast to conclude in the first
round, but the election proceeded for three rounds. “Members of the
Kuwaiti delegation played the required role during the general
assembly, rallying support from the participating states, but were
unlucky, coming seventh in the results,” he said. Kuwait previously
gained a membership in ASOSAI’s Executive Council for a period of
six years. The board plays a key role in setting the organization’s plans
and strategies. Ghanim said a sideline seminar tackled employment
of technology for financial analysis, governance, hazards and commitment. A Kuwaiti exhibition held on the occasion displayed various
publications, particularly those issued by the Audit Bureau. AOSAI’s
general assembly kicked off on Tuesday with participation of Kuwait’s
Audit Bureau, a member since 1984. — KUNA
KUALA LUMPUR: Ismail Al-Ghanem, Kuwait Audit Bureau’s
undersecretary, makes his vote during the elections. — KUNA
KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank volunteers visited children at Razi Hospital recently as part of its ongoing campaign to celebrate national holidays with children at schools and hospitals around Kuwait.
LOCAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 , 2015
Kuwait 6th highest
in diabetes prevalence
WBG addresses non-communicable diseases in MENA region
KUWAIT: Kuwait is ranked the 6th highest country in terms of diabetes prevalence, a World Bank Group (WBG) official said.
The WBG has called for collective efforts to “Scale Up Universal
Health Coverage and Contain Non-Communicable Diseases in the
Middle East and North Africa,” Dr Timothy Grant Evans, the WBG’s
Senior Director for Health, Nutrition and Population, said in a
roundtable press conference on Thursday.
The WBG has participated in a five-day policy seminar sponsored by the World Bank in coordination with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) Middle East Center for Economics and
Finance (CEF) to address the twin challenges of scaling up universal health coverage (UHC) and containing non-communicable diseases in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, he
added.
Evans said that the seminar themed “Scaling Up Universal
Health Coverage and Containing Non-Communicable Diseases in
the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges, Linkages and
Strategies” brought together 37 senior level representatives from
ministries of health, finance, and planning and health agencies in
the MENA region, as well as representatives from academia and
non- governmental organizations.
Presentations by World Bank specialists with expert contributions from World Health Organization (WHO), Johns Hopkins
University, US Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
are geared towards familiarizing policy makers and participants
with global and regional experiences in scaling up universal health
coverage and containing non-communicable diseases.
Changing lifestyles
Evans said that the World Bank is eager to address and come
up with solutions to the non-communicable diseases through
changing lifestyles and reduction of diabetes.
He added that such challenges are also represented by increases in mortality rates and aging-related illnesses, pointing out that
such diseases would be expensive to manage if left unresolved.
He also called for taking preventive measures as first steps
before having to spend more money on medications, besides
enabling every person to have access to his or her needs and that
every country has the choice to address these challenges from its
perspective.
He added that resorting to expensive hospitals was not an
appropriate choice for treatment. Primary, secondary and tertiary
prevention was much more effective.
KUWAIT: Tim Evans, the WBG’s Senior Director for Health,
Nutrition and Population, pictured at the roundtable. — KUNA
He pointed out that during the seminar the WB proposed a
new model for addressing NCDs emphasizing “prevention”, by
addressing issues such as the promotion of healthy diet, encouraging low fat foods, discouraging smoking, cutting down on
refined sugar and supporting exercise amongst everybody.
Evans stressed that the best approach to address non-communicable diseases is through prevention including measures such as
the imposition of taxes on cigarettes and soft drinks and having
people make the right healthy lifestyle choices.
He also called for promoting regular exercise and changing life
styles, saying such steps would decrease the need to go see the
doctor.
Evans said that even with good prevention people still get diabetes, urging them to seek good primary care and take medication
on time in addition to maintaining the routine doctor visits.
Mortality rates
For his part, Enis Baris, Practice Manager for the Middle East,
North Africa and the Caribbean (Health, Nutrition and Population
Global Practice) said that the UN member states had agreed on a
commitment to reduce mortality rates resulting from non-communicable diseases by 25 percent by 2025 and all countries had committed to do so including Kuwait.
He added that among the measures taken to help in this regard
were accelerating tobacco control, reduction of salt in food,
increasing physical activities and cutting down on alcohol consumption as well as using modern methods, stressing the need to
apply these preventive measures to enjoy a better health.
Baris said that in the Middle East and North Africa Region and
especially in the GCC states, the death rate caused by non-communicable diseases is estimated at nearly 45 percent happen
before the age of 60 appropriate that to inappropriate diagnosis or
bad treatment.
He said that there is convincing evidence that non-communicable death could be reduced by 5 percent in the coming 10 years
through adopting the previously-said measures.
Turning to mortality caused by traffic accidents, Baris attributed
such to bad roads, condition of the vehicle and behavious of the
drivers, attributing the high percentage of the mortality rate in
Kuwait to the behaviour of the drivers.
He said the WB is currently conducting studies addressing road
accidents in the region including Kuwait.
Rising burden
For his part, Bassam Ramadan, World Bank Country Manager in
Kuwait said “The rising burden of non-communicable diseases and
the growing momentum towards expanding health coverage in
the region make this seminar highly relevant and timely. It provides an open venue for all participants to share national experiences and lessons learned about two topics dominating the health
reform agendas of many countries.”
Specific topics covered in the workshop include health financing trends in the MENA region, UHC country experiences, supplyside readiness for implementing UHC, global and regional trends
in the burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries.
The seminar is part of an annual series of knowledge-sharing
events organized by the World Bank and the IMF in Kuwait.
More than 36 million people die each year from NCDs, and
around 80 percent of these deaths are in low-and middleincome countries. — KUNA
VIVA Hails ‘successful sponsorship’ of 2015 Kuwait Yacht Show
KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing and most developed
telecom operator, hailed the success of the 3rd edition of the
Kuwait Yacht Show (KYS) where it was the platinum sponsor.
This year’s show was under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister
of the State of Kuwait and in attendance of Anas Al Saleh,
Minister of Finance.
This year’s event attracted hundreds of visitors, many of which
visited VIVA’s booth at the event, including a number of diplomats and ambassadors who found out about the latest offers,
products and services provided by VIVA. Visitors were introduced
to its VIVA Elite service, which gives priority to Elite customers at
all customer service centers and the VIVA Concierge will be free
of charge for postpaid selected customer, who will be eligible to
enjoy and benefit from this unique service provided. The VIVA
Concierge Services will provide the highest level of quality and
personal assistance to VIVA’s selected customers. In addition,
VIVA Concierge service will enable customers to access a large list
of VIP Airport lounges around the world.
To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitions, promotions, products and packages visit any of the 65 VIVA branches, one of the VIVA authorized distributors, the company’s website at www.viva.com.kw or contact its 24 hour call center at 102.
LOCAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Crime
R e p o r t
Girls missing, found
KUWAIT: A girl who had been reported missing for a few days
was recently located and arrested in Jleeb with a juvenile
boyfriend, said security sources noting that the girl’s whereabouts were discovered by tracking her mobile phone. In a
similar case, a citizen living in Sabah Al-Salem reported that his
daughter had been missing for ten days and that he had been
trying to call her but her mobile phone was out of the coverage area. A case was filed.
Gambling busted
An Iraqi, an Iranian and three Asians were recently arrested while gambling in Farwaniya, said security sources.
Case papers indicate that vice police had been tipped off
concerning five people gambling in a Farwaniya apartment and, after getting a search warrant, the place was
raided and the suspect were arrested red-handed. A case
was filed.
Confession
Two days after a citizen was killed when a 4X4 vehicles
knocked him off his motor bike in Adan, the vehicle driver
decided turning himself in admitting to hitting the bike and
justifying his escape by his nervous state on the collision.
Rented car not returned
A car rental manager reported that a citizen who had rented a luxury vehicle for two years refused to return the
vehicle or to renew his lease contract, said security
sources. A case was filed and further investigations are in
progress.
Fight over business
Three Syrians working in Shuwaikh Industrial Area garages
were recently arrested for fighting with each other, said security sources noting that the three technicians had been in an
argument concerning their business and that it developed
into a scuffle.
Government ‘does best’
to ensure public safety
KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammad AlKhaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah emphasized that
all state bodies are doing their best to ensure
the safety and security of citizens and residents. Speaking at a meeting for senior
Interior Ministry officials to review and put
the final touches on the security plans to
enforce the unlicensed firearms and ammunition collection law, Sheikh Mohammad
praised the National Assembly’s approval of
this important law to help security agencies
overcome the growing challenges, the
Ministry’s Security Media Department said in
a press statement.
He reviewed the Ministry’s prepared campaign to raise people’s awareness about the
new law and to encourage them to hand in
any unlicensed weapons or ammunitions
they may have. He also lauded the Ministry’s
water-tight plan to enforce the new law.
Sheikh Mohammad asked police to show
great respect to the society traditions during
firearms search raids.
In the meantime, the Minister extolled
the great cooperation among security and
civil state bodies to deal with the problems
caused by the sudden electricity outage
which hit many areas in Kuwait on
Wednesday.
Jail and fine
The unlicensed firearms collection law,
KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad AlKhaled Al-Sabah chairs the meeting. — KUNA
passed by the National Assembly on January
28, stipulates that anyone possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition could be
jailed for five years and be fined by up to KD
10,000 or one of the two penalties. It also
increases the jail time to ten years and the
upper limits of the fine to KD 50,000 for anyone who deals (ie buying or selling) in unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The law allows police, after taking proper
authorization from the public prosecutor, to
search any public location and private or
public vehicles if there was cause to believe
the existence of unlicensed or unlawful
firearms or ammunition.
It also stipulates that people with unlicensed firearms and ammunition who
choose to hand them in to authorities would
be exempted from punishment. Such people
have four months from the time this law is in
effect to hand in their unlicensed weapons to
be considered for exemption. — KUNA
EQUATE breaks ground
of new HQ in Ahmadi
Building meets environment friendly standards
Broken deal
A citizen reported that a construction contractor whom he
had hired to do some repairs at his house in Sulaibikhat
never showed up to do the repairs though he had been
paid a down payment of KD 200. A case was filed.
Maid escapes with jewelry, cash
A citizen reported that his Filipina maid left his house in
Qurain taking her bag, which made him immediately check on
some jewelry he hid in the house and found it all missing in
addition to KD 760 in cash. The man estimated the value of his
jewelry by over KD 1,000.
KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Kuwait’s first international petrochemical joint-venture, held the groundbreaking ceremony of its new headquarters in Ahmadi City under the patronage
of the Governor of Ahmadi Sheikh Fawaz Al-Khaled Al-Hamad AlSabah.
The groundbreaking was attended by the Director of the
Governor’s Office Major-General Thhallab Al-Hajri, PR and
Information Director at the Governorate of Ahamdi Khaled AlMulla, as well as a number of EQUATE’s board members, leaders
and employees. Other attendees included board members and
heads of The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), The Kuwait Styrene
Fight over rent share
An Asian was recently injured after a scuffle following an
argument with two other roommates over his share of the
rent share they had to pay, said security sources noting
that the man was stabbed in the arm and sustained various bruises all over. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress.
Liquor at grocery
A grocer was recently arrested in Khaitan for selling homemade liquor to the grocery customers, said security sources.
Case papers indicate that narcotics police had been tipped off
concerning the suspect’s activity and on raiding the grocery,
200 plastic bags of liquor were found. A case was filed and the
suspect was referred to relevant authorities.
Riyal dinars stolen
A female GCC national reported that an unidentified person robbed her purse from a shopping cart in a shopping
mall. The woman reported that the purse included SR
6,000, BD 150, KD 300 and some documents and ATM
cards. A case was filed.
Company (TKSC), Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company (KPPC),
and the companies handling the building’s design, project management and construction.
Sheikh Fawaz Al-Sabah said: “Celebrating the groundbreaking
of EQUATE’s new headquarters in Ahmadi Governorate is a source
of great pleasure. This celebration coincides with our national
days, as well as the recognition of Kuwait and His Highness the
Amir by the United Nations. In addition, we are celebrating
EQUATE’s success since its inception about 20 years ago. As a distinguished partnership, EQUATE is a source of pride to all of us
with all of its outstanding achievements, international standing
and distinguished initiatives in all relevant fields. We are looking
forward to celebrate again once the building is finalized.”
On his part, EQUATE President and CEO Mohammad Husain
expressed appreciation and gratitude to His Excellency the
Governor for patronizing this event, as well as all attendees for
their presence as ‘Partners in Success’ in the groundbreaking of
our new headquarters in the Governorate of Ahmadi that hosts
many industrial entities, especially oil companies. Truly this
Governorate is the cradle of energy and development in Kuwait.”
Husain added, “This headquarters is not only a building, it is a
center that groups our human resources who exemplify top international achievements at all levels, such as their effective role in
planning and executing the new headquarters that meets all global standards in terms of the environment and energy conservation.
Such matters form a strategic priority for EQUATE as part of its
continuous implementation of sustainability’s principles within
and outside Kuwait in line with the Development Plan initiated by
His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince.”
EQUATE Engineering and Construction Leader Sulaiman AlBader said: “The new headquarters includes many advanced technical features and innovative solutions that contribute to preserving the environment and reducing energy consumption based on
the best universal standards. This headquarters, with all its facilities, is a smart and environmentally friendly building that was registered at the United States Green Building Council. EQUATE is
aspiring to have the building Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certified by this council. In addition,
the building’s design includes several features and specifications,
such as conserving energy sources, decreasing water consumption by 20 percent, utilizing solar energy to generate nearly five
percent of the building’s electrical requirements, as well as having
energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems.”
On the sidelines of the groundbreaking ceremony, EQUATE
President and CEO Mohammad Husain signed the headquarters’
construction contract with Kuwait Company for Process Plant
Construction and Contracting (KCPC) Chairman Moayed Al-Saleh.
The building is designed by Gulf Consult and managed by Projacs
International.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARAY 14, 2015
Saudi women’s activists
‘freed from prison’
8
Questions swirl over
Hollande’s relationship
9
As polls loom, Suu Kyi leads
rally honouring hero father
13
PESHAWAR: Pakistani security personnel stand alongside the body of an attacker at a Shiite Muslim mosque after an attack by Taleban militants in Peshawar on February 13, 2015. Grenade-toting Taleban militants stormed a Shiite mosque in northwest Pakistan, police said, in an attack that left at least 18 people dead. — AFP
18 dead as Taleban storms mosque in Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Heavily-armed militants stormed a Shiite mosque
in Pakistan yesterday, killing at least 18 people in an attack
claimed by the Taleban as revenge for the execution of one of
their cadres.
Three attackers with grenades, Kalashnikovs and explosive
suicide vests struck at the Imamia mosque in Peshawar, the
main city in Pakistan’s restive northwest, around the time of the
main Friday prayers. The attack comes two weeks after a suicide
bombing at a Shiite mosque in southern Pakistan killed 61 people, the deadliest sectarian incident to hit the country in nearly
two years.
Shehram Tarakai, the health minister of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is the capital, told
AFP the incident had left a total of 19 people dead, including
the three militants, as well as 67 wounded. The Tehreek-eTaleban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack in an
email statement, saying it was revenge for a militant known as
Doctor Usman, who was hanged in December. “This is a series
of taking blood for blood, which will continue. The government
should expect more and even harder responses,” the statement
said.
Police said the attack began when the militants entered
from a nearby building site, cutting barbed wire to get into the
mosque compound. “One suicide bomber exploded himself in
the verandah of the mosque while another was shot dead by
police inside the main hall,” Nasir Durrani, the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa police chief said. “The third was caught by people
but was also killed later on.” Eyewitness Mohammad Khalil told
AFP a “huge explosion” shook the main hall of the mosque as
prayers were coming to an end, and then the gunmen started
firing on worshippers.
Crackdown on militants
TV footage in the immediate aftermath showed people running away from the scene, some carrying injured on their shoulders, others limping, as police fired shots and checked people at
a barrier. The mosque is close to several government buildings
including the offices of the Federal Investigation Agency and
passport agency. Since June last year the army has been waging
a major campaign against strongholds of TTP and other militants in the North Waziristan tribal area, which lies close to
Peshawar.
The military has heralded the success of the operation,
which it says has killed more than 2,000 militants, though the
precise number and identity of those killed cannot be verified
independently. The country has stepped up its fight against militants since Taleban gunmen massacred more than 150 people,
most of them children, at a school in Peshawar in December.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended a six-year moratorium on
the death penalty and Doctor Usman, also known as Aqil, was
one of the first to go to the gallows.
He was convicted for an attack on the army headquarters in
Rawalpindi in 2009 and was arrested after being injured.
Pakistan has suffered a rising tide of sectarian violence in recent
years, most of it perpetrated by hardline Sunni Muslim groups
against minority Shiite Muslims, who make up around a fifth of
the population. The suicide bombing at a mosque in southern
Sindh province on January 30 was the deadliest sectarian attack
in Pakistan since February 2013, when 89 were killed in a market
bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta. Anti-Shiite attacks
have been increasing in recent years in Karachi, Quetta, the
northwestern area of Parachinar and the far-northeastern town
of Gilgit. — Agencies
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Saudi women’s activists
‘freed from prison’
WEST BANK: Palestinian 14-year-old schoolgirl Malak Al-Khatib is greeted by her father after
her release from an Israeli jail yesterday, in the West Bank Palestinian village of Tulkarem.
Israel freed Malak, whose jailing six weeks ago for planning to attack Israelis became a focus
for anger over the arrest of children in the occupied territories. — AFP
IS gunmen in
Libya seize
radio station
TRIPOLI: Gunmen claiming to be members
of the Islamic State group have seized control of a state-run radio station in Libya’s
coastal city of Sirte, residents said yesterday. Jihadist websites also posted pictures
showing armed men sitting in front of
microphones in a broadcasting studio and
brandishing Kalashnikov assault rifles.
“They took Radio Sirte yesterday
(Thursday). Since then they have been
broadcasting (verses from) the Koran and
speeches by (IS chief Abu Bakr) AlBaghdadi,” a resident of the central city
told AFP by telephone. The resident said
speeches of IS spokesman Abu Mohammed
Al-Adnani were also being played on the
air.
A former local administration official
said the gunmen have also set up a headquarters in the centre of the city, and
voiced concern that they could declare an
Islamic emirate in Sirte. “They could take
advantage of the absence of any central
government authority to transform the city
into an Islamic emirate as they did in
Derna,” an eastern city held by jihadist
groups including IS. The man, who declined
to be named, said the gunmen apparently
seized the radio “as a first step to communicate with the population”. “The situation in
Sirte is very complex,” he said, because
many radical groups have a foothold there.
Since the 2011 uprising that toppled and
killed dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Sirte, the
former strongman’s hometown has
become a stronghold of extremist groups.
Sirte is a bastion of Ansar Al-Sharia, an
Islamist blacklisted by the United Nations
and the United States. And militias of the
Islamist-backed Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn)
coalition control some parts of Sirte, and
launching attacks against key oil installations nearby in December. Powerful militias, backing rival governments and parliaments, have been battling for control of
key cities and the country’s oil riches since
the uprising. Amid the chaos, IS has made
an appearance in Libya where it has
claimed a series of deadly attacks. The latest targeted a luxury hotel in Tripoli on
January 27, when nine people were killed,
five of them foreigners.— AFP
RIYADH: Two Saudi women’s rights activists,
one of whom tried to defy a ban on female driving, have been freed after more than two
months in jail, a campaigner said yesterday.
“Yes, Loujain is free,” said the campaigner
who spoke with Loujain Hathloul after she left
prison. Hathloul “just said that she’s released
and she’s happy,” said the activist, who did not
give a name.
Maysaa Alamoudi, detained at the same time
as Hathloul, has also been let out of jail, her family confirmed, according to the activist who
spoke with AFP.
“Peace be upon you, good people,” Hathloul
tweeted late on Thursday. She and Alamoudi
had been held since December 1, after Hathloul
tried to drive into the kingdom from neighbouring United Arab Emirates in defiance of the ban.
Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world
which does not allow women to drive.
Alamoudi, a UAE-based Saudi journalist,
arrived at the border to support Hathloul and
was also arrested. In December, activists said a
court in Eastern Province had transferred the
two women to a special tribunal for “terrorism”
cases.
At the time, campaigners did not provide full
details of the allegations against the pair but
said investigations appeared to focus on the
women’s social media activities rather than the
driving.
The activist who spoke to AFP yesterday did
not know whether the two women were facing
charges or what conditions were placed on their
release.
Hathloul has 232,000 followers on Twitter.
Before her arrest she tweeted, sometimes with
humour, details of the 24 hours she spent waiting to cross into Saudi Arabia after border officers stopped her. Alamoudi has 136,000 followers and has also hosted a programme on
YouTube discussing the driving ban. — AFP
Bomb blast hits Turkish
checkpoint near border
Latest attack in series of bombings in Turkey
DIYARBAKIR: A bomb detonated by remote control rocked an area
near a Turkish police checkpoint close to the Syrian border yesterday,
wounding three people, security sources said, the latest in a series of
bombings to hit Turkey this year. The sources told Reuters the explosives were placed under a car and detonated near the town of Suruc,
some 15 km (9 miles) north of the Syrian town of Kobani, where
Kurdish fighters forced out Islamic State militants after a four-month
siege.
There were no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing,
which is likely to put police on heightened alert after recent blasts in
Istanbul. The proximity to Syria will raise concerns the attack is related
to the conflict there. A photograph published by Turkish media
showed a charred and badly damaged vehicle with its windows blown
out and smoke rising from the bonnet. The wounded, a police officer
and two workers, were being treated in hospital for injuries caused by
the explosion, which occurred at 0840 GMT. The sources initially said
two people were hurt. Bomb disposal experts at the scene were investigating to determine the type of the explosives, the sources said.
Major defeat
The retaking of the predominantly Kurdish Kobani by the People’s
Protection Units (YPG) at the end of last month was a major defeat for the
Islamic State group that controls a 20,000-square mile arc of Syria and Iraq.
Various militant groups, Islamist, Kurdish and leftist, have all carried out bomb
attacks in Turkey. Last month a suicide bomber killed herself and a police officer in Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s historic centre, a prime tourist destination. A
leftist militant group initially claimed responsibility, then retracted the claim.
Later, media cited police sources as saying the bomber was a Russian citizen
from the Muslim regions of Chechnya or Dagestan, with links to Islamic State.
Hundreds of fighters from Russia’s north Caucasus, including
Chechnya, are believed to have travelled through Turkey to fight with the
Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and European governments have urged
Ankara to tighten border controls to prevent the flow of foreign fighters.
Five days after the Sultanahmet bombing, homemade explosive devices
were found in two Istanbul shopping malls and defused. A week after that,
a bomb exploded in central Istanbul and police detonated two others in
controlled explosions. — Reuters
ANKARA: Photo shows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan with students of a Vocational School for Girls outside Ankara, Turkey. Turkey has long enshrined the secular ideals of founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, particularly in an education system in which Islamic headscarves were until recently banned in schools and schoolchildren began the day reciting an oath of allegiance to
Ataturk’s legacy. — AP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Impunity no more for Romania’s rich and powerful
BUCHAREST: After a record year of graft
indictments in Romania-many targeting
the wealthy and powerful-the impunity
once enjoyed by the country’s ruling
class may be coming to an end. The
national anti-corruption prosecutor’s
office DNA indicted 1,167 people in
2014, a record in its 12 years of existence. The latest trophy for the prosecutors is Elena Udrea, dubbed “the president’s blonde” by the media for her role
as close advisor to former conservative
president Traian Basescu. The unsuccessful candidate in last year’s presidential
race was locked up late Tuesday over her
alleged role in a corruption scandal
involving Microsoft licences that has
already ensnared a number of high-profile figures.
DNA prosecutors have been busy in
recent weeks probing a who’s who list of
suspects that includes several former
ministers, a Constitutional Court judge
and even the head of the anti-mafia
prosecutor’s office (DIICOT). For several
years now, a reform of Romania’s legal
system overseen by Brussels has weakened the impunity that a number of
political leaders seemed to enjoy. The
bellwether corruption conviction in 2012
of ex-prime minister Adrian Nastase was
a sign times were changing in EU’s second-poorest country.
“Judicial independence started to
manifest itself under Traian Basescu,
once even leaders from his camp started
being convicted,” said Cristina Guseth,
president of the Romanian chapter of
Freedom House, a pro-democracy
group. In November, voters sick of corruption elected President Klaus Iohannis,
a ethnic German former mayor of the
central city of Sibiu known as a defender
of judges. “There is no other path for
Romania,” other than becoming a nation
“rid of all corruption,” Iohannis said
when he took power. This must “be
understood clearly at every level of the
political class.”
‘Rob the state’
Prosecutors have not only targeted
politicians, with Constitutional Court
judge Toni Grebla being forced to resign
last week amid amid accusations of corruption. Media baron Adrian Sarbu,
another icon of the post-communist era,
has been behind bars for a week on tax
evasion and money laundering allegations. Several other business titans,
including billionaire Ioan Niculae, are targeted in other cases. Questions remain
about the timing of the Udrea case,
which came two months after Basescu
left office. He had publicly supported
Udrea during his 10 years in power.
“Our probes run their course, without
regard for political developments or the
comments of politicians and the media,”
DNA spokeswoman Livia Saplacan said.
Yet critics say more needs to be done.
“Two major means are used in Romania
to rob the state: procurement contracts
and tax evasion. The efforts of prosecutors are crucial, but not sufficient,”
Guseth said.
These investigations “show the state
as it is: a corrupt mafia system, with power centers where ministry or prosecutor
jobs are sold or trafficked and leaders
pay a part of the commissions they
receive to the parties they belong to,”
said political analyst Alina MungiuPippidi. She added the current powersharing government, with a conservative
as president and Social Democrats ruling
the legislature, is key to rooting out
graft. “Law enforcement cannot decimate influence peddling by the major
players and the looters of the country’s
wealth if power is concentrated in the
hands of one party.”— AFP
Ukraine death toll grows
after fragile peace deal
Europe warns Russia of fresh sanctions
French President Francois Hollande
Questions swirl over
Hollande’s relationship
with actress Gayet
PARIS: It’s the million dollar question. More than a year after
revelations that French President Francois Hollande had
cheated on his partner with actress Julie Gayet, are the two
lovebirds still together? News of the French leader’s affair with
Gayet, divulged by Closer magazine in January last year,
prompted the 60-year-old to split with his long-term partner
Valerie Trierweiler and rumors have swirled ever since that the
president and actress are still an item.
Yesterday, the glossy weekly published photos of 42-yearold Gayet on a visit to the western city of Rennes in a “stateowned car”, accompanied by one of the French leader’s bodyguards. “Julie Gayet may not ever have officially appeared on
the arm of the president, but it seems she benefits from other
privileges linked to her personal relationship with the head of
state,” the magazine wrote. “As evidenced by her security
worthy of a first lady.”
Already in November, celebrity-focused magazine Voici
had published pictures of the two looking cosy together
inside the Elysee presidential residence, prompting five staff
members to be reassigned over what constituted a damaging
security breach. Asked about fresh revelations yesterday that
Gayet was benefiting from official security, Hollande’s
entourage refused to comment. But the main opposition UMP
party latched onto claims made by the magazine, which also
says that Gayet and Hollande meet up several times a week
and that the actress regularly walks his black Labrador puppy
Philae.
“Either Ms Gayet is the president’s official partner and in
this case, he says it and the state should ensure her protection,” Sebastien Huyghe, UMP spokesman, told BFMTV. “But if
that’s not the case, there is no reason that public funds should
be used to accompany, transport and protect Mrs Gayet.”
Interviewed on the iTele television channel, Finance Minister
Michel Sapin, who is close to Hollande, said potential “threats”
could justify these measures. “When one is in the public (eye),
and comments are made on your personal situation, there can
be threats,” he said. Asked whether Gayet was being threatened, he said he did not know. — AFP
DONETSK: At least 15 people have been
killed in east Ukraine in new shelling despite
the signing of a peace deal to end the 10month conflict. Pro-Moscow rebels and government officials said yesterday that seven
civilians were killed across the conflict zone
during the past 24 hours while Ukraine’s military said eight soldiers lost their lives. The
unrest came as Europe warned Russia it
risked fresh sanctions if the fighting did not
stop. The rebels and Kiev agreed a peace
plan Thursday after marathon talks in the
Belarussian capital Minsk between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany.
A ceasefire across the conflict zone is
meant to start at midnight Ukraine time
Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday) with both sides
supposed to begin pulling back heavy
weaponry from along the frontline no later
than two days after that. The fragile agreement is seen as the best hope of ending the
conflict, which has killed at least 5,480 people and ratcheted East-West tensions to
highs not seen since the Cold War, but skepticism remains high after the collapse of a
similar previous peace plan. Kiev and the
West accuse Russia of stoking the war in exSoviet Ukraine by pouring arms and troops
to help the pro-Russian rebels fighting Kiev
government troops in Ukraine’s industrial
east. Moscow denies the charges.
Speaking late Thursday after a European
Union summit in Brussels, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Russia that
the bloc, which has already slapped Moscow
with sanctions over the crisis, was not ruling
out further measures if the truce failed. “If it
works well we would be very happy to go
with the agreement. If there are difficulties
we wouldn’t rule out other sanctions,” she
said. French President Francois Hollande,
who along with Merkel attended the 17-hour
talks in Minsk that also included Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian
President Petro Poroshenko, agreed. If the
truce was not respected, “we would return to
a process... of sanctions that would be in
addition to those already in place.”
Fighting around key town
In the run-up to the truce, Ukraine’s military said yesterday that fighting remained
fiercest around the key strategic town of
DONETSK: Ukrainian servicemen load an injured man on a stretcher into an
ambulance in the eastern Ukrainian city of Artemivsk, Donetsk region, yesterday. Fighting raged in Ukraine as the clock ticked down to a ceasefire that will
be a first test of the commitment by Kiev and pro-Russian separatists to a
freshly-inked peace plan. — AFP
Debaltseve. Ukraine said rebels had fired
missiles at the beleaguered railway hub, midway between the main separatist bastions of
Donetsk and Lugansk. An AFP journalist in
the rebel capital of Donetsk said that sporadic missile salvos and dozens of artillery
bombardments could be heard around the
city yesterday morning.
The Ukrainian government on Thursday
accused Russia of deploying another 50
tanks across the border during the talks in
Minsk. The United States, which has said it
could supply Ukraine with weapons if the
conflict continues, cautiously welcomed the
peace accord, but emphasised the work yet
to be done in making it stick. “The true test of
today’s accord will be in its full and unambiguous implementation,” the White House
said, including “restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia.”
The Kremlin said that it had supported an
immediate ceasefire but rebels had pushed
for a delay in the start of the truce. Putin “put
in quite a bit of effort to persuade the rebels
to sign the document,” spokesman Dmitry
Peskov was quoted as saying yesterday by
the Kommersant daily. A Ukrainian source,
however, told AFP that Russia initially called
for the start of the ceasefire to be delayed for
a week. Rebel leaders-seen by the West as
Kremlin puppets-have said that the new deal
raises hopes of peace but warned there
would be no more talking if it fails.
Long roadmap to peace
The new Minsk agreement is broadly similar to an earlier failed deal in September,
except that the new heavy weapons-free
zone will be 50 to 70 kilometres (31-43 miles)
wide, depending on the range of the
weapon, double the width of the buffer zone
agreed in September. Kiev will also begin
retaking control over the approximately 400kilometre (250 mile) stretch of Russia’s border with rebel-held Ukraine, but only after
local elections are held. —AFP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Dresden bombing still fresh for survivor after 70 years
DRESDEN: People walk in front of the rebuilt 18th century Frauenkirche
cathedral (Church of Our Lady) before the 70th anniversary of the deadly
Allied bombing of Dresden during WWII in Dresden, eastern Germany.
British and US bombers on Feb 13-14, 1945 destroyed Dresden’s centuries-old baroque city center. — AP
Frustrated Republicans
taste the limits of
majority control
WASHINGTON: A month into their newfound control of both
chambers of Congress, it wasn’t supposed to be like this for
Republicans. Instead of advancing a conservative agenda and
showing voters they can govern, they are confronting the
very real possibility of a shutdown of the Homeland Security
Department later this month. That’s because they can’t overcome Senate Democrats’ stalling tactics in a dispute over
immigration.
“I suppose elections have consequences except in the
United States Senate,” complained GOP Rep Mick Mulvaney
of South Carolina, summing up the frustration for many
House Republicans. “Tell me how it would be different if
Harry Reid were still running the place,” he added, naming
the Senate Democratic leader who was booted into the
minority in November’s midterm elections. Although their
party is now setting the floor schedule and calling hearings,
Republicans are finding to their chagrin that important
things haven’t changed from when they were in the Senate
minority.
Republicans are six votes short of the 60 needed to
advance most legislation, and Senate rules grant numerous
rights to the minority party. That means if Democrats remain
united, they have the ability to block GOP bills just as they did
while in the majority. Democrats have been united against
House-passed legislation funding the Homeland Security
Department through September, the end of the budget year,
while also rolling back President Barack Obama’s executive
policies on immigration.
As a result Congress appears to be at a stalemate on the
issue, leaving Republicans with only a few options: pass a
short-term extension of current funding levels, fold and strip
the immigration language opposed by Democrats from the
bill, or let the Homeland Security Department run out of
money when current funding expires Feb 27. They’re all bad
options from the GOP perspective. A short-term extension
just pushes the problem to a later date.
Removing the immigration language would amount to a
bitter admission of defeat after Republicans have spent
months accusing Obama of an unconstitutional power grab
for limiting deportations for millions in the US illegally. That’s
left Republicans staring down the third possibility: a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department. It’s something
most say they want to avoid, but on Thursday House Speaker
John Boehner refused to rule the possibility out, insisting
instead that Senate Democrats should get the blame if it happens. “If funding for Homeland Security lapses, Washington
Democrats are gonna bear the responsibility,” the Ohio
Republican said. “Senate Democrats should stop blocking
debate on the House-passed bill.”—AP
DRESDEN: Soviet troops were pressing into Germany from
the east and the other Allies from the west, but for 12-yearold schoolboy Eberhard Renner the war seemed far away.
Dresden had been spared the destruction suffered by
other cities like Berlin and Hamburg, and Renner clung to
the hope that the Saxon capital would stay off the target list
with the war so clearly near its end.
Even as air-raid sirens started screaming 70 years ago
Friday, Renner’s father dismissed the attack as another
reconnaissance mission. Then the bomb fell into Renner’s
backyard. It blew the thick oak door off the shelter where the
family had taken refuge, slamming him and his mother to
the ground. Somebody yelled that the roof was on fire, and
they ventured out into the streets as the bombs rained
down. The Allied decision to firebomb Dresden - immortalized in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel “Slaughterhouse Five” - has
long been a source of controversy. At the time, the Allies
hoped the attack on a city deep in the German heartland
would hit hard
at civilian morale and help force the Nazis to capitulate.
Some historians, however, said the destruction was a tragic
waste of human life and cultural patrimony - with little to no
effect on the outcome of the war.
The raid left the city littered with corpses, and tens of
thousands of Dresden’s buildings had been turned to rubble, including its famous opera house and museums in the
historic old city. The baroque Church of Our Lady, appeared
initially to have survived, but, weakened by the intense heat,
it collapsed two days after the bombing under its own
weight. As Renner wandered the streets of Dresden, he saw
a dead body for the first time in his life. In the days to come,
he would see many more. Renner remembers the streets still
being littered with bodies a week after the attack and coming across the corpse of a woman in a square.
“She was burned to a cinder, had become very small, but
her hand was held up and on it was her gold wedding band,
shining, not blackened at all,” said the 82-year-old retired
architecture professor. “I will never forget this scene.”
It was not just the bombs dropped by the waves of
British and U.S. bombers that wreaked devastation. The fire
made superheated air rise rapidly, creating a vacuum at
ground level that produced winds strong enough to uproot
trees and suck people into the flames. Many Dresden residents died of collapsed lungs.
Renner’s family made it safely to the home of one of his
dentist father’s patients. They were able to stay the night
and regroup. After that they moved in with an uncle.
Nazi propaganda from 1945 put the death toll at 200,000
and after the war some scholars estimated as many as
135,000 were killed - more than the combined total of those
immediately killed by the nuclear blasts in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.—AP
Boko Haram attacks village
in Chad as revolt spreads
First known lethal attack on Chadian soil
N’DJAMENA: Boko Haram fighters attacked a village in Chad yesterday, the first known lethal attack in that country by the
Nigerian militant group, which killed several people including a
local chief according to residents and security forces. Dozens of
militants arrived by motorized canoe at the fishing village on the
shores of Lake Chad early in the morning, setting houses ablaze
and attacking a police station. “They came on board three
pirogues and succeeded in killing about ten people before being
pushed back by the army,” said a resident of the village of
Ngouboua, about 20 km east of the Nigerian border, to which
thousands of Nigerian refugees had fled in early January after an
attack on the town of Baga.
Militants from the Sunni jihadist group, based in northern
Nigeria less than 100 kilometers from the Chadian capital, have
stepped up cross-border attacks in recent weeks in their campaign to carve out an Islamist emirate around the Lake Chad area
which borders Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Security
sources have quietly warned of sleeper cells nestled in Lake Chad
- a vast maze of tiny islands and swamp. A spokesman for the
armed forces said that five Chadians were killed yesterday, including local chief Mai Kolle, a police officer and three civilians. “We
sent in our air force and they neutralized the three pirogues. We
are still combing the area,” he said.
Raids and suicide attacks
Residents are now fleeing the village and a Chadian humanitarian vehicle was attacked as it tried to escape, United Nations
refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in
Geneva. In Niger, thousands fled the border town of Diffa this
week after a wave of raids and suicide attacks. Boko Haram insurgents, including a suspected female suicide bomber, also
attacked one town and two villages in Nigeria’s Borno state on
Thursday, killing at least 31 people according to security, hospital
sources and witnesses. Nigeria has postponed a presidential election, that had been due on Saturday, for six weeks, citing the
security threat from Boko Haram. Chad’s army, one of the best in
the region, has joined a regional offensive against Boko Haram
and says it has killed hundreds of fighters in the past fortnight. In
a bid to contain Boko Haram, which has killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in its five-year revolt, President Idriss Deby’s
government mediated peace talks between the Nigerian government and the group last October. The negotiations sought to
secure the release of 200 schoolgirls from Nigeria’s Chibok but
Boko Haram later said it had married off the schoolgirls to its
fighters. Chad is also the base for a French regional counter-insurgency operation “Barkhane” which provides intelligence and
logistical support to the Chadian army.— Reuters
KANO: A Nigerian woman, with an injured leg sustained during her exodus from Maiduguri to the city of Kano, fleeing Boko
Haram Islamists, sits in a room she shares with 78 others displaced in a run down house, in a poor district of Kano. — AFP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Thousands at US funerals of Muslim ‘hate crime’ victims
RALEIGH: The families of three Muslim students shot dead by a white neighbor in the US
said an emotional farewell to their loved ones
Thursday, reiterating calls for the killings to be
treated as a hate crime. More than 5,000 people gathered for the funeral of Deah Shaddy
Barakat, 23, his new wife Yusor Mohammad
Abu-Salha, 21, and her 19-year-old sister
Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, who authorities
say were killed by a neighbor in the North
Carolina university town of Chapel Hill.
The alleged shooter, Craig Stephen Hicks,
46, was believed to be strongly opposed to
religion, as his Facebook page showed dozens
of anti-religious posts, including proclamations denouncing Christianity, Mormonism
and Islam. Police said they were investigating
Tuesday’s fatal shootings as a parking dispute,
but victims’ families repeated their belief the
attack was religiously motivated. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation said it had launched a
parallel probe into the killings. Federal prosecutors often look into suspected hate-crime
cases-a conviction for “hate crime” results in a
tougher sentence. “We are definitely certain
that our daughters were targeted for their religion,” the father of the sisters, Mohammad
Abu-Salha, told AFP.
“This is not a parking dispute, these children were executed with shots in the back of
the heads,” he said, surrounded by tearful
family members as they prepared for the final
funeral prayer. “This has hate crime written all
over it and I’m not going to sit down for it,” he
said later before three caskets. He said his
daughter Yusor had complained that Hicks
had harassed her, and appeared at her door to
complain about a parking space with a gun
holstered at his waist. Neighbors recalled
Hicks as troublesome, frequently squabbling
with nearby residents over parking and seen
Americans. “People are very concerned about
what happened. They feel that this is a premeditated hate crime,” Nihad Awad, director
of the Council on American-Islamic Relations,
told AFP. But there were calls for calm and
leaders urged restraint. “It’s time to mourn but
it’s also time to call for harmony and peace,”
the head of the Islamic Association in neighboring Raleigh, Mohamed Elgamal said.
There are some 65,000 Muslims in North
Carolina, which has a population of 9.9 million, and the majority live in the Chapel Hill
area. The killings sparked outrage among
Muslims worldwide, with the Twitter hashtags
#ChapelHillShooting and #MuslimLivesMatter
trending globally. Mohammad Abu-Salha
rejected skewed perceptions of Muslims, and
said the slain youngsters and the support they
garnered were exemplars of the faith. “This is
Islam, it’s not what you hear in the media, it’s
not ‘American Sniper,’” he said, referring to a
film about a shooter killing Islamists in the Iraq
war.
NORTH CAROLINA: Dr Mohammad Abu-Salha (left) the father of Yusor
Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, and Namee
Barakat (center) the father of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, mourn during a funeral service at the Method Road Soccer Complex, Thursday, on the North
Carolina State campus in Raleigh, NC. — AP
with his gun in public, according to local
media reports.
Stoking fear
The killings rattled the Chapel Hill community, fueling fears among some Muslims in the
tight-knit university town, but officials say it
did not appear to be part of a broader antiMuslim campaign. “To be honest, it makes me
more scared because I have two babies so I
don’t even want to imagine,” said Sarah
Alhorani, a former student at University of
North Carolina, where Barakat was a second
year dentistry student. “I was scared to walk
out my door, but I did and I kept going and I
kept my scarf on and you keep moving on,”
said Alhorani, a friend of all three victims.
Some Muslim leaders said the shooting
was a reflection of wider anti-Muslim hostility,
and warned it could sow fear among Muslim-
‘All lives matter’
Relatives and friends honored the trio at a
traditional Muslim service. Tearful crowds followed the funeral hearse to an outdoor service, where thousands gathered to kneel and
pray. “If you loved them, know that we are
proud of them that they are Muslim,” said
Noumann Siddiqui, Islamic Council member.
“All of us, Muslims, Christians and Jews alike
put love in our hearts.
All lives matter.” The victims’ parents wept
as their children were buried, the sisters
together in one grave next to Deah, while
prayers echoed from the crowd. Deah and
Yusor were married on December 27, and the
new bride was set to attend UNC dentistry
school in August. — AFP
US man sentenced
to 70 years in jail
No parole possible for at least 20 years
CARACAS: An opposition demonstrator prepares to throw
a molotov cocktail at police after clashes broke out at a
protest in Caracas, Venezuela. — AP
Violence flares
in Venezuela
CARACAS: Venezuelan security forces faced off with stone-wielding protesters on Thursday as supporters of President Nicolas
Maduro also rallied on the anniversary of last year’s fatal unrest.
The flare-ups, in the volatile western city of San Cristobal and the
capital Caracas, recalled four months of protests and violence in
2014 killing 43 people and underlined just how tense the South
American OPEC nation remains.
In San Cristobal, National Guard soldiers and police fired teargas and buckshot against demonstrators who hurled pipes and
Molotov cocktails when a march was blocked. Five security officials and three demonstrators were hurt in the nearly two-hour
standoff, some shops vandalized, and four students arrested in
San Cristobal, witnesses and authorities said. In Caracas, masked
students blocked a major avenue with burning trash and threw
rocks at police who also fired buckshot in a confrontation still
ongoing as dusk fell. Witnesses said at least half a dozen youths
were arrested in the melee. —Reuters
MISSOULA: A man wasn’t defending
his family but rather hunting someone
when he shot and killed a German
exchange student who was trespassing in his garage, a judge said
Thursday as he sentenced the man to
70 years in prison with no parole possible for at least 20 years. Kaarma’s case
was closely followed in Germany and
brought scrutiny in the US to
Montana’s “stand your ground” law
that allows the use of force to protect
life and property. At least 30 US states
have such laws.
In sentencing Kaarma, the judge
made clear there are strict limits to residents’ rights to use force while claiming self-defense. “Here you have a 12guage shotgun, not to protect your
family but to go after someone. And go
after someone you did,” District Judge
Ed McLean said sternly in sentencing
Markus Kaarma for deliberate homicide
in the April 27 killing of 17-year-old
Diren Dede of Hamburg, Germany.
“You pose too great a risk to society
to be anywhere else but the Montana
State Prison,” McLean said. “Good luck
to you, son.” Kaarma’s attorneys plan
to appeal. They argued he feared for
his life, didn’t know if the intruder was
armed, and was on edge because of
the earlier burglary. Kaarma was convicted in December, and he had faced
a maximum prison term of 100 years.
At trial, they invoked Montana law
allowing people to use deadly force to
defend their property. That law was
expanded in 2009 to allow the use of
force even in cases that don’t involve
violent entry. But Kaarma had to
demonstrate he was reasonably fearful
for his safety.
‘Stand your ground’
The jury concluded he was not. In a
similar case, a Minnesota man was
convicted in May of lying in wait in his
basement for two teenagers and
killing them during a break-in. Florida’s
“stand your ground” law allows the
use of deadly force in more circumstances outside the home. It, too, was
widely scrutinized in the 2012 shooting of an unarmed teenager, Trayvon
Martin, by George Zimmerman, a
neighborhood watch volunteer who
was following the 17-year-old.
Zimmerman was acquitted after arguing self-defense.
Germany does not have a similar
law, which was part of the reason
Kaarma’s case attracted so much
attention there. At trial, prosecutors
argued Kaarma was intent on luring an
intruder into his garage after it was
burglarized at least once before the
shooting. Three witnesses testified
they heard Kaarma say he’d been waiting up nights to shoot an intruder. The
night of the shooting, Kaarma left his
garage door partially open and placed
a purse inside. Alerted by a motion
detector, he entered the darkened
garage and fired four shotgun blasts,
pausing between the third and fourth
shots, witnesses testified.
Lead detective Guy Baker testified
that the first three shots were low and
seemed to follow Dede as he moved
across Kaarma’s garage. The fourth
shot was aimed higher and struck
Dede in the head, Baker said. Dede
was unarmed. “It is justice,” Dede’s
father, Celal Dede, said after the sentence. But he added: “I am not happy.
My son is dead.” Kaarma sat staring
down during much of the proceeding,
occasionally glancing around the
crowded courtroom. He sported buzzcut, dark hair and an orange jail suit.
“I’m sorry my actions caused the death
of Mr. Dede,” he told the judge. — AP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Modi summons
police after Christian
school attack
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday summoned Delhi’s top policeman after a sixth attack
on a Christian building in the capital in the last two
months, fuelling concerns that religious minorities are
being targeted. Suspects broke into a Christian school in
south Delhi yesterday, stole some money, damaged
closed-circuit television cameras and ransacked parts of
the building. Police say they suspect the case is one of
burglary rather than intimidation.
“The prime minister expressed his concern and said this
case must be solved immediately,” said Delhi’s police commissioner, B. S. Bassi. “He said that security must be foolproof so that attacks don’t re-occur.”Political rivals have
accused the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
of exploiting religious divisions since taking power last
May. Hundreds of Christians clashed with police last week,
demanding better government protection.
Religious intolerance in India would have shocked
freedom fighter icon Mahatma Gandhi, US President
Barack Obama said last week. India’s success depended
on its not splintering along religious lines, Obama said on
a visit last month. Even after a spate of attacks, Modi, a
self-proclaimed Hindu nationalist, has yet to publicly
comment on the violence. In a statement yesterday, Modi
said he summoned the Delhi police commissioner to
express concerns over the “rising crime rate in the capital.” There was mention of attacks on churches. Incidents
of arson, vandalism and burglary have been reported
from at least six Christian buildings since December. The
most serious incident was a fire that gutted a church in
north Delhi, which church leaders said had been set deliberately, because of a strong smell of kerosene. — Reuters
Sri Lanka optimistic about
delaying war-crimes report
New govt planning new domestic inquiry
WASHINGTON: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala
Samaraweera said on Thursday he was optimistic about securing a
delay in the release of a UN report on alleged war crimes during
his country’s civil war until the government has had time to establish a new judicial mechanism to deal with the allegations.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with US Secretary of
State John Kerry, whose support is crucial to such a delay,
Samaraweera stressed the decision was one for UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and the
president of the UN rights council.
However, he also said: “I am optimistic.”
Samaraweera said in Washington on Wednesday the new Sri
Lankan government was seeking to delay the scheduled March 25
release of the UN Human Rights Council report until “August ... or
so.” Asked if he was anticipating support from the United States,
Britain and Commonwealth countries, he said: “We hope; we anticipate the support of all our friends in the coming months.”
The UN Human Rights Council voted last March to look into
reports of abuses during the civil war that ended in 2009, saying
the Sri Lankan government had failed to investigate properly.
The United Nations estimated in 2011 that about 40,000 ethnic
Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of the war, most of
them by the army. The government of the majority Sinhalese
country rejected that assertion.
Sri Lanka’s new government, which took power last month,
says it is planning a new domestic inquiry that would bring in
some foreign experts if necessary. It has also invited Zeid to visit to
discuss the issue. Samaraweera has appealed for patience, saying
Sri Lanka was in a period of “fragile transition” that some extremist
elements wanted to derail.
He said the new administration of President Maithripala
Sirisena was “not in a state of denial” about violations and would
ensure those responsible were brought to justice. Samaraweera
also said Sri Lanka would start discussions next week with South
African officials on instituting a “truth-seeking” mechanism, which
would work in parallel to the accountability mechanism.
Speaking alongside Kerry before their talks, Samaraweera said
Sri Lanka hoped to move ties with the United States, which had
become “somewhat strained in the last few years” under former
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, back to “an irreversible state of
excellence.”
“For us ... the United States of America is not a threat, but a
great opportunity,” he said, adding that “the Sri Lankan-U.S. partnership must take into account the island’s strategic location.”
The United States is eager to woo Asian countries to counterbalance an increasingly powerful and assertive China. It had been
concerned by Rajapaksa’s closeness to China and his decision to
allow Chinese submarines to dock in Sri Lanka.
President Barack Obama called Sirisena’s surprise election a
“symbol of hope” for democracy. Kerry said Washington was
“excited” by a 100-day plan Sirisena has announced to roll back a
decade of increasingly authoritarian rule under Rajapaksa.
The issue of the war crimes report is expected to be discussed
at a committee meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on
Monday, when a decision could be taken.
John Sifton, Asia advocacy director of Human Rights Watch,
said his organization did not oppose a delay if the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights felt the time could be used productively to produce a better report and agree on an international
role in the accountability process. He said the best-case scenario
would be a tribunal mechanism that included international staff
with procedural powers, not just as observers. — Reuters
India to resume
talks with Pakistan
NEW DELHI: India is sending its top foreign ministry official to
Pakistan to resume talks after a six-month hiatus.
Taking advantage of the Cricket World Cup, where their
teams play this weekend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi tweeted yesterday he spoke to his Pakistani counterpart
Nawaz Sharif on the phone and offered to further strengthen
ties.
Sharif welcomed the Indian official’s proposed visit to
Pakistan “to discuss all issues of common interest,” Sharif’s
press secretary said in a statement in Islamabad. No dates
have been announced for the visit.
Modi also said he spoke to leaders of some of India’s other
neighbors - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan - all cricket-mad nations participating in the sports competition being
jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“Conveyed my best wishes for the Cricket World Cup,”
Modi said. India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar is also
scheduled to visit Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan
apart from Pakistan, Modi said.
Last August, India called off talks with Pakistan after its
ambassador in New Delhi met with Kashmiri separatist leaders, saying the Pakistani official could either talk with India, or
talk with the rebels.
The setback came shortly after India and Pakistan had
agreed to resume talks in May when Sharif attended Modi’s
inauguration. As tensions increased, Indian and Pakistani
troops exchanged fire regularly in the disputed Kashmir
region.
India and Pakistan have used “cricket diplomacy” to break
past impasses. Then-Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani met with then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
in 2011 during a World Cup cricket match in the northern city
of Chandigarh, using the same cover employed in 2005 by
then-President Pervez Musharraf for a meeting with Singh
during an India-Pakistan cricket match.
Then-President Ziaul Haq visited Jaipur, India, to watch a
cricket match between the two countries in the 1980s.Since
their independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan
have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir. Both countries control parts of the Himalayan region and claim it in its
entirety. — AP
BANGALORE: Rescuers and onlookers gather around damaged coaches of a derailed train near Anekal, about 40 kilometers south of Bangalore, India, yesterday. — AP
Train derails after hitting
boulder in India, killing 11
BANGALORE: A train derailed after hitting a boulder that had fallen on the track in southern India yesterday, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens, officials said. Railways Minister Suresh
Prabu said the boulder fell down an incline and derailed nine
coaches and one food car.
At least 42 people were hospitalized, including 17 in serious
condition, after the accident near Bangalore, the capital of southern Karnataka state, police officer Ranbir Sharma said. Rescuers
used gas cutters to open one badly crushed coach on the
Bangalore-Ernakulam Intercity Express to remove passengers
trapped inside, said Amar Nath, a bank executive who was on
board. “The train came to a screeching halt and I thought that it
may have hit something,” said Nath, who was unhurt. Accidents
are common on India’s vast rail network, which carries 23 million
people every day. They are often attributed to human and equipment errors. — AP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Popular Vietnamese communist party official dies
HANOI: A widely admired senior figure in Vietnam’s ruling communist party, Nguyen Ba Thanh, who enjoyed
rare personal popularity in a nation better known for
bureaucratic apparatchiks, died yesterday from cancer,
an official said. The 61-year-old was the former top official in central Danang, and helped transform the coastal
city into a tourism and investment hub by cutting corruption and red tape.
“He died Friday of cancer. We tried our best but he
could not make it,” Luong Minh Sam, an official at the
Danang People’s Committee told AFP. “The people of
Danang will always love him for his great contributions
to this city,” he added. Thanh had been unwell since
May and had spent much of last year outside of
Vietnam, receiving medical treatment in Singapore and
the United States.After his return in January there was
an explosion of online rumours that Thanh-who headed
the communist party’s main anti-corruption body-was
poisoned with a radioactive substances by a political
rival.
Vietnamese authorities issued a rare denial, saying
he had myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of cancer.
Unusually for a communist party official, Thanh was
popular with the public. Known as “the King of Danang”
he was a larger-than-life figure, admired by foreign
investors and market vendors alike.
Vietnam expert Jonathan London, of Hong Kong’s
City University said Thanh had overseen a “remarkable”
transformation in Danang-his native city. “He was a rare
commodity in Vietnamese politics: an entrepreneurial
and pragmatic political conservative with a strong
record of experimentation and achievement,” London
said, adding that his political ascent fell short of expectations when he failed to win a Politburo seat in 2012.
Hundreds of people gathered near his house in
Danang to pay their respects to the man who led the
city from 1997 to 2013 and helped it develop a vibrant
tourism industry and emerge as a growing tech hub.
State-run Tuoi Tre newspaper said that the funeral
would begin Saturday and end Wednesday next week,
ahead of the lunar new year Thursday.
“The country has lost a talented official with a warm
heart,” wrote Nguyen Hong Cuong on the state-run
VNExpress website, one of thousands of comments
posted online expressing sorrow for his death.—AFP
Thai land rights
activist murdered
BANGKOK: A land rights campaigner
was gunned down outside his home in
southern Thailand, police said Friday,
in what the UN said is the fourth killing
linked to land activism in the region in
under a year.
Chai Bunthonglek, a village leader
from the Khlong Sai Pattana community in the southern Surat Thani
province, was shot dead by two gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle on
Wednesday evening, police said.
“He was shot three times and died
instantly at the scene,” Lieutenant
Chawalit Thongma at the Chaiburi district police station told AFP, adding
that investigators were focusing on his
activism as the main motive for his
killing.
The UN’s regional human rights
body called on police to swiftly find
Chai’s killers, adding that the murder
of activists in southern Thailand had
become all too common.
“Alarmingly, Chai is also the fourth
human rights defender who works on
land rights in the south of Thailand
that has been killed since May 2014,”
the United Nations Human Rights
Office for South East Asia (OHCHR) said
in a statement.
The OHCHR said the Khlong Sai
Pattana community had been involved
in a long running dispute with a large
palm oil plantation over access to land.
Three other members of the community have been killed since 2010.
“Despite the police investigation,
no one has been brought to justice for
these murders,” the statement read.
Enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of activists in Thailand are
commonplace, with few killers facing
justice.
According to the Asian Federation
Against Involuntary Disappearances
there are at least 81 open cases of
enforced disappearance in Thailand
dating back as far the mid-1990s.
One case that has largely flown
under the international radar is that of
Por Cha Lee Rakcharoen, a Karen rights
activist also known as Billy, who was
apprehended by national park officials
in Thailand on April 17, ostensibly for
illegal honey gathering.
He was en route to meet fellow
ethnic minority Karen villagers to
help them file a lawsuit accusing
authorities of torching the homes of
20 families in Kaeng Krachan National
Park in 2011. — AFP
MANILA: More than 3,000 students, teachers and nuns from the Catholic-run
St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, dance at their campus to take part in the
global campaign to end violence against women and girls dubbed One Billion
Rising yesterday in Manila, Philippines. — AP
MYANMAR: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) attends celebrations to mark the 100th birthday
of the country’s independence hero, her father Aung San, in the remote central Myanmar town of Natmauk
yesterday. — AFP
As polls loom, Suu Kyi leads
rally honouring hero father
Dozens of Myanmar troops killed fighting rebels
NATMAUK: Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi addressed a
crowd of thousands yesterday in the biggest celebrations honouring her independence hero father in memory, underscoring her legacy months before leading the
opposition to momentous elections.
In scenes reminiscent of her triumphant election campaign three years ago, Suu Kyi addressed a huge crowd
in her father’s central Myanmar birthplace, with many
supporters waving her party flag or portraits of Aung San
as an earnest young revolutionary in a military cap.
“If we want to inherit from my father, we have to build
a real democratic nation,” said an emotional Suu Kyi,
adding that his “sincerity” had ensured his legacy
endured. Known affectionately as “Bogyoke”, or General,
Aung San is adored in Myanmar and credited with
unshackling the country from colonial rule and embracing its ethnic minorities in a vision of unity that unravelled catastrophically in the military-dominated decades
that followed his assassination.
Suu Kyi was just two at the time of his death in 1947.
Yesterday, state media said 47 soldiers had been
killed in recent clashes with rebels in the Kokang region
near the Chinese border, a conflict which had been largely dormant for nearly six years. Myanmar’s quasi-civilian
regime, which took power in 2011 after decades of military rule, has put ending those conflicts at the heart of its
reform drive. But their hopes to sign a comprehensive
ceasefire have been undermined by a recent uptick in
fighting with a multitude of rebel groups, particularly in
northern Kachin and Shan states.
Thursday’s rally marking the centenary of Aung San’s
birth in Natmauk-a remote town nestled in the dusty
plains of central Myanmar-is the centrepiece of countrywide celebrations that are far more extensive than previ-
ous years. People camped out overnight to see “the
Lady”, as Suu Kyi is known, many sleeping on the ground
in the local pagoda, on roadsides or in their cars in the
farming town.
The celebrations come as Myanmar awaits a breakthrough general election later this year seen as a crucial
test of the country’s emergence from military rule.
Images of Aung San have been deeply entwined with
the political rise of his Nobel laureate daughter since her
release from house arrest over four years ago.
Family affair
Suu Kyi frequently referenced her family link while
campaigning for the 2012 by-election that swept her into
parliament for the first time.
“Being the daughter of Bogyoke Aung San is one of
the reasons that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has reached the
position she is in today. It’s not the only reason, but it is
one of them,” Nyan Win, the spokesman for Suu Kyi’s
National League for Democracy, told AFP. Daw is a term
of respect in Myanmar.
Nyan Win said that with a poll date yet to be
announced, campaigning has not officially begun and
the party is not yet in election mode.
“It’s logical for politicians to try to draw some kind of
support or inspiration from what he (Aung San) did,” said
Trevor Wilson, an academic at Australian National
University and former ambassador to Myanmar.
But he said no single party had “exclusive rights” to
the former leader, who is also seen as the father of the
country’s powerful army. Public reverence for Aung San
was kept muted under the junta that kept his daughter
locked up for the best part of two decades, away from
her two sons and dying husband.—AFP
INTERNATIONAL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Chinese man rams car into US Consulate in Shanghai
BEIJING: A Chinese man rammed a car into a barrier in
front of the US Consulate in Shanghai and injured an
armed police officer, local authorities said yesterday.
Shanghai police said the man, identified as 35-yearold Liu Daojie, was placed in custody and told officials
that he felt he was being chased by assassins and needed to get some attention.
Liu was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at
the time of the incident late Thursday, and the case was
still under investigation, police said on their official
microblog site.
Shanghai’s government said Liu’s wife told police that
he had refused to leave home for about a month over
fears of being assassinated, and that a doctor had told
him not to fantasize. She told police that they had gone
to get medical treatment for him in Suzhou and he left
had their hotel on Thursday afternoon saying he had to
do some business, the city government said in a statement.
All foreign embassies and consulates, as well as major
Chinese government buildings, are guarded by armed
paramilitary police. The consulate and the US Embassy in
Beijing did not immediately respond to requests for
comment. — AP
China plans big
military parades
under Xi Jinping
BEIJING: Chinese troops are rehearsing for a major parade in
September where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is
expected to unveil new homegrown weapons in the first of a
series of public displays of military might planned during
President Xi Jinping’s tenure, sources said. China will hold up
to four PLA parades in the coming years in the face of what
Beijing sees as a more assertive Japan under Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe, who wants to ease the fetters imposed on
Tokyo’s defence policy by a post-war, pacifist constitution.
The parades are also intended to show that Xi has full
control over the armed forces amid a sweeping crackdown
on military graft that has targeted top generals and caused
some disquiet in the ranks, a source close to the Chinese
leadership and a source with ties to the military told Reuters.
As military chief, Xi will review the parades and be saluted
by PLA commanders during events expected to be broadcast
nationwide.
“Military parades will be the ‘new normal’ during Xi’s (two
5-year) terms,” the source with leadership ties said, referring
to the phrase “xin changtai” coined by Xi to temper economic growth expectations in China. The frequency of the
parades would be a break from recent tradition. Xi’s predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, only held a military
parade in 1999 and 2009 respectively to mark the founding
of the People’s Republic in 1949.
The military parade to be held on Sept. 3 in Beijing would
mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two. It
would be Xi’s first since he took over as Communist Party
and military chief in late 2012 and state president in early
2013.Troops were already drilling in secret on the outskirts of
Beijing for the event, said the sources, who requested
anonymity to avoid repercussions for speaking to foreign
media.
The sources had no details on the new weapons that
would be displayed, but China has an ambitious high-tech
development programme, including anti-satellite and antiaircraft carrier missiles as well as stealth fighter jets.
Lieutenant-General Song Puxuan, former president of the
Chinese National Defense University and who was appointed
commander of the Beijing Military Region in January, would
lead the September parade, the source with leadership ties
said.
Graft in cross-hairs
China would also hold a military parade on Oct. 1, 2019 to
celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic and
was contemplating two more to mark the 90th anniversary
of the PLA on Aug. 1, 2017 and the 100th anniversary of the
party on July 1, 2021, the sources said.
“Military parades are to demonstrate Xi is in control over
the military and boost morale,” said the source with ties to
the PLA.
Xi is waging the boldest war on corruption in China in
decades, especially in the military, a risky move because it
has hurt morale and could spiral out of control, undermining
his and the party’s grip on power, experts have said.
The most senior military figure under investigation is
General Xu Caihou, who retired as vice chairman of the state
Central Military Commission in 2013. That probe has focused
on the widespread selling of military promotions.
Serving and retired Chinese military officers have said
graft in the PLA is so pervasive it could undermine China’s
ability to wage war.—Reuters
BEIJING: Delegates from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) march from Tiananmen Square to the Great Hall of the People
to attend sessions of National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in Beijing. A new military policy in China requires all personnel to meet weight limits and links promotions to fitness. — AP
Australian police, prayer
hall were attack ‘targets’
Counter-terrorism investigators dispatched overseas violent acts
SYDNEY: Police and a prayer hall were among potential targets for attack uncovered by police investigating two alleged
terrorists seized in Sydney with an Islamic State flag this week,
Australian police said yesterday.
Officers said Wednesday they had thwarted an imminent
terror attack which was “consistent with the messaging coming out of IS” when they arrested Omar Al-Kutobi and
Mohammad Kiad in a raid in western Sydney.
Counter-terrorism investigators have since been dispatched overseas, Australian Federal Police and their New
South Wales counterparts said yesterday, without detailing
where they have been sent.
“As a consequence of those ongoing investigations, further
information obtained has indicated a number of targets on
Australian soil,” they said.
“Those investigations have verified information that there
were threats to police and also a prayer hall in Sydney.” Police
said there was no specified threat to a police facility or officer
while counter-terrorism officers confirmed the proposed
threat to the prayer hall had been abandoned.
Al-Kutobi and Kiad, arrested in a raid by the Joint Counter
Terrorism Taskforce after a tip-off, have been charged with
making preparations for a terrorist act.
An Islamic State flag, a machete, a hunting knife and an
Arabic-language video detailing the apparent plot were also
seized in the raid, police said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott told parliament this week that
the video allegedly showed one suspect kneeling in front of
an IS flag, with a knife and machete, threatening to undertake
violent acts.
“He went on to say... ‘I swear to almighty Allah, blonde people, there is no room for blame between you and us. We only
are you, stabbing the kidneys and striking the necks’,” Abbott
said.
The two accused, who are reportedly devout Muslims, are
expected to apply for bail next month, Australian Associated
Press said.
In September, Australia raised its terror threat level and carried out extensive raids in Sydney and Brisbane to disrupt an
alleged plot by IS supporters to abduct and behead a random
member of the public.
Three months later a self-styled Muslim cleric, Man Haron
Monis, took 17 people hostage for some 16 hours at a cafe in
Sydney.
The stand-off ended after he shot dead cafe manager Tori
Johnson, prompting police to storm the building and kill him.
Another hostage died from a stray police bullet, or bullet fragments. — AFP
Harvard grads lead
IPO class of 2014
16
Brazil’s trade chief
sees no US tax treaty
18
Business
Australian rates will
not go to zero: CB
19
17
Germany helps eurozone
economy pick up speed
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
ATHENS: People walk past the Bank of Greece headquarters, in central Athens, yesterday. Greek stocks led a European market rally yesterday amid hopes that the new government is inching
toward a deal with eurozone creditors that could lighten its bailout terms and keep it from falling out of the currency bloc. — AP
Greece starts bailout talks as hopes rise
Shares rally on hopes for debt deal with eurozone
BRUSSELS: Greece began tough negotiations with its creditors yesterday as hopes grew of a deal to replace its detested bailout after
new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras pushed his case at a European
summit. Officials from Athens held technical discussions with the
EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank in
Brussels ahead of a last-ditch meeting of eurozone finance ministers
on Monday.European and Asian stock markets rose Friday on the
more positive mood after hard-left leader Tsipras met German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, the leader of Europe’s biggest economy,
and other counterparts in Brussels. Tsipras vowed after his election
in January to replace the current 240-billion-euro ($270-billion) EUIMF bailout with its heavy austerity measures, and to ditch the socalled troika of its creditors.
But with the Greek rescue programme due to expire at the end
of the month, time is running out to prevent a possible Greek
default and a potentially catastrophic exit from the 19-country eurozone. A senior EU official closely involved in Friday’s technical-level
talks said that a new bailout programme was an option, despite the
insistence of Greece’s eurozone counterparts until now that Athens
stick to the current rescue package.
“It is not crucial to extend. One could also agree that one will
commence discussions on a new programme,” the EU official said
on condition of anonymity. “I would not exclude it.”
Cautious optimism
While the Greek negotiators are meeting the same group of
creditors they have vowed to abandon, the EU official also raised the
possibility of a new format, or at the very least a new name for the
group. “There is no desire on anybody’s part necessarily to call it the
‘troika’,” he said. There was cautious optimism yesterday in Greece,
which has suffered from the harsh austerity measures imposed
under the international bailouts that have kept it from bankruptcy
since 2010.
Greek stocks were up 4.65 percent, even though new data
showed Greece’s recovery from recession stalled in the last quarter
of 2014 amid the political crisis that led to Tsipras’s election and the
ouster of the conservative government. “Bridge of dialogue,” wrote
centre-left Ethnos daily while liberal Kathimerini saw a “window of
opportunity for compromise.” But the new Greek government
warned against premature celebration.
“We don’t want to spread enthusiasm before the deal is done,”
government spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis told Antenna TV.
“Greeks should understand that this is a critical and difficult negotiation, the pressure is enormous.”
In the face of tough opposition from Germany, as well as other
former bailout countries like Ireland and Portugal that do not see
why Greece should get an easy ride, Tsipras had taken a tough tone
after his first European summit “Greece will not blackmail or be
blackmailed,” he said. But the rhetoric appeared to mask some compromise, as he said that he discussed the possibility of a six-month
bridging programme to give Greece time to work on a different programme that would be acceptable to its creditors.
Merkel suggests compromise
Merkel, Europe’s queen of austerity, suggested at the summit that a “compromise” was possible and spoke of a “friendly”
encounter with Tsipras, during which they shook hands in
front of the cameras. It was all a far cry from a bad-tempered
meeting of eurozone finance ministers the day before, which
broke up without even issuing a joint statement on the way
ahead.
In Brussels yesterday, negotiators were poring over Greece’s
plans to “show where there are areas of overlap and areas of
underlap” with its creditors before Monday’s eurozone meeting.
Next week with the eurozone meeting on Monday is seen as
the crucial time for a deal otherwise there will be little time to
get any compromise passed by eurozone countries’ parliaments.
Under the Greek proposals, Athens would stick to 70 percent
of the bailout programme but it would overhaul the remaining
30 percent which it sees as damaging to growth and toxic for
ordinary Greeks. Athens also proposes debt swaps based on
economic performance as the Greek economy moves out of
recession.
But Europgroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said yesterday he
is “pessimistic” about reaching any quick deal with Greece.
“The Greeks have sky-high ambitions. The possibilities, given
the state of the Greek economy, are limited,” said Dijsselbloem,
who is the Dutch finance minister. “I don’t know if we’ll get
there by Monday.” — AFP
BUSINESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Browse, click, pay: African retail finds growing outlet online
KAMPALA/ACCRA: Young Ghanaian entrepreneur Nana
Tamakloe could hardly have a simpler business plan.
When people order clothes from his website, he buys the
items from stalls and shops in Accra, ships them with DHL
and gets paid online.
His suppliers love him as a regular customer and don’t
care that he doubles their prices to cover his costs. “Most
of the clothes sellers and tailors don’t have a way to reach
clients abroad, so I was like: ‘Let’s create an e-commerce
platform,’” said Tamakloe, whose www.fashionghana.
com website serves customers in the West and some in
Africa. Tamakloe’s business is small but he is tapping into
a market manufacturers and internet companies say will
be big: online retail in Africa.
The backdrop is simple. The growth of Africa’s middle
class has created demand for products that conventional
retail struggles to satisfy due to a shortage of malls and
grinding traffic in many cities that deters shoppers.
At the same time, giants such as Amazon and Chinese
e-commerce firm Alibaba are out of reach for most consumers. Step forward companies who tailor their service
to African markets. The sector is still in its infancy. The
internet’s contribution to Africa’s gross domestic product
stood at 1.1 percent in 2013, much lower than other
emerging markets. But this could rise to 10 percent, or
$300 billion, by 2025, according to a report by consultants
McKinsey’s & Company.
Even in South Africa, the market leader, online retail
sales are less than 1 percent of total sales, said Arthur
Goldstuck of market research firm World Wide Worx.
Last year, hedge fund Tiger Global invested $100 million in South African online shopping company Takealot.
The German firm Rocket Internet also ploughed 120 million euro in Nigeria-based online retailer Jumia in
November. Rocket, emerging markets telecoms group
Millicom and MTN own Africa Internet Group (AIG), an ecommerce company that operates in 27 countries and
has firms that include Jumia and Lamudi, a site to trade
real estate. The newness of the sector creates a scramble
for dominance and consumer choice. If a customer wants
to trade second hand goods then OLX, owned by South
African media and technology giant Naspers, provides an
service online. If it is Western goods, then Mall of Africa
facilitates that online in Nigeria as does e-commerce store
Konga.
Fear of fraud
Inevitably, the sector is growing quickest in subSaharan Africa’s sturdier economies and fastest of all in
South Africa, where retail resembles that of South East
Asian countries with its more developed e-commerce
sector, experts said.
But the potential in countries such as Kenya, Uganda,
Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal is such that
online retailers say their main aim is not to beat their competitors so much as to grab a bigger slice of the overall
retail market. “Becoming number one is not difficult. The
real objective is to be the leader across online and offline,”
said Jeremy Hodara, co-chief executive of AIG.
Expansion requires attracting new customers, allaying
fears of fraud, building trading platforms and mastering
delivery networks, all on a continent where few use credit
cards. African e-commerce firms take cash payments on
receipt of goods to overcome this hurdle.
It also means persuading vendors that online sales can
boost trade. That’s why Justin Christianson’s job as
Uganda manager for online retailer Kaymu involves wading through the dusty maze of downtown Kampala to
convince wary shopkeepers that selling their wares online
can give them an edge.
Kaymu got off to a slow start in Uganda but, by June, it
was processing transactions worth 43,000 euros ($48,857)
a month and that figure quadrupled by December,
Christianson said. Even so, many Ugandans remain cautious.—Reuters
Gold edges up on
dollar but heads for
third weekly drop
LONDON: Gold rose yesterday as the dollar weakened
on disappointing US data, but prices were heading for a
third week of losses on expectations of higher US interest rates and hopes of a deal between Greece and its
creditors. Spot gold rose 0.3 percent to $1,225.60 an
ounce by 1045 GMT. The metal hit a five-week low of
$1,216.45 in the previous session, before rebounding on
a softer dollar.
US gold for April delivery edged up $4.70 at $1,225.30
an ounce. “We are in a holding pattern between $1,150
and $1,300 just because there isn’t enough clarity
around when the Fed is going to be hiking interest rates
and what is going to be happening with Greece,” ING
Bank senior strategist said.
“So until we see what is going to happen in the long
term, gold is likely to remain in this range.”
A weaker dollar after bleak US economic data on
retail sales and jobless claims was supporting gold by
making the dollar-denominated asset cheaper for holders of other currencies.
However, yesterday’s strength was not enough to offset bullion’s weekly losses, which were set to come in at
around 0.5 percent.
The outlook for the dollar remained upbeat despite
the current pause in its long-term rally, as many
investors continued to price in an interest rate hike by
the Federal Reserve some time this year.
Any hike by the Fed, which has kept rates near zero
since 2008 to stimulate the US economy, could hurt
demand for bullion, a non-interest-bearing asset.
Stronger European shares after robust growth figures
from Germany were also keeping gold’s upside in check.
Equity markets had been hit by confusion over Greece’s
debt negotiations and its future in the euro zone, which
had in turn lifted retail demand for the metal in Europe.
Greece agreed on Thursday to talk to its creditors
about the way out of its international bailout.
Holding in the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 0.23 percent to
771.51 tonnes on Thursday.
In the physical markets, Chinese buying remained stable ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday next week.
Premiums on the Shanghai Gold Exchange traded
unchanged on the day at $3-$4 an ounce yesterday.
Silver rose 0.2 percent to $16.86 an ounce. Platinum
gained 0.5 percent at $1,197.24 an ounce, while palladium was up 0.8 percent at $777.95 an ounce. — Reuters
CAMBRIDGE: In this May 29, 2014 file photo, graduates from the Harvard Law School wave gavels and cheer during Harvard
University commencement ceremonies, in Cambridge, Mass. The Ivy League school is the alma mater for seven chief executives who led their companies’ IPOs in 2014. — AP
Harvard grads lead
IPO class of 2014
Harvard’s performance wasn’t a fluke
NEW YORK: Harvard is top of the IPO class for 2014. The Ivy League
school is the alma mater for seven chief executives who led their companies’ IPOs last year. That’s more than twice the amount of the next
highest schools in the rankings, according to figures from Equilar, an
executive compensation data firm. Harvard’s performance wasn’t a
fluke. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has led the rankings for
at least the last three years, according to Equilar.
Tied for second place last year were Columbia University, Stanford
University, Texas Tech University and University of North Carolina.
Each school produced three CEOs who took their companies public.
The seven newly publicly traded companies led by Harvard
alumni range from online bank Ally Financial to pharmaceutical
company Kite Pharma. The group notched an average gain of 74
percent from the date of their market debut to the end of the year.
By comparison, the FTSE Renaissance US IPO index, which tracks
the performance of US initial public offerings, gained 9.6 percent
last year. The average gain of the companies led by Harvardschooled CEOs was also better than that of other schools. The IPOs
led by former University of North Carolina students rose an average
of 39 percent. Stanford graduates posted an average gain of 37
percent. Texas Tech University graduates saw an average increase
of nearly 7 percent, while IPOs led by Columbia alumni had an aver-
age loss of almost 3 percent. The Harvard executives are following
one of the school’s most famous students. Mark Zuckerberg,
founder and CEO of Facebook, studied computer science at the
school from September 2002 to May 2004 before leaving to focus
on the social networking company. Facebook raised about $16 billion in its market debut in 2012.
Focus
Among the Harvard graduates who oversaw IPOs in 2014, two
earned undergraduate degrees, one completed a residency at
Harvard Medical School, while four earned graduate degrees, including two who studied at Harvard Business School. Thomas Eisenmann,
a professor at the business school, says that the program has been
placing an emphasis on entrepreneurship for at least a decade. “It’s a
very strong focus for us,” he said, noting that almost half of the
school’s alumni have started at least one company. Kent Bennett, a
partner at venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners, started at
Harvard Business School in 2006 and says the school had not yet
launched a lot of the formal entrepreneurship programs that now
exist. Still, he said, a lot of students wanted to start their own companies, and stories about others who attended Harvard and made
names for themselves were motivating.—AP
BUSINESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
KIB becomes first bank to obtain ISO 27001 certification
Basil Al-Suwaidan
Brent hovers
near $60,
up almost
4% on week
BEIJING: Benchmark Brent crude hovered
around $60 in Asia yesterday, up almost 4
percent this week as news of deeper
industry spending cuts and a sinking US
dollar revived buying.
Brent crude for April delivery was trading up 95 cents at $60.23 by 0704 GMT,
after briefly gaining more than $1.
March Brent futures, which expired
overnight, rose more than 4 percent to
$57.05 on Thursday, following a 3-percent
loss in the previous day’s session.
US crude futures were up 77 cents at
$51.98, following similar swings earlier in
the week.
“Brent April 15 seem to be trending
very near to the resistance of $60.40 suggesting that it would more likely trend
downwards as prices consolidate after yesterday’s rise,” Daniel Ang of Phillip Futures
in Singapore wrote in a note.
Wang Tao, a market analyst at Reuters,
said Brent would test resistance at $63.40.
Asian markets were buoyed by news of
a ceasefire in Ukraine and plans for a meeting between Greece officials and creditors.
German quarterly gross domestic product growth came in on Friday higher than
forecast, potentially adding support to
prices. Eurozone GDP is due later in the
day.
Oil price volatility this week reached its
highest level since the financial crisis, jolting traders who had been adjusting to a
period of predictable declines following a
near 60-percent crude crash between June
and January.
The discount for West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) versus Brent crude also
expanded to around $7.33 a barrel <CLLCO1=R> intraday, the widest in five
months, as US oil tanks swelled.
French energy major Total on Thursday
became the latest to announce investment and job cuts following a near-halving of oil prices since June.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Shell
warned that supply might not be able to
keep up with growing demand as companies slash budgets.
Apache Corp, a top US shale oil producer, said it would slash capital expenditures and its rig count in 2015 as the
collapse of crude oil prices prompts it to
slow drilling, keeping output growth
mostly flat. — Reuters
KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank announced
that it has been awarded ISO 27001:2013 certification, the most widely recognized, internationally accepted security standard and benchmark
developed for Information Security Management
Systems.
The ISO 27001 standard requires organizations to follow a systematic approach to managing critical data and ensuring the information
security of its customer data and information. KIB
says it has become the first Bank in Kuwait to
gain the latest version of the ISO 27001 standard,
and this remarkable achievement is part of a
series of the Bank’s accomplishment for effectively implementing and maintaining an
Information Security Management System
(ISMS).
Earning the prestigious ISO standard in
Information Security Management System verifies that the bank meets the highest level in
information security methodology and has a
robust set of policies, processes and controls in
place to ensure secure protection of its customer
information and information assets.
According to Basil Al-Suwaidan, Head of
Information Security at KIB, explained that the
Bank’s latest achievement reinforces its commitment to meeting the highest international banking standards and shall continue striving to
ensure customer data is protected.
KIB’s ISO standard compliance, along with its
award winning Islamic banking services, reflect
the Bank’s core values and business philosophy,
while assuring customers that their information
data is safeguarded from all threats. Al-Suwaidan
noted that the Bank will exert all efforts to continue the latest security benchmark, to assure
secure banking and customer satisfaction.
KIB’s compliance with the ISO standard was
certified by Bureau Veritas, a global company
and leader in Testing, Inspection and
Certification (TIC) and member of ISO
(International Organization for Standardization).
Bureau Veritas is recognized and accredited by
major national and international organizations.
Germany helps eurozone
economy pick up speed
Emerging-markets stocks at one-week high
LONDON: A forecast-smashing growth reading from Germany sent stock
markets higher and low-rated bond yields lower yesterday, putting global
equities on track for a second straight week of gains.
The euro edged higher, on course for a third week of gains, its best performance in just under a year against the dollar.
Germany’s economy grew by a much stronger than expected 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter, a figure described by one economist as a “thunderbolt” that pointed to a stronger 2015 and that would fuel optimism for
the broader euro zone economy.
The news added to optimism over Greece’s debt stand-off with its
creditors, as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras agreed to meet their representatives ahead of a much-anticipated gathering of euro zone finance ministers on Monday. Better-than-expected sales from cosmetics firm L’Oreal
also cheered investors. “The surprisingly robust figure from Germany is
fuelling the hopes that Europe is finally turning the corner,” said Saxo Bank
trader Pierre Martin. “With the excellent earnings season we have, we just
needed a bit of improvement on the macro front to revive the rally, and
now we have it.”
The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 equity index rose 0.6 percent and
hit a seven-year high, while the German DAX index hit a record high. The
MSCI All-Country World index was up 0.4 percent, heading for a second
straight week of gains. Increased confidence in a recovery saw investors
turn to lower-rated debt, with yields on Portuguese, Italian and Spanish
10-year bonds down while their German equivalents rose slightly.
Greek borrowing costs also fell and shares rose, with Greek bank stocks
sharply up between 12 and 16 percent as investors held out hope that
next week’s meeting could see Athens reach a deal with its creditors.
The positive mood followed on from a rally in Asia, where shares
soared on news of a ceasefire accord in Ukraine and risk appetite got a lift
from Sweden’s interest-rate cut. Emerging-markets stocks were at a oneweek high, heading for a second straight week of gains, with Russian dollar-denominated stocks at a two-month high.
London copper prices hit a three-week high, buoyed by a weaker dollar, while Brent crude hovered around $60 a barrel, up almost 4 percent
this week as news of deeper industry spending cuts and a sinking US dollar revived buying. — Reuters
FRANKFURT: Traders work in front of a board displaying the chart of the German share index DAX at the stock exchange in Frankfurt am Main,
western Germany, yesterday. The German DAX blue-chip stock index hit 11,000 points for the first time, driven by positive economic data and
news that Greece appears closer to a possible overhaul of its bailout. — AFP
BUSINESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Cyprus slips deeper into recession
NICOSIA: Cyprus’s recession deepened in the fourth
quarter of 2014 as gross domestic product shrank by 0.7
percent from the previous three-month period, official
data showed yesterday. The Mediterranean island suffered a 14th successive quarterly economic contraction,
according to a flash estimate from the state statistical
service. It was the steepest fall in more than a year and followed a third quarter decline of 0.3 percent.
Real GDP, based on seasonally and working-day
adjusted data, shrank 1.9 percent in the fourth quarter
from a year earlier.
In July-September the economy contracted 1.8 percent year-on-year. The European Commission in
November cut its 2015 economic growth forecast for
Cyprus to 0.4 percent, from a previous estimate 0.9 percent, due to high unemployment and bad debt.
The state statistical service said yesterday there were
positive growth rates in hotels, restaurants, legal and
accounting services and trade in the fourth quarter. But
there was a contraction in many other sectors including
construction, manufacturing, transport, banking and other services. The troika of international lenders-the
European Commission, the European Central Bank and
the International Monetary Fund-bailed out Cyprus in
March 2013 to prevent a banking collapse.
In return Cyprus agreed to a harsh austerity programme. — AFP
Brazil’s trade chief
sees no US tax treaty
in short term
WASHINGTON: Brazilian Trade Minister Armando Monteiro said on
Thursday he does not see much chance of agreeing on a tax treaty
with the United States in the short term. In an interview during a visit
to Washington, his first overseas trip as minister, Monteiro said double taxation, which was discussed during a meeting with US Trade
Representative Michael Froman, was a complicated issue.
A tax treaty would eliminate double taxation of income, something which currently acts as a disincentive for US firms interested in
setting up or investing in Brazil. “I don’t see much possibility of progressing further with this question in the short term,” he said, after
talks with US officials which focused on trade facilitation and regulatory convergence between the two countries.
Monteiro did not hold out much hope of resolving the issue during a presidential visit, noting that there was no date set for President
Dilma Rousseff to visit the United States. But he said there could be
progress on other issues, for example exports of Brazilian beef to the
United States, in the lead-up to such a visit. “The conditions are there
and present to move towards an agreement,” Monteiro said.
He dismissed the prospect that a corruption scandal at flagship oil
company Petrobras might put US firms off investing in Latin
America’s largest economy, saying there were plenty of opportunities, particularly in infrastructure.
Petrobras is ensnared in a huge graft and bribery scheme, with
former executives accused of conspiring with construction and engineering firms to overcharge for projects and then kick money back to
political parties, including Rousseff’s own Workers Party.
The government has vowed to rein in government spending and
Monteiro said government export programs could be cut back,
although they would not be scrapped.
Monteiro also said he would seek to renew Brazil’s auto quota
agreement with Mexico, albeit with some changes.—Reuters
HAMBURG: Stefan Heidenreich, chairman of German cosmetics company Beiersdorf, poses with a jar of Nivea cream on
the sidelines of the company’s annual press conference yesterday in Hamburg, northern Germany. Beiersdorf said that
profits fell in 2014 as a result of the difficult market environment, but it remains “cautiously optimistic” for 2015. — AFP
ROME: Workers of one of the large number of small companies which supply the Italy’s Ilva steel plant, protest demanding their unpaid wages by the company, in front of the parliament in Rome, yesterday. Ilva steel plant in Taranto in the
Puglia region of southern Italy one of the most polluting in Europe, employs over 14,000 people. — AFP
Trendy markets help transform
Johannesburg’s feared downtown
‘Every stall has got quality stuff’
JOHANNESBURG: A former dynamite factory and an ex-parking
lot-these are some of the unlikely settings for Johannesburg’s
bustling weekend markets which are helping turn a once-dangerous downtown into a multiracial melting pot.
Dolly Louw, a young black actress from Soweto, finds the markets an ideal place to “mix and play”. “There’s no discrimination,
there’s nothing, just people having fun and socialising, networking, getting to know each other, which I think is beautiful,” said
Louw. Neighbourgoods Market - which is held every Saturday in a
former parking lot of the popular and historic Braamfontein district-is famous for its food and drink.
From craft beers, wine, cheese and fresh coconut milk to ice
cream, pancakes, pesto, samosas, dim sum and gourmet hotdogs,
the choice is enormous. “Every stall has got quality stuff,” said
Werner Mennen, a lawyer who has come with a friend from a distant suburb of the city. But it is more than a traditional food market. It is about a new culture.
“It’s an unique experience in Johannesburg,” added Mennen.
Fashionista Elisma van der Merwe comes here “to unwind and
experience the urban lifestyle of Johannesburg, and the good
food and the craft beer.” Here, one could be forgiven for forgetting that race relations are still strained in South Africa more than
20 years after the end of apartheid.
People from many walks of life sit around long dining tables
placed in the middle of the room-in the true spirit of the “rainbow
nation”.
Chamandri Pillay has driven 60 kilometres (37 miles) from
Pretoria, along with work mates from an insurance company, for a
team-building outing in the historic parts of a city built on gold
mining. A crime wave in the 1990s drove big businesses and
whites from Johannesburg’s central districts-turning it into a nogo area for many middle class South Africans.
The streets were unkempt and buildings became squalid in
the wake of mass influx of poor black South Africans and African
immigrants. “Back in the days the CBD was really like taboo to be
in,” said Louw. But with a massive inflow of private and public
investment into infrastructural development, the urban space is
gradually being reclaimed.
A new culture
The sprawling markets are not only regenerating
Johannesburg, but are infusing it with a new a culture-turning
away from the traditional glittering shopping malls that are so
typical of South Africa’s commercial hub.
The markets are being re-invented as social institutions, helping consumers discover new flavours and fashion, said
Neighbourgoods curator Ben Cox. They are a “way to bring people together, to expose them to a different way of looking at how
they eat, what they wear,” said Cox.
“The market as a culture and as an institution is something
which brings education to people, educating them to new ways
of doing things, and it’s a new type of consumerism,” said Cox.
A few kilometres from here is another market, Market on Main,
situated in the heart of Maboneng, a vibrant district transformed
from a dingy cluster of factories and warehouses.
The market here opens on Sundays, attracting affluent and
middle class visitors seeking an escape from the high walls and
gated communities of the northern suburbs.
“This is not the city of the 90s, which was dangerous and was
not a good place to be,” said Alex Bernatzky, manager of Market
on Main. “I actually feel safer here in Maboneng and in downtown
Joburg than I do anywhere else in Joburg.” A third market, The
Shed@1Fox, opened late last year in one of the oldest buildings in
the inner city.
It is housed in a huge former dynamite warehouse, a key part
of the city when Johannesburg-also known by its nickname of
eGoli, which means the place of gold-was growing as a mining
town. Operators of the new market are more ambitious. They
want it to open daily and hope it will become a tourist hub.
The idea of the cosmopolitan gourmet markets originates
from Cape Town, a popular destination for international tourists.
There, the markets have become an institution since they were
launched just under a decade ago, helping to infuse new life into
down-at-heel districts. — AFP
BUSINESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
ArcelorMittal beats expectations for 2014
PARIS: Top global steelmaker ArcelorMittal beat
expectations with a 8.5 percent rise in operating profit
to $7.2 billion (6.3 billion euros) last year thanks to a
pick-up in US demand, but lowered its earning forecasts.
The result, which beat the forecast of $7 billion in
EBITDA earnings the company made in August, but
was partially due to cutting investments in mining
activities as the price of iron ore fell.
The company cut its net loss to 1.1 billion from $2.5
billion in 2013. ArcellorMittal was able to partially
compensate for the 47 percent plunge in iron ore
prices last year by increasing shipments, which
climbed 6.9 percent to 63.7 million tonnes.
The company, which had been pummelled by the
drop in steel demand in its top markets in the US and
Europe due to the global economic crisis, benefitted
from a rebound.
Steel shipments increased by 3 percent over the
year to 85.1 million tonnes, with a 3.4 percent gain in
the fourth quarter to 21.2 million tonnes. “For 2015,
although operating conditions remain tough we
expect steel markets to continue to improve, particularly for high value-added products such as automotive, where ArcelorMittal is a world leader,” chief executive Lakshmi Mittal said in a statement.
Nevertheless the company lowered expectations
regarding operating profits, which it forecast to come
in between $6.5 to $7 billion in 2015. The company
managed to also make progress on reducing its net
debt, squeezing it down to $15.8 billion from $17.8 billion at the end of 2013. The dividend remained
unchanged at 20 cents per share. — AFP
Asia markets mostly up on
Ukraine deal, Greece hopes
BUDAPEST: Montenegro’s Foreign Minister Igor Luksic (L) is
welcomed by Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Peter Szijjarto (R) in front of their national flags in Budapest
yesterday prior to their official talks. — AFP
Australian rates will
not go to zero: CB
SYDNEY: Australia is unlikely to follow Europe and the United States
and slash its official interest rate to near zero to help prop up the
struggling economy, the central bank governor said yesterday. The
Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) eased the official cash rate to record
low of 2.25 percent last week and more cuts are tipped but Glenn
Stevens said a near-zero figure or vast bond-buying-known as quantitative easing-was unlikely.
“I don’t think that we will end in that position,” he told a House of
Representatives economics committee. “Nobody can be 100 percent
sure of these things, obviously, but I would very much hope we
don’t.”
As a decade-long mining investment boom fades, Australian
growth has slowed, inflation is low and unemployment has grown,
reaching 6.4 percent last month-its highest level in more than 12
years.
Stevens said the RBA was conscious that interest rate cuts could
be less effective than in the past in summoning additional growth in
demand. “A decade ago, when there was, it seems, an underlying
latent desire among households to borrow and spend, it was perhaps
easier for a reduction in interest rates to spark additional demand in
the economy,” he said. But he added: “Our judgement is that it still
has some ability to assist the transition the economy is making, and
we regarded it as appropriate to provide that support.”
Stevens said the bank’s revised assessment of sub-trend growth
for longer, a higher peak in the unemployment rate, and slightly lower inflation warranted last week’s 25 basis point interest rate cut, its
first move in 18 months. He said the RBA board considered the
impact that lower interest rates, which flow through to reduced mortgage payments, could have on an already booming housing market.
But he said excluding Sydney, the rise for Australian housing as a
whole over the past year was about five percent. “That is a healthy
pace but not alarming, and some cities have seen price falls,” he said.
“Developments in the Sydney market remain concerning, but in
the end we did not see these trends as overwhelming a case for a further easing in monetary policy that was made on more general
grounds.” Asked why the bank cut rates after it had last year flagged a
period of stability, Stevens said the evidence had previously been that
confidence was improving and non-mining activity firming.
But he said in the second half of 2014 these expectations faded,
not disastrously, but enough to indicate that a hoped-for pick-up in
activity would not eventuate.—AFP
HONG KONG: Asian markets mostly rose yesterday after European
leaders and Russia agreed a plan to end Ukraine’s 10-month war,
while confidence Greece would reach a debt overhaul deal with its
creditors boosted the euro. The upbeat outlook for both of the crises
plaguing Europe provided a catalyst for an equities rally in Europe and
the United States, a mantle picked up in bourses across Asia. Sydney
rallied 2.33 percent, or 133.90 points, to 5,877.5 as energy firms were
boosted by a rebound in oil prices and the head of Australia’s central
bank saying it was unlikely to cut interest rates to zero.
Seoul climbed 0.82 percent, or 15.87 points, to close at 1,957.50
and Shanghai jumped 0.96 percent, or 30.41 points, to 3,202.83. Hong
Kong added 1.07 percent, or 260.39 points, to 24,682.54.
But Tokyo retreated from a seven-year high, slipping 0.37 percent,
or 66.36 points, to close at 17,913.36. After 17-hour talks the leaders of
Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany on Thursday hammered out a
deal to end the conflict between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels.
The ceasefire is to take effect at midnight Sunday (2200 GMT
Saturday) in Ukraine and heavy weapons are to be withdrawn from
front lines. But while the deal was welcomed on all sides, leaders
remained cautious, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying “I
have no illusions, we have no illusions” and that “much work”
remained. The news nonetheless pushed European stocks higher,
with Frankfurt up 1.56 percent, Paris adding 1.00 percent and London
0.15 percent higher. On Wall Street, the Dow added 0.62 percent, the
S&P 500 jumped 0.96 percent both close to record highs-and the
Nasdaq surged 1.18 percent to levels not seen since 2000. “People are
looking at the glass half-full,” John Carey, a Boston-based fund manager at Pioneer Investment Management, told Bloomberg News.
“There’s general optimism around the US economy and a little bit
of relief that some of the major international issues are not going to
impinge just yet on positive trends here.”
Euro rallies
Hopes for a breakthrough in Greece also provided support as the
country’s new anti-austerity Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras presented
his case for an overhaul of its aid programme to EU leaders including
Merkel, the strongest opponent of his plans.
Tsipras said Athens would start technical talks with eurozone partners on Friday in a bid to find common ground before a last-ditch
meeting of finance ministers on Monday.
Global markets are hoping a deal can be reached before the end
of the month, when Greece’s bailout is due to expire. Failure to agree
an extension would see it default on its giant debts and could mean it
would crash out of the eurozone. The European Central Bank also
cheered markets when it increased the volume of emergency cash
available to Greek banks, easing concerns over liquidity that had led
to speculation of a possible run on the country’s lenders.
The euro bought $1.1440 and 135.90 yen, compared with $1.1406
and 135.70 yen in New York. The single currency was given added
support by news that Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest, grew
more than expected in 2014. The dollar was at 118.90 yen early Friday,
compared with 118.97 yen in US trade. On oil markets, prices rose,
adding to steep gains in the previous session fuelled by planned
investment cuts by the world’s leading petroleum producers.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery added
50 cents to $51.71 while Brent crude for April was up 50 cents at
$59.78. Gold fetched $1,225.23 an ounce, against $1,223.20 on
Thursday.
In other markets:
Bangkok closed up 0.15 percent or 2.49 points to 1,615.89. Oil
company PTT rose 2.79 percent to 369.00 baht, while Siam Cement
fell 1.19 percent to 498.00 baht.
Jakarta ended up 0.58 percent or 30.75 points to 5,374.17. Palm
oil producer Astra Agro Lestari rose 0.69 percent to 25,600 rupiah,
while lender Bank Negara Indonesia fell 0.74 percent to 6,725 rupiah.
Kuala Lumpur gained 0.66 percent, or 11.88 points, to close at
1,800.95. Malayan Banking added 1.32 percent to 9.19 ringgit, Tenaga
Nasional rose 2.20 percent to 2.20 to 13.94 while Telekom Malaysia
rose 0.58 percent 6.83 ringgit.
Manila closed 0.76 percent, or 58.86 points, higher at 7,773.45.
Philippine Long Distance Telephone added 2.24 percent to 3,190
pesos, GT Capital gained 0.58 percent to 1,205 pesos while First Gen
rose 3.55 percent to 29.15 pesos.
Mumbai gained 1.01 percent, or 289.83 points, to end at
29,094.93. State Bank of India rose 7.96 percent to 307.05 rupees,
while Gas Authority of India fell 3.96 percent to 406.25 rupees.
Singapore rose 0.21 percent, or 7.05 points, to 3,426.22. Oil rig
maker Keppel Corp rose 1.39 percent to Sg$8.73 while Singapore
Airlines was up 1.00 percent to Sg$12.15.
Taipei added 0.35 percent, or 33.20 points, to 9,529.51.
Smartphone maker HTC rose 0.68 percent to Tw$148.5 while Hon Hai
Precision fell 0.46 percent to Tw$85.8.
Wellington advanced 0.65 percent, or 37.23 points, to 5,786.54.
Spark was up 0.45 percent at NZ$3.33 and Air New Zealand lifted 0.19
percent to NZ$2.62. — AFP
FRANKFURT: The EURO logo is pictured in front of the former headquarter of the European Central Bank, ECB in Frankfurt,
Germany, yesterday. — AFP
BUSINESS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Tokyo investors eye Japan growth figures next week
TOKYO: Tokyo investors will focus their
attention on fourth-quarter Japanese
growth figures next week, with economists widely expecting that the country
crawled out of recession during the last
three months of 2014.
Japan’s economy contracted for the
second straight quarter between July and
September as consumer spending
dropped sharply following an April sales
tax rise aimed at shrinking a massive
national debt.
But with signs of a recovery-including
an uptick in factory output and a tight
labour market-economists surveyed by the
leading Nikkei business newspaper esti-
mated gross domestic product expanded
by an average 0.9 percent in OctoberDecember. The figures are due Monday.
“We are paying close attention to the
GDP numbers-good figures would be a
buying cue,” said Toshikazu Horiuchi, a
broker at IwaiCosmo Securities.
Investors will also keep a close eye on
talks aimed at hammering out a deal
between debt-hit Greece and its international creditors. Global markets are hoping
an agreement can be reached before the
end of the month, when Greece’s bailout is
due to expire. Failure to agree an extension would see it default on its giant debts
and could mean it would crash out of the
China Jan money
growth slumps
to record low
BEIJING: China’s growth in broad money supply slumped to
its lowest on record in January even as new yuan loans hit a
5-1/2-year high, boosting bets that Beijing may further
loosen monetary policy to avert a sharper economic slowdown. The broad M2 money supply measure in January rose
just 10.8 percent from a year earlier, central bank data
showed yesterday, the weakest pace since records started in
1998 and well under a 12.1 percent forecast.
That was even as new yuan loans surged to 1.47 trillion
yuan ($235.6 billion), trumping market expectations for 1.35
trillion yuan, and more than doubling December’s 697.3 billion yuan.
“The slower M2 growth could be largely attributed to the
capital outflows as Chinese corporates are unwinding the US
dollar liabilities,” ANZ economists said in a note to clients.
“In order to maintain a reasonable money supply, we see
that China’s central bank will continue to inject liquidity. We
see that further monetary policy easing could be imminent,”
ANZ said. ANZ predicted the central bank could reduce the
ratio of cash that banks must set aside as reserves by another
100 basis points, and lower deposit rates by another 50 basis
points. Bank lending and changes in money supply are crucial
parts of China’s monetary policy. The government tells commercial banks how much to lend and when to lend each year.
To lift China’s flagging economy, where growth hit a 24year low of 7.4 percent last year, the People’s Bank of China
cut banks’ reserve requirements last week for the first time in
more than two years.
That followed a surprise cut to benchmark interest rates in
November, also the first such move in more than two years,
to lower borrowing costs and support growth.
Longer-term loans
Bank lending usually spikes in China in January as banks,
which face limits on how much they can lend each year,
squeeze as much lending as possible into the first month to
protect their market share.
The central bank said yesterday that total social financing,
a broader measure of overall liquidity in the economy, also
jumped 21 percent from December to 2.05 trillion yuan.
Outstanding loans denominated in yuan rose 13.9 percent
in January from a year earlier, compared with estimates for a
13.4 percent increase. To be sure, some analysts were encouraged by Friday’s data, which showed mid- to long-term loans
accounting for most of January’s lending surge, suggesting
that cash had flowed into the real economy and not speculative activity. “Medium- and long-term loans were also high,
matching a lot of the infrastructure projects the government
had approved since November,” said Yan Ling, an economist
at China Merchant Securities.
But other analysts warned that the strong lending data
belied the fact that banks remained reluctant to lend to certain sectors, such as the farm sector, as rising bad loans make
lenders increasingly risk-averse.
“M2 growth has been slowing since the second-half of last
year...(that is) probably related to falling foreign exchange
purchases,” said Nie Wen, an economist at Hwabao Trust in
Shanghai. —Reuters
eurozone. Confidence is broadly high after
Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany on
Thursday hammered out a blueprint to
end the conflict between Kiev and proMoscow rebels.
The ceasefire is to take effect at midnight Sunday (2200 GMT Saturday) in
Ukraine and heavy weapons are to be
withdrawn from front lines. However,
Horiuchi warned: “These two issues-the
Ukraine ceasefire and Greek crisis-may not
be resolved immediately, which will create
uncertainty in the market.”
Yesterday, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei
225 index, which hit a more thsn sevenyear high Thursday, slipped owing to a
stronger yen. The headline index slipped
0.37 percent, or 66.36 points, to close at
17,913.36, although it added 1.50 percent
over the week. The broader Topix index of
all first-section shares was flat, edging
down 0.01 points to 1,449.38. It added 2.27
percent over the shortened week, with
Japanese markets closed Wednesday for
national holiday.
Toyota slipped 0.54 percent to 7,808.0
yen on Friday, Sony edged down 0.34 percent to 3,220.5 yen and camera giant
Canon fell 0.58 percent to 3,812.5 yen. The
dollar bought 118.54 yen, down from
118.97 yen in New York and well off 120.27
yen in Tokyo earlier Thursday. — AFP
US appeals to Japanese
to push for trade pact
Contours of agreement coming into focus
TOKYO: Japan and the US are moving closer to reaching agreement on market opening measures needed to conclude a Pacific
Rim trade pact, a top US envoy said yesterday, urging Japanese business leaders to
help bridge the last, difficult disagreements. US Deputy Secretary of State
Antony J. Blinken urged members of the
Japan Association of Corporate Executives
to “pick up your phones” and use their
influence to convince officials to work
toward a final consensus on the TransPacific Partnership, or TPP.
“The contours of a final agreement are
coming into focus,” Blinken said. “We need
you to make the calls, convene the meetings and remind the officials of the benefits
this agreement will bring.” Agreement
between Japan and the U.S. is essential for
forging the free-trade arrangements
among the dozen nations involved in the
U.S.-led effort. Both sides say they are close
to an accord, but that key gaps remain.
America’s great rival for influence in Asia China - is not part of the Pacific rim trade
talks. Talks between Tokyo and Washington
have dragged on as the two sides bicker
over sensitive issues such as exports of
American meat to Japan and Japanese
exports of auto parts to the US.
President Barack Obama has made the
TPP a part of his effort to “rebalance” US
commitments toward the Asia-Pacific and
boost exports to the fast-growing region.
Blinken, who was appointed to his position
last month, said the trade pact would help
buttress security in the region, and “assure
our partners that our commitment reaches
beyond the military.” Wrapping up an East
Asian tour that took in South Korea, China
and Japan, Blinken stressed the importance
of avoiding disruptions to shipping from
territorial disputes in the region.
“Free commerce requires free waterways for ships to pass. It requires that the
needs of business take precedence over
squabbles over rocks and shoals,” he said,
referring to disputes between China and
Japan and other countries over islands in
the East China Sea and South China Sea.
The US says it does not take a stance on
the various claims, but expects countries to
resolve any disputes peacefully and in line
with international law. That is doubly
important for Asia, since almost a third of
TOKYO: US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a speech during a
meeting entitled “US Economic Policy in the East Asia and Pacific Region” hosted
by the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, or Keizai Doyukai, in Tokyo,
yesterday. — AP
crude oil shipments and more than half of
liquefied natural gas supplies pass through
trade routes in the South China Sea, he
said. “Uncertainty fueled by competing
China sea claims affects energy security. It
affects trade and commerce and creates a
more unpredictable investment environment,” Blinken said. — AP
TOKYO: President of Japan’s ANA Holdings Shinichiro Ito (L) and Vice President
Shinya Katanozaka (R) pose for photographers during a press conference at the
headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced on
February 13 Katanozaka will be promoted to president of Japan’s biggest airline
on April 1. — AFP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
www.kuwaittimes.net
New York
Fashion
Week
SEE PAGE 28
US actress Zendaya walks
the runway at the Go Red
For Women Red Dress
Collection 2015 presented by Macy’s fashion
show during MercedesBenz Fashion Week Fall
2015. — AP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Brosnan’s
house catches fire
T
he home on Broad Beach Road was ablaze
for just over 30 minutes but brave fire-fighters were able to contain the fire and limit it
to just the garage on the side of the large property. Michael Pittman of the Los Angeles County Fire
Department told the New York Daily News newspaper that the fire started at approximately 9:48
pm and it took 50 fire-fighters to extinguish it.
Brosnan - who lives with his journalist wife Keely
Shaye Smith and their two teenage sons, Dylan
and Paris - nor anyone else was injured in the incident and the actor was seen standing outside his
home looking on at the efforts of the emergency
services to get the flames under control. The 61year-old actor’s neighbor, NBC photo-journalist
Kenny Holmes, revealed details of the fire on his
Twitter account. Along with photos, he tweeted:
“Heavy smoke & fire last night from the garage of
Pierce Brosnan’s Malibu home. No injuries.
Damage to garage/bedroom.” Former James Bond
star Brosnan’s other neighbors include Danny
DeVito and Dustin Hoffman.
Ora says ex helped
deal with her ‘fantasies’
The ‘Black Widow’ hitmaker, who split from Calvin Harris last year and
is now dating Ricky Hill, admits their bitter breakup made her realize
she wasn’t being true to herself and inspired many of the songs on her
upcoming second album. The 24-year-old singer explained: “I had a
breakup, or whatever, and it really made me realize what I was trying
to do.”I had been fixated on this love fantasy, but really it wasn’t like
that, and I had to take myself back.” The blonde beauty says her new
record has “got a lot more depth” as a result of her personal growth.
She told NYLON magazine: “For me, this was my moment where I had
to be real and tell the truth and be honest.”I love my pop songs, and
I’m still gonna be pop, but this has just got a lot more depth to it.”
Meanwhile, Rita considers her celebrity friendships “sacred” and thinks
it’s important to voice her support for her peers. She said: “I’ve always
been really outspoken it, like telling another woman, ‘You killed it.’ I
don’t think a lot of females do that these days, especially in this industry. “It’s the same with all of my friends - with [Charli XCX], with [Iggy
Azalea], with [Cara Delevingne] and Katy Perry, who’s an amazing person inside and out and so talented, the biggest star in the world. “She’s
always been the same, and she’s just so funny and fun and loud and
really cool. I’m like, ‘Yeah! That’s what I wanna be like! I wanna stay
that way!’ You’ve gotta really be sacred with these friendships, ‘cause
people can corrupt them.”
Sheen wants to
run for president
T
he ‘Anger Management’ actor claims he would be the perfect candidate to
run for office in 2016 after conducting a small survey of his friends, and
would even enlist his father Martin Sheen - who famously played fictional
president Jed Bartlett in political drama ‘The West Wing’ - to run with him. He said:
“I conducted a poll - it was like 10 guys. In every situation - it doesn’t matter the
ethics scenario or the social scenario - when I say, ‘Hey, what if I ran for president?’
It’s a hundred percent. “Guess who my vice president is? My dad. “It would be
Sheen and Sheen 2016. Running on a platform of truth and transparency...
Seriously!” If he did run for office, the ‘Young Guns’ star - who has a grown up
daughter Cassandra from a relationship with Paula Profit, daughters Sam, 10, and
Lola, nine, with second wife Denise Richards, and twin sons Bob and Max, five, with
third spouse Brooke Mueller - already knows which three laws he would like to
pass, providing each school with an armed military veteran for protection, a flat tax
rate of 10 per cent and “everybody relax”. The 49-year-old actor, who described
himself as a “constitutional Republican”, went on to joke about his wild partying
past, admitting his openness about his antics means he wouldn’t be upset if his
conduct was raised during political debates. Speaking on ‘The Flipside With
Michael Loftus’, he said: “Imagine being in a debate. The guy’s like ‘Well, you did
this!’ and I’m like ‘and?’ “What are they going to tell me about during the debate?
‘How about the time...?’ and I’d say ‘So?’ “
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Jolie doesn’t mind
being called a ‘brat’
F
Jenner
ormer Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy
Pascal - who recently stepped down from her post following the controversy over a number of her leaked
emails - insists the ‘Unbroken’ director wasn’t offended by
what she said about her in a private exchange because she
understands Hollywood. Amy said: “Angie didn’t care.
Everybody understood because we all live in this weird thing
called Hollywood. If we all actually were nice, it wouldn’t
work.” Another leaked exchange revealed Jennifer Lawrence
was paid less than her male co-stars in ‘American Hustle’, but
Amy believes it is the responsibility of actresses not to accept
low pay and to know their own worth. Speaking for the first
time since her resignation, she said at the Women in the World
conference in San Francisco: “I’ve paid [her] a lot more money
since then, I promise you. Here’s the problem: I run a business.
People want to work for less money, I pay them less money ...
Women shouldn’t work for less money. They should know
what they’re worth. Women shouldn’t take less. ‘Stop, you
don’t need the job that bad.’” In one of the leaked emails, Amy
was involved in an exchange with movie producer Scott Rudin
in which he described Angelina Jolie as a “minimally talented
spoiled brat”. The 39-year-old beauty apparently wanted
director David Fincher to be detached from the upcoming
Steve Jobs biopic and instead be put in charge of her
Cleopatra movie. The executive apparently replied: “She is
upset about us giving David Jobs. She wants to talk. She’ll survive it. I don’t want to waste my time on this.”
bans sisters from
catwalk shows
T
he 19-year-old model, who has walked the
runway for Chanel, Marc Jacobs and
Givenchy, admits she asked her older halfsibling Kim Kardashian West, 34, not to sit front
row for “selfish” reasons because she didn’t want
to share the spotlight. She said: “As selfish as this
sounds, I wanted the attention to be on me for
five seconds rather than my family. If they were
sitting front row, it would have been all about,
‘Oh, Kim goes to Kendall’s first fashion show!’ I
love Kim, but for a minute I wanted it to be like,
‘OK, this is [Kendall’s] thing - and she’s taking it
seriously.’ “But Kendall still looks to sister for
advice and would never get a tattoo. She said: “I
have a really weird thing about ‘forever’. And my
sister Kim always said, ‘Don’t put a bumper sticker on a Bentley.’ “Despite her success, the
‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star claims she
is still very shy. She told the March issue of Allure
magazine: “I still have a hard time looking at
someone when I’m talking to them, and I get
nervous.” The brunette beauty also admits she
had bad self-esteem when she was fourteen. She
said: “I had just started ninth grade when I got
my acne, and I had braces. I wouldn’t look people
in the eye. It was not a good time for me, it just
killed my self-esteem. I thought when I didn’t
look at someone, they couldn’t see my face.”
Bloom casually dating
Demi Moore
T
he ‘Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ star
and the 52-year-old actress are believed to have
grown close after being set up by their mutual friend
Jennifer Aniston and have bonded over their passion for yoga
classes. A source said: “They are both deeply spiritual characters who love yoga, meditation and new age philosophies. They’ve both been initiated into spiritual practice
Usui Reiki and have started to practice on each other.”
Orlando, 38 - who split from his wife Miranda Kerr in 2013 is said to be casually dating Demi, who ended her six year
marriage to Ashton Kutcher the same year. The source
said: “At this stage it’s a casual thing, nothing serious and
it’s not yet exclusive. But they’ve enjoyed several low-key
dates together and the potential is definitely there for
something steadier.” The brunette beauty has grown
fond of Orlando’s positive attitude and believes he will
be a good influence over her and her daughters
Rumer, 26, Scout, 23 and Tallulah, 21, from her marriage to Bruce Willis. The insider told Grazia magazine:
“The thing Demi loves the most about Orlando is how
positive he is. His uplifting influence is just what she
feels she needs, as do her daughters - particularly
Tallulah.”
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Women buy boxes of chocolates as gifts before Valentine’s Day at Tokyo’s Mitsukoshi department store. — AFP Photos
J
apanese women jostled feverishly for
elbow room at stores yesterday to buy
Valentine’s Day chocolates for the men
in their lives-guys who do sweet nothing in
return. While the ladies splurge on the
object of their desire-as well as friends, colleagues and bosses-men simply wait for the
goodies to pour in on February 14 and
gorge to their heart’s content. It’s a far cry
from the Western version of Valentine’s Day
with its saucy commercials featuring handsome hunks swooping in to leave a box of
chocolates on a lover’s bed.
Although the confectionery traffic is oneway in Japan, the country celebrates White
Day next month, when men are required to
reciprocate with a white gift-from cookies
to lingerie. “It’s madness today,” said
Masako Fukuda, as she clutched a dainty
bag of Belgian cocoa truffles which set her
back a cool 8,000 yen ($66). “This is for my
hubby,” she added after battling the crowds
in a department store in Tokyo’s swank
Ginza district. “I’ll get some cheaper chocolate for my co-workers.”
Having splashed out on her “honmei”
(true love) chocolate, which is reserved for
husbands or lovers, the 45-year-old expected her Valentine’s bill to top 10,000 yen
once she had bought “giri” (obligation)
treats for the men at her office. At the
Takashimaya department store, an entire
floor has been dedicated to Valentine’s Day
and women flocked to the “Amour du
Chocolat” exhibition to sample the latest
mouth-watering creations from international chocolatiers cashing in on their chic
image.
Heart-shaped box
Shoppers stood patiently in queues
snaking around corners to purchase chocolates made by French company Dalloyau, or
Belgian confectioners Pierre Marcolini’s
heart-shaped delicacies. “I hope I get given
French chocolate,” joked banker Teruaki
Noda, 38. “If my girlfriend is stingy again this
year, she won’t get anything on White Day.”
Valentine’s Day first appeared in Japan in
the late 1950s as the economy picked up
steam after the devastation
of World War II, and Western
products brought an air of
sophistication as the country
acquired a taste for luxury.
At the time, a firm called
Mary Chocolate advertised
February 14 as “the only day of
the year a woman professes her
love through presenting chocolate”
— thus establishing it as Japan’s
currency of romance, dealing a
blow to florists, jewelers and makers of
skimpy lingerie. Chocolate has been available in Japan since the late 18th century,
when Dutch traders-the only Europeans
allowed a foothold in an otherwise closed
country-gave it to prostitutes as a form of
payment. Times have changed, however,
and eccentric couples can even celebrate
Valentine’s Day by hopping into a chocolate hot spring bath.
Half of Japan’s $11 billion chocolate
business-the biggest in Asia-is spent in
February, according to retailers. But some
Japan
splurges for
Valentine’s
Day
women opt for a more frugal approach. “I
make chocolate myself,” said 22-year-old
student Haruko Kawabe. “I’ve been doing
it since elementary school. Every year I
would make chocolate for the boy I liked.
It’s less embarrassing to tell someone you
like them by giving chocolate on
Valentine’s Day.” — AFP
Thailand
warn teens on
Valentine’s Day
A
h, Valentine’s Day. Call the police, or better
yet the Moral Promotion Center. In most
countries, Feb 14 is a highly commercialized
day of romance. In Thailand, it’s also a time for
strict warnings - and this year a new Twitter hashtag aimed at preventing premarital sex.
The Culture Ministry’s Moral Promotion Center
launched a widely publicized campaign earlier this
week called “Just a Meal for Valentine’s Day” that
urges teens to go home after their dinner dates.
It’s also asking youths to show support for the
campaign by tweeting #DinnerOnly in Thai. A
Twitter search yesterday found that the request
had drawn varied reactions of mockery with many
postings of the Thai equivalent to LOL!
Despite its well-earned reputation to the outside world as a freewheeling destination for sex
tourism, Thailand’s socially conservative authorities are on a constant mission to uphold the country’s traditional Buddhist values among Thai people. Hollywood movies are censored with sex
scenes and cigarette smoking pixelated out, and
Thai soap operas can’t show alcohol consumption.
Authorities annually warn youths to avoid “inappropriate activities” on Valentine’s Day, which is
widely celebrated in Thailand.
“Parents and teachers should create correct
understanding about Valentine’s Day with children,” Narathip Pumsap, the Moral Promotion
Brides and grooms run away from a giant flower ball as a part of an adventure-themed wedding ceremony in Ratchaburi
Province. — AP
Center’s director, was quoted as saying on the
English-language website of the Khaosod newspaper. Narathip suggested that instead of engaging
in intimacy, teens “show love to their family, society, themselves and the country.” This year’s campaign comes amid a morality overhaul initiated by
Thailand’s military government, which took power
from an elected administration following a coup
last May. The Ministry of Culture said it conducted
a recent survey that found 83 percent of Thai
teenagers planned to have sex on Valentine’s Day,
according to The Nation and several other Thai
newspapers, which did not say whether the survey
had a margin of error.
The National Police Force has asked parents
and teachers to inform children of the “dangers” of
Valentine’s Day and to avoid “risky behavior,”
police Maj Gen Patipat Suban Na Ayuuthaya told a
news conference earlier this week, according to
the Khaosod newspaper.Police have also warned
nightclubs nationwide not to admit underage customers.
Patipat said that all police units would be on
alert until Sunday to “increase vigilance in risky
areas” such as nightclubs, and urged entertainment venues to call police hotlines to reports cases of youths trying to enter. —AP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Police book
Bollywood stars
M
umbai police said yesterday
they have registered a case
against a string of Bollywood
celebrities, alleging obscenity in the
staging of a comedy “roast” television
show which sparked a furor over freedom of expression.
A-list actress Deepika Padukone
and filmmaker Karan Johar are
among those named in the case over
the show AIB Knockout, which was
pulled from YouTube after causing
uproar in India for its profanities and
sexual references.
Police will now investigate the
group-as part of the “first information
report” or FIR filed-including for criminal conspiracy, obscene acts and
songs, and words or gestures intended to insult a woman’s modesty. “The
FIR is registered against 14 accused at
Tardeo police station,” Deputy
Commissioner of Police Dhananjay
Kulkarni, spokesman for the Mumbai
force, told AFP, listing the various
organizers and participants accused.
AIB Knockout, hosted by Johar in
December, comically insulted several
Bollywood actors in front of a large
audience strewn with celebrities such
as Padukone, in a format common in
Western countries but rarely seen in
India. The show included Johar and
Bollywood actors Arjun Kapoor and
Ranveer Singh both also booked by
the police-singing a reworking of a
song with the Hindi word for penis
substituting some lyrics. A video
attracted more than eight million hits
in just a few days when it was
uploaded on YouTube late last
month, but it sparked a fierce backlash.
Religious groups urged police to
file charges against the producers,
and the right-wing government of
Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai
is the capital, ordered an investigation. Earlier this month, the producers said they were pulling the video
for “pragmatic” reasons, but added
that India needed to confront the fact
that freedom of expression was being
curtailed.
The “roast” sparked a storm on
social media, with a member of
India’s powerful censor board slamming it on Twitter as “a porn show on
stage”. But hundreds of supporters
including Bollywood actors and producers also hit back, urging the right
to freedom of speech. India’s hardline
groups often urge authorities to act
against authors and artists whose
works they consider insulting to their
religion or against society’s perceived
morals.
Acclaimed Tamil-language author
Perumal Murugan announced last
month he was quitting writing altogether following protests by rightwing Hindu and caste groups over
one of his books. British author
Salman Rushdie, whose novel “The
Satanic Verses” is seen as blasphemous by some Muslims, is still
banned in India. — AFP
Palestinian musicians of Al-Takht Al-Sharqi (The Arab Orchestra) band take part in a rehearsal at the Edward Said National
Conservatory of Music in Gaza city. — AFP Photos
Fame beckons for
Gaza teen band
A
fter wowing the judges of ‘Arabs Got
Talent’, five young Palestinians who
formed a band while bombs rained down
are hoping their budding success can raise
awareness for war-ravaged Gaza. Their first
audition so impressed that they were propelled
to the semi-finals of the hit Middle Eastern television show-a spin-off of the British-created Got
Talent franchise. The sob stories of hopefuls in
the Western talent contest pale in comparison
to the trials and tribulations of contestants in
the Arab version.
The young musicians in Al-Takht Al-Sharqi
(The Arab Orchestra), who wear the traditional
Palestinian keffiyeh around their necks, had to
rehearse during lulls in the fighting in Gaza last
year. “I would play the darbuka (goblet drum) to
try and drown out the sound of the bombardment, but the strikes were always louder,” said
Ramzi Al-Far, 14. “Staying alive was the priority,
so our band practice suffered a bit,” added 16year-old Siraj Al-Sarsawi who plays the Arabian
lute.
“We were too scared to do anything else
most of the time.” The 50-day war between
Israel and Palestinian militants in July and
August killed nearly 2,200 Gazans, most of them
civilians, as well as 73 on the Israeli side, mostly
soldiers. Almost a quarter of the dead were children, UN figures show. The band members have
lost neighbors and relatives to the conflict.
Following their initial audition in September,
the five-member group, which
plays traditional Arab music, will soon return
to Beirut, where the hit-MBC show is hosted.
During the war, the band members tried to
leave Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt,
but were repeatedly turned away, only managing to cross several weeks after the fighting
ended on August 26. When they finally reached
Beirut in September, the judges liked their lyrical music so much that they were sent straight
through to the penultimate round. “May you
return, you who are lost in God’s land,” the
band’s singer Ahmed Al-Madhun incanted in a
heartfelt rendition of an old Levantine song. It is
not the first time Gaza has enjoyed reality television success- Mohammed Assaf won the Arab
Idol singing contest in 2013 and went on to
become a goodwill ambassador for the UN
agency for Palestinian refugees.
‘Playing for peace’
For 13-year-old Mahmud Kahil, the youngest
member of the group who plays the qanun, a
stringed instrument similar to a zither, the emotional build up during the war was just too much.
For the last minute of their audition, which was
watched by millions of viewers, he played with
tears streaming down his face. “Playing music
was a way to break the boredom and terror of
war. But every time I heard an explosion, I would
leave it and run for cover,” he told AFP months
later in his home in Gaza City. The five youngsters
met at Gaza’s only music school, the Edward Said
National Conservatory of Music, and decided just
last year to form a group. For most of them, travelling to Beirut in September was first time they
had left the tiny coastal territory, which has been
under an Israeli blockade since 2006. Seeing the
outside world was a shock for the band’s 14-yearold singer Al-Madhun.
“There wasn’t a warplane in the sky, and no
destruction,” he said of Egypt. “I realized that
there are people in the world who live in security,
who aren’t scared all the time like us.” Last year’s
war-the third in Gaza in less than six years-left
some 100,000 people homeless, and damaged or
destroyed tens of thousands of houses and many
schools.
Rima Ashur, 15, who plays the nay, a wooden
flute, and is the only girl in the group, said their
success was important to help shine the spotlight on young Gazans, as the humanitarian situation in the enclave worsens. “We’ve shown the
world that we, the children of Gaza, love life. We
play music for peace, not war,” she said. “The
only thing we ask is to live like normal children,
without the blockade and without fear.” — AFP
Mahmud Kahil plays the qanun (a stringed instrument similar to a zither) during a
rehearsal.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
The nearly vacant parking lot of Donner Ski Ranch.
California ski resorts
struggle from drought
W
ith the state entering its fourth drought year, even some
big resorts with millions of dollars in modern snow-making
equipment don’t have all their lifts running. The mid-sized
and family-owned resorts struggling most had hoped to reopen for
the Presidents Day holiday, traditionally the year’s biggest weekend
for skiing. A recent winter storm washing over California originated
in the tropics and dropped more rain than the much needed snow.
While any wet weather is welcomed in California, the storm didn’t
end the drought or put all the dormant resorts back in business.
“We’re basically the canary in the coal mine,” said Janet Tuttle, who
owns Donner Ski Ranch northwest of Lake Tahoe and one of about
seven resorts forced to close mid-season. “It’s kind of a sad state
here in California.” A stingy snowfall had left Donner’s mountain
face marked with brown patches of exposed dirt and rock. Tuttle
and her husband, Marshall, closed the resort’s six chairlifts and two
beginner runs by mid-January. They reopened Wednesday with a
little boost from the recent storm, hoping to keep the lifts running
this weekend.
She worried about more warm weather in the forecast. “I’m not
very happy about that,” she said. California’s 27 resorts - and two in
neighboring Nevada - make up the nation’s second most popular
destination for skiers and snowboarders after Colorado, said Bob
Roberts, executive director of the California Ski Industry Association.
China Peak Mountain Resort east of Fresno was among the latest ski areas forced to suspend business, following others in
Northern California such as Donner Ski Ranch, Dodge Ridge and
Yosemite’s Badger Pass. Mt Baldy Ski Lifts near Los Angeles also
closed.
has snow-making machines, but the warm weather gave Cohee few
opportunities to turn them on. The recent rain made the mountain
blotchy, so he suspended skiing. Cohee said China Peak and other
small resorts are facing serious financial hardship.
“Name a business that could go through four years of this,” said
Cohee, who has owned and managed ski resorts in California for 22
years. “I’ve seen a couple wimpy years before, but nothing like this nothing even close.” At the large Heavenly Lake Tahoe a little more
than half of the ski runs were open Tuesday, but spokeswoman
Rachael Woods of Vail Resorts said those runs are long and well
groomed, providing skiers and boarders with great conditions.
The runs are fully open at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, owned by
the same company, and one of California’s highest in elevation, said
Woods, adding that Kirkwood, Heavenly and Northstar all received
well over a foot of snow from the recent storms. Cold overnight
temperatures at the high elevation ski areas have allowed for making snow, she said, adding, “There are many resorts that are doing
well.” Berry, the National Ski Areas Association’s president, said ski
resort operators are optimists by nature; they have to be, he said,
adding that a powerful storm may still hit California deluging the
mountains and turning the season around in 24 hours. He ran
Kirkwood Mountain Resort for 13 years and has seen it happen.
“Mother Nature can be cruel,” Berry said. “She can also be incredibly
generous.” — AP
Few inches of snow
Homewood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe suspended skiing
early this month, but also plans to open for the Presidents Day
weekend with a few inches of fresh snow from recent storms. Ski
season started strong with heavy snowfall in December blanketing
California’s mountains. Resorts opened before Christmas, earlier
than the previous year with raised hopes that more snow would follow. But January set records as the driest and the second warmest in
recorded history, said Michael Anderson, a climatologist with the
state’s Department of Water Resources. The Sierra Nevada this
January received 2 percent of normal precipitation with an average
high temperature of 53 degrees, he said. In an unsettling trend, four
of California’s 10 driest Januaries have occurred since 2007, said
Anderson, adding that several days recently at Lake Tahoe have
reached the mid-60s. He spent last weekend with his family in the
Sierra’s Donner Summit, where it rained.
“When it’s raining at the top of the mountain, it’s awful hard to
build a snowpack,” he said. Other Western states have gotten their
share of snow this year, said Michael Berry, president of the National
Ski Areas Association, noting favorable skiing in Colorado, Utah,
Wyoming and Montana. He said storms have hit Washington, but
the warm temperatures pushed the snow level to higher elevations.
Financial hardship
Meanwhile, much of California remains locked in extreme
drought. Tim Cohee, owner of China Peak Mountain Resort, thought
he could keep the lifts running through Presidents Day weekend.
But Cohee said that only the beginner skiing hill and a slope for
sleds and inner-tubes would be opened for the holiday. China Peak
In this photo, a ski lift sits idle at the Donner Ski Ranch in Norden, California. — AP Photos
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Top moments from the 65th Berlin film festival
T
he 65th Berlin film festival headed into the home straight
Friday after premieres from some of the world’s top directors
and stars. Ahead of the gala awards ceremony Saturday,
when a jury led by Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky will hand
out the prestigious Golden and Silver Bear prizes, AFP picks out
some of the top moments on and off screen:
Best ‘method’ approach to acting: Juliette Binoche, for
“Nobody Wants the Night”. The Oscar-winning French actress, after
the premiere of her much-maligned film which opened the 11-day
festival, said that getting into character for the role of Arctic explorer Josephine Peary during the shoot on the sun-kissed island of
Tenerife required special props. She told reporters that she ordered
a refrigerated meat truck to the set to spend time in to get into a
frosty mood. “We had to create the chills because it was really
bloody warm in the studio,” Binoche said.
Best revenge with a movie role: British actor Robert Pattinson
for “Life”. The “Twilight” heartthrob, who is often hounded by the
paparazzi, said playing the photographer who helped make James
Dean into an icon in Anton Corbijn’s movie had made him spare a
thought for the snappers in the bushes. “I do feel like being a
paparazzi for a second-I do empathize with their plight,” the 28year-old said with a laugh. “I was filled with self-loathing, wretchedness-I wanted to really kind of harm myself at the end of every day.”
Best performance standing in for an absentee director: US
filmmaker Terrence Malick for “Knight of Cups”. The famously reclusive Texan hasn’t given an interview in several years and does not
attend his own premieres. His stars Christian Bale and Natalie
Portman were left to represent the film at the festival and field
questions at a packed press conference. But it didn’t stop an
Eritrean reporter from putting a question to Malick. “I have a question for the director...” he said, drawing a big laugh from the assembled journalists. Bale and Portman blinked in silence at the expectant newsman until the actress responded tartly: “The director’s not
here.”
Best preparation for a nude scene: British actor Jamie Dornan
for “Fifty Shades of Grey”. The gala screening of “Fifty Shades” was
the hottest ticket of the festival and Dornan, whose chiseled chest
was on display in the movie’s abundant sex scenes, said he wished
he had had more time to work out to get ready for his close-ups.
But he added: “I actually spend quite a lot of time naked so that
doesn’t feel like that big a deal to a British person.”
Best Englishman: British actor Ian McKellen for “Mr Holmes”.
McKellen called the role of the master sleuth Sherlock Holmes living in retirement in the English countryside and haunted by regrets
“a part and a half”. “He’s one of the great Englishmen and he never
lived-it’s astonishing,” McKellen told reporters after a press screening. But he said his recurring role of Gandalf the wise wizard in the
“Lord of the Rings” series was of the same ilk. “Of course I always
think that Gandalf is really an Oxford professor who puts on a false
beard to go and meet small people,” he joked.
Best spontaneous casting: German director Werner Herzog for
“Queen of the Desert”. The famously eccentric Herzog recruited a
vulture found by the side of the road during the on-location shoot
in Morocco, to appear in a scene in which the stars of the film,
Nicole Kidman and James Franco, share their first on-screen kiss.
Franco said he assumed the bird of prey had been trained and was
startled when it “actually snapped at Nicole one time”. “That kind of
bonded Nicole and I,” the American actor said, smiling at Kidman.
Best technical feat: “Victoria” by German director Sebastian
Schipper. Set in Berlin, the film follows a group of underclass youths
and a Spanish student who get caught up in a bank heist gone
wrong. The movie, which generated major buzz during the festival,
was shot in a single take of two hours and 10 minutes. It took the
filmmaker three tries until he pulled it off. “We had this huge
amount of self-confidence and we thought we’d be able to do this,”
he told reporters. “When I realized we were heading toward the
abyss, we just carried on.” The Berlin film festival wraps up tomorrow with the screenings of the fests most popular features. — AFP
(From left)Australian actress Cate
Blanchett, British actress Lily James
and British actress Helena Bonham
Carter pose for photographers during a photocall for the film
“Cinderella” presented in competition of the 65th Berlin International
Film Festival. —AFP
Will Smith: ‘After Earth’ was the biggest failure of career
W
ill Smith has opened up about “After Earth,”
the 2013 sci-fi film in which his son Jaden
Smith also starred, calling it the “most painful
failure” of his career. The comment, in an interview
with Esquire, came after the reporter referenced a
“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” quote from Smith’s TV aunt,
who advised his character on an episode, “Don’t let
success go to your head and success go to your heart.”
“That was a valuable lesson for me a few years ago
with ‘After Earth,’” Smith said. “That was the most
painful failure in my career.”
The Sony/Columbia picture, directed by M Night
Shyamalan, made $27 million on opening weekend
and grossed a global $243 million on a reported production budget of $130 million. In comparison, in
2008, “Hancock,” the Smith-starring fantasy drama
from Sony/Columbia, raked in $624 million globally
and made $62 million on opening weekend. His romcom “Hitch” made $368 globally and $43 million on
opening weekend. Smith said “Wild Wild West,” a picture that also opened with $27 million, was still a better experience. “Wild Wild West” made a $52 million
profit on a reported $170 million production budget,
whereas “After Earth” resulted in a $113 million profit.
“‘Wild Wild West’ was less painful than ‘After Earth’
because my son was involved in ‘After Earth,’ and I led
him into it. That was excruciating,” the 46-year-old
said. Then he contemplated the importance of having
films that topped box office charts. “I never would
have looked at myself in that way. I was a guy who,
when I was 15, my girlfriend cheated on me, and I
decided that if I was number one, no woman would
ever cheat on me. All I have to do is make sure that no
one’s ever better than me, and I’ll have the love that
my heart yearns for. And I never released that and
moved into a mature way of looking at the world and
my artistry and love until the failure of ‘After Earth,’
when I had to accept that it’s not a good source of creation.”
Smith said when he received box office numbers
the following Monday, he was “devastated for about
24 minutes,” and shortly after, he received a call that
his father had cancer. “That put it in perspectiveviciously.” After a 90-minute treadmill session immediately following the news, Smith had an epiphany.
“That Monday started the new phase of my life, a
new concept: Only love is going to fill that hole,”
Smith said. “You can’t win enough, you can’t have
enough money, and you can’t succeed enough.
There is not enough. The only thing that will ever
satiate that existential thirst is love. And I just
remember that day I made the shift from wanting to
be a winner to wanting to have the most powerful,
deep and beautiful relationships I could possibly
have.” — Reuters
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Celebs and models
support heart health with
Go Red for Women Red
Dress Collection. The
iconic red dress
symbolizes the continued
fight against heart
disease and stroke.
— AFP Photos
TECHNOLOGY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Are you a
hack waiting
to happen?
NEW YORK: Are you a hack waiting to happen? Your boss
wants to find out. High-profile hacks have companies on the
defense, trying to prevent becoming the next Sony Pictures or
Anthem. And data shows phishing emails are more and more
common as entry points for hackers - unwittingly clicking on a
link in a scam email could unleash malware into a network or
provide other access to cyberthieves.
So a growing number of companies, including Twitter Inc,
are giving their workers’ a pop quiz, testing security savvy by
sending spoof phishing emails to see who bites. “New employees fall for it all the time,” said Josh Aberant, postmaster at
Twitter, during a data privacy town hall meeting recently in
New York City. Falling for the fake scam offers a teachable
moment that businesses hope will ensure employees won’t
succumb to a real threat. It’s even a niche industry: companies
like Wombat Security and PhishMe offer the service for a fee.
Phishing is very effective, according to Verizon’s 2014 data
breach investigations report, one of the most comprehensive
in the industry. Eighteen percent of users will visit a link in a
phishing email which could compromise their data, the report
found. Not only is phishing on the rise, the phish are getting
smarter. Criminals are “getting clever about social engineering,”
said Patrick Peterson, CEO of email security company Agari. As
more people wise up to age-old PayPal and bank scams, for
example, phishing emails are evolving. You might see a
Walgreens gift card offer or a notice about President Barack
Obama warning you about Ebola.
The phishing tests recognize that many security breaches
are the result of human error. A recent study by the nonprofit
Online Trust Alliance found that of more than 1,000 breaches in
the first half of 2014, 90 percent were preventable and more
than 1 in 4 were caused by employees, many by accident. Fake
phishing emails are indistinguishable from the real ones. That’s
the point. In one sent out by Wombat, the subject reads “Email
Account Security Report - Unusual Activity.” The email informs
the recipient that his or her account will be locked for unusual
activity such as sending a large number of undeliverable messages. At the bottom there’s a link that, were this a real phishing email, would infect the recipient’s computer with malicious
software or steal password and login information.
If you click?
Up pops a web page: “Oops! The email you just responded
to was a fake phishing email. Don’t worry! It was sent to you to
help you learn how to avoid real attacks. Please do not share
your experience with colleagues, so they can learn too.” It also
offers tips on recognizing suspicious messages. In the 14 years
since PhishMe CEO and co-founder Rohyt Belani has been in
the information security field, he says it’s changed from something a “geek in the back room” was supposed to take care of
to something companies now handle at the highest level of
management. The nature of the intruder also has changed,
from pranksters to criminal organizations and nation-states. As
the security industry developed, he said, so did the idea of the
user as “stupid” and the “weakest link,” destined to continue to
fall for phishing attempts and other scams. Belani disagrees
with that, faulting the security industry for not better training
workers. “We posted posters in hallways, gave out squishy balls,
(made) screen savers,” he said. “When was the last time you
changed your password because of a squishy ball?” While
phishing training emails are a “good cautionary measure,” they
aren’t “actually going to strike at the core of the issue,” believes
Agari’s Peterson. He, along with large Internet companies such
as Facebook Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp., support
establishing a standard that makes it impossible for scammers
to impersonate your bank, social network or other business in
an email. Think of it as a verification system for emails. For now,
though, this seems a long way off.
So, at Pinnacle Financial Partners in Nashville, Tennessee,
employees will continue to receive fake phishing emails, about
one a quarter. The results are reported to the company’s audit
committee and board of directors, said Chief Information officer Randy Withrow. Since the 800-employee company started
the Wombat program Withrow said it has seen a 25 percent
drop in successful phishing attempts. Workers “take it very personally” when they fall for it, he said. “They become apologetic
and wonder, ‘how did I miss it?” Luckily for Pinnacle, it was only
a test. — AP
PARIS: French humorist Norman poses during the event “200 You Tubers and creators which vibrate the web in France”
in Paris. — AFP
When YouTube stars go
offline and meet up ‘live’
PARIS: If you thought today’s young
YouTube celebrities have only virtual
contact with their fans, think again.
They have taken on something new:
real life. A last-minute message on
Twitter, Internet or Facebook can bring
hundreds, even thousands of teenagers
out to a designated venue within hours
to see their “vlogging”-video bloggingidols in the flesh. Teenager Leena waited in line in Paris last month to see
France’s number two YouTube comic,
known as Norman. “I feel like crying,”
she gushed.
“I’ve seen every one of his videos!”
“It’s going to be weird seeing him live,”
said 13-year-old Eugenie, who has
already attended several YouTube
Meetups, as the encounters are known.
‘Meetups’ may have started as low-key
bids to boost a YouTuber’s reputation,
but in many places including Britain
and the US they have morphed into
professionally organised, commercially
driven events showcasing these new
power brokers. As elsewhere, France’s
“Generation Z”-kids born after 1995
whose world is dominated by digital
props-have quickly embraced the
trend.
“Tomorrow I’ll be at FNAC SaintLazare in Paris to sign autographs.
Everyone come!” read a message from
27-year-old Norman-full name Norman
Thauvaud-posted on Facebook, the
Generation Z bible, citing a well-known
book, CD and electronic equipment
store in the capital. His “Mister Average”
persona delivers short posts on teen
topics like dating, family or swearing
that score eight to 12 million views. He
has 5.6 million subscribers and when he
announces an event-even with just 24
hours notice-hundreds of fans turn out.
Eleonore, 16, said she “heard about it
on Twitter, thanks to friends.” “We were
really excited,” said Gary and Mikael, 13year-olds who also showed up. “It’s
cool to meet the guy you’re following.”
Didn’t realise my importance
YouTube’s own staggering statistics
have helped catapult vloggers like
Norman to cult status. The site has
more than one billion users and 300
hours of videos are uploaded every
minute, according to its press site.
Mobile devices-like the smartphones
carried non-stop by Generation Zaccount for half of YouTube’s global
views. Yet the transition from virtual to
live can be jarring. Marie Lopez, 19,
alias “Enjoy-Phoenix”, France’s number-one beauty advice vlogger - 1.3
million subscribers-toured some 15
French cities last year to “meet” her
public, mainly girls between 13 and 20.
“I didn’t quite realise how important I
was for my followers,” Enjoy-Phoenix
said in a sober follow-up video.
“Having 800 people running after you,
like that, I was really scared. “I make
videos in my room, I am not Shakira, I
have no Oscar. I didn’t deserve all this
attention,” she said.
Fans, too, post numerous videos on
the Meetup experience. Some even
record “how-to” guides on handling
this “live” encounter. In one, a sassy girl
urges fellow “digital natives” to try it,
it’s real life “and if you don’t know what
that is, google it first.” Norman organized his Meetup last month to promote
a show he will be giving in a Paris theatre. He is among only a handful of
YouTube comics in France who manage to make a living from their craft,
thanks to ads that pay one euro ($1.1)
for every 1,000 views. YouTube takes a
share of the profits. The 70-odd videos
he posted since he started in 2011
have been viewed 638 million times.
‘Hitting the jackpot’
And this is a drop in the ocean compared to mega stars like PewDiePie,
25-year-old Swedish video game commentator Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg. He
has the world’s most subscribed
YouTube channel-more than 34 million-and is said to be one of the highest
paid YouTubers. Forbes and the Wall
Street Journal last June said he took
about $4 million in ad sales, “most of it
pure profit”. With that much influence,
Youtube’s Meetups were bound to go
bigtime. “Initially, these Meetups were
more impromptu and not well organized,” said Thomas Owadenko, cofounder of Octoly, the leading brand
management software firm for
YouTube which has identified popular
beauty bloggers who are then paid for
talking about a product.
Today, the Meetups include slick
gatherings like VidCon in the US. Now
in its sixth year, the next one in July will
gather 300 YouTubers for three days in
Anaheim, California. It will restrict
admittance to 20,000 fans-all paying
$100 to $150 a ticket. Similar events are
held in Britain, dubbed Summer in the
City, and Germany, where it’s called
Video Days. M6, a French music video
television channel, will get in on the act
this summer with a gathering called
Video City Paris. “Like many in
Generation Z, YouTubers don’t expect
to live off their videos or to make money, when they start out,” said Eric
Delcroix, an expert on social networks.
“It’s like hitting the jackpot.” — AFP
TECHNOLOGY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
London workshop
teaches nuts and
bolts behind tech
LONDON: For children who have become
increasingly savvy consumers of sophisticated
technology, a London workshop is offering
something different-a chance to get back to
basics and build their own computers.
Dipping into an orange container a little bigger than a box of chocolates, Omar, 10, and
Faizah, 9, reacted with glee as they pulled out
bits including a screen, a keyboard, cables, a
circuit board and a speaker. Their instructions
tell them the first step is to protect the computer’s “brains”, putting the circuit board in a
transparent box.
Next they have to give it “new powers” by
adding the memory, the speaker and a
screen. Finally, they have to “give life” to the
computer by plugging it in. “It works!” Omar
shouts out as he sees lines appear on the
screen-like something from the Matrix film.
“When I opened the box, I said: ‘It’s gonna be
very hard to do it’,” said Omar, dressed in his
school uniform with a white shirt, a blue
jumper and tie. “But when I opened it, me and
Faizah worked together and eventually we
finished it in about five, 10 minutes,” he said.
When the computer asks the two to choose a
team name, there is little hesitation:
“Champions!”
‘How it actually works’
The class at Fab Lab, a new digital technology hub in the City of London, is a popular
one, attended by around 60 children building
their Kano. A British computer kit, it sells at
$149 (99 euros) that started out as a crowdfunded project last year to help people learn
basic coding skills and bring computer skills
to less tech-heavy parts of the world. On a
recent workshop attended by AFP, around 60
children came to hear how to build their
Kano. “It’s important to give kids the opportunity to be creative with technology,” said
Ande Gregson, co-founder and director of Fab
Lab London. “They consume far too much
today, they’ve got PS3, XBox, all these game
consoles that they can play without any
notion of how they were created.
“We’re trying to mitigate some of that by
providing a space that gives children the
opportunity to create, be creative and maybe
think about the world in a different way,” he
said. That chimes with the wishes of parents
like Gregory Bamert who brought his son
Theo. “Rather than being driven by technology, it’s good to be aware of how it works so
you can actually use it and develop it and not
just be a consumer,” he said. Bamert said he
gave a Kano to Theo for Christmas and “he’s
been playing with it pretty much ever since.”
“We thought it would be a great way for him
actually to get a step deeper into kind of
understanding how it actually works and
understanding some of the basics about programming,” he said.
‘Like music, paint’
Like all British kids, Omar and Faizah have
coding classes at school that began nationwide this year. “It’s an enormous progress
that in countries like the UK, Estonia, coding
and computational thinking is becoming
part of the curriculum,” said Alex Klein, one
of the co-founders of Kano. “We say to kids
‘program or be programmed’, that if they
don’t learn how to code, in the future the
machines will code them. “But that’s just a
fear-based message. I think that instead
what we should be saying to kids is ‘code is
like music, paint, it’s just another way to
express ourselves’”. — AFP
Cyber summit aims to boost
defenses and mend fences
SAN FRANCISCO: US President Barack Obama
seeks to rally support for cybersecurity efforts and
rebuild trust eroded by leaks on surveillance in a
visit Friday to Silicon Valley. At the White House
cybersecurity summit in Palo Alto, Obama was
expected to announce executive action intended
to improve how information on cyber threats is
shared between companies and with the
Department of Homeland Security.
The more than 1,000 people expected to
attend the summit will include technology company executives, police, academics, students and privacy advocates, according to national economic
council director Jeffery Zients. Apple chief executive Tim Cook was to speak just ahead of the president. “The summit is really an opportunity to take
stock of where we have been and point toward
where we need to go, since we are at an inflection
point of continuing to have cyberspace be a
strategic asset not just for us but for the world,”
White House cybersecurity coordinator Michael
Daniel said during a briefing with the press on
Thursday.
Topics targeted at the summit will include
sophisticated attacks sponsored by nation-states,
and ways to “use all the tools in the US government’s tool box” while working with the private
sector to tackle the problem, according to White
House officials. “It is not appropriate for all network security to be carried out by the government;
it is not even physically possible,” Daniel said. “But,
that does not mean that companies are going to
be left to fend for themselves.”
Some technology companies will use the summit to announce steps being taken to improve
online security with techniques such as multi-factor authentication that requires more than a password to access accounts. Joining the effort will be
companies ranging from tech giants such as Intel
and Apple, as well as financial firms like US Bank
and AIG and retailers including Walgreens and
QVC. Firms will also unveil steps being taken to
improve how information about cyber attacks is
shared with other companies and the government
so defenses can be unified, according to Daniel.
The summit comes following failed efforts over the
past few years to pass cybersecurity legislation
that would allow for better sharing of threats without fear of liability.
Sessions will include focuses on improving
cybersecurity practices at businesses, collaborating on defenses, and ways to make online payments more secure. “Cybersecurity is one of the
most important national issues we face,” Zients
said. “Companies are not just protecting networks
but customers, and when companies suffer data
breaches it is the customers who are affected.” The
US has an opportunity to use cybersecurity as a
competitive advantage in the global marketplace
by “getting it right” so the country is a preferred
place for banking, data storage, smartphone technology and more, according to Zients. “This is really important to our position in the world economy;
that we lead in cybersecurity,” Zients said. — AFP
PARIS: Women gather and take pictures in front of boxes where men stand like toys,
in Paris, on the opening day of a store of the online dating site “AdopteUnMec.com”
(AdoptAGuy.com), where women can choose and also date men according to their
profiles and taste. Bodies, faces, status and humor are all important in internet dating, but the biggest success factor of all could be the choice of your profile name. So
say scientists who found that people whose online name began with a letter in the
top half of the alphabet-A to M-get the most “looks” from others.— AFP
Looking for love
online? Change your
name to Aardvark
PARIS: Faces, bodies, status and humor are all
important in Internet dating, but the biggest
success factor of all could be your name. So
say scientists who found that people whose
online name began with a letter in the top
half of the alphabet-A to M-get the most
“looks” from others. “Several factors make a
difference when looking for love in a digital
setting,” said Khalid Khan, a professor at
Queen Mary University of London. “Starting
with a screen name with a letter in the top half
of the alphabet is surprisingly importantbecause several measures of success, such as
educational attainment and income, are
linked to names higher up the alphabet.
“Add to this the fact that search engines
sort names alphabetically.” Khan and Sameer
Chaudhry at Barts and the London School of
Medicine sought objective data on how people conveyed their attractiveness on dating
sites, and whether others responded to it.
They trawled through 3,938 studies into
online dating, published in psychology, sociology and behavioral science journals. Eightysix of these met their criteria. The numbers
were crunched, resulting in what could be
termed a Statisticians’ Guide to Online
Courtship. It appears, coincidentally in the
runup to St Valentine’s Day, in a specialized
journal, Evidence Based Medicine.
Do’s and don’ts
Here are other things the pair discovered:
Men prefer profile names that indicate physical attractiveness, such as “Blondie” or
“Cutie,” while women prefer monickers for
men that point to intelligence, such as
“Cultured.” Names with negative associations
such as “Bugg” or “Little” should be avoided
in favor something playful, such as
“Fun2bwith.”
For an attractive profile photo, go for a
genuine smile (one that crinkles up the eyes),
and tilt your head, a sign of interest. Don’t
limit your photos to selfies. A strong bet is a
picture of you in the middle of a group having a good time. You should touch someone
else... but only on the upper arm. This will
show you have friends and are good company but are not grabby or lecherous. Women
find a man more attractive when they see
other women smiling at him. And women
can help their own pitch by wearing red, a
color linked to primal male drive. Couch your
headline message in simple language (complex terms are a turnoff in the initial
encounter), use some humor and don’t lie.
Discovering a falsehood can wreck whatever
follows afterwards.
In your first communication, do not send a
“wink,” meaning a signal to attract the attention of the other user. Instead, you should
send a short personalized message focusing
on one of the traits of your potential date. As
your contact develops, your messages can
get longer but you should avoid “long, scholarly theses” until you know your correspondent actually likes this sort of stuff. “If you can
get the potential date to stop and think
about your headline message, increasing the
exposure time to your primary photo, this will
increase their liking of you,” said Khan. “Steer
clear of fiction in your profile-written information could come back to bite you. And provide a 70:30 mix of who you are and what you
are looking for.”
In the all-important blink-of-an-eye first
encounter, people who seem eager to flash
their qualifications could end up lonely, he
warned. “Bear in mind that likeability is more
attractive than academic achievement,” said
Khan. “A profile that appears genuine is more
likely to generate interest.” Khan and
Chaudhry admit their investigation has limitations. The methods used to collect data
were not standard across all of the studies.
This made it difficult in some respects to get a
clear picture. Nor did they know whether any
real-life dates blossomed into long-term relationships. Despite this, the implications of the
probe “are many,” they say. “Online daters
focus too much on details without realizing
that likeability springs from subconscious initial impressions.” — AFP
TV listings
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
00:50 Gator Boys
01:45 Wild Things With Dominic
Monaghan
02:40 Tanked
03:35 Gangland Killers
04:25 Wild Things With Dominic
Monaghan
05:15 Treehouse Masters
06:02 Call Of The Wildman
06:25 Call Of The Wildman
06:49 Gangland Killers
07:36 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner
08:00 The Wild Life Of Tim Faulkner
08:25 Tanked
09:15 Tanked
10:10 Tanked
11:05 Tanked
12:00 Tanked
12:55 Dinosaurs Decoded
13:50 Shamwari: A Wild Life
14:15 Shamwari: A Wild Life
14:45 Gangland Killers
15:40 Wildest Africa
16:35 There’s A Rhino In My House!
17:30 Echo And The Elephants Of
Amboseli
17:55 Echo And The Elephants Of
Amboseli
18:25 Shamwari: A Wild Life
18:50 Shamwari: A Wild Life
19:20 Gangland Killers
20:15 Wildest Africa
21:10 Megalodon: The Monster
Shark Lives
23:00 Treehouse Masters: View
From Above
23:55 Dinosaurs Decoded
BBC ENTERTAINMENT
00:30 My Family
01:00 Doctors
01:25 Casualty
02:15 Lead Balloon
02:45 Zen
04:15 The Weakest Link
05:00 The Green Balloon Club
05:25 Mr Bloom’s Nursery
05:45 Charlie And Lola
05:55 Gigglebiz
06:10 The Green Balloon Club
06:35 Mr Bloom’s Nursery
06:55 Charlie And Lola
07:10 The Weakest Link
07:55 Sinbad
08:40 Hustle
09:30 Doctor Who: Planet Of The
Dead
10:30 The Vicar Of Dibley
11:00 My Family
11:30 Sinbad
12:15 Hustle
13:05 Casualty
13:55 Eastenders
14:25 Eastenders
14:55 Eastenders
15:25 Eastenders
15:55 The Omid Djalili Show
16:25 The Omid Djalili Show
16:55 The Omid Djalili Show
17:25 Sinbad
18:10 Hustle
19:00 Doctor Who: The Waters Of
Mars
20:00 Live At The Apollo
20:45 Watson & Oliver
21:15 Threesome
21:35 Him & Her
22:05 Moone Boy
22:30 The Omid Djalili Show
23:00 The Weakest Link
23:45 Sinbad
00:10
00:55
Africa
01:45
02:40
03:25
03:50
04:35
Africa
05:25
05:50
06:20
07:15
08:00
08:55
09:45
10:15
11:05
12:00
12:25
12:45
13:10
13:35
14:00
14:55
15:45
16:30
17:15
17:55
Africa
18:50
19:15
20:05
20:30
Best
21:20
22:10
23:05
23:30
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Come Dine With Me
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Bargain Hunt
Bargain Hunt
Bargain Hunt
Come Dine With Me: South
00:20
01:10
02:00
02:50
03:40
04:05
04:30
05:00
05:30
06:00
06:50
07:40
08:05
08:30
09:20
10:10
11:00
11:50
12:40
13:30
14:20
15:10
16:00
16:50
17:40
18:30
19:20
20:10
21:00
21:25
21:50
22:15
22:40
Fast N’ Loud
Overhaulin’
Kindig Customs
Fantomworks
Auction Hunters
The Liquidator
Auction Hunters
How It’s Made
How It’s Made
The Big Brain Theory
You Have Been Warned
The Carbonaro Effect
The Carbonaro Effect
Bear Grylls’ Wild Weekend
Dive Wars Australia
Survive That!
Dive Wars Australia
Dive Wars Australia
Dive Wars Australia
Dive Wars Australia
Dive Wars Australia
Dive Wars Australia
Gold Rush
Gold Divers: Under The Ice
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Bear Grylls’ Wild Weekend
Dive Wars Australia
Survive That!
Auction Hunters
Auction Hunters
Auction Hunters
Auction Hunters
Auction Hunters
Delicious Iceland
Phil Spencer: Secret Agent
Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill
The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
Masterchef: The Professionals
23:05 Street Outlaws
23:55 Street Outlaws
00:00
00:45
00:50
01:15
01:40
01:50
02:05
02:15
02:30
03:10
03:20
03:45
04:10
04:20
04:35
04:45
05:00
05:25
05:50
06:00
06:25
06:50
07:15
07:40
08:05
08:30
08:55
09:20
09:45
10:10
10:35
12:15
12:40
13:05
13:30
13:55
14:20
Witch
15:00
15:20
15:45
16:10
16:35
17:00
17:25
17:50
18:15
18:40
19:05
19:30
19:55
20:20
20:45
21:10
21:35
22:00
22:25
Violetta
The Hive
Art Attack
Art Attack
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Violetta
The Hive
Art Attack
Art Attack
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Art Attack
Mouk
Kim Possible
Liv And Maddie
Girl Meets World
Wizards Of Waverly Place
Jessie
Liv And Maddie
Binny And The Ghost
I Didn’t Do It
Dog With A Blog
Girl Meets World
Gravity Falls
Starstruck
Dog With A Blog
Wizards Of Waverly Place
Binny And The Ghost
Girl Meets World
I Didn’t Do It
Sabrina: Secrets Of A Teenage
Austin & Ally
Austin & Ally
Jessie
Austin & Ally
Girl Meets World
Liv And Maddie
I Didn’t Do It
Dog With A Blog
Good Luck Charlie
Austin & Ally
Austin & Ally
Binny And The Ghost
Gravity Falls
Kim Possible
Spooksville
I Didn’t Do It
Gravity Falls
Suite Life On Deck
A.N.T. Farm
22:50 Shake It Up
23:10 Wolfblood
23:35 Wolfblood
00:00 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
00:30 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
00:55 Extreme Close-Up
01:25 THS
02:20 E! News
03:15 Kourtney And Khloe Take The
Hamptons
04:10 E!ES
05:05 The E! True Hollywood Story
06:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami
06:55 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami
07:50 Style Star
08:20 E! News
09:15 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
09:45 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills
10:15 E!ES
11:10 Ryan Seacrest With The
Kardashians: An E!...
12:05 E! News
13:05 Live From The Red Carpet
15:00 Fashion Bloggers
15:30 Fashion Bloggers
16:00 House Of DVF
17:00 House Of DVF
18:00 E! News
19:00 E!ES
20:00 Kourtney And Khloe Take The
Hamptons
21:00 E!ES
21:30 Christina Milian Turned Up
22:00 E! News
23:00 The Soup
23:30 Fashion Police
00:40
01:30
Dogs
02:00
02:55
03:20
03:55
04:20
04:45
05:00
05:25
05:50
06:15
06:40
07:05
Dogs
07:30
Dogs
08:00
08:50
09:55
The Hungry Sailors
Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of
The Chase: Celebrity Specials
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of
Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of
Who’s Doing The Dishes
Get Your Act Together
The Chase
10:30
11:35
13:15
14:05
15:00
15:55
17:00
18:30
Dogs
19:00
19:55
21:00
22:30
23:15
23:40
Sunday Night At The Palladium
Get Your Act Together
Midsomer Murders
Who’s Doing The Dishes
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
00:00 Alaska Wing Men
01:00 Inside Combat Rescue
02:00 World’s Toughest Fixes
03:00 Mega Factories: Supercars
04:00 Mega Breakdown
05:00 Live Free Or Die
06:00 Hunter Hunted
07:00 Breakout
08:00 Alaska Wing Men
09:00 Inside Combat Rescue
10:00 World’s Toughest Fixes
11:00 Street Genius
11:30 Street Genius
12:00 Mad Scientists
12:30 Mad Scientists
13:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest
14:00 Perilous Journeys
15:00 Secrets Of The Great Escape
Revealed
16:00 Wild Australia
17:00 Animal Autopsy
18:00 Car SOS
19:00 Secrets Of The Great Escape
Revealed
20:00 Wild Australia
21:00 Animal Autopsy
22:00 Car SOS
23:00 Street Genius
23:30 Street Genius
00:30 The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
01:00 Modern Family
01:30 Silicon Valley
02:00 It’s Always Sunny In
Philadelphia
02:30 South Park
03:00 New Girl
03:30 How I Met Your Mother
04:00 Men At Work
04:30 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
Fantasy Homes By The Sea
Come Dine With Me: South
Masterchef: The Professionals
Bargain Hunt
Come Dine With Me
Fantasy Homes By The Sea
Come Dine With Me: South
The Hairy Bikers USA
Come Dine With Me
Masterchef: The Professionals
Fantasy Homes By The Sea
Masterchef: The Professionals
The Chase
Endeavour
The Jonathan Ross Show
Sunday Night At The Palladium
Harry’s South Pole Heroes
Get Your Act Together
Midsomer Murders
Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of
NINJA- SHADOW OF A TEAR ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD
05:30 My Boys
06:00 The Goldbergs
06:30 Better Off Ted
07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers
08:00 Men At Work
08:30 My Boys
09:00 New Girl
09:30 Black-Ish
10:00 Hot In Cleveland
10:30 Better Off Ted
11:00 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
12:00 The Goldbergs
12:30 Men At Work
13:00 My Boys
13:30 Better Off Ted
14:00 How I Met Your Mother
14:30 Black-Ish
15:00 Hot In Cleveland
15:30 The Daily Show With Jon
Stewart
16:00 Modern Family
16:30 The Goldbergs
17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers
18:00 Enlisted
18:30 How I Met Your Mother
19:00 2 Broke Girls
19:30 Cougar Town
20:00 The Tonight Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon
21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition
21:30 Modern Family
22:00 Saturday Night Live
23:00 South Park
23:30 Late Night With Seth Meyers
00:00
01:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
Covert Affairs
American Idol
Grimm
American Idol
Grey’s Anatomy
Covert Affairs
Witches Of East End
Parenthood
American Idol
Grey’s Anatomy
Once Upon A Time
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Parenthood
Covert Affairs
Parenthood
Graceland
The Blacklist
The Strain
Salem
Grimm
01:00
05:00
11:00
16:00
19:00
20:00
Good Morning America
Good Morning America
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Live Good Morning America
Drop Dead Diva
Royal Pains
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
09:45
11:30
14:00
16:00
17:45
19:30
22:00
Sunshine
The Wicked Within
Crimson Tide
Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear
The Call
Maximum Conviction
The Lone Ranger
Crimson Tide
Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear
The Call
The Lone Ranger
Olympus Has Fallen
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
07:45
09:30
12:00
14:00
15:45
17:30
20:00
22:00
23:45
The Wicked Within-PG15
Crimson Tide-PG15
Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear-PG15
The Call-PG15
Maximum Conviction-PG15
The Lone Ranger-PG15
Crimson Tide-PG15
Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear-PG15
The Call-PG15
The Lone Ranger-PG15
Olympus Has Fallen-PG15
Babylon A.D-PG15
Jarhead-18
00:15 Reginald D. Hunter: Live-18
TV listings
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
10:00
11:45
14:00
16:30
18:30
20:30
22:00
A Smile Like Yours-PG15
Home Alone-PG
Teen Wolf Too-PG15
Austenland-PG15
The Simpsons Movie-PG15
Never Been Kissed-PG15
Keeping The Faith-PG15
Austenland-PG15
10 Years-PG15
Bachelorette-PG15
Friends With Kids-PG15
01:30
03:15
05:15
07:00
09:00
11:00
13:00
15:00
17:00
19:00
21:00
23:00
Hope Springs-PG15
The Immigrant-PG15
Five Thirteen-PG15
Yellow Rock-PG15
Stuck In Love-PG15
Five Thirteen-PG15
Girl In Progress-PG15
Won’t Back Down-PG15
Stuck In Love-PG15
Safe Haven-PG15
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
To The Wonder-PG15
01:00
03:45
05:45
08:00
10:00
11:45
14:00
16:00
18:00
20:00
22:30
Sleepers-18
Unstrung Heroes-PG15
Red Lights-PG15
Spiderwick Chronicles-PG
Escape From Polygamy-PG15
The Past-PG15
Salinger-PG15
Gravity-PG15
Buried-PG15
I Am Sam-PG15
As Good As It Gets-PG15
01:15 The Possession-PG15
03:00 The Internship-PG15
05:00 Night At The Museum-PG
07:00 Love And Honor-PG15
09:00 The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
11:00 The Nut Job-FAM
12:45 Captain America: The Winter
Soldier-PG15
15:00 Everything Must Go-PG15
17:00 The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
19:00 Celeste And Jesse Forever
21:00 Endless Love-PG15
23:00 We’re The Millers-18
01:00 Quest For A Heart
02:45 Barbie In The 12 Dancing
Princesses
04:30 The Happy Cricket
06:00 Return To Nim’s Island
08:00 Barbie Fairytopia Mermaidia
10:00 Tristan And Isolde
11:30 Krazzy Planet
13:00 Barbie In The 12 Dancing
Princesses
14:30 Pacific Pirates
16:00 Princess And The Pea
18:00 Tristan And Isolde
20:00 Barbie As Rapunzel
22:00 Pacific Pirates
23:30 Princess And The Pea
02:00
03:45
06:00
07:30
09:45
12:00
14:15
PG15
15:45
18:00
20:15
22:15
01:00
09:00
09:30
11:30
14:00
17:30
The Philly Kid-PG15
The Host-PG15
Vantage Point-PG15
Chinese Zodiac-PG15
21-PG15
The Host-PG15
Call Me Crazy: A Five FilmChinese Zodiac-PG15
The Book Thief-PG15
The Heat-PG15
2 Guns-18
Live ICC Cricket World Cup
Total Rugby
Live Super Rugby
Super Rugby
Champions Tour
Total Rugby
JARHEAD ON OSN MOVIES ACTION HD
18:00
20:00
22:00
22:30
Live Super Rugby
Live Super Rugby
Volvo Ocean Race Highlights
PGA European Tour
03:00
Series
14:00
18:30
23:00
Series
Live HSBC Sevens World
03:00
06:00
08:00
09:00
13:00
20:00
21:00
Live NHL
Golfing World
Golfing World
Live PGA European Tour
Golfing World
Golfing World
Live PGA Tour
00:00
01:00
03:00
05:00
07:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
14:00
15:00
18:00
20:00
WWE Main Event
NHL
Bellator MMA
Live Bellator MMA
WWE Smackdown
WWE Bottomline
WWE Superstars
WWE Main Event
NHL
WWE Vintage
WWE NXT
NHL
Bellator MMA
14:30
15:30
17:00
18:00
ENG
22:00
ICC World Cup H/L: NZ v SL
ICC Cricket 360
ICC World Cup H/L: NZ v SL
ICC World Cup H/L: AUS v
ICC Cricket 360
Super Rugby
HSBC Sevens World Series
Live HSBC Sevens World
00:30 Cricket in Color
02:00 ICC Cricket World Cup Tales
02:30 ICC World Cup Warm-Up H/L:
AUS v IND
03:30 ICC World Cup Warm-Up H/L:
ENG v WI
04:30 ICC World Cup Warm-Up H/L:
IND v AFG
05:30 ICC World Cup Warm-Up H/L:
ENG v PAK
06:30 Live ICC World Cup: AUS v
IND
00:45
01:35
02:00
02:25
02:50
03:15
04:05
05:00
06:00
06:25
07:15
08:05
08:55
09:45
10:10
10:35
11:25
11:50
12:15
12:40
13:05
13:30
13:55
14:20
15:10
15:35
16:00
16:25
16:50
17:15
18:05
18:55
19:20
19:45
20:10
20:35
21:00
21:50
22:40
23:05
23:55
The Face Australia
Bizarre ER
Bizarre ER
What Have I Got
What Have I Got
Mormon Half Love
What Not To Wear
What Not To Wear
17 Kids And Counting
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Hoarding: Buried Alive
Secret Eaters
Secret Eaters
Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Sister Wives
17 Kids And Counting
17 Kids And Counting
17 Kids And Counting
17 Kids And Counting
17 Kids And Counting
Brides Of Beverly Hills
Brides Of Beverly Hills
Oprah’s Master Class
Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Cake Boss
Bakery Boss
Oprah’s Master Class
Say Yes To The Dress
Say Yes To The Dress
Say Yes To The Dress
Say Yes To The Dress
Say Yes To The Dress
Oprah’s Master Class
Oprah’s Master Class
Extreme Couponing
My 600lb Life
My 600lb Life
00:40 How It’s Made
01:05 How It’s Made
01:30 How The Universe Works
02:20 Through The Wormhole
With Morgan Freeman
03:10 How Do They Do It?
03:35 How Do They Do It?
04:00 Food Factory
04:24 Food Factory
04:48 Magic Of Science
05:12 Mind Control Freaks
05:36 Dynamo: Magician
Impossible
06:24 Weird Connections
06:48 How Tech Works
07:12 Food Factory
07:36 How Do They Do It?
08:00 How Do They Do It?
08:25 How Do They Do It?
08:50 How Do They Do It?
09:15 How Do They Do It?
09:40 How Do They Do It?
10:05 How Do They Do It?
10:30 How It’s Made
10:55 How It’s Made
11:20 How It’s Made
11:45 How It’s Made
12:10 How It’s Made
12:35 How It’s Made
13:00 Food Factory
13:25 Food Factory
13:50 Food Factory
14:15 Food Factory
14:40 Food Factory
15:05 Food Factory
15:30 The Unexplained Files
16:20 Deadliest Space Weather
16:45 NASA’s Unexplained Files
17:35 Alien Mysteries
18:25 Close Encounters
18:50 Long March Into Space
19:40 How The Universe Works
20:30 Food Factory
20:55 Food Factory
21:20 The Unexplained Files
22:10 Curiosity: How Does Life
Begin?
23:00 Food Factory
23:25 Food Factory
23:50 The Unexplained Files
00:40 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion
01:30 Devil In The Details
02:20 Great Crimes And Trials
02:45 Great Crimes And Trials
03:10 Serial Killers
04:00 Most Evil
04:45 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion
05:30 Devil In The Details
06:20 Solved
07:10 True Crime With Aphrodite
Jones
08:00 Deadly Affairs
08:50 True Crime With Aphrodite
Jones
09:40 Real Emergency Calls
10:05 Real Emergency Calls
10:30 Who On Earth Did I Marry?
10:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?
11:20 Who On Earth Did I Marry?
11:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?
12:10 The Will: Family Secrets
Revealed
13:00 The Will: Family Secrets
Revealed
13:50 Nightmare Next Door
14:40 Fatal Encounters
15:30 Fatal Encounters
16:20 Disappeared
17:10 Real Emergency Calls
17:35 Real Emergency Calls
18:00 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
18:25 Stalked: Someone’s
Watching
18:50 I Was Murdered
19:15 I Was Murdered
19:40 Murder Shift
20:30 Murder Shift
21:20 Murder Shift
22:10 Murder Shift
23:00 True CSI
00:10 Zou
00:25 Mouk
00:35 Jungle Junction
00:50
01:15
01:25
01:40
01:50
02:05
02:15
02:25
02:50
03:00
03:15
03:25
03:40
03:50
04:00
04:25
04:35
04:50
05:00
05:15
05:25
05:35
06:00
06:10
06:25
06:35
06:50
07:00
07:10
07:35
07:45
08:00
08:10
08:25
08:35
08:50
09:00
09:15
09:40
09:50
10:05
10:15
10:30
10:35
11:00
11:25
11:50
12:05
Pirates
12:30
12:55
13:20
13:45
14:10
14:35
14:45
15:00
Pirates
15:10
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Mouk
Jungle Junction
Art Attack
Julius Jr.
Calimero
Jungle Junction
Zou
Henry Hugglemonster
Julius Jr.
Mouk
Calimero
Art Attack
Henry Hugglemonster
Doc McStuffins
Zou
Sheriff Callie’s Wild West
Minnie’s Bow-Toons
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Sofia The First
Doc McStuffins
Calimero
Jake And The Never Land
Doc McStuffins
Doc McStuffins
Doc McStuffins
Doc McStuffins
Doc McStuffins
Henry Hugglemonster
Zou
Jake And The Never Land
Sheriff Callie’s Wild West
W H AT ’ S O N
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
National-Liberation fest at
Ahmadi kicks off tomorrow
U
Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Fawaz Al-Khaled
Al-Hamad Al-Sabah
Ibrahim Al-Foudery
nder the auspices and with the attendance of Ahmadi Governor Sheikh
Fawaz Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah,
Ahamdi annual National and Liberation Days
anniversary celebrations will kick off tomorrow at 3:30 pm, at Ahamdi stadium. This was
announced by Ibrahim Al-Foudery, the governorate’s celebrations supervisor and manager
of the governorate’s technical office, noting
that the ceremonies would be on from
February 15 till 21.
Foudery added that the celebrations
would include many recreational activities
and competitions for all ages in addition to
folkloric performances by bands from GCC
states and Egypt.
Expats mute on pre-marital, social
media issues: Hafiz Mohammed
By Sunil Cherian
KUWAIT: Hundreds of Indian expat associations
are tight-lipped on the issue adolescents face these
days, said visiting Indian writer and counselor Prof
NP Hafiz Mohammed. Focusing on marital problems and separations, we neglect a ticking bomb the teenage turmoil, Mohammed said. The writer
recently of Muslim Women in Kerala is on a visit to
Kuwait to lead a parental guidance seminar at
Kuwait Medical Association Hall, Jabriya on Friday
organized by Farooq College Students’ Association,
Kuwait.
Mediocre results
Children who are going to India after their postGrade 12 class mostly produce mediocre results
due to the misuse of the newly found freedom they
get at college, Mohammed said. This is more evident in the Muslim community as parents are not
exposed or unaware of teenage problems. Most of
the expat students join private colleges, for they are
not competent to get a seat in India’s meritorious
educational institutions, and the students who
grew up in closed apartments breath in time and
space which often go unnoticed, Mohammed, who
is currently writing a book on the 60 issues of
expats, said.
Remote parenting
Expat parents whose children are studying elsewhere try to control their faraway kids by phone.
This remote parenting is usually proving futile,
Mohammed said. There are some people who have
closed circuit cameras installed on their newly constructed palatial houses. Some have even installed
Greetings
cameras in their children’s study room. But is this a
solution or problem, asked Mohammed, a retired
professor of Sociology.
Gulf-returned students also do not gel well with
the local community. Adaptation is a problem for
these children. Economical disparities also make
the local students to keep the Gulf students at bay.
Marriages between Gulf-grown girls and local boys
are reportedly ending up in court. Now, expat parents prefer marriage alliance from expats, said
Mohammed who ran a counseling center at his
home for several years.
Wife away
The issue of expat husbands whose wives are
back in their home countries is a psychological crisis. But this is considered as a TV comedy show topic now by our WhatApp influenced culture. Such
women, often capable of running a joint family, are
treated suspiciously as sex-hungry. Burqa became a
common practice in India after their ‘foreign’ husbands became frustrated and jealous, Mohammed
said.
H
appy 4th birthday to our sweet
daughter Aisha Syed on February
14, 2015. Best wishes from mom,
dad, brother Syed Danial and sister
Yasmin Syed. We wish you all the happiness and success in your life.
W H AT ’ S O N
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City Has Arrived
Marriott international announces extended stay brand in Kuwait
T
he Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City has recently
opened its doors to the 139 suites property to welcome its
extended stay travelers. This is the brand’s first property in
Kuwait, but it’s second in the region with an existing Residence
Inn by Marriott Manama Juffair in Bahrain. Coming to the region
under a long term management agreement with United Family,
the Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City has become the third
brand and property within Marriott International’s portfolio in
Kuwait, along with JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City and Courtyard
by Marriott Kuwait city.
“We believe that Kuwait is an ideal fit to invest in a brand that
will accommodate the needs and desires of business and leisure
travelers from around the world who are constantly looking for
options for their long stays. Residence Inn by Marriott provides a
tremendous value for travelers through its spacious suites, fully
equipped kitchens, and daily free hot breakfast among many
other features. With the growth in tourism, high disposable
income, oil wealth and economic development and increase in
infrastructural projects that are underway, we are confident that
this dynamic product will find huge success in Kuwait,”
expressed George Aoun, Cluster General Manager of Kuwait
Marriott Hotels.
Long-standing leader
A long-standing leader in the extended-stay segment,
Residence Inn by Marriott has the third-largest number of hotels
and revenue in the Marriott International portfolio worldwide.
Designed for a traveler who seeks balance on the road, along
with large suites and upscale amenities, Residence Inn hotels are
ideal for guests who need accommodation for a day, a week, a
month or more.
Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City extends the feeling of a
comfortable home away from home and offers guests inviting
and functional public spaces to relax or collaborate. Other hotel
facilities and services include a fitness center, business center
and three meeting rooms designed to accommodate small meetings or events. It is also an ideal option providing spacious
overnight accommodations for out-of-town wedding guests and
family reunions. Rates vary depending on length of stay and the
hotel is now open for bookings for all stays for all dates.
Ghazi Al Nafisi, Chairman of United Family, said, “The Middle
East is a region that continuously proves its passion for growth
and expansion, especially in Kuwait where we are seeing huge
projects in the pipeline. Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City
will set a new trend in the market, with its extra spacious suites,
ranging from suites to two-bedroom accommodations. A mix of
139spacious, stylish and residential-feel suites, fully equipped
kitchens, free wi-fi, and free grocery delivery for all guests are the
main amenities that the property will offer its guests to ensure
they have a comfortable stay.”
Growing opportunities
Diane Mayer, Vice President of the Residence Inn brand,
highlighted the growing Middle East and Africa opportunities
in the extended stay segment, “Across the region we see
demand rising for this unique product and we are perfectly
positioned with our expertise through the Residence Inn by
Marriott brand to serve the needs of this distinct group of travelers. Throughout this year and continuing into 2015, we will
continue our efforts to boost the mid to long-term business
traveler market which is seeing a tremendous growth across
the Middle East and Africa.”
Perfectly located in the Sharq business district, Residence
Inn by Marriott Kuwait City has a lobby that offers a communal environment including a self-service lounge, and a warm
casual restaurant- The Blendz. A “grab and go” kiosk/market
offering snacks, basic food items, newspapers, magazines and
various sundries is located adjacent to the front desk. Three
fully equipped meeting rooms are available with state-of-theart technology and a professional event management team to
handle all details. Overlooking the beautiful blue waters of
the Arabian Gulf, the sun-drenched meeting rooms are an ideal location for any corporate events and meetings. Residence
Inn featuring its fitness facilities will allow travelers to continue with their regular routine of a healthy and balanced
lifestyle.
Idukki MP meets Indian ambassador
T
he Member of Idukki Parliament constituency
Advocate Joice George met with Sunil Jain,
Ambassador of India to Kuwait. During the meeting, illegal recruitments of nurses, house maid issues,
travel fare problems, increase the frequency of direct
flights to India by Air India Express, AADHAR for NRI, activating an All India and Kerala state entrance coaching
and examination center for NRI students in GCC countries under the supervision of the Indian Missions, Indians
in jail etc were bought to the notice of the Ambassador
by the MP.
The Ambassador assured the MP and delegation that,
possible assistance will be provided to all Indians and
other issues will be submitted to the Union Government
for consideration. The MP has expressed his appreciation
to the ambassador and also expressed gratitude for
Government of Kuwait for supporting the Indian community.
Advocate Joice George, MP was in Kuwait to inaugurate the Idukki Fest 2015 annual family gathering of
Idukki Association which was conducted on 30 January
at Cambridge School, Mangaf.
Association President Jaison Kaliyanil, Vice President
Sojan Mathew, General Secretary Biju Anto, FEST General
Convener Benny Perikilathu, Sanil Mathew and Bruce
Chacko were also accompanied the MP.
HEALTH
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Six-day-old baby
receives youngest
heart transplant
LOS ANGELES: A six-day old premature baby has become the
youngest infant to receive a heart transplant at a US hospital,
doctors and her proud parents said Thursday. Baby Oliver
Crawford underwent the operation at Phoenix Children’s
Hospital in Arizona after being born seven weeks ahead of schedule with a heart defect which meant her parents didn’t expect
him to survive. “The doctors had very little hope that he would
survive the pregnancy, and when our water broke at 33 weeks,
we were prepared to deliver a still born baby,” said Caylyn Otto,
the infant’s mother. “But he came out fighting,” she added in a
statement released by the hospital. The baby is recovering in
hospital after being born on January 5. His mother and father
Chris Crawford were first alerted to the problem after a prenatal
exam at 20 weeks showed a defect in the tiny baby’s heart, called
dilated cardiomyopathy. It was confirmed four weeks later. “The
left ventricle was huge for a 24-week-old,” pediatric cardiologist
Dr. Christopher Lindblade told the Arizona Republic, adding: “It
was massive.”They prepared for the worst.
Parents prepared for worst
They even prepared for Oliver’s funeral, clearing their home
of toys, diapers and other baby things. “It was too hard for me to
look at all that stuff,” said Otto. A hospice worker asked her if she
would want to hold her stillborn baby, before he was taken away.
“I don’t think I can,” Otto told her husband, according to the
newspaper. “I don’t think I can hold him like that.” “We kept saying, if we just get to hold him for one minute. That’s all we ask.
Just one minute with our son,” Otto told the newspaper. “Every
minute more we get is a blessing,” she said. Lindblade, the director of the hospital’s Fetal Heart Program, had recently reviewed a
major study on neonatal babies, which gave a prognosis for
infants with Oliver’s condition.
Using statistics from the study, he told the parents that their
baby had a 58 percent chance of not dying or not having to have
a heart transplant But while the odds were daunting, the anxious
parents knew they meant there was still a chance-so they nicknamed their infant son Oliver Hope, short for “all of our hope,”
Crawford told the Arizona Republic. Doctors planned for a birth
at 36 weeks, but Otto went into labor at 33 weeks. Within hours
of the birth the baby was screened to see if he was healthy
enough for a heart transplant. He was put on a national transplant waiting list on January 9, and two days later a viable heart
became available. The operation lasted for 10 hours, after which
he had an incision from his belly to his chest. “From our understanding Oliver is the youngest recipient in the nation. He
received his transplant at 34 weeks and 3 days gestation,” said
his mother. The baby remains in hospital and his lungs remain
weak but he is doing “amazingly well” at 6.1 pounds, according
to the hospital. “It is amazing, after expecting the worst, Oliver is
indeed a miracle,” said the baby’s father. — AFP
Korea cracks down on
plastic surgery clinics
SEOUL: South Korea on Friday announced a crackdown on
illegal brokers and unregistered clinics in a bid to protect
medical tourists, especially those drawn by the country’s
booming plastic surgery industry. The Health Ministry
unveiled a raft of measures drafted in response to a growing
number of complaints over botched jobs and exorbitant
billing, many of them filed by Chinese women who travel
specifically to South Korea for cosmetic procedures.
A 50-year-old Chinese woman was left in a coma late last
month after undergoing a procedure at a plastic surgery clinic
in the up-market Seoul district of Gangnam. “Market-disturbing activities involving illegal brokers and inflated fees, as well
as disputes over malpractice are sparking complaints from foreign patients,” the ministry said in a statement. “This package
of measures is aimed at sustaining international trust in the
country’s plastic surgery market,” it said.
The number of foreigners travelling to South Korea for
medical treatment has been increasing by an average 37 percent a year since 2009 and totaled more than 210,000 in 2013.
Many of those came for cosmetic treatment, ranging from relatively straightforward procedures like unwanted hair
removal and double-eyelid surgery, to highly invasive jaw surgery. South Korea, and particularly Seoul, has an international
reputation for plastic surgery, and adverts featuring famous
surgeons and giant before-and-after photos are omnipresenton street billboards, subway trains, bus stops and the backs of
bus seats. —AFP
KATHMANDU: Nepalese volunteer distributes condoms to members of the public during an HIV/AIDS and other sexually
transmitted diseases Awareness Rally on International Condom Day. — AFP
Study: Hormone drugs boost
ovarian cancer risk by 40%
HRT use in decline as benefits questioned
PARIS: Menopausal women who take
hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
boost the risk of ovarian cancer by 40
percent, even if they take the treatment
only for a few years, a study said yesterday. The probe marks the widest-ever
analysis of the risk of ovarian cancer from
HRT, a treatment whose use declined
when its safety was questioned a dozen
years ago.
Researchers publishing in The Lancet
carried out an overview of 52 published
studies, covering nearly 21,500 women
in North America, Europe and Australia
who had been diagnosed with ovarian
cancer. The disease has been dubbed a
“silent killer,” as it is often spotted too
late. “For women who take HRT for five
years from around age 50, there will be
about one extra ovarian cancer for every
1,000 users, and one extra ovarian cancer
death for every 1,700 users,” said Richard
Peto, a University of Oxford professor
who co-authored the study.
HRT uses the female hormones
oestrogen or progestogen, sometimes
combined, to ease menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, vaginal dryness
and lack of sex drive. The increased risk
was the same in both types of treatment.
It was also seen in the two most common types of cancer-known as serious
and endometrial ovarian cancers-but not
in the rarest kinds, mucinous and clearcell cancers. The risk fell back over time
after women stopped taking HRT. But
women who had used the drug for at
least five years still had a noticeable
increased risk of ovarian cancer 10 years
later. An outside commentator, Rod
Baber, a professor of gynaecology at
Australia’s University of Sydney and president of the International Menopause
Society, said the study had brought
much-needed clarity.
Previous studies have found either a
significant increase in cancer probabilityor none at all. In absolute terms, though,
the risk for women using HRT “is very
very low,” Baber cautioned. HRT sparked
a storm in 2003, when the so-called
Million Women Study, an investigation
among 1.3 million Britons, found its use
was linked to a rise in breast cancer incidence. A debate has raged backwards
and forwards over whether that study,
based on questionnaires returned by
post-menopausal women, used flawed
methods. In 2007, the same study found
a 20-percent increased risk of ovarian
cancer among women who took HRT
compared to those who had never taken
it. After the controversy erupted, use of
the drug declined, but has now stabilised, according to the new probe. It
said around six million women worldwide were on HRT today, and most tend
to take it for only a few years. “The definite risk of ovarian cancer with even with
less than five years of HRT is directly relevant to today’s patterns of use,” said
Peto’s university colleague and coauthor, Valerie Beral. “(It) has implications for current efforts to revise UK and
worldwide guidelines.” — AFP
PARIS: French President Francois Hollande (3rd right) poses prior to a meeting with
members of the Plan Cancer commission yesterday at the Elysee Palace. — AFP
HEALTH
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Disney responds to measles outbreak
Theme park accused of misleading public
ANAHEIM: As the measles outbreak spread last
month, Disneyland executives sent a series of
emails to California health officials asking them
to emphasize that the theme park was not
responsible for the illnesses and was safe to visit,
documents obtained by The Associated Press
show. There is no evidence Disneyland - or
health officials, who incorporated at least some
of the theme park’s suggestions - tried to downplay the seriousness of the outbreak or mislead
the public. Nor is it unusual for companies to try
to get public officials’ ear during a crisis.
But the email exchange pulls back the curtain on what can be a delicate process. And it
shows Disneyland’s concern about the disease’s
potential harm to “The Happiest Place on Earth”
even as the theme park worked with health
authorities to alert the public to the danger. As
the infections multiplied, Disneyland forwarded
suggestions to the California Department of
Public Health and tried to insert language into
an update from the Orange County Health Care
Agency, according to correspondence spanning
the first two weeks of the outbreak. The emails
were obtained through a public records request.
Forgoing responsibility
In one exchange, a Disneyland official wanted the state to make it clear the park was not
responsible for the outbreak. In another,
Disneyland wanted the state to clarify that it
was safe for vaccinated people to visit the
theme park. In that instance, the state updated
its website to address Disneyland’s concern.
More than 70 people in California - including six
Disneyland employees - and about two dozen
others in six states, Mexico and Canada have
been sickened in the outbreak. While measles
“Basically, our goal is to ensure people know
that the exposure period at the Disneyland
Resort is now over, that this has nothing to do
with Disneyland and this could happen anywhere,” Cathi Killian wrote. She added: “Can
you please let us know if you are able to help us
on this front?” The state health department’s
website included similar language. State health
spokeswoman Anita Gore told the AP in an
email: “When clarification is needed, we make
adjustments where necessary.”
ANAHEIM: People crowd the main street at Disneyland. —AP
was declared eliminated from the US in 2000,
the illness has reappeared in recent years,
brought in from overseas and transmitted to
Americans who didn’t get vaccinated.
On Thursday, Disneyland spokeswoman Lisa
Haines said the resort was in constant contact
with health authorities during the outbreak “in
order to ensure that factual and accurate information flowed both ways to avoid confusion
and properly inform the public.” First word of
the outbreak came Jan. 7 when California
authorities confirmed a cluster of infections in
people who visited Disney’s California theme
parks days before Christmas. Disneyland’s medical team worked with health investigators to
identify people who had close contact with
infected workers, and it offered employees vaccinations and blood tests to see if they were
immune. The next week, Disneyland Resort’s
vice president of communications emailed state
health agency spokesman Ron Owens, laying
out her desire to advise the public that measles
is highly contagious and can only be prevented
through vaccination.
100 percent safe
Killian also sent wording suggestions to the
health department in Orange County, where
Disneyland is situated, for a news release -In
that instance, Dr Matthew Zahn, the county’s
medical director for epidemiology, said he had
no problem with the proposed wording but
saw no need to include it, the records show.
Deanne Thompson, a spokeswoman for the
county health department, told the AP that
Disneyland made “no attempt to control or
pressure” the department to incorporate any
suggestions.
In one of the email exchanges, Disneyland’s
chief medical officer, Dr Pamela Hymel, forwarded to California’s top epidemiologist, Dr Gil
Chavez, a statement from Disneyland’s public
relations arm with “some points,” including: “It
is absolutely safe to visit these places, including
the Disneyland Resort, if you are vaccinated.”
Chavez replied that Disneyland’s statement was
“100 percent consistent” with what he said publicly a day earlier, when he announced that it
was fine to visit Disneyland with the proper vaccinations but that those who haven’t gotten
their shots should stay away. —AP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Kuwait
KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO
WEDNESDAY (12/02/2015 TO 18/02/2015)
SHARQIA-1
JUPITER ASCENDING
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
JUPITER ASCENDING
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
JUPITER ASCENDING
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
12:30 PM
3:00 PM
5:15 PM
7:45 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
SHARQIA-2
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
11:30 AM
2:00 PM
4:30 PM
7:00 PM
9:30 PM
12:05 AM
SHARQIA-3
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
11:30 AM
1:45 PM
4:00 PM
6:00 PM
8:00 PM
10:30 PM
12:45 AM
MUHALAB-1
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
ROY (HINDI)
TEMPER (Telugu)
ROY (HINDI)
TEMPER (Telugu)
TEMPER (Telugu)
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
11:30 AM
1:45 PM
4:00 PM
4:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
10:00 PM
10:00 PM
1:00 AM
MUHALAB-2
TEMPER (Telugu)
JUPITER ASCENDING
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
BIG EYES
JUPITER ASCENDING
BIG EYES
MUHALAB-3
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
FANAR-1
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
Plan B (ARABIC)
Plan B (ARABIC)
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
1:30 PM
12:45 PM
3:30 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
9:45 PM
12:15 AM
12:15 PM
2:45 PM
5:15 PM
7:45 PM
10:15 PM
12:45 AM
12:15 PM
2:45 PM
5:15 PM
7:15 PM
9:15 PM
11:45 PM
FANAR-2
JUPITER ASCENDING
JUPITER ASCENDING
AMERICAN SNIPER
JUPITER ASCENDING
Plan (ARABIC)
JUPITER ASCENDING
11:30 AM
2:15 PM
4:45 PM
7:15 PM
9:45 PM
12:05 AM
FANAR-3
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
BIG EYES
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
BIG EYES
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
BIG EYES
11:45 AM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:15 PM
8:15 PM
10:30 PM
12:45 AM
FANAR-4
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
12:00 PM
2:30 PM
5:00 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
FANAR-5
TAKEN 3
SHAMITABH (HINDI)
TEMPER (Telugu)
SHAMITABH (HINDI)
TEMPER (Telugu)
TEMPER (Telugu)
TAKEN 3
1:00 PM
3:30 PM
3:30 PM
6:30 PM
6:30 PM
9:30 PM
12:30 AM
MARINA-1
YELLOWBIRD
BIG EYES
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
BIG EYES
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:45 PM
6:00 PM
8:15 PM
BIG EYES
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
10:30 PM
12:45 AM
MARINA-2
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
YELLOWBIRD
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
YELLOWBIRD
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
JUPITER ASCENDING
JUPITER ASCENDING
12:15 PM
1:00 PM
3:00 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
TUITION
MARINA-3
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
11:30 AM
2:00 PM
4:30 PM
7:00 PM
9:30 PM
12:05 AM
AVENUES-1
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
Plan B (ARABIC)
Plan B (ARABIC)
THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE
11:45 AM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:30 PM
8:45 PM
11:00 PM
1:15 AM
AVENUES-2
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
12:00 PM
2:45 PM
5:30 PM
8:15 PM
11:15 PM
AVENUES-3
JUPITER ASCENDING
JUPITER ASCENDING
Plan B (ARABIC)
JUPITER ASCENDING
JUPITER ASCENDING
12:30 PM
3:15 PM
6:15 PM
8:45 PM
11:30 PM
AVENUES-4
BIG EYES
TAKEN 3
AMERICAN SNIPER
TAKEN 3
BIG EYES
AMERICAN SNIPER
12:15 PM
2:30 PM
4:45 PM
7:15 PM
9:45 PM
12:15 AM
360º- 1
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
BIG EYES
12:00 PM
2:15 PM
4:30 PM
6:45 PM
9:00 PM
11:15 PM
360º- 2
SON OF A GUN
THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE
SON OF A GUN
THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE
SON OF A GUN
THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE
SON OF A GUN
TEMPER (Telugu)
TEMPER (Telugu)
TEMPER (Telugu)
SON OF A GUN
11:45 AM
2:00 PM
4:15 PM
6:30 PM
8:45 PM
11:00 PM
1:15 AM
3:30 PM
6:30 PM
9:30 PM
12:30 PM
360º- 3
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
THE GAMBLER
THE GAMBLER
12:45 PM
3:00 PM
5:15 PM
7:30 PM
9:45 PM
12:05 AM
AL-KOUT.1
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
KINGSMAN: The Secret Service
12:00 PM
2:30 PM
5:00 PM
7:30 PM
10:00 PM
12:30 AM
AL-KOUT.2
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
YELLOWBIRD
Plan B (ARABIC)
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:30 PM
5:30 PM
7:30 PM
9:30 PM
12:05 AM
AL-KOUT.3
JUPITER ASCENDING
STONEHEARST ASYLUM
12:30 PM
3:15 PM
Arabic teacher for nonnative. Arabic teacher for
diplomats & non-native
speakers. All levels beginners
and advanced - GCSE & IGCSE
A1 and A2 - you will speak
fluent Arabic through 20 lesson - KD 10- for an hour - free
books contact Mr Khaled
99619998 email
[email protected]
(C 4927)
11-2-2015
Please contact: 66894543,
(C 4916)
14-2-2015
FOR SALE
Mitsubishi Galant 2009 blue color, (4 clr) full options,
km 125000, KD 1300. Mob:
50994848.
(C 4926)
11-2-2015
Prayer timings
Fajr:
SITUATION WANTED
Need job for a Bachelor
degree holder with computer diploma with 8 years
experience in Kuwait looking
for job as Admin/ Sales executive (Indian license only).
05:08
Shorook
06:28
Duhr:
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Asr:
15:12
Maghrib:
17:36
Isha:
18:54
Sabah Hospital
24812000
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22450005
Maternity Hospital
24843100
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25312700
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24849400
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24892010
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23940620
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24840300
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22517144
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24848913
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24814507
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22549134
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22515088
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22532265
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22531908
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22518752
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information
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION
In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation
of bookings will help other passengers use seats
Airlines
JAI
JZR
JZR
KLM
JZR
THY
FDB
QTR
RJA
DLH
SAI
PGT
ETH
GFA
UAE
JZR
JAI
FDB
MSR
ETD
KKK
OMA
QTR
MSC
KAC
JZR
THY
DHX
BAW
KAC
KAC
FDB
KAC
QTR
KAC
KAC
KAC
UAE
KAC
KAC
KAC
ABY
ETD
IRM
FDB
QTR
GFA
UAE
RBG
MSC
JZR
IRM
SYR
UAE
MRJ
JZR
MSR
IAW
JZR
AGY
KAC
IRC
KAC
QTR
MSR
KNE
FDB
IZG
KAC
KNE
RJD
GFA
OMA
KAC
KNE
UAE
ABY
FDB
KNE
JZR
NIA
KAC
JZR
JZR
QTR
RJA
ETD
IRM
SVA
GFA
IZG
Arrival Flights on Saturday 14/2/2015
Flt
Route
574
Mumbai
239
Amman
267
Beirut
413
Amsterdam/Dammam
539
Cairo
772
Istanbul
069
Dubai
1084
Doha
642
Amman
637
Dammam
441
Lahore
858
Istanbul
620
Addis Ababa
211
Bahrain
853
Dubai
553
Alexandria
526
Chennai/Abu Dhabi
067
Dubai
612
Cairo
305
Abu Dhabi
6507
Istanbul
643
Muscat
1076
Doha
401
Alexandria
546
Alexandria
503
Luxor
770
Istanbul
170
Bahrain
157
London
416
Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta
412
Manila/Bangkok
053
Dubai
204
Lahore
1086
Doha
352
Kochi
302
Mumbai
206
Islamabad
855
Dubai
362
Colombo
344
Chennai
284
Dhaka
125
Sharjah
301
Abu Dhabi
1186
Tehran
055
Dubai
1070
Doha
213
Bahrain
873
Dubai
553
Alexandria
405
Sohag
165
Dubai
1188
Mashhad
341
Damascus
871
Dubai
4815
Mashhad
241
Amman
610
Cairo
157
Al Najaf
779
Jeddah
680
Alexandria
382
Delhi
526
Mashhad
672
Dubai
1078
Doha
575
Sharm el-Sheikh
472
Jeddah
057
Dubai
4167
Mashhad
742
Dammam
470
Jeddah
135
Abu Dhabi
221
Bahrain
645
Muscat
788
Jeddah
462
Madinah
857
Dubai
127
Sharjah
051
Dubai
460
Riyadh
535
Cairo
251
Alexandria
562
Amman
357
Mashhad
257
Beirut
1072
Doha
640
Amman
303
Abu Dhabi
1180
Mashhad
510
Riyadh
215
Bahrain
4161
Mashhad
Time
00:10
00:25
00:30
00:40
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00:55
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01:05
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02:35
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02:50
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17:15
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17:45
UAL
JZR
UAE
SVA
JZR
KAC
KAC
FDB
ABY
CLX
QTR
KAC
KAC
KAC
GFA
KAC
IRA
KAC
JAI
KAC
MSR
JZR
OMA
FDB
KNE
ABY
DLH
KAC
ALK
MEA
ETD
FDB
UAE
GFA
QTR
KNE
JZR
JZR
KLM
ETD
FDB
AIC
MSC
UAL
AGY
JZR
THY
FDB
982
777
875
500
177
542
118
063
121
856
1080
774
618
674
217
176
669
104
572
614
618
189
647
061
474
123
634
786
229
402
307
073
859
219
1074
480
157
135
415
309
059
975
403
981
684
185
764
071
IAD
Jeddah
Dubai
Jeddah
Dubai
Cairo
New York
Dubai
Sharjah
Luxembourg
Doha
Riyadh
Doha
Dubai
Bahrain
Geneva/Frankfurt
Mashhad
London
Mumbai
Bahrain
Alexandria
Dubai
Muscat
Dubai
Jeddah
Sharjah
Frankfurt
Jeddah
Colombo
Beirut
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
Dubai
Bahrain
Doha
Taif
Dubai
Bahrain
Amsterdam
Abu Dhabi
Dubai
Chennai/Goa
Sohag
Bahrain
Sohag
Dubai
Istanbul
Dubai
Airlines
AIC
PIA
FDB
JAI
KLM
DLH
SAI
ETH
THY
PGT
KAC
UAE
FDB
ETD
MSR
KKK
OMA
QTR
MSC
QTR
THY
FDB
JAI
JZR
RJA
JZR
GFA
THY
JZR
FDB
BAW
QTR
JZR
JZR
KAC
ABY
KAC
KAC
UAE
ETD
KAC
JZR
Departure Flights on Saturday 14/2/2015
Flt
Route
976
Goa/Chennai
206
Lahore
072
Dubai
573
Mumbai
413
Amsterdam
637
Frankfurt
442
Lahore
621
Addis Ababa
773
Istanbul
859
Istanbul
381
Delhi
854
Dubai
068
Dubai
306
Abu Dhabi
613
Cairo
6508
Istanbul
644
Muscat
1085
Doha
406
Sohag
1077
Doha
765
Istanbul
070
Dubai
525
Abu Dhabi/Chennai
164
Dubai
643
Amman
240
Amman
212
Bahrain
771
Istanbul
778
Jeddah
054
Dubai
156
London
1087
Doha
256
Beirut
534
Cairo
671
Dubai
126
Sharjah
101
London/New York
787
Jeddah
856
Dubai
302
Abu Dhabi
561
Amman
356
Mashhad
17:55
17:55
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18:20
18:25
18:30
18:40
18:40
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18:50
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22:05
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23:45
Time
00:05
00:40
00:45
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01:55
02:15
02:30
02:45
02:55
03:25
03:40
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03:55
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08:45
08:50
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09:15
09:25
09:40
09:50
09:50
09:55
10:20
10:25
10:30
FDB
IRM
QTR
KAC
KAC
GFA
KAC
RBG
JZR
MSC
UAE
SYR
IRM
JZR
MSR
MRJ
UAE
IAW
AGY
IRC
KAC
KAC
MSR
QTR
FDB
KAC
KNE
IZG
JZR
GFA
KNE
KAC
RJD
KAC
OMA
ABY
KNE
KAC
KNE
FDB
JZR
NIA
JZR
QTR
JZR
UAE
ETD
RJA
IRM
SVA
GFA
JZR
IZG
JZR
JZR
UAL
ABY
SVA
UAE
QTR
FDB
GFA
CLX
KAC
IRA
KAC
JAI
JZR
MSR
KNE
KAC
KAC
ABY
FDB
OMA
DHX
ALK
ETD
KAC
MEA
FDB
GFA
UAE
KNE
KAC
ETD
QTR
KLM
KAC
KAC
MSC
FDB
056
1181
1071
541
165
214
741
554
776
402
874
342
1189
176
611
4814
872
158
685
527
785
673
576
1079
058
617
473
4168
188
222
471
773
136
503
646
128
463
613
481
052
266
252
156
1073
538
858
304
641
1187
511
216
184
4162
238
134
982
122
505
876
1081
064
218
856
283
666
361
571
554
607
475
331
351
124
062
648
171
230
308
301
403
074
220
860
461
205
310
1075
415
543
411
404
060
Dubai
Mashhad
Doha
Cairo
Rome/Paris
Bahrain
Dammam
Alexandria
Jeddah
Alexandria
Dubai
Damascus
Mashhad
Dubai
Cairo
Mashhad
Dubai
Al Najaf
Sohag
Mashhad
Jeddah
Dubai
Sharm el-Sheikh
Doha
Dubai
Doha
Jeddah
Mashhad
Dubai
Bahrain
Jeddah
Riyadh
Abu Dhabi
Beirut
Muscat
Sharjah
Madinah
Bahrain
Taif
Dubai
Beirut
Alexandria
Dubai
Doha
Cairo
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Amman
Tehran
Riyadh
Bahrain
Dubai
Mashhad
Amman
Bahrain
Bahrain
Sharjah
Jeddah
Dubai
Doha
Dubai
Bahrain
Hong Kong
Dhaka
Esfahan
Colombo
Mumbai
Alexandria
Luxor
Jeddah
Trivandrum
Kochi
Sharjah
Dubai
Muscat
Bahrain
Colombo
Abu Dhabi
Mumbai
Beirut
Dubai
Bahrain
Dubai
Riyadh
Islamabad
Abu Dhabi
Doha
Dammam/Amsterdam
Cairo
Bangkok/Manila
Sohag
Dubai
Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Word Search Puzzles
Yesterday’s Solution
Maze
CROSSWORD 815
ACROSS
1. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.
4. Someone who rows a boat.
11. (informal) Of the highest quality.
15. A human limb.
16. A sign posted in a public place as an advertisement.
17. The basic unit of money in China.
18. The corporate executive responsible for the operations of the firm.
19. A deep bow.
20. Any plant of the genus Erica.
21. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.
24. A sharp projection on an edge or surface.
25. State capital of New York.
27. Any of numerous low-growing cushion-forming plants of the genus
Draba having rosette-forming leaves and terminal racemes of small flowers
with scapose or leafy stems.
30. A New England state.
34. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.
37. A public promotion of some product or service.
39. A river in western Asia.
40. Wild sheep of northern Africa.
42. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.
44. The relative magnitudes of two quantities (usually expressed as a quotient).
46. Informal terms for a (young) woman.
47. (informal) Of the highest quality.
48. A stick that people can lean on to help them walk.
49. A long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur.
50. An emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your
status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.).
56. Regional and archaic.
58. Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern
desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico).
60. A landlocked republic in central Africa.
61. British composer (1857-1934).
65. A bin that holds rubbish until it is collected.
68. A deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which equipment is damaged.
71. Farther along in space or time or degree.
73. The cry made by sheep.
74. An inflammatory complication of leprosy that results in painful skin
lesions on the arms and legs and face.
75. A weakly magnetic black mineral found in metamorphic and plutonic
rocks.
77. The rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state.
78. A unit of length of thread or yarn.
79. A letter sent by air mail.
Daily SuDoku
80. Edible tuber of any of several yams.
DOWN
1. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds
within a fleshy wall or pericarp.
2. Of or relating to or involving an area.
3. The United Nations agency concerned with international maritime activities.
4. Retinal protein formed by the action of light on rhodopsin.
5. (biology) Having or resembling wings.
6. A rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope
in some types of respiratory disorders).
7. Singing jazz.
8. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.
9. A large fleet.
10. A yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.
11. (Norse mythology) God of war and strife and son of Odin.
12. A board with the alphabet on it.
13. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.
14. An unforeseen obstacle.
22. A ruling on a point of Islamic law that is given by a recognized authority.
23. A soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.
26. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.
28. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.
29. (computer science) A data transmission rate (bits/second) for modems.
31. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of
certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.
32. The father of your father or mother.
33. The emotion of hate.
35. A river in southeastern Australia that flows generally northwest to join the
Darling River.
36. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.
38. Coffee with the caffeine removed.
41. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.
43. English monk and scholar (672-735).
45. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.
51. United States film actress (born in Sweden) known for her reclusiveness
(1905-1990).
52. Rod-shaped motile bacteria that attack plants.
53. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.
54. A proposition deducible from basic postulates.
55. The process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid.
57. Move (a baby) up and down in one's arms or on one's knees.
59. Large African antelope with long straight nearly upright horns.
62. Full of trivial conversation.
63. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.
64. Arm again.
66. 100 sene equal 1 tala.
67. Type genus of the Hylidae.
69. An independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia).
70. The 2nd letter of the Greek alphabet.
72. (used as a combining form) Recent or new.
76. A form of address for a man.
Yesterday’s Solution
Yesterday’s Solution
SPORTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Rebels shock Crusaders 20-10
CHRISTCHURCH: All Blacks flyhalf Daniel
Carter’s final Super Rugby season began
with a rocky start as the 32-year-old suffered another leg injury in the Crusaders’
surprise 20-10 loss to the Melbourne
Rebels yesterday. Carter, who has also
already said he will leave New Zealand
rugby after the conclusion of this year’s
World Cup to take up a three-year contract
with France’s Racing Metro, allayed any
early jitters about the All Blacks’ world title
defense.
“I got a whack in the side of the leg,
similar to a spot that I got it last year. It was
just a knee and gave me a bit of a dead
leg,” Carter told reporters. “I’m sure it’s
nothing serious.” Carter has had a tumultuous run with injuries since a torn muscle
in his groin ruled him out of the 2011
World Cup and he barely played at all last
year due to a sabbatical and then a broken
leg.
While he went into contact willingly and
made several tackles on Friday, he
appeared to still be shaking out the rust
that blighted his end-of-season tour with
the All Blacks last year. The 102-test veteran
said he had suffered the injury “in contact”
and not in about the 56th minute when he
stretched for a high wayward pass and
shanked his clearing kick. Carter was visibly
hobbling and spoke to team doctor Deb
Robinson at length but continued to play
before he went off in the 74th minute. “I
thought it was just a wee knee to the leg
and sometimes with those dead legs you
can run them off,” he added. “I gave it a
good 10 minutes but felt like a bit of a liability out there so came off in the last 10.”
Carter’s inability to operate at full
speed cost his side a try to Nick Stirzaker
when the flyhalf made a poor kick and the
FIGURE-SKATING
Miyahara leads at
Four Continents
SEOUL: Satoko Miyahara of Japan took a
lead in the ladies’ singles at the Four
Continents Figure Skating Championships
with a bouncy short program on Friday. The
diminutive 16-year-old scored 64.84 points,
with Gracie Gold of the United States in second on 62.67 points. Rika Hongo, also from
Japan, finished third with 61.28 points. The
free skate is scheduled for tomorrow.
A perfect triple lutz-triple toeloop at the
start set the tone for Miyahara, the reigning
Japanese champion and the runner-up at last
year’s Four Continents. I am very happy to be
in the first place, but (the) free skating is still
coming,” she said. “I’d like to be prepared for
that. “I wasn’t thinking about being the
national champion when I was skating the
short program,” she added. “I was just thinking about doing my best.” Gold earned higher points for her overall artistry than
Miyahara, but was undone by a pair of glaring mistakes.
She landed near the board on the second
jump of her triple lutz-triple toeloop combination, and singled her intended double axel
later on.”I get very close to the board
because I have a lot of speed (when entering
the jumps),” Gold said. “I didn’t under-rotate
it. I tried to save it the best I could.”
As for her botched double axel, Gold said:
“Even the great ones mess up sometimes. I
just have to do better in the free program.”
Earlier on Friday, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew
Poje of Canada took the ice dance crown
with 177.46 points, rallying with a strong free
dance. This was the Canadians’ second Four
Continents title and first since 2010, the last
time the competition was held in South
Korea.
Weaver and Poje were in third place after
Thursday’s short dance but topped the competition with 109.15 points in the free dance.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United
States settled for second with 176.18 points.
They led after the short dance but were more
than three points behind the Canadians in
the free dance. American siblings Maia and
Alex Shibutani took third place with 170.79
points. Weaver said she and her partner were
used to coming up from behind. “That’s a
position that we’ve been in for seemingly our
whole career, so it was nothing new to feel
like we had to fight for this free dance,” she
said. “There is a little bit of extra gusto in
there, because the desire to move up helped
us to perform today.”— AFP
SEOUL: Satoko Miyahara of Japan performs in the ladies short program during the ISU
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Seoul yesterday. — AFP
scrumhalf pounced on the ball and sprinted 45 meters to give his side a 20-10 lead
with about 15 minutes remaining. Rebels’
fullback Mike Harris added 10 points from
the boot for the visitors, while massive lock
Lopeti Timani scored a first half try. Carter
slotted one penalty and converted hooker
Ben Funnell’s try but was eventually
replaced. His injury overshadowed a
scratchy performance from the seventimes champions who had numerous
errors in accuracy, handling and decisionmaking that left many of the 13,518 crowd
frustrated. — Reuters
RUGBY
Brumbies
hammer Reds in
record win
CANBERRA: The ACT Brumbies scored six
tries in a thumping 47-3 win over Australian
rivals Queensland Reds to post a record
winning margin in their Super Rugby match
in Canberra yesterday. The Brumbies, champions in 2001 and 2004, were too well
drilled and organized for the ragged Reds
who lost their former Wallaby skipper
James Horwill to a red card in the final minutes.
The Canberra-based side gave promise
of things to come with an impressive performance, with former Wallabies skipper
David Pocock coming through the 80 minutes unscathed after two seasons blighted
by knee reconstructions. The 44-point winning margin eclipsed the Brumbies’ 51-8
victory over the Reds in Canberra in 2004
for their ninth straight win at home. The
Brumbies, who led 21-3 at halftime,
launched their season with a bonus-point
win with tries to Robbie Coleman, Joe
Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White, Tevita
Kuridrani and James Dargaville.
Christian Lealiifano kicked 17 points
from four conversions and three penalties.
Queensland’s only points came from a
34th-minute penalty from their new signing
and former rugby league international
Karmichael Hunt, who played at fly-half for
the sidelined Quade Cooper. “It was a really
great way to start the year and I am really
proud of the effort out there tonight,” skipper Pocock said. “To keep that sort of Reds
side try-less was the biggest thing that we
can take out of the game. “I thought halves
Nic White and Matt Toomua controlled the
game really well.” Brumbies hooker and
Wallaby skipper Stephen Moore came off
the bench for the last 30 minutes as he
works his way back to full fitness from a
serious knee injury last season.
The Reds didn’t help their cause by conceding 17 penalties, culminating in Horwill
receiving his second yellow card four minutes from time for repeated infringements.
“It’s obviously not the way we wanted to
start the season but these are the cards
we’re dealt and it’s pretty disappointing,”
Reds skipper James Slipper said. “Ill discipline really hurt us and it was something
we had spoken about before the game and
once again we start off the year with a lot of
penalties and you can’t win games with
that sort of discipline.” The Brumbies cross
the Tasman to face the Waikato Chiefs next
week, while the Reds are at home to
Western Force. — AFP
SPORTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
NASHVILLE: Nashville Predators left wing James Neal (18) scores a goal against Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec (31), of Czech Republic, in the third period of an NHL hockey
game, on Thursday, Feb 12, 2015. — AP
Blues stop Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3
TAMPA: Alexander Steen had a goal and two
assists to help St Louis coach Ken Hitchcock
move into sole possession of fourth place on the
NHL wins list in the Blues’ 6-3 victory over the
Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
Hitchcock’s 693rd regular-season win broke a tie
with Dick Irvin. The Blues coach only trails Joel
Quenneville (739), Al Arbour (782) and Scotty
Bowman (1,244), who scouted the game as a
Chicago senior adviser. TJ Oshie, Dmitrij Jaskin,
David Backes, Paul Stastny and Vladimir
Tarasenko also scored for the Blues. Tampa Bay
got goals from Tyler Johnson, Brett Connolly
and Steven Stamkos.
Islanders 3, Maple Leafs 2
Anders Lee scored two goals, including the
tiebreaker in the second period, and Jaroslav
Halak made 32 saves for his 30th win of the season. Lee scored in each of the first two periods,
and Casey Cizikas added a goal for the
Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders, who
have won three straight and four of five. Richard
Panik and Trevor Smith had goals in the second
period as Toronto erased a 2-0 deficit. Jonathan
Bernier stopped 38 shots, but dropped his
eighth straight decision. The Maple Leafs have
lost 13 of 14 (1-12-1) overall and 12 straight (011-1) on the road.
Ducks 2, Hurricanes 1
Matt Beleskey had the go-ahead goal and an
assist and the Ducks snapped a three-game losing streak. Francois Beauchemin and Beleskey
scored 2:52 apart in the second period to help
the Pacific Division leaders improve to 24-0-7 in
one-goal games. Jeff Skinner scored a power-
play goal for Carolina, which had its two-game
winning streak snapped. In his first start since
Oct. 30, John Gibson made 35 saves for Anaheim
and Cam Ward stopped 15 shots for the
Hurricanes.
Penguins 5, Senators 4, SO
David Perron scored the shootout winner to
lift the Penguins. Sidney Crosby, with two goals,
Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin also scored for
the Penguins, while Thomas Greiss made 29
saves. Mika Zibanejad, Mike Hoffman Mark
Stone and Kyle Turris scored for the Senators,
playing their first of a five-game homestand.
Robin Lehner, making his career-high seventh
consecutive start, stopped 25 shots. Down 3-0 to
start the third period, the Senators made an
impressive comeback to tie the game 4-4 late in
the period. Perron scored the only goal of the
shootout with a quick wrist shot.
Oilers 4, Canadiens 3, OT
Anton Lander scored at 1:47 of overtime to
lift Edmonton. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ second
goal of the game tied it with 25 seconds left in
regulation while Edmonton was playing with an
extra attacker. Matt Hendricks also scored for
the Oilers, who are 2-2-0 on a six-game road trip
that takes them to Ottawa on Saturday and
Winnipeg on Monday. Lander scored the winner
from in front of the net, while Nugent-Hopkins
took a puck off defenseman Andrei Markov’s
skate and scored on a spin-around shot from the
slot to force the extra period. Christian Thomas,
Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty scored for
Montreal, which had its three-game winning
streak ended.
Predators 3, Jets 1
Rookie Filip Forsberg set a franchise record
with his 19th goal this season and also had an
assist and the Predators earned their fourth
straight win. Forsberg topped the mark previously held by Alexander Radulov in 2006-07 with a
power-play goal that put Nashville up 2-1 in the
second period. Shea Weber had a goal and two
assists, James Neal had a goal, and Roman Josi
added two assists as Nashville maintained a
three-point lead atop the NHL standings. Pekka
Rinne made 32 saves for his league-best 32nd
win. The goalie is 13-1-1 in his past 15 games for
the Predators. Michael Frolik scored for the Jets.
Winnipeg snapped a two-game winning streak in
its first game with defenseman Tyler Myers and
forward Drew Stafford following Wednesday’s
trade that sent Evander Kane to Buffalo.
Wild 2, Panthers 1
Jason Pominville and Zach Parise each scored
on assists from Mikko Koivu, and Devan Dubnyk
made 26 saves. The Wild improved to 9-1-2 in their
past 12 games, all with Dubnyk in net. Nick
Bjugstad scored in his return home, but goalie
Roberto Luongo fell to 3-10-2 in his career at Xcel
Energy Center as the Panthers started a stretch of
seven out of eight games on the road. Luongo’s
record in his past 12 starts also fell to 3-7-2. He
stopped 21 shots. The Wild killed five penalties and
stayed perfect short-handed in eight games since
the All-Star break at 22 for 22. They’re fourth in the
NHL in penalty killing. The Panthers had eight
power-play goals in their previous eight games.
Rangers 6, Avalanche 3
Kevin Hayes had a goal and two assists and
the Rangers survived a third-period rally. Rick
Nash scored his NHL-leading 34th goal and Cam
Talbot stopped 26 shots for New York. The
Rangers have won four of their last six to move
into third place in the Metropolitan Division.
They are three points behind second-place
Pittsburgh and have played one less game than
the Penguins. Jarome Iginla, Gabriel Landeskog
and Jan Hejda scored for Colorado, which has
lost four straight.
The Avalanche, a week ago sitting just outside the last playoff spot after winning three of
four, have fallen into last place in the Central
Division. Colorado is 12th in the Western
Conference a season after having the secondbest record in the West.
Kings 5, Flames 3
Tyler Toffoli scored in all three periods for his
first NHL hat trick, Dwight King and Jordan
Nolan broke open a tie game with third-period
goals. Mason Raymond had two goals and David
Jones also scored for the Flames, who had won
their three previous meetings this season with
the defending Stanley Cup champions - all by
one-goal margins and two in overtime at Staples
Center. Jonas Hiller gave up five goals on 40
shots on his 33rd birthday before he was
replaced by Karri Ramo with 11:42 remaining
and Calgary trailing 5-2. The Kings, returning
from a 2-3 road trip that ended with back-toback wins over Tampa Bay at Columbus, outshot
the Flames 19-4 in the second period and tied
the score 2-2 on Toffoli’s second goal of the
game just 15.2 seconds before intermission. Jeff
Carter, who had three assists, earned his 500th
NHL point on the play. — AP
SPORTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
ALPINE SKIING
Fenninger
overcomes
slip-up to
claim title
BEAVER CREEK: Anna Fenninger overcame a
mid-race slip-up to clinch her third career world
title Thursday, winning the giant slalom and spoiling Tina Maze’s bid for five medals in a single
World Championship. The reigning overall World
Cup champion clocked the top aggregate time
over two runs of 2min 19.16sec, a huge 1.40sec
ahead of German silver medallist Viktoria
Rebensburg, with bronze medal winner Jessica
Lindell-Vikarby of Sweden a further 0.09sec adrift.
“It was an amazing day for me because this
was a big dream of mine to win this race at a
world championship,” Austria’s Fenninger said. “I
wanted to show my best skiing again.” Maze, who
already has three medals in Beaver Creek, was
seeking to win five medals in one worlds, a feat
Norwegian legend Lasse Kjus has accomplished.
Maze finished fifth with a time of 2:20.90.
Fenninger blitzed the field in the opening leg of
the giant slalom. Fenninger, who also has world
title in super-combined and super-G, had a 0.81
second lead over teammate Michaela Kirchgasser
after the first run.
Fight through it
However, Fenninger almost didn’t make it
down the Birds of Prey course on the second leg
as she appeared to completely lose control of her
skis for a brief moment on a tricky turn. But she
surprised herself, somehow managing to fight
through it and stay on her feet for the win. “It was
important to have speed,” she said. “I made a mistake and I thought I can’t stay on course. I was
fighting it and somehow got back on the course.
When I got to the finish, I couldn’t believe I won.”
Rebensburg, who burst onto the scene with a
giant slalom triumph at the 2010 Vancouver
Games, said her afternoon run was one of the best
of her career. “I have a really good feeling now,”
said Rebensburg. “My second run was almost a
perfect run for me. There are always few turns you
can ski better, but in the end it was worth a silver.”
Lindell-Vikarby, a giant slalom and super-G
specialist, earned her first major international
medal. The Swede won a World Cup giant slalom
race in Beaver Creek in 2013. “It is a really big
achievement,” Lindell-Vikarby said Thursday. “I
tried seven times in the worlds and three times at
the Olympics and never reached a medal.”
Slovenian Maze, who won gold in the giant slalom
at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and was seeking a
third gold of these championships, will get a
chance to go for another medal in today’s slalom
race. “I knew It would have been a hard job to do,”
she said of the five medals. “I didn’t come here for
five medals. Everybody started to talk about that
when they saw me skiing. My goals were downhill
and slalom. I hope I can take something in slalom.”
‘Ski like a ballerina’
Maze was unable to recover from a sub-par
first run that left her more than a second back of
Fenninger. She said she tried to force the issue
and it just slowed her down in the afternoon race.
“You need to ski like a ballerina,” said Maze. “On
this snow if you push too hard you go slower.”
Crowd favorite Mikaela Shiffrin, who grew up in
the Beaver Creek-Vail area, placed eighth with a
time of 2:21.63. “I felt like my skiing in the second
run was quite a bit better,” Shiffrin said. “I found
my line a little bit better. I have some work to do
on the flats and producing speed out of nothing
instead of just carrying speed.” Her American
teammate Lindsey Vonn, who has struggled with
the icy snow conditions and a bad knee at the
biennial championships, finished 14th, more than
three seconds behind Fenninger. “I didn’t give
up,” Vonn said. “I knew I could get into top 15 and
I did that. I haven’t raced giant slalom in more
than two years.” — AFP
ROTTERDAM: Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka returns the ball to Spanish player Guillermo Garcia-Lopez during their tennis match at
the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam on February 12, 2015. — AFP
Wawrinka joins Murray
in Rotterdam quarters
ROTTERDAM: Stan Wawrinka joined Andy
Murray as the pair of seeds each posted difficult
wins on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the ATP Rotterdam World Tennis event.
Wawrinka, last year’s Australian Open winner,
struggled until breaking loose with his big
game in the final set as he defeated Guillermo
Garcia-Lopez 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-2 for his second
win over the Spaniard in three weeks. Murray
saved five break points to hold off determined
Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-3, 7-5 and reach the
quarter-finals.The Scottish top seed and 2009
champion will next meet eighth seed Gilles
Simon after the Frenchman needed just 67
minutes for a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Jeremy Chardy.
Murray stands an overwhelming 12-1 in the
series with world number 19 Simon.
Second seed Milos Raonic came through
over Simone Bolelli 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), with the winner firing 17 aces in an hour and a quarter to
wrap up the day just before midnight. Thirdseeded holder Tomas Berdych produced a
defeat of Italian Andreas Seppi 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.
Berdych swept the opening set before being
made to work in the second as Seppi leveled.
The Czech finally prevailed thanks to a break
midway through the final set, running out the
winner on his first match point. “Andreas
played very well in the second set. For me it
was about trying to play like I had in the first
set,” said Berdych. “I was still able to finally win
in the end.”
Wawrinka had his problems against GarciaLopez, whom he beat at the Australian Open
last month. The Swiss fourth seed went down
badly in an opening-set tiebreaker to end a 63minute opening set before recovering to start
getting the match under control. Wawrinka
won the second set and ran away with the third
to stay alive in an event he last played a decade
ago. “It was a good match with a lot of intensity,” said Wawrinka. “It was a tough battle. “œ’m
happy with how I’m playing, generally I’m feeling good here. The first two sets were very
intense. But I was playing a bit passive. “After
the second set I increased my aggression and
relaxed a bit and started playing better.”
Second seed Milos Raonic was playing the last
of the second-round matches later against
Italy’s Simone Bolelli.
Murray battled for one and three-quarter
hours against the 59th-ranked Pospisil to
defeat the Canadian for a second time. The second set was filled with momentum shifts, with
ATP number four Murray saving a set point
which would have taken the contest into a
third. Pospsil took the second set after a 30point rally which resulted in a Murray racquet
smash. Murray finally prevailed with a break of
his opponent for 6-5 in the final set, earning the
win in the next game when Pospisil’s return
was ruled wide.
“It was a tough match physically and mentally,” said Murray, who lost the Australian
Open final to Novak Djokovic less than a fortnight ago. “Vasek is a good athlete and gets to
a lot of balls. Thanks to this slow court, I was
able to move him around at the end and control the points. “We had some long games and
tough points, it was difficult.” Murray is wary of
playing Simon, whom he last beat in Acapulco
in 2014. “Gilles is a great mover and retriever.
He’s got excellent timing, so of course I’m
expecting a difficult challenge.” Third-seeded
holder Tomas Berdych reached the last eight at
the Ahoy Stadium with a defeat of Italian
Andreas Seppi 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.Berdych swept the
opening set before being made to work in the
second as Seppi leveled.
The Czech finally prevailed thanks to a break
midway through the final set, running out the
winner on his first match point. “Andreas
played very well in the second set. For me it
was about trying to play like I had in the first
set,” said Berdych. “I was still able to finally win
in the end.” Simon improved to 3-0 over Chardy
after beating his compatriot at Roland Garros in
2011 and the Madrid Masters in 2013. Simon,
holder of 11 career titles, finished his modest
effort with nine winners and broke Chardy
twice in the second set. The winner never faced
a break point. — AFP
Stakes are high with
Schmidt’s selection
DUBLIN: Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has not put
a foot wrong with some bold moves since he
took over a demoralized team in 2013, but in his
selection of fly-half Jonathan Sexton for today’s
Six Nations clash with France he has perhaps
taken his biggest one yet. It is a huge gamble
for the 49-year-old New Zealander, who guided
the Irish to the Six Nations title last year with a
final, nail-biting victory over France in Paris. The
world class Sexton will now start in his first
game for 12 weeks-after serving a mandatory
rest period for suffering three concussions in a
calendar year-in a match Schmidt sees as being
the decider in whether they retain their title.
Part of the reason for throwing the 29-yearold into shark-infested waters where such powerhouses as centre Mathieu Bastareaud and
flanker Thierry Dusautoir will need no second
asking to get after him as soon as possible-is his
club Racing-Metro will wish to play him next
weekend against Clermont in the Top 14. “We
don’t have control over him playing for his club
but we do have control over him playing this
weekend,” said Schmidt after announcing his
starting XV on Thursday. “If we get a result we
stay in the hunt if we don’t then it will be
incredibly hard to be top of the pile come the
end of the tournament.”
The pressure on both men is enormous, for
Schmidt because of his decision and for Sexton
running the risk of suffering another hard hit to
the head. Schmidt, a former headmaster back in
New Zealand, extremely eloquent and not
afraid to wax lyrical when answering questions,
was unusually curt when asked had he contemplated starting Sexton on the bench. “No.”
Schmidt, whose side are on a run of eight successive test victories which is only the third time
an Irish side have managed that, is adamant
notions Sexton is not fit are wide of the mark.
“He would have been as much of a risk to start
as anyone else,” said Schmidt. —AFP
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
England face great Australian
barrier in World Cup opener
MELBOURNE: England face a formidable task against hosts
Australia in their World Cup opener at the Melbourne Cricket
Ground today as they look to end a depressing run against
the old enemy. England, chasing a maiden World Cup title,
head into the tournament with fresh painful memories of
three losses to the Australians, including a crushing 112-run
defeat in last month’s tri-series final. Eoin Morgan’s team
have to turn around a wretched record of two wins from
their last 15 ODI encounters in Australia before an expected
90,000 crowd at the MCG. The last of England’s three losing
World Cup finals was in Australia in 1992. Adding to their
problems is that in a tough Pool A they will also face 1996
winners Sri Lanka and the improving tournament co-hosts
New Zealand.
England are banking on home expectations getting the
better of the Australians as it proved when the World Cup
was last held Down Under 23 years ago and they knocked
the Aussies out in the semi-finals. “It’s important to focus on
what we do best. I think a lot of times in the past we’ve
strived for a formula that hasn’t been ours,” Morgan said. “I
think if we can produce what I think is our best cricket today,
we’ll be able to beat Australia.”
The Australians, who will go into the tournament opener
without skipper Michael Clarke as he strives for full fitness
after hamstring surgery, are looking for the impetus of a
commanding victory to get the country behind them for the
rest of the six-week tournament.
“There’s pressure on every team in any World Cup, wherever you’re playing, to win,” Australia coach Darren Lehmann
said. “For us it’s about embracing our own country and getting the support from the crowd, entertaining them and
playing the brand of cricket we have over the last 18 months
in the one-day format. “If we do that, the results will look
after themselves. “We don’t look any further ahead than
England and looking forward to great crowd support and
putting on a good show.” Australia are peaking at the right
time for a crack at their fifth World Cup triumph and have
only lost one of their last 12 ODIs against all-comers.
Australia accounted for the third-ranked South Africans 4-1
in a series at home last November and comfortably beat
England and India in the tri-series in the final weeks before
the World Cup. Morgan has issues of his own heading into
cricket’s showpiece with three ducks in his last four outings
restricting his meaningful batting practice. “I’m not really
that concerned. I’ve had a couple of low scores, but obviously I’m looking to cash in today if I manage to get past 10 to
20 balls,” Morgan said. “Four or five games since I last scored
a 100, so I don’t have to look that far back to actually reconnect with what works well for me.
“I took a lot out of that 100 I scored in Sydney (last
month), particularly as it was against Australia. I take a lot of
confidence from that game.”
Lehmann mischievously hopes Morgan’s batting troubles
continue for a little while longer. “He’s a good player. I’d like
him to continue that run against us today, but he’s a fine
player so we’ll come up with our plans as we did in the triseries,” he said. The highest crowd for an ODI at the MCG of
87,789 for the 1992 Pakistan-England World Cup final is
under threat this weekend. — AFP
MELBOURNE: England’s paceman Chris Woakes bowls during a nets training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) yesterday. — AFP
Foreign legion stir
national feelings
SYDNEY: Ireland’s management expressed frustration yesterday at seeing Dublin-born Eoin Morgan
installed as England captain for the World Cup, but
their complaints are unlikely to generate widespread sympathy. Chief selector and former
Ireland captain Alan Lewis said it was “irritating”
that 28-year-old Morgan, who originally made his
ODI debut in Irish colors, will skipper England at
the World Cup which starts today.
Lewis told the Slog Sweep podcast that Ireland
would be in a much stronger position had Morgan
and fellow defector Boyd Rankin not decamped to
play for England. “It is a wee bit irritating to think
where we could be if Eoin and Boyd were available,” Lewis said. Fast bowler Rankin’s defection
backfired when he failed to make the England
World Cup squad, but that did little to assuage
Lewis’s frustrations.
“I look at the England set-up and over the last
10 years, three people from this little island where
cricket is the fourth or fifth sport are playing for a
country whose national sport is cricket,” he added.
“I wouldn’t want to deprive Eoin Morgan the
opportunity with the ability he has, I’d want to
play at the top level, and in honesty every Irish
supporter would wish him well, it’s a great story,
but it’s a great frustration. To get our players back,
that’s part of the next step.” But Ireland find themselves in a tricky position when it comes to the use
of foreign talent, and Lewis’s comments drew criticism from fans.
“Sorry, Ireland, but a country which has consistently imported players from around the world has
no room to be critical when its better players want
to play at the top level,” one fan wrote on the
CricInfo website. Ireland were captained by
Australian-born Trent Johnston at the 2007 World
Cup while their 2015 squad boasts Brisbane-born
Alex Cusack. Dubliner Ed Joyce played for England
at the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean but he
switched back to Ireland for the 2011 edition and
will be key for them in Australia and New Zealand.
Ireland and England are not the only nations
who have foreign talent on their radar. Scotland’s
15-man squad features seven non-Scots, including
two key South Africans. Durban-born Preston
Mommsen is captain while Richie Berrington, who
hails from Pretoria, hit 66 in the team’s three-run
loss to West Indies in a warm-up game in Sydney
on Thursday. The United Arab Emirates, playing in
the World Cup for the first time since 1996, have
just three Emirati-born men in their squad with the
bulk of their talent drawn from Pakistan and India.
Local player Mohammed Tauqir was installed as
captain to replace fellow 43-year-old Khurram
Khan from Pakistan. — AFP
Confident New Zealand wary of Malinga X-factor
CHRISTCHURCH: Camps with contrasting
moods-New Zealand brimming with confidence and Sri Lanka searching for consistency-launch the World Cup in Christchurch
today. New Zealand, co-hosts with Australia,
have their tails up after a 4-2 domination of Sri
Lanka in a recent warm up series followed by
a resounding warm-up win this week over
tournament heavyweights South Africa.
Sri Lanka followed their New Zealand losses with a defeat to lowly-ranked Zimbabwe,
although throughout their period acclimatizing to New Zealand conditions they have
been without their ODI ace Lasith Malinga.
Malinga has the X-factor and he will make the
difference, according to Sri Lanka captain
Angelo Mathews. Senior New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor rates the round-arm quick
“the best death bowler probably who has
ever played cricket”.
But despite the spectre of Malinga, who
returns after six months sidelined by an ankle
injury, New Zealand remain favorites to set
the tournament alight with a home win and
are widely regarded as potential finalists. “I
don’t know if we’d be favorites, but everyone’s saying we’re a good shot,” said wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi. “If we go in with a positive mind frame and we know we can beat
any side on our day then that’s a good thing.
If we go out and perform as we should we’ve
got a big chance.” New Zealand have developed into a well-balanced unit over the past
year and are not fazed by the inconsistency of
the Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum
opening partnership.
Coach Mike Hesson believes if they fail at
the top then it simply provides a chance for
someone else to step up down the order.
Kane Williamson and Taylor have been in
impressive form at three and four as have
Ronchi, fresh from an unbeaten 170 against
Sri Lanka, and all-rounders Corey Anderson
and Grant Elliott. They are also laden with talent in the bowling department, able to call on
various combinations using Tim Southee,
Trent Boult, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne and
Mitchell McClenaghan with Daniel Vettori and
Nathan McCullum providing spin options.
Swing master Boult wrapped up his World
Cup preparations with a five wicket bag
against South Africa on Wednesday with
Brendon McCullum and Williamson both producing half centuries. Sri Lanka have made no
secret of the fact they need Malinga with his
round-arm action and pin-point accurate
yorkers to complement the exceptional batting talents of Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar
Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan. The
1996 champions and runners up in the past
two tournaments in 2007 and 2011, are formidable when everything clicks but that has not
been happening for them without Malinga.
Mathews sees Malinga as “probably” the
difference between Sri Lanka and New
Zealand. “You can’t write off the rest of our
bowlers, we have fairly experienced bowlers,
but obviously Lasith has the X-factor,” he said.
Sri Lanka’s batting strength is headed by
Sangakkara, the leading ODI run scorer in
2014 just shading Mathews and both well
clear of the third highest scorer, India’s Virat
Kohli. Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne
and Dinesh Chandimal add depth to Sri
Lanka’s batting line up although in recent
times they appear unable to all fire at the
same time. Malinga and spinner Rangana
Herath head the bowling attack with allrounder Mathews along with Jeevan Mendis,
Thisara Perara and Nuwan Kulasekara sharing
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Modi calls Pakistan’s rival
wishing luck in World Cup
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi called his Pakistani
counterpart yesterday to wish his
cricket team luck in an ice-breaker
conversation ahead of a World Cup
grudge match between the arch
rivals. Modi said “cricket connects
people in our region and promotes
goodwill” after speaking with Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif and other
South Asian leaders whose country’s
teams are playing in the World Cup
starting Saturday.
“Spoke to President @ashrafghani,
PM Sheikh Hasina, PM Nawaz Sharif &
President Sirisena. Conveyed my best
wishes for the Cricket World Cup,”
Modi also tweeted. “Hope players
from SAARC region play with passion
& bring laurels to the region,” he said,
referring to the South Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation. Millions of India and
Pakistan fans are expected to watch
Sunday’s clash on television, while
thousands of others are set to flock
to the Adelaide Oval in Australia.
Modi’s cricket diplomacy comes
after relations soured last year
between the two nuclear-armed
neighbours over increased firing
along their borders and cancelled
peace talks between their officials.
Modi’s government is seen taking a
more assertive stance towards its
neighbor since coming to power last
May. Modi and Sharif failed to hold a
bilateral meeting at a SAARC summit
in November. India’s new foreign
secretary S Jaishankar will soon visit
his South Asian neighbors, Modi also
tweeted, although he did not mention Pakistan specifically. Sharif’s
office released a statement about
Modi’s phone call but did not mention any bonhomie shared over cricket.
“Modi informed the Prime
Minister that India’s new Foreign
Secretary will soon visit all SAARC
counties and would also like to visit
Pakistan,” the statement said. India
abruptly cancelled peace talks last
year between their foreign secretaries, angered that Pakistan consulted Kashmiri separatist leaders before
the dialogue began. Pakistan and
India, who have fought two of their
three wars over disputed Muslimmajority Kashmir, have traded blame
for an upsurge in firing and shelling
which started in October last year.
Exchanges of firing across their de
facto border and undisputed border
further south have killed more than
two dozen civilians and forced thousands to flee their homes on both
sides. — AFP
SYDNEY: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal plays a shot during their Cricket World Cup warm-up match
against England in Sydney. — AP
Sri Lanka desperate to
shrug off losing habit
CHRISTCHURCH: Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has
demanded an immediate end to the losing habit that has
infected his side in the lead up to today’s World Cup
opener against New Zealand in Christchurch. The “fighting spirit” was not there he said yesterday as he reviewed
a disappointing build up to cricket’s premier ODI tournament.
Despite leading a side stacked with high performers,
Mathews has seen his side crash to a 4-2 series defeat
against New Zealand last month and then lose two World
Cup warm-up games against South Africa and
Zimbabwe. They were performances far removed from
previous Sri Lankan sides that won the 1996 World Cup
and were runners up in the last two tournaments in 2007
and 2011. “In the recent past, especially in New Zealand,
we’ve found ways of losing games more than winning
games and I think our late middle order haven’t produced good results for us,” he said.
“We had a couple of bad practice matches as well, but
we’re not too concerned (about them) because we gave
guys opportunities and we tried out a few things.”
Whether batting first or second against New Zealand, Sri
Lanka made a flying start through stars such as Mahela
Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan
but once they were removed the wickets fell cheaply.
Mathews believed the biggest lesson Sri Lanka have
learned is they need to change their approach and not
the players. “It’s the fighting spirit that we’ve got to bring
into it. When you lose a few games you tend to be a bit
more down and you’ve got to fight hard,” he said.
“It’s going to be a fresh series for us, it’s going to be
the start of the World Cup. “We’ve put everything under
the carpet and we’re just going to go out there and be
positive.” An added motivation to lift their game is to
produce a fitting farewell to Sangakkara and Jaywardene,
the 37-year-old batting kingpins who have indicated this
World Cup is their last outing on the ODI stage. “The
amount of service they have rendered to our team has
been invaluable. They’ve performed to the best of their
ability and just want to win all the time so it will be a fitting farewell if we can do it for them.”
Sangakkara needs 12 more runs to overtake Australian
Ricky Ponting as the second most prolific ODI batsman
behind India’s master Sachin Tendulkar. Jayawardene is
fifth on the all-time list. Sri Lanka have been buoyed by
the return of Lasith Malinga, their strike bowler who has a
history of tormenting New Zealand at the top of the
innings and at the death.
He has been sidelined by an ankle injury for nearly six
months but Mathews confirmed he would play today
although the rest of the line up has not been settled.
“He’s fit to go,” he said of the player he considers the “xfactor” in the Sri Lanka team and if the toss goes their
way he will be bowling late in the day with Mathews
wanting to bat first to set a target on a pitch he believes
is laden with runs. — AFP
SPORTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
GERMAN LEAGUE PREVIEW
Bayern target another Hamburg rout
BERLIN: Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich
host Hamburg today in their final warm-up
before Tuesday’s Champions League clash
away to Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite their
eight-point lead, Bayern have struggled to
impress in their first three league games of
2015, but have a habit of hammering
Hamburg. Their shock 4-1 thrashing at second-placed Wolfsburg was followed by a 1-1
draw at home to Schalke 04, albeit with only
10 men for 70 minutes, before last weekend’s
2-0 win at strugglers Stuttgart in a below-par
display.
Coach Pep Guardiola admitted his side’s
display “was not our best” and added “we
need to find our rhythm”, while Germany star
Thomas Mueller said the team need to raise
their game. “You can’t just get up in the
morning, say: ‘today, I’m going to play outstandingly well’ and it will happen. You have
to make it happen,” he said. Arjen Robben is
one of the few Bayern stars currently in form
with the Dutchman having claimed 12 league
goals in 16 matches.
But Bayern have posted some big wins
over Hamburg in recent years including a 9-2
drubbing in March 2013, but will be without
suspended centre-back Jerome Boateng, who
will be available to face Donetsk, though.
Hamburg captain Rafael van der Vaart is
fighting for his midfield place having been
hauled off at half-time of their 2-1 home win
over Hanover 96 following a poor display. His
side has climbed to 12th in the table after
back-to-back wins, but Munich’s Allianz
Arena has not been a happy hunting ground
for Hamburg recently. They have also lost 3-1,
5-0 and 6-0, on their last four visits to the
Bavarian capital, but coach Joe Zinnbauer will
be buoyed by their goalless draw in Hamburg
in September-his first game in charge.
Real loom for Schalke
Schalke 04 will give third-choice teenage
goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther only his
third senior appearance against Eintracht
Frankfurt today night in their last game
before facing Real Madrid. The Royal Blues
host title-holders Real at the Veltins Arena on
Wednesday in the last 16, first-leg, of the
Champions League, desperate to avoid a similar scoreline to last season’s record 6-1 drubbing. In Frankfurt, Roberto di Matteo’s
Schalke will be without suspended striker
United under
van Gaal are
miserable: Scholes
LONDON: Manchester United, once a
byword for slick attacking football, are playing some “miserable” stuff under manager
Louis van Gaal, former United midfielder Paul
Scholes believes. Despite Van Gaal taking
United to third in the table in his first season
in charge, some critics have attacked the
style of play employed by the Dutchman.
Another former United stalwart, Gary Neville,
caused a stir when he compared them to a
pub side earlier this season, while Scholes is
also scathing of their style.
Writing in the Independent newspaper,
he said: “At times, United’s football is miserable. To beat opposing teams you have to
attack, and to attack you have to take risks.
Too few of the players in the current team
are prepared to take those risks.” He
explained: “Part of being a Manchester
United player under Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the most important part of being one of
United’s attacking players, was that when
you were in possession you had to take risks
in order to create goalscoring chances. It was
not an option; it was an obligation. “In the
periods of my career when I stopped passing
the ball forward, or when I stopped looking
for the risky pass that might open up a
defense, the consequences were the same.
“The manager stopped picking me. I got
back into the team when I went back to
doing it the way he wanted. “United’s history
was built on attacking football, which does
not always mean that the team kept clean
sheets or did not concede chances. Why do
you think United have had some of the best
goalkeepers in the world over the years?
They needed them because the team committed so many players forward.
“It does not give me any pleasure to say
that at the moment I am struggling to watch
Louis van Gaal’s team with any great enjoyment. They beat Burnley on Wednesday
night but it was Burnley who had by far the
best of the first half.” Scholes scored 155
goals for United during their richest period of
success. — AFP
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, last season’s top scorer
in the Bundesliga, who is nonetheless available to face Real. Germany winger Sidney
Sam trained on Thursday after shaking off a
leg injury, while Japan defender Atsuto
Uchida also trained after recovering from flu.
Resurgent Werder Bremen face a tough test,
having shot up from 18th to eighth in just
four games, as they chase a fifth-straight win
at home to fourth-placed Augsburg today.
Borussia Dortmund bid to back up last weekend’s impressive performance in their 3-0 win
at Freiburg with another win when they host
mid-table Mainz 05 on Friday.
Dortmund, who are 16th, were boosted in
mid-week when Germany winger Marco Reus
signed a contract extension until 2019. It
ends weeks of speculation of a possible bigmoney transfer to one of Europe’s top sides
at the end of the season, due to a release
clause in Reus’s old contract. There is a basement battle on Sunday as 14th placed Hertha
Berlin host second-from bottom Freiburg in
Germany’s capital coach Pal Dardai takes
charge of his first home game for the hosts,
eager to prove last weekend’s 2-0 win at
Mainz was no fluke. — AFP
GERMAN LEAGUE TABLE
BERLIN: German Bundesliga table ahead of this weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals
against, points):
Bayern Munich
20 15 4
1
45 9 49
VfL Wolfsburg
20 12 5
3
41 19 41
Schalke 04
20 10 4
6
31 22 34
Augsburg
20 11 1
8
28 24 34
Moenchengladbach 20 9 6
5
27 17 33
Bayer Leverkusen
20 8 8
4
30 22 32
Hoffenheim
20 7 5
8
31 33 26
Werder Bremen
20 7 5
8
32 41 26
Eintracht Frankfurt 20 6 7
7
38 41 25
Hanover 96
20 7 4
9
23 30 25
Cologne
20 6 6
8
19 23 24
Hamburg
20 6 5
9
14 22 23
Mainz 05
20 4 10 6
25 26 22
Hertha Berlin
20 6 3
11 26 38 21
Paderborn
20 4 8
8
21 34 20
Borussia Dortmund 20 5 4
11 21 27 19
Freiburg
20 3 9
8
21 30 18
VfB Stuttgart
20 4 6
10 20 35 18
ITALIAN LEAGUE PREVIEW
Napoli sight second
MILAN: Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has called for focus ahead of
a trip to on-form Palermo that could prove decisive as his side
continue their quest to secure Champions League football next
season. Napoli have won their last four games on the trot in
Italy’s Serie A to tighten their hold on third place, while their
promising run of late has also fired a warning shot to title challengers Roma. Roma finally ended a run of four consecutive
draws last week but while Rudi Garcia’s men are seven points
behind leaders and champions Juventus, they are only four
ahead of Napoli. Napoli’s players can scent the lure of the
Champions League and are desperate to return, having failed to
get past the group stages two years ago and failed to qualify for
the group stages last summer.
Attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik believes facing Palermo
away today will be tough but the Slovakian said: “We’re fighting
for second place and we want to close the gap on Roma as much
as possible.
“It won’t be easy away to Palermo, if you consider they held us
to a 3-3 draw at home.... but we want to keep on trying to get
ITALIAN LEAGUE TABLE
ROME: Italian Serie A table ahead of this weekend’s games
(played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Juventus
22
16
5
1
47
10 53
Roma
22
13
7
2
36
17 46
Napoli
22
12
6
4
41
27 42
Fiorentina
22
9
8
5
32
22 35
Sampdoria
22
8
11
3
28
24 35
Lazio
22
10
4
8
37
26 34
Genoa
22
8
8
6
30
26 32
Torino
22
8
7
7
25
23 31
Palermo
22
7
9
6
34
36 30
Inter Milan
22
7
8
7
33
29 29
AC Milan
22
7
8
7
32
29 29
Sassuolo
22
6
11
5
28
30 29
Udinese
22
7
7
8
26
30 28
Verona
22
6
6
10
24
37 24
Empoli
22
4
11
7
21
26 23
Atalanta
22
5
8
9
19
29 23
Chievo
22
5
6
11
16
26 21
Cagliari
22
4
7
11
29
42 19
Cesena
22
3
6
13
21
43 15
Parma
22
3
1
18
20
47 9
closer to Roma.” Benitez has attributed his side’s purple patch to
taking things one game at a time and repeated: “We have to keep
our focus, we’ve won four games consecutively but we should be
looking only towards our next game and not at our standing in
the league table.”
The chances of Napoli clawing back an 11-point deficit to challenge Juve for what would be the Turin giants’ fourth consecutive title look slim. But Napoli have the momentum compared to
a Roma side which has suffered on the park and, in terms of
absences, off it as well.
Roma have sorely missed the pace and creativity of Gervinho
but the striker, fresh from helping Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of
Nations triumph, may not make it back in time for the visit of
basement side Parma tomorrow.
Gervinho, who in November 2014 was reportedly foiled in his
bid to smuggle a woman on his flight back to Italy following
international duty, has been delayed by a bereavment in the family, said a report in La Corriere dello Sport. Fellow Ivorian Seydou
Doumbia, who joined the club from CSKA Moscow last month,
could also be delayed due to visa issues while Roma are still without Kevin Strootman, Juan Iturbe and recent loan signing Victor
Ibarbo. Captain Francesco Totti is also struggling to recover from
flu and there are doubts on Adem Ljajic (foot), who opened the
scoring in a 2-1 win away to Cagliari last week in which Leandro
Paredes hit his maiden Serie A goal for the club.
Whether Parma can capitalize on Roma’s absences remains to
be seen, but Roberto Donadoni’s side remain in the league doldrums and uncertainties over the club’s ownership have left a
dark cloud hanging over the Ennio Tardini stadium. Their
chances of surviving a relegation dogfight look slim, especially
after a 1-0 defeat to Chievo on Wednesday left Parma six points
adrift of second-from-bottom Cesena. Cesena will be looking for
inspiration from their recent 2-1 home win over Lazio when they
host Juventus in tomorrow’s late game.
Domenico Di Carlo’s side have put some shine on their disastrous season recently by claiming two wins from their past three
games. Their only other win came on the opening day of the season at home to Parma. Juve striker Carlos Tevez is suspended for
tomorrow’s trip to the Dino Manuzzi stadiumn, leaving an allSpanish attack in Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente. But even
his absence is unlikely to give the ‘Seahorses’ the kind of boost
they would need to cause a major upset against a Juventus side
that has been beaten only once, at high-flying Genoa, this season. Elsewhere AC Milan host Empoli while Inter Milan face a
potentially tricky trip to Atalanta. — AFP
SPORTS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Liverpool don’t
fear Palace pain
LONDON: Liverpool assistant manager Colin Pascoe insists the
Reds will not be scarred by their recent memories of Selhurst
Park when they travel to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fifth round
today. Brendan Rodgers’ side have endured disastrous results at
Palace on their last two visits as they squandered a three-goal
lead in the final eleven minutes of the Premier League meeting
last May, effectively ending their title hopes, and then delivered a
miserable performance in a 3-1 defeat on their return to south
London in November.
However, they have been beaten only twice in 21 games
since that low point, advancing in the FA Cup and climbing back
into the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. And Pascoe says maintaining their revival will be the
focus as Rodgers’ team seeks a first win at Selhurst since 1997
against a team managed by Alan Pardew, who memorably
scored Palace’s FA Cup semi-final winner against Liverpool in
1990. “You never look back, you look forward and be positive,”
Pascoe said.
“Palace is a tough place to go, we know that, but we go there
positive and go there for the win. “The manager said the result in
November was a low point in the camp and you look for a reaction off that kind of result. “We’ve tweaked the system and the
group have responded fantastically. The way they’ve come back
and played, and the attractive football they’re playing at the
moment, from that day it was a great reaction.”
Ledley eyes upset
Despite Pascoe’s optimism, Palace midfielder Joe Ledley
believes Liverpool’s painful experiences on their last two visits
will tilt the tie in Palace’s favor. “The two games against Liverpool
have been fantastic and had a great atmosphere. We can take a
lot of confidence from the result this season and, hopefully, we
can do the same again,” Ledley said. “They do not have a great
record here but they have got a fantastic team. I watched them
against Tottenham and they were fantastic. “They started the
season slowly but they have picked up and it is going to be a difficult game. They are playing some great football so we will need
to be on our game.” Palace have been in outstanding form themselves since Pardew took charge following the dismissal of Neil
Warnock earlier this year.
Tuesday’s home draw with Newcastle extended the manager’s record to just one defeat in his first seven games and he
should be boosted by the return of defender Scott Dann against
Liverpool, who will be without captain Steven Gerrard after he
sustained a hamstring injury in their 3-2 win over Tottenham on
Tuesday. England forward Raheem Sterling could return after
missing that victory with a foot injury. Daniel Sturridge may also
continue in attack, although Pascoe admits they are still have to
nurse the England international, whose start against Spurs was
his first since August because of persistent leg muscle injuries,
back to full fitness. Sturridge was withdrawn after 74 minutes
against Spurs to be replaced by match winner Mario Balotelli.
And Pascoe added: “He is desperate to play. He didn’t want to
come off but we know 60-75 minutes was his maximum that we
were going to push him because anything more than that you
are over-stepping it and he could pull a muscle. —AFP
Matches on TV
(Local Timings)
ENGLAND FA CUP
West Bromwich v West Ham
beIN SPORTS 1 HD
beIN SPORTS 11 HD
Derby County v Reading
beIN SPORTS 1 HD
Blackburn v Stoke City
beIN SPORTS 11 HD
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
beIN SPORTS 1 HD
beIN SPORTS 11 HD
beIN Sports Max 8
SPANISH LEAGUE
Sevilla FC v Cordoba
beIN SPORTS 6 HD
Real Madrid Deportivo
beIN SPORTS 2 HD
beIN SPORTS 14 HD
15:45
18:00
18:00
20:30
18:00
20:00
SPANISH LEAGUE PREVIEW
Real seek response
after humiliation
MADRID: European champions Real Madrid may still lead La Liga,
but an air of crisis has enveloped the club after they were torn
apart by local rivals Atletico Madrid in a 4-0 defeat last weekend.
Negative press headlines followed not only due to the manner of
the defeat, but the timing of a party held by Cristiano Ronaldo to
celebrate his 30th birthday along with some of his teammates just
hours after the match.
Ronaldo’s form on the field is also of concern for the Madrid
hierarchy: the Portuguese has scored just three times in six matches since picking up the third Ballon d’Or of his career last month
and was also sent-off for kickout out at Cordoba defender Edimar
during that run. Indeed there are fears that the patella tendon
injury in his left knee that affected his performances towards the
end of last season and most notably at the World Cup could have
flared up once more. Club president Florentino Perez held a meeting with the players and coach Carlo Ancelotti on Monday to tell
them in no uncertain terms that their performance at the Vicente
Calderon was unbefitting of the 10-time European champions.
However, defeat to Atletico could also prove a turning point in
Madrid’s season just as it did at the start of the campaign. After losing two of their first three league games, Madrid travelled to face
Depor under a similar cloud only to romp to an 8-2 victory which
helped spark a club record 22-game winning run. Los Blancos are
still blighted by injuries with Sami Khedira becoming the latest
casalty to join Sergio Ramos, Pepe, James Rodriguez and Luka
Modric on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.
However, left-back Marcelo will return from suspension and
there could be a debut for Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva, who
joined from Cruzeiro last month. Just as Real Madrid have faltered,
Barcelona have hit their best form of the season so far with 10 consecutive wins to move to within a point of their eternal rivals at the
top of the table and 90 minutes of reaching the Copa del Rey final.
The Catalans took their tally to 37 goals in that run with a 3-1 win
over Villarreal in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on
Wednesday and will confident of more goals when Levante visit
the Camp Nou tomorrow. Barca won the corresponding fixture 7-0
on the opening day of last season and also stuck five past Levante
when they met earlier in the season. Atletico have had a week off
to bask in their derby glory, but will need to keep their winning
streak in the league going to maintain their title defence when
they travel to Celta Vigo tomorrow. Spanish international Koke will
be sidelined for three weeks with a hamstring injury, but Diego
Godin is set to play with a protective mask after breaking his nose
early in the derby last weekend. Elsewhere, Valencia, Sevilla and
Villarreal will be confident of picking up three points in their battle
for fourth place against the struggling Cordoba, Getafe and Rayo
Vallecano respectively. — AFP
SPANISH LEAGUE TABLE
MADRID: Spanish league table ahead of this weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Real Madrid
22 18
0
4
70
22 54
Barcelona
22 17
2
3
63
13 53
Atletico Madrid
22 16
2
4
47
20 50
Valencia
22 13
5
4
40
20 44
Sevilla
22 13
3
6
36
26 42
Villarreal
22 12
5
5
37
20 41
Malaga
22 10
5
7
25
25 35
Eibar
22 7
6
9
25
31 27
Espanyol
22 7
5
10
28
34 26
Celta Vigo
22 6
7
9
21
24 25
Deportivo
22 6
6
10
20
34 24
Real Sociedad
22 5
8
9
22
29 23
Athletic Bilbao
22 6
5
11
20
31 23
Getafe
22 6
5
11
18
30 23
Rayo Vallecano
22 7
2
13
22
40 23
Almeria
22 6
4
12
20
34 22
Elche
22 5
5
12
20
42 20
Levante
22 4
7
11
17
38 19
Cordoba
22 3
9
10
17
33 18
Granada
22 3
9
10
14
35 18
FRENCH LEAGUE PREVIEW
PSG seeking home lift; Chelsea loom
PARIS: Casting a long shadow over Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 date
with modest Caen this weekend is the imminent visit to the Parc des
Princes of cross-channel giants Chelsea. PSG square up to Jose
Mourinho’s runaway Premier League leaders in the Champions
League last 16 first leg on Tuesday with Laurent Blanc’s side itching
for revenge. Last season Chelsea blocked PSG’s passage to the
Champions League semi-finals on away goals. “Last year was an
apprenticeship which must not be repeated,” PSG’s Qatari president
Nasser Al-Khelaifi assured AFP at the draw in December.
At Thursday’s press conference, it was Chelsea inevitably rather
than Caen preoccupying Blanc’s mind. The PSG boss made fun of
how his Chelsea counterpart was regarded as, in his words, “a genius”
despite their FA Cup knock-out at the hands of minnows Bradford.
That Cup upset has given Chelsea crucial more time to prepare for
Tuesday’s trip to Paris with this weekend’s program in England devoted solely to the FA Cup fifth round. “As Mourinho is a genius, Chelsea
lost their Cup tie 4-2 and everyone thinks that’s fantastic. “But if the
same thing had happened to PSG (in the Cup), it would have triggered a tsunami, or at the very least some turbulence. “People would
have said that the manager didn’t know a thing.”
PSG, who are in the League Cup final and reached the French Cup
quarter-finals in midweek, squandered the chance to top the table
last weekend when Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s controversial retaken penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw at Lyon. That left Ligue 1’s defending titleholders in third, level on points with second-placed Marseille and two
shy of Lyon. With Marseille in action on Friday against Reims, and
Lyon away to struggling Lorient tomorrow, PSG will be anxious to
bag the three points in today’s early game to keep the wheels on
their title bid and put them in the perfect frame of mind for Tuesday’s
massive European tie.
Encouragingly for Blanc, Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani scored
his first goal in five games in the 2-0 Cup win over Nantes on
Wednesday. A win over Reims at the Velodrome on Friday will lift
Marseille into the lead, at least until PSG and Lyon turn out over the
weekend. Marseille coach Marcelo Bielsa is without suspended Mario
Lemina, Nicolas Nkoulou, who picked up a knee injury appearing for
Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, and midfielder Abdelaziz
Barrada.
There is also uncertainty over Andre Ayew, who is taking time to
come to terms with Ghana’s defeat on penalties in last Sunday’s
African Nations Cup final against the Ivory Coast. Down at the other
end of Ligue 1 a tense encounter is on the cards between two relegation-threatened teams, Lens and Evian. Bottom club Metz host mid-
FRENCH LEAGUE TABLE
PARIS: French Ligue 1 table ahead of this weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Lyon
24 15
5
4
48
18 50
Marseille
24 15
3
6
44
23 48
Paris SG
24 13
9
2
41
20 48
Saint-Etienne
24 11
8
5
27
18 41
Monaco
24 11
7
6
25
19 40
Bordeaux
24 10
7
7
29
30 37
Montpellier
24 10
6
8
31
24 36
Nice
24 9
6
9
28
29 33
Nantes
24 8
9
7
20
23 33
Guingamp
24 10
2
12
28
36 32
Lille
24 8
7
9
20
21 31
Rennes
24 8
7
9
24
31 31
Reims
24 8
5
11
28
40 29
Caen
24 7
6
11
33
35 27
Bastia
24 6
9
9
24
27 27
Lorient
24 8
3
13
28
33 27
Toulouse
24 7
4
13
24
36 25
Evian/Thonon
24 7
2
15
24
40 23
Lens
24 5
7
12
24
32 22
Metz
24 5
6
13
19
34 21
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2015
Sports
England face great
Australian barrier in
World Cup opener
44
MINNEAPOLIS: Golden State Warriors’ David Lee (right) knocks the ball out of the hands of Minnesota Timberwolves’ Shabazz Muhammad in the second half of an NBA basketball game in
Minneapolis. — AP
Warriors, Hawks - the surprising pace-setters
WASHINGTON: A script-flipping NBA campaign
reaches its mid-season break for the All-Star
Game this weekend with the Golden State
Warriors and Atlanta Hawks the surprising pacesetters among a host of upstarts. While the
Cleveland Cavaliers have started to flourish as
returning superstar LeBron James has blended
with his new teammates and Oklahoma City has
bounced back from early season injuries to
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, new
teams have raised their game to seize command. The Warriors, powered by All-Star guards
Steph Curry (23.6 points a game) and Klay
Thompson (22.1), boast the NBA’s best record at
42-9 while the Hawks pace the Eastern
Conference at 43-11 and have a record-tying
four players on the East All-Star squad.
In a topsy-turvy season, the Warriors are
threatening to win their first NBA crown since
1975 while the Hawks’ only NBA crown came in
1958, when they were based in St Louis. The
Toronto Raptors, who won their only playoff
series in 2001 and who missed the playoffs in
nine of the past 12 seasons, are 36-17 and lead
the Atlantic division by 14 1/2 games, ignited
by backcourt standouts Kyle Lowry and DeMar
DeRozan.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James,
who sparked Miami to the NBA Finals the past
four seasons and to titles in 2012 and 2013,
moved back to the Cavaliers last July and
together with Kevin Love and Australian-born
guard Kyrie Irving was expected to contend for
a crown. A season-ending injury to Brazilian big
man Anderson Varejao was a setback, but the
acquisition of Russian center Timofey Mozgov,
who played for Cavs coach Dave Blatt in the
2012 Olympics, has helped Cleveland find their
form, a run of 14 wins in 15 games that had the
Cavaliers among the top five in the Eastern
Conference and blending into a solid team
despite nagging injuries to all of the “Big Three”
at some stage.
The Cavaliers are fighting for the Central
division lead with Chicago, the Bulls boosted by
a healthy Derrick Rose, solid play from Joakim
Noah and Spanish big man Pau Gasol. Injuries
also proved a major early setback to the
Oklahoma City Thunder, who have revived with
Durant and Russell Westbrook getting healthy
and improved to 28-25 at the All-Star break,
one win shy of Phoenix for the eighth and final
West playoff spot.
In the Thunder’s absence and with the Los
Angeles Lakers fading as injuries continue to
nag star guard Kobe Bryant, a new set of West
contenders has filled the void. NBA scoring
leader James Harden has an average 27.4 points
a game for Houston while LaMarcus Aldridge
and Damian Lillard power Portland, both clubs
at 36-17, and Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Zach
Randolph have combined to put Memphis atop
the Southwest division and in contention to
reach the West final for the second time in three
years.
Carmelo likely done
Injuries have taken a toll on the 64th AllStar Game as well, even though plenty of spec-
tacular talent will be on display in New York.
West All-Star starting forwards Blake Griffin of
the Los Angeles Clippers and Anthony Davis of
the New Orleans Pelicans will miss the game
after being voted in as starters by fans. So will
Bryant, who had season-ending right shoulder
surgery two weeks ago.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade will be sidelined for the East and New York Knicks star
Carmelo Anthony, nagged by a sore left knee
for months, told ESPN Thursday that he probably will end his season after appearing in the
All-Star Game, not wanting to miss playing a
home All-Star Game a second time after doing
so earlier in his career at Denver.
“It’s very likely,” Anthony said of a mid-season shutdown. “Now I’ve got to start thinking
about the future.” Anthony averages 24.2
points a game for a Knicks club that is a
league-worst 10-43, one team president Phil
Jackson hopes to rebuild but described by saying “my experiment has fallen flat on its
face.”— AFP