Gulf producers to resist output cuts at OPEC meet - Kuwait Times

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Gulf producers to resist output cuts at OPEC meet

Preserving market share remains top priorityKUWAIT: Gulf oil producers, led by Saudi Arabia, willresist attempts to cut output at an OPEC meeting nextmonth as preserving market share remains their top pri-ority, industry analysts said. A decision by the 12-mem-ber Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries notto cut production in November sent prices crashing 60percent before a partial recovery in recent weeks. Gulfand other OPEC members said they wanted to safe-guard their share of a market that has faced a supplyglut as a result of sharp increases in the production ofshale and sand crudes.

“Preserving market share still remains a top priorityfor Gulf states,” Saudi economist Abdulwahab Abu-Dahesh said. “This time they are even encouraged bysigns their November strategy is working after a drop inUS shale oil production and in the number of rigs,” Abu-Dahesh told AFP.

In the face of the sharp drop in their earnings, someOPEC members, led by Iran and Venezuela, have pub-licly called for the cartel to cut production to supportprices. “I don’t think that any change will happen atOPEC’s meeting,” a former member of Kuwait’s SupremePetroleum Council, Musa Maarafi, said.”Gulf states willcontinue to defend their market share and it is theirright to do so,” Maarafi told AFP. “They will not accept tocut output at their own expense unless an agreement isreached with non-OPEC producers.”

The burden of any cut in OPEC output would likelyfall on the cartel’s Gulf members - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,the United Arab Emirates and Qatar - whose productionhas risen by around 3.5 million barrels per day since2011.

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday extended condolences to thefamily of the National Assembly’s late speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi at their diwan in Bidaa. The Amirrecalled the great contributions and achievements made by Khorafi through the high-level posts he hadheld. The Amir also prayed for mercy for the deceased and patience for his family. — KUNA (See Page 2)

Amir condoles Khorafi familyfrom the editor’s desk

We have lost a statesman

[email protected]

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

Iwould like to extend my heartfelt condolences tothe family of the late Jassem Al-Khorafi. A kind-hearted and good man who served his family and

country for decades, Khorafi was among a smallclass of leaders who helped steer our beloved coun-try through turbulent times with great success. Afamily man who loved his children and grandchil-dren, he also worked diligently to get to know manyKuwaitis, hear our issues and help mediate our manydifferences, both in the parliament and beyond.

Khorafi will be remembered for his long servingleadership in the National Assembly, where heserved as speaker from 1999 until 2011.

Continued on Page 13

L O C A LSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

KUWAIT/RIYADH: His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah strongly con-demned the “heinous terrorist act”against innocent civilians perform-ing Friday prayers in Saudi Arabia’seastern governorate of Al-Qatif.

In a cable of condolences toSaudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, HH the Amir said the attackaimed at inciting sedition amongcitizens and was in complete con-travention of Islamic Sharia princi-ples. Kuwait reiterated rejection toall forms of terrorism and voicedsupport to the international com-munity’s efforts to eliminate it, HHthe Amir affirmed.

HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmadextended condolences for familiesof the victims, wishing speedyrecovery for the injured. HH theCrown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also senta cable of condolences to KingSalman, extending condolences forthe victims of the deadly attackagainst the mosque in Al-Qediahtown in Al-Qatif. HH the CrownPrince wished speedy recovery forthe injured. HH the Prime MinisterSheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-HamadAl-Sabah sent a similar cable.

The State of Kuwait had stronglydenounced the deadly “terroristbombing.” “ This heinous crime

against innocent worshippers ismeant to destabilize sisterly SaudiArabia and sow the seeds of sectar-ian sedition; it runs counter to allholy and humanitarian values,” aForeign Ministry official said in astatement Friday night.

“The activities of the terroristgroups require doubled efforts onthe regional and internationalscales,” he said, reaffirming Kuwait’ssupport to the Kingdom in itsefforts to maintain security and sta-bility, and combat all forms of ter-rorism. The official expressed con-dolences to the Saudi leaders, gov-ernment and people and the fami-lies of the victims.

Terrorist attackMeanwhile, President of the Arab

Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU)and Speaker of the NationalAssembly Marzouq Al-Ghanim con-demned the “terrorist explosion”against Muslim worshippers in amosque in the Saudi eastern gover-norate of Al-Qatif.

“This terrorist attack that target-ed innocent people in a mosqueunderscores that terrorism targetsanything indiscriminately, and itsconfrontation is a religious andnational obligation,” Ghanim said ina statement. He extended full soli-darity with the Saudi government

and people against terrorism. Thespeaker extended deepest condo-lences for the families of the victimsand wished speedy recovery for theinjured.

The Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC) countries condemned onFriday the “terrorist” attack againstinnocent civilians performing Fridayprayers Al-Qatif. In a statement, GCCSecretary General Dr Abdulateef Al-Zayani extended his condolences tothe Saudi people and victims’ fami-lies, offering full support to thekingdom to take all necessarymeasures to protect people, stabili-ty and security of the country.

Zayani also described this inci-dent as a cowardly act that contra-dicts with teachings and principlesof Islam. The GCC chief expressedconfidence on Saudi security appa-ratus in bringing all those involvedto justice.

A suicide bomber blew himselfup Friday afternoon using an explo-sive belt he was hiding under hisclothes at the mosque, whichresulted in killing 21 people and102 others injured in the easternpart of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi inte-rior ministry said they are investi-gating the attack, and itsspokesman said the country wasdetermined to bring those respon-sible to justice. —KUNA

Amir condemns ‘terroristattack’ on Saudi mosque

His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

National Assembly SpeakerMarzouq Al-Ghanim

By A Meshaal Al-Enezi and KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-JaberAl-Sabah received a phone call onFriday from Iraqi President FuadMasum, expressing condolences tofamily of former National Assemblyspeaker Jassem Al-Khorafi whopassed away on Thursday at theage of 75. During the phone call,the Iraqi leader praised Khorafi’spublic service and achievements tohis country, extending his condo-lences to Khorafi family. In turn, HHthe Amir thanked the Iraqi leaderfor his warm and kind gesture.

National roleMeanwhile, Deputy Prime

Minister and Interior MinisterSheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterdayrecalled the deceased former par-l iament speaker, whose greatnational role would be highlightedin Kuwait’s history records.

The former National Assemblyspeaker was sincerely and affec-tionately attached to Kuwait andall his deeds aimed at serving thecountry’s interests, its stature andstability, the minister said in astatement. He was among a count-able number of personalities dis-tinguished with wisdom, experi-ence, confidence, modesty andlove for the homeland, SheikhMohammad said of Khorafi.

“Khorafi sought neither fame,nor position, when he served asthe parliament speaker, for he wassolely motivated by desire toserve Kuwait,” the minister indicat-ed in his eulogy of the veteranpolitician.

Dear friendAlso, Deputy Chairman of the

National Guard Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah eulo-gized Khorafi, saying in a state-ment that the “the State of Kuwaithas lost one of its great and sin-cere men who dedicated his lifefor serving the country and theArab and Muslim nations.”

“Khorafi was a dear friend and atrue brother of mine with nobleideals; he left apparent traces onalmost all events witnessed byKuwait. As a politician, he heldhonest and firm stances and usedto have a clear vision and longexperience that led to a rich legacyof patriotic achievements,” SheikhMishal said.

He added that the late parlia-ment speaker served as minister offinance and was a successful busi-nessman who contributed to thecountry’s economic developmentand national unity and to the real-ization of the citizens’ aspirations.

New areaMP Abdullah Al-Maayouf

announced meanwhile his inten-tions to submit a proposal to nameone of the new residential areasafter Khorafi. In the meantime,Board Chairman and DirectorGeneral of Kuwait News Agency(KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah said that Kuwait and the Araband Muslim nations have lost a“great man who has offered them alot” over Khorafi’s death.

Sheikh Mubarak pointed toKhorafi’s political efforts, and eco-nomic and development contribu-tions and projects in many coun-tries. He also highlighted personalexploits of the deceased, who main-tained good and balanced relationswith all around him, and was votedan MP, and later a National Assemblyspeaker.

As minister of finance in 1980s,Khorafi exerted persistent efforts topreserve public funds, rationalizespending and upgrade performanceof state bodies, KUNA chairmanstressed in a press statement. Healso referred to Khorafi’s many proj-ects and achievements.

Distinguished tiesIn addition, the renowned politi-

cian contributed to establishing therules for distinguished ties amongArab, and Islamic states. Economic

integration was a key goal of his.Sheikh Mubarak noted that Khorafihad made the best use of his experi-ence and wisdom for bolsteringrelations between the legislativeand executive powers for the goodof Kuwait and the Kuwaiti people.No one can deny Khorafi’s political,economic and social efforts forKuwait, he noted.

Born in 1940, Khorafi came froma locally highly-revered family ofbusinessmen and politicians. He wasvoted an MP nine times and aNational Assembly speaker from1999 to 2011. He was also appoint-ed as Minister of Finance andEconomy from 1985-1990.

Iraqi President offers condolencesto HH the Amir on Khorafi’s demise

Proposal to name area after late figure

The late Jassem Al-Khorafi Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah

Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

MP Abdullah Al-MaayoufSheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah

CAIRO: Chiefs of staff of Arab armiesdiscussed during their second meetingyesterday the formation of a joint Arabmilitary force in implementation of therelevant resolution of the Arab Summit

hosted by Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh citylast March. In his inaugural speech,Egypt ’s Chief of Staf f MahmoudHegazy, head of the meeting, under-lined the need to finish works of thecommittees to implement the resolu-tion of forming this force by June 29.

The chiefs of staff discuss the initialproject of protocol to form the forceand a memo related to the implemen-tation of the resolution in this regard.They consider over the two-day gath-ering measures, and technical andfinancial mechanisms for this force.

They had held their first meeting inCairo on April 22 during which theystressed the necessity of joint collec-tive action to f ind solutions to theissues of the Arab region and enableArab countries to deal effectively withthe current challenges. —KUNA

Arab chiefs of staffmeet again in Cairo

CAIRO: Kuwaiti Army Chief of StaffLieutenant General Mohammed Al-Khoder attends the meeting. —KUNA

KUWAIT/DOHA: First Deputy PrimeMinister and Foreign Minister Sheikh SabahAl-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah left for Dohato lead Kuwait’s delegation participating inthe 24th session of the GCC-EU ministerialcouncil which is due today.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled’s accompanyingdelegation consists of his office’s directorAmbassador Ahmad Nasser Al-MohammadAl-Sabah, Deputy Director of the ForeignMinistry’s GCC Department Abdullah Al-Muaed and several other officials. He wasseen off at the airport by the ForeignMinistry’s Protocol Chief Dhari Al-Ajran andseveral other senior officials.

A committee of senior officials met yes-terday in preparation for the EU-GCC jointministerial meeting. The meeting discussedall joint topics between the EU-GCC sides,especially those related to international

and regional situations, Muaed said in astatement. Muaed, head of Kuwait’s dele-gation to the gathering, said the topics dis-cussed covered a number of regional issueson countries like Yemen, Syria and Iraq andsome related to ‘combating terrorism.’ Hereferred to positive outcomes of the meet-ing of EU-GCC senior officials in Brussels onMay 5 that discussed a number of issues ofcommon concern.

Muaed underlined the importance ofsuch meetings to discuss the EU-GCC rela-tions and issues that interest the two sides.He described these relations as “distin-guished”, noting they have been developedin several cooperative fields. The EU-GCCmeeting will convene here on Sunday toconsider regional and international issuesof common concern, and joint relationsand cooperation. —KUNA

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah is seen off at the airport yesterday. —KUNA

FM heads to Dohafor GCC-EU meeting

MARSEILLE: Kuwait’s Embassy in Paris hashanded over the Islamic Council ofMarseille the second batch of a Kuwaitidonation for building an Islamic school inthe French city. The Kuwaiti cabinet hadannounced a one million euro-grant to theIslamic Council of Marseille to finance theconstruction of Ibn Khaldoun School, theembassy said in a statement yesterday. Theschool will accommodate students in boththe elementary and secondary stages, itadded.

The foundation stone of the school waslaid in a ceremony attended by theChairman of the Higher Consultative

Committee on the Completion of theImplementation of Islamic Sharia law DrKhaled Mathkour Al-Mathkour and severalsenior French officials.

In statements to KUNA and Kuwait TV,Chairman of the Islamic Council ofMarseille Jamal Thakri expressed gratitudefor the Kuwaiti donation. He noted that oneof the school buildings will be named afterKuwait in recognition of its support.Mathkour meanwhile voiced hopes theconstruction would complete and theschool would start operation as soon aspossible to serve the Muslim community inMarseille. —KUNA

Kuwait hands over donations for Islamic

school in Marseille

CBK holds 12thHobby Exhibition

KUWAIT: As part of itsactivities in communityservice and programsdesigned to communicatewith staff members, theCommercial Bank of Kuwait(CBK) is due to hold its 12thHobby Exhibition for CBKemployees and their fami-lies from May 28 to 30. Theexhibition will be held atSalem Al-Ali Dar in Qurtobafrom 5:00 pm to 9:30 pmon Thursday and Fridayand from 9:30 am till 1:00pm and from 5:00 pm till 9:30 pm on Saturday.

Sheikha Nouf Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, CBK’s Advertising andPublic Relations Manager, stressed CBK’s keenness on holdingthe exhibition annually. She also expressed happiness aboutthe annual increase in the number of participants, adding thatthe exhibition offers a good chance for staff members to dis-play works inspired by Kuwaiti heritage. She said that theworks to be displayed would include handmade accessories,jewelry and paintings. Sheikha Nouf added that participationwould be open this year for a group of young people and chil-dren with special needs in a bid to help them develop their tal-ents and potentials, and to help them socialize and become anintegral part of their societies.

Sheikha Nouf Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah

KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) recentlyparticipated in a training program for bankingand finance executives. The program was deliv-ered by Harvard Business School, and was provid-ed in collaboration with the Institute of BankingStudies (IBS), for the sixth consecutive year.

Dr Mohammad Yousef Al-Hashel, Governor ofthe Central Bank of Kuwait also attended the galadinner, along with the Board of Directors of IBS,Dr Yaqoub Al-Rifai, IBS Director General and TalalMohamed Reda Behbehani, a Board Member ofIBS and Chairman of ABK.

Three ABK employees who participated in thetraining program were honored during a galadinner held at the Jumeirah Resort on 13 May,2015, to celebrate the successful completion ofthe program. Representing the Bank, Jasem AlSalman; ABK’s AGM of Human Resources joinedthe Bank’s graduating employees at the dinner tocelebrate their achievement.

As keen supporters of education and thedevelopment of skills within the banking sector,such opportunities allow ABK to give back toemployees and help them further build on theirexisting skills and knowledge.

For more information on Ahli Bank of Kuwaitplease visit www.eahli.com, contact an ABK rep-resentative via ‘Ahli Chat’ or contact a customerservice agent via ‘Ahlan Ahli’ at 1899899.

ABK participates in Harvard executive training program

Talal Behbehani with ABK’s honored employees.

By Hanan Al-Sadoun

KUWAIT: Seventy eight expatriates from different nationali-ties were arrested and referred for deportation for drivingwithout a license, Ministry of Interior ’s AssistantUndersecretary for Traffic Affairs Major General Abdullah Al-Muhanna said. The deportees were arrested during routinecheckpoints from April 23 to May 18, Muhanna said. He notedthat there would be no tolerance to such violations, especiallywith the growing number of underage youths, eager to drive,but putting their lives and those of others in danger.

Building fireA fire recently broke at a Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh building, said

security sources. They noted that firefighters rushed to thescene and found that the fire started in trash left in the fifthfloor’s stairs exit, causing intense smoke. The whole buildinghad to be evacuated to put the fire out. No casualties werereported.

Girl rescuedIn addition, firemen and rescue forces were recently dis-

patched to a Khaitan building where an 11-year-old girl wastrapped inside a malfunctioning elevator along with others,said security sources. At the scene, rescue forces found outthat the tenants had tried to open the elevator’s door by force,but instead damaged it. The power had to be disconnected toopen the elevator. Once released, the girl was in a state ofshock and suffering from panic attack.

Man hurt in crashA man was injured in a car accident reported yesterday

in Jahra. Paramedics and firefighters rushed to a street

between Taima and Na’eem where the accident wasreported. The driver was taken out of the wrecked vehicleand then transported to the nearest medical facility. Acase was filed to investigate the circumstances behindthe accident.


Remember

If you have an unlicensed

weapon, now is your chance

to license it

days left for handing over

unlicensed weapons,

ammunition and explosives.

Hotline: 1888830

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: The parliament’s health affairs committee recent-ly approved forming a special committee to inspect allfoodstuff companies to make sure they do not add artificialcolors and flavor enhancers to their products. The commit-tee would include members from the Ministry OfCommerce, Ministry of Health, Public Authority ForIndustry, Kuwait Municipality, Kuwait Institute for ScientificResearch (KISR) and the Public Authority for AgriculturalAffairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR). The committee willalso set rules for imported foodstuff and mandateimporters to destroy any shipment that does not matchthe rules and conditions.

Finals examsThe Ministry of Education has spared no effort to pro-

vide the best atmosphere for grade 12 students who starttheir final exams today, Education Minister Dr Bader Al-Essasaid. The minister added that exam questions would matchstudents’ levels. Undersecretary Dr Haitham Al-Athari saidthat all ministry sectors were ready for the exams, andexplained that a total of 32,871 students (including 17,620from the science stream and 15,251 from the arts stream)would sit for their exams today.

Diesel prices upA governmental committee tasked with studying the

state’s subsidies program has decided to increase dieseland kerosene prices to 120 fils per liter from the currentprice of 110 fils. Diesel and kerosene prices were cut to 110fils last February after a decision to increase the price from55 fils to 170 fills a the beginning of year was met withstrong political opposition. There is currently no timetablefor when the new prices will be put into effect.

Price committee reactivated The newly elected chairman of the Kuwait Union of Co-

operative Consumer Societies (KUCCS) Dr Saad Al-Shabostressed that the new board of directors would start itswork after formation by reactivating the price controlcommittee. Once the committee resumes its duties, allunjustified prices would be reconsidered in a bid toreduce the burden consumers suffer from, Shaboexplained.

KAC employee tickets for regular prices The Ministry of Finance informed different state depart-

ments that the prices of tickets for all employees travellingby Kuwait Airways would be the same as those sold to thepublic on those dates. The finance ministry’s directiveexplained that all government employees travelling onofficial missions, students dispatched on scholarships, citi-zens travelling for treatment abroad and employees enti-tled to annual tickets will travel on KAC flights on the con-dition of paying the same fares as the public on any givendate. The directive also explained that this contract wouldlast for seven years effective once KAC receives its air oper-ations certificate from the civil aviation department.

New FTZ in NuwaiseebThe Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently took

over the demarcated area set by Kuwait Municipality tobuild a new free trade zone in the southern area ofNuwaiseeb.

Illegal adsThe Municipal Council is due to discuss a request by

member Fahd Al-Sane to investigate recent ads claiming toconnect power to some illegal buildings in violation ofMinistry of Electricity and Water and Kuwait Municipalityregulations.

Committee to inspect

foodstuff companies 33,000 high school students start finals

KAC losses dropped

50% in 2014: Roumi

KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) Chairwomanand Managing Director Rasha Al-Roumi said KAC lossesdropped by 50 percent in 2014 to KD 33 million comparedto KD 67 million in 2013.

Speaking to KUNA on the occasion of approving KAC’sfinal account for the fiscal year 2014 and its zero-basedbudgeting for 2015, Roumi said that the most importantachievements made in 2014 could be summed up in ninepoints that include reducing losses by 50 percent, approv-ing KAC’s zero-based budgeting, fixing fuel prices takingadvantage of the dropping oil prices, shifting from lossesto making profits, doubling the carrier’s fleet from 17 to 35new planes equipped with the latest aviation technology.The achievements also include turning KAC into a compa-ny with a capital of KD 1.2 billion, increasing KAC destina-tions by adding new ones and increasing flights to some ofthe current ones, restructuring KAC as a company ratherthan a corporation and finally increasing seat occupancyto reach the target of 80 percent.

78 expats face deportation

for driving without license

The girl is helped by paramedics after being rescuedout of the elevator.

Firefighters tackle the blaze in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

Major General Abdullah Al-Muhanna

Rasha Al-Roumi

Education Minister Dr Bader Al-Essa

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team has lifted dis-posed fishing nets dumped close to Umm Al-Namel Island in Kuwait Bay.

The nets, weighing one ton, were afloat withhundreds of trapped alive or dead fish and othersea creatures, said team leader Walid Al-Fadhel.The team used a boat, provided by the islands’monitoring department of Kuwait Municipality,to remove the huge nets. The divers and munici-pal personnel examined the island, located andremoved birds’ traps. They also addressed thelast warning to campers to evacuate the islandbecause it is one of the national reserves wherecamping and hunting are banned.

Fadhel reiterated the call on boaters and

fishermen to abstain from dumping nets orother items into the bay waters noting that it isa main habitat for various marine creatures. Theteam, which is affiliated with theEnvironmental Voluntary Foundation (EVF),often removes such hurdles left behind at seaby boaters or fishermen. The divers had beeninvolved in various other activities to protectthe national marine environment, such asremoving items dumped onto coral reefs, sal-vaging sunken boats and clearing the sea-bedof diverse waste and harmful objects. Kuwaitiauthorities repeatedly urge citizens and resi-dents to abstain from acts detrimental to theland or marine environments. — KUNA

Kuwaiti divers lift nets in Kuwait Bay

ISTANBUL: The Turkish city of Ordu, overlooking theBlack Sea, has an eye-catching beauty, especially inspring time, with its nice weather and blossomingnature. The city’s locals still hold on to their tradition ofgrazing cattle, while Ordu is also heading towards mod-ern designs in buildings and developing services,Governor of the city Irfan Balkanoglu told Kuwait NewsAgency (KUNA).

Turkey is working on making Ordu one of thebiggest tourist attractions in the country, said theGovernor, adding that the c i t y has one of thelongest beaches with the cleanest sand in the BlackSea. The city, situated at 450 meters above sea lev-el, enjoys features that attract vis itors such as

Persembe highlands, forests and plains, Balkanoglunoted.

Meanwhile, the Governor hoped that Kuwaiti andSaudi tourists would consider visiting Ordu, adding thatover 260,000 Arab tourists visit the city each year.Moreover, he noted that the city has the most moderntouristic infrastructure and aerial lift and is working onbuilding a skiing center in Cambasi highlands.

Ordu has the world’s biggest hazelnut plantation andholds the annual Golden Hazelnut Festival onSeptember. The city is also considered as one of the old-est populated areas in human history, as historicalrecords show that the city was inhabited 3,000 yearsago. — KUNA

Kuwaiti tourist urged

to visit Turkish city

Scenes from the accident in Jahra.


By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: The Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centeris located on the fringes of the Sabah health zone inShuwaikh. The building is guarded, and apart fromemployees, nobody is allowed to enter without clear-ance. The center was established in 1985 as an addic-tion treatment center and operated from old build-ings. In 2004, the new building was built with a 250-bed capacity, catering to both males and females, andis divided into two sections - acute admissions andrehabilitation.

“Currently, we are only receiving patients from age16. For the next few months, we have a plan to launcha ward for drug-dependent children and teenagersbetween the ages of 12 to 16. It’s still a proposal, andwe hope it will be approved soon,” Dr Adel Al-Zayid,General Director of the Drug and AlcoholicRehabilitation Center, told Kuwait Times.

Three conditionsThe center operates under the umbrella of the

ministry of health. “We receive patients in three ways:One, they come on their own will (or their parentsencourage them to do so); Two, under court ordersafter being sentenced to detention; and finally, as

transfers from the drugs investigation or drugs prose-cution teams. Though they come in different ways, wetreat them all in the same way,” explained Zayid,adding, “We also cooperate with various NGOs such asBashair Al Khair, Narcotics Anonymous and the addic-tion center of the Ministry of Awqaf and IslamicAffairs. We welcome any cooperation from any publicor private institutions with regards to dugs addiction.”

Because of its work, Zayid said the rules of therehab should be followed. “We have our own tradi-tions and policies, so partner institutions shouldadopt our policies in their work with addicts,” saidZayid, adding these institutions hold programs forfree.

Complete rehabilitation processIn 2012, the center shifted from being a medical

treatment center to a rehabilitation center. “We nowhave a more complex approach of treating addiction.We have a multidisciplinary team working accordingto the patient’s rehabilitation level and we even pro-vide social and financial help. We care about theirfamily problems and help addicts solve them. We alsodeal with other problems addicts face and help them.In the past, we only used to treat patients from with-drawal symptoms and then released them, but nowwe take them through the entire journey from themoment they stop abusing addictive substances tothe complete rehabilitation process,” explained Zayid.

RelapseAccording to him, it is very common for drug

addicts to relapse after being treated. “Some addictsstay away from drugs for years, and we have somewho have stayed clean for more than six years with-out relapsing due to our center’s programs. We stay incontact with our patients and we celebrate theirsobriety in a very simple way by congratulating themthrough text messages every six months, Zayidexplained.

Addiction is a chronic illness and not a true disor-der. It’s similar to diabetes - a patient is diabetic forthe rest of his life, but it makes a difference if it is con-trolled. The addict has an addiction problem thewhole time and it matters if he is controlling it or not.Some addicts relapse, but the longer the recoveryperiod, the lesser the chances of relapse. So when thepatient stays in the rehabilitation program for alonger period, he ensures longer sobriety, and as aresult avoids relapse. Through our good patient- ther-apist relationships, we stay in contact with thepatients, so they relapse, he will have the chance tocome back to the center,” Zayid said.

Halfway housesResidential wards

The center also has supervised residential wardswith 100 beds for men and 25 for women, with onlyfour beds out of the 100 vacant. “In the past, thesewere called halfway houses because while the patientlives here, he is not a 100 percent in-patient - he canleave and come back. We help him get back to thecommunity since during his addiction, he cuts allsocial ties. The patient can stay here for six months, ayear or even two years. He is not locked in the centerduring this period, but he has to follow certain rulesand the program he is committed to,” noted Zayid.

Having recovered addicts work at the center isvery important, according to Zayid. “This is the reasonwhy we have more men coming in to get treatmentthan women because we do not have any recoveredwomen addicts working with us,” said Zayid. “Theserecovered individuals are the heart of our rehabilita-tion programs, so I hope their number increases, asthey are the best examples for addicts. More addictswere relapsing in the past as we didn’t have a rehabili-tation service, so an addict didn’t have the skills tostay sober. They work for us as volunteers and I hopetheir number reaches 100 as they are paying us backfor getting cured,” he concluded.

About drug addictionDrug addiction is a worldwide problem, not only in

Kuwait. It is so widespread that drug dealing is one ofthe most profitable businesses in the world.According to a report published in Al-Qabas daily inJan 2014, over 6,000 addicts are officially registeredfor rehabilitation in Kuwait.

Kuwait Finance House sponsored the establish-ment of the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center.The center’s services are available for both citizensand expats free of charge.

Drug rehab center provides freehelp for Kuwaiti, expat addicts

Proposal to accept teen addicts in few months

Dr Adel Al-Zayid,General Director of theDrug and AlcoholicRehabilitation Center,speaks to Kuwait Times.

KUWAIT: The Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center’s entrance. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Hawally Governorate recorded the highestnumber of crimes committed in 2013, with7,281 crimes, followed by Farwaniya, Capital,

Ahmadi, Jahra and Mubarak Al-Kabeer gover-norates respectively. Statistics showed that Hawallygovernorate recorded about 24.7 percent of thedrugs crimes in the country - with 551 crimes cases.The police stations with the highest record ofcrimes numbers are Salmiya police station (1648crimes) ; Nugra (1242) and Jabriya with 843.Bedoons topped the list on crime rate, followed byKuwaitis - and then Saudis.

Farwaniya Governorate: Farwaniya is placedsecond with 5,946 crimes. Bedoons top on the list,followed by Lebanese and then Kuwaitis. The policestations with the highest record of crimes numbersinclude; Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, followed by Farwaniya-then Andalus. The total number of drugs relatedcrimes reach

Asima (Capital) Governorate: The CapitalGovernorate is placed third with 4,217 crimesrecorded in 2013. Sharq police station topped thelist of police stations with the highest record, fol-lowed by Industrial Shuwaikh and Salhiya. The sta-tistics showed that the top three on the list ofnational i t ies with the highest cr ime rate areJordanians, bedoons and Lebanese. The total num-ber of drugs crimes in the governorate reached

174, which is 7.8 percent of the total drugs crimesin the country.

Ahmadi Governorate: Ahmadi Governorate isplaced fourth with 4,116 crimes recorded in 2013according to the statistics. The first three police sta-tions with the highest record are Fintas, Fahaheeland Abu Halaifa respectively. Iraqis, Bedoons andKuwaitis top the list. The number of drugs crimes inthe governorate is 317- (14.2 percent of the totalcrimes in the country).

Jahra Governorate: Statistics showed thatJahra Governorate is placed fifth with 4,102 record-ed crimes. Taima, Jahra and Sulaibiya police sta-tions top the list with highest number of crimerecords. The top three on the list of countries withthe highest crime rate are Lebanese, Iraqis andIranians. Jahra’s drugs related crimes constitute20.7 percent of the total crimes in the country.

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate: Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate is placed last with 1,340recorded crimes. The police stations with the high-est record number of crimes are Sabah Al-Salem,Adan and Mubarak Al-Kabeeer. Syrians, Bedoonsand Iraqis are on top the list of countries with thehighest crime rate. The number of drugs crimes is174 (7.8 percent of crimes committed in the coun-try).

Drug related crimes on the rise in Kuwait

“Though [addicts] come in different ways,we treat them all in the same way”

“It is very common fordrug addicts to relapse

after being treated”

An office for the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs’ addiction center at the facility.

Special Report

LO C A LSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

By Muna Al-Fuzai

[email protected]

ACairo criminal court issued a verdict on May 16to refer the case of former Egyptian PresidentMohamed Morsi and some prominent leaders of

the Muslim Brotherhood to the mufti in preparation forthe issuance of the death penalty against them. Thesedeath sentences were condemned by many countries,including Kuwait. Morsi may or may not be executed.But the question remains if he deserves to be hangedor not. And whether his death with bring peace toEgypt and improve the image of the political leader-ship.

There is no doubt that these death sentences havereceived extensive international reaction, not only inthe West, but also in Arab countries, with massive con-demnation on social media. Twitter had the highestnumbers of tweets and hashtags by politicians, intellec-tuals and writers of various nationalities to express theirdissatisfaction and anger. A state of emergency inEgypt was announced to counter any possible terroristoperations by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Also, it is worth mentioning here that for the firsttime since the military coup in Egypt on July 3, 2013, aSaudi channel broadcast a report focusing on the con-demnation by Hamas against the decision of theEgyptian judiciary against President Morsi along with anumber of leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.Observers believe that the broadcast of this reportreflects a change in the position of Saudi Arabiatowards Egypt. The president of the Turkish Republicstated that his country will move to the United Nationsand other international forums against the execution ofthe former Egyptian president, criticizing the EuropeanUnion for its silence towards this penalty.

The United States criticized the decisions againstPresident Morsi and a number of his aides and support-ers. The US State Department said that the trials andcollective judgments in Egypt are “unfair”. The US StateDepartment spokesman stated in a news conference inWashington that these provisions “undermine confi-dence in the rule of law” in Egypt.

I am not a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood ortheir suspicious activities around the world, but I amnot a supporter of the death penalty and believe it’s aharsh punishment. Probably, it would have been betterto keep the man jailed to maintain the peace and avoidinternational outcry. Morsi is considered a symbol ofthe Muslim Brotherhood, and I expect his execution willincrease turmoil and chaos, especially among his sup-porters.

Human Rights Watch also announced that it hadsent an “urgent complaint” to a number of internationalhuman rights bodies. Amnesty International also criti-cized the trial. It was possible to avoid this internationaluproar, but now it is only a matter of time.

I am against the death penalty in general as I see itas deprivation of the right to live and do not see that itrepresents a solution to a problem, although I supportit in rare cases of maximum necessity, like when a per-son becomes a real danger to society and people. Here Iwonder how much of a threat this man poses while heis being jailed with no power. No one wants to see morebloodshed in Egypt for any reason and PresidentAbdelfattah Al-Sisi can always grant an amnesty, whichis his constitutional right, and end any potential danger.

The execution of the former president is controver-sial issue between supporters and opponents. Whileawaiting the opinion of the mufti of Egypt and the finalhearing, the question will remain whether the sen-tences will be implemented or not.

Local Spotlight

Morsi deathsentence needless

provocation

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti youth have a remark-able penchant for volunteerism andhumanitarian work, said a Kuwaiti min-ister at the opening of the 2nd KuwaitInternational Youth Forum yesterday.

The Kuwait i government incen-tivizes Kuwaiti youth to get involved involunteer work and humanitar ianactivities which after-all benefit the

society and build character, mettle, andmorale in today’s youth, said Hind Al-Subaih, Minister of Labor and SocialAffairs and State Minister for Planningand Development. She was making aspeech at the one-day forum, themed‘Kuwaiti youth: hope for humanity.’

Stressing that Kuwaitis have beenover the years well-acquainted with

volunteer and charitable work ,Ambassador Nasser Al-Subaih, Directorof the Department of Follow-up WorkAnd Coordination at the Ministry ofForeign Affairs , noted in a s imi larspeech that the late Fahad Farhan Al-Khaled was an early Kuwaiti philan-thropist who establ ished the f i rstcharitable and volunteer society in

Kuwait in 1913. A number of speakersat the forum, among them head of themiss ion of the I nternat ionalCommittee of the Red Cross to theGCC Yahya Al -E le ib i and Deput yChairman of the Kuwait Red CrescentS ociet y Anwar Al -Hasawi ex tol ledKuwait’s efforts at humanitarian workworldwide. —KUNA

Forum applauds Kuwaiti youthfor their humanitarian spirit

KUWAIT: Minister Hind Al-Subaih (seventh from left) and key speakers take a group photo at the event. — KUNA

Private sector toqualify 100,000

youths for labormarket: Ghanim

DEAD SEA: Private sector companiesare participating in a forum pledgedto qualify nearly 100, 000 youths forjoining labor market by 2017, aKuwaiti businessman said.

This pledge is very important foremployment drive in the regionwhere people below the age of 25years represent half of the total pop-ulation, said Omar Qutaiba Al-Ghanim, Co-Chair of the WorldEconomic Forum on the Middle Eastand North Africa (MENA). He wasspeaking at a session on ‘the YouthImperative’ on Friday. Ghanim, who doubles as Chairman ofMENA business council, CEO of Kuwait’s Alghanim IndustriesCo. and chairman of Injaz capacity building organization, not-ed the MENA region has the highest rate of unemploymentamong youths in the world. “Today’s commitment is crucial forthe efforts to prepare young people with business skills forfuture careers and enable them to be part of a stable andadvanced society,” he stressed. He called on other companiesto follow suit of the 30 member companies of the MENA busi-ness council and back up the efforts of WEF in building thecapacity of youths.

Youth-oriented fundIn a statement following the session, Ghanim lauded the

generous initiative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to launch a youth-oriented fundwith a capital of KD 2 billion geared to finance small andmedium enterprises and promote employment. He highlight-ed the significance of public-private partnership in encourag-ing the Kuwaiti youths to embark on SMEs and creating jobsfor them.

The session gathered Moroccan Prime Minister AbdulilahBenkirane, Head and Representative of Partnerships inSwitzerland of United Nations Relief and Works Agency forPalestine Refugees (UNRWA) Carolina de Borbon Parma, for-mer prime minister of Libya Mahmoud Jibril and Chairpersonof Sharjah Investment and Development Authority Bodour Al-Qassemi. — KUNA

Omar QutaibaAl-Ghanim

F r o m t he A r a bic pr e s sSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Escalating differences within the PopularAction Movement (Hashd), which played amajor role in rallying crowds in latest years,

were published by local papers and became publicwith the announcement of the mass resignation ofmembers close to former speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun through Twitter. The members informedHashd Secretary General, former MP Musallam Al-Barrak that they no longer wish to continue asmembers of the group.

The papers mentioned that there were differ-ences in opinions and in the mechanisms in dealingwith political events between supporters ofSaadoun and Barrak. But really the real questions toanswer are: Why do differences happen? What is thenature of these groups? And why did it lead toHashd’s disbandment though it was recently estab-lished?

It is very clear that political parties and move-ments in Kuwait are not democratic, because if thegroups were democratic in truth, they would acceptvarious opinions within. But the nature of theirorganizations does not have a democratic method-ology that allows acceptance of differences.

Political parties and movements in Kuwait arenot democratic; they do not work to instill the dem-ocratic methodology and to strengthen it. The rea-son is our civil backwardness. We are new todemocracy; its practices, mechanisms, cultures andmethods. Our social fabric still tied to sectarian,family, and tribal links, ahead of national ties.

The Popular Action Movement practiced itspolitical activity by distributing powers as per thetribe, used historic loyalties and reminded of his-toric associations, family and sectarian links. Thetribal and family links were the factors in organizingand forming Hashd, and the evidence is the natureof division that took place in the movement as ittook a tribal and family direction.

We are facing a very important problem, as wecannot classify political groups as parties that fol-low the same framework of civil society in the West.A political party cannot be religious, sectarian ortribal. If it was so, then it is not a party, and wouldbe more suitable to the West’s pre-democratic stateduring its tyrannical rule.

So, when we talk about political factions andorganizations in Kuwait, we must not forget thatthese organizations in their current state cannotlead to the road of reform and democracy at all.

—Translated by Kuwait Times

What happened to Hashd?

Al-Watan

By Dr Shamlan Al-Essa

Al-Jarida

Afew days ago, I was on a trip somewherebetween North Korea and China. I will leavewriting about my impressions on

Pyongyang for another occasion, because whatattracted me the most were the fascinating andextravagant preparations in both China and Russiato commemorate the 70th anniversary of the endof World War II.

As far as I know, there is no such thing as cele-brating a ‘70th’ anniversary, because celebrationsare usually held to mark the 25th (Silver), 50th(Golden), 75th (Diamond) and even 100th(Platinum) anniversaries. Something must have ledto the breaking of this rule and to the celebrationof the 70th anniversary of a very historic event.

In China, much focus was on Japan and its rolein the war, which is expected because of the multi-tude and magnitude of atrocities committed, whichis both saddening and embarrassing. It was thenthat we came to learn the term ‘genocide,’ deeply-rooted in the human mind since. In fact, the ChinaDaily newspaper strongly condemned theJapanese Prime Minister for what it described as

“his refusal to apologize for the tragedies commit-ted by Japan.”

Meanwhile in Russia, talk was more about thepresent than the past. As a former citizen of EastGermany, Angela Merkel strongly criticizedMoscow for Russia’s practices in Ukraine. Inresponse, Russian President Vladimir Putin accusedthe west of “double standards.”

So, commemorating the 70th anniversary of theend of the World War II was not in fact addressingthe past; it was rather meant to express the pre-sent’s fogginess.

This year’s celebrations reflected severe tensionin international relations with no solutions in sight.It also came to express states of anxiety, rather thanexpressing any kind or level of joy. The blood of somuch innocent people was shed then and alsonow. And the best manifestation of these states ofanxiety, tension and loss is probably the bloodshedhappening in the Middle East and North Africa.Seventy years later, more innocent blood is stillbeing shed!


Celebrating the ‘Blood’ Anniversary

Al-Jarida

By Ghanim Al-Najjar

As we respect the awaited decision by theconstitutional court on the constitution-ality of the coeducation law, we find our-

selves compelled, because of the increasing evi-dence and clear vision that was expressed bythe founding fathers and included in the consti-tutional articles, to precede the ruling and saythe ruling will be a foregone conclusion,because a law like this would not have beenissued if we had constitutional awareness anddemocratic understanding by the legislators oreven their voters.

When mandatory education was discussed,the explanatory memo of the constitution drewthe attention to consider the wishes of “some”citizens who may be disturbed by forcing themto commit their sons, or rather daughters, tocontinue their higher education, or those whoreach puberty, because many citizens at thattime, not now, preferred to keep their daugh-ters locked in their homes.

The explanatory memo catered to this feel-ing during its explanation of article 40 of theconstitution and the mandatory educationshould not go beyond this stage, which is anadvanced stage in itself, because there will be aviolation of the parents’ freedom in directingtheir children, apart from the inability to imple-ment this on girls in that era and with consider-ation of our traditions in this regard.

Here, the explanatory memo clearly decidesthat family or parents are responsible for direct-ing their children, not the state or the NationalAssembly legislators or the rest who allowedthemselves to raise children of others and inter-fere in their personal affairs. The foundingfathers were keen on caring for customs andtraditions of some of Kuwait’s people, so theydo not force on them what they did not like oragreed with their mindsets. These conditionswere prominent in the 1950s and 1960s, butthey are no longer so now. Those who I believeare the majority trust the founding fathers andthe general democratic direction of the system,and leave the issue of directing and decidingthe fate of children to their parents and fami-lies.

We understand that a law be issued thatappeals to the government, or even forces it toprovide separate education in its schools orinstitutions. If the majority of citizens wantthis, then this is their right, but it is not its rightto force the rest of the 49 percent who do notlike it.

The majority can impose the general “direc-tion” of the social system or behavior, yet thereremain the private matters of individuals oreven groups, and it is not the right of thosewho have the majority at present to subjectthem to their wishes. Here appears the “co-liv-ing” principle that is represented by the demo-cratic system, which is missed by the ultra-extremists and many of those who think thatthey exist to direct the world.


They cannot ban co-education

Al-Qabas

By Abdellatif Al-Duaij

CrimeR e p o r t

Woman conned intopaying KD 1,550

KUWAIT: A female citizen reported that she had been avictim of an international financial scam, which startedwhen someone called her claiming that she had won KD20,000, and eventually lured her into transferring KD 1,550to him as fees. The caller had first asked to transfer KD 920,and then later asked for another KD 630, the womanexplained. She only realized she had been swindled whenhe asked for a third payment. A case was filed and furtherinvestigations are in progress.

Fatal crash

A citizen was instantly killed when his vehicle collidedinto a towing truck along Al-Salmi highway, whichimmediately burst into flames with him inside, saidsecurity sources. Also, two patrol policemen recentlyfiled a complaint against two female citizens accusingthem of insulting them while on duty when they werein the process of ticketing them in Messila.

Domestic assault

A citizen reported that following an argument with her hus-band, he and his friend assaulted her at her house in Jabriya,said security sources. The woman had a medical reportshowing her bruises and injuries, the sources noted. A casewas filed. Meanwhile, a citizen sustained a head injury dur-ing a fight with another citizen in Salmiya, said securitysources. They noted that the assailant was arrested while theinjured was temporarily sent to the hospital for treatment.

Suicide

A Filipina woman was instantly killed when shejumped off of a building where she lived in Nugra, saidsecurity sources. Paramedics found the woman alreadydead when they arrived at the scene, the sourcesadded. Preliminary investigations indicate that theincident was a suicide. A case was filed for furtherinvestigations.

Robbery

A delivery man reported that three unknown robbersstopped him in Jahra where they stabbed him and robbedhim of KD 320 and his smartphone, said security sources. Acase was filed and further investigations are in progress.

Come on kids, finish quickly. The summerbreak, and my vacation, are waiting!

Ministry of Education

Drugs

Two citizens were recently arrested in Salwa with pos-session of 12 crystal meth (ice) bags, which they admit-ted were for their personal use. Case papers indicatethat on stopping the two suspects in a routine check-point, they seemed nervous, prompting officers tosearch them and find the drugs. A case was filed.

Ministry mulls paying for expatdoctors’ children’s education

KUWAIT: In an attempt to provide expatriatedoctors with more incentives and prevent themfrom moving to other countries, Ministry ofHealth’s Undersecretary Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawirecently contacted all medical districts request-ing lists of expatriate doctors’ children studyingin private schools in Kuwait. The officialdemanded that full lists, including the students’names, numbers and grade levels, to be on hisdesk within two weeks starting from May 11,which means that the deadline to submit thelists would be tomorrow. The ministry is cur-rently discussing the possibility of transferringthose children to public schools or to pay partof their fees in private schools, according tosources familiar with the news. —Al-Anbaa Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi

KUWAIT: In a bid to control hacking andother cybercrimes, the government sub-mitted a bill to the parliament to set a lawon fighting Internet crimes.

The law, recently referred by NationalAssembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim tothe parliamentary legislative committee,consists of 22 articles, including severepenalties of up to 10-years imprisonmentfor individuals who create websites for ter-rorist groups or individuals, and peoplewho use the internet in money laundering,human trafficking or facilitating prostitu-tion. According to the bill, those indictedwith any of these crimes will be ‘punishedby a maximum of three years imprison-ment and/or a fine of KD 3,000 to 10,000for directly and illegally accessing an infor-mation system, using any means of infor-mation technology in threatening or black-mailing individuals to force them do orstop doing something.’

The law also states that ‘those who cre-ate websites, publish, send or store infor-mation and data with the aim of using ordistributing them to others in a way thatviolates public manners; or those who runplaces for such purposes, forcing males orfemales to commit vice acts and prostitu-tion, will be punished by three-yearsimprisonment and/or a KD 10,000 fine.’

In addition, the law states that ‘thosewho create websites for human traffickingpurposes will be punished by 7-yearsimprisonment and a maximum fine of KD

30,000.’ The proposed law also suggests a ‘maxi-

mum of 10-years imprisonment and a max-imum fine of KD 50,000 for those who usethe Internet for money laundering or trans-ferring illegal funds or for camouflaging orconcealing their illegal origins.” The samepenalty was also suggested for “those whobuild websites for terrorist groups or indi-

viduals, publish information about themonline or use any IT means even under falsenames.’

In justification of the proposed law, thegovernment said that conventional penallaws do not help in fighting modern elec-tronic crimes that are committed usingsophisticated technology. “ This law ismeant to protect individuals’ liberties, hon-or and reputation and to prevent violatingpublic and private funds and property aswell as help Kuwait support internationalefforts to fight such crimes,” governmentsources explained. —Al-Jarida

Govt fights hackers,other cybercrimes

New bill proposes jail time for internet abuse

KUWAIT: Only two days after the final examsstarted in secondary schools, answers to thegrade 10 Islamic education and grade 11 Arabicexams’ questions were found all over socialmedia and were exchanged amongst certaingroups.

Despite all preventative measures, inspec-tions and penalties set for cheaters, it seemsthat the Ministry of Education is still helplesswhen it comes to this phenomenon that hasalso been posing major concerns in manycountries worldwide.

However, many students admitted that pre-ventive measures at examination halls weretougher this year, and that they had to gothrough careful inspections, including checksfor mobile phones or any other devices thatcan be used in cheating, before entering theexam halls. Nonetheless, and though in lessernumber than in previous years, some cheatingcases were still detected.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Dr Bader Al-Essa toured two Farwaniya high schools, onefor boys and one for girls, where he encour-aged the students taking the exam andchecked exam questions to make sure they

matched students’ levels. The minister was alsosatisfied with some of the answers some stu-dents wrote in their exam papers. “Schooladministrations have provided the best atmos-phere for students to take their exams in amost relaxed environment,” said the minister,noting that no cheating attempts were detect-ed and that the whole process went smoothly.

Responding to questions about reformingmajor educational and research facilities, Essatold reporters that various educational facilitieswould witness substantial changes soon toface present and future challenges and copewith labor market demands. The minister alsostressed his keenness on developing researchestablishments including Kuwait Institute forScientific Research (KISR).

In addition and responding to a questionabout Kuwait University (KU) professors withextremist ideas, Essa said that he was still await-ing MOI investigations’ results and that he hadalready ordered forming an investigation com-mittee. “However, there are only two of ‘those’doctors,” he remarked adding that he had notyet decided on appointing a new KU directorbut expected to do so soon. —Al-Rai

Exam questions leakon first two days

Intense gunfight kills 43 in Mexico

Page 12

Morsi, secular camp in dock for ‘insulting’ Egypt judiciaryPage 8

SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

SOUTHERN SHUNEH: Bring more Arabwomen into the workforce, invest in “bite-sized” infrastructure projects and get theprivate sector more involved in trainingyoung job seekers - these are the prescrip-tions of a leading Gulf entrepreneur forgrowing Middle Eastern economies andcombating rampant youth unemployment.Decision-makers long seemed paralyzed bythe sheer size of the troubled region’s eco-nomic problems, but attitudes havechanged in recent years, said Omar KutaybaAlghanim, co-chairman of this week’sregional World Economic Forum conferenceand a leader of private sector efforts to tack-le youth unemployment.

“When you talk to government officialsabout this, they are a lot more turned on tothese issues, and I think they acknowledgethe size and significance of these issues,”Alghanim said. “As compared to five yearsago, I see a lot more attention - which isgreat.” The Middle East and North Africahave the world’s highest rate of youthunemployment, with 29.5 percent, up twopercentage point from over a decade ago,according to the International LaborOrganization. Unemployment is particularlyhigh among young women, in part becauseof the constraints placed on them by tradi-tional societies in many parts of the region.

Alghanim said that bringing morewomen into the workforce dramaticallywould spur economic growth. Citing figuresby the International Monetary Fund, he saidthe gender gap in the Middle East is threetimes bigger than that in most developingeconomies. If the gap were narrowed byjust one-third, the regional GDP would growby $1 trillion a year, or 6 percent, said

Alghanim, a former investment banker whonow heads Alghanim Industries, one of thelargest privately held companies in the Gulf.

“So there’s a real economic cost here tothe gender gap and finding women to getmore engaged in the economy is crucial forus as a region, crucial for our competitive-ness as a region,” said Alghanim, who headsthe Regional Business Council, a group with30 member companies trying to helpreduce youth unemployment. Alghanimdid not say how cultural constraints can beovercome, but suggested change needs tobe gradual. One of the causes of youthunemployment is a disconnect betweenthe skills young people acquire in schoolsand universities, where learning by rotetends to be the norm, and what modernprivate companies look for in potentialemployees.

Alghanim said the private sector mustget more involved in training young jobseekers and encourage future entrepre-neurs. Nine of the business council’s mem-ber companies participate in a programaimed at affecting the lives of 100,000young people in the region over a two-yearperiod. In one effort, volunteers go intoschools and universities to hold entrepre-neurship contests in which participants setup small companies, he said. The programis on track, he said, adding that many of thewinning ideas for new companies comefrom young women.

Experts agree that growing the region’seconomies will put more young people towork - a tough challenge at a time of low oilprices and protracted conflict in Syria, Iraq,Libya and Yemen. The World Bank has pre-dicted tepid growth for much of the region,

including wealthy oil exporters in the Gulf.Alghanim said governments need to investmore in infrastructure projects to spurgrowth and increase productivity. The

region spends only 5 percent of its grossdomestic product on infrastructure, com-pared to 15 percent in China, he said. Someinfrastructure projects move slowly

because they are too ambitious and “notbite-sized,” he said. “What happens is thatthe plans get a bit too grandiose and thenit becomes difficult to execute them.” — AP

Mideast paying the price for gender gap

SOUTHERN SHUNEH: Jordan’s Queen Rania is seen at the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the King Hussein conventioncenter in Southern Shuneh, Jordan on Friday, May 22, 2015. — AP

UNITED NATIONS: Nuclear non-pro-liferation talks ended without agree-ment on Friday after the UnitedStates, Canada and Britain opposed aplan to set up a nuclear weapons-freezone in the Middle East. More than150 countries took part in a month-long conference reviewing thenuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT), which seeks to prevent thespread of nuclear weapons and tech-nology. But talks on a final documentoutlining an action plan for the nextfive years hit a wall over a provisionon convening a conference by March2016 on creating a Middle East

nuclear-weapons free zone. Israel,which is not a member of the NPTbut attended the conference as anobserver, opposed the proposalbacked by Egypt and Arab countries.

Israel is believed to be the onlycountry that possesses a nucleararsenal in the region, although it hasnever acknowledged its nuclear mili-tary capacity. US Arms Control UnderSecretary Rose Gottemoeller told theNPT conference that provisions onholding the conference were “incom-patible with our long-standing poli-cies.” Gottemoeller argued that theproposed nuclear-free zone did not

stand a chance of success “absent theconsent of all states involved,” a clearreference to Israel’s opposition. Earlierthis week, the US administration haddispatched an envoy to Israel to dis-cuss the proposal, hoping to reach acompromise that would have sal-vaged the final document of the NPTconference.

US blames EgyptGottemoeller took aim at “a num-

ber of states, in particular Egypt” forthe failure of the talks, accusingthem of refusing to “let go of unreal-istic and unworkable conditions” tocreate the nuclear weapons-freezone. The head of the British delega-tion to the talks, Matthew Rowland,also said the terms for convening theconference on the nuclear weapons-free zone were “a stumbling block forus.” Canada said it could not agree tothe document because of the provi-sions that would have laid thegroundwork for creating the zonebanning all nuclear weapons in theMiddle East.

In an eleventh-hour move, Iran,which heads the non-aligned move-ment, requested more time to con-sider the final document but the ses-sion resumed with no agreement.Iran’s envoy cited the refusal of “threedelegations” to agree to the final text,accusing them of blocking the con-sensus “with this high cost.” Theenvoy said this was “only to safeguardthe interest of a particular non-partyto the treaty that has endangeredpeace and security in the region bydeveloping a nuclear capability.”

At the last NPT conference in 2010,a final document called for the con-ference on the nuclear-free weaponszone for the Middle East to be held in2012, but that meeting never materi-alized. The NPT, which entered intoforce in 1970, has 190 state-parties orentities that meet every five years totake stock of progress in nuclear dis-armament. The treaty is seen as agrand bargain between the fivenuclear powers and non-nuclearstates which agreed to give up atom-ic weapon ambitions in exchange fordisarmament pledges. But non-nuclear states have been increasinglyfrustrated by the slow pace of disar-mament and had sought during themonth-long conference to press foraction to speed up the reduction ofstockpiles. —AFP

Proliferation talks fail over Mideast nuke plan

Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen conflicts rock Middle East

TEHRAN: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reviews Revolutionary Guardcadets in a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s supreme leader vowedhe will not allow international inspection of Iran’s military sites or access toIranian scientists under any nuclear agreement with world powers. — AP

I N T E R N AT I O N A LSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

BEIRUT: With only a cloth mask for protection, FirasKayali rushed to try to rescue the residents of a house in avillage in rebel-held northern Syria after a barrel bomb,suspected to be filled with chlorine gas, hit nearby. Oncea house painter and now a member in a volunteer rescueteam, Kayali tried once, twice, three times to break intothe house, but he was overcome by the gas and passedout. Only 20 minutes later, after the gas dissipated, wasthe team able to get into the house.

Inside, they found a toddler dead, still wrapped in hisblankets in bed, Kayali told The Associated Press, recount-ing the May 2 attack. The child’s father died a few dayslater, his lungs collapsed, in a hospital near the Turkishborder. “I blamed myself first. But then again I go backand say if we had equipment and outfits, maybe,” Kayalisaid. “Then again, ‘if’ will not change anything now. ... Goddestined and what he destined happened.” Frustratedand despairing, Syrian opposition activists are trying togarner international pressure to stop a growing numberof attacks using chlorine gas, which they say areundoubtedly carried out by government aircraft.

Two years after President Bashar Assad agreed todestroy his chemical arsenal and joined the ChemicalWeapons Convention, activists say they have document-ed 18 cases of chlorine gas used in the country’s rebel-held north since March 6, when the United Nationsissued a resolution determining that chlorine was used inSyria and warning of repercussions. They say the attackshave killed nine people and injured hundreds. The Syriangovernment denies using chlorine gas. But activists andresidents of the villages hit say the attacks, usually at

night, are clearly by government forces. The chlorine bombs are dropped in barrels from the

skies, and residents say they hear the buzz of helicoptersfirst. Syrian military forces are the only combatants in thecivil war known to fly helicopters, and the villages hit arepro-rebel, largely in the northwestern province of Idlib.Still, it is proving impossible to legally link the Assad gov-ernment to the attacks. The UN agency in charge of

determining whether chlorine was used does not havethe mandate to assign blame. The Organization for theProliferation of Chemical Weapons also can’t get to thescenes of suspected attacks without the cooperation ofthe Syrian government, while testimonies or evidencecollected by people on the ground are considered cir-cumstantial.

The UN Security Council is paralyzed because Russia,

a major ally of Assad, insists the allegations are “propa-ganda.” The Syrian Civil Defense, a group of 2,640 volun-teers that provides emergency and rescue services inrebel-held and contested areas, has been gathering evi-dence to document the recent attacks, said FarouqHabib, the group’s political adviser. He and the group’sdirector, Raed Saleh, returned this week from the UnitedStates, where they met US and European officials.

They collected remains from the barrels used in anumber of bombings, soil samples that the group saysshow high levels of chlorine traces and urine and bloodsamples from victims. “The samples are valuable for theSyrian people because they document the crimes com-mitted against it,” Habib said in a telephone interview. “Itis there and documented and saved but will only be pre-sented after putting together a legal case that guaran-tees it is used in an effective way to indict the criminalwho used chlorine against the Syrian people.”

Habib said his group has offered the OCPW to eithertake the samples in a handover over the border withTurkey or to host its staffers on visits of areas of suspect-ed attacks. Deliberations are underway over a US propos-al to set up a parallel commission of inquiry that wouldbe mandated to determine blame. Details of the propos-al have not yet been made public, but Saleh said the newcommission is likely to face the same obstacles. Forexample, he said, only those who reach the scene of anattack immediately would be able to document a case.“We all know the gas effect doesn’t last for more than afew hours,” he said. That’s one reason, experts say, Assadcontinues to use the gas.—AP

Syrians building case against Assad in chlorine attacks

BZEIBEZ: An elderly Iraqi woman who fled from the city of Ramadi after Islamic State (IS) group militants tightened their siege on the last gov-ernment positions in the capital of Anbar province, is pushed in a wheel barrow as she holds the hand of an armed man as people wait to crossBzeibez bridge, on the southwestern frontier of Baghdad. — AFP

BAGHDAD: A convoy of Shiite Muslim militia andIraqi army forces set out from a base near Ramadiyesterday to advance on areas held by IslamicState, a Shiite spokesman said, launching a count-er-offensive to reverse stunning gains by the jiha-di insurgents. The fall of Ramadi, the Anbarprovincial capital, to Islamic State on May 17could be a shattering blow to Baghdad’s weakcentral government. The Sunni Muslim jihadisnow control most of Anbar and could threatenthe western approaches to Baghdad, or evensurge south into Iraq’s Shiite heartland.

Ramadi’s loss is the most serious setback forIraqi forces in almost a year and has cast doubt onthe effectiveness of the US strategy of air strikesto help Baghdad roll back Islamic State, whichholds a third each of Iraq and adjacent Syria.Anbar provincial council member Azzal Obaidsaid hundreds of Shiite fighters, who had arrivedat the Habbaniya air base last week after IslamicState took Ramadi, deployed into Khalidiya yes-terday and were approaching Siddiqiya andMadiq, towns in contested territory near Ramadi.

Disadvantaged by poor morale and cohesionamong his security forces, Iraqi Prime MinisterHaider Al-Abadi, a Shiite, sent Shiite paramilitarygroups to try to retake Ramadi despite the risk ofinflaming tensions with Anbar’s aggrieved, pre-dominantly Sunni population. Jaffar Husseini,spokesman for the Shiite paramilitary group

Kataib Hezbollah, said it had deployed more than2,000 reinforcements which had managed tosecure Khalidiya and the road connecting it toHabbaniya. “Today will witness the launch ofsome tactical operations that pave the way to theeventual liberation of Ramadi,” he told Reuters bytelephone.

At the same time, Islamic State units havebeen advancing towards Fallujah to try to absorbmore territory between it and Ramadi that wouldbring them closer to Baghdad, the Iraqi capital,around 80 km to the east. A pro-governmentSunni tribal leader in the area said on Friday thatIslamic State forces were around 5 km fromKhalidiya. Islamic State has controlled Fallujah formore than a year. A UN spokesman said on Fridaythat some 55,000 people have fled Ramadi sinceit was stormed by Islamic State earlier this month,with most taking refuge in other parts of Anbar, avast desert province that borders on Syria, Jordanand Saudi Arabia.

IS flag at Palmyra citadelIn Syria, Islamic State fighters raised their flag

over an ancient citadel in the historic city ofPalmyra, pictures posted online overnight by thegroup’s supporters showed. The militants seizedPalmyra, known as Tadmur in Arabic and strategi-cally significant with nearby natural gas fields androads leading southwest to Damascus, on

Wednesday after days of heavy fighting with theSyrian army.

“Tadmur citadel under the control of thecaliphate,” read a caption on one picture postedon social media sites. In another, a smiling fighteris shown carrying the group’s black flag andstanding on one of the citadel’s walls. It was notpossible to verify the images’ authenticity.Palmyra is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site,and Syria’s antiquities chief has said the insur-gents would destroy its 2,000-year-old ruins,including well-preserved Roman temples, colon-nades and a theatre, if they took control of them.While hundreds of statues have been taken tosafe locations, there are fears for larger monu-ments that cannot be moved.

Islamic State destroyed ancient monumentsand antiquities they see as idolatrous in areas ofIraq they captured last year. Supporters havealso posted videos they say show the group’sfighters going room to room in governmentbuildings in Palmyra searching for governmenttroops and pulling down pictures of SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assad and his father. Someactivists have said more than 200 Syrian soldiersdied in the battle for the city. US-led forces haveconducted a further 15 air strikes on IslamicState positions in Iraq and Syria since Thursday,concentrating on targets near Ramadi, the USmilitary said.— Reuters

Shiite militias face off with

Islamic State near RamadiIS hoists flag over citadel in Syria’s Palmyra

CAIRO: Ousted Islamist president MohamedMorsi went on trial yesterday alongside sever-al secular figures behind Egypt’s 2011 upris-ing, underlining a crackdown on all forms ofdissent. The trial for “insulting the judiciary” isthe fifth for Morsi, who was sentenced todeath last week on charges connected with amass prison break during the uprising thattoppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.Bringing together all forms of opposition forthe first time, Morsi and other Islamist oppo-nents of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi wereback in the dock along with several liberaland secular opposition leaders.

Twenty-five defendants-including evensome Sisi supporters-stand accused of con-tempt of court in comments made in parlia-ment, speeches, on social media or in inter-views. The judge struck off the name of a 26thdefendant. Morsi was brought to court in theblue prison uniform of a convict, and was sep-arated from the other defendants in thecourtroom, standing alone in a metal cage. “Irefuse to be tried because this court has nojurisdiction to judge me,” said Morsi, who hasdefiantly disputed the legitimacy of all thecourts that have tried him so far. “SinceNovember 2013, my family and my lawyershave been prevented from visiting me.”

The seven other defendants in custody-secular as well as Islamist activists-appearedin a separate metal cage. “The crackdownagainst the opposition is only intensifying andthe judiciary is very much at the forefront ofthis crackdown,” said Shadi Hamid, a fellow atthe Brookings Centre for Middle East Policy.“The trial will be kind of a test case of whatthe regime is thinking, not just of Islamists butalso of the liberal and secular opposition aswell.” Among the defendants is Alaa AbdelFattah, a top secular activist behind theprotests that led to the downfall of Mubarak.

Already in prison for participating in an“illegal protest” in November 2013, he has

been charged over comments on Twitter on2011 raids on the offices of foreign civil socie-ty groups. Other defendants in court includedMuslim Brotherhood leaders MohamedBeltagy and Saad Al-Qatatni. Amr Hamzawy, awell-known political science professor andformer MP, and human rights lawyer AmirSalem are also among the accused but werenot in court. Like Abdel Fattah, they hadcalled for Morsi’s ouster.

‘Political revenge’Defendant Essam Sultan, an Islamist, said

at yesterday’s hearing that prison authoritieswere “not giving us food, medicines or blan-kets”. “Farid Ismail died in the cell I am inbecause they did not give him medical treat-ment,” he said, referring to a seniorBrotherhood leader who died in custody earli-er this month. The trial was adjourned to July27. Morsi was toppled by then army chief Sisiin July 2013 after mass street protests againsthis turbulent year in power.

A sweeping crackdown overseen by Sisihas seen hundreds of Morsi supporters killedin clashes with security forces, thousandsjailed and many more sentenced to deathafter speedy mass trials which the UN has saidwere “unprecedented in recent history”.Human rights groups accuse the authoritiesof using the judiciary as a tool to crush allkinds of opposition-Islamist as well as secular.While Morsi and some leaders of his blacklist-ed Muslim Brotherhood have been sentencedto death in other trials, the judiciary has alsosentenced several secular activists to long jailterms.

The latest trial is an example of “politicalrevenge”, said Abdel Fattah’s defense lawyerGamal Eid. Defendant Mostafa Al-Naggar, aformer MP, is being tried for criticizing a June2012 court judgment sentencing Mubarak tolife in prison over the deaths of 800 protestersduring the 2011 revolt. — AFP

Morsi, secular camp in dock

for insulting Egypt judiciary

DAMASCUS: In this file photo, a UN team that is scheduled to investigate an alleged chemical attackthat killed hundreds in a Damascus suburb, leaves their hotel in a convoy in Damascus, Syria. — AP

CAIRO: Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood top figures, Saad El-Katatni (left) andMohamed El-Beltagy flash the four finger symbol known as “Rabaa” from behind thedefendant’s cage during his trial for insulting the judiciary alongside 25 otherdefendants including ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who was recentlysentenced to death, in Cairo yesterday. — AFP

US war strategy fails to stop Islamic State Obama reluctant to change course as jihadists advance

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s war strategyfailed to stop Islamic State jihadists from overrunningRamadi but he appears reluctant to change course despitethe group’s advances on the battlefield. The disastrous fallof the Iraqi city exposed the limits of Obama’s policy,experts say, highlighting the sectarian divisions in Iraqisociety exploited by the IS group and the American presi-dent’s determination to avoid another protracted militaryoccupation. After the Iraqi army’s embarrassing rout onSunday, Obama struggled to defend his approach andinsisted the collapse in Ramadi was merely a “tactical set-back.” “I don’t think we’re losing,” Obama said in an inter-view with The Atlantic. Obama said the question was notwhether or not to send in US ground troops but “how dowe find effective partners” that can defeat the Sunniextremists in Iraq and Syria.

But, even inside his administration, the result in Ramadiwas seen as damaging for both the Iraqi government andthe US-led coalition backing it with air strikes since late lastyear. Only days after Ramadi was overrun, the jihadists alsoseized the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria as well as a keyborder crossing, undercutting weeks of optimistic talk from

the Pentagon that the extremists were “on the defensive.”With IS still on the move after more than 4,000 US-led airstrikes in nine months in Iraq and Syria, the administrationwas taking a “hard look” at its strategy, a top US official toldreporters.

More commandos? In the wake of Ramadi’s capture, US officials announced

that 2,000 AT4 anti-tank weapons were on the way to Iraqto help Iraqi troops counter massive car bombs. The movewas part of an effort to ramp up the arming of Iraqi troopsand Sunni tribesmen. But both at home and abroadObama’s stance has been slammed as overly cautious. Thepresident faces growing calls for a dramatic overhaul of acampaign which has relied on American-led air powerbacking up US-equipped local forces. Some lawmakersurged a major increase in US troops, at least several thou-sand or more, while former senior officials called for a bold-er diplomatic calculus. Senator John McCain and othervoices on the right said Obama should deploy more specialforces and stage more raids similar to an operation a weekago in which US commandos killed an IS financier in east-

ern Syria.The elite special forces could be “forward deployed”

across the battlefront to help call in air strikes, assist Iraqitroops and hunt down jihadist commanders, McCainargued. “What we desperately need is a comprehensivestrategy, the decisive application of an increased but stilllimited amount of US military power, and a concertedeffort by the Iraqi government to recruit, train and equipSunni forces,” McCain said. Critics also urged Washington totake a more forceful diplomatic stance to prevent thejihadists from taking advantage of divisions inside theinternational coalition and of the alienation of Sunnis inIraq.

The US could no longer ignore the civil war in Syria andwould have to take bolder action to help “moderate” rebelsthere, which might persuade Sunni governments to getmore involved in the anti-IS fight, analysts said.”The bot-tom line remains: the strategy isn’t working and it can’twork,” said Richard Haas, a former senior diplomat. It wasunrealistic to treat Iraq as a single country, as it was irrevo-cably splintering into three parts-Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite,said Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. As

a result, Washington would have to channel military aiddirectly to local forces without working through the dys-functional central government in Baghdad, he said. “Thetime has come to accept that you can’t put HumptyDumpty back together again. The old multiethnic Iraq isover,” Haas told Bloomberg television.

‘Lying by omission’ The first step in salvaging Washington’s strategy was

to be honest about the course of the war, said AnthonyCordesman of the Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies. There were signs this week of some long over-due candor from an administration that has tended “tospin events, downplay risk and problems to the point oflying by omission,” Cordesman wrote in a commentary.For Obama, an outspoken opponent of the 2003 invasionof Iraq and the occupation that followed, an over-archinggoal has been to steer clear of another major ground warin the Middle East. But, Cordesman argued, “it is time thepresident’s White House team learned that losing warsby default and inaction is scarcely a better historicalrecord.”—AFP

I N T E R N AT ION A LSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

WASHINGTON: Only hours before Hi l lar yClinton was to face her biggest challenge andtragedy as US secretary of state, she asked anaide to get her a French documentary aboutLibya. “Can you get us a copy of Bernard Henri-Levi’s (sic) film about Libya. I think Harveymade it and it showed at Cannes last spring,”the then secretary of state wrote to her trustedfriend and confidant Huma Abedin at 5:50 amon September 11, 2012.

Later that day heavi ly armed mil i tantsstormed the US mission in eastern Benghazi,k i l l ing four Americans in a gunbattle thatraged for hours. The attack triggered a crisiswhich would roil the 2012 White House elec-t ions and could threaten to overshadowClinton’s own bid to make history by beingelected America’s first woman president in2016. The request to Abedin was among 296emails released by the State Department onFriday out of 30,000 that Clinton has turnedover after revealing that during her 2009-2013tenure she had used a private server and emailaddress. All the emails released on Friday dealwith L ibya and the September 11, 2012Benghazi attack.

And they offer a small, but unprecedentedinsight into Clinton’s personal life, her dailywork at the Department and how she handledthe tragedy which caused a convulsion of griefin the close-knit diplomatic community. Manyemails contain condolences from her staff forthe deaths of ambassador Chris Stevens andthe three other Americans, as well as fromNetanyahu, and former defense secretary BobGates. “I know it has been a hard week for you,and I wanted simply to express my sympathyand tel l you I was think ing of you,” Gates

wrote.Others are more fawning, thanking the boss

for her leadership, and in par t icular theremarks she made at a ceremony when the

bodies were brought back to the US. In onemissive, Clinton admits that on the Saturdayafter the attack she overslept and missed apresidential briefing. “I just woke up,” she

wrote. Her aide sends her a list of calls for thatday starting from noon with a call to thenBritish foreign secretary William Hague, andpacking in seven more world leaders every 15minutes, including Israel i Pr ime M inisterBenjamin Netanyahu and ending at 2:30pmwith then Turkish foreign minister. The Somaliforeign minister was scheduled for 3:00 pm “incase Dav goes long,” the aide says, referring toTurkey’s diplomat Ahmet Davutoglu.

Image consciousThe emai ls a lso show concern for how

Clinton’s image was holding up in ensuingpolitical storm, with her foreign policy advisorJake Sullivan assuring her she never referred to“spontaneous” demonstrations. That was thedescription offered by national security advi-sor Susan Rice on the Sunday talkshows whichRepublicans seized on as proof that the admin-istration was covering up the true circum-stances of the attack.

In October 2012, Abedin emailed to askClinton to call one of the diplomatic securityofficers injured in the Benghazi attack.But sheadds that someone has been putting togethera collection of clothes “3 nice gowns, a lot ofblouses and jackets” for Clinton to try on dur-ing a visit to New York. Towards the end of2012, Clinton asks how the Benghazi hearingsare going and apologizes to deputy secretaryof state Tom Nides that she won’t be able toaccompany him after suffering a bad fall. “SoI’ll be nursing my cracked head and cheeringyou on as you ‘remain calm and carry on,’” shewrote. “ What doesn’t k i l l you, makes youstronger (as I have rationalized for years) sojust survive and you’ll have triumphed.”—AFP

Emails offer a rare glimpse into Clinton’s personal life

DERRY: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a stop at Moo’s Place in Derry,New Hampshire. Clinton has made two trips to New Hampshire since announcing her candidacy onApril 12.—AFP

Emails offer

window on

handling of

Libyan crisisWASHINGTON : The emai ls f rom formerSecretary of State Hillary Clinton’s personalemail account made public on Friday by theUS State Department do not appear to con-tain any revelations that could badly damageClinton’s bid for the presidency in 2016. Butthe roughly 850 pages offer a glimpse into aturbulent chapter in US foreign policy beforeand after the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killedUS ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens andthree other Americans. They also provide awindow into Cl inton’s interac t ions withadministration officials, albeit a limited onesince many of her own emails are relativelycurt.

Benghazi security concernsAs Stevens moved to rebel-held Benghazi

as special envoy in April 2011, Clinton wasemailed details of his travel by ship fromMalta. He had not been in Benghazi even amonth, when on April 24, 2011, an email wasfor warded to Cl inton by her a ide HumaAbedin express ing concern about theBenghazi security situation. Then on June 10,2011, came the news from Clinton’s senioraide Jake Sullivan that the Americans wereevacuating: “ There is credible threat infoagainst the hotel that our team is using,” theemail said. “DS (diplomatic security) going toevacuate our people to alt locations. Info sug-gested attack in next 24-48 hours. Will keepyou posted.”

Talk about weaponsThe emails also include discussion of how

deeply Washington should get involved insupporting rebels seeking to depose Libyanleader Muammar Gaddafi. On April 1, 2011,Clinton asked a former top State Departmentofficial, Anne-Marie Slaughter, why she doubt-ed that the Libyan rebels should be armed:“Why are you dubious?” Slaughter replied thatit was because “sending more arms into a soci-ety generally - particularly when they are asdisorganized and fragmented as they are - willresult in more violence - against each other.”“In a tribal society where conflicts have beenrepressed for so long, adding even moreweapons does not make sense,” Slaughtersaid.

Diplomatic triumphAs of April 2012, Clinton’s staff thought

they could tout her role in Libya as a diplo-matic triumph. An April 4, 2012, email fromSullivan provides a lengthy chronology of“Secretary Clinton’s leadership on Libya,” stat-ing: “HRC has been a critical voice on Libya in... securing the authorization, building thecoalition and tightening the noose” aroundGaddafi’s regime.

Rock of gibraltarAf ter Stevens was k i l led, condolences

flowed in, as well as emails flattering Clintonfor her handling of the tragedy. After Clintonappeared on televis ion the day af ter theBenghazi attack, Liz Sher wood-Randall, aWhite House official, sent a message to her viaSullivan that described Clinton’s performanceas “emphatic and unflinching and inspiring;she was wise and steady and strong. My 80-year-old mother called from LA to say, ‘Shewas like our rock of Gibraltar.’”— Reuters

I N T E R N AT I O N A LSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

AMSTERDAM: Faced with an increasingly segregat-ed education system, Dutch immigrant childrenhave taken to the streets of their ethnically mixedAmsterdam neighborhood seeking “white” pupils toattend their schools and help their integration.Around 100 schoolchildren-Arabs, Turks, Africans,Moroccans-accompanied by their parents andteachers, wore provocative dazzling white T-shirtsemblazoned with “Is this white enough for you?”.Dutch native Annelies, 10, and immigrants’ daughterAminata, 11, have been friends since kindergartenand are also wearing the shirts, which have “All chil-dren have the right to integrate” written on theback.

They “want more white children in the school tolearn about each other’s cultures,” said Aminata, hersmiling face framed by dangling African braids dur-ing Friday’s protest. “It’s important for later,” said theblonde-haired Annelies. “When we’re grown up wewill have to deal with different cultures, we shouldalready start learning to live together.” “At themoment there’s only one boy in our class who is 100percent Dutch, although we live in a mixed neigh-borhood, it’s ridiculous,” she said. The pupils’ twoschools - De Avonturijn and Catharinaschool - areconsidered “black” in this ethnically mixed southernAmsterdam neighborhood, as more than 90 percentof their pupils are from immigrant backgrounds.

‘Black schools’The number of new pupils signing up continues

to drop and the schools are now threatened withclosure, so today they’re going door-to-door, ringingdoorbells and delivering flyers saying “We’re looking

for white pupils”. “When, for different reasons, aschool ‘becomes blacker’, it’s very difficult to reversethe trend,” said Diane Middelkoop, spokeswoman forthe two schools. “White children’s parents no longer

want to be part of the school. I can understand that:we all want to feel at home and that means that wewant to see people who share our origins and cul-ture,” she said.

For some, the phenomenon shows that racism isrampant in Dutch culture. “It’s shameful that it’scome to this, that children have to take to the streetto go to school with white children,” said residentJoan, 80, originally from the former Dutch colony ofSuriname, tears in her eyes. She blames parents whotake their children out of what Dutch media call“black schools”. “It’s racism and I’m ashamed. Therewas always a bit of racism in this country, but todayit’s serious, it has to stop,” she said.

Racism or demographics?At the other end of the street, florist Wim Barlag

has worked here for 50 years, has a son at one of theschools and has a different explanation. “More andmore families are leaving, making way for students-the problem is there’s simply not many children left,”he said. The Netherlands has a reputation for toler-ance, but racial tensions and discrimination are onthe increase. “I want my children to be integrated inDutch society and to learn about different cultures,”said 35-year-old mother and housewife MajdaKhatibi.

The Netherlands calls on immigrants to take partin Dutch society, through work or study. Once theyhave learnt the language, they must take an integra-tion exam to make sure they fit in Dutch society. Asimmigrant numbers have risen, so has the populari-ty of far-right politicians, including anti-Islam politi-cian Geert Wilders who criticizes immigrants for notintegrating enough. Marching door to door, the chil-dren chant: “Don’t think black, don’t think white,don’t think black and white: think the colors of yourheart.”— AFP

Dutch immigrant kids take to street demanding ‘white’ classmates

NAIROBI: Catholic bishops attend the beatification ceremony yesterday in Nairobi for amissionary nun sister Irene Stefani who died in 1930 while working in the region of Nyeri,150 km from the capital Nairobi. — AFP

AMSTERDAM: This file picture taken shows fully veiled women waiting outside Amsterdam’s high-security court. The Dutch cabinet on May 22, 2015 approved a partial ban on wearing the face-cover-ing Islamic veil, including in schools, hospitals and on public transport. — AFP

NICOSIA: Rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot lead-ers took a stroll together on both sides of thedivided capital’s medieval center yesterday toraise the feel-good factor as talks aimed at reuni-fying the ethnically split island kick into gear. It’sthe first time that the leaders have done so sincethe east Mediterranean island was split in 1974when Turkey invaded after a coup by supportersof union with Greece. Only Turkey, which main-tains more than 30,000 troops in the breakawaynorth, recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declarationof independence.

Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiadesand Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci metinside the United Nations-controlled buffer zonebefore sitting down at cafes on both sides of thedivide for coffee, olives, smoked ham, pastriesand Zivania, a traditional vodka-like clear spirit.A smattering of applause and shouts of “well

done” greeted both leaders as they walkedthrough the narrow, shop-lined streets on bothsides of the divide. One Turkish Cypriot manstrumming a mandolin-like instrument serenad-ed the leaders with a song appealing for peace.

“I want to send a strong message that weshall work tirelessly in order to find a peacefulsolution at the earliest possible (date),”Anastasiades said. Akinci said the leaders mustavoid yet another failure after decades of talkshave led nowhere. “We very much would like togive the message of hope because after so manydisappointments we need this hope,” said Akinci,a moderate who handily defeated the hard-lineincumbent in the north’s leadership election lastmonth. “Both sides want peace and this thinghas to finally end, we’re all Cypriots,” said TurkishCypriot Mehmet Ekingen, the 70-year-old ownerof a handicrafts shop inside the Buyuk Han, a

16th century inn in the north where the leadersfirst sat.

In the internationally recognized GreekCypriot south, the leaders sat at a cafe in theshadow of the 19th-century Phaneromeni GreekOrthodox Church. Greek Cypriot MiltiadesPhilippou, 58, said the stroll would create a posi-tive atmosphere that will help the leaders innegotiations. UN-facilitated peace talks resumedlast week after an eight-month hiatus. The lead-ers said they would unveil a number of measuresaimed at building trust between the two sides. Apeace accord would bring a huge boost to theisland’s economy, improve regional security andunlock cooperation on the region’s offshore gasreserves. But many thorny issues need to betackled including how to share power in an envi-sioned federation and military interventionrights.—AP

Cyprus leaders in coffee

shop ‘message of hope’Rival leaders take stroll through divided capital

NICOSIA: Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades (left) and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, drink a traditional Cyprus spirit at a coffee shopat the south part of the Cypriot divided capital Nicosia yesterday. — AP

BANJUL: Despite warnings from shipwreck sur-vivors and the international community, Gambiansare refusing to abandon dreams of a new life inEurope even if it means risking their lives to crossthe Mediterranean aboard rickety boats. In the capi-tal Banjul, they talk of nightmare desert road trips, ofmistreatment by traffickers and of relatives drown-ing, and yet the only thing stopping many frommaking the journey themselves is a lack of cash.

Last December Lamin Fatty from the Nemaneighborhood on the outskirts of Banjul returnedhome from Libya where he, like thousands more,had hoped to secure a place on a boat bound forEurope. He came back due to a lack of funds andamid increasing attacks on foreigners in Libya, butvows to return to Tripoli and make anotherattempt. “One day, one of our colleagues left homefor work, leaving us behind. He returned homewith injuries on his hand claiming that he wasstabbed by two young men who took his moneyand mobile phone,” he told AFP.

“As the attacks on foreigners continued, wedecided to return to the Gambia as we did nothave enough money to pay smugglers to smuggleus to Italy.” Fatty insisted that while life was toughin Libya, he would return as soon as he had savedenough money. “There is no future for us in the

Gambia,” he said. Every Gambian who has failed toreach southern Europe has their own horror story,many never getting as far as securing a place on aboat. Banjul resident Adama Sarr was in a convoysmuggling fellow Gambians across the Saharadesert when the truck in front drove over a land-mine.

‘Many people have died’ Tired and thirsty after days of travelling, they

had been following the vehicle, crammed withNigerians, on the desert road from Agadez in cen-tral Niger, escorted by soldiers who had beenbribed to let them pass. Suddenly there was a ear-splitting bang, thick black smoke and charred bodyparts littering the road ahead. “The injured weretaken to Agadez for treatment by the Niger militaryand we buried the dead in the desert and proceed-ed with our journey,” Sarr said. The group had spentmore than $1,000 each just to get to Libya and thehorror of the explosion galvanized their resolverather than making them turn back. “We had tobribe the gendarmes and police on every check-point from Mali to Libya,” said Sarr, who eventuallymade his way back to Banjul after failing to raisethe cash for the sea crossing.

Faburama Ceesay, of Bundung in Greater Banjul

said he sold his home to give his son Lamin thecash to head for Europe in October 2013. “He dieda month later after their boat capsized at sea. I stillregret giving my son money to venture into thattrip.” A 12-year-old Gambian girl who survived ashipwreck in April which is thought to have killed400 migrants-including members of her family-wrote an open letter after her rescue begging fel-low Africans not to attempt the crossing. “Manypeople have died, my best friends and my sistersand my brothers have died in the wave to come toItaly,” she wrote in the letter, made public at herrequest by the humanitarian group Pope John XXIIICommunity.

Cruelty and abuseUp to 800 migrants were killed in another ship-

wreck on April 19 when their trawler sank betweenLibya and southern Italy, sparking global outrageand demands for a solution to the crisis. Meanwhilea report by Amnesty International published earlierthis month said migrants in Libya faced cruelty andabuse. The situation has worsened since the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled dictatorMuammar Gaddafi, with powerful militias battlingfor Libya’s oil wealth and two governments vying forpower. — AFP

Gambian migrants undeterred

by horrors of Mediterranean

NYERI: Tens of thousands of Catholics prayedin the Kenyan town of Nyeri yesterday at abeatification ceremony of an Italian nun, thefirst person to undergo the key step towardsainthood in the east African country. IreneStefani was an Italian member of theConsolata Missionary Sisters who helped thewounded in Kenya and Tanzania duringWorld War I before she died of the plague in1930. A trained nurse, she was much loved bythe people of the Nyeri district, who calledher “Nyaatha”, or “Mother of All Mercy” in theKikuyu language.

The streets of Nyeri were packed for theRoman Catholic beatification ceremony in thetown, some 150 kilometers north of the capi-tal Nairobi. Thousands had also held a nightvigil that began on Friday afternoon. Stefani,who was born in 1891 near Brescia in Italyand was 39 when she died in Kenya. RomanCatholics say she performed a miracle afterher death, in 1989 when people fleeingMozambique’s 1977-1992 civil war prayed inher name. Running from rebel battles, thefaithful sheltered in a church at Nipepe, inMozambique’s northern Niassa region, andsaid that their prayer to Stefani caused thewater in the church font to flow, keeping thethirsty alive.

‘Miracle in Mozambique’Relatives of Stefani travelled from Italy for

the ceremony. “I am very happy to be here,the hospitality of the Nyeri people is great,”Giovanni Zecchini, 51, whose grandmotherwas Stefani’s sister, told The Standard news-paper. Over a thousand police officers havebeen deployed to provide security at the cer-emony, held at a university compound in thehighland town. Today, her remains will betransferred to the cathedral in Nyeri.President Uhuru Kenyatta praised her “selflessservice to ordinary Kenyans”, saying that “hercompassion knew no bounds of race or class,and she spared nothing of herself,” a state-ment read.

In the Friday night vigil, 95-year old JohnMbuthia recalled how the nun “held his palmand prophesied to him that he would livelong,” the Nation newspaper reported. “Onone of Nyaatha’s visits to our home, shestretched out her arm and held my palm, shelooked at it and told me I would live long,”Mbuthi said, called Stefani by her Kenyanname. “True to her words I am still alive, she isa true prophetess.” Newspapers in Kenya yes-terday displayed the nun’s face on their frontpages. After beatification she will be knownas “Blessed Irene.” “The making of a saint,” theNation newspaper’s headline read. —AFP

Kenyan Catholics celebrate

beatification of Italian nun

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, readied yesterday forthe first general election since the death ofstrongman Meles Zenawi, whose successorHailemariam Desalegn is all but certain tostay in office. Over 36.8 million Ethiopianshave registered for today’s polls, but yester-day, life in capital Addis Ababa went on asnormal. Apart from a few military vehicles atoccasional crossroads, there was little signthat key elections were to be held the nextday.

Analysts say the election falls far short ofopen competition. “Electoral defeat is not onthe cards for Ethiopia’s ruling party, but it isvital for the country’s development that itengages more effectively with dissentingvoices,” said Jason Mosely, from Britain’sChatham House think tank. The EthiopianPeople’s Revolutionary Democratic Front(EPRDF) has been in power for over twodecades and is confident of a win, but insiststhe result will be decided on its economicrecord alone. Ethiopia is now one of Africa’stop performing economies and a magnet forforeign investment.

Rights groups-which routinely accuseEthiopia of clamping down on oppositionsupporters and journalists, and of using anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent and jail crit-ics-said the polls would not be free or fair dueto a lack of freedom of speech. Addis Ababadismisses such criticism, with governmentspokesman Redwan Hussein telling AFP thatvoters would choose their representativesbased on performance. “If they want to giveus another chance they will vote for us,” he

said. “If they have a grudge, they will not givetheir vote to EPRDF.”

Polls open at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) todayand close at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), with initialresults expected within two to five days, andfinal official tallies on June 22. Ethiopia,whose 1984 famine triggered a major globalfundraising effort, has experienced annualeconomic growth of more than 10 percentover the last five years, according to theWorld Bank. Former Marxist rebel-turned-leader Meles, who died in 2012, was succeed-ed by Prime Minister Hailemariam, who hassaid he is committed to opening up the coun-try’s political system to allow more space foropposition parties.

‘Exceptional’ democracy? The opposition accuses the government

of using authoritarian tactics to ensure a pollvictory. “The political space has been closed,”said Yilekal Getinet, leader of Semayawi-the“Blue Party” in Ethiopia’s Amharic language,and one of the nation’s main opposition par-ties. Such complaints are dismissed as “base-less” by the National Election Board ofEthiopia (NEBE). “The environment created forpolitical parties this year is exceptional,” NEBEpresident Merga Bekana said. The ElectionCommission will deploy some 40,000observers at 45,795 polling stations.

The only foreign election observers arefrom the African Union, which has sent ateam of 59 officials. The European Union andthe US-based Carter Center, which monitored2005 and 2010 elections, were not invitedback this time. —AFP

Ethiopians ready for vote

but outcome not in doubt


KABUL: The commander of international forcesin Afghanistan said yesterday that the IslamicState group is actively recruiting in Afghanistanbut is not yet operational there. General John FCampbell said the group’s sophisticated socialmedia campaign was attracting Taleban fightersbased in Afghanistan and Pakistan who are dis-gruntled with the lack of progress in more than10 years of fighting to overthrow the Kabul gov-ernment. As a result, many were pledging alle-giance to the Islamic State group, which con-trols about a third of Syria and Iraq, Campbell

told reporters. “We don’t want it to continue togrow,” he said, adding that efforts were beingmade to ensure its presence did not reach levelssimilar to Syria and Iraq.

He said that Afghans largely did not agreewith the ideology of the Islamic State group, afactor that could limit its growth in Afghanistan.But he contradicted his earlier statement that ISwas not active on the battlefields ofAfghanistan by saying it was reportedly fightingthe Taleban for control of territory and men. “Infact, Taleban and Daesh are reportedly fighting

each other,” he said, using an acronym for theIslamic State group. “It is absolutely a concern.”Some Afghan officials, including PresidentAshraf Ghani have said the group does have anactive presence in Afghanistan. Campbell saidthat the group’s presence has grown consider-ably in the past six months, though he did notprovide numbers.

The Taleban leadership, believed to be basedin Pakistan, is under pressure to end the war inAfghanistan and start a dialogue with the Kabulgovernment. Some positive overtures have

been made by both sides, as well as byIslamabad. Although it is likely to be yearsbefore any peace talks begin, the movement issaid by some analysts to be splitting betweenmoderate and extremist elements. It is the moreextreme Taleban followers who are seen chang-ing their al legiance. Campbell said manyTaleban had become disillusioned with theleadership and saw the Islamic State group asoffering “an oppor tunity to maybe gainresources and so they pledge allegiance toDaesh.”— AP

Islamic State actively recruiting in AfghanistanSophisticated social media campaign attracting Taleban fighters

NEW DELHI: One of India’s most powerfulpoliticians returned yesterday as chief minis-ter of southern Tamil Nadu state, less than afortnight after a court acquitted her of cor-ruption. Former f i lm star Jayalal ithaaJayaram was forced to stand down as chiefminister of prosperous Tamil Nadu afterbeing found guilty last September of amass-ing illegal wealth while in office. The 67-year-old was sentenced to four years in jailand fined one billion rupees ($16 million) ina case that ran for nearly two decades, but ahigher court cleared her of corruption earli-er this month. The packed venue of MadrasUniversity erupted in cheers as Jayalalithaa,draped in an emerald green sari, took anoath in Tamil while her 28 cabinet ministersstood behind her on the stage. The leaderenjoys huge popularity in Tamil Nadu wherefans know her simply as “Amma” (Mother)and ministers have been known to prostratethemselves before her.

Throngs of jubilant supporters lined theroads leading to the swearing-in venue instate capital Chennai, waving party flags, aspolice struggled to control crowds as herheavily-guarded motorcade zoomed past.Hundreds of supporters, many in colourfuldress, held up photos of Jayalalithaa, hand-ed out sweets and danced to the beat ofdrums chanting “Amma Amma” and “Ammais back”. Jayalalithaa has earned the loyaltyof many voters in Tamil Nadu with a series ofhighly populist schemes including an“Amma canteen” that provides lunch for justthree rupees (five cents). During last year’sgeneral election campaign, she garneredhuge suppor t by handing out freebiesincluding electric blenders, goats and smallamounts of gold.

Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK party is the third

largest force in the national parliament, andshe is regarded as close to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi with many of his BharatiyaJanata Party leaders attending her ceremo-ny. The corruption claims against her werefirst brought by a rival politician in the statein 1996. She was charged a year later whenpolice seized assets including 28 kilos (62

pounds) of gold, 750 pairs of shoes andmore than 10,000 saris in a raid on herhome. Prosecutors said her assets, whichreportedly included two 1,000-acre estatesin the lush tropical state she ran, were vastlydisproportionate to her earnings during herfirst term as chief minister, which ran from1991 to 1996.—AFP

‘Cleared’ Tamil leader returns as state chief

CHENNAI: Chief of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) partyJayalalithaa Jayaram (center) arrives for her swearing-in ceremony as the chief minister of thesouthern state of Tamil Nadu in Chennai yesterday. —AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police cameunder fire yesterday for their failure toact after the gang rape and murder ofa teenage girl in the district of Jaffna,as tensions heightened in the formerwar zone fol lowing angr y protestsover the incident. Children’s AffairsMinister Rosy Senanayake slammedpolice for their response to a com-plaint after the 17-year-old student-identified as Vidya-went missing inJaffna last week. Her bruised body wasfound a day later near her home.“ When the local res idents handedover a suspect, the police were stillnot taking action,” Senanayake toldrepor ters at a press conference inColombo. The v ic t im had beenabducted by four men, later joined byf ive more, who attacked and thenkilled her, the minister added.

The case sparked outrage lastWednesday, with hundreds of villagerspelt ing stones at the pol ice and acourt house. Senanayake said threesenior pol icemen had s ince beentransferred f rom thei r s tat ions inJaffna, pending an internal investiga-tion into the police failure. Followingthe protests, pol ice sa id they hadarrested nine people-one of whom is aman of Sr i Lank an or igin who hadrecently obtained a Swiss passport.But even as the minister criticized thebreakdown in law and order, policeannounced they had obtained a courtorder banning further protests in thepeninsula.

Wednesday ’s demonstrat ions

marked a rare outburst of public angers ince the end of the 37-year- longTamil separatist war, in which at least100,000 people were killed between1972 and 2009. Police reacted to theprotests by firing tear gas and arrest-ing 130 people who took part, spark-ing more anger across the region, resi-dents said. “It is not right for people totake the law into their own hands, butwe cannot be satisfied with the waythe police acted in this case,” the min-ister added. Senanayake, whose gov-ernment came to power in January,sa id there had been a 20 percentincrease in the number of cases of vio-lence against women and children inthe past two years.

She blamed the crime wave on theineff icient criminal justice system.“The state has failed to criminalize thecriminals,” she said, adding that shewas pressing the government to fasttrack a l l cases of v iolence againstwomen and children under a specialpolice investigative unit. “ We have(had) tight protection laws since 1995,but obviously the police have failed toenforce the law,” she said. The ministersaid she was organizing a candle lightv igi l in the capita l for Vidya onSunday. She said there had also beeninstances of infants being raped byrelatives. “It is a shameful situation. Wewant our society to put a stop to this,”she said, adding that six rapes wererecorded daily across the nation of 20million people while many more casesgo unreported.— AFP

Sri Lanka police slammed

over war zone gang rape


BUJUMBURA: Burundian anti-govern-ment protesters began a two-day truceyesterday after almost a month of deadlyviolence triggered by the president’s bidfor a third term culminating in a deadlygrenade attack Friday. The streets of thecapital Bujumbura were calm and quiet,with some shops open and a few police-men sitting casually at junctions androundabouts-a marked difference toprotests that have left over 20 peopledead since the crisis erupted in late April,and which has included a failed coup.Late Friday, unknown attackers hurledtwin grenades into a crowd at a centralmarket in Burundi’s capital, killing threepeople and wounding 40.

The attack-the first of its kind to delib-erately target a civilian crowd followedsome of the heaviest pushes by securityforces to end weeks of demonstrationsby thousands of protesters demandingPresident Pierre Nkurunziza step down.Civil society leader PacifiqueNininahazwe announced late Friday aweekend truce “to allow the people to

bury with dignity those who died fordemocracy,” but added a warning that“protests will resume on Monday witheven more force.” Nininahazwe said thattalks between the protesters, oppositionparties and government had been takingplace this week. “We ask the governmentto show good faith by refraining to shootprotesters,” Nininahazwe added. “On ourpart, we promise a completely peacefuldemonstration. If they continue to shoot,we will end the dialogue process.”

Opposition and government talksThe discreet negotiations have been

supported by UN, African Union andregional nations. UN chief Ban Ki-moonsaid Friday he was encouraged by this“political dialogue.” The crisis, whichbegan in late April after the ruling partynominated Nkurunziza to stand again inthe June 26 presidential election, deep-ened last week when a top generalstaged a failed coup attempt.Parliamentary polls, initially set for May26, have been postponed to June 5.

Protesters torched election materials intwo separate attacks south of the capitalon Friday, electoral commissionspokesman Prosper Ntahorwmiye said,destroying voting booths and ballot box-es. “Everything was burned,”Ntahorwmiye said. Nkurunziza said in anaddress to the nation late Wednesdaythat most of the central African countrywas secure and that upcoming parlia-mentary and presidential votes would bepeaceful.

Opposition and rights groups say thatNkurunziza’s bid for a third five-year termviolates the constitution and conditionsof a peace deal that ended a 13-year civilwar in 2006. Nkurunziza, a former rebelleader and born-again Christian whobelieves he has divine backing to leadthe country, argues that his first term didnot count as he was elected by parlia-ment, not directly by the people.Refugees continue to flee the violence,the majority to neighboring Tanzania,where over 50,000 people are strugglingin dire conditions on the shores of Lake

Tanganyika. Cholera has broken out insqualid camps there, with at least 31people having died amid a total of over

3,000 cases, with numbers growing byup to 400 cases a day, according to theUN refugee agency.—AFP

Calm as Burundi truce starts after deadly protests

RANCHO DEL SOL: The bodies of men who authorities say were suspected cartel gunman lie next to farm equipment at the Rancho del Sol, nearEcuanduero, in western Mexico. —AP

Myanmar to deport migrants as UN chief urges further rescues

BUJUMBURA: Injured patients seen at a hospital in Bujumbura after a doublegrenade attack by unknown assailants on a market in the city centre ofBujumbura. — AFP

TANHUATO DE GUERRERO: Mexican federalforces killed at least 43 suspected cartel membersFriday during a three-hour gunfight on a ranch ina violence-torn western region, marking one ofthe drug war’s bloodiest battles. Only one federalpolice officer was killed in the operation, whichauthorities launched after learning that “armedcriminals” were occupying the ranch in Tanhuato,Michoacan state, near the neighboring state ofJalisco, officials said. “Up to now, we have counted43 suspected criminals killed and three moredetained,” said National Security CommissionerMonte Alejandro Rubido. Rubido said the deathtoll was a “preliminary figure,” suggesting thenumber could rise as investigators comb the vastproperty.

While he did not name the gang by name,Rubido said it was based in Jalisco, home of theNew Generation drug cartel, a powerful heavilyarmed group that has become the top target ofPresident Enrique Pena Nieto’s administration.The cartel, which has links to gangs as far away asAsia and trafficks drugs to the United States, hastaken Mexican authorities head-on this year,killing 20 police officers in two ambushes inMarch and April. On May 1, the governmentlaunched Operation Jalisco against the cartel.That same day, the gang killed seven troops and apolicewoman when they downed a military heli-copter with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Intense gunfightFriday’s clash began when troops and police

spotted a carload of gunmen, who shot at thesecurity forces and fled into the ranch, Rubidotold reporters. “Warned about the presence offederal forces, the rest of the suspected criminalswho occupied the property began to attack ourcomrades with intensity,” he said. “The clash wenton sporadically for about three hours, in at leastthree points in the property,” Rubido said, addingthat a federal police helicopter was called in toback up the land forces.

The suspects dispersed into fields, “whichcomplicated the operation,” Rubido said, notingthat the ranch measures 112 hectares andincludes a house and a warehouse. The ware-house and six vehicles burned during the gun-fight. Explaining the lopsided death toll, Rubidosaid the authorities avoided more casualties ontheir side “thanks to the training and equipmentof federal forces that participated in the actions.”Last year, the army avoided casualties in a clashthat left 22 gang suspects dead in central Mexico,an outcome that raised suspicions. Three soldierswere later charged with murdering some of thesuspects. Rubido said state and national humanrights officials were at the ranch to investigate thegunfight. Officials seized 36 assault rifles, a rocketlauncher and a powerful .50-caliber rifle, alongwith a number of cartridges. Some 500 federal

police and troops were guarding the El Sol ranchfollowing the morning clash. Michoacan andJalisco have endured some of the worst violencein a drug war that began to escalate in 2006,when the government deployed troops to com-bat cartels. More than 80,000 people have beenkilled and another 22,000 gone missing nation-wide in the past nine years. The western regionposes one of the toughest security challengesfacing Pena Nieto since he took office inDecember 2012.

Mass graves, dead candidateTanhuato is a short drive from the Jalisco town

of La Barca, where 64 bodies were unearthedfrom mass graves in 2013.In April, the NewGeneration cartel killed 15 state police officers ona highway in Jalisco. A month earlier, the gangkilled five federal police gendarmes. Tanhuato isalso near Yurecuaro, a Michoacan town where aformer vigilante leader who was running for may-or was shot dead during a campaign event lastweek. The Yurecuaro candidate, EnriqueHernandez of the leftist Morena party, was killedby gunmen in a vehicle, while three people werewounded. Farmers formed vigilante forces inMichoacan in 2013 to drive out the KnightsTemplar drug cartel, which fought the NewGeneration but has been weakened by arrests ofits top leaders.—AFP

Intense gunfight kills 43 in MexicoFederal troops battle drug cartel members

YANGON: A group of migrants recently res-cued by Myanmar will be deported toBangladesh, officials confirmed yesterday,as the United Nations chief called onregional nations to prioritize saving thelives of those still stranded at sea.Southeast Asia is currently battling an exo-dus of boat people fleeing persecution andpoverty, with up to 2,000 vulnerablemigrants thought to be stranded in the Bayof Bengal, many at the mercy of ruthlesspeople smugglers. Most are MuslimRohingyas from the western Rakhine statein Myanmar, where they are not recognizedas citizens and instead referred to as“Bengalis” or i l legal immigrants fromBangladesh.

Bangladeshis, meanwhile, are also tryingto escape grinding poverty. More than3,500 migrants have swum to shore orbeen rescued off the coasts of Malaysia,Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh since aThai crackdown in early May on human-trafficking threw the illicit trade into chaos.Myanmar has faced increasing internation-al pressure to stem the deluge from itsshores and deliver urgent humanitarianrelief to thousands still trapped at sea. OnFriday the country’s navy said it had carriedout its first rescue of a migrant boat whenscores of bare-chested men were foundcrammed into the hull of a wooden fishingvessel and taken to shore.

Myanmar officials say all 208 men arefrom Bangladesh and will soon be returnedthere. AFP wasn’t able to independentlyverify where the migrants were from. “Weare giving humanitarian assistance tothem. After that we will deport them backto the relative country,” Zaw Htay, directorof the presidential office said yesterday.“We have made contact with Bangladeshiborder officials on the ground regardingthe arrived persons,” he added.

‘Save lives’ The rescue by the Myanmar navy comes

as fears grow for migrants still stuck at sea ata time when the dry winter months areabout to give way to the regional monsoon.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said find-ing and saving the lives of those migrantsshould be a “top priority”. Speaking during avisit to Hanoi, he called on regional nationsto tackle the “root causes” of the current exo-dus at an upcoming conference in Thailandlater this month. “But when people are drift-ing on the sea, how we can search and res-cue them and provide life saving humanitari-an assistance, that is a top priority at thistime,” he said.

At home Myanmar’s Rohingya face dailydiscrimination and a raft of restrictions. Manylive in displacement camps after scores ofRohingya were killed in 2012 during commu-nal bloodshed with local Buddhists-an eventthat caused a spike in people to flee onboats. Most migrants aim for Malaysia andIndonesia using dangerous and lucrativesmuggling networks that criss-cross theregion. Over recent years, hundreds of thou-sands of Rohingya and Bangladeshis haveleft their homes in what has become thelargest regional sea migration since the endof the Vietnam War.

The smugglers largely went about theirbusiness unhindered until the crackdown byThailand on smuggling networks in thecountry’s south, which caused many gangmasters to abandon their victims. Othersmugglers off the coast of Myanmar haveheld off making the crossing because of thecrackdown. A trickle of would-be migrantshave managed to return to Myanmar afterrelatives raised funds to buy them back fromsmugglers. But many more are thought to bestill stuck on boats. Aid workers have urgedcountries to rescue them before the region islashed by heavy monsoon rains.—AFP

BAYEUN: Rohingya children gather at a confinement area for migrants at Bayeun, Acehprovince, after more than 400 Rohingya migrants from Myanmar and Bangladeshwere rescued by Indonesian fishermen off the waters of the province. —AFP

UN investigates reports of executions, abuses in Mali

BAMAKO: The United Nations said it is investi-gating reports of serious human rights abuses,including the execution of civilians, in northernMali following clashes this week between north-ern Tuareg separatist rebels and pro-governmentmilitia. UN-brokered peace efforts in Mali’s northare in danger of unraveling because of repeatedviolations of a ceasefire between the Tuareg-ledCoordination of Movements of Azawad (CMA)and the pro-government factions around theflashpoint northern town of Menaka.

The clashes on Thursday killed at least six civil-ians, including a Malian aid worker, rebels and alocal source said. The UN mission in Mali said onFriday it had sent a team of investigators to verifyreports of serious abuses and the execution ofcivilians, possibly including an aid worker in Tin-Hamma, in Gao region. “These abuses followedas a result of the clashes on May 20 betweenmembers of the Platform (pro-government mili-tia) and the Coordination of Movements ofAzawad,” the mission said.

The National Movement for the Liberation ofAzawad, a member of the CMA coalition, said in astatement that nine people including two whoworked for international aid agencies werearrested by pro-government militia and execut-ed. It added that several others were missing.“The execution took place in public, at the town’scattle market and the bodies were still exposedin the public square as of 1500 GMT,” MNLA saidin the statement, listing the names of the nine.The Malian government rejected accusationsthat its troops were involved in the abuses. It saidin a statement late on Friday that Malian soldiershad intervened in Tin-Hamma to drive out insur-gents who had killed three civilians in the attack.

“The government is surprised by the allega-tions of abuses on the population attributed tothe armed forces following the events in Tin-Hamma,” it said. “The government rejects suchaccusations.” The UN mission said it was con-cerned about an alarming escalation of fightingin several areas of northern Mali, which was in

violation of the ceasefire and could jeopardizethe peace deal. Separately, it said 12 rockets hitits camp in Ber, about 50 km east of Timbuktu, onFriday. It did not name the attackers but saidthere were no casualties.

There was a lull on Thursday. On Friday morn-ing, sources within the rebel CMA and latervideos that Reuters obtained showed fightinghad resumed around the town of Menaka, whichthe rebels had been trying to take back since lastmonth when pro-government forces kickedthem out. In a separate battle, the rebels alsoseized the town of Tessit near Gao. Violence hascontinued in northern Mali despite a 2013French-led intervention that pushed back alQaeda-linked fighters who hijacked the Tuareg-led rebellion and seized two-thirds of the countryin 2012. A ceasefire deal was signed between thegovernment, its allies and northern separatistgroups last year, but violations of the agreementhave increased since pro-government fightersseized Menaka late last month.— Reuters

24 killed as Al Shabaab fighters attack troops

MOGADISHU: At least 24 people werekilled in southern Somalia after fightingbetween Al Shabaab Islamist militants andgovernment forces, residents and the rebelgroup said yesterday. Al Shabaab launchedan attack on government troops on Fridayevening in the Awdigle district andMubarak village in the Lower Shabelleregion, south of the capital. Clashes lasteduntil Saturday morning, residents said.

Rebels and government troops, whichcontrol the two places, also fought therelast week. The African Union’s AMISOMpeacekeeping force and Somali soldiershave pushed al Shabaab, which wants totopple the Western-backed government,into smaller pockets of territory, but thegroup still launches regular attacks fromthose areas. “We did not sleep last nightbecause they exchanged shells and gunfirethroughout the night,” resident AfrahHussein told Reuters from Awdigle district,

adding he had counted 17 dead but couldnot say if they were soldiers or militants.

Hassan Kassim, a resident in Mubarakvillage, said he saw seven killed from bothsides. Al Shabaab’s military operationsspokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, toldReuters the group’s fighters had killed 25soldiers, 18 in Awdigle and seven inMubarak. He did not mention any AlShabaab dead. Abdikadir Mohamed Sidi,the governor of Lower Shabelle region, toldReuters that at least 40 rebels were killedbut said the commander of governmentforces in Awdigle, Colonel Dahir Shekaal,also died. Al Shabaab and officials oftengiven conflicting death tolls. Althoughdiplomats say Al Shabaab has been pushedmainly into areas in the Galgala hills in thenorth and Juba Valley in south, the grouphas continued to launch strikes on the capi-tal Mogadishu, as well as attack Somali andAMISOM forces.— Reuters

N E W SSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Continued from Page 1

Currently, they pump 16.8 million bpd, or 55 percentof OPEC’s total, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 10.3 mil-lion bpd. They export around 12.5 million, almost two-thirds of the cartel’s total.

Head of marketing at national oil conglomerateKuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) Jamal Al-Loughani told asymposium last week that a change in the global energymap has made market share a highly sensitive issue. Hesaid the sharp rise in US production to 9.4 million bpdhad allowed Washington to stop light crude importsfrom Africa. It also cut imports of heavy oil from LatinAmerica, substituting it with Canadian sand oil.

“That led African and Latin American exporters to seeknew markets in the east,” said Loughani, adding thatmore than 3.0 million bpd of additional high good quali-ty crudes are being pumped into these markets in com-petition with Gulf exports. “That places additional pres-sure on OPEC members, especially Gulf exporters, tocooperate to maintain market share and even ensurenew takers for additional quantities in the future,” he said.

A relative rebound in prices and a drop in US shale oiloutput is likely to convince OPEC to continue with itsstrategy. Data from the US Department of Energyshowed US crude production dropping 112,000 bpd to9.26 million bpd in early May. “Prices are improving,growth in supplies from outside OPEC - especially shaleoil - is lower than before and demand is recovering,”Kuwait’s governor at OPEC Nawal Al-Fuzai told reporterslast week. Over the past few weeks, oil prices haveclimbed about 40 percent but remain well below theirlevels of more than $100 a barrel in June last year. Fuzaisaid crude oversupply dropped from around 2 millionbpd late last year to between 1 million and 1.2 millionnow.

But Commerzbank warned in early May that “the oilmarket will continue to be oversupplied until OPEC sig-nificantly cuts its output”. And the International EnergyAgency reported that the cartel’s output hit 31.21 mil-lion bpd in April, the highest level since Sept 2012. “Itwould thus be premature to suggest that OPEC has wonthe battle for market share,” the IEA said. “The battle,rather, has just started.” — AFP

Gulf producers to resist output cuts at...

Continued from Page 1

He will be memorialized for his decades of work inthe Assembly as a lawmaker and for his role as ministerof finance.

But I think we should also remember him for thevision he shared with us about what Kuwait could be.For the effort he put into along with his family to helpbuild our infrastructure and country. After the invasion,he played an instrumental role in rebuilding what had

been destroyed and it is thanks to him and all theKuwaitis who stepped up and believed that we couldmove past what had happened and look forward to abright and rewarding future.

The unexpected passing of Khorafi will no doubtcause great sadness to his family and friends. May Allahrest his soul in peace. But before we mourn, I suggest wealso celebrate a life that was lived in service to us all.Kuwait is greater for having known you, Mr Al-Khorafi,and we all have lost something with your passing.

We have lost a statesman

QADEEH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi men chant slogans as they march in this mainly Shiite Saudi Gulf coastal town yesterday to condemn the attack on a Shiite mosque which left 21 people dead and 81wounded. — AFP

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s top Sunnicleric yesterday branded a deadlyattack on Shiites a bid to sow chaos,after vil lagers targeted in thebombing vented their anger atwhat they saw as the Sunni-domi-nated government’s indifference totheir safety. Thousands of protest-ers took to the streets of Al-Qadeehtown on Friday evening, hours after

a suicide bomber killed 21 worship-pers in a packed Shiite mosque, thefirst attack in the conservative king-dom to be claimed by Islamic Statemilitants.

Demonstrators mourning thevictims said security forces had lefttheir communities unprotected,arguing that the official Wahhabischool of Sunni Islam inspires Sunni

militants and encourages intoler-ance of the kingdom’s Shiite minori-ty. I t was one of the deadliestassaults in recent years in thelargest Gulf Arab country, wheresectarian tensions have beenaggravated by nearly two monthsof Saudi-led air strikes on ShiiteHouthi rebels in neighboringYemen.

The kingdom’s top Sunni cleric,Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh told state Al Ekhbariya TVyesterday: “This totally criminal plotaims to split our ranks and sowchaos in our country but, God bepraised, it will not find a way. Thenation and society are united andunder a wise leadership.”

Regional RivalSheikh Mohammed Obeidan, a

top local Shiite cleric, urged follow-ers not to give into their anger andmaintain the peace. “We’ll standbefore anyone who thinks that ourcreed is a cause for fear or worry ...mass prayer - in a calm, orderly waywith self restraint - is the right wayto respond to this corrupt force andhateful darkness,” he told worship-pers.

But resentment in Al-Qadeehwere running high. A video postedonline by local activists showed apoliceman standing over the limbsof the bomber inside the strickenmosque and apparently saying“God rest his soul”, only to getscreamed at by residents whosewhite robes were smeared withblood. Reuters was unable immedi-ately to verify its authenticity. “Ourstreets are patrolled by armouredvehicles - this makes people thinktheir forces are against us,” said alocal activist reached by telephone.“After the attack yesterday theydeployed eight - why send thesedamn things? we’re peaceful peo-ple. From grade one, the state cur-riculum tells us Shiites aren’t realMuslims. I’m a Saudi citizen, why doyou force me to study this?” he said.

Most Saudis adhere to the rigidWahhabi school of Sunni Islam thatdeems Shiism heretical, and somemembers of the majority fearShiites’ first loyalty is to regionalrival Iran. The community deniesthis and demands an end to whatShiites see as neglect. Most Shiiteslive in Eastern Province, whereSaudi Arabia, the world’s top oilexporter, pumps the bulk of itspetroleum. Saudi Interior Ministryspokesman Mansour Turki toldstate television the kingdom wasseeking to root out Islamic State’spresence, especially after a gunattack on a Shiite mosque thatkilled five people in nearby Ahsavillage in November. The ministrysaid last month that it had arrested93 suspected members of thegroup. — Reuters

Saudi clerics urge calm as village hit by IS seethes

By Dr James J Zogby

Despite the prolonged US-led coalition bombing cam-paign, the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) recently won vic-tories in Iraq expanding the area under its control. In the

wake of these advances, fingers of blame have been pointing inevery direction. Democrats continue to blame President Bushfor beginning the war, in the first place, while Republican candi-dates are attempting to turn the tables by blaming PresidentObama for abandoning Iraq.

What is most disturbing is not the finger pointing, it is thedegree to which the pointers have let politics trump history. Inreality, Republicans and Democrats both share responsibility forIraq’s dismal state of affairs. The initial fault for this mess mustbe placed at the doorstep of the Bush Administration. They liedus into the war; dismantled Iraq’s institutions; and then badlymismanaged the occupation, attempting to restructure thecountry’s governance by introducing a dangerously flawed sys-tem of sect-based representation.

But the Obama Administration erred, as well. I agreed withthe president when he observed that we needed to end thewar in Iraq more responsibly than we began it. He inherited notonly the war and the occupation, but an agreement his prede-cessor had negotiated with the Iraqis requiring US forces toleave at the end of 2011. However, as I noted in early 2009, itwasn’t the date we had to leave that was important. Moreimportant was what we were going to do in the three years wehad left to prepare Iraq for our departure. And, in this, we didnot fare well.

It’s important to recall where we and the Iraqi people werein 2011. In September of that year, I was commissioned to do apoll of Iraqi, Iranian, US, and broader Arab public opinion inadvance of the US departure. What we sought to learn werehow all sides viewed the war and their expectations for Iraq fol-lowing the US withdrawal. The results were disturbing andforetold the crisis Iraq was to face in the future.

In the report on the polls’ findings I filed three and one-halfyears ago, here’s what I observed: Most notable were the deepdivisions among Iraq’s three major groupings: Sunni Arabs,Shiite Arabs, and Kurds. In the United States, there was a signif-icant partisan divide. All these patterns played out in responseto almost every question asked in the poll. For example, whenwe asked “are Iraqis better off or worse off than they were

before American forces entered the country?” we found thatIraqis were conflicted, with about one-half of both Shiite andSunni Arabs saying that they were “worse off,” while 60 percentof Kurds said they were “better off”. On the US side, 58 percentof Republicans said Iraqis were “better off” - completely discon-nected from the reality experienced by most Iraqis. Only 24percent of Democrats held this view.

When we looked more closely at how the war had impact-ed many areas of life in Iraq, this division amongst the groupsin Iraq once again came through quite clearly. Kurds, for exam-ple, said their lives had improved in every area considered,while overwhelming majorities of Sunni and Shiite Arabs saidthat conditions had worsened. Judging from their respectiveviews, it would appear that Republicans and Democrats werelooking at two different realities, with Republicans seeing thewar’s impact as positive and Democrats largely judging thewar as having made life worse for Iraqis.

Americans and Iraqis were also divided on the prospects ofthe US withdrawal. When we asked what emotion they feltwhen contemplating the departure of US forces, three-quar-ters of Americans said they were “happy”. But this emotion wasshared by only 22 percent of Iraqis, with another 35 percentsaying they were worried and 30 percent saying they felt bothemotions. And while a majority of Shiite Arabs and Kurds wereoptimistic about the post-occupation future, almost two-thirdsof Sunni Arabs were pessimistic.

The reasons behind this mixed Iraqi mood became clearwhen we looked more closely at the concerns they had for thepost-withdrawal period. Almost six in ten Iraqis said they wereconcerned that the following would occur: “civil war,” “thecountry will split into parts,” “increased terrorism,” “economicdeterioration,” and the fear that Iraq “may be dominated by aneighboring country.”

Examining how Iraqis viewed issues close to home was alsoinstructive. Six in ten Iraqis wanted a democracy, but six in tensimply didn’t believe that democracy would work in theircountry. When we asked Iraqis to evaluate their leaders, wefound that most were viewed as polarizing figures. Iraqi Listcoalition leader Iyad Allawi, who had won the 2011 election bya narrow margin, had the best overall rating of any Iraqi politi-cal figure receiving strong support from Sunni Arabs andKurds. He, however, was only viewed favorably by one-fourthof Shiite Arabs.

Then Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, was more polarizingreceiving support from only 7 percent of Sunnis and 19 per-cent of Kurds.

So it was that at the end of 2011 America left an Iraq thatwas deeply divided. After decades of ruthless rule, Iraqis hadendured an invasion and occupation, suffered from terror andethnic cleansing, and while the trappings of a democracy hadbeen set-up, it remained in a gestational state. Iraqis appearedto both want the occupation to end, but had great concernsabout what was to follow. In fact, when asked how long theywanted the Americans to stay, most Iraqis responded “as longas your presence is needed”.

The problem for Iraqis was that the American public want-ed an end to the war - only 22 percent were willing to stay “aslong as was needed”. At the same time, it appeared that whilemost of Iraq’s Arab neighbors were neither equipped to help,nor would their help have been welcomed, Iran was willingand eager to work with allied parties and militias to fill the vac-uum left by the American departure.

The American people wanted to wash their hands of the sit-uation they were leaving behind, and the American military,exhausted by almost a decade of two failed wars, was notinterested in continuing to occupy the country - especially inthe absence of a Status of Forces Agreement that would legal-ize their presence. But even with that, Iraqis had legitimateconcerns about the post-withdrawal period, and as we seewith the crisis unfolding before us, these concerns were notunfounded.

By not fully backing the more inclusive candidacy of Allawito be prime minister, and by deferring instead to Iran’s pre-ferred candidate Maliki, the seeds of the current sectarian con-flict were sown. As it turned out, the dust had barely settled inthe wake of US forces departure when al Maliki intensified hiscrackdown against Sunni Arab leaders, deepening the coun-try’s already substantial sectarian divide.

While American leaders were celebrating the end of the warand speaking glowingly of Iraq’s new democracy, signs werepointing to serious problems on the road ahead. This was clearboth from events on the ground and also from our poll results.The bottom line: stop pointing fingers. There’s enough blameto go around.

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab AmericanInstitute

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A N A L Y S I SSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Why do allies sometimes pretend to believe oneanother’s lies? There are good reasons and bad,as new evidence about the US relationship with

Pakistan demonstrates. Throughout its “war on terrorism,”the United States has had to rely on Pakistan. ThoughWashington may occasionally have believed its trust wasabused, the Pentagon’s need for overflight rights or land-ing bases, crucial for US troops in Afghanistan andthroughout the Middle East, trumped diplomatic niceties.

The American people may wonder if this trumped self-respect as well. Seasoned investigative reporter SeymourHersh recently wrote about Pakistan’s possibly problem-atic role in the US capture of Osama bin Laden for theLondon Review of Books. Hersh, who broke both the MyLai massacre story during the Vietnam War and the AbuGhraib torture story during the war in Iraq, alleges thatIslamabad kept bin Laden under lock and key inAbbottabad for six years - even as US intelligence urgent-ly tried to track him down. Combing treacherous moun-tains and ravines for the world’s most wanted man,Washington may have risked and lost lives unnecessarily.

“New York Times” reporter Carlotta Gall agrees withsome of Hersh’s allegations. She wrote that the US gov-ernment realized Pakistan was undermining its effortsbut chose not to make the problem public. Gall con-firmed that she learned right after bin Laden’s death thata Pakistani army officer probably sold the secret of the alQaeda leader’s whereabouts to the Americans for a cool$25 million. That piece of intelligence - not six-yearsworth of CIA blood-hounding - may be what led right tothe compound in Abbottabad.

Would Washington ever tolerate such lies from a friend- or condone US leaders covering up for them? WhenPresident Barack Obama announced bin Laden’s death, hesaid, “cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to binLaden and the compound in which he was hiding”.According to Hersh’s reporting, the reverse may have beentrue. There are often excellent reasons for not outing a badally. In dangerous times, for example, the consequencesof a diplomatic rupture can be far worse than swallowinga lie. Poland discovered this during World War Two.

In 1943, Radio Berlin broadcast the discovery of a massgrave of Polish officers in the Katyn Forest, a region previ-ously occupied by the Soviet Union under the infamousMolotov-Ribbentrop pact by which the Nazis and theSoviets had divided Poland between them. The gravecontained the remains of more than 20,000 people shotby the Soviet secret police to thwart resistance. Not longafter, Germany turned on Joseph Stalin’s empire, tookPoland for itself and attacked the Russian homeland. Naziofficials saw revelations of the massacre as an opportuni-ty to drive a wedge between Moscow and its newWestern allies, including the Polish government-in-exile.

PretenceStalin resolutely denied the shocking charges, despite

the findings of an international Red Cross forensics teamthat the Nazis invited to Katyn. The British and US gov-ernments refused to confront their ally, and tacitlyaccepted the subsequent conclusions of a Soviet specialreport that blamed the execution and mass burial(including approximately 8,000 Polish officers) on NaziGermany. Russia pretended innocence - and the alliespretended to believe it.

Not surprisingly, the prime minister of the Polish gov-ernment based in London challenged the story.Wladyslaw Sikorski angrily demanded a thorough, inde-pendent investigation. Stalin retaliated by accusingSikorski of collaborating with the enemy. Russia thenbroke off diplomatic relations with Poland, nullifying theSikorski-Mayski treaty that pledged wartime cooperation.The gloves were off. The consequences for Poland rever-berated for 40 years. The Soviet Red Army camped on theopposite side of the Vistula River, waiting while Germanyburned Warsaw in 1944. Moscow then refused to recog-nize the Polish government in 1945 and forced its substi-tute Communist Polish regime on the country until 1989.

For Poland, it turned out honesty was not the beststrategy. Russia finally acknowledged Stalin’s crime onlyin 1990, as part of Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of trans-parency, or glasnost. The Katyn massacre is an egregiousexample of a common phenomenon that is usually farmore benign. Nations often look the other way at badbehavior for the simple reason that a cost-benefit analy-sis would show no point in confrontation. Governmentsare aware that friends sometimes spy on them, for exam-ple. It’s obnoxious but not damaging enough to risk therewards of continued good relations. —Reuters

By Elizabeth A Cobbs

Focus

Why US officially

‘believes’ Pakistan

bin Laden story

Washington Watch

Who’s to blame for mess in Iraq?

By Peter Wolson

When Jeb Bush launched his exploratorycampaign for the 2016 Republican presi-dential nomination earlier this year, he

declared “I am my own man”. The former Floridagovernor said he was very different from both hisfather, President George H W Bush, and his olderbrother, President George W Bush - though hemade a point of adding, “I love my father and mybrother.” Last week, however, Jeb Bush under-mined his declaration of independence when hetook four days to answer a question: Would hehave invaded Iraq, as did his brother, knowingwhat we know now? In answering, Bush seemedto mishear the question, since he appeared morefocused on what he wanted to tell his family thanon what he wanted to tell the American public.

“Yes,” he declared, he would have invaded Iraqbased on the intelligence information at the time -and so would have Hillary Clinton. Over the week,it took Bush three more tries, with three differentexcuses, to clarify this and say “no”. Bush’s answerwas puzzling and unsettling to many votersbecause a large majority of Americans now viewthe war in Iraq as a serious blunder. He seemedreluctant to disagree with his older brother. Thistriggered widespread armchair (psychological)speculation about whether he was capable ofclearly seeing events beyond the “filter” of hisbrother. Many political analysts wondered if Bush’sconfusing responses were due to sibling rivalry.But it sounds more likely that he has difficulty sep-arating from his family. Something has made ithard for him to have his own voice. Though Bush,and the entire Bush family, regularly dismiss analy-sis of family dynamics as “psychobabble”, an exam-ination could prove helpful. There is relatively littleevidence of sibling rivalry in Bush’s convoluted

series of answers to the question about going towar in Iraq. If it had played a significant part in hisself-destructive political alignment with his olderbrother, we would probably have seen indicationsof hostility toward his brother. That is not the case.

Nonetheless, one can still hypothesize that ifthere had been unconscious sibling rivalry, Bushwould have avoided expressing any aggressive,competitive feelings and masked any hostility.Instead, he would have strongly agreed with theinvasion. But without any suggestion of recent dis-sension between the brothers, this is a highlyspeculative stretch. Other aspects of sibling rivalryare also absent. True, Jeb once bragged he was abetter reader than his older brother George. Butthis is scant evidence for deep sibling rivalry. Thebrothers also are reportedly emotionally distantbecause they have little social interaction anddon’t regularly confide in each other.

One reason so many political analysts cite sib-ling rivalry to be at work, however, is that JebBush was the brother long viewed aspresidential material, which Bushfamily members have acknowl-edged. Though George was sev-en years older, he was usuallydescribed as less seriousand more impulsive. Hewas often consideredthe political enforcerwhen his father waspresident; his youngerbrother advised on policy.But when George won theTexas governorship, and Jeblost his first gubernatioral racein Florida that same year, thefamily tide reputedly turnedtoward supporting George for the

presidency. Since then, Jeb has largely existed inhis brother’s shadow. “New York Times” op-edcolumnist Maureen Dowd, for one, has helpedbolster the sibling- rivalry theory. She wrote onSunday that Jeb has “voluntarily shackled himselfto W”. But this seemed clear to her in 1993, whenshe interviewed Jeb during his first run for Floridagovernor. “He seemed mildly annoyed,” Dowdwrote, “that his raffish older brother had jumpedinto the arena to run for governor in Texas. W wasco-opting Jeb’s campaign lines and making it ‘a“People” magazine story’.”

But if sibling rivalry is unlikely, there is convinc-ing evidence of Jeb’s internal conflict between hisdesire to become “his own man” and his fear ofseparating from and antagonizing his family,especially the brother he idealized as a child. Thisdynamic may be even more conflicted becauseJeb’s personal history demonstrates that he hasalready strongly differentiated himself from his

family to become his own man. He mar-ried a Mexican woman whose

father had been a waiter andmigrant worker, for example,

not a society debutant. Hebecame fluent in

Spanish and convert-ed to Catholicism.His policies asFlorida governorwere far closer to

conservative thanmoderate. He also

made Florida his homerather than the family

favorites, Maine and Texas.Separating from your

family is part of growing up.You go from extreme depend-

ency as a baby and throughout childhood to theindependence of adulthood. Teenage acts ofrebellion, when adolescents can disagree with vir-tually everything parents say and stand for - is partof this transition. The turbulence of adolescencereflects the internal conflict between a teen’sdesire to remain a child and the desire to separateand become his or her own person. It culminatesin a break that enables teenagers to form separateidentities. As teenagers reject their parents andtheir values, they create the internal space todevelop their own opinions, tastes, ideals andgoals. Though they may retain many aspects oftheir parents’ views and values, they develop theirown distinctive framework for them. They createwho they are in the world. Mark Twain describedthis transition. “When I was a boy of 14,” he wrote,“my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand tohave the old man around. But when I got to be 21,I was astonished at how much the old man hadlearned in seven years.”

But it could be that, in striving to step into thepresidential shoes of his long-idealized olderbrother and his even more idealized father, Jebsomehow regressed and lost confidence in him-self. Children with powerful family members arefrequently filled with self-doubt. They can feellike failures when comparing themselves to oldersiblings and parental figures. They might experi-ence normal manifestations of separation or indi-viduation - including adolescent rebellion or justthe act of forming their own opinions - as if theyare attacking or even killing their family mem-bers. Understandably, this causes them not justguilt but a growing fear of alienating their family.

NOTE: Peter Wolson, a psychoanalyst in BeverlyHills, California, is the former president and dean ofthe Los Angeles Institute and Society forPsychoanalytic Studies

No sibling rivalry, but something deeper

S P O RT S

MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira hasaccused the La Liga club of freezing him out by droppinghim from the team after talks on a contract extensionbroke down even though he was fit to play. Germanyinternational Khedira, who joined Real from VfB Stuttgartin 2010, will leave Real for free at the end of the season,with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool,as well as Juventus, reportedly keen to sign him.

The 28-year-old has barely featured since the turn ofthe year, with Real citing a series of minor injuries as thereason for his absence, but Khedira told sports dailyMarca the club had decided he was no longer wanted.

“I did have a small injury, a pain in my right heel, butthat wasn’t why I wasn’t playing,” Khedira said in an inter-view published in Saturday’s edition of the newspaper.

“It wasn’t a complicated injury, I was able to play,” headded. “I’ve always felt that I’ve had the coach’s backing,but the message indirectly came through to me that Iwas no longer needed, I was frozen out and wouldn’thave a chance to continue playing.—Reuters

Khedira: I was frozen outSEOUL: Overnight-leader Choi Jin-ho will take a one-shot leadinto the final round of the SK Telecom Open after the chas-ing pack closed in following course record performancesby Wang Jeung-hun and Lee Soo-min yesterday.

The talented 19-year-old Wang made eight birdiesand an eagle in his nine-under-par round of 63 atIncheon’s Sky 72 Ocean Course, which was matched by21-year-old South Korean compatriot Lee Soo-min.Wang’s effort left him one off the lead in a tie for sec-ond with Kang Sung-hoon, who struck a third consecu-tive 69, with Lee a further shot back at eight-under along-side Cho Min-gyu (67).

Choi, though, remained out in front after a two-under 70on Saturday gave him a three round total of 10-under 206. “Ididn’t watch the leaderboard and it was probably just as welllooking at those scores,” Choi said. The 30-year-old, who haswon three times on the Korean PGA Tour, is in his third tourna-ment back following a near-two year break to fulfil militaryduties. He looked set like having to settle for a share of the leadbefore Kang made a bogey at the par five 18th.—Reuters

VIRGINIA WATER: Triple major winner Padraig Harrington heads the list ofentries for tomorrow’s 36-hole US Open qualifying event on the outskirtsof London.

An injury to his left shoulder forced the Irishman to pull out of thisweek’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth during the first round buthe is hopeful of taking part at Walton Heath.

Harrington has not missed the US Open since 1999 and after tomor-row’s qualifying event he will start preparing for the

Irish Open that starts three days later.“Physio, acupuncture and laser light treatment

all being used to get me ready for the Irish Open(on Thursday),” Harrington said on his officialTwitter account.

Also due to compete in Open qualifying isFrancesco Molinari who was leading midwaythrough the third round of the BMW PGAyeterday. However, the Italian is likely to quali-fy automatically for the second major of the

season to be held at Chambers Bay inWashington State from June 18-21 if he finishes in

the top five at Wentworth. —Reuters

Harrington to lead qualifiers Choi stays ahead of pack


Royals march over Cards, Phillies fallKANSAS CITY: Kendrys Morales hit twohome runs and had five RBIs, Chris Younggave up six hits in six innings and theKansas City Royals defeated the St. LouisCardinals 5-0 Friday night.

The Royals improved to 27-14, the bestrecord in the majors, while the Cardinalsdropped to 27-15, best in the NationalLeague.

Morales, who leads the American Leaguewith 37 RBIs, hit a three-run homer with twoout in the first. He homered again in thethird with Lorenzo Cain aboard for his 13thmultihomer game. The five RBIs matched aRoyals’ season high.

Young (4-0) got 13 flyball outs and struckout two. In Young’s four starts, he hasallowed one earned run in 22 1-3 innings(0.40 ERA).

Royals starters Young, Edinson Volquez,Yordano Ventura and Jeremy Guthrie havecombined to throw 26 shutout inningswhile allowing 18 hits in the past fourgames.

NATIONALS 2, PHILLIES 1Bryce Harper hit another home run and

Max Scherzer had another dominant outingto help Washington beat Philadelphia for itssixth straight win.

Harper’s 11th homer in 14 games tied thescore 1-1 in the second inning and IanDesmond’s RBI double drove in Scherzerwith the go-ahead run in the sixth. The NLEast-leading Nationals are 18-4 since April28. Scherzer (5-3) allowed four hits overeight innings with six strikeouts and onewalk. He retired 19 of 22 after OdubelFranco’s RBI double in the second. Over hislast four starts, Scherzer is 4-0 with 33 strike-outs. Drew Storen got the last three outs forhis 13th save. He allowed two singles in theninth, but got the final two batters. SeanO’Sullivan (1-3) allowed two runs and fivehits in six innings.

DODGERS 2, PADRES 1Joc Pederson homered in the eighth

inning and Los Angeles’ anemic offensemustered just enough to beat San Diego.Pederson’s 11th home run landed in theright-field pavilion off Joaquin Benoit (4-2)with one out. Chris Hatcher (1-0) earned hisfirst major league win in his fifth season inthe big leagues, all as a reliever. KenleyJansen pitched the ninth to earn his secondsave.

It was the Dodgers’ eighth one-runvictory over the Padres at home sinceJ u n e 3 , 2 0 1 3 . D o d g e r s s t a r t e r Z a c kGreinke allowed six hits and one run in 72/3 innings, struck out five and walkedone. Andrew Cashner gave up five hitsand one unearned run in six innings,

struck out three and walked one.

GIANTS 11, ROCKIES 8Brandon Belt homered into the third

deck, Ryan Vogelsong threw six scorelessinnings and also doubled and San Franciscoheld on to beat Colorado.

Buster Posey singled and doubled toextend his hitting streak to 14 games assurging San Francisco won its seventhstraight.

Belt’s mammoth shot got a jump on thefireworks show that was planned for afterthe game but started during a ninth inningrain delay. It is the sixth time in 21 homedates this season rain has delayed or post-poned a game at Coors Field. After a one-out single in the sixth by Posey, Belt sentKyle Kendrick’s 83-mph changeup an esti-mated 475 feet into deep right field to makeit 3-0. It is the 34th home run to land in thethird deck at Coors Field.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, CUBS 4Paul Goldschmidt tied it with a two-out,

two-run homer in the 10th inning and NickAhmed singled home the winning run inthe 13th to give Arizona a victory overChicago.

Tuffy Gosewisch doubled off Zac Rosscup(1-1) with one out in the 13th, then Ahmed -who earlier hit his second career home run -lined one sharply into the left-field corner togive the Diamondbacks their fifth straightvictory. Randall Delgado (2-2), the last of alleight relievers used by Arizona, escaped abases-loaded jam in the 13th for the victory.Kris Bryant and Starlin Castro each singledin a run to put the Cubs up 4-2 in the 10th.

PIRATES 4, METS 1Gerrit Cole struck out 10 over 8 1-3 domi-

nant innings to out-duel New York rookieNoah Syndergaard and lift Pittsburgh to thewin.

Cole (6-2) gave up just six hits - all singles- and walked one to lower his ERA to 2.05 asthe Pirates won for just the second time intheir last eight games.

Mark Melancon got the final two outs forhis 10th save. Chris Stewart had two hitsand an RBI for Pittsburgh. Jung Ho Kang,Pedro Alvarez and Gregory Polanco alsodrove in runs as the Pirates dropped NewYork to just 7-13 on the road. Syndergaard(1-2) struck out the first four batters hefaced and fanned five in all but surrenderedfour runs, three earned, in six innings. JuanLagares reached base twice and scored NewYork’s only run on a wild pitch.

RANGERS 10, YANKEES 9Prince Fielder launched two long

homers, drove in four runs and helped Texas

hold off New York for its third straight win.Quickly down 7-0 and still trailing 10-5, NewYork rallied in the eighth inning on pinch-hitter Garrett Jones’ three-run homer.

Journeyman Ross Ohlendorf took over tobegin the ninth, gave up a one-out homerun to Mark Teixeira and walked ChaseHeadley with two outs. Stephen Drew fol-lowed with a comebacker that glanced offOhlendorf, and second baseman TommyField swooped in to get the out at first.

Ohlendorf wound up with his first careersave. Shawn Tolleson earned saves the pre-vious two days for Texas and didn’t warmup.

Back home after a 2-7 trip, the Yankeeswatched Fielder’s three-run shot sail intothe second deck during a seven-run burst inthe third inning.

ANGELS 12, RED SOX 5Chris Iannetta and Erick Aybar homered

in a nine-run fifth inning, and Albert Pujolsalso hit a home run to lead Los Angeles to avictory over Boston.

Mike Trout had a pair of hits - both in thefifth inning, when the Angels sent 13 bat-ters to the plate and took an 11-3 lead.Boston loaded the bases in the seventh withnobody out and two runs already in, butJose Alvarez struck out David Oritz and thengot an inning-ending double play.

Garrett Richards (4-2) allowed five runson nine hits and two walks, striking out onein six-plus innings. Rick Porcello (4-3)allowed seven runs on seven hits and threewalks, striking out four.

MARINERS 4, BLUE JAYS 3Nelson Cruz hit his big league-leading

17th home run, Felix Hernandez becamethe first seven-game winner in the majorsand Seattle beat Toronto.

Hernandez (7-1) bounced back from hisfirst loss of the season to pitch seven sharpinnings, lowering his ERA to 2.19. Torontolost for the eighth time in 10 games and fellto 2-9 in one-run games.

Edwin Encarnacion’s two-out homer inthe first was the only blemish forHernandez, who gave up four hits andwalked two.

Hernandez struck out eight, moving pastCatfish Hunter and into a tie with OrelHershiser for 70th on baseball’s careerstrikeout list. Collin McHugh (5-2) lost forjust the second time in his last 14 decisions.

TIGERS 6, ASTROS 2JD Martinez hit a three-run homer and

Alfredo Simon pitched seven strong inningsas Detroit beat Houston. Simon (5-2) got thewin, allowing two unearned runs on fourhits and a walk in seven innings. Simon,who struck out five, used his slow curveeffectively, throwing it so softly once that itdidn’t register on the radar gun.

Joba Chamberlain pitched a perfecteighth with a one-run lead, and TomGorzelanny finished after Detroit scoredthree times in the bottom of the inning.

Collin McHugh (5-2) lost for just the sec-ond time in his last 14 decisions, giving upthree runs on nine hits and a walk in seveninnings. McHugh’s two losses have been inhis last three starts after he had goneunbeaten in 16 outings dating back to lastAugust.

RAYS 5, ATHELTICS 2Evan Longoria hit a three-run homer off

Scott Kazmir and Tampa Bay powered pastOakland. Steven Souza Jr. and Tim Beckhamadded solo home runs for the Rays, whowon for the fourth time in five games andremained in first place in the AL East.

Rays starter Chris Archer (5-4) and fiverelievers gave up nine hits, and Tampa heldan opponent to two runs or less for the22nd time in 43 games. Archer gave up sixhits, struck out eight and walked four in 51/3 innings for Tampa Bay. Archer hasallowed one run or less in six of his 10 starts.

Brad Boxberger got the final out for his13th save. Kazmir (2-3) gave up two earnedruns and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings for theA’s, who lost their fourth straight and 14thof 16.

INDIANS 7, REDS 3Brandon Moss homered and drove in

three runs, leading Cleveland to a win overCincinnati. Carlos Carrasco (5-4) allowedtwo runs in six innings, sending the Reds totheir season-high sixth straight loss.

Moss homered in the third to break a 2-all tie and added a two-run double in thefourth as Cleveland won for the sixth time in

eight games. Mike Leake (2-3) stumbledthrough four innings, allowing five runs,seven hits and five walks. Cincinnati hasbeen outscored 47-16 during its losingstreak and dropped to a season-worst fivegames below .500 at 18-23.

WHITE SOX 3, TWINS 2Jeff Samardzija pitched three-hit ball

over eight innings, and Chicago beatMinnesota. Samardzija (4-2) settled downafter a two-run first, retiring 17 straight atone point.

JB Shuck delivered the go-ahead sacrificefly in the eighth, and the White Sox openedthe weekend series on a winning note afterdropping three in a row.

Samardzija struck out a season-high ninewhile walking one. He was nearly untouch-able after the first, when Minnesota’s JoeMauer doubled in a run and scored.

He walked Eduardo Escobar leading offthe second, then retired 17 in a row beforeEscobar singled with two out in the seventh.Samardzija then struck out Eddie Rosarioand pounded his glove as he walked towardthe dugout.

BREWERS 11, BRAVES 0Ryan Braun homered and drove in four

runs and four Milwaukee pitchers combinedto hold Atlanta to three hits. On a day thatbegan with Major League Baseball suspend-ing reliever Will Smith eight games for usinga foreign substance to doctor his pitches,

Milwaukee wasted little time beating up onBraves starter Eric Stults (1-5).

The win was the Brewers’ largest marginof victory since Sept. 22, 2010, when theybeat Cincinnati 13-1. Braun hit his 11thhomer, a two-run shot, to make it 2-0 in thefirst. The 2011 NL MVP added a two-rundouble off Trevor Cahill in the fourth andnow has 29 RBIs in his last 23 games.Michael Blazek (4-1) earned the victory inrelief by allowing one hit and striking outthree in three innings.

ORIOLES 8, MARLINS 5Miami right-handers Henderson Alvarez

and Mat Latos have been placed on the 15-day disabled list, the latest blow for a teamthat has lost eight consecutive games.

Alvarez (0-4) pitched five-plus inningsand took the defeat in the loss to Baltimore.He went on the DL with a recurrence ofright shoulder inflammation, which side-lined him for a month earlier this year.

Latos, who is 1-4 with a 6.12 ERA, wenton the DL with left knee inflammation. Heunderwent surgery on the knee in 2014,when he was limited to 16 starts withCincinnati.

Miami native Manny Machado had twohits and three RBIs for Baltimore. CalebJoseph contributed three hits, including atwo-run single, and Jimmy Paredes also hadthree hits to hike his average to .353. TheOrioles overcame a 3-0 deficit for theirfourth victory in the past five games. —AP

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GB Tampa Bay 24 19 .558 - NY Yankees 22 20 .524 1.5 Baltimore 19 20 .487 3 Boston 19 23 .452 4.5 Toronto 19 25 .432 5.5

Central DivisionKansas City 27 14 .659 - Detroit 26 17 .605 2 Minnesota 23 18 .561 4 Chicago White Sox 19 20 .487 7 Cleveland 18 23 .439 9

Western DivisionHouston 27 16 .628 - LA Angels 22 20 .524 4.5 Seattle 19 22 .463 7 Texas 19 23 .452 7.5 Oakland 14 30 .318 13.5

National LeagueEastern Division

Washington 25 17 .595 - NY Mets 24 19 .558 1.5 Atlanta 20 21 .488 4.5 Philadelphia 18 26 .409 8 Miami 16 27 .372 9.5

Central DivisionSt. Louis 27 15 .643 - Chicago Cubs 23 18 .561 3.5 Pittsburgh 19 22 .463 7.5 Cincinnati 18 23 .439 8.5 Milwaukee 16 27 .372 11.5

Western DivisionLA Dodgers 25 16 .610 - San Francisco 24 18 .571 1.5 Arizona 20 21 .488 5 San Diego 20 23 .465 6 Colorado 15 24 .385 9

MLB results/standingsTexas 10, NY Yankees 9; Washington 2, Philadelphia 1; Pittsburgh 4, NY Mets 1; Seattle 4, Toronto 3; Detroit 6,Houston 2; LA Angels 12, Boston 5; Tampa Bay 5, Oakland 2; Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 3; Baltimore 8, Miami 5;Milwaukee 11, Atlanta 0; San Francisco 11, Colorado 8; Chicago White Sox 3, Minnesota 2; Kansas City 5, St.Louis 0; Arizona 5, Chicago Cubs 4 (13 innings); LA Dodgers 2, San Diego 1.

KANSAS CITY: Royals second baseman Omar Infante (14) throws to first too late for thedouble play on a ball hit by St. Louis Cardinalsí Kolten Wong after forcing Peter Bourjos (8)out at second during the seventh inning of a baseball game. —AP

WASHINGTON: Nationals relief pitcher Drew Storen follows through on a throw during theninth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. —AP

S P O RT SSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

KUWAIT: Oriental Cricketers defeated Winners Intl in a thrilling final played at Abbassiya on May 15 to lift the Q7KPL season five Champions Trophy. Winners Intl secured BEC Kuwait runner-up trophy. 40 teams competed in 4 differ-ent groups. Desert Bulls won against Wrong XI to capture in the Grand Hyper 2nd runner-up trophy. Wasim Mukadam of Oriental Cricketers was awarded man of the match for his all round performance. Umar Khan of TCCB wasdeclared as Man of the Series five.

INDIANAPOLIS: Jittery motorsportsfans were bracing for a risky Indianapolis500 on Sunday with a crash-filledbuildup to the ‘Greatest Spectacle inRacing’ leaving a mix of excitement anddread hanging over the famedBrickyard.

The sprawling 2.5 mile oval has beenthe scene of plenty of motor racingmagic over the decades but it has alsoknown its share of tragedy, and Sunday’s99th edition has produced as muchapprehension as anticipation following aspate of spectacular high speed crashes.

A uniquely American event held onthe Memorial holiday weekend, the 500has long been recognised as motorsport’s most dangerous race.

Since 1966 there have been 17deaths in IndyCar (which includes theseries’ previous incarnations as ChampCar, CART and Indy Racing League). Ninealone have come at the famedIndianapolis Motor Speedway. This Maythe track has lived up to its treacherousreputation with some of the series’ mostexperienced drivers leaving the track inan ambulance, elevating concern overnew aero kits delivered to teams justweeks earlier.

Three-time 500 winner HelioCastroneves, two-time pole winner EdCarpenter and Josef Newgarden andJames Hinchcliffe, both IndyCar racewinners this season, all were involved infrightening crashes when their cars

became airborne and slammed into thewall. Castroneves, Carpenter andNewgarden all walked away unscathedand will be on the grid on Sunday butHinchcliffe will watch the race from thehospital after suffering a serious leginjury. While the incidents have left fanson edge, drivers have accepted the riskas part of doing business at the speed-way. “There are always a lot of thingsthat can happen but if guys get caughtup in that, they are going to fail,” saidCarpenter, pole sitter in 2013 and 2014.“We have to focus on our job and beprepared for that.

“It has obviously not been as smootha month as we’ve had in the past, but Istill have a great team and a great car

and you can win this race from any-where. “Starting from the pole, you cancall that an advantage but that hasn’tworked the last two years so we’ll try itfrom 12th.” Scott Dixon will launch hisbid for a second Indy 500 title fromwhere he won his first in 2008 — thepole.

A three-time IndyCar champion, thelow-key New Zealander has been one ofthe series’ most consistent performers,posting at least one victory in 12 of thepast 13 seasons, including win number35 earlier this year in Long Beach.

Dixon will be joined on the front rowby two members of the powerhousePenske Racing team with Australian WillPower qualifying second fastest and

Frenchman Simon Pagenaud third.Castroneves will put his name up for

membership into the Brickyard’s mostexclusive club again when he goes for arecord equally fourth 500 win. AJ Foyt,Al Unser and Rick Mears are the onlymen to visit the Brickyard Victory Lanefour times.

The aging club looked ready to addsome new blood last year untilAmerican Ryan Hunter-Reay poweredpast Castroneves at the start of the finallap and won a dramatic drag race to thefinish, crossing less than a car lengthapart. “It is the motivation to make itbetter this year,” said Castroneves. “I dobelieve it is going to be more excitingthan last year.”—Reuters

Indy on edge after crash-filled run-up to 500

MONACO: Formula One world champion LewisHamilton took the first Monaco Grand Prix poleposition of his career yesterday as Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg blew his own hopes of a quali-fying hat-trick.

Rosberg, winner from pole for the past twoyears on the twisty metal-fenced streets wherepassing is almost impossible, qualified second in anovercast final session with rain threatening.

“It’s been a long time,” said an elated Hamilton,whose only win in Monaco came in his 2008 cham-pionship year with McLaren from third place on thegrid. “It wasn’t an easy session...I didn’t have therhythm until the last two laps.

“This is incredibly special for me,” added theMonaco resident, well aware the race has beenwon from pole for the last six years, of his 14th suc-cessive front row start and fifth pole in six races.

Rosberg’s hopes disappeared when he lockedup the front wheels at the Sainte Devote corner atthe start of his abandoned final quick lap to leaveHamilton 0.342 seconds faster.

“I just lost touch a little bit there towards theend. Of course you are going for it because youhave to...it didn’t work out, that’s it,” said Rosberg.

Sebastian Vettel will start third for Ferrari onSunday, after struggling to get heat into his tyres,with his former Red Bull team mate DanielRicciardo alongside him on the second row.

“Overall it was a good session and our aim nowis to have a good race tomorrow and try to split theMercedes,” said Vettel, whose grid place wasFerrari’s best in Monaco since 2009.

Dutch 17-year-old Max Verstappen qualified animpressive 10th for his first Monaco Grand Prix withToro Rosso, and will start ninth after his Spanishrookie team mate Carlos Sainz was ordered to startfrom the pit lane.

Sainz, who had qualified in eighth place, paidthe price for failing to stop for weighing during thefirst stage of qualifying.

Russian Daniil Kvyat qualified fifth for Red Bull,ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and MexicanSergio Perez in a Force India. McLaren’s 2009 cham-pion Jenson Button qualified 12th but will move upto 10th thanks to Sainz’s penalty and also a fiveplace demotion for Frenchman Romain Grosjeanwho had an unscheduled gearbox change.

Button’s team mate Fernando Alonso, who pre-dicted earlier in the week that McLaren could scoretheir first points of the season on Sunday, qualified15th but will also move up two places.

There was disappointment for Mercedes-pow-ered Williams and Finland’s Valtteri Bottas, whoqualified only 17th with Brazilian team mate FelipeMassa 14th.—Reuters

Hamilton takes his first Monaco F1 pole

MONACO: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain thumbs up after setting the pole positionafter the qualifying session at the Monaco racetrack. —AP

TAMPA: New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis celebrates after scoring a goalduring the third period of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the TampaBay Lightning. —AP

Rangers see offLightning

TAMPA: New York goaltender HenrikLundqvist reverted to his reliable ways aftertwo poor performances, and helped theRangers beat Tampa Bay 5-1 on Friday andsquare the NHL Eastern Conference finals at2-2.

Lundqvist stopped 38 shots after allow-ing 12 goals while losing the previous twogames. Rick Nash had two goals and anassist, and Martin St. Louis - the formerTampa Bay captain - contributed a third-period goal. “The last 48 hours or so, it’sbeen pretty tough trying not to overana-lyze or complicate things soul searching,”Lundqvist said. “It feels so good whenyou’re feeling like you’re doing it togetherand not just one or two guys.”

Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos scored forthe third straight game, briefly making it 1-1 before New York’s Chris Kreider and KeithYandle struck within a 2-minute span for a3-1 Rangers lead.

With the Lightning’s Nikita Nesterov inthe penalty box for high-sticking St. Louis,the star of Tampa Bay’s 2004 Stanley Cupchampionship team, delivered his first goalthis postseason to make it 4-1 with justunder 15 minutes remaining.

Nash, who had one goal over his previ-ous 13 games, added another power-playgoal at 11:33 of the third for the Rangers,who host Game 5 today.

“People are going to wake up in themorning and look at the box score and say:‘Oh wow, Tampa got waxed’,” Lightningcoach Jon Cooper said. “But if you’re in thebuilding, you probably don’t see it thatway.” The Lightning outshot the Rangers39-24 but couldn’t rattle Lundqvist, whoblocked a Stamkos shot from point-blankrange and moments later stopped AlexKillorn on a breakaway as Tampa Bay triedto get back in the game in the second peri-od.

Lundqvist stopped 18 of 19 shots in theperiod, and had 13 more saves in the third.“There was a lot of talk about him andabout his play, but there wasn’t any doubtfrom within our dressing room. Hank hasdone this so many times before,” Rangerscoach Alain Vigneault said. “We knew hewas going to come out and do what healways does, give us a chance to win. And,that’s what he did again tonight.”

In seven games against the Rangers thisseason, three of them in the regular season,the Lightning have scored at least fivegoals on Lundqvist four times. They had sixon the road in Game 2, and six more duringWednesday’s overtime victory.

“Things that were going in the othernight weren’t going in for us. We’ll have torespond,” Stamkos, the Lightning captain,said. Nash led the Rangers with 42 goalsduring the regular season, but only hadtwo in 15 playoff games before Friday. The1-0 lead held up until the Lightning brokethrough during a frenzied stretch of thesecond period in which Tampa Bay outshotNew York 11-1 and failed to convert twopower-play opportunities before Stamkostied it with a slap shot from the right circlethat skipped up over Lundqvist.

I t didn’t take the Rangers long torespond. Kreider scored at 15:16 of the sec-ond when Kevin Klein’s shot rebounded offgoalie Ben Bishop directly to the New Yorkcenter in front of the net. Yandle’s goal lessthan 2 minutes later hit a defenseman’sfoot and squirted through to put New Yorkup 3-1.

Tampa Bay goalie Bishop yielded fivegoals for the second straight game afternot allowing more than three in TampaBay’s first 14 playoff games. “From Bish onout, myself included, we have to be betternext game,” Stamkos said. “It’s 2-2. It’s a besttwo out of three now.” —AP

Contador regains pink jerseyITALY: Spaniard Alberto Contador bounced backfrom a crash to retake the overall lead in the Girod’Italia as rivals Fabio Aru and Richie Porte stum-bled in yesterday’s 14th stage time-trial.

The 32-year-old, who won the Italian race in2008, finished third on the day but finished near-ly three minutes ahead of overnight leader Aruafter a 59.4km race against the clock won bySky’s Belarus rider Vasil Kiryienka. Contador, the2007 and 2009 Tour de France winner, is biddingto become the first man since Marco Pantani in1998 to complete the Giro d’Italia-Tour de Francedouble.

The Spaniard now looks in complete com-mand of the race ahead of the final week whichnevertheless includes some key mountain

stages prior to next Sunday’s final to Milan.Aru has dropped to second place to sit 2min

28secs behind the Spaniard, with Costa Ricanrider Andrey Amador of Movistar third overall at3:36 and 2013 runner-up Rigoberto Uran fourthat 4:14.

Porte, who along with Contador got caughtup in a crash at the end of Friday’s stage andreportedly damaged his knee, saw his challengeall but slip out of sight, the Australian finishing55th at 4:40 to drop to 17th overall at 8:52.

“I knew I could make a difference today, but Ididn’t expect the time gaps to be so large,” saidContador, who admitted this will likely be his lastparticipation in the Italian race as he looks for-ward to retirement. “I’d like to thank the crowd,

they’ve been fantastic especially as it will likelybe my final Giro d’Italia.” It was Kiryienka’s thirdstage win on the Giro, his first in the time-trial.

“It’s a really special victory me for,” he toldEurosport. “Of course I go well in the time trialsbut I’ve not had a big time trial victory in a whileso it’s nice to take one.”

However the Belarusian’s win was scant con-solation for Sky compared with the objectivethey had set Porte at the start of the race. “Ofcourse we’re not very lucky this Giro with Richie,”added Kiryienka.

“It seems that it is difficult for the overall (vic-tory) now, but in the next few days of coursewe’ll be there and we’re going to try and fight for(stage) wins.” —AFP


CHARLOTTE : Allison Schmitt seemedlike the happiest person at the pool.Always laughing. Always telling a cornyjoke. Ask anyone about the five-timeOlympic medalist, they’ll quickly rattleoff some offbeat thing she said or did,something that got everyone smiling.They’ll usually finish the story with twowords: “That’s Schmitty.”

But after her starring role at the 2012London Games, the swimmer realizedsomething wasn’t right. She feltdepressed. She really didn’t like herselfbut wasn’t sure why. For the longesttime, she didn’t talk about it. But the 24-year-old Pennsylvania native opened upabout her struggles during an interviewwith The Associated Press at last week-end’s pro swim meet in Charlotte, NorthCarolina.

Reluctant at first, she decided toshare her experience with other eliteathletes. “I didn’t like myself,” she said. “Ididn’t like that I was feeling like that. Ithought if I suppressed it, it would goaway. But it was something where I

needed help from outside sources.”She didn’t go into specifics about her

diagnosis or who she turned to for help,but believes she’s not the only one deal-ing with wearying burdens on theinside.

“You can put on a front for it,” shesaid. “On the outside, I can look happyand be doing a great time, but not reallyfeel what I’m looking like.”

At London, Schmitt turned in one ofthe greatest per formances of theOlympics, though her feats were a bitovershadowed by Michael Phelps, RyanLochte and Missy Franklin.

Schmitt won her first individual goldwith a dominating performance in the200-meter freestyle. She took silver inthe 400 free after a dramatic race withFrance’s Camille Muffat (who was killedin a helicopter crash 2 1-2 months ago).Schmitt also swam in all three relays,helping the U.S. win gold in the 4x100free and 4x100 medley as well as takebronze in the 4x200 free.

After the Olympics, she returned to

the University of Georgia to completeher degree in psychology.

But Schmitt struggled to recapturethe form she showed at the Olympics.She failed to even qualify for theAmerican team that competed in the2013 world championships or the squadthat will be at this summer’s worlds inKazan, Russia. It was clear somethingelse was wrong.

“I don’t want to say it was (a lack of )confidence at the pool,” Schmitt said. “Itwas more about the confidence inmyself.” There’s no room for doubtswhen you’re trying to beat someonewho’s trained just as hard as you have.An athlete never wants to show theopponent any sign of weakness.

That made it difficult for Schmitt tocope with the rest of her life. She’s surelynot alone. “I know a lot of athletes whoare very strong, who have a strong will,a strong passion,” Schmitt said. “Theydon’t really like to show their other side,their emotional side. That’s somethingvery prevalent in athletes. That’s some-

thing in the future I would like to workon, to let them know it’s OK not to beOK.” Her struggle really hit home a cou-ple of weeks ago when a youngercousin killed herself. Schmitt knows bet-ter than anyone that perception oftenhas little to do with reality.

“Things are filtered on Instagram andsocial media or even walking aroundwith a smile on your face, and it’s filter-ing out how you really feel,” she said.“After a few years, I’m finally being ableto realize that.” She’s still trying to sortout exactly how she reached her nadir,how a natural post-Olympic letdowntook her to a darker place.

“Maybe the post-Olympic blues start-ed it, and it just kept crashing downfrom there,” Schmitt said. “Or maybe itwas not doing as well as I wanted to do(after the Olympics). I don’t know whattriggered it. I would like to work on thatand figure out what triggered it.”

I t wasn’t easy to seek help. Herfriends say she’s enormously generouswith others. Her college coach, Jack

Bauerle, tells of Schmitt helping pay fora child’s Halloween costume at a storewhen the mother didn’t have enoughmoney.

“I had a friend who happened to seeit, because she didn’t tell me about it,”Bauerle said. “I’m just guessing that was-n’t the only time.”

Along the way, Schmitt didn’t payenough attention to herself. “It’s hard forme to open up and hard for me toaccept the fact that if I need help, I needto go ask for help,” she said. “I’d muchrather be helping someone else.”

Since she didn’t qualify for the worldchampionships, Schmitt will competethis summer at what is essentially abackup meet, the Pan American Gamesin Toronto.

But her coach, Bob Bowman, said sheis finally showing the form that madeher a champion in 2012. Sure, everyoneis focused on Phelps and Franklin andAmerica’s next great swimming star, 18-year-old Katie Ledecky. Don’t forgetabout Schmitty. —AP

Olympic champion Schmitt struggles away from pool

Boubyan Group AUB Group

Ahli United Bank lift Al Watani TrophyCommercial Bank lifts Plate Cup

KUWAIT: In a tensed and nail-biting matchwhere fortunes changed in each over, AhliUnited Bank confidently fought back to prevailover the spirited Boubyan Bank to win thecoveted Watani Trophy final 2015 sponsoredby National Bank of Kuwait.

The Watani Trophy league organized byKuwait Cricket, the apex body of cricket inKuwait and the pioneers in organizing crickettournaments for all categories of cricket loversin Kuwait such as Regular league tournaments,school cricket for boys & girls, Corporate crick-et tournaments for Bankers & ShippingCompanies as well as matches for KuwaitNational team consisting of only Kuwaitis, theBank league tournaments has become one ofthe most prominent corporate cricket tourna-ments in Kuwait where more than 200 bankemployees of 9 bank teams affiliated to KuwaitBank Club get together during the weekendsat the lush green Sulaibiya cricket ground toenjoy the fun filled cricketing atmosphere andalso to play competitive cricket.

In all, 9 bank teams to the likes of Al-AhliBank of Kuwait, Ahli United Bank, BoubyanBank, Burgan Bank, Commercial Bank ofKuwait, Kuwait International Bank, KuwaitFinance House, National Bank of Kuwait andGulf Bank teams participates in the Bankleague tournaments.

In the Plate group, Commercial Bank ofKuwait (CBK) won their second trophy of theseason as they notched a comfortable 8 wick-ets victory over Burgan Bank. Winning thetoss, Burgan skipper Anuj Rahtogi elected tobat first and Burgan did not get their usualimpetus and were 5 down for 39 runs. NitinSimon, the lanky fast bowler of CBK & Habibbowled a hostile spell on a wicket which gavesome movement to swing bowlers. A solid andface saving partnership of 38 runs for the 6th

wicket between wicket-keeper batsman Saket( 21 runs) & Felix (24 runs) helped Burgan torestore some pride.

Nitin Simon was the most successfulbowler for CBK with a spell of 3.1-0-2-3, whileHabib (2-19) & Nawaz (2-8) shared the bowlinghonors. CBK skipper Shadab Abdulla mar-shalled his bowlers well and also shared thebowling honors taking 1 for 22 along withZaheer Abbas (1-12) which helped CBK torestrict the talented Burgan batting line up.Burgan posted quite a decent total of 93 runsin 19 overs.

Chasing 94 to win the match, CBK lost theirprolific scorer Ajith Nair who scored a scintil-lating 58 runs in the previous match to takeCBK into the semi final. On the other hand,Nitin Simon and one drop Shadab Abdulla theCBK skipper put their heads down and afternegotiating some tidy overs in the initialstages consolidated the innings with a finepartnership of 51 runs. Nitin anchored theinnings with a patient 29 runs but Shadabbelted out some elegant hits as he cloutedthree huge sixes and 2 fours to remain as thetop scorer with 41 runs. It was a matter of timebefore CBK clinched their second title of theyear. Nitin Simon was adjudged Player of theMatch for his all-round performance.

In the second match of the day, star stud-ded Boubyan Bank batted first against AhliUnited Bank (AUB) and found themselves inthe rather unfamiliar territory of a middle-order collapse and more disturbingly for themthey lost Amir Javed, their most consistentbatsman quite early in the innings. As in manygames earlier, Boubyan always had the man incrisis, Hisham Mirza who stood amongst theruins and along with Mazhar slowly consoli-dated the Boubyan innings. On a slow trackassisting the spinners, AUB spinners

Mahmoud Bastaki & Dinesh bowled well torestrict the talented Boubyan batsmen andspeedsters Sajid Kalam and Nabeel Ghafoorbowled well in their opening spells.

Usually an attacking pair, Hisham & Mazhardidn’t go berserk from the beginning andunderstanding the situation, played extremelywell. Mazhar’s timely knock of 34 runs con-tained one six & two fours. In the death endovers, Boubyan skipper Faraaz Azizuddinhacked the ball with awesome power to score18 valuable runs to take the score to 140 runsfor 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.Hisham’s painstaking innings of 53 runs con-tained 3 hits to the fence & during the courseof his 50 balls knock he belted 1 six too.

Even though the total of 140 looked mucheasier to chase, on a slow turning track AUBfound Boubyan bowlers to be very hostile asthey dealt a couple of quick blows while send-ing two set batsmen to the pavilion. Anuj wasto depart first after scoring brisk 11 runs andthen Ahmed & Fahad Bastaki put up a bravefight to post a 45 runs 4th wicket partnership.One of the few Kuwaiti players in the bankingcircuit to take up cricket, Fahad with animproved temperament and cricketing skillsstayed at the wicket to show a lot of maturityand his fast hands came in handy while guid-ing the ball late and a paddle sweep of Hishamto the fine leg fence was a treat to watch.

AUB sitting pretty well on top with 97 for 3during the halfway mark suddenly were in direstraits losing 6 wicket for just 102 runs as thetalented Boubyan squad not to give up thegame so quickly got rid of Fahad Bastaki for anelegant 25 runs and Dinesh was acrobaticallycaught by Rifkaz Ibrahim. Still needing 38 runsto win the match with half the side back in thepavilion, Sajid Kalam, the south paw came toAUB’s rescue and played an influential role by

blasting a brace of sixes to shrug off the inertiaand guided AUB to its first title of the year witha 4 wicket victory over their arch rival BoubyanBank. Sajid’s 10 ball knock of 30 runs with 4huge sixes fetched him the Player of thematch award too.

Murali Kutticode, Director, Junior &Corporate Cricket welcomed the Guests, play-ers and spectators and applauded the effortsof Kuwait Banks club and its Vice ChairmanMahmoud Bastaki for his untiring role in sup-porting and sponsoring bank league tourna-ments. The entire gathering gave a big roundof applause to National Bank of KuwaitManagement for sponsoring the WataniTrophy 2015. Asad Baig, Director General,Kuwait Cricket presented a memento to chiefguest Yakoob Bader Al-Baqer from National

Bank of Kuwait and mementos to NBK person-nel Richard Nazareth & Khuram Rana for theirmeritorious service and passion to the gameof cricket. Baig also presented mementos todistinguished guests of honor Leslie Rice &Andre Loots, top ranking officials of BoubyanBank.

Yakoob Bader Al-Baqer from National Bankof Kuwait presented the CUP winner trophy toAUB skipper Mahmoud Bastaki & Plate winnertrophy to Shadab Abdulla of CBK. RichardNazareth of NBK handed over the Cup runnerup trophy to Faraaz Azizuddin of BoubyanBank and Khuram Rana of NBK presented thePlate runner up trophy to Anuj Rahtogi ofBurgan Bank. Leslie Rice & Andre Loots pre-sented the Player of the match awards to NitinSimon & Sajid Kalam respectively.

Bastaki receiving the winner’s cup

ATLANTA: Cleveland’s LeBron James scored 30points as the Cavaliers won 94-82 at Atlanta onFriday even without injured star Kyrie Irving,taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBAEastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers pulledaway with a dominant third quarter. Jamesscored 11 points, the Hawks shot just 32 per-cent (7 of 22), and Cleveland led by as many as20. This was a blowout in every sense. The finalmargin, with backup players on the court, wasas close as Hawks had been since midwaythrough the third.

“You really can’t make me do what I don’twant to do,” James said. “I play the right way.”Irving was scratched before the game becauseof an ailing left knee. Even so, the Cavalierscruised to their second straight win in Atlanta,and take the 2-0 advantage back with them toCleveland, where they host the next two gamesstarting today.

James assumed many of the ball-handlingduties, taking advantage of Atlanta’s DeMarreCarroll being at less than 100 percent. Carrollstarted after being carried off the court just twonights earlier, but he hardly looked like the“Junkyard Dog.”

He wasn’t the only one struggling. TheHawks were totally outclassed for one of thefew times all season. “In the playoffs, it takesmore,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Ittakes better execution, better screening. You’vegot to do things harder.”

The Cavaliers, who have never won a cham-pionship, made a big investment in the offsea-son to lure back James after a spell in Miami toplay alongside Irving and Kevin Love.

But James is carrying the load with Irving

sidelined and Love out with a season-endinginjury. To be fair, James had a bit of help inGame 2. Tristan Thompson was a beast on theinside, grabbing 16 rebounds to sparkCleveland to a 47-39 advantage.

When Thompson dunked off a pass fromJames with just under 5 minutes remaining, theCavaliers led 93-74 and many Atlanta fansbegan heading for the exits, surely sensing theyhad seen their team for the last time in thismost unexpected season. Atlanta won a fran-chise-record 60 games to claim the top seed inthe East, but the Hawks have been picked apartby the best player in the world. James had 31points in Game 1.

The Hawks had hoped that Carroll’s appear-ance would provide an emotional boost. Aninjury that looked much more serious turnedout to be only a sprain, and he drew a big cheerfrom the crowd when he did his customarysprint across the court during the openingintroductions.

But at less than full speed, Carroll had nochance trying to guard James, who made 10 of22 shots including a pair of 3-pointers. Whenthe Hawks began collapsing toward the lane,trying to give Carroll help, James alwaysseemed to find the open man - often lurkingbehind the 3-point stripe.

James had 11 assists and just missed a triple-double, also grabbing nine rebounds. TheCavaliers finished 12 of 30 beyond the arc. ImanShumpert knocked down four from long rangeand finished with 16 points. Dennis Schroderled the Hawks with just 13 points. Carroll playeda team-high 33:47 but managed only six points- 10 below his playoff average. —AP

Cavs take 2-0 lead over Hawks

ATLANTA: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is fouled by Atlanta Hawksguard Jeff Teague (0) during the second half in Game 2 of the Eastern Conferencefinals of the NBA basketball playoffs. —AP

AUSTRALIA: The New South Wales Waratahs moved intofirst place in the Australian conference and into the top sixoverall in Super Rugby with a 32-22 win over the NewZealand-based Crusaders yesterday in a replay of last year’schampionship match.

The Waratahs edged the Crusaders 33-32 in last year’stitle game in Sydney to claim their first Super title and denythe Crusaders their eighth championship.

Yesterday’s win moved the Waratahs three points clearof the ACT Brumbies, who had a weekend bye in theAustralian conference. The win also possibly ended theCrusaders’ 13-year finals run.

The Waratahs led 25-8 early in the second half, but theCrusaders piled on 14 unanswered points to get withinthree with 15 minutes to go. Waratahs five-eighth BernardFoley clinched the bonus-point win two minutes from full-time when he chased down his own kick and slid over theline for the fourth Waratahs try. The Crusaders, who startedthe round in ninth spot, played out the last 10 minutes with14 men after flanker Richie McCaw was sin-binned forentering a ruck from the side.

The Waratahs also played with 14 men for 10 minuteswhen hooker Tolu Latu was sin-binned for a lifting tackleon Sam Whitelock. Earlier Saturday, the Wellington-basedHurricanes consolidated their place atop the New Zealandconference and likely gained home advantage in the play-offs with a 29-5 win over the Auckland-based Blues. TheHurricanes’ 12th win in 13 matches carried them 13 pointsclear of the Hamilton-based Chiefs in New Zealand andgave them the same emphatic margin atop the overallchampionships table with three matches left in the regularseason. Heavily depleted by injuries, the Hurricanes held aslender 3-0 lead until the 35th minute before tries by propChris Eves - his first in Super Rugby - and scrumhalf T.J.Perenara made it 17-0 at halftime.—AP

Waratahs defeatCrusaders


German League results/standings

Bayern Munich 34 25 4 5 80 18 79 — champions

Wolfsburg 34 20 9 5 72 38 69M’hengladbach34 19 9 6 53 26 66Leverkusen 34 17 10 7 62 37 61Augsburg 34 15 4 15 43 43 49Schalke 34 13 9 12 42 40 48Dortmund 34 13 7 14 47 42 46Hoffenheim 34 12 8 14 49 55 44Frankfurt 34 11 10 13 56 62 43Werder 34 11 10 13 50 65 43Mainz 05 34 9 13 12 45 47 40Cologne 34 9 13 12 34 40 40Hanover 96 34 9 10 15 40 56 37

VfB Stuttgart 34 9 9 16 42 60 36Hertha Berlin 34 9 8 17 36 52 35Hamburg 34 9 8 17 25 50 35

— play-offFreiburg 34 7 13 14 36 47 34

— relegatedPaderborn 34 7 10 17 31 65 31

— relegatedNote: Top three qualify automatically for theChampions League, fourth goes into the play-offs.Fifth and sixth carry Europa League places. The bot-tom two sides are automatically relegated, whilethe side finishing 16th faces a two-legged play offagainst the third-placed side in the second division.

Bayern Munich 2 (Lewandowski 25-pen, Schweinsteiger 48) Mainz 0; Borussia Dortmund 3 (Kagawa 15,Aubameyang 17, Mkhitaryan 42) Werder Bremen 2 (Oztunali 26, Gebre Selassie 85); BorussiaMoenchengladbach 1 (Raffael 36) Augsburg 2 (Hojbjerg 72, Matavz 77); Hoffenheim 2 (Modeste 8,Roberto Firmino 80) Hertha Berlin 1 (Beerens 72); Hanover 96 2 (Kiyotake 3, Krmas 84-og) Freiburg 1(Petersen 90+2); Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Seferovic 4, Madlung 39) Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Bellarabi 6);Hamburg 2 (Olic 49, Rajkovic 58) Schalke 04 0; Cologne 2 (Osako 3, Peszko 61) VfL Wolfsburg 2 (LuizGustavo 8, Perisic 15); Paderborn 1 (Vucinovic 4) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Didavi 36, Ginczek 72).

German Bundesliga table after the last day of the season yesterday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for,goals against, points):

TURIN: League and Cup winners Juventusparaded their double haul of trophies inTurin on their way to a 3-1 over Napoli yes-terday which left Rafael Benitez’s men walk-ing a Champions League qual i fyingtightrope. Juventus outclassed Lazio 2-1 inthe Cup final on Wednesday to secure theirfirst double since 1995 and with two weeksto go until their Champions League finalhave already turned their attention towardsbeating Barcelona in Berlin.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri rested defend-ers Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci andPatrice Evra, midfielders Arturo Vidal andAndrea Pirlo as well as strikers Carlos Tevezand Fernando Llorente for the champions’final home game of the season.

Napoli travelled to Turin looking for a winthat would maintain their hopes of a topthree finish and a possible place in next sea-son’s Champions League.

But the carrot of beating what was effec-tively a second-string Juventus side failed totempt Napoli, who following a bright startquickly looked out of their depth.

In the end, the visitors finished with tenmen after Miguel Britos saw red for headbut-ting striker Alvaro Morata. Juventus openedthe scoring through Roberto Pereyra on 13minutes and despite David Lopez levelling

for the visitors when he smashed home therebound after Gianluigi Buffon saved apenalty, Juventus were unstoppable.

Stefano Sturaro scored a great individualgoal to restore Juve’s lead on 77 minutes andat the death Napoli self-imploded.

Britos saw red for a clear headbutt onMorata in the area, and second-half substi-tute Simone Pepe stepped up to smash theresulting penalty past Mariano Andujar.

Napoli’s defeat means Lazio, who sit threepoints ahead in third place, now require onlya point from the city derby against Roma onMonday to make sure of at least a third placefinish to claim the league’s final ChampionsLeague spot.

Even if the Azzurri upset predictions andfinish among the top three, Benitez alreadylooks to have planned his future elsewhere.

The Spaniard is rumored to have alreadyagreed in principle to take over at RealMadrid after Carlo Ancelotti’s failure to leadthe 10-time European champions into theChampions League final following an aggre-gate defeat to Juve.

On their penultimate game of the season,Benitez’s players looked like they had theirheads elsewhere too. Belgian internationalDries Mer tens looked dangerous in theopening exchanges and tested Gianluigi

Buffon twice before Juventus found theirrhythm and stamped their mark on thegame.

It took only 13 minutes for Juve to opentheir account, Pereyra smashing the ball pastMariano Andujar after being sent thoroughby Kevin Coman’s delightfully-weighted chip.

Gonzalo Higuain, who l ike Benitez isbeing rumoured to be on his way out of theclub, did little with his first-half chances andwas replaced at half-t ime by ManoloGabbiadini.

Allegri had given Kwadwo Asamoah hisfirst start in several months and shortly afterthe restart the Ghana international displayedspeed and impressive ball control on his wayto sending his drive from distance just over.

Paul Pogba and then Morata saw drivesfrom distance saved by Andujar but Napoliupped the tempo late in the second half togive the hosts a scare.

In the final minute of regulation timeBuffon produced a great reflex save on hisline to stop Gabbiadini’s glancing headerfrom Jose Callejon’s cross.

That was the visitors’ last real chance, andtensions boiled over in stoppage time whenBritos was sent off after clearly headbuttingMorata and leaving the Spaniard on theground. —AFP

ITALY: Juventus’ players celebrate with the Italian League’s trophy during a ceremony following the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs Napoli. Juventus won the Coppa Italia on May 20, 2015 and the Italian Leaguetoday. —AFP

Juve parade double haul of silverwareNapoli in Champions League limbo

Italian League result/standings

Juventus 37 26 8 3 70 22 86 — champions

Roma 36 18 13 5 51 28 67Lazio 36 20 6 10 66 34 66Napoli 37 18 9 10 68 50 63Fiorentina 36 16 10 10 55 44 58Genoa 36 15 11 10 58 42 56Sampdoria 36 13 15 8 45 39 54Inter Milan 36 13 13 10 53 42 52Torino 36 13 12 11 43 42 51Palermo 36 11 13 12 49 51 46AC Milan 36 11 13 12 50 49 46Verona 36 11 11 14 45 61 44Sassuolo 36 10 13 13 45 56 43Chievo 36 10 12 14 27 37 42Udinese 36 10 11 15 40 51 41

Empoli 36 8 17 11 43 46 41Atalanta 36 7 15 14 36 53 36Cagliari 36 6 10 20 43 65 28

— relegated Cesena 36 4 12 20 36 67 24

— relegatedParma 36 6 6 24 29 71 17

— relegatedNote: Parma deducted three points and four pointsfor financial irregularities and non-payment ofsalaries.Top two qualify automatically for the ChampionsLeague, third goes into the play-offs. Fourth, fifth andsixth carry Europa League places. The bottom threesides are relegated.

Juventus 3 (Pereyra 13, Sturaro 77, Pepe 90pen) Napoli 1 (Lopez 50)

Playing laterGenoa v Inter

Playing todayEmpoli v Sampdoria, Cesena v Cagliari, Chievo v Atalanta, Palermo v Fiorentina, Parma v Verona, Udinese v Sassuolo (all 1300), AC Milan v Torino.

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

BERLIN: Champions Bayern Munich ended theirthree-match losing streak in the Bundesliga witha season-ending 2-0 win over Mainz yesterday asHamburg and Stuttgart avoided relegation.

A Robert Lewandowski penalty and BastianSchweinsteiger goal saw Bayern bounce backafter defeats by Leverkusen, Augsburg andFreiburg since their 25th German league title wasconfirmed at the end of April. Poland strikerLewandowski converted a 25th minute penaltyafter a handball by Mainz defender Nico Bungert.

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteigerscored their second just after the break to securethe win to kick-off celebrations in Munich as PepGuardiola’s side was presented with the trophy atthe Allianz Arena. There were plenty of customary‘beer showers’ on the pitch as Bayern playershunted victims over which to pour huge glassesof frothing liquid after the final whistle.

“We’ve done really well to defend our title thisseason despite a lot of injuries and we’ll celebratetonight,” said Germany defender Jerome Boateng.

At the other end of the table, Freiburg andPaderborn went down as the relegation battlewent to the wire. Freiburg’s 2-1 defeat at Hanover

96 saw them drop to 17th and out of the leaguewhile Paderborn also return to the second divi-sion after one season in the Bundesliga with a 2-1defeat at home to Stuttgart.

VfB Stuttgart stayed in the Bundesliga thanksto Daniel Ginczek’s winning goal for the visitorswhich carried them up to 14th. Hamburg’s 2-0win at home to Schalke means they finish 16ththanks to goals by Ivica Olic and SlobodanRajkovic.

It means for the second year in succession,Hamburg face a two-legged relegation play-offagainst the side which finishes third in the sec-ond division, which will be decided on Sunday.

Rober to di Matteo’s Schalke f inish s ixthdespite a poor end to the season which saw theRoyal Blues win just two of their last ten games tomiss out on a Champions League place next sea-son. Augsburg’s 2-1 win at BorussiaMoenchengladbach saw them finish fifth to joinSchalke in the Europa League for next season.Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a 3-2 win at home toWerder Bremen on Jurgen Klopp’s final homegame after seven years in charge amidst emo-tional scenes at the Westfalenstadion.

Dortmund finish seventh and go into thequalifiers for a Europa League, but can claim adirect place in the group stages if they beatWolfsburg in the German Cup final next Saturday.

Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa profited froma superb pass by I lk ay Gundogan to scoreDortmund’s first on 15 minutes. Gabon strikerPierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the hostssecond just two minutes later before Bremenpulled a goal back through midfielder LevinOztunali on 26 minutes.

But Dortmund made sure of the win whenHenrikh Mkhitaryan controlled Kagawa’s highpass to lob Bremen goalkeeper Koen Casteels justbefore the break while Czech defender TheodorGebre Selassie scored Bremen’s late second to setup a tense finale.

Hertha Berlin finish just above the relegationplaces after their 2-1 defeat at Hoffenheim whileWolfsburg finished second with a 2-2 draw atCologne. Bayer Leverkusen finish fourth despite a2-1 defeat Eintracht Frankfurt as Karim Bellarabi’searly goal was cancelled out by goals fromEintracht pair Haris Seferovic and AlexanderMadlung. —AFP

Champions Bayern sign off with 2-0 victory over Mainz

MUNICH: Bayern players celebrate winning the Bundesliga title after the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match between FC BayernMunich and FSV Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena. —AP

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund earned thechance of a Europa League place nextseason with a 3-2 win over WerderBremen as coach Jurgen Klopp signed offhis final home game.

Dortmund finish seventh to go intothe qualifiers for the Europa League, butcan claim a direct place in the groupstages if they beat Wolfsburg in nextSaturday’s German Cup final in Berlin inKlopp’s final match as Borussia boss.

Klopp walks away after seven years incharge having won the 2011 and 2012German league titles, plus steeringDortmund to the 2013 ChampionsLeague final, and will be replaced nextseason by ex-Mainz coach ThomasTuchel. The 47-year-old can now sign offwith the cup title he craves if they beatWolfsburg in the Berlin cup final nextSaturday.

“It was a great game, we had a goodsystem and options galore, but I have nocomplaints, seventh place is the best wecould have hoped for,” said Klopp, whoseside were bottom of the table inFebruary. “It was an outstanding display,but the game summed up our season:

we started really well, but lost out wayand made things hard for ourselves.”

A five-minute long, pre-recordedvideo message from Klopp to Dortmundfans was screened at theWestfalenstadion after the final whistleand Klopp explained why.

“I learnt my lesson the last time I triedto give a prepared speech seven yearsago when I left Mainz and could barelyget the words out,” he said.

“I didn’t want to make the same mis-take again. It was pure emotion outthere.” Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawaprofited from a superb pass by IlkayGundogan to score Dortmund’s first on15 minutes.

Gabon striker Pierre-EmerickAubameyang scored the hosts second toclaim his 16th for the season, just twominutes later before Bremen pulled agoal back through midfielder LevinOztunali on 26 minutes. But Dortmundmade sure of the win when HenrikhMkhitaryan controlled Kagawa’s highpass to lob Bremen goalkeeper KoenCasteels to make it 3-1 just before thebreak.—AFP

Dortmund earn Europa place

16Hamilton takeshis first Monaco F1 pole

SUNDAY, MAY 24, 201517Cavs take 2-0 lead over Hawks

SPAIN: FC Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez holds up the trophy after winning the SpanishLeague title, at the end of their Spanish La Liga last round soccer match againstDeportivo Coruna at the Camp Nou stadium. —AP

Matches on TV (Local

Timings)

English Premier LeagueEverton v Tottenham 17:00

beIN SPORTS 5 HDNewcastle v West Ham 17:00

beIN SPORTSArsenal v West Bromwich 17:00

beIN SPORTSAston Villa v Burnley 17:00

beIN SPORTSChelsea v Sunderland 17:00

beIN SPORTSCrystal Palace v Swansea 17:00

beIN SPORTSHull City v Man United 17:00

beIN SPORTSLeicester v QPR 17:00

beIN SPORTSMan City v Southampton 17:00

beIN SPORTS 4 HDStoke City v Liverpool 17:00

beIN SPORTS

Italian LeagueEmpoli v Sampdoria 13:30

beIN SPORTS 1 HDUdinese v Sassuolo 16:00

beIN SPORTSCesena v Cagliari 16:00

beIN SPORTSParma v Hellas 16:00

beIN SPORTSChievo v Atalanta 16:00

beIN SPORTSCitta v Fiorentina 16:00

beIN SPORTS 3 HDAC Milan v Torino 21:45

beIN SPORTS 3

Spanish League results/standings

Barcelona 38 30 4 4 110 21 94 — champions

Real Madrid 37 29 2 6 111 35 89Atletico Madrid 38 23 9 6 67 29 78Valencia 38 22 11 5 70 32 77Sevilla 38 23 7 8 71 45 76Villarreal 38 16 12 10 48 37 60Athletic Bilbao 38 15 10 13 42 41 55Celta Vigo 38 13 12 13 47 44 51Malaga 38 14 8 16 42 48 50Espanyol 38 13 10 15 47 51 49Rayo Vallecano 38 15 4 19 46 68 49Real Sociedad 38 11 13 14 44 51 46Elche 38 11 8 19 35 62 41

Levante 38 9 10 19 34 67 37Getafe 37 10 7 20 30 57 37Granada 38 7 14 17 29 64 35Deportivo 38 7 14 17 35 60 35Eibar 38 8 8 24 31 55 35

— relegatedAlmeria 38 8 8 22 35 64 32

— relegatedCordoba 38 3 11 24 22 68 20

— relegatedNote: Top three qualify automatically for the ChampionsLeague, fourth goes into the play-offs. Fifth and sixthcarry Europa League places. The bottom three sides arerelegated.

Levante 0 Elche 0; Malaga 2 (Javi Guerra 67, 90+2) Sevilla 3 (Reyes 52, Banega 55, Vidal 62); Athletic Bilbao 4 (Aduriz25-pen, 60, Iraola 28, Benat 36) Villarreal 0; Barcelona 2 (Messi 5, 59) Deportivo La Coruna 2 (Lucas 67, Salomao 76);Granada 0 Atletico Madrid 0; Rayo Vallecano 2 (Bueno 42, Morcillo 64) Real Sociedad 4 (Vela 19, Castro 21, Agirretxe73, Elustondo 75); Eibar 3 (Arruabarrena 6, Navas 11, Capa RodrÍguez 34) Cordoba 0; Celta Vigo 3 (Hugo Mallo 38,Cabral 58, Nolito 77) Espanyol 2 (Sergio Garcia 23-pen, Stuani 48); Almeria 2 (Thomas 9, Soriano 37) Valencia 3(Otamendi 28, Feghouli 45, Alcacer 80).

Spanish La Liga table before yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

MADRID: Valencia sealed their placein next season’s Champions Leagueas Eibar and Almeria were relegatedon a dramatic final day of the La Ligaseason.

Deportivo La Coruna came backfrom 2-0 down away at championsBarcelona to spoil a homage to XaviHernandez at the Camp Nou and stayup with a 2-2 draw along withGranada who held Atletico Madrid 0-0 at home.

That point was enough to ensureAtletico go straight into next season’sChampions League group stages inthird, whilst Valencia twice came frombehind to win 3-2 at Almeria andsecure fourth.

Eibar’s remarkable first season inthe top flight didn’t have fairy taleending as they were relegateddespite just a second win in 20matches 3-0 at home to Cordoba dueto their inferior head-to-head recordwith Deportivo and Granada.

Athletic Bilbao also securedEuropean football for next season inthe Europa League thanks to a 4-0thrashing of Villarreal. Eibar lookedset to survive for much of the day asafter they went in front againstalready relegated Cordoba, LionelMessi gave Barca the lead at a CampNou in celebratory mood as Xavimade his 505th and final Liga appear-ance.

The Catalans dominated for largeswaths of the game and looked tohave sealed the Galicians fate whenNeymar unselfishly squared for Messito make it 2-0 on the hour mark.

However, Lucas Perez gaveDeportivo hope with a stunningstrike into the top corner seven min-utes later and Salomao struck 14 min-utes from time to cap a remarkablefightback.

Granada also secured their topflight status for a fifth consecutiveseason as they and Atletico playedout a bore 0-0 draw that suited bothparties.

Valencia’s hopes of a return to theChampions League were given analmighty fright by Almeria as theytwice went in front in the first-half.

Thomas Partey’s free-kick sneakedpast Diego Alves at his near post afternine minutes, but, as so often thisseason, Nicolas Otamendi came toValencia’s rescue with a powerfulheader to equalise.

Jonathan Soriano put Almeriaback in front and then missed a hugechance to make it 3-1 moments later.The visitors responded once morebefore half-time as Sofiane Feghoulitapped home from close range and,with both teams chasing the winner,Paco Alcacer coolly slotted pastRuben Martinez 11 minutes fromtime.

Valencia’s victory rendered Sevilla’s3-2 win at Malaga meaningless asthey finished a point back in fifth.However, the Andalusians can stillqualify for next season’s ChampionsLeague should they retain the EuropaLeague against DniproDnipropetrovsk on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich coachPep Guardiola has turned down aninvite from Barcelona to travel toBerlin to see his former side playJuventus in the Champions Leaguefinal.

“No, no, no, I will stay here,” he saidon Friday in Munich when askedabout his personal invite fromBarcelona for the June 6 final inGermany’s capital.

The 44-year-old steered Barcelonato the 2009 and 2011 ChampionsLeague titles during his four-yearreign as head coach. Barcelona are oncourse to win the treble under newcoach Luis Enrique having alreadywon the Spanish league for the 23rdtime.

Barca will play Bilbao at home inthe Spanish Cup final on May 30 andcould seal the treble a week later inthe Champions League final atBerlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Guardiola’s Bayern will be crownedGerman league champions onSaturday for the 25th time followingtheir home match against Mainz atthe Allianz Arena.

Bayern were beaten 5-3 on aggre-gate by Barcelona in the ChampionsLeague semi-finals having lost thefirst-leg 3-0 at the Camp Nou but wonthe return 3-2 in Munich. Having won14 titles in four years at Barcelona,Guardiola has won five in his two sea-sons in Munich with a year left on hiscurrent contract.—AFP

Valencia seal CL place, Eibar, Almeria relegated

SPAIN: Barcelona players, with their children, pose with their trophy after winning the Spanish League title, at theend of their Spanish La Liga last round soccer match against Deportivo Coruna. —AP

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaalbelieves goalkeeper David De Gea will remain at OldTrafford despite uncertainty over his future.

De Gea has a year left on his contract at Old Trafford andhas been widely expected to join Real Madrid at the end ofthe current season.

The 24-year-old Spain international has already rejectedthe offer of a new deal at United and had appeared des-tined to move back to his home city.

After last week’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, van Gaal said hedidn’t think he could persuade De Gea to remain at United.De Gea is a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League trip to rele-gation-threatened Hull City with the hamstring injury whichforced him off against the Gunners.

However, when asked if ex-Barcelona goalkeeper VictorValdes would be a suitable replacement the Dutchman sug-gested perhaps De Gea will not leave after all.

“I believe still that David De Gea will stay,” Van Gaal toldreporters.”I want to play him against Hull City on Sundaybecause I have to put my strongest team.

“Is Valdes ready to replace him? I have said already I canonly say if David De Gea is gone. David has trained today forthe first time and we have to wait and see tomorrow.

“I think De Gea is a better goalkeeper. It’s also our lastmatch of the season. I think you have to put out yourstrongest team because it’s very important for Hull. “First wehave to see if De Gea is leaving. Then we shall talk about theother things.” Van Gaal also revealed he will speak to a num-ber of players at United who face uncertain futures in thenext few days. Holland striker Robin van Persie, on-loanMonaco forward Radamel Falcao and youngsters AdnanJanuzaj and James Wilson are all thought to be vulnerable.

“I shall talk with them maybe tomorrow,” he said. “Wehave a farewell drink after the match. I have the Monday totalk, and I already have this week to talk. You have to waitand see how these talks develop in who is staying or goingaway.” United are boosted by the return of captain WayneRooney for the KC Stadium clash after the England strikerrecovered from a dead leg.

United left-back Luke Shaw is likely to miss out with con-cussion, while midfielder Michael Carrick is also absent witha calf injury. Shaw was left out of the England Under-21squad by coach Gareth Southgate this week after an injury-hit first season at United following his transfer fromSouthampton.

And van Gaal claimed it was the correct decision in the

best of interest of the player. “It’s a medical question. I havespoken with (England manager) Roy Hodgson a month agoduring an international break. Luke Shaw was also invited tothe squad, then I convinced Roy not to take him,” he said. “Ihave now spoken to Gareth Southgate and also my doctorhas spoken to the doctor of the Under-21 team.

“I have read I’m the winner of this debate, but that’s nottrue because Luke Shaw is the winner. Luke is a great talent.It was maybe too much this step from Southampton toUnited and we have to protect him. “It’s important that themedical department, managers are agreed that we can pro-tect him and develop him to the greater talent.

“Also Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate andManchester United’s manager shall take benefit. But thewinner is Luke Shaw.”—AFP

Van Gaal expects De Gea to stay

LONDON: Manchester United’s Spanish goalkeeperDavid de Gea gestures in this file photo. —AFP

FIFA candidates targeted in blackmail

scam — reportSINGAPORE: Two men who launched challenges to SeppBlatter for the leadership of world football body FIFA havebeen targeted in an attempted blackmail scam, a report saidyesterday. Prince Ali bin al Hussein and Michael van Praag,who has now pulled out of the race, were both approachedby Kenya-based conmen who said Blatter had gathered sensi-tive information about them.

Singapore’s The New Paper and Dutch daily De Volkskrantsaid the men demanded money to hand over the informationfrom what they claimed was a smear campaign orchestratedby Blatter. According to The New Paper, Jordan’s Prince Ali,who is now Blatter’s sole challenger in next week’s FIFA vote,and van Praag both confirmed approaches.

“We have had a number of individuals coming forwardwith similar allegations,” a spokesman for Prince Ali was quot-ed as saying. “Our approach has been to try and set up meet-ings with these individuals so we can assess them and theinformation they are giving for ourselves.”

The conmen said the director of an India-based securitycompany put together a surveillance report on Prince Ali forsubmission to Blatter’s daughter, Corinne.

But when contacted by The New Paper, both the investi-gator and Corinne Blatter denied all knowledge and said theyhad been set up. “I do not know who is behind it but it isclearly intended to damage my father’s reputation,” CorinneBlatter was quoted as saying. According to the report, theapproaches by email appeared genuine but details such asthe investigator’s phone number and email address werewrong. “I have no idea who would want to set me up, espe-cially on such an elaborate scam as this,” the investigator, whowas not named, told The New Paper. “I have never worked forMs Corinne Blatter in any way.” Van Praag received an emailwhich stated: “Some time in late August 2014, Sepp commis-sioned some espionage work on you fearing you might standagainst him in future.”—AFP

CONDOLENCES

With deep regret, the Chairman, Boardof Directors, Executive Management

and the employees of Zainshare their heartfelt sympathy with

MR. BADER NASSER AL-KHARAFIVice Chairman, Zain Group

On the sad demise of his Uncle

JASSIM MOHAMMED AL-KHARAFIFormer National Assembly Speaker

May Allah Almighty bestow His mercy on him

BusinessSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Venezuela currencytumbles

Page 22

Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co launches Midea brand products

Page 23Jazeera shareholdersapprove KD20mspecial cash dividends

Page 26Need to boost confidence in oil sector

Page 25

ATHENS: Leftist and anti establishment protesters hold a banner reading “no negotiations with foreign or local capital” during a protest march to the German embassy in Athens yesterday. — AFP

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSC. (ABK)announced yesterday that it has entered into adefinitive agreement with Piraeus Bank SA (PB)to acquire 98.5 percent of Piraeus Bank Egypt(PBE) shares, subject to obtaining all therequired regulatory approvals from the compe-tent authorities, including in particular theCentral Bank of Kuwait and the Central Bank ofEgypt. The signing of this agreement marks thesuccessful conclusion of the negotiationsbetween ABK and PB with regards to the trans-action and due diligence process as approvedby the Central Bank of Egypt. Total considera-tion is equivalent to $150million for PB’s stakerepresenting a multiple to the stated tangiblebook value of PBE as of March 31, 2015 of 1.4x.The closing of the transaction is expected totake place before the end of 2015.

ABK’s acquisition of Piraeus Bank Egypt real-izes ABK’s regional vision with regards to Egyptbeing a key focus market offering opportunitiesfor sustainable growth, business profile diversi-fication, and effective capital deployment. Thislies within the context of a well regulated andunderpenetrated banking market providingsignificant growth opportunities, further sup-ported by the country’s attractive macro-eco-nomic fundamentals and robust populationdynamics boasting a young population of 85million with a vibrant middle class. PBE repre-sented an ideal strategic fit for ABK’s strategic

vision from several dimensions, including itsuniversal banking model with focus on whole-sale products as well as growing retail offering,visible presence in the Egyptian banking mar-ket via 39 branches in key population centers,easily scalable system infrastructure supportingfurther market share increases, adequate capi-

talization with c.14 percent capital adequacyratio and highly liquid balance sheet with c.56percent loans/deposits ratio as at the end ofMarch 31, 2015.

Following the consummation of the transac-tion, ABK shall become the second Kuwaitibank to operate in Egypt and its entry shall pro-vide it with ample opportunities to capture thedeep relationship between the two countriesboth on the government level but also on theprivate sector level. Significant number ofEgyptian nationals employed in Kuwait shallalso enable ABK to build best-in-class remit-tances services and to sustain a clear channelfor growing retail banking in both Kuwait andEgypt. Post transaction, Egypt will be the sec-ond foreign market of ABK in addition to UAE,where ABK has two overseas branches in Dubaiand Abu-Dhabi providing services to Kuwaitiand Gulf-based Arab producers and exporters.

Talal Mohammed Reda Behbehani, ABK’sChairman, emphasized ABK’s aspirations, as aleading Kuwaiti bank, to advance the fortressrelationship, trade links and financial integra-tion between Kuwait and Egypt, citing that “Weare delighted with this transformative transac-tion opening a new chapter in ABK’s interna-tional strategy providing us significant footprintin one of the largest and fast-growing marketsin the MENA region in addition to our existingstronghold in Kuwait and UAE.”

Michel Accad, ABK’s Chief Executive Officer,expressed his confidence in the growth poten-tial that the Egyptian market promises, statingthat “ABK’s acquisition of Piraeus Bank Egyptmarks a milestone in ABK’s strategy to use itsrobust balance sheet and capital resources forinternational expansion. This acquisition helpsABK diversify its business profile and allows it to

benefit from increased regional connectivity,providing us with the opportunity to apply ourmanagement expertise to help Piraeus BankEgypt further grow and develop. I would like toexpress my thanks to the authorities and all ourcolleagues and associates at both banks fortheir hard work and generous spirit of coopera-tion in making this agreement a reality.”

ABK has been advised by J P Morgan as itsexclusive financial advisor on the acquisition ofPBE, while Ernst & Young acted as transactionand tax advisors and Zulficar & Partners actedas legal advisors.

Established in 1967, ABK is a leading com-mercial and retail bank in Kuwait with marketcapitalization in excess of $2.0 billion, totalassets of $11.9 billion, net loans of $8.3 billion,and customer deposits of $6.6 billion as ofDecember 31, 2014. ABK’s shareholders’ equitystood at $1.9 billion, allowing it to maintain astrong capital position with a Core Tier I ratio of22.7 percent, well above the capital ratios ofmost Middle Eastern financial institutions.Following the consummation of the transac-tion, ABK’s international operations in UAE andEgypt are expected to account for c. 18 percentof its total consolidated assets compared withc.5 percent as of December 31, 2014. ABK isrecognized with investment grade ratings ofA+ and A2 assigned by Fitch and Moody’s,respectively.

ABK to buy 98.5% stake in Piraeus Bank Egypt Al-Ahli Bank reaches final agreement with PB on acquisition

ABK Chairman Talal Mohammed RedaBehbehani

ABK CEO Michel Accad

DEAD SEA, Jordan: Islamic State militants werenot invited to a conference of several hundredMiddle East business leaders in Jordan this week,but they played a big role in the debate.

The conference, one of the most high-profileannual meetings in the region, was suffused byconcern that Islamic State’s expansion couldderail efforts to boost trade and investment inmuch of the Middle East. The World EconomicForum on the Middle East and North Africa, heldin an opulent resort area on the shores of theDead Sea, addressed how to cope with start-upfirms, bring more people into the formal bankingsystem and manage urbanization.

At night, executives networked and sippeddrinks on terraces overlooking the Dead Sea. ButIslamic State’s expansion in Syria and Iraq wasnever far from the conversations. On the secondday, businessmen crowded around a mobilephone to examine a map showing Islamic State’sgrowing territory, colored brown.

“Here we are and 200 kilometres (125 miles)away, the barbarians are at the gate,” observedHisham El-Khazindar, managing director of bigEgyptian investment firm Qalaa Holdings.

One the eve of the conference, the militantstook Palmyra in Syria; three days before that theyseized the strategic city of Ramadi in neighboring

Iraq. Both cities are less than a day’s drive fromthe heavily guarded conference centre. Duringthe meeting, Islamic State claimed an attack thatkilled 21 people in Saudi Arabia.

Many executives urged their governments towork harder to create jobs and wealth, to cut themilitants’ appeal among disaffected youth. Butmost of their policy proposals were variations ofideas that governments have already tried.

CONFIDENCEBy disrupting Jordan’s overland trading routes

with Iraq and Syria, Islamic State and the Syriancivil war have for now squelched hopes of a tradeboom in the area. One session at the conferencediscussed Jordan’s plans to develop its tourismindustry, a key foreign exchange earner. ButIslamic State is making those plans harder toimplement. Tourism revenue fell 12 percent froma year ago in the first quarter as some Westernvisitors reacted to the headlines by staying away,the Jordanian foreign minister told Reuters lastmonth.

Jordan has escaped economic crisis because ofbillions of dollars in foreign aid; the InternationalMonetary Fund expects gross domestic productgrowth to edge up this year, to 3.8 percent from3.1 percent in 2014. Most economies in the Gulf

and North Africa have not been seriously hurt bymilitant attacks. In Egypt, foreign investment isrising after the government pushed through eco-nomic reforms. Most Gulf Arab countries haveescaped militant attacks and their economiescontinue to grow robustly as governments drawon their financial reserves to spend heavily.

But executives said the benefits of such poli-cies could eventually be lost if the threat fromIslamic State continued to grow, underminingconfidence among local and foreign investors.

Political conflict “is rendering the future of theregion increasingly bleak”, Bassem Awadallah, aformer Jordanian finance minister who is nowchief executive of Dubai-based consultancyTomoh Advisory, told the conference. Awadallahpraised the Jordanian government’s investmentprojects but said it needed to do more to createjobs by improving the education system andmaking it easier for smaller companies to obtainfinancing.

Other executives urged their governments toderegulate, partner with private firms on invest-ment projects, and encourage women to work.These policies have been tried by many govern-ments across the region with mixed success; theyface bureaucratic and in some cases politicalobstacles. — Reuters

‘Barbarians at the gate’ as ME business leaders meet MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister

Dmitry Medvedev said yesterday that hisgovernment will adopt a “tough stance” ifUkraine defaults on its debt, whichincludes a $3 billion loan from Moscow.

Speaking in an interview with statechannel Rossiya, Medvedev saidUkraine’s failure to repay its debt or adecision to freeze payments couldprompt Russia to oppose new IMF loansto the country. The conflict with pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine’s industrialeast-which Kiev blames on Moscow-hasgreatly exacerbated economic difficultiesin the former Soviet republic.

Medvedev said recent steps by Kievtoward freezing debt payments are“looking like the denial by Bolsheviks topay the debt of the tsarist government.”

“If indeed it will be done this way, thatis undoubtedly a default by Ukraine,”Medvedev said of the potential debtfreeze. “That will influence the process oftheir negotiations with the InternationalMonetary Fund. We will take a maximallytough stance in this case and will defendour national interests.”

Ukraine’s parliament this week votedto give the government the right to delayrepaying international creditors if neces-

sary, leading to a furious reaction byMoscow, which is waiting for Kiev torepay a $3 billion loan by the end of theyear.

Moscow issued the loan in December2013, just months before the collapse ofthe regime of ex-president ViktorYanukovych, who fled to Russia in thewake of mass protests.

Kiev’s current pro-Western govern-ment is racing to agree a debt restruc-turing deal with its creditors before thenext IMF board meeting in June. It isaiming to reach 15 billion euros in sav-ings in order to qualify for the next partof the IMF’s $17.5 billion loan program.But the talks have proven difficult, andKiev last week criticized its creditorsover what it said was a “lack of willing-ness to engage in negotiations.”

Medvedev reiterated that Russia “isnot planning to restructure anything”and would oppose new IMF loans ifUkraine defaults. “We cannot block any-thing on our own... but naturally we willtalk about it,” Medvedev said, addingthat the recent parl iament vote inUkraine “influences the position of oth-er creditors and other members of theIMF.” — AFP

Russia vows ‘tough’ action if Ukraine defaults on debt

AIIB issue raised in Taiwan-China talks

TAIPEI: China’s top Taiwan affairs official Zhang Zhijun methis Taiwanese counterpart yesterday, with Beijing’s rejec-tion of Taipei as a founding member of a China-led regionalinfrastructure bank a key issue on the agenda.

China last month dashed the island’s hopes of becom-ing a founding member of the Asian InfrastructureInvestment Bank (AIIB), though a Chinese foreign ministryspokesman said at the time it could join under an “appro-priate name”. The issue was raised as Zhang, director ofChina’s Taiwan affairs office, met Andrew Hsia, chairman ofTaiwan’s top China policy decision-making body, theMainland Affairs Council, in Kinmen-a Taiwan-administeredisland off China’s Xiamen city. “The mainland side againvoiced their welcome to our desires of attending AIIB,” thecouncil said in a statement after the meeting.

China and Taiwan split at the end of the civil war in 1949when the Kuomintang fled the mainland after a defeat atthe hands of the Chinese Communist Party. But Beijing stillregards the island as a province awaiting reunification.

As a result, China routinely opposes moves by Taiwan tojoin international organizations, arguing it is not a country.Earlier this month, the head of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintangparty (KMT) Eric Chu said he remained “optimistic” aboutjoining the bank and proposed joining under the name“Chinese Taipei”.

Trade agreements, the opening of liaison offices andjoint efforts to battle crimes were also discussed during themeeting, which is part of a two day visit by Zhang.

In his opening speech, Hsia hailed the significance ofthe meeting at Kinmen, which was the scene of a fierce 44-day bombardment by the Chinese army beginning onAugust 23, 1958, which killed 618 servicemen and civiliansand injuring more than 2,600.

Angry protests Zhang’s visit was met by angry members from the anti-

China Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) who waved placardsand shouted, “Oppose Hsia-Zhang meeting! Taiwan inter-ests betrayed!” The demonstration turned violent after aTSU protester hurled a smoke grenade at Zhang’s motor-cade leading to a confrontation with around 20 China sup-porters who pushed their way through the police line thatseparated the two groups, police said. Five people wereinjured with four of them hospitalised, police said, addingthat one pro-China protester was also arrested. “Taiwan is ademocratic country, any use of violence should be stronglycondemned,” Hsu Ya-chi of TSU said.

Tensions between Taiwan and China have decreasedmarkedly since 2008 after Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly KMT came to power promising to beef up tradeand tourism links. But recently public sentiment in Taiwanhas once again turned against closer ties with Beijing, withvoters saying trade deals have been agreed in secret andhave not benefited ordinary citizens.

In March last year, around 200 students occupied parlia-ment for more than three weeks to demonstrate against acontroversial services trade pact, while thousands rallied insupport of what became known as the “SunflowerMovement”. The KMT suffered its worst-ever showing inlocal polls in November-seen as a barometer for presiden-tial elections in 2016 — with its Beijing-friendly policyblamed for alienating voters.—AFP

B U S I N E S SSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

EXCHANGE RATES

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 2.496Indian Rupees 4.772Pakistani Rupees 2.970Srilankan Rupees 2.244Nepali Rupees 2.987Singapore Dollar 228.590Hongkong Dollar 39.092Bangladesh Taka 3.893Philippine Peso 6.808Thai Baht 9.092

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 80.843Qatari Riyal 83.276Omani Riyal 787.520Bahraini Dinar 80.510UAE Dirham 82.539

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 42.200Egyptian Pound - Transfer 39.637Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.415Tunisian Dinar 157.160Jordanian Dinar 427.600Lebanese Lira/for 1000 2.034Syrian Lira 2.160Morocco Dirham 31.563

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 303.000Euro 336.940Sterling Pound 472.530Canadian dollar 248.970Turkish lira 116.630Swiss Franc 324.580Australian Dollar 240.280US Dollar Buying 301.800

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFTEurope

Belgian Franc 0.007902 0.008902British Pound 0.463921 0.472921Czech Korune 0.004387 0.016387Danish Krone 0.041422 0.046422Euro 0.328931 0.336931Norwegian Krone 0.036309 0.041509Romanian Leu 0.086889 0.086889Slovakia 0.009030 0.019030Swedish Krona 0.032661 0.037661Swiss Franc 0.315318 0.325518Turkish Lira 0.116010 0.123010

AustralasiaAustralian Dollar 0.229076 0.240576New Zealand Dollar 0.216268 0.225768

AmericaCanadian Dollar 0.241694 0.250194US Dollars 0.298800 0.303500

US Dollars Mint 0.299300 0.303500

AsiaBangladesh Taka 0.003549 0.004149Chinese Yuan 0.047439 0.050939Hong Kong Dollar 0.036981 0.039731Indian Rupee 0.004535 0.004936Indonesian Rupiah 0.000019 0.000025Japanese Yen 0.002426 0.002606Kenyan Shilling 0.003353 0.003353Korean Won 0.000268 0.000283Malaysian Ringgit 0.080531 0.086531Nepalese Rupee 0.003038 0.003208Pakistan Rupee 0.002777 0.003057Philippine Peso 0.006698 0.006978Sierra Leone 0.000067 0.000073Singapore Dollar 0.224663 0.230663South African Rand 0.019687 0.028187Sri Lankan Rupee 0.001843 0.002423Taiwan 0.009857 0.010037Thai Baht 0.008742 0.0009292

ArabBahraini Dinar 0.796985 0.804985Egyptian Pound 0.039913 0.043013Iranian Riyal 0.000084 0.000085Iraqi Dinar 0.000186 0.000246Jordanian Dinar 0.422915 0.430415Kuwaiti Dinar 1.000000 1.000000Lebanese Pound 0.000152 0.000252Moroccan Dirhams 0.021765 0.045765Nigerian Naira 0.001249 0.001884Omani Riyal 0.780741 0.786421Qatar Riyal 0.082488 0.083701Saudi Riyal 0.080137 0.080837Syrian Pound 0.001284 0.001504Tunisian Dinar 0.153220 0.161220Turkish Lira 0.116010 0.123010UAE Dirhams 0.081487 0.082636Yemeni Riyal 0.001369 0.001449

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 226.64Canadian Dollar 251.58Swiss Franc 327.42Euro 339.45US Dollar 303.10Sterling Pound 472.81Japanese Yen 2.54Bangladesh Taka 3.891Indian Rupee 4.750Sri Lankan Rupee 2.248Nepali Rupee 2.975Pakistani Rupee 2.973UAE Dirhams 82.40Bahraini Dinar 804.50Egyptian Pound 39.61Jordanian Dinar 430.59Omani Riyal 786.08Qatari Riyal 83.47Saudi Riyal 80.74

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 302.900Canadian Dollar 255.880Sterling Pound 475.240Euro 345.788Swiss Frank 276.932Bahrain Dinar 799.730UAE Dirhams 82.500Qatari Riyals 83.740Saudi Riyals 81.310

Jordanian Dinar 426.125Egyptian Pound 39.491Sri Lankan Rupees 2.242Indian Rupees 4.751Pakistani Rupees 2.961Bangladesh Taka 3.876Philippines Pesso 6.777Cyprus pound 741.050Japanese Yen 3.525Syrian Pound 2.595Nepalese Rupees 3.025Malaysian Ringgit 85.500Chinese Yuan Renminbi 49.040Thai Bhat 9.970Turkish Lira 116.910

GOLD20 gram 243.90010 gram 124.6405 gram 63.010

CARACAS: Bank workers handling Venezuela’s currency, the “Bolivar Fuerte,” or Strong Bolivar, at the Central Bank in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuelans areexpressing disbelief as the country’s currency has lost a quarter of its value on the black market in the space of a week in 2015, between May 14 and 22. —AP

CARACAS: Venezuelans are dumping theirrapidly-depreciating currency at a quickerpace, leading to a staggering plunge in itsfree-market value, as the crisis-plaguedeconomy edges closer to an outbreak ofhyperinflation.

DolarToday, a widely followed websitethat tracks exchanges made near theColombian border, reported Friday that thebolivar had lost a quarter of its value overthe last seven days.

Everyone in smartphone-obsessedCaracas seemed to learn of the crash at thesame time as the DolarToday app, a ubiqui-tous tool in the South American country,sent out a series of messages announcingthe new rates under the headline “hyperin-flation!”

Venezuelan currency was trading ataround 420 bolivars per dollar Friday after-noon, according to the site. That was down

from 300 bolivars per dollar on May 14 and173 at the start of the year.

Many black market dealers pausedtransactions until the rate stabilized, butsome Venezuelans said they had changedmoney at the 400 bolivar rate Friday.

It’s not immediately clear what triggeredthe latest bout of panic buying and selling.But for many Venezuelans, who have lostfaith in their currency, the dollar is the bestway to protect themselves from inflation,which last year hit 68 percent and whicheconomists say has already soared past thetriple-digit threshold this year.

A Barclay Capital Inc. report issuedFriday pointed to government expansion ofthe money supply as an underlying causefor inflation. The bank projected the Bolivarcould dip as low as 600 to the dollar thisyear. “We do not see any signal of changefrom the authorities but these risks should

make them reconsider their policies,” thereport said.

The administration of President NicolasMaduro keeps tight control over the legalexchange of bolivars, using a byzantinethree-tier system. The system is meant tosubsidize crucial imports, but also has ledto widespread corruption and speculation.

One official rate is 6.3 bolivars per dollar.The weakest official rate, which was billedas an alternative to il legal currencyexchanges when it was rolled out earliertheir year, has inched up to 200 bolivars perdollar. The fact many people are willing topay double that on the black market indi-cates the supply of dollars is limited.

The Maduro administration has beenhoarding dollars as it grapples with fallingoil prices. That has contributed to short-ages and other economic distortions.DolarToday is openly hostile to the socialist

government and frequently picks up arti-cles attacking the administration. But thesite insists its exchange-rate reports arebased on actual trades at the border andare not manipulated to undercut the gov-ernment.

In April, Maduro repeated his assertionthat the site’s shadowy managers, whoseidentities are not public, are collaboratingwith the speculators and opposition lead-ers he blames for the country’s problems.He accused them of purposely sowingchaos and promised to have them arrested.

“We’re going to put those people atDolarToday who are waging an economicwar against Venezuela behind bars soonerrather than later” he said. The site, which issometimes blocked within Venezuela,responded with a cheeky video document-ing its popularity set to the club hit “TurnDown for What.” —AP

Venezuela currency tumbles as people look to unload bolivars

Pakistan cuts interest rates

to historic lowKARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank yesterday slashed thebenchmark interest rates to a 42-year low of seven percent,hoping to stimulate growth in the long dormant economy.

“The State Bank (of Pakistan) is cutting the monetarypolicy rates by 100 basis points, aiming at boosting invest-ment in the country,” Ashraf Mahamood Wathra told apress conference in the capital Islamabad.

Pakistan is trying to reboot its economy as key indica-tors became favorable at home, with the added supportfrom depressed petroleum prices in the global market.Standard and Poor’s early this month revised Pakistan’scredit rating outlook from stable to positive and forecasthigher GDP growth for 2015 to 2017, amid a stint of eco-nomic reforms.

In March, Moody’s upgraded Pakistan’s dollar bonds rat-ing by one notch from stable to positive.

Net foreign exchange reserves with the central bankreached $12.55 billion dollars this month from just $3.2 bil-lion in January 2014. The International Monetary Fund(IMF) has voiced satisfaction with Pakistan’s progress onreforms, which were required under a $6.6-billion bailoutagreed in 2013.

“The low interest and inflation rates would entail robustinvestment in the country in the next fiscal year,” saidMohammad Sohail who heads the Topline Securities, oneof the leading brokerage and investment house in Karachi,the country’s financial hub. —AFP

KSE trading ‘weak’last week: Report

KUWAIT: Trading at Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) over the lastweek was marked with “weakness” due to the state of pur-chase ‘reluctance’ either from market giants or individualsinvestors, Al-Oula brokerage company said in a reportreleased yesterday. The Kuwait bourse trading, in the pastweek, came under the influence of limited activity by collec-tive investors, causing all three indices to decline on lastThursday’s session.

The benchmark reading at the last day of trading was6,332, losing 46.87 points. The Weighted index edged down,1.64 points, likewise Kuwait-15 index, dropping 4.07 points.The report further indicated that the suspension of 24 compa-nies from trading due to failure to produce financial balancesheets and hold their general assemblies, contributed inadding more pressure on leading stocks, especially in thebanking sector. The suspended companies represent 10 per-cent of the overall companies listed in KSE. Though level ofliquidity was up on Wednesday’s session, yet it declined thenext day, mainly for blue chip stocks; Islamic banking in par-ticular, the report noted. Last Thursday, value of traded sharesin KSE reached KD 13.8 million and volume turnover amount-ed to approximately 146.7 million, done in 4,018 deals.

BEIJING: China and Peru haveagreed to study the feasibility of acontroversial 5,300 km (3,300 miles)transcontinental railroad that willconnect Peru’s Pacific coast withBrazil’s Atlantic coast, China’s officialXinhua News Agency reported.

The agreement came as ChinesePremier Li Keqiang arrived in Peru,on the third leg of a Latin Americavisit. This week, Brazil and Chinaagreed on a feasibility study for therail link.

In talks with Peruvian PresidentOllanta Humala on Friday, Li calledfor cooperation in the oil, cleanenergy, mining, agriculture, forestryand fishery sectors, the newsagency said.

Li also said the two govern-ments should cooperate on finan-cial issues, including a method tocarry out trade settlement in localcurrencies, and a currency swapscheme.

The proposed transcontinentalrailway would span the Andes tothe Pacific and reduce the cost ofshipping grain and minerals toAsia. China and Latin Americawould each benefit from the proj-ect by upgrading infrastructure,while allowing China to export its“industrial capacity” and invest-ment, Xinhua said. Humala saidChina’s participation in the projectwas “indispensable”, the newsagency reported.

Outside the rail scheme study,the two governments on Fridayalso signed cooperation agree-ments on industrial capacity, ener-gy, mining, infrastructure, quaran-tine, healthcare and aerospace.

In January, Chinese President XiJinping pledged $250 billion ininvestment in Latin America overthe next 10 years as part of a driveto boost resource-hungry China’sinfluence in a region long dominat-ed by the United States. Li oversawa raft of agreements during his visitto Brazil this week, ranging from a$1 billion purchase of passengerjets made by Brazil’s Embraer to thelifting of an export ban on Brazilianbeef. —Reuters

China, Peru agree to study transcontinental rail link


KUWAIT: Al-Yousifi Company’s Directors & Management and Midea company officials, guests, dealers and enterprise clients attend the launch ceremony at the Regency Hotel. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Easa Husain Al-Yousifi &Sons Company launched recentlytheir full line of home appliances andAC units from their brand Midea. Thefull range of products were intro-duced at an event hosted at theRegency Hotel, which was attendedby Al-Yousifi company’s guests, deal-ers and enterprise clients, Press andmedia channels in addition to theDirectors & Management of EasaHusain Al-Yousifi Company and Mideacompany.

Midea is one of the leading largestappliances companies in China,founded in 1968. Over the decades,company has grown into one of thehigh quality producers of most com-prehensive home appliances andHVAC products.

Midea has 14 main production

base in China and 7 production baseoutside china with man powerstrength of 108,000 worldwide. Andthe turnover has reached $23 billion.Midea has joined venture withJapanese and American worldrenowned brands in addition to JVwith leading domestics brands.

It sells products domesticallyunder its own name, while the majori-ty of its export business is OEM and0DM for many well-known globalbrands.

In recent years, Midea has begunlaunching its own brand in a growingnumber of foreign markets, such asBrazil, Argentina, India, Egypt, andmost countries in Southeast Asia &Middle East.

The company’s main product cate-gory includes air conditioners, both

residential and commercial. majorhome appliances such as refrigerators,washing machines, Water coolers, anddishwashers. Midea also offers widerange of smaller appliances, such asmicrowave ovens, kettles, blenders,juicers and vacuum cleaners.

Wael Deeb, General Manager ofElectronics group business wasdelighted to state that Al-YousifiCompany is proud to be one of thebusiness partners with Midea brandfor their wide range of innovativeappliances that offers affordableprices without compromising theproduct quality.

In Kuwait market, Midea is associ-ated with Easa Husain Al-Yousifi asbeing one of the fast growing retailersin the market “known with its com-mercial name as “BEST AL-YOUSIFI”.

Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co launches Midea brand productsLatest innovative home appliances and AC units

LONDON: The Bank of England plans toassess the implications of a possibleBritish exit from the European Union, itsaid in a statement, confirming an emailit inadvertently sent to a newspaperabout the supposedly confidentialresearch project.

The Guardian reported that an aideto a senior Bank official said in the emailthe project should be kept secret frommost BoE staff and any journalists ask-ing about it should be told the Bank waslooking at a broad range of Europeaneconomic issues.

Brit ish Prime Minister DavidCameron, who was re-elected on May 7,has pledged to reshape Britain’s tieswith the EU before holding an in-outmembership referendum by the end of2017.

As with last year ’s referendum onScottish independence, the BoE is keento avoid any suggestion it is entering apolit ical debate. In a statement onFriday evening, the Bank confirmed itsintention to launch the assessment.

“It should not come as a surprise thatthe Bank is under taking such workabout a stated government policy,” itsaid in the statement posted on its web-site.

“There are a range of economic andfinancial issues that arise in the contextof the renegotiation and national refer-endum. It is one of the Bank’s responsi-bilities to assess those that relate to itsobjectives.” Many British business lead-ers are worried about the possibility oflosing access to their main export mar-

kets and there are also concerns aboutthe impact on Britain’s financial servicesindustry.

Deutsche Bank, the euro-zone’s sec-ond-largest bank by assets with largeoperations in Britain, said on May 19 ithad begun initial preparations for a pos-sible British exit from the EU.

The BoE said it would not talk aboutits assessment in advance but woulddisclose details “at the appropriate time”,adding it had taken a similar approachwhen it considered the implications oflast year’s Scottish referendum.

“While it is unfortunate that thisinformation has entered the publicdomain in this way, the Bank will main-tain this approach,” the statement said.

Chris Leslie, finance spokesman forthe main opposition Labour party, saidit was crucial Britons were given a fullanalysis of the facts, with “no hiddenagendas”.

“We now need to know whether theBank of England report will be pub-lished in time for everyone to considerthe facts before a referendum,” he said,adding the Bank should provide a cleart imetable and identify the peopleinvolved in the project. The Guardiansaid the email was written by the pri-vate secretary of Jon Cunliffe, a deputygovernor responsible for consideringpotential risks to the economy from thebanking and financial services sector. Itwas mistakenly sent to the Guardian bya member of the Bank’s press office. ABank spokesman declined to commentfurther on the report. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: I f there was onething most economists agreed on atthe start of the year, it was this:Plunging oil prices would boost theUS economy. It hasn’t worked outthat way.

The economy is thought to haveshrunk in the January-March quarterand may barely grow for the first halfof 2015 - thanks in part to sharp cutsin energy drilling. And despite theirsavings at the gas pump, consumershave slowed rather than increasedtheir spending. At $2.74 a gallon, theaverage price of gas nationwide isnearly $1 lower than it was a yearago. In January, the average brieflyreached $2.03, the lowest in fiveyears.

Cheaper oil and gas had beenexpected to turbocharge spendingand drive growth, more than makingup for any economic damage causedby cutbacks in the US oil patch.

Consider what Federal ReserveChair Janet Yellen said in December:Lower gas prices, Yellen declared, are“certainly good for families. ... It’s likea tax cut that boosts their spendingpower.”

Other experts were more direct:“Lower oil prices are an unambiguousplus for the U.S. economy,” ChrisLafakis, an economist at Moody’sAnalytics, wrote in January.

So what did they get wrong? Itturns out that the economic effectsof lower energy prices have evolved

since the Great Recession. Corporatespending on drill rigs, steel piping forwells and railcars to transport oil hasbecome an increasingly vital driver ofeconomic growth. So when oil pricesfall and energy companies retrench,the economy suffers.

The drilling boom that erupted in2008 has boosted US oil productionnearly 75 percent and natural gas 30percent and made the United Statesthe world’s largest combined produc-er of oil and natural gas. Energy pro-duction contributes about 2 percentto economic output, up from lessthan 1 percent in 2000.

Yet in recent months, industryactivity has dropped more sharplythan predicted. “So far, it is fair to saythat we have been hurt more thanhelped,” Lafakis acknowledges now.During their policy meeting lastmonth, Fed officials grappled withthe changing impact of cheaper oil,according to minutes of the meetingreleased Wednesday. Several policy-makers said the economic drag fromdrilling cutbacks could be “larger andlonger-lasting than previously antici-pated.”

Consumer spendingThey also worried that the weak-

ness in consumer spending, despitecheaper gas, suggested thatAmericans might generally be morereluctant to spend than assumed.Some economists are reconsidering

assumptions they use to forecast theeconomy. “The benefit of lower oilprices is less pronounced than, say,10 years ago,” says Jim Burkhard, aresearcher at IHS Energy. “You’re tak-ing a big engine of economic activityand cutting it sharply.”

Lafakis and many others stil lexpect consumers to spend much oftheir savings from cheaper gas, pow-ering faster growth in the second halfof the year. Economists say it can takeup to six months for people to spendunexpected windfalls. But any gainswon’t likely be enough to counter theanemic start to the year. Moody’s

Analytics expects the economy toexpand just 2.6 percent this year,down from an earlier forecast of 3.3percent. (The downgrade is also duein part to a stronger US dollar, whichhas depressed exports.)

For families, the drop in gas priceswas an unexpected gift. The govern-ment has estimated that cheaper gaswill save a typical household $675this year. Yet still scarred by the reces-sion, many remain reluctant to spendfreely. Analysts also note thatAmericans are less likely to spendextra money if they think the gain istemporary.—AP

BoE confirms EU exitresearch after email misfire

Why many experts missed this: Cheap oil can hurt US economy

RALEIGH: Protesters gather and hold signs before a hearing on pro-posed rules for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, oil and gas drilling, inRaleigh, North Carolina.—AP


KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in thered zone. The Price Index closed at 6,332.27 points, down by0.39 percent from the week before closing, the Weighted Indexdecreased by 1.33 percent after closing at 423.69 points,whereas the KSX-15 Index closed at 1,016.98 points, down by1.67 percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnoverincreased by 2.65 percent, compared to the preceding week,reaching KD 14.11 million, whereas trading volume averagewas 130.79 million shares, recording decrease of 17.72 percent.

The fluctuation characterized last week’s trading activity,however, the three indices closed in the red zone in light ofthe continued control of the speculative operations over thetrading activity, among concentration on small-cap stocks inparticular. Also, the stock market witnessed a noticeableactivity on the profit collection operations during the week,and included many traded stocks, especially the large-cap andoperational stocks, which negatively affected the Weightedand KSX-15 indices.

Moreover, the stock market trading activity during most oflast week’s sessions were weak and varied due to the effect ofthe decision made for banning some companies’ stocks fromtrading, of which could not disclose its first quarter financialresults before the legal period given of last Sunday, in addi-tion to the traders’ continued abandon to the trading activitywaiting for some positive motivators to support the purchas-ing direction, which explains the daily liquidity levels fluctua-tions during this period.

By the end of the week, the number of companies that dis-closed its first quarter financial results reached 178 company,out of 191 listed company in the official market, representingaround 93.20 percent of the total companies; and the netprofit of the disclosed companies reached KD 490.63 million,compared to KD 491.62 million for the same period of lastmonth, declining by around 0.20 percent.

Furthermore, the market cap for Kuwait Stock Exchangereached KD 27.87 billion by the end of last week, decreasingby 1.39 percent when compared to its level of KD 28.27 billionin the previous week; on an annual level, the market cap ofthe listed companies declined by 0.38 percent from its valueof KD 27.98 billion at year end of 2014.

As far as KSE annual performance, the price index ended

last week recording 3.11 percent annual loss compared to itsclosing in 2014, while the weighted index decreased by 3.46percent, and the KSX-15 recorded 4.05 percent loss.

Sectors’ IndicesSeven of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the red zone,

while the other five recorded increases. The Oil & Gas sectorheaded the losers list as its index declined by 2.67 percent toend the week’s activity at 974.89 points. The Banks sector wassecond on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.67 per-cent, closing at 987.78 points, followed by the FinancialServices sector, as its index closed at 782.27 points at a loss of0.52 percent. The Real Estate sector was the least declining as

its index closed at 1,053.67 points with a 0.18 percentdecrease.

On the other hand, last week’s highest gainer was theHealth Care sector, achieving 0.45 percent growth rate as itsindex closed at 860.15 points. Whereas, in the second place,the Technology sector’s index closed at 923.77 points record-ing 0.22 percent increase. The Telecommunications sectorcame in third as its index achieved 0.12 percent growth, end-ing the week at 630.92 points.

Sectors’ ActivityThe Real Estate sector dominated a total trade volume of

around 240.51 million shares changing hands during last

week, representing 36.78 percent of the total market tradingvolume. The Financial Services sector was second in terms oftrading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 33.55 per-cent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of around219.39 million shares.

On the other hand, the Banks sector’s stocks were the high-est traded in terms of value; with a turnover of around KD20.72 million or 29.36 percent of last week’s total market trad-ing value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as thesector’s last week turnover was approx. KD 16.01 million rep-resenting 22.70 percent of the total market trading value.

—Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, BayanInvestment Co.

Kuwait stocks under selling pressureBAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks moved mostly higherthis week despite mixed earnings from big retailersand caution about swelling equity valuations. TheDow and S&P 500 both notched record closes duringthe week before retreating a bit, while the Nasdaqended less than three points away from its all-timehigh. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 40.54points (0.22 percent) at 18,232.02 compared with lastFriday. But the broad-based S&P 500 advanced 3.33(0.16 percent) to 2,126.06, while the tech-rich NasdaqComposite Index rose 41.07 (0.81 percent) to 5,089.36.

Hugh Johnson of Hugh Johnson Advisors saidstocks would probably stall given current valuationsand the prospect of higher interest rates. “For stockmarkets, 2013 and 2014 had been very good yearsand now it has hit what I call the wall of valuation,becoming somewhat overvalued,” Johnson said. Theweek was relatively light on economic indicators, leav-ing minutes from the Federal Reserve’s April policymeeting as one of the most watched calendar items.

The minutes cast further doubt on the prospects ofan imminent hike to the near-zero federal funds rate,with “many” policy makers viewing a June rateincrease as “unlikely.” In a speech on Friday, Fed ChairJanet Yellen reaffirmed that the Fed was on track toraise interest rates this year. However, she also warnedthat the US economy continues to show weakness,

with significant job market slack not reflected in the5.4 percent jobless rate.

Alan Skrainka, chief investment officer atCornerstone Wealth Management, said the Fed’s plancould weigh on stocks unless the economy picks up.“We need to see some real momentum, better growthoutside of just jobs growth,” he said. “We need to see apickup in spending, a pickup in investment to justifythe Fed engaging in a cycle of Fed rate hikes. Or elsethe market is going to say this is a mistake.”

Mixed retail earnings Among retailers reporting earnings, Dow member

Home Depot was a bright spot. The home-improve-ment chain lifted its full-year profit forecast after UScomparable stores sales rose 7.1 percent in the firstquarter. Best Buy and Target also released strongresults.

But Wal-Mart Stores, the world’s biggest retailer,disappointed with a seven percent drop in quarterlyearnings to $3.3 billion in its fiscal first quarter due tohigher costs, including the company’s wage hike for

its US staff. Walmart’s 1.1 percent gain in US compara-ble-stores sales for the quarter ending April 30 wasalso below some analyst forecasts.

Others to disappoint included home-improvementretailer Lowe’s and the youth apparel chains UrbanOutfitters and Gap. “As far as we can tell, spending isvery tepid,” Skrainka said. “Consumers are cautious,company executives are cautious.”

In deal news, US drugstore chain CVS Healthannounced it would buy Omnicare, which providespharmacy-related services to long-term care facilities,for $12.7 billion.

In another health-sector acquisition, EndoInternational announced it would pay $8.05 billion forprivately held US firm Par Pharmaceutical Holdings tostrengthen its generic drugs business.

Ascena Retai l Group struck a deal to buywomen’s apparel company ANN, parent of chainAnn Taylor, for $2.2 billion. Major economic reportsnext week include the Conference Board’s report onMay consumer confidence, durable goods ordersfor April and the government’s second estimate of

first-quarter economic growth. US equity marketsare closed Monday in observance of the MemorialDay holiday. — AFP

US stocks up despite valuation worriesWALL STREET WEEKLY REPORT

NEW YORK: A Wall Street sign hangs near the NewYork Stock Exchange. Stocks slipped in early tradingon Friday as energy companies fell along with theprice of oil. — AP


AL-SHALL WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORTKUWAIT: Natural resources, represented inKuwait by oil only, are a blessing if handledwell and a curse if mishandled. Oil, both as asource and sector, was a blessing until it wascompletely politicized by the government. Theoil, the resource, has been abused by the gov-ernment until the economical competitive-ness was depleted, the country ’s humanpotential and capacities were wasted, and thevalues of education and work were adverselyaffected.

Instead, it has become a tool for rewardingthose who are undeserved and buying theirloyalties. The oil sector suffered from the dom-inance of incompetent and unprofessionaladministrators and kept moving from thehands of one political faction to another inaccordance with the government’s alliances,to ensure prolonging its reign in powerregardless of its poor performance. Duringeras of oil booms (1973-1980 and 2003-2014),the rate of destruction was at its highest but itenabled the government to cover up its sinsdue to an abundance of resources and gener-ous gifts.

Recently, the already weak oil sector, washit by successive crises which further weak-ened it and left it gasping for air. Mistakes inallocating its resources or management, willyield unbearable consequences in the future.

Its first crisis, which will last to the mediumand long terms, is its weak market which lostabout 49 percent of its prices from an averageof $108.56 per barrel for 2013 for Brent to anaverage of $ 55.32 per barrel in the first fourmonths of 2015, with continuous pressure onproduction level. The second crisis is the con-flict within the alliances the Divided Zonewhich stopped the flow of oil from the DividedZone in the offshore oilfields since about 7months and on the onshore oil fields for twoweeks. The dispute is political and sovereignand is not a matter of maintenance and envi-ronmental as publicly declared. Its futurerepercussions are much worse than losing ashare of production under the current difficultmarket conditions.

Under such circumstances the repercus-sions of one of the two crises are more thanenough. The matter requires all political andtechnical collaboration to boost confidence inthe oil sector and its devotion to confront thepotential implications of the aforementionedcrises.

The ambition is no longer for the govern-ment to achieve the objectives of develop-ment, even just by hope. The Governmentfailed to establish Capital Markets Authority,an airport, or even its toilets cleanness, orestablish a university or a hospital, or even tomanage its airline, and many others; it ispainful though it is true. In the absence of anyachievement, the hope in halting the deterio-ration of what remains, such as education orhealth services or even the traffic jams andstreet grit is unjustifiable. But when it comesto accelerating the destruction of the mostimportant sector, it is certainly unbearable.The prevailing principle now is ‘Whoevercatches it feeds his children’.

The strategic alternative An argument is going on for some time

about the readiness of the government’sstrategic alternative which refers to a generaladjustment of salary scales in the public sectorto equalize between various functions ( jobdescriptions) and grades in the entire sector.According to preliminary and unofficial infor-mation, the cost of the strategic alternativewould be an increase of around half a billiondinars a year, to cover the direct and indirectincrease of salaries and social security bur-dens. The historical background for the needto an alternative was that overwhelming anar-chy that led each authority or career to usepressures to push for its own excellence in thecadres. Examples include professors in highereducation institutions, teachers, the oilemployees and now the judiciary body. In fact,in 2011, the Government has involved themembers of the Senior Advisory Committeewhich it formed and promised it to wait for itsreport before it takes any decision to increasethe cadres. No sooner than a few days, itshocked it by approving excessive cadres forthe oil sector. The Oil Minister then said -sum-mer of 2011- it would not cost the treasuryone dinar, which was wrong, and reflective ofthe Government’s poor professional level.

Although what I will say is not popular, butthe Government’s proposal is neither an alter-native nor strategic. The alternative is anoption among options and the best in termsof its benefits or advantages will be selected.Unfortunately, our alternative is not as such,neither strategic simply because it is unsus-tainable. It is not alternative because alterna-tives achieve justice in linking the remunera-tion with performance, i.e. productivity. Anyvalid alternative should be in both direc-tions -increase or decrease- in accordancewith that criterion which is not given. It is nota substitute because it is simply a repairprocess to political errors that exaggeratedgrants and gifts. The real alternative is to pun-ish who erred but not to endanger the futureby real threat to cover up sins.

It is not an alternative because some of itsproven results will include increasing thetemptations of jobs in the public sectorwhich is over saturated by veiled unem-ployment. It will certainly increase the paceof reverse migration from the private sectorto the public.

It is not strategic because strategies seekstability and prosperity over the medium tolong term. At this level of salary and wage billin the public sector, it will be impossible toprovide any other essential services such aseducation, health and housing. It is not strate-gic because it is unsustainable even in oilbooming market conditions, and its age isshorter under the current and future weak oilmarket conditions. It is no longer possible toincrease public spending 5 times in 15 years asit did between 2000-2015. And it is unsustain-able because all the present indigenous work-

force after some 70 years of the age of oil isaround 420,000 workers while approximately420,000 new citizen workers will flow into themarket within 16 years. The rise in cost againstthe increase in labor influx for 4 times, willeventually lead to unveiled and large scaleunemployment. In any case, any new work-force increase will have the same fate as theold one; it will be swallowed by inflation, low-ering the purchasing power of wages, particu-larly that component pertinent to housingnecessities like land, rentals and their impactson other prices.

We believe that there are three founda-tions of a real strategic alternative. The first isto punish who caused this anarchy, makingpublic administration a model. The second isan income tax system after certain bracket toachieve maximum possible justice and reformof the troubled conditions of the publicfinance. The third is to stop financial waste,confront corruption, and impose strict control

over exploitation of illegitimate profit at theexpense of people with fixed income.

Profits of listed companies in Q1 175 companies out of 191 listed companies

(about 91.6 percent) officially announced theirfinancial statements for the first quarter of2015 after excluding the deleted and suspend-ed companies and those whose financialstatement dates difference. Those companiesachieved net profits by KD 489.4 million whichseem slightly higher by 0.03 percent than theiramount in the same period of 2014 whichequaled KD 489.2 million. Profit levelimproved in the first quarter of 2015 by 76.1percent compared with the profits in thefourth quarter of 2014 for the same samplewhich scored KD 277.9 million. This is a posi-tive trend that needs to be sustained duringthe remaining part of the year.

Profits of five sectors out of 12 rose com-pared with the same period of 2014. The best

was the banking sector which increased itsprofits to KD 242.3 million (KD 212.8 million inthe same period 2014). The second sector wasthe financial services which lifted its profitsfrom KD 31.9 million to KD 41.5 million thisquarter. On the other hand, the telecommuni-cations sector achieved the highest retreatrate in its profitability from KD 84.3 million toabout KD 54.1 million. The Industry sectorcame next in declining profits from KD 58.5million to KD 52.6 million.

Results of the first quarter indicate that 145companies have improved results with 124companies increased their profits, 21 compa-nies reduced their losses or turned to prof-itability. In other words, 82.9 percent of thecompanies which announced their resultsachieved better performance. 30 companiesachieved drop in their performance, with 12companies achieved less profits and 18 com-panies moved from profits to losses.

Top gainers included 10 leading compa-

nies which achieved the highest profit valueby KD 297.3 million, 60.7 percent of totalabsolute profits. “NBK” led the list by KD 96.5million, Ahli United Bank -Bahrain- came nextby KD 43.8 million and Zain” came third by KD41.1 million. KFH came fourth by KD 29.9 mil-lion.

Top losers achieved absolute losses by KD11.9 million. International Financial Advisorssustained the highest loss by KD 3.1 million,then the IFA Hotels and Resorts Co by KD 2.1million. Details of sectors profits are containedin the attached table.

The importance of improved performancedoes not come from the absolute numbers, asit’s not a indication of continuity in the posi-tive direction, but comes despite headwinds,as the oil market is weak, the geopoliticalevents evolved for the worse, and the political,administrative and domestic situation is diffi-cult, and even the stock market’s liquidity andshares prices declined in first quarter of thisyear. Perhaps the general environment will bea little better in the second quarter, as oilprices have risen and become more stable,and fears of the geopolitical situation to wors-en retreated a little and its negative effects onasset prices have become less, therefore thecurrent quarter performance may continue toimprove.

AUB financial results Q1 2015 Ahli United Bank announced its results for

the first quarter of the current year, whichindicate the bank achieved net profits, aftertax deducting, worth KD 15.1 million, up byKD 3.1 million, or by 25.3 percent, vis-a-vis (KD12.1 million for the same period 2014). Mostof this profit is due to a drop in the value ofprovisions by KD 2.3 million, or by 50.3 per-cent, and rise in the operational profits priorto provisions deductions to KD 18.1 million,up by KD 950,000, vis-a-vis (KD 17.1 million).

Total operations revenues scored KD 26.3million, up by KD 1.5 million, or by 6.2 percentcompared with KD 24.8 million in the sameperiod last year. This increase resulted fromthe rise in net financing incomes item by KD1.1 million, or by 5.5 percent, to KD 21.5 mil-lion (KD 20.4 million for the same period2014) due to the rise in financing incomes byKD 2.9 million compared with less rise to theitem of distribution to depositor in theamount of KD 1.7 million. Item of net fees andcommission income rose by KD 429,000 to KD3.2 million (KD 2.8 million in the same period2014). While the item of other incomesdeclined by KD 313,000 to KD 144,000 (KD457,000).

Total operational expenditures increasedby less value than the rise in total operationalincomes, ie about KD 593,000, or by 7.7 per-cent, to KD 8.3 million (KD 7.7 million in thefirst quarter 2014) due to the rise in the itemof staff costs and other operational expensesby KD 610,000 to KD 7.6 million (KD 7 million).On the other hand, depreciation itemdeclined by KD 17,000 to KD 670,000 (KD687,000). Total percentage of total operationalexpenses to total operational incomes scored31.4 percent (31 percent in the first quarter2014). Total provisions declined by KD 2.3 mil-lion, or by 50.3 percent, as we mentionedabove and scored KD 2.2 million (KD 4.5 mil-lion in the same period 2014). As a result, thenet profit margin rose to 51.7 percent (45.8percent in the same period 2014).

The bank’s total assets scored about KD3.724 billion, up by 3.5 percent (KD 3.597 bil-lion in the end of 2014). They increased by10.5 percent when compared with total assetsin the end of the first quarter 2014 when theyscored KD 3.371 billion. Item of financingreceivables rose by KD 28.9 million, or by 1.2percent, to KD 2.509 billion (67.4 percent oftotal assets) versus KD 2.480 billion (69 per-cent of total assets) in the end of December2014. It also rose by KD 194.8 million, or by 8.4percent when compared with the same peri-od 2014 when it scored KD 2.315 billion (68.7percent of total assets). Item of deposits withother banks dropped by KD 41.8 million andscored KD 379.8 million (10.2 percent of totalassets), a drop rate by 9.9 percent, comparedwith KD 421.6 million (11.7 percent of totalassets) in the end of last year. When we com-pare it with the same period last year we noteit rose by KD 93.6 million, or by 32.7 percent,and scored KD 286.2 million (8.5 percent oftotal assets).

Figures indicate that the bank liabilities(without calculating total equity) increased byKD 123.5 million, or by 3.8 percent, and scoredKD 3.381 billion (KD 3.258 billion in the end of2014) and increased by KD 327.5 million, or by10.7 percent, if compared with the total in theend of the first quarter last year.

Results of analyzing the bank’s financialstatements calculated on annual basis indicatethat all the bank’s profitability indexesimproved compared with the same period of2014. Return on average capital (ROC) went upto 42.2 percent (37.1 percent). Return on aver-age bank assets (ROA) rose to 1.7 percent (1.5percent). Return on average equities relevantto bank shareholders (ROE) increased to 18.7percent (15.8 percent). (EPS) increased to 11.9fils (9.4 fils in the same period 2014). (P/E)scored 12.8 times, i.e. improved, (19.9 times inthe same period of last year) due to the rise in(EPS) by 26.6 percent from its level on 31March 2014, while the share price dropped by18.7 percent compared with price on 31 March2014. (P/B) scored 2.5 times (3.1 times in thesame period last year 2014).

The weekly performance of KSE The performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange

(KSE) for the last week was mixed, where thetraded volume index, the number of transac-tions index, and the general index showed adecrease, while the traded value index showsan increase. AlShall Index (value index) closedat 417.9 points at the closing of last Thursday,showing a decrease of 7.8 points or about 1.8percent compared to the end of the previousweek, and it decreased by 26.1 points or about5.9 percent compared to the end of 2014.

Need to boost confidence in oil sector


Senate clears WhiteHouse-backed

trade billWASHINGTON: In a victory for President Barack Obama,the Senate passed bipartisan legislation Friday night tostrengthen the administration’s hand in global trade talks,clearing the way for a highly unpredictable summershowdown in the House.

Senate passage of the trade bill capped two weeks oftense votes and near-death experiences for legislationthe administration hopes will help complete an agree-ment with Japan and 10 other countries in the Pacificregion. The vote was 62-37 on the bill, which would letObama complete trade deals that Congress couldapprove or reject, but not change. A total of 48Republicans supported the bill, but only 14 the Senate’s44 Democrats backed a president of their own party onlegislation near the top of his secondterm agenda.

Obama hailed the vote in a statement that said tradedeals “done right” are important to “expanding opportuni-ties for the middle class, leveling the playing field forAmerican workers and establishing rules for the globaleconomy that help our businesses grow and hire.”

A separate measure to prevent parts of the anti-terrorPatriot Act from lapsing, and a bill to prevent a cutoff infederal highway funding also awaited action by lawmak-ers who covetously eyed a weeklong vacation - set tobegin whenever the work was done.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnelland Obama’s indispensable ally in passing the bill, said itwould create “new opportunities for bigger paychecks,better jobs, and a stronger economy.

“The tools it contains will allow us to knock downunfair foreign trade barriers that discriminate againstAmerican workers and products stamped “Made in theUSA,” he said.

The House is expected to debate the issue as early asnext month. There, Republican Speaker John Boehnersupports the bill. But dozens of majority Republicans cur-rently oppose it, either out of ideological reasons orbecause they are loath to enhance Obama’s authority,especially at their own expense.

And Obama’s fellow Democrats show little inclinationto support legislation that much of organized laboropposes. In the run-up to a final Senate vote, Democraticsupporters of the legislation were at pains to lay to restconcerns that the legislation, like previous trade bills,could be blamed for a steady loss of jobs.

“The Senate now has the opportunity to throw the1990s NAFTA playbook into the dust bin of history,” saidDemocratic Sen. Ron Wyden. He referred to the NorthAmerican Free Trade Agreement, passed two decadesago, and a symbol to this day, fairly or not, of the loss ofunemployment to a country with lax worker safety lawsand low wages.

Wyden and others said this law had far stronger pro-tections built into it. One final attempt to add anotherone failed narrowly, 51-48 a few hours before the billcleared. It came on a proposal, by Republican Sens. RobPortman, who supported the trade bill, and DemocratDebbie Stabenow, who opposed it. —AP

KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Group shareholders approved aboard proposal for the cash distribution of KD20 million asspecial dividend for the year 2014 during the company’s13th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders that washeld at the company’s offices in Freedom Town, Kuwait.

Jazeera Airways Group Chairman, Marwan Boodai, said:“In 2014 the board of directors made the strategic decisionto further capitalize on the growth opportunities in ourhome market by focusing more on our core business, thepassenger airline business, and to exit the capital-intensiveaircraft leasing business with the sale our fleet of aircraft inJanuary of 2015. The transaction is reflected our 2014financial accounts and resulted in an additional cash sur-plus of KD24 million for the year 2014 and lifted Jazeera

Airways Group’s cash balance to KD82 million, almost dou-ble our authorized and paid up capital of KD42 million. As aresult, the company today is cash-rich, asset-light, andplans to be debt-free by end of 2015 to pursue growthopportunities Jazeera Airways.”

“In addition to the KD 20 million special dividend thatwas approved today, Jazeera Airways’ board of directorshas recommended the distribution of an additional KD30million in cash in 2015, subject to shareholder approval, inthe form of shareholder payouts as part of a share buybackscheme targeted to readjust the company’s capital inlinewith the size of our current operations”, said Boodai.

The company’s share buyback program, planned to takeplace in the second half of 2015, will be the first voluntary

share buyback program exercise in Kuwait based on thenew share buyback procedures stated by Kuwait’s newCommercial Companies Law (97/2013).

Shareholder payments in 2015 may reach KD30 million,and will include a KD22 million payout for the purchase of220 million shares out of the total 420 million outstandingissued shares at the nominal price of 100 fils (KD0.1) andup to KD8 million in 2015 earnings and other reserves thatare required by law to be distributed prior to executing theplanned share buyback program.

All payments will be executed separately in the nextseveral months with the last payment expected to takeplace in August 2015, pending regulator and shareholdersapprovals.

Jazeera Airways shareholders approve KD20m special cash dividends for 2014

Jazeera Airways Group holds 13th annual general meeting

KUWAIT: Seven KFH clients have won valu-able prizes Galaxy Note Edge and SamsungGear S each in the Tenth draw in the newbanking cards promotional campaignlaunched under the title “Win DailySamsung Galaxy Note Edge and SamsungGear S” for a period of 90 days ending08/06/2015. The promotional campaignaims to encourage customers to use visaand master cards (credit cards, prepaidcards and ATM) in their purchases insideand outside Kuwait.

Winners are as followsHanan Al- Hemedan, Ymama Salem,

Komashsa Al- Bader, Saad Al-Shanfa, SaadAhmed, Soud Al-Omran and Abdelaziz Al-Soltan.

The campaign grants each KFH card useran equal opportunity to enter the draw andwin a valuable daily prize “Samsung GalaxyNote Edge - or - Samsung Gear S” for everyKD 10 purchase made in Kuwait and over-seas using the banking cards, while onlypurchases made by ATM cards overseas canbe valid for the draw. Increasing value ofpurchases will increase chances to enter theweekly electronic draw.

The campaign is considered as a contin-uation of KFH distinguished offers present-ed to various KFH credit card holders, thusensuring that KFH credit cards will alwaysachieve an added value for their holders.The campaign aims to achieve customers’

satisfactions, strengthen bank’s presenceand increase its market share in this pivotalbanking sector. Moreover, the campaignstrengthens KFH principles and goals toactivate sales, achieve benefit for card usersand merchants, reinforce the concept ofcredit cards as an alternative for cash inorder to mitigate risks, cope with globalbanking trends and to reinforce KFH pres-ence in the local market as the leading localbank customer wise.

KFH was established in Kuwait in 1977and is enlisted in the Kuwait StockExchange. KFH Group is a global pioneer inthe field of Islamic banking services, whereit offers a wide array of Islamic products andservices, not to mention a high standard ofinnovation and client service.

KFH manages its operations in the GCC,Asia, and Europe through over 380 branch-es, including KFH-Turkey, in order to offerservices for the bank’s clients in Turkey,Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Australia,Jordan, Dubai, and Manheim in Germany.

KFH’s mission is to achieve highest lev-els of excellence and innovation in thefield of client service, while developingcommon interest for all those concernedwith the financial institution. KFH’s vision isto spearhead the global development inIslamic financial services, and to upgradethe bank into the level of becoming themost sustainable profitable Islamic bank inthe world.

Gulf Bank announceswinners of Al-Danah

daily draws KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its Al-Danah daily draws on May 17,2015, announcing the names of its winners for the week ofMay 10 to May 14. The Al-Danah daily draws include drawseach working day for two prizes of KD1000 per winner.

The winners are: (Sunday 10/5): Faisal Abdulla Hamad Al-Khaled, Meshari

Faleh Yousef Al-Anzi(Monday 11/5): Ahmed Turky Mezeal Judaie, Ismayil

Sulaiman Ismayil Al-Saleh(Tuesday 12/5): Farah Anwar Sayed Khadem Al-Mousawi,

Mohammad Jassim Mohammad Al-Safar( Wednesday 13/5): Abdulrahman Ahmed Sayed

Abdulrahman Al-Refai, Saleh Ayman Saleh Semony(Thursday 14/5): Suhaila Hussain Musaeb Mohammed,

Hesham Mohammad Yaseen Ebrahim

Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah 2015 draw lineup includes dailydraws (2 winners per working day each receive KD1000). Al-Danah’s 2nd Quarterly draw will be held on 25 June(KD250,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000), 3rd Quarter - 17September (KD500,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000). The finalAl Danah draw for the million dinars will be held on 7 January,2016 whereby the Al-Danah millionaire will be announcedalongside winners of KD250,000 and KD50,000.

Seven reasons why the Al-Danah account is the Best:1) Each year, every eligible account holder gets the opportu-

nity to win Kuwait’s single biggest cash prize of KD 1 mil-lion

2) Customers’ chances are calculated on a daily basis andadded up for every draw.

3) Gulf Bank is the only bank in Kuwait to transfer all of itscustomers’ Al-Danah loyalty chances from the previousyear into the next one.

4) The Al0Danah account gives away the highest amount ofprize money

5) The daily draw has two winners drawn for every workingday, each receiving KD1,000.

6) With 64 draws a year, and up to 532 winners, Gulf Bank’sAl-Danah account offers you the highest number of drawsand winners

7) Al-Danah account also offers customers the best quarterlyprizes, with quarterly prizes ranging from KD25,000 up toKD500,000.

Open an account and deposit now to win big, live big, withAl-Danah 2015.

Al-Danah also offers a number of unique services includingthe Al-Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps accountholders deposit their money at their convenience; as well asthe Al-Danah calculator to help customers calculate theirchances of becoming an Al-Danah winner.

Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah account is open to Kuwaitis and allresidents of Kuwait. Customers who open an account and/ ordeposit more will enter the draw within two days. To take partin the Al-Danah 2015 upcoming yearly draw, customers musthave an Al-Danah account containing at least KD 200. To bepart of the Al-Danah draws, customers can visit one of GulfBank’s 58 branches, transfer on line, or call the CustomerContact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

KFH names 7 winners in 10th draw for new

banking cards campaign Win daily Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and Samsung Gear S

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve ChairJanet Yellen said Friday she expects tobegin raising interest rates later this year - ifthe job market improves and the Fed isconfident inflation will climb closer towardits target rate. She described the US econo-my as “well positioned for continuedgrowth,” but at the same time highlighted anumber of headwinds that threatenprogress. Wages have been disappointingand too many people who want full-timejobs and instead working part-time, shesaid. She also noted a lackluster housingrecovery and modest business investment.

The Fed has kept its key benchmark rateat a record low near zero since December2008. “I think it will be appropriate at somepoint this year to take the initial step toraise the federal-funds rate target andbegin the process of normalizing monetarypolicy,” Yellen said to the GreaterProvidence Chamber of Commerce inProvidence, Rhode Island. But when thecentral bank finally begins to raise rates,Yellen said it would proceed cautiously,“which I expect would mean that it will beseveral years before the federal funds ratewould be back to its normal, longer-runlevel.”

Yellen’s latest comments were madeseveral weeks before the Fed’s next policymeeting on June 16-17. Minutes from itsApril meeting released earlier this week allbut ruled out a rate hike next month.

Many economists now predict the Fedwill wait until at least September and thatthe central bank will move very graduallywith one or two quarter-point rate hikesthis year.

“Assuming that economic growth doesrebound ... we don’t think the Fed can waitany longer than September,” said PaulAshworth, chief US economist at CapitalEconomics. Yellen reiterated that policy-makers need to see “continued improve-ment in labor market conditions.” They alsowant to be “reasonably confident” thatinflation will approach its 2 percent targetin the medium term.

“The various headwinds that are stillrestraining the economy, as I said, will likelytake some time to fully abate, and the paceof that improvement is highly uncertain,”she said.

But Yellen also warned of waiting toolong. Any changes to monetary policy willtake time to work their way through theeconomy, so “delaying action to tightenmonetary policy until employment andinflation are already back to our objectiveswould risk overheating the economy,” shesaid.

Earlier Friday, the government reportedthat core consumer prices rose a bigger-than-expected 0.3 percent in April. It wasthe largest one-month gain since January2013, although overall prices were up just0.1 percent, held back by a further drop inenergy costs. Yellen did not mention theinflation report in her remarks.

Financial markets were closely watchingthe comments for any clues Yellen mightprovide about monetary policy. The initialmarket reaction was muted given thatmuch of what she said was in line with mar-ket expectations. — AP

First rate hike likely by year end if economy improves: Yellen

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Chair JanetYellen speaks at the Institute for NewEconomic Thinking Conference on Financeand Security at the International MonetaryFund (IMF) in Washington. — AP

MANILA: The Philippines’ top trade officialyesterday called for support for the integra-tion of micro, small and medium enterprisesin global trade, which he said would helpreduce poverty and inequality in the Asia-Pacific region. Trade has been a powerfulgrowth engine in the 21 economies compris-ing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation,where MSMEs account for over 97 percent ofall businesses, said Philippine Trade andIndustry Secretary Gregorio Domingo.

Manila is pushing for greater support forthe integration into the global trade and valuechain of MSMEs, which provide jobs to morethan half the workers in the Asia-Pacificregion. Domingo opened an APEC trade min-isters’ meeting Saturday on the centralPhilippine resort island of Boracay, one ofmany meetings hosted this year by Manilabefore the APEC summit in November, a gov-ernment statement said.

Domingo said these small businesses “playan important role in poverty alleviation andlong-term growth” in each of the APECeconomies and the region as a whole.

Such enterprises represent 98 of all regis-tered businesses in the Philippines, employ

about 60 percent of the nation’s work forceand account for about one-third of the coun-try’s gross domestic product, according to thePhilippines’ Department of Trade andIndustry.

The Philippines is seeking the adoptionthe “Boracay Action Agenda” to globalizeMSMEs, which Manila says will foster the par-ticipation of these enterprises in regional andglobal markets.

The move will prioritize the simplificationof procedures and documentary require-ments for such enterprises, allow them to takeadvantage of electronic commerce platforms,encourage trade through online publicationof tariff procedures and requirements, providepossible innovative financing, and strengtheninstitutional support, the Trade Departmentsaid. The trade ministers also will discuss sup-port for the multilateral trading system andregional economic integration and startgroundwork for the Free Trade Area of theAsia-Pacific, it said. Domingo has said theAPEC trade ministers are expected to comeout with the terms of reference for the studyof the free trade area within the year so thestudy can commence in 2016. — AP

Philippines backs support for small businesses at APEC meet

T E C H NOLO G YSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

WASHINGTON: The Senate appearedheaded for early yesterday morning voteson whether to change the way theNational Security Agency handlesAmerican calling records, raising the pos-sibility of a halt to that collection programand two less controversial surveillancetechniques designed to track spies andterrorists.

With the House already gone for a 10-day Memorial Day break, the Senate hadyet to begin debate Friday on a House billthat would end the NSA’s bulk collectionof domestic phone records. Known asthe USA Freedom Act, the bill wouldauthorize case-by-case searches ofrecords held by phone companiesinstead of the government, and it wouldextend two other expiring surveillanceprovisions used frequently by the FBI.

A second vote was scheduled on a billthat would extend current law by twomonths. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who isrunning for president and opposes bothbills, said he would not allow either oneto be considered early, so Senate leaderssaid the soonest the votes could beginwas 1 a.m. Saturday.

“Will be seeing everyone overnight itseems,” Paul tweeted. “My filibuster con-tinues to end NSA illegal spying.”

The legal provisions authorizing theprograms will expire at midnight May 31,and officials say they will lose valuablesurveillance tools if the Senate fails to goalong with the House. But key Republicansenators oppose the House approach.

What will happen to the surveillanceprograms if Congress doesn’t pass a billon Friday or Saturday:

IF THE LAW EXPIRESAt issue is a section of the Patriot Act,

Section 215, used by the government to

justify secretly collecting the “to andfrom” information about nearly everyAmerican landline telephone call. Fortechnical and bureaucratic reasons, theprogram was not collecting a large chunkof mobile calling records, which made itless effective as fewer people continuedto use landlines.

When former NSA contractor EdwardSnowden revealed the program in 2013,many Americans were outraged that NSAhad their calling records. President BarackObama ultimately announced a plan sim-ilar to the USA Freedom Act and askedCongress to pass it. He said the planwould preserve the NSA’s ability to huntfor domestic connections to internationalplots without having an intelligenceagency hold millions of Americans’ pri-vate records.

Since it gave the government extraor-dinary powers, Section 215 of the PatriotAct was designed to expire at midnighton May 31 unless Congress renews it.

Under the USA Freedom Act, the gov-ernment would transition over sixmonths to a system under which itqueries the phone companies withknown terrorists’ numbers to get back alist of numbers that had been in touchwith a terrorist number.

But if Section 215 expires withoutreplacement, the government would lackthe blanket authority to conduct thosesearches. There would be legal methodsto hunt for connections in U.S. phonerecords to terrorists, said current and for-mer U.S. officials who spoke on conditionof anonymity because they were notauthorized to discuss the matter publicly.But those methods would not be applica-ble in every case.

The Justice Department has said theNSA would begin winding down its col-

lection of domestic calling records thisweek if the Senate fails to act because thecollection takes time to halt.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PARTS OF THE LAW?

Far less attention has been paid to twoother surveillance authorities that expireat midnight May 31. One makes it easierfor the FBI to track “lone wolf” terrorismsuspects who have no connection to aforeign power, and another allows thegovernment to eavesdrop on suspectswho continuously discard their cell-phones in an effort to avoid surveillance.They have been used frequently, andthere is no meaningful opposition tothem in Congress.

If those were to go away, FBI DirectorJames Comey said, it would set back thebureau at a time when domestic threatsare on the rise.

The so-called “roving wiretap” provi-sion allows the FBI to get a warrant to tar-get the communications of a personrather than a device, to account for a sus-pect who frequently discards “burner”phones. The lone wolf provision allowsthe government to use national securityauthorities to track a terror suspect evenif he or she has no obvious connection toa foreign power. Briefing reporters Friday,White House spokesman Josh Earnesturged the Senate to act.

“The way to eliminate the risk of thesecritically important national securityauthorities from lapsing is to pass theUSA Freedom Act,” he said.

SENATE MANEUVERSThe president and his top law enforce-

ment officials have urged the Senate topass the House bill, as have Democratsand Republicans in the House. But key

Senate Republicans are balking. Sen.Richard Burr, chairman of the SenateIntelligence Committee, has floated aplan that would essentially dare theHouse to let the law expire.

Burr predicted the House’s bill, theUSA Freedom Act, would fail to getenough support to reach a vote in theSenate. And he said he envisions thesame fate for an effort by Senate leadersto extend the law for another twomonths As a compromise, Burr wants toextend current law between 5 days and amonth to give the House time to pass theSenate bill. Then he would have the NSAtransition to the system envisioned by

the USA Freedom Act. But he would allowthe transition to take less time - twoyears, not six months.

The Senate would then depart, leavingit up to the House to take or leave theSenate proposal when House membersreturn June 1. But House members havesaid they would not go along with anextension. So the Senate’s move couldmean at least a temporary expiration ofthe law and of the surveillance programs.

“The Senate is not going to bejammed by the House, and the House isnot going to let the program go dark,”said Sen. John Cornyn, Republican ofTexas. — AP

What happens to collection of phone records if law expires?

NEWARK: United Parcel Service Capt. Gregg Kastman demonstrates to reporters the use of electronic messaging from the air traffic control tow-er to his plane at Newark Liberty International Airport, Thursday, in Newark, NJ. The Federal Aviation Administration demonstrated to reportersa system that will allow for electronic communication between air traffic controllers and pilots aimed to cut delays. The system, called DataComm, will be used to communicate alternate routes for planes awaiting takeoff that are heading toward weather. —AP

For US allies, paradigm shift in intelligence collection

FORT MEADE: In this June 6, 2013 file photo, a sign stands outside the NationalSecurity Agency (NSA) campus in Fort Meade, Md. The Justice Departmentwarned lawmakers that the National Security Agency will have to wind downits bulk collection of Americans’ phone records by the end of the week ifCongress fails to reauthorize the Patriot Act. — AP

NEWARK: A system that replaces verbalcommunication between pilots and air traf-fic controllers with computerized messageswas unveiled Thursday by federal aviationofficials, who said the system will reducedelays during weather events and cutdown on errors that occur during routinevoice transmissions.

The Federal Aviation Administrationdemonstrated the Data Communicationssystem, called Data Comm, at New Jersey’sNewark Liberty International Airport. Thesystem has been used on a trial basis since2013 at the Newark and Memphis,Tennessee, airports.

The system is used to communicatealternate routes for planes awaiting takeoffthat are heading toward bad weather.Currently, the information is given by voiceand can take several minutes as the pilotcopies it down and reads it back to the con-troller, then enters it into the plane’s com-puter system.

Using Data Comm, the controller trans-mits the information with a few clicks of amouse. The information also is sent simul-taneously to the airline’s dispatcher, whoma pilot often has to consult before taking analternate route that will expend more fuel.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta com-pared the old system to getting directionsover the phone from a friend, copyingthem down and checking them to makesure they’re correct.

“With Data Communications, you don’thave to call a friend for directions,” he said.“His address is pre-programmed into yourcar’s GPS system and all you have to do ispress ‘go.’”

‘This will save so much time’Data Comm is one facet of the FAA’s

Next Generation Air Transportation System,or NextGen, a long-term effort to transitionfrom an air traffic control system based onWorld War II-era radar technology to onebased on satellite technology. NextGen willallow planes to safely fly closer togetherusing GPS navigation, increasing the num-ber of aircraft that can land and take off atairports and allow planes to save time andfuel by flying more direct routes.

The FAA hopes to have Data Commimplemented at 56 airports by the end ofnext year, said Gregg Anderson, the FAA’sair traffic operations leader for the DataComm project.

Officials said the new system also canreduce errors that are inherent in back-and-forth verbal communications, particularlywhen using the verbiage employed in theindustry - in a demonstration Thursday, oneof the routes given to a pilot with theacronym TOUGH became “Tango -Oscar-Uniform-Gulf-Hotel.” “This is transforma-tional,” said Ray Adams, head of the air traf-fic controllers union at Newark.

Paul Cassel, senior vice president offlight operations for FedEx, said he hasseen delays reduced by several minutessince the company began using the systemat its hub in Memphis.

United Airlines, which operates about380 flights per day through Newark, hopesto have a little more than half its fleetequipped to use Data Comm in the nextthree years, said Jim Compton, United’schief revenue officer. Roughly 800 planesare using Data Comm, Anderson said. Theagency estimates that the benefits of thenew system will be felt on a nationwidescale when that number reaches 1,900, orabout 20 percent of the planes eligible touse it. — AP

Federal Aviation agency unveils messaging system

System to reduce delays during weather events

PARIS: Fearful of an expanding extremistthreat, countries that for years have reliedheavily on US intelligence are quickly build-ing up their own capabilities with newtechnology, new laws and - in at least onecase - a searing debate on how much theAmerican government should be allowedto spy on their own citizens.

Responding to a jihadi movement thatis successfully recruiting people fromaround the world, France and Canada areboth passing laws that would dramaticallyramp up their surveillance apparatus. InFrance, lawmakers are on the verge ofapproving a bill that would let the govern-ment install “black boxes” to collect meta-data from every major phone and Internetcompany.

Canada’s measures were rushed throughafter a two separate attacks in October2014 on Canadian soldiers - including onethat ended when the gunman stormedParliament and was shot to death byguards and police. France’s law went intohigh gear after the January terror attackson the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and akosher supermarket that left 20 dead,including the gunmen.

Analysts say it’s not so much a questionof diminishing cooperation with the U.S. -the revelations of Edward Snowden haveultimately done little to harm relationshipsbetween allies - as a push to increasedomestic capacities ill-equipped to face therising threat of Islamic State and other jiha-di groups.

“These are not people coming from theoutside, these are not people who are tak-ing plane trips, they are not people whoattracted notice outside our countries.These are people who come from the heartof our society,” said Alain Chouet, a formerFrench intelligence official who recentlyreturned from an extended trip to Canadawhere he debated the measures in bothcountries. “International cooperation in thisarea isn’t hugely useful.”

Analyze everythingTechnologically, France goes the fur-

thest with the planned creation of a ‘Madein France’ mass collection of metadata thathas the potential to go beyond a NationalSecurity Agency program. Where the NSAcollected landline metadata for nearlyevery US citizen but never really got intoscooping up cell data, France is pushing toessentially vacuum up and analyze every-thing - landline, mobile and Internet meta-

data.The law authorizing that NSA program is

set to expire June 1, but the US House ofRepresentatives last week passed legisla-tion ending the collection by the govern-ment and only allowing the NSA to asktelephone companies for the metadata ona case-by-case basis. That bill may still facechanges in the US Senate.

The Canadian proposals are more meas-ured, but would till dramatically expanddomestic intelligence capabilities, legalizesome collection of metadata, and allow spyservices to take over recruiters’ social net-working accounts to “counter-message” aswell as delete online material from any-where in the world that promotes terrorismagainst Canadians. Unlike the French pro-posals, the Canadian measures began com-ing under strong public opposition as timewent on, including an open letter from 60executives and a Twitter campaign thatincluded a dire warning this month fromauthor Margaret Atwood: “See you in theslammer, kids.”

France and Canada are likely to havenew laws before summer, with both addingtechnology and manpower to surveillancesystems. In Germany, the debate is juststarting.

The German weekly Der Spiegel report-ed that the Federal Intelligence Service foryears monitored telecoms traffic using fil-ters provided by the NSA because it lackedthe capacity - and the legal authority - todo so itself. By 2008, German intelligenceagents discovered that some of the filters -known as selectors - related to Europeanarms companies and French authorities.

Neither the government nor the BND, asthe intelligence service is known, wouldcomment on reports that Germany hasstopped sharing some Internet surveillancedata from a German spy station with theNSA. The French appear unworried thattheir top officials may have been targeted:“We trust the German government,” saidFrance’s chief spokesman, Stephane Le Foll.

But the Germans may be caughtbetween a history of Nazi and East Germanregimes and the potential of hundreds ofreturning Islamic State fighters in theirfuture. Germany has very strict data privacylaws that place serious restrictions on thecollection of data. It has been an opensecret, however, that German security serv-ices have relied on data collected by itsallies, particularly the US, in their own fightagainst domestic terrorism.—AP

NANTERRE: In this Jan. 19, 2015 file photo, a French police officer works at the head-quarters of the Pharos reporting platform against cyber criminality, in Nanterre, out-side Paris. Fearful of an expanding extremist threat, countries that for years haverelied heavily on US intelligence are quickly building up their own capabilities withnew technology, new laws and — in at least one case — a searing debate on howmuch the American government should be allowed to spy on their own citizens.—AP

PALO ALTO: The operator of a popular adult dating web-site said Friday it’s investigating a data security breach fol-lowing reports that hackers stole names, email addressesand information about the sexual orientation or habits ofup to 4 million members.

Britain’s Channel 4 news outlet reported that hackersposted some of the information on an obscure websiteafter stealing account data from AdultFriendFinder.com.The online service claims 64 million members worldwideuse its service to “hook up, find sex or meet someone hotnow.”

FriendFinder Networks, the Silicon Valley companythat operates the service, said in a statement that it hireda prominent cyber-security firm to investigate and istelling members to update their user names and pass-words. It said it is also temporarily blocking attempts tosearch for user profiles by “any users we believe wereaffected by the security issue.”

Tech blogger Bev Robb reported earlier that it waspossible to identify some users and glean potentiallyembarrassing information based on apparently stolendata that was posted on a website frequented by otherhackers. Without confirming any details about the breach,FriendFinder Networks said it had no information thatusers’ financial information was leaked. But the statementadded that, “until the investigation is completed, it will bedifficult to confirm the full scope of the incident.”

FriendFinder Networks operates a number of onlinesites and dating services for different audiences, includ-ing Amigos.com, BigChurch.com andSeniorFriendFinder.com. There has been no indicationthat information has leaked from its other sites. The com-pany also says it licenses the Penthouse brand and pub-lishes magazines.— AP

Adult dating site investigating breach of data

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ESUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

TOKYO: Japan pledged yesterday 55 billionyen ($450 million) in aid to Pacific islandnations that are battling rising sea levels andnatural calamities as a result of global warm-ing.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made thepledge at a two-day meeting with the islandnations’ leaders in Iwaki in northern Japan.

The assistance will be doled out overthree years to help fight environmental dis-asters and for access to clean water, renew-

able energy, waste management and relatedissues.Japan will also help with expertexchanges and training. Participants agreedto work together to preserve ocean life andencourage trade and investment. The islandnations include Fiji, the Marshall Islands, theSolomon Islands and others dotting thePacific Ocean, some of which are threatenedwith rising sea levels.

Scientists say the melt of Arctic glaciers isa key factor in the sea level rise that is threat-

ening island nations, many of which are builton coral atolls just a few meters (yards)above sea level.

In a landmark report in 2014, the UN’sexpert panel on climate change said oceanscould rise by as much as 1 meter (3.3 feet) bythe end of this century if no action is takento cut the greenhouse gas emissions blamedfor global warming.

“In order for us to face up to the fury ofnature and also recover even better from

disasters, we must bring to each other ourwisdom and experiences while maintainingconnections,” Abe said in a speech.

He also expressed gratitude to thenations’ leaders for helping in the recoveryof the remains of Japanese soldiers whodied on the islands during World War II, animportant issue for Abe this year, whichmarks the 70th anniversary of the end of thewar.

Abe has been eager to turn a new leaf for

Japan, in asserting itself in the region notonly economically but also in defense anddiplomacy, and countering the growingprowess of regional rival China.

On Thursday, Abe announced $110 bil-lion in fresh infrastructure financing for Asia,topping the $100 billion China set for itsnewly created Asian InfrastructureInvestment Bank. Japan has sided with theU.S. in not joining the 57 countries in theAIIB. —AP

Japan pledges climate change aid to Pacific island nations

SURCUBAMBA: A dentist attends a boy in Surcubamba, Peru, Thursday. TheJoint Command of the Peruvian Armed Forces organized a humanitarianmission in Surcubamba, where health care was provided to families fromnearby villages in this region called VRAEM, that is the acronym for Valley ofthe Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro rivers, where sixty percent of Peru’s cocaineoriginates. —AP

CHICAGO/NEW YORK: As a virulent avianinfluenza outbreak continues to spread across theMidwestern United States, some egg-dependentcompanies are contemplating drastic steps -importing eggs from overseas or looking to eggalternatives.

A spokeswoman for Archer Daniels MidlandCo said that as egg supplies tighten and pricesrise, the food processing and commodities com-pany has received numerous inquiries from man-ufacturers about the plant-based egg substitutesit makes.

With a strong dollar bolstering the buyingpower of US importers, some companies arescouting for egg supplies abroad.

“The US has never imported any significantamount of eggs, because we’ve always been avery low-cost producer,” said Tom Elam ofFarmEcon, an agricultural consulting company.“Now, that’s no longer the case.”

The United States is grappling with itsbiggest outbreak of bird flu on record, which hasled to the culling of 40 million birds. The virushas been confirmed on commercial farms andbackyard flocks in 16 U.S. states and in Canada.

The highly infectious virus has not crossedover to humans in the United States, as it did inAsia following a 2003 outbreak, but transmissionto humans is possible, according to the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention.

An industry group representing U.S. bakersbegan pushing the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and Congress this week to speed upapprovals for egg imports.

“We have members whose egg suppliers arealready cutting back how much they’ll receive inthe next few weeks, while others are not gettingany,” said Cory Martin, vice president of govern-ment relations for the American BakersAssociation. “They’re looking for eggs every-where. And the problem is, too, there’s notenough egg substitute available right now tomake up for the demand.”

Still, companies wanting to import eggs mayhave to look far afield.

“Canada is short on eggs and has been buy-

ing heavily from the U.S. for the last severalyears,” said Rick Brown, a senior vice president ofUrner Barry, a commodity market analysis firm.“Mexico has been dealing with its own out-breaks of avian influenza, so they’re bannedfrom importing into the US The logical placepeople will be looking now would be Europe.”

Avril, a farmer-controlled agri-food groupthat owns France’s largest egg brand, Matines,said it has seen an increase recently in demandfrom the United States and elsewhere in theAmericas and plans to start making shipmentsto the Americas in June.

A spokesman for Avril told Reuters on Fridaymost of its exports would be heading to Mexico,though he noted that shipments to the UnitedStates were a possibility.

ECONOMIC BITEExporting eggs into the United States from

Europe will not be easy. Regulatory differencesmean European Union egg producers must seekan individual license to export and sometimeschange procedures to bring safety standardsinto line. But it is still an attractive businessopportunity. The French embassy in Washingtonis helping one French egg company start theprocess to obtain an export certificate, a Frenchfarm ministry spokesman said. He noted that theDutch are positioning themselves as an eggexporter to the United States too.

“The bird flu epidemic developing in the U.S.means it is necessary to start discussions asquickly as possible to benefit from opportunitiesin this market,” French egg industry group SNIPOSais said in an emailed statement, adding thatFrench authorities had not responded as swiftlyas their Dutch counterparts.

PRICES SOARMeanwhile, companies sticking with egg sup-

pliers closer to home are facing sharply higherprices as a result of the outbreak. Nearly 30 per-cent of U.S. breaker eggs - which includes liquid,dried or frozen eggs used by food manufacturers- has disappeared due to the outbreak, accord-

ing to Martin and federal data.The outbreak has led to a sharp uptick in the

wholesale price of such eggs, from 63 cents adozen in late April, when the first egg-layingflock was reported infected, to $1.83 a dozenthis week, Brown said.

The wholesale price of “shell eggs,” typicallysold in cartons at grocery stores, has also risen,from $1.19 a dozen in late April to $2.03 a dozenthis week, Brown said.

Nevertheless, some food makers are turningto the more expensive shell eggs to supplementsupplies, although that means an additional costto send the eggs to a breaking facility that willcrack the shells, Elam said.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs predict con-sumers will ultimately spend an additional $7.5billion to $8 billion because of the egg supplysqueeze.

Nestl SA - which uses eggs for some of itsDreyer’s, Edy’s and Hagen-Dazs ice cream prod-ucts - said it is braced for shortages and workingwith suppliers to help protect hens.

Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc told Reuters it willleave it up to franchisees to decide whether toswallow the cost hikes they’re seeing or passthem on to consumers.

A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATHFor some companies, having an adequate

supply of fertilized eggs can be a matter of life ordeath. Some vaccine makers, including Merck &Co Inc, maintain their own hen flocks to produceeggs used for incubating vaccines that protectagainst diseases such as measles and mumps.

Merck said it is taking no chances with itschicken flocks as avian influenza continues tospread - security is tight around the birds, andthe health of the hens is continuously monitored.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi,said it too is keeping close tabs on the outbreak- particularly with the state agriculture depart-ment in Pennsylvania, home to some of its sup-pliers and the fourth-largest U.S. egg-layingflock. So far, no avian influenza cases have beenidentified there. —Reuters

US bird flu causes egg shortage,

companies take emergency measures

Food companies scout for egg supplies abroad

DES MOINES: This Nov. 25, 2014, file photo shows eggs for sale in a Des Moines, Iowa, grocery store. Egg prices reached recordlevels on Friday, after a bird flu outbreak decimated a flock, leading to the death of more than 20 million egg-laying hens overthe last month in the top producing state of Iowa. —AP

WASHINGTON: A different health careissue has emerged for Democrats, in syncwith the party’s pitch to workers and mid-dle-class voters ahead of next year’s elec-tions. It’s not the uninsured, but rather theproblem of high out-of-pocket costs forpeople already covered.

Democrats call it “underinsurance.” Afterpaying premiums, many low- and middle-income patients still face high costs whentrying to use their coverage. There’s grow-ing concern that the value of a healthinsurance card is being eaten away by ris-ing deductibles, the amount of actualmedical costs that patients pay each yearbefore coverage kicks in.

“I think it’s going to be the next bigproblem,” said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., a congressional leader on healthcare.

“We’ve got some 17 million more peo-ple covered ... but they can’t access thecare they seem to be entitled to,”McDermott said. “It costs too much to usethe care. That’s the deceptive part aboutit.”

Since virtually all US residents are nowrequired to have health insurance byPresident Barack Obama’s health care law,McDermott said Democrats have a respon-sibility to make sure coverage translates tomeaningful benefits.

Several liberal-leaning organizationshave recently focused on the issue. ACommonwealth Fund study found that 31million adults were underinsured last year.Half of them had problems with medicalbills or medical debt. Seven million wereunderinsured due to high deductiblesalone. “The steady growth in the prolifera-tion and size of deductibles threatens toincrease underinsurance in the yearsahead,” the study concluded.

High deductiblesA study by the advocacy group Families

USA found that one-quarter of the peoplewith individual health insurance policieswent without care in 2014 because theycould not afford the out-of-pocket costs.The study singled out high deductibles.

The Center for American Progress, athink tank often aligned with the WhiteHouse, found that employers have beenshifting a disproportionate burden ofhealth care costs onto workers. As a result,the report said, employees and their fami-lies have not shared in the benefits of aprolonged lull in medical inflation. Thegroup recommended several policychanges, including rebates for workersunder certain conditions.

“Cost shifting is part of what makes

people underinsured,” said Topher Spiro,vice president for health policy at the cen-ter. “There’s an effort to raise the issue gen-erally, and there’s general recognition thatthis is a problem that needs to beaddressed.”

The insurance industry says the focuson deductibles and cost sharing is mis-placed. It says the real problem is that theUnited States pays too much for medicalcare. Deductibles can be a legitimate toolfor employers and insurers to steerpatients to doctors and hospitals provid-ing high-quality care at a reasonable cost.Some plans set lower amounts for servicesprovided within a network.

“It can’t be looked at in isolation,” saidKaren Ignagni, outgoing head of America’sHealth Insurance Plans, the main industrytrade group.

Some consumers may prefer a high-deductible plan in exchange for lowermonthly premiums, she added. “They aremaking a conscious decision to make thattrade-off.” A wide body of research showsthat out-of-pocket costs discourage peo-ple from getting medical care, but there isno agreed-upon standard of what consti-tutes “underinsurance.”

The Commonwealth Fund, a privatefoundation that aims to improve thehealth care system,

defines underinsurance as out-of-pocket costs that add up to 10 percent ormore of household income, in most cases,or a deductible that amounts to 5 percentof income or higher.

Obama’s Affordable Care Act set annuallimits on out-of-pocket costs for mostinsurance plans, currently $6,600 for anindividual policy and $13,200 for a familyplan. It’s better than no limit, but a stretchfor many families.

Annual deductibles for employer plansaveraged about $1,200 for employee-onlycoverage last year, according to the KaiserFamily Foundation.

Deductibles can be much higher forplans sold through the health law’s insur-ance exchanges, averaging about $2,500for single coverage under a midrange sil-ver plan. But more than half of exchangecustomers receive additional governmentsubsidies to reduce their cost sharing.

Democrats need an election-year healthcare narrative about how to improveObama’s law, said Robert Blendon, a pro-fessor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School ofPublic Health.

“The issue that has come up repeatedlyis the impact that high deductibles arehaving on moderate income people,” hesaid. —AP

Democrats see skimpy insurance

as the next health care issue

NEW YORK: Contrary to public perception andhorrific cases that make headlines, serious men-tal problems are declining among the nation’syouth, and there has been a big rise in howmany are getting help, a new study finds.

The study is mostly good news: More childrenand teens are taking mental health medicinesthan ever before, but more also are getting ther-apy, not just pills. The biggest rise in treatmentrates has been among the most troubled kids.

“There’s a concern out there that a lot of chil-dren and adolescents are receiving mentalhealth treatments, particularly medications, thatthey don’t need,” especially for conditions suchas attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, saidthe study’s leader, Dr. Mark Olfson, a psychiatristat Columbia University Medical Center and theNew York State Psychiatric Institute. Instead, theresults suggest “that at least in some ways, we’removing in the right direction,” by getting help tokids who need it most, he said.

The dark cloud: More than half of severelytroubled kids get no help at all. The study used

nationwide surveys done by the federal Agencyfor Healthcare Research and Quality over threeperiods from 1996 to 2012, covering more than53,000 youths ages 6 to 17.

Results are in Thursday ’s New EnglandJournal of Medicine. Some highlights, whichcompare the first survey to the most recent one:

Severe mental problems decliningThe percentage of youths with serious

impairments dropped from 13 percent to 11 per-cent.

“There’s a public perception that there aremore and more kids who have these disorders,and the new report challenges that,” Olfson said.Other research has found drops in rates of bingedrinking and dropping out of school, so the newstudy “does fit with other trends,” he said.

More are getting careUse of any outpatient mental health service

rose from 9 percent to 13 percent. The rise was greatest for severely troubled kids, and went

from 26 percent to 44 percent - from 1.56 millionannually to 2.28 million.

Among kids with less or no impairment, theportion getting treatment went from about 7percent to nearly 10 percent, or from about 2.74million kids a year to 4.19 million.

Medication use is upThe use of any mental health drug rose from

about 6 percent to 9 percent. Among youthswith severe problems, medication use went from18 percent to 32 percent. Among the rest - mildor no problems - it went from 4 percent to 6 per-cent.

Some people complain, “Oh my goodness,these poor little children are on these powerfuldrugs,” said Dr. Gabrielle Carlson, a child andadolescent psychiatrist at Stony Brook UniversitySchool of Medicine on New York’s Long Island.“But most of the kids offered these drugs havebig, powerful problems,” and the real issue isfinding more effective drugs and getting morekids the help they need, she said.—AP

Study: Fewer kids have severe

mental problems; more get help

CHICAGO: This Wednesday, May 20, 2015, photo, Isaac Wechter of Chicago-based Sky Processing demonstrates an ATM at the Marijuana BusinessConference & Expo in Chicago. The company has ATMs in 70 medical mari-juana dispensaries across the US. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

MEXICO CITY: Bacteria-and not a contaminated vaccine as initiallysuspected-were to blame for the recent deaths of two Mexican babiesand for sickening 29 others, according to an official investigation.

The babies, from the indigenous town of Simojovel in southernChiapas state, became sick after receiving Hepatitis B shots earlier thismonth.

Mexican health authorities said Friday that studies carried out on

the babies detected a type of Staphylococcus bacterium that is com-monly found on people’s skin.

Experts concluded that “bacterial contamination occurred duringthe process of handling and application of the vaccine,” and that thiscame from a single source of infection, officials from the IMSS nationalpublic health care system said in a statement.

As of Friday, two infants remained hospitalized while 27 others

had been discharged. On May 8, health care workers arrived in Simojovel to give tubercu-

losis and Hepatitis B vaccines. A total of 32 of the 52 children who werevaccinated had some sort of reaction, and two of them died that night.

Many indigenous communities in Chiapas, one of the pooreststates in Mexico, are far from cities and lack access to health serv-ices. —AFP

Bacteria blamed in indigenous Mexican baby deaths

H E A LT H & S C I E N C ESUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

COLOGNE: This photo taken on December 11, 2005 shows then 55-old Annegret Raunigk (1st row, 2ndL), posing with her then youngestdaugher Lelia (on her knees) and other children and grand-children in Cologne as guest in a German channel RTL show “2005! People,Photos, Emotions”. German Annegret Raunigk (65), mother of 13 and grandmother of seven grandchildren, gave birth to quadruplets“not fully developed” in Berlin on May 19, 2015, according to a press statement by TV channel RTL on May 22, 2015. — AFP

BERLIN: A 65-year-old German woman, whoalready has 13 children, has given birth toquadruplets after undergoing an artificial insemi-nation procedure in Ukraine, RTL televisionreported early yexsterday.

Annegret Raunigk had three boys, namedDries, Bence and Fjonn, and one girl, Neeta, whowere born premature at 26 weeks in a Berlin hos-pital but have “good chances of surviving,”according to RTL.

“However, the babies, in comparison with anormal birth in the 40th week, are not complete-ly developed, so eventual complications can’t beruled out,” said the report.

Their mother lives in Berlin and is an Englishand Russian teacher who is close to retirement. Inaddition to her children, she is grandmother toseven.

RTL said the new arrivals make her the world’soldest mother of quadruplets. She became preg-nant after undergoing several artificial insemina-tion procedures in Ukraine, said RTL.

The channel has negotiated exclusive rightsto the story and has followed the build-up to the

births, although it says no filming was done inthe hospital where the babies were born.

Raunigk made headlines in April when theGerman press first reported that her latest artifi-cial insemination attempt had resulted in aquadruple pregnancy.

At the time, she said she decided to try tohave another child because her youngest daugh-ter, who is nine, wanted a little brother or sister,according to RTL.

Oldest daughter is 44 The Bild am Sonntag tabloid quoted Raunigk,

whose oldest daughter is 44, recalling that it was“a shock” when the doctors first broke the newsto her that she was expecting quadruplets.

“After the doctor discovered there were four, Ihad to give it some thought to begin with.”

But she did not consider reducing the numberof embryos and said she had no reservationsabout the challenge facing her.

“I’m not actually afraid. I simply assume I’llremain healthy and fit. In matters of organisationI have enough experience, that’s not new for me,”

she was quoted as saying in Bild.Asked about moral doubts, RTL quoted her as

asking: “How does one have to be at 65? Onemust apparently always fit some cliches which Ifind rather tiring.

“I think, one must decide that for oneself.”Raunigk made headlines 10 years ago too, whenshe gave birth to her 13th child, Lelia, at the ageof 55.

That pregnancy was also the subject of anexclusive coverage deal with RTL, and Bild. “Atfirst, I only wanted one child,” the tabloid quotedher as saying at the time. “Not all were planned.But then things happen. I’m not a planner butrather spontaneous. And children keep meyoung.”

During an interview in April, Raunigk dis-missed critics who said she was acting irresponsi-bly because she would be more than 70 years oldwhen the quadruplets entered school.

“You can never know what will happen.Things can also happen to you when you’re 20,”she said, adding that it’s up to each individual todecide when they become a parent. —AFP

65 year-old German woman and mother of 13, has quadruplets

Premature born children ‘good chances of surviving’

SACRAMENTO: An unusual confluence ofevents means it could be months before atransgender California inmate knows if shewill have the sex reassignment surgerythat she says is critical to her mentalhealth.

Within hours on Thursday, a state panelrecommended that convicted kil lerMichelle-Lael Norsworthy be paroled, anda federal appeals court delayed the sur-gery that had been set for July 1.

The separate decisions make it less like-ly that Norsworthy will receive the prison-funded procedure before she is released.

Norsworthy, 51, has lived as a womansince the 1990s and was scheduled for thesurgery after a lower court judge orderedthe state to provide it as soon as possible.

The state, however, contested the rulingand the appellate court delayed the sur-gery while it considers the case - a processthat could take months.

“We are disappointed that the stay wasgranted, as delays like this cause Michelleserious harm every single day,” I lonaTurner, legal director of the Oakland-basedTransgender Law Center, said in a state-ment.

Still, Norsworthy could undergo the sur-gery after she is paroled because shewould be eligible for Medi-Cal, which cov-ers medically necessary sex reassignmentsurgeries, Turner said.

The state Board of Parole Hearings has120 days to review the commissioners’

recommendation that Norsworthy befreed. If it is upheld, Gov. Jerry Brown willhave another 30 days to intervene.

The three-judge panel of the 9th USCircuit Court of Appeals said nothingabout the parole decision in its brief rulingand instead noted that the case raises seri-ous legal questions about whether thestate’s resistance to the surgery violates

Norsworthy’s constitutional rights.

Cruel punishmentLawyers for Norsworthy have argued

that denying the operation would amountto cruel and unusual punishment. Thestate Department of Corrections andRehabilitation countered that it has met allof its requirements by providing counsel-ing and hormone therapy.

“Also weighing in favor of a stay here isthe likelihood that, absent a stay, this liti-gation would become moot before receiv-ing full appellate consideration,” theappeals panel said as it set a hearing onNorsworthy’s case in August.

The stay came the same day that twoparole commissioners decided Norsworthyis no longer dangerous and should befreed after serving 28 years in prison for asecond-degree murder conviction.

Senior Deputy District Attorney RayArmstrong opposed her release, arguingthat she has not taken responsibility forthe murder of 26-year-old Franklin GordonLiefer Jr. after an argument in a Fullertonbar in November 1985.

Armstrong said Norsworthy initiallyclaimed the weapon fired accidentally andlater contended that she had not intendedto kill Liefer.

Armstrong also cited 16 prison rule vio-lations by Norsworthy for fights, threatsand possession of contraband, though shehas had a clean record since 2009.

Norsworthy is being held at Mule CreekState Prison, a men’s prison in Ione, nearSacramento. Prison records still refer to herby her bir th name of Jeffrey BryanNorsworthy.

Corrections officials said in a statementthat they were pleased that the delay willlet the appeals court review the merits ofthe state’s appeal. —AP

Transgender California inmate left in

limbo on surgery

DELRAY BEACH: Heather Hironimus stands before Palm Beach CountyCircuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen during a hearing, Friday, in Delray Beach, Fla.Hironimus’ years-long battle against her child’s father over the boy’s circum-cision ended Friday, with her agreeing to the procedure in exchange for herrelease from jail. —AP

W H AT ’ S ONSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Guided Tour: Arab Organization HQ

Tour one of the most beautiful examples ofmodern Islamic architecture in the world.Master craftsmen and artists from all over

the Arab world were commissioned to decorateand furnish the building. From the cool tranquili-ty of the Moroccan water wall to the intricatewoodwork of the majestic Egyptian mashrabiya,the building is a celebration of cultural heritage.We will meet directly at the Arab OrganizationHeadquarters. Saturday: May 30, 2015 at 10am -Seats are limited.

Ms Joyce Monteiro, raffle draw winner of ‘The Great Gold Rush’ campaign by Malabar Gold & Diamonds Kuwait, receives the prize 1/2 kg of gold from AfsalKhan, Zonal Head-Kuwait, in the presence of Kuwait Ministry of Commerce & Industry representatives, officials from Malabar Gold & Diamonds, personali-ties from media and well-wishers.

KSNA Kuwait Ad-Hoc committee

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akdemi (KSNA) KuwaitChapter will reconstitute its Ad-Hoc committee forthe year 2015-16 at a meeting on Friday, May 29 at

4.30pm at the Indian Community School (Senior), Salmiya.KSNA Chairman Soorya Krishnamoorthy will preside overthe meeting and oversee the reconstitution. AmateurMalayali theatre troupes in Kuwait and Malayali socio-cul-tural organizations are requested to depute not more thantwo representatives to the meeting.

Under the auspices of Fadi Charchoglian,Armenian Ambassador to Kuwait andthe presence of owners and partners

Aram and Carlo Asdourian and Samar Al-Huneidi; “ Armenian Art “ the ArmenianAntiques & Jewelry Gallery opened in theprestigious Al-Salhiya Complex. Present at theevent were a host of diplomats, businessmen,fine art lovers and representatives of the localpress. “Armenian Art” Gallery houses a uniquecollection of artistic antiques handcrafted byArmenian Art masters with a highly cultivatedprofessional touch that appeals to elite andrefined tastes.

“We take great pride in our collection ofjewelry, paintings and antiques which reflect

Armenian Art across the world”, said AramAsdourian-Chairman & Partner, speaking onthe occasion.

“The Gallery presents 5 world brands ofjewelry, silver wear antiques comprising uten-sils and souvenirs, luxury home accessoriesand handcrafted watches. Our silverwear israre and can be traced back to the 20thCentury. It is signed by well-known Armeniancraftsmen and garnished with precious andsemi-precious stones, while the timepieces aremade by Armenian technology and renownedwatch makers from around the globe”, he con-tinued.

“Our Gallery concept started with a chartedblueprint of a boutique rich in dazzling

antiques of deep indication of the Armenianpeople. This shop has inspired Al- Salhiyagallery. We feel very proud of its rich contentthat appeals to the elite art lovers in Kuwait,and as our first launch has taken place fromour beloved Kuwait; this is a reflection of ourgratitude to the country and its hospitablepeople”, he concluded.

the Armenian Ambassador pointed out say-ing: “It’s a very exclusive event where a uniquecollection of international and ancientArmenian paintings and luxury accessoriesmade by famous Armenian artists are present-ed. We do look forward to bring out theArmenian art in Kuwait and across the Gulfregion”. It’s worth to note that the Armenian

Art Gallery retains the old goldsmith toolssuch as measurement, balance, inflation andsmoothing devices, regarded as masterpiecesand traced back to the last century. TheArmenian artists have excelled in the crafts-manship of jewelry which synergizes yellow,white and rose gold in pieces engraving stun-ning emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearlsmade in Kuwait and Armenia. These are addedto beautiful sculptures made of natural vol-canic stones including the rare Obsidian V.E.Jstone. Armenian Art antiques are displayed viasocial media and can be ordered from Kuwaitand delivered anywhere in the world. Thanksto its uniqueness and exclusivity, the jewelryand the handicrafts are topping the list of the

Gallery. The Gallery’s jewelry is customized;each piece is unique and is a limited edition ofits own. The paintings and sculptures areadorned with the signature of famousArmenian artists and sculptors such as Eydowho lived all his life in Armenia, and all gainedworldwide fame. The Armenian handcrafts arealso displayed in the Armenian Art branches inBeirut, US, Armenia and many other countriesacross the globe.

Despite the fact that Armenian art embod-ies the style of a century ago, it keeps pacewith modernity and innovation at the sametime. All pieces of art are a reflection of theArmenian people’s culture, rich history andzest for perfection.

‘Armenian Art’ the Armenian Antiques and Jewelry Gallery at Al-Salhiya Complex

Armenian ambassador with diplomatic personalities checking the jewellry collection. Aram and Carlo Asdourian and Dani abu Jawde during cutting the cake.

Carlo Asdourian with Dani Abu Jawde during the opening. Armenian ambassador with Shuhaiber and his wife checking the jewellry.

On 20th May, 2015 for the first time in the history ofIISM, Kindergarten section celebrated a novel con-cept of mango festival under the guidance of Mrs

Nilofar Qazi, in charge of KG Department and her dedicat-ed team of teachers. It was a perfect day to celebrate theseason of the King of Fruits “MANGO” with a fun filledlearning opportunity in the form of a mango party. It was asweet and juicy morning for the tiny tots of IISM as the lit-tle ones welcomed the season’s first mangoes with sheerdelight, celebrating Mango Vaganza. Kids enjoyed mango

delicacies like mango shake, mango juice, mango cake andmango candies with joy. Kindergarteners looked like freshAlphonsoes. The whole Kindergarten Campus was decorat-ed in Yellow and Green, in tune with the theme of the par-ty. The teachers and children of the KG section clad inshades of Yellow gave a succulent appeal to the spectators.

The “Mango Vaganza” mania was kicked off by introduc-ing different types of mangoes and dance performance bytiny tots in the morning assembly. Children were intro-duced to the sweet aroma of the mangoes and held them

in an attempt to distinguish one from the other. They werequite excited and eager to learn more about mangoes andtheir different varieties.

Back in the class, the teachers and tiny tots engaged invarious creative activities such as drawing and colouringmangoes for headgears. The children were able to associ-ate with the shape, form and size of a mango better thanbefore, and were proud of the drawing they made. Duringthe break time children shared and relished various vari-eties of mangoes they had brought as special refection.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the day, tiny buddies left theschool clutching to the fruity delight, a yummy big mangoin their tiny hands and a handmade headgear to theirheads, to reminisce the fun-n-learn Mango Vaganza, theyhad enjoyed immensely at IISM KG.

The remarkable day was graced by the presence ofDirector Malayil MoosaKoya, Principal F.M.Basheer Ahmedand Senior Vice Principal Mrs Narinder Kaur and vice princi-pals who congratulated the Creative Head Mrs Nilofar Qaziand the teachers for their dedicated efforts.

IISM, KG mango vaganza

W H AT ’ S ONSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Overseas Indian Cultural Congress(OICC), Kuwait organized a “RajivGandhi Remembrance Day” on May 21

and paid homage on his 24th death anniver-sary, at the Indian Community School, Amman

Branch. The youngest prime minister of Indiaand the charismatic leader of Indian NationalCongress lost his life by a bomb explosion,while he was on an election campaign. Duringhis term of office (1984-89), his main focus was

on building bridges, sinking differences andfighting for freedom and encouragingyounger generation

Vice-President Chacko George Kuttychaired the meeting, while Acting President

Aby Varikkad inaugurated the function.General Secretary Joseph Thankachan andRajiv Neduvilemuri delivered key-note speech.B.S. Pillai, Rafia Anas, Krishnan Kadalundi,Kochappally Vijaya Bhanu, Roy Kaithavana,

Hareesh Thrippunithura, IqbalKuttamangalam, Suresh Mathur, MathewChennithala spoke on the occasion. GeneralSecretary Manoj Channapetta, Secretary pro-posed vote of thanks.

OICC pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi

Lu&Lu Hypermarket kicked off its annualmango festival, “Mango Mania” with aninauguration ceremony on Wednesday,

20th May 2015 at its Al Qurain branch.Special guest Sheikh Nawaf Hamad Fahad Al-Sabah inaugurated the festival at 6pm as the

Hypermarket’s top management, staffs, well-wishers and customers applauded.

All present were eager about the launch ofthe promotion that will last till 30th May.

More than 120 varieties of mangoes fromdifferent countries are on display allowing

customers a wide choice of delectable fruit toenjoy in the summer months.

Customers should not miss out on theopportunity to sample Lu&Lu’s amazingofferings at all the branches of theHypermarket. A mini mango forest featuring

colorful ripe mangoes will appeal to all food-ies and fruit lovers, eager to savour the fruit’ssweet taste.

For Lu&Lu Hypermarket, this event isanother way to show its commitmenttowards building a diverse and richer shop-

ping experience. The brand is associated withexcellence in retailing and a reasonable pric-ing structure that its customers have benefit-ed from. Activities such as the mango festivalare an exciting attraction for customers whowant the best when shopping.

Make this summer a ‘mango summer’ with Lu&Lu Hypermarket

00:45 Tanked01:35 How It’s Made02:00 How It’s Made02:25 How It’s Made02:50 How It’s Made03:15 How It’s Made03:40 How Do They Do It?04:05 How Do They Do It?04:30 How Do They Do It?05:00 How Do They Do It?05:30 How Do They Do It?06:00 Fast N’ Loud06:50 Misfit Garage07:40 Wheeler Dealers08:30 Gold Rush09:20 Gold Divers10:10 Alaska: The Last Frontier(Season 4 Specials)11:00 Edge Of Alaska11:50 Alaska: Battle On The Bay12:40 How It’s Made13:05 How It’s Made13:30 How It’s Made13:55 How It’s Made14:20 How It’s Made14:45 Backroad Bounty15:35 Backroad Bounty16:25 Backroad Bounty17:15 Backroad Bounty18:05 Backroad Bounty18:55 Mind Control Freaks19:20 Mind Control Freaks19:45 The Pop Illusionist20:35 The Pop Illusionist21:25 Gold Rush22:15 Gold Divers23:05 Alaska: The Last Frontier(Season 4 Specials)23:55 Bear Grylls: Breaking Point

T V PR O G R A M SSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

00:00 Good Work00:55 Fashion Bloggers01:25 #RichKids Of Beverly Hills01:50 Richkids Of Beverly Hills02:20 E! News03:15 Eric And Jessie: Game On03:40 Eric And Jessie: Game On04:10 E!ES05:05 E!ES06:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians06:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians07:50 Fashion Police08:20 E! News09:15 House Of DVF10:15 House Of DVF11:10 Fashion Bloggers11:35 Fashion Bloggers12:05 E! News13:05 Fergie Special14:05 Keeping Up With TheKardashians15:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians16:00 Giuliana & Bill17:00 Giuliana & Bill18:00 E! News19:00 House Of DVF20:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians21:00 Keeping Up With TheKardashians22:00 Fashion Police23:00 Good Work

ACT OF VALOR ON OSN MOVIES ACTOIN HD

THE BAYTOWN OUTLAWS ON OSN MOVIES PREMIERE HD POSTMAN PAT- THE MOVIE ON OSN MOVIES KIDS HD

00:15 Coronation Street00:40 Coronation Street01:05 The Chase: CelebritySpecials02:00 Big Star’s Little Star02:55 Coronation Street03:20 Coronation Street03:45 Coronation Street04:10 Coronation Street04:35 Coronation Street05:00 Murdoch Mysteries05:55 Murdoch Mysteries06:45 Cook Me The Money07:35 Big Star’s Little Star08:25 Home Fires09:20 Raised By Wolves09:45 Raised By Wolves10:15 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs10:40 Paul O’Grady: For The LoveOf Dogs11:10 Foyle’s War12:55 Eggheads13:25 Eggheads14:05 The Chase: CelebritySpecials15:00 Big Star’s Little Star15:55 Home Fires16:50 Murdoch Mysteries17:45 Murdoch Mysteries18:30 Raised By Wolves19:00 Big Star’s Little Star19:55 Murdoch Mysteries20:50 Murdoch Mysteries21:30 Eggheads22:00 Eggheads22:40 Home Fires23:35 The Doctor Blake Mysteries

17:30 Guy’s Big Bite18:00 Guy’s Big Bite18:30 Guy’s Big Bite19:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives19:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives20:00 Rev Run’s Sunday Suppers20:30 Siba’s Table21:00 Farm Kings22:00 Siba’s Table22:30 Siba’s Table23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives23:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:00 The Border01:00 Remote Survival02:00 Doomsday Preppers03:00 Knights Of Mayhem04:00 Inside05:00 Is It Real?06:00 Star Talk07:00 Brain Games Compilation08:00 The Border09:00 Remote Survival10:00 Doomsday Preppers11:00 Lords Of War11:30 Lords Of War12:00 Nazi Underworld13:00 Bugging Hitler’s Army14:00 Situation Critical15:00 Air Crash Investigation16:00 Monster Frog17:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines18:00 Caught In The Act19:00 Air Crash Investigation20:00 Monster Frog21:00 Britain’s Greatest Machines22:00 Caught In The Act23:00 Lords Of War23:30 Lords Of War

00:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives01:00 Chopped02:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives02:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives03:00 Man Fire Food03:30 Man Fire Food04:00 Bite This With Nadia G04:30 Bite This With Nadia G05:00 Chopped06:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives06:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives07:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives07:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives08:00 Chopped09:00 Amazing Wedding Cakes10:00 The Pioneer Woman10:30 The Pioneer Woman11:00 Siba’s Table11:30 Siba’s Table12:00 Guy’s Big Bite12:30 Chopped13:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives14:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives15:30 Chopped16:30 The Pioneer Woman17:00 The Pioneer Woman

00:30 Empire01:20 Mistresses02:10 Satisfaction03:00 Mistresses05:00 Unforgettable06:00 Parenthood07:00 The Assets08:00 Perception09:00 Unforgettable11:00 The Assets12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Perception15:00 Parenthood16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Perception19:00 Castle20:00 Scandal21:00 Tyrant22:00 House Of Cards23:00 Mistresses

00:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show02:00 Good Morning America03:00 Legends04:00 Defiance06:00 Good Morning America07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street08:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show09:00 Switched At Birth10:00 Emmerdale10:30 Coronation Street12:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter13:00 C.S.I.14:00 Killer Women15:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 Switched At Birth17:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter18:00 C.S.I.19:00 The Night Shift20:00 Marvel’s Agent Carter21:00 C.S.I.22:00 Legends23:00 Defiance

Pirates19:45 Doc McStuffins20:00 Adventures Of TheGummi Bears20:30 Sofia The First20:55 Cars Toons21:00 Chip n Dale RescueRangers21:30 Ducktales22:00 Lilo & Stitch22:25 Art Attack22:55 Limon And Oli23:05 Zou23:20 Mouk23:35 Jungle Junction23:50 Art Attack00:15 Julius Jr.00:30 Calimero00:45 Henry Hugglemonster01:00 Zou01:15 Jungle Junction01:25 Art Attack01:50 Julius Jr.02:00 Calimero02:15 Henry Hugglemonster02:25 Zou02:40 Mouk02:50 Jungle Junction

00:00 Safe-PG1502:00 Epic-PG04:00 Horizon-PG1506:00 2 Fast 2 Furious-PG1508:00 Peeples-PG1510:00 Magic Journey To Africa12:00 Horizon-PG1514:00 Call Me Crazy: A Five Film16:00 Peeples-PG1518:00 In A World...-PG1520:00 Anchorman 2: The LegendContinues-PG1522:00 The Baytown Outlaws-18

06:00 Kid vs Kat06:10 Zeke & Luther06:35 Phineas And Ferb07:00 Ultimate Spider-Man07:25 Zeke & Luther07:50 The 7D08:10 Up Up And Away09:30 Phineas And Ferb16:40 Lab Rats17:05 Mighty Med17:30 Den Brother18:55 The 7D19:15 Supa Strikas19:40 Ultimate Spider-Man20:05 Star Wars Rebels20:30 Lanfeust Quest20:55 Boyster21:20 Kickin’ It21:50 Marvel AvengersAssemble22:15 Wander Over Yonder23:00 Programmes Start At6:00am KSA

00:20 World’s Deadliest Animals01:10 Lion Battle Zone02:00 Caught In The Act02:50 Predator Fails03:45 Snake Underworld04:40 Fish Tank Kings05:35 Unlikely Animal Friends06:30 Monster Fish07:25 Like A Sea Serpent08:20 Fatal Attraction09:15 Zoo Confidential10:10 World’s Weirdest Pets11:05 Shape Shifters12:00 Fish Warrior12:55 Dangerous Encounters13:50 The Real Serengeti14:45 Secrets Of The King Cobra15:40 Monster Frog16:35 Wild Colombia17:30 Animal Fight Club18:25 Kingdom Of The Oceans19:20 Secrets Of The King Cobra20:10 Monster Frog21:00 Wild Colombia21:50 Animal Fight Club22:40 Kingdom Of The Oceans23:30 Fish Warrior

00:30 The Daily Show GlobalEdition01:00 The Nightly Show GlobalEdition01:30 Saturday Night Live02:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm03:00 Last Man Standing03:30 New Girl04:30 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon07:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers09:00 Last Man Standing09:30 2 Broke Girls11:00 The Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon14:00 New Girl14:30 2 Broke Girls15:30 The Daily Show GlobalEdition16:00 The Nightly Show GlobalEdition17:00 Late Night With Seth Meyers18:00 Cristela18:30 Parks And Recreation19:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine20:00 The Mindy Project21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Nightly Show With LarryWilmore22:00 It’s Always Sunny InPhiladelphia22:30 It’s Always Sunny InPhiladelphia23:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm23:30 The Mindy Project

00:15 Plunkett & Macleane-PG1502:00 Crimson Tide-PG1504:00 Beast Of The Bering Sea06:00 Ender’s Game-PG1507:45 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones-PG1510:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange-PG12:00 500 mph Storm-PG1514:00 Ender’s Game-PG1516:00 Kill Em All-PG1517:45 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones-PG1520:00 The Numbers Station-PG1522:00 Act Of Valor-PG15

01:00 The Magic Of Belle Isle-03:00 Grand Piano-PG1505:00 Timer-PG1507:00 Blancanieves-PG1509:00 The Butler-PG1511:15 Timer-PG1513:00 The Glass Man-PG1515:00 The Past-PG1517:15 The Butler-PG1519:30 Suspension Of Disbelief21:30 Collaborator-PG1523:00 Before Midnight-18

00:00 Live MSNBC Caught OnCamera01:00 Live ABC World News01:30 Live NBC Nightly News02:00 ABC World News02:30 NBC Nightly News03:00 NBC Saturday Today Show05:00 ABC 20/2006:00 ABC World News06:30 NBC Nightly News07:00 ABC World News07:30 NBC Nightly News08:00 MSNBC Investigates09:00 ABC World News09:30 NBC Nightly News10:00 MSNBC All In With ChrisHayes11:00 MSNBC The RachelMaddow Show12:00 MSNBC Hardball W/ ChrisMatthews13:00 ABC 20/2014:00 MSNBC Your Business14:30 MSNBC Your Business15:00 Live NBC Sunday TodayShow16:00 Live NBC Meet The Press17:00 ABC This Week With GStephanopoulos18:00 Live MSNBC Melissa Harris-Perry19:00 NBC Meet The Press20:00 ABC This Week With GStephanopoulos21:00 MSNBC Weekends WithAlex Witt Sunday23:00 MSNBC Caught On Camera

00:00 Lone Star Legend01:00 Greek02:00 Army Wives03:00 The Listener04:00 The Listener05:00 The Block07:30 Off The Map08:30 Around The World In 80Plates09:30 Greek10:30 Off The Map11:30 Private Practice14:00 Lone Star Legend15:00 Army Wives16:00 Wayward Pines17:00 Masterchef: TheProfessionals18:00 Revenge19:00 Revenge20:00 Low Winter Sun21:00 How I Met Your Mother21:30 How I Met Your Mother22:00 Around The World In 80Plates23:00 The Simpsons23:30 The Simpsons

00:00 The Smurfs 202:00 Reginald D. Hunter: In TheMidst Of Crackers04:00 She-Devil06:00 Drinking Buddies08:00 Article 9910:00 The Smurfs 212:00 HairBrained14:00 Oscar16:00 Article 9918:00 That Awkward Moment20:00 28 Days22:00 3 Geezers!23:45 Oscar

01:00 Golfing World09:30 Live AFL Premiership13:30 Formula - E Championship 16:00 Super Rugby Highlights 16:30 Super Rugby Highlights 17:00 Super Rugby Highlights 17:30 Indycars Highlights 18:30 Live Indy Cars Series 23:30 Super Rugby Highlights

16:30 Indian Premier League H/L :Qualifier 217:30 Live Indian Premier League :Final21:30 ICC Cricket 360

01:45 Stalked At 1702:45 John Rabe: Part 103:15 Speak04:45 The Station Agent06:15 John Rabe: Part 107:45 John Rabe: Part 209:15 Stalked At 1710:45 People Like Us12:45 33 Postcards14:30 Up16:15 The Incredibles18:15 A Heartbeat Away20:00 Thorne: Scaredycat22:15 Hanna

02:25 Long Island Medium04:05 What Not To Wear05:00 Soul Food Family06:00 17 Kids And Counting06:25 Super Soul Sunday07:15 Say Yes To The Dress07:40 Something Borrowed,Something New08:05 Shopping Is My Life08:55 My Big Fat Fabulous Life09:20 My Big Fat Fabulous Life09:45 Cake Boss10:10 Little People, Big World10:35 Extreme Couponing11:00 Toddlers & Tiaras11:50 Oprah Presents: MasterClass12:40 Super Soul Sunday13:30 Say Yes To The Dress:Randy Knows Best13:55 Say Yes To The Dress:Randy Knows Best14:20 Say Yes To The Dress14:45 Say Yes To The Dress15:10 Cake Boss15:35 Little People, Big World16:00 Toddlers & Tiaras16:50 Say Yes To The Dress17:15 Something Borrowed,Something New17:40 17 Kids And Counting18:05 Extreme Couponing18:30 Soul Food Family19:20 The Next Great Baker20:10 Super Soul Sunday21:00 The Next Great Baker21:50 Shopping Is My Life22:40 Long Island Medium23:05 Last Chance Salon23:55 The Next Great Baker

03:00 Art Attack03:25 Julius Jr.03:35 Calimero03:50 Henry Hugglemonster04:00 Zou04:15 Mouk04:25 Jungle Junction04:35 Art Attack05:00 Julius Jr.05:10 Calimero05:25 Henry Hugglemonster05:35 Zou05:50 Mouk06:00 Jungle Junction06:10 Art Attack06:35 Julius Jr.06:45 Calimero07:00 Jungle Junction07:15 Zou07:30 Calimero07:45 Loopdidoo08:00 Limon And Oli08:10 Jake And The Never LandPirates08:35 Doc McStuffins09:05 Art Attack09:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse10:00 Sofia The First10:25 Jake And The Never LandPirates10:55 Miles From Tomorrow11:20 Messages From Miles11:25 Winnie The Pooh:Springtime With Roo12:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse13:10 Sheriff Callie’s Wild West13:35 Zou13:50 Jake And The Never LandPirates14:15 Doc McStuffins14:45 Miles From Tomorrow15:10 Sofia The First15:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse16:00 Messages From Miles16:05 Lilo & Stitch16:30 Winnie The Pooh:Springtime With Roo18:00 Miles From Tomorrow18:30 Sofia The First18:55 Messages From Miles19:00 The Adventures Of DisneyFairies19:30 Jake And The Neverland

00:00 v For Vendetta02:15 Plunkett & Macleane04:00 Crimson Tide06:00 Beast Of The Bering Sea08:00 Ender’s Game09:45 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones12:00 Marvel’s Doctor Strange14:00 500 mph Storm16:00 Ender’s Game18:00 Kill Em All19:45 The Mortal Instruments: CityOf Bones22:00 The Numbers Station

00:00 PGA EUropean Tour 08:00 World Rugby09:00 ICC Cricket 36009:00 Live NRL Premiership13:00 Golfing World14:30 Live PGA European Tour20:00 Live PGA Tour

00:00 Shipping Wars04:00 Counting Cars07:00 American Pickers10:00 Counting Cars16:00 Storage Wars20:00 Pawn Stars20:30 Pawn Stars21:00 American Pickers22:00 Ax Men23:00 Swamp People

Discovery ID03:00 Desperate Measures03:45 Deadly Women04:30 Killer Truckers05:20 On The Case With PaulaZahn06:10 On The Case With PaulaZahn07:00 Fatal Encounters07:50 Disappeared08:40 Disappeared09:30 Who On Earth Did IMarry?09:55 Who On Earth Did IMarry?10:20 Who On Earth Did IMarry?10:45 Who On Earth Did IMarry?11:10 The Will12:00 The Will12:50 Blood Relatives13:40 Nightmare Next Door14:30 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones15:20 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones16:10 Extreme Forensics17:00 Stalked: Someone’sWatching17:25 Stalked: Someone’sWatching17:50 I Was Murdered18:15 I Was Murdered18:40 Forensic Detectives19:30 Forensic Detectives20:20 Forensic Detectives21:10 Forensic Detectives22:00 Extreme Forensics22:50 True Crime WithAphrodite Jones23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner00:30 Disappeared01:20 Serial Killers02:10 Extreme Forensics

00:00 Arthur Newman02:00 Generation Um...04:00 Swing Kids06:00 All Is Lost08:00 Jobs10:15 Close Encounters Of TheThird Kind: Directors Cut12:30 All Is Lost14:30 Salinger16:45 Jobs19:00 For Greater Glory21:30 Dead Poets Society23:45 Love Is All You Need

01:00 Texas Killing Fields-PG1503:00 Percy Jackson: Sea OfMonsters-PG05:00 Inside Llewyn Davis-PG1507:00 A Family Reunion-PG1509:00 Gravity-PG1511:00 Good Deeds-PG1513:00 Free Birds-PG15:00 Dawn Rider-PG1517:00 Gravity-PG1518:45 The Wolverine-PG1521:00 Wicked Blood-PG1523:00 The East-18

01:15 True Story Of Puss’n Boots02:45 Back To The Sea04:30 The Olsen Gang In DeepTrouble06:00 Niko 2: Little Brother, BigTrouble07:30 Postman Pat: The Movie09:00 Miffy The Movie10:45 True Story Of Puss’n Boots12:30 Back To The Sea14:30 Little Gobie16:00 Space Dogs18:00 Miffy The Movie20:00 Planet 5122:00 Little Gobie23:30 Space Dogs

00:45 My Big Fat Fabulous Life01:10 My Big Fat Fabulous Life01:35 Outrageous Births

ClassifiedsSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Kuwait

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Sunday 24/5/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeQTR 1084 Doha 00:05KAC 564 Amman 00:05THY 772 Istanbul 00:15JZR 239 Amman 00:20JZR 267 Beirut 00:30FDB 068 Dubai 00:55JAI 574 Mumbai 01:30JZR 539 Cairo 01:30PGT 858 Istanbul 01:40RJA 642 Amman 01:45ETH 620 Addis Ababa 01:50GFA 211 Bahrain 02:15KKK 6507 Istanbul 02:15UAE 853 Dubai 02:25OMA 643 Muscat 02:35QTR 1076 Doha 03:05ETD 305 Abu Dhabi 03:05CEB 7594 Manila 03:10MSR 612 Cairo 03:15FDB 067 Dubai 03:15KAC 1544 Cairo 03:35MSC 401 Alexandria 04:00PGT 860 Istanbul 04:05JZR 555 Alexandria 04:15THY 770 Istanbul 04:40QTR 8632 Doha 05:05DHX 170 Bahrain 05:10KAC 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15BAW 157 London 06:35JZR 563 Sohag 06:45KAC 288 Dhaka 06:55KAC 206 Islamabad 07:30KAC 382 Delhi 07:30SVA 512 Riyadh 07:50FDB 053 Dubai 07:50QTR 1086 Doha 07:55KAC 352 Kochi 07:55KAC 302 Mumbai 07:55KAC 334 Trivandrum 08:15UAE 855 Dubai 08:25KAC 362 Colombo 08:30ABY 125 Sharjah 09:05ETD 301 Abu Dhabi 09:10IRC 528 Ahwaz 09:15IRA 665 Shiraz 09:25FDB 055 Dubai 09:40KAC 350 Kochi 09:40QTR 1070 Doha 10:00GFA 213 Bahrain 10:40UAE 873 Dubai 10:40MEA 404 Beirut 10:55MSC 405 Sohag 11:20JZR 561 Sohag 11:25JZR 165 Dubai 11:50FDB 075 Dubai 12:25SAW 701 Damascus 12:35UAE 871 Dubai 12:45MSR 610 Cairo 13:00THY 766 Istanbul 13:10IRC 6507 Shiraz 13:15KAC 672 Dubai 13:55QTR 1078 Doha 14:05

FDB 057 Dubai 14:20GFA 221 Bahrain 14:20SVA 500 Jeddah 14:30KNE 472 Jeddah 14:55KAC 788 Jeddah 15:00OMA 645 Muscat 15:05ABY 127 Sharjah 15:35UAE 857 Dubai 15:45NIA 251 Alexandria 15:50RJA 640 Amman 15:55FDB 051 Dubai 16:10QTR 1072 Doha 16:20JZR 787 Riyadh 16:35KAC 792 Madinah 16:50ETD 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50KAC 562 Amman 17:00SVA 510 Riyadh 17:15UAL 982 IAD 17:25GFA 215 Bahrain 17:30JZR 177 Dubai 17:45JZR 777 Jeddah 17:50KAC 678 Muscat/Abu Dhabi 17:50FDB 065 Dubai 18:05JZR 483 Istanbul 18:20KAC 502 Beirut 18:35KAC 786 Jeddah 18:35KAC 542 Cairo 18:55KAC 618 Doha 18:55AXB 393 Kozhikode 18:55QTR 1080 Doha 18:55KAC 166 Paris/Rome 19:00KAC 742 Dammam 19:00GFA 217 Bahrain 19:05UAE 875 Dubai 19:05FDB 063 Dubai 19:10ABY 123 Sharjah 19:20MSR 606 Luxor 19:30JAI 572 Mumbai 19:35KAC 774 Riyadh 19:40FDB 061 Dubai 19:50KAC 102 New York/London 19:55OMA 647 Muscat 20:00KAC 674 Dubai 20:00KAC 514 Tehran 20:10MEA 402 Beirut 20:15DLH 636 Frankfurt 20:20KLM 417 Amsterdam 21:05ALK 229 Colombo 21:10UAE 859 Dubai 21:15ETD 307 Abu Dhabi 21:15FDB 073 Dubai 21:30QTR 1074 Doha 21:30GFA 219 Bahrain 21:45KAC 172 Frankfurt 21:50THY 764 Istanbul 22:10ETD 309 Abu Dhabi 22:10JZR 125 Bahrain 22:15AIC 981 Chennai/Ahmedabad 22:25UAL 981 Bahrain 22:40BBC 044 Dhaka/Dammam 22:40FDB 059 Dubai 22:50JZR 185 Dubai 22:55JAI 526 Chennai/Abu Dhabi 23:00FDB 071 Dubai 23:35PIA 205 Lahore 23:40

Departure Flights on Sunday 24/5/2015Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 988 Hyderabad/Chennai 00:05JZR 562 Sohag 00:20UAL 981 IAD 00:25JAI 573 Mumbai 00:25FDB 072 Dubai 00:30DLH 635 Frankfurt 01:35THY 773 Istanbul 02:05ETH 621 Addis Ababa 02:50JAI 525 Abu Dhabi/Chennai 02:55PGT 859 Istanbul 02:55KKK 6508 Istanbul 03:10OMA 644 Muscat 03:35UAE 854 Dubai 03:45FDB 068 Dubai 04:00ETD 306 Abu Dhabi 04:05QTR 1077 Doha 04:05MSR 613 Cairo 04:15CEB 7695 Manila 04:40PGT 861 Istanbul 04:45THY 765 Istanbul 04:55MSC 406 Sohag 05:00JZR 560 Sohag 05:00QTR 1085 Doha 05:20RJA 643 Amman 06:35QTR 8632 Lahore/Doha 06:35GFA 212 Bahrain 06:50THY 771 Istanbul 06:50FDB 070 Dubai 07:05JZR 164 Dubai 07:15KAC 171 Frankfurt 08:30BAW 156 London 08:30FDB 054 Dubai 08:30SVA 513 Riyadh 08:50QTR 1087 Doha 08:55KAC 117 New York 08:55KAC 671 Dubai 09:25KAC 787 Jeddah 09:30JZR 482 Istanbul 09:30ABY 126 Sharjah 09:45UAE 856 Dubai 09:50ETD 302 Abu Dhabi 10:00IRC 529 Ahwaz 10:15IRA 664 Shiraz 10:25FDB 056 Dubai 10:40KAC 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat 10:50KAC 501 Beirut 11:00QTR 1071 Doha 11:00KAC 561 Amman 11:25GFA 214 Bahrain 11:35MEA 405 Beirut 11:55KAC 791 Madinah 12:00KAC 541 Cairo 12:05KAC 103 London 12:10UAE 874 Dubai 12:10JZR 776 Jeddah 12:15MSC 402 Alexandria 12:20KAC 785 Jeddah 13:00FDB 076 Dubai 13:10JZR 786 Riyadh 13:10JZR 176 Dubai 13:10SAW 702 Damascus 13:35MSR 611 Cairo 14:00

THY 767 Istanbul 14:10UAE 872 Dubai 14:15IRC 6508 Shiraz 14:15QTR 1079 Doha 15:05GFA 222 Bahrain 15:05FDB 058 Dubai 15:05KAC 617 Doha 15:15KAC 673 Dubai 15:20KAC 513 Tehran 15:40SVA 503 Jeddah 15:45KAC 741 Dammam 15:55KAC 773 Riyadh 15:55KNE 473 Jeddah 16:00OMA 645 Muscat 16:05ABY 128 Sharjah 16:15NIA 252 Alexandria 16:50RJA 641 Amman 16:55JZR 266 Beirut 17:05FDB 052 Dubai 17:10QTR 1073 Doha 17:25UAE 858 Dubai 17:40ETD 304 Abu Dhabi 17:40SVA 511 Riyadh 18:15GFA 216 Bahrain 18:20JZR 184 Dubai 18:20UAL 982 Bahrain 18:40JZR 538 Cairo 18:40JZR 238 Amman 18:45FDB 066 Dubai 18:55JZR 124 Bahrain 19:20GFA 218 Bahrain 19:50FDB 064 Dubai 19:50QTR 1081 Doha 19:55AXB 394 Kozhikode 19:55ABY 124 Sharjah 20:00KAC 361 Colombo 20:00MSR 619 Alexandria 20:30UAE 876 Dubai 20:35JAI 571 Mumbai 20:35FDB 062 Dubai 20:35KAC 343 Chennai 20:55KAC 1543 Cairo 20:55OMA 648 Muscat 21:00DLH 636 Dammam 21:00KAC 283 Dhaka 21:05KAC 351 Kochi 21:05MEA 403 Beirut 21:15JZR 554 Alexandria 21:15DHX 171 Bahrain 21:50KLM 417 Dammam/Amsterdam 22:05ETD 308 Abu Dhabi 22:05FDB 074 Dubai 22:10ALK 230 Colombo 22:20KAC 381 Delhi 22:20UAE 860 Dubai 22:25KAC 349 Kochi 22:30KAC 301 Mumbai 22:30QTR 1075 Doha 22:40GFA 220 Bahrain 22:45KAC 205 Islamabad 22:50ETD 310 Abu Dhabi 23:00KAC 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:25FDB 060 Dubai 23:50KAC 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 23:50

SHARQIA-1POLTERGEIST 11:30 AMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 1:30 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 3:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 6:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 8:15 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 10:30 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-2TOMORROWLAND 11:30 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 4:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 9:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-3OUT OF THE DARK 1:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 3:00 PMOUT OF THE DARK 5:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 7:00 PMOUT OF THE DARK 9:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 11:00 PMOUT OF THE DARK 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-1MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 1:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 3:15 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 5:30 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 7:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 10:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-2OUT OF THE DARK 12:45 PMPOLTERGEIST 2:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 4:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 6:45 PMPOLTERGEIST 8:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 10:45 PMPOLTERGEIST 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3TOMORROWLAND 12:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 2:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 5:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 10:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:30 AM

FANAR-1POLTERGEIST 12:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 2:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 4:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 6:30 PMPOLTERGEIST 8:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 10:45 PMPOLTERGEIST 1:00 AM

FANAR-2OUT OF THE DARK 12:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 2:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 4:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 6:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 8:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 10:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 12:15 AM

FANAR-3SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 1:00 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 3:15 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 5:30 PMAVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 7:45 PM

SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 10:30 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 12:45 AM

FANAR-4TOMORROWLAND 11:30 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 4:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 9:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:30 AM

FANAR-5MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 12:30 PMPOLTERGEIST 3:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 5:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 7:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 9:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:05 AM

MARINA-1OUT OF THE DARK 12:30 PMOUT OF THE DARK 2:30 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 4:30 PMOUT OF THE DARK 6:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 8:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 11:00 PMOUT OF THE DARK 1:00 AM

MARINA-2TOMORROWLAND 12:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 2:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 5:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 10:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:45 AM

MARINA-3POLTERGEIST -3D 11:30 AMPOLTERGEIST -3D 1:30 PMPOLTERGEIST -3D 3:30 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 3D 5:30 PMPOLTERGEIST -3D 8:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 3D 10:00 PMPOLTERGEIST -3D 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1TOMORROWLAND 1:00 PMA MOUSE TALE 3:45 PMA MOUSE TALE 6:00 PMPIKU - HINDI 8:15 PMTHE BLOOD LANDS 10:45 PMTHE BLOOD LANDS 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 12:15 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 2:30 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 4:45 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 7:00 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 9:15 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 11:45 PM

AVENUES-3POLTERGEIST 11:45 AMPOLTERGEIST -3D 2:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 4:15 PMPOLTERGEIST -3D 6:30 PMPOLTERGEIST 8:45 PMPOLTERGEIST -3D 11:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 1:15 AM

AVENUES-4POLTERGEIST 1:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 3:15 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 5:30 PM

ZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 7:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 10:00 PMPOLTERGEIST 12:15 AM

AVENUES-5TOMORROWLAND 11:30 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:15 PMSpecial Show “TOMORROWLAND” 2:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 5:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:45 PMSpecial Show “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD”7:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 10:30 PMOUT OF THE DARK 1:15 AM

AVENUES-6OUT OF THE DARK 11:30 AMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 3D 1:30 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 4:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD - 3D 6:30 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 9:00 PMMAD MAX: FURY ROAD 11:30 PM

AVENUES-7SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 11:45 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 4:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 7:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 9:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 12:30 AM

AVENUES-8AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 12:30 PMAVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 3:30 PMAVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 6:30 PMAVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 9:30 PMAVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 12:15 AM

AVENUES-9OUT OF THE DARK 12:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 3:00 PMOUT OF THE DARK 5:15 PMOUT OF THE DARK 7:30 PMOUT OF THE DARK 9:45 PMOUT OF THE DARK 12:05 AM

360º- 1TOMORROWLAND 11:30 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:15 PMTOMORROWLAND 5:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:45 PMTOMORROWLAND 10:30 PMPOLTERGEIST 1:15 AM

360º- 2SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 1:15 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 3:30 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 5:45 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 8:00 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 10:15 PMSPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD 12:30 AM

360º- 3ZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 1:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 3:15 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 5:30 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 7:45 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 10:00 PMZANKET AL SITAT-Arabic 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.1TOMORROWLAND 11:30 AMTOMORROWLAND 2:00 PMTOMORROWLAND 4:30 PMTOMORROWLAND 7:00 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (21/05/2015 TO 27/05/2015)

112

LOST

FOR SALE

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Gather your tribe! On Saturday, the moon meets up with gregarious Jupiterin Leo, your eleventh house of platonic connections and social action. This is a great dayto rally your peeps and spend a meandering, unstructured day moving from brunch toso-and-so’s living room, making hilarious jokes and intelligent connections. With friends,you’re feeling generous, eager to share your warmth and open-hearted connection. Aparticular alliance could bring you good fortune, e.g. a pal makes a significant intro thatopens up new vistas. Keep looking on the sunny side of life, Libra. On Sunday, the atmos-phere takes a balanced, harmonious turn, as the moon in Leo, your egalitarian eleventhhouse, forms a supportive trine to people-loving Uranus in your relationship zone.

Go on, rest on your laurels, Scorpio. On Saturday, you could be feeling uber-confident and lucky on the career front, thanks to the moon meeting up with abundantJupiter in Leo, your ambitious tenth house. Maybe you get five-star news about a promo-tion, or an exciting new leadership position—or you kick off the weekend with a careercoup to celebrate. Perhaps you have a serendipitous run-in with a VIP…and it leads togreater opportunities. When it comes to structure and your five-year plan, you’re feelingespecially optimistic, too. The results will surely be a mix of your sweat equity and posi-tive expectations. On Sunday, the upbeat vibe continues, as the moon in Leo, your tenthhouse of fame, forms a supportive trine to innovator Uranus in your health house.

Up all night to get lucky? On Saturday, you’re in the mood to take aleap of faith, thanks to the moon in Leo forming a conjunction with

abundant Jupiter in Leo, your ninth house of good fortune. It’s hard to say: do yourchances of hitting the jackpot increase because of coincidence, or because youhave a positive expectation of hitting it big? It could be both, but under this influ-ence, it doesn’t really matter—you simply know that this next chapter of your life isgonna be awesome. Take a risk, Archer! On Sunday, the party vibes continue, as themoon in Leo, your ninth house of adventure, forms a supportive trine to rollickingUranus.

Travel for two? On Saturday, the moon meets up with adventurous Jupiter in Leo,your seventh house of one-on-one relationships, sparking your shared wanderlust. Even if youdon’t jet to Napa for some impromptu wine tasting, a key partnership is undergoing a significantgrowth period—and it feels fantastic. Your normally independent sign could happily sacrificesome of your autonomy for the benefit of true companionship, especially in personal relationships.Solo Water Bearers will be thinking along the same lines, and could even stumble across someonewho’s a lot more than a one-night stand (but still a ton of fun). On Sunday, your excitement contin-ues, thanks to the moon in Leo, your seventh house of partnerships, forming a supportive trine tounpredictable Uranus in Aries. Your spouse or a close friend could surprise you by striking up athought-provoking conversation out the blue.

Healthy escapes? On Saturday, you could find yourself dreaming about a wellnessgetaway, as the moon is conjunct travel-loving Jupiter in Leo, your sixth house of vitality. Yourwhole existence expands via healthy pursuits, so even if you can't ship off on a yoga retreat, try run-ning, spin class and stocking up on your vitamins. Bonus points if you can combine a workout withcultural education, e.g. you take an Aikido class or do the latest Bulgarian bag craze. Your excite-ment is infectious, so don’t be surprised if you inspire your pals to join in on the enlivening fun…the more, the merrier! On Sunday, you’re taken by the upbeat mood, as the moon in Leo, your effi-cient sixth house, forms a supportive trine to free-spirited Uranus in your zone of routines. Youmight get a surprise hand in a cleanup effort, e.g. your sister or a pal pops by to help you do someof the heavy lifting in a decluttering mission.

Career caution? Today, communicator Mercury turns retrograde(backward) in Gemini, your tenth house of professional ambitions, until June 11.Over the next three weeks, you could clash with an authority figure, a high-profileclient or a significant man in your life, as misunderstandings abound. Instead of tak-ing conflict personally, reel in your focus. Ask yourself if there’s a way that you canstep into your leadership and power. No matter what your title or salary, you are theauthor of your own life experiences. Own that, Virgo.

Par-tay! On Saturday, you’re in an ebullient mood, as the moon is conjunctfeel-good Jupiter in Leo, your fifth house of celebration and self-expression. Treat pals to adelicious brunch, as your generous side is revved up. In matters of the heart, coupledRams could feel like the luckiest sign around…and ready for a grand romantic adventure.Single Aries could feel especially optimistic, which might even translate to a real-time,spontaneous rendezvous. In case you haven’t gotten the festive picture, tonight is no timeto play the homebody. Glam up and go paint the town! On Sunday, the elation continues,as the moon in Leo, your fifth house of passion, forms a supportive trine to innovatorUranus in Aries.

Happier at home? The weekend starts on an upbeat note, as the moon isconjunct ebullient Jupiter in Leo, your fourth house of domesticity, family and self-care.Even if the tulips are blooming and everyone is outside, you’ll want to be feathering yournest (and your garden if you have one). Perhaps you’ll kick off the day with a fresh ricottaand shitake mushroom omelet, or spend time redecorating your living room. Even some-thing as mundane as tending to your laundry can satisfy your spirit. Hit a specialty foodshop (geeking out about marcona almond sea salt) and then plan a special, artisanal din-ner party for your closest peeps. Or, take care of yourself with an Epsom salt bath andtime-stopping novel.

Think big! On Saturday, you’re in an intellectually hungry mood, as themoon meets up with abundant Jupiter in Leo, your communication house. Yourconversations could not only span subjects, spiritual traditions and scholarly disci-plines, but you’re also in the mood for some laughs. The stand-up comics amongyou should slay your audiences (and the same goes for the “sit-down comics” as oneof our bar-hopping Gemini friends calls himself). Spend time writing in your journal,or getting a fresh perspective on an old idea—your views are exceptionally opti-mistic. On Sunday, the happy vibes continue as the moon in Leo, your idea-driven

Money moment? On Saturday, you’re feeling optimistic about a financialmatter, as the moon meets up with expansive Jupiter in Leo, your stability-

minded second house. You could get a hunch about a new side gig, or even job, in conver-sation with someone at your local coffee shop. Or maybe you’ll finally see the value of yourprofessional contributions. With your heightened self-confidence, you may decide to askfor a raise next week. In the mood to #treatyoself? Even if you give into a splurge urge,Lady Luck is on your side, helping you refill those coffers soon enough. On Sunday, theswell of enthusiasm continues, as the moon in Leo, your grounded second house, forms asupportive trine to free-spirited Uranus.


Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 912

ACROSS1. Someone who works (or provides workers) dur-ing a strike.5. Colorless gas found in natural gas and petrole-um.12. A female person who has the same parents asanother person.15. The villain in William Shakespeare's tragedywho tricked Othello into murdering his wife.16. An actress who specializes in playing the roleof an artless innocent young girl.17. Any high mountain.18. The granite-like rocks that form the outermostlayer of the earth's crust.19. A genus of Ploceidae.20. A clique that seeks power usually throughintrigue.22. A large fleet.23. Utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs.24. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.25. The provision of money temporarily (usually atinterest).29. (Norse mythology) Goddess of old age whodefeated Thor in a wrestling match.32. The blood group whose red cells carry boththe A and B antigens.33. The main city of ancient Phoenicia.37. A branch of the Tai languages.41. A castrated tomcat.42. Small striped semiterrestrial eastern Americansquirrel with cheek pouches.44. In bed.48. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.49. Melon having yellowish rind and whitish flesh.51. A very poisonous metallic element that hasthree allotropic forms.52. Young of domestic cattle.53. West Indian evergreen with medium to longleaves.55. With rapid movements.57. Large whale with a large cavity in the headcontaining spermaceti and oil.59. Any plant of the genus Astilbe having com-pound leaves and showy panicles of tiny colorfulflowers.64. A mountain in the Himalayas in Nepal (27,790feet high).67. South American cavy.70. A small piece of cloth.71. The airforce of Great Britain.72. Relating to compounds in which silver is biva-lent.74. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning.75. The rate at which energy is drawn from asource that produces a flow of electricity in a cir-cuit.76. Antihistamine (trade name Dimetane) used totreat hypersensitivity reactions (as rhinitis).77. Being one more than ninety.

DOWN1. A plant fiber used for making rope.2. The capital of Egypt and the largest city inAfrica.3. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of theOld World.4. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeriaand closely related to Hausa.

5. Type genus of the Pipidae.6. A nucleic acid that transmits genetic informa-tion from DNA to the cytoplasm.7. The cardinal number that is the sum of sevenand one.8. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).9. A genus of tropical American plants havesword-shaped leaves and a fleshy compoundfruits composed of the fruits of several flowers(such as pineapples).10. The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet.11. An international organization of Europeancountries formed after World War II to reducetrade barriers and increase cooperation among itsmembers.12. American dwarf fan palms.13. Tropical American tree grown in southernUnited States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.14. A single splash.21. Genus of erect herbs of the Middle East havingshowy flowers.26. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.27. Any of several related languages of the Celts inIreland and Scotland.28. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its motherand raised by hand.30. The sacred city of Lamaism.31. Relating to or applicable to or concerned withthe administration of a city or town or districtrather than a larger area.34. One of the five major classes of immunoglobu-lins.35. English theoretical physicist who applied rela-tivity theory to quantum mechanics and predict-ed the existence of antimatter and the positron(1902-1984).36. Lower in esteem.38. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that wasresponsible for research into atomic energy andits peacetime uses in the United States.39. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.40. (Judaism) A Jewish festival (traditionally 8days) celebrating the exodus of the Israelites fromEgypt.43. Important for human and animal food.45. Someone who engages in drinking bouts.46. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.47. From the kapok tree.50. A state of equilibrium.54. (informal) Of the highest quality.56. A drug (trade names Atarax and Vistaril) usedas a tranquilizer to treat anxiety and motion sick-ness.58. At full speed.60. (trademark) A tinned luncheon meat madelargely from pork.61. An African grass economically important as acereal grass (yielding white flower of good quali-ty) as well as for forage and hay.62. A soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element.63. Capital city of the Apulia region on the Adriaticcoast.65. Concerning those not members of the clergy.66. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerineand grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.68. Liquid excretory product.69. The 7th letter of the Greek alphabet.73. A metric unit of weight equal to one thou-sandth of a kilogram.

Yesterday’s Solution



WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

34s t a r s

Daily SuDoku

Ambassador Leo? On Saturday, the moon is conjunct worldly Jupiter in Leo,your first house of self and identity, bringing out your generous, inclusive

side. Everyone will be drawn to you, from the barista at your local coffee shop to strangersyou meet at a social gathering. Others sense your inherent tolerance and willingness toembrace “difference” (whatever that may mean in your orb). Overall, this is an extremelylucky influence, so go ahead and roll the dice. It doesn’t so much matter what you do…you just have a strong hunch it’s going to be grand. On Sunday, the high-minded vibescontinue, as the moon in Leo, your autonomous first house, forms a supportive trine tospontaneous Uranus.

On Saturday, your powers of attraction, especially in intimate and financialmatters, are high, thanks to the moon meeting up with lucky Jupiter in Leo,

your magnetic eighth house. With the object of your affection, take the emotional temper-ature first; even if you’re talking about something like paying joint bills, there’s a subtext orunspoken vibe you should pay attention to as well. Turn that lens inward, too. Your earthysign can be overly focused on the practical, but that would be a missed opportunity here.Envision the things you want, e.g. being surprised by your honey with flowers, gettingnews about a new, high-paying gig, making a lifetime commitment, etc. Revel in howgood THAT feels, and then simply relax into the happy, expansive mood.

inf or m at ionSUNDAY, MAY 24, 2015

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

Kaizen center 25716707

Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Kaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Qadsiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Gar 22531908

Shaab 22518752

Qibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082

Mirqab 22456536

Sharq 22465401

Salmiya 25746401

Jabriya 25316254

Maidan Hawally 25623444

Bayan 25388462

Mishref 25381200

W Hawally 22630786

Sabah 24810221

Jahra 24770319

New Jahra 24575755

West Jahra 24772608

South Jahra 24775066

North Jahra 24775992

North Jleeb 24311795

Ardhiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Omariya 24719048

N Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 23900322

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282

Dermatology

Dr. Mohammed Salam Bern University 23845955

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 25339667

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

[email protected]

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kaizen center25716707

Noor Clinic23845955

INTERNATIONALCALLS

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The Beatles star has admittedhis iconic 1963 Hofner bassguitar gets the special treat-

ment whenever he flies with it, withthe instrument sometimes beingtreated to it’s own seat and seat-

belt. He told The Sun newspaper: “Myguy [assistant John Hammel] looksafter it like his own child and he won’t

let anyone take it. “He is very particularabout it - more than I am. Sometimes itgets its own little seat and seatbelt.” It isno surprise that Paul, 72, wants to keepa tight reign on the instrument after aguitar once used by fellow Beatles star,the late George Harrison, recently soldfor over £300,000. The rare Maton MS-500 Mastersound is said to have beenused by the ‘Hey Jude’ hitmaker during

the height of the band’s fame in 1963.The guitar was kept in the loft of its pre-vious owner for twenty years beforebeing displayed at the now-closedNational Centre for Popular Music inSheffield, England. It was then sold to aprivate dealer in Leeds, who paid£23,000 for it, before being auctionedoff once again recently at a music mem-orabilia sale in New York, where it com-manded the hefty six-figure sum.


l if e s t y l eG o s s i p

The British human rights lawyer, whose husbandGeorge Clooney is good friends with the fashionbible’s editor Anna Wintour, has reportedly set her

sights on gracing the cover of the magazine. A source closeto the 37-year-old beauty told Life & Style Weekly: “One ofAmal’s great goals is to land the cover of Vogue. “Amal con-siders herself the world’s most glamorous attorney and isobsessed with fame and fashion. “Amal thinks nothing ofgoing on $20,000 shopping sprees at high-end depart-ment stores and designer boutiques.” She was also recentlyspotted having dinner with Anna at Lambs Club in NewYork City, sparking rumours the cover is already in the

works. The insider added: “Amal thought she’d died andgone to heaven.” Meanwhile, Oscar winner George, 54,recently gushed about his wife’s “amazing” sense of style.He said: “It’s amazing, because she’s always - since the day Imet her - she’s always had this insanely...it’s eccentric butit’s fun, sense of fashion. How she does it while she’s got 11cases she’s working on, and she was teaching at Columbia,and she’s still like, ‘I want to wear that dress.’ It’s crazy. It hasbeen sort of fascinating to watch, because she has suchgreat taste.”

Amal Clooney wants to

appear on the cover of Vogue

The 29-year-old actress formed a close bond with theOscar winner, 39, while filming ‘A Million Ways to Die Inthe West’ last year and believes she would be the per-

fect person to take charge in a serious situation. The ‘LesMiserables’ star said: “If the apocalypse comes, I would wanther to run the camp where we survive. She would, like, keepour morale up.” Amanda also became friends with SethMacFarlane on the set of the film and loved getting to workwith him again on their upcoming movie, ‘Ted 2’. She told theJune issue of America’s Vogue magazine: “It was so much fun.It’s like working with your best friend, coming to work everyday knowing that he trusts me.” While she has a few celebritypals, including Eddie Redmayne, the blonde beauty wouldstill love to meet Annette Bening. She said: “I love her. Shenever has an insincere moment. She’s not full of s**t at all.She just seems very grounded.” Amanda also looks to someof her other idols, including the late ‘His Girl Friday’ starRosalind Russell, for inspiration. She explained: “She wasinvested in every line in that movie, and she was com-manding the room. That is the reason you keepwatching it. I’ve never really done that in my life.Because I’ve gotten away with it. everything’sbeen based on instinct. But I realize, that is notacting. That’s a piece of acting, but I gotta stepit up. “I was watching her do that, and I waslike, ‘Why am I not better? I should be better!’And I think I might be getting bet-ter.” — BANGSHOWBIZ

Seyf

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Kelly Brookplanning to

start a family

The 35-year-old star is reportedly thinking about hav-ing a baby with her new boyfriend Jeremy Parisis fol-lowing the news her US sitcom ‘One Big Happy’ has

been axed after just one season. A source shared: “Kellywas heartbroken that the show’s been cancelled, but sheknows she can’t dwell on it. She’s been putting on a bravefront to her friends and family. “Kelly knows that she’smade mistakes in her past relationships and has often puther career first. Now she’s met Jeremy, she doesn’t want towait any more - she’s put having a baby firmly at the top ofher priorities.” The ‘Piranha 3D’ actress tragically sufferedtwo miscarriages while dating former rugby player andmodel Thom Evans in 2011 and was forced to put furtherbaby plans on hold when she split from fiance DavidMcIntosh last year. The source added to Closer magazine:“Kelly was desperate for a baby with David, but is now con-vinced that Jeremy has come along at just the right time.She’s saying that she has enough money to support a fami-ly and doesn’t want to wait any longer. She says her careercan wait this time.”

The reality TV star insists her teenage half-sis-ters, who first found fame on ‘Keeping Up withthe Kardashians’ nine years ago, don’t take

their luxurious lifestyles for granted and “knowwhen things aren’t normal.” Asked if she has con-cerns about the 19-year-old model and the 17-year-old aspiring singer because they grew up in thespotlight, the 34-year-old star, who has 23-month-old daughter North with husband Kanye West, said:“I think that is just their reality and I have to thinkabout that in a different way now that I have mydaughter because she was born into it also and notby choice. “I think that having so many sisters thatgrew up differently than Kendall and Kylie, andalways [being] there to talk about things, they knowwhen things aren’t normal. They know all theirfriends aren’t just going on private jets, they knowthey are growing up with a life of privilege, but they

really are super grounded and responsible.” Kim alsoclaims that Kylie is still in school despite rumors shequit last year to focus on building her own empire.She told ‘Access Hollywood’: “She’s home-schooled.She has a year left. She goes to school every singleday.” The starlet, who is dating 25-year-old rapperTyga, recently admitted she got temporary lip fillersand Kim fully supports her. She said: “I think itchanged her confidence so much.” But she doesn’tthink Kylie will get any other procedures. She said: “Ithink there is limits and there is boundaries for sure,and you have to know the difference. She did some-thing that made her feel better about herself andthat’s kind of where you have to draw the line. I’mtotally okay with that because I know that’s where itstops for her.”

Kim thinks the Jenner sisters are ‘grounded’

McCartney requests a first

class seat for his prized guitar

Pacino doesn’t ‘remember

much’ of the 70s

The ‘Godfather’ star says he struggled with fame during hisyounger years and admitted he turned to drinking, somethinghe has since overcome. He said: “I was having difficulty with all

the attention. “I was a drinker, for sure, my career was exploding in theSeventies and, I’m sorry, but I don’t remember much of the Seventies.Now when I come to think about it, I don’t remember much of theEighties either. “I have a little bit more of a grasp of the Eighties. I nolonger drink or take drugs or any of that. I haven’t done for the past 30years.” The 75-year-old actor said things changed for him after hisgood friend, drama teacher Charlie Laughton, confronted him. Hesaid: “He was the one who said to me, ‘Al, I’m not asking you to stop ordo anything, but to be aware that you are actually drinking and takingstuff’. “That awareness started and a year or so later, I decided to givethis stuff up. It saved my life.” Al also insisted he has no regrets abouthis career after he passed on offers to star in the lead roles in ‘DieHard’ and ‘Star Wars’. He added to The Sun newspaper: “I don’t eventhink about it. I believe it’s luck. “Sometimes it passes you by andsometimes you catch it. But you’ve got to get out of the house.”


l if e s t y l e

BB King kept drawing fans Friday in Las Vegas, and afamily feud simmered, during a public chance to saygoodbye ahead of a weekend memorial service and a

final King of the Blues road tour leading back home to theMississippi Delta. More than 1,000 people streamed past thebody of the music legend during a four-hour public viewing,said Matt Phil l ips, manager of the Palm South JonesMortuary several miles west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Ushers ran out of 900 printed cards bearing King’s datesof birth and death and lyrics to his signature song, “The Thrillis Gone.” A steady string of King’s hit songs - “Everyday I Havethe Blues,” “Sweet Little Angel,” “Why I Sing the Blues” - neverstopped as ushers directed people to move past a casketframed by floral arrangements and two of his guitars, alwayscalled Lucille. King died May 14 at home in Las Vegas. He was89.

One of his 11 sur viving children, daughter RitaWashington, greeted some of the 350 people in line whenthe doors opened. The day smelled like desert rain, but juststayed gray. “Dad is just loving this,” she said. “This is part ofhis homecoming.” Hours later, another daughter, ShirleyKing, said she was nothing but angry about the venue andthe viewing. “I’m very upset,” she said. “I don’t want to be outhere disrespecting my father’s rest. But something’s wronghere.”

Shirley King lives in Chicago, and it was her first glimpseof BB King since December. She said she thought thereshould have been seats for people to sit and talk, not just anaisle to shuffle past the body. People who brought guitarshad to leave them outside. No photos were permitted, andushers stopped several people from trying. But Marilyn andTommy Burress weren’t disappointed.

‘The lives he’s touched’ The couple from Milwaukee knew when they heard BB King

had died that they had to pay their final respects. They were inLas Vegas this week for Tommy Burress’ 72nd birthday. “It’sinspiring to see how many lives he touched,” Tommy Burress, aretired auto worker, said afterward, “how many people lovedhis music and loved his attitude - friendliness, friendship andlove of the people.” Pam Hargraves, 50, flew to Las Vegas fromProvidence, Rhode Island, because she couldn’t bear not to saygoodbye to a performer she’d seen maybe 50 times at venuesaround the world. “I just knew when he passed, wherever hewas, I would be there,” she said.

The viewing was followed by a Friday night musical tributeat a rock ‘n’ roll venue on the Las Vegas Strip hosted by ShirleyKing, who performs as Daughter of the Blues. Yesterday’smemorial was set at a Palm Mortuary chapel in downtown LasVegas. In King’s Mississippi hometown, Indianola, hundreds ofpeople were expected to attend the BB King HomecomingFestival today, a free gathering he started 35 years ago.

A procession Wednesday on Beale Street in Memphis,Tennessee, is scheduled to begin the last leg of his trip back toIndianola for burial May 30. In Las Vegas, the family feud beganweeks ago, when King was hospitalized and then broughthome for hospice care. Several of his adult children accused hislongtime business agent, LaVerne Toney, of endangering hishealth and raiding his wealth.

A judge said two investigations found no evidence thatKing was mistreated or abused. Daughters Karen Williams andPatty King accuse Toney of keeping them from seeing theirfather for a week after he died - and of preventing them fromtaking photos of him in his casket. They and three other chil-

dren - Washington, Willie King and Barbara King Winfree - referto themselves as a family board. They’ve hired a lawyer to han-dle their complaints.

“We’re his children,” Patty King said after a private familyviewing of King’s body on Thursday. “We’re going to fight withevery breath in our body.” Toney, who worked for King for 39

years, said she’s doing what B.B. King said he wanted. “Theywant to do what they want to do, which is take over, I guess,”Toney said of the family group. “But that wasn’t Mr King’s wish-es.” — AP

Rita Washington, facing camera, daughter of BB King, embraces people waiting in line during a public viewing of theblues legend Friday, May 22, 2015, in Las Vegas. — AP photos

Paul Flintroy waits in line with others to view the body of BB King.

BB King viewing draws more than 1,000 in Las Vegas

Mary-Kate andAshley Olsen not in‘Full House’ sequel

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen will not be checking intoNetflix’s “Fuller House,” Variety has confirmed. The twin sistersbecame known for playing Michelle Tanner, the youngest

daughter in the original ABC sitcom centered on the recently widowedDanny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his family and friends who helped himraise his kids. The duo will instead concentrate on their current careers,according to their rep. This includes overseeing fashion labels like theceleb favorites the Row and Elizabeth and James.

“Although Ashley and Mary-Kate will not be a part of ‘Fuller House,’ Iknow how much ‘Full House’ has meant to them, and they are still verymuch considered family,” said series executive producer Robert LBoyett. “It has been exciting to see how they have built their profession-al careers, and I support their choice to focus on their fashion brandsand various business endeavors. I appreciate their support and goodwishes toward ‘Fuller House.’”

In April, fellow “Full House” alum John Stamos confirmed the news offollow-up series. Stamos, who stars in the new Fox comedy“Grandfathered,” will produce the Netflix series and reprise his role ofrocker (Uncle) Jesse Katsopolis as a guest star. The series is said to con-centrate on Candace Cameron Bure’s character DJ The eldest of thethree daughters in the original series, DJ now finds herself widowedand in need of help when it comes to raising her kids. Other returningcast members include Dave Coulier, Andrea Barber and Jodie Sweetin.“Fuller House” is from Miller-Boyett Productions and Jeff FranklinProductions in association with Warner Horizon Television for Netflix.Boyett, Thomas L Miller and Jeff Franklin are exec producing the series,which was created by Franklin. — Reuters

Mosque-inside-church art exhibit shut down

Authorities in Venice on Friday closed a working mosque in an ex-church that was Iceland’s contribution to the 56th Venice Biennalecontemporary art fair on the grounds that it was being improperly

used as a place of worship.Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Buechel’s exhibit inside a former Roman

Catholic Church creating the first mosque ever in the historic center of Venicesparked controversy from the outset. The chairman of the Icelandic ArtCenter, which commissioned the project, complained that Venetian authori-ties “have tried to prevent its realization rather than assist in making it possi-ble,” under the claim “that the Icelandic Pavilion is not art.”

“Perhaps most disappointingly, the administration of La Biennale diVenezia ... has not supported this artistic endeavor in the way that wouldhave been expected for an organization of its stature and proclaimed advo-cacy of contemporary art,” Icelandic art center Eirikur Thorlaksson said in astatement. He said the closure indicated that the Biennale, one of the visualart world’s premier events, “is not a venue for truly free artistic expression.”

Iceland chose the deconsecrated Church of Santa Maria della Misericordiafor the exhibit titled “The Mosque” in Venice, which for centuries served as acrossroads between East and West and is infused with Middle Eastern archi-tectural influences. The project envisioned a working mosque for the sevenmonths of the Biennale, which opened May 8 and comprises national pavil-ions as well as a curated main exhibit.

After weeks of tensions, Venice city officials withdrew authorization forthe installation citing violation of the terms, including a ban on using thepavilion as a place of worship as well as security concerns. The VeniceBiennale emphasized in a statement Friday that national pavilions are man-aged “in a completely autonomous capacity” by the participating countries. Itsaid earlier that it hoped a solution could be worked out. — AP

In this picture taken on May 15, 2015 and made available on Friday, May 22, 2015,Muslims gather to pray inside the former Misericordia Abbey in Venice, Italy. — AP

Robert De Niro urged new graduates atNew York University’s Tisch School of theArts on Friday to keep fighting to create

careers in the arts even though it probablywould have been easier if they had pickedsomething more practical.

“The graduates in accounting? They allhave jobs. Where does that leave you? Enviousof those accountants? I doubt it. They had achoice. Maybe they were passionate aboutaccounting, but I think it’s more likely theyused reason and logic and common sense toresearch a career,” the two-time AcademyAward winner said. “But you didn’t have thatchoice, did you? You discovered a talent, devel-oped an ambition and recognized your pas-sion. When you feel that, you can’t fight it. Justgo with it. When it comes to the arts, passionshould always trump common sense.”

De Niro, who quit high school to pursue anacting career, was the honored speaker at theraucous ceremony for 1,200 graduates at TheTheater at Madison Square Garden. There werebagpipes, student performances in dance andmusic and deafening cheers. The actor’s 15-

minute speech was peppered with expletivesas he warned that many in the audience -future directors, actors, producers, musicians,singers, dancers, choreographers, filmmakers,writers and photographers - faced a lifetime ofrejection ahead. But he challenged them tokeep going.

“Now that you’ve made your choice - or,rather, succumbed to it - your path is clear. Noteasy but clear. You have to keep working. It’sthat simple,” said De Niro, whose wife, GraceHightower, also attended the ceremony. Theactor, whose credits include “The GodfatherPart II” and “Raging Bull,” reminded the crowdthat he auditioned seven times for the 1973film “Bang the Drum Slowly.” “I don’t knowexactly what they were looking for, but I’mglad I was there when they didn’t find it,” hesaid.

De Niro tells NY arts graduates ‘You have to keep working’

Actor Robert De Niro addresses the class of 2015, faculty, and guests dur-ing New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts commencement cere-mony. — AP

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Roger Alvarado cries while sitting on the back of his truck outside of a funeral home of BB King.


l if e s t y l e

Something wicked came the way of the Cannes FilmFestival yesterday when Justin Kurzel premiered hisbloody, stylish adaptation of “Macbeth” with Michael

Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Cannes hailed the pre-miere of the Australian director’s interpretation of theShakespeare tragedy, the final film to screen in competi-tion at the festival, which concludes today. The film,among the most eagerly awaited at Cannes, is a grimly vis-ceral adaptation of “Macbeth,” shot partly in Scotland,striking in the bleak beauty of its earthy violence.

To play the Scottish warrior, Fassbender gravitated tothe idea that Macbeth suffered from post-traumatic stressdisorder. He credited Kurzel for making the connection tocontemporary warfare. “That changed everything for me,”Fassbender told reporters Saturday. “We know from sol-diers today coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan thatdescribe post-traumatic stress disorder and the fact thatthey have these hallucinations. They can be walking downthe street here, the Croisette, and the next thing, it’s Basra.”Cotillard drew the loudest raves for her Lady Macbeth.Hers is a tender version of the character, not the manipula-tive monster often depicted. “There’s a lot of love betweenthese two characters,” said Cotillard. “They’re just too dam-aged to be able to turn toward something more lumi-nous.”

Tackling ShakespeareThe challenge of tackling Shakespeare was especially

steep for the French actress. Fassbender praised her as“the best in the business” and an actress “who brings a

grace to everything she does.” “I’ve never felt so muchpressure tying to embody a character,” said Cotillard,speaking in French. “This is the first time in a film that I’vefound it difficult to slip into the character. I’ve often playeddramatic character but never perhaps to this extent. Allthe characters I’ve played so far were full of light or heldout some hope, but in this case, all is gloom.”

In Kurzel’s film, the Macbeths are less an ambitious,power-hungry pair than a desperate, childless couple infreefall. “The tragedy about this couple is they look aroundthem and everything they want is in the people and fami-lies around them,” said Kurzel. “Macbeth,” which theWeinstein Co. is to release in theaters this fall, marks themost significant film adaptation of the Shakespearetragedy in several decades. While the play hasn’t been tak-en up by film directors as frequently as some of the Bard’sother works, it has been memorably adapted by a few cel-ebrated directors - notably Roman Polanski in 1971 andAkira Kurosawa in 1957’s “Throne of Blood.” Fassbendersaid Kurosawa’s was his favorite of previous “Macbeth”films.

The trio of Kurzel, Cotillard and Fassbender enjoyedworking together enough to do it again. The three are alsomaking a film of the video game “Assassin’s Creed.” Askedwhat the best and worst thing about shooting in Scotlandwas, Fassbender replied quickly. “Whisky and whisky,” hesaid. — AP

Cannes hails premiere of

bloody, stylish ‘Macbeth’

Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard pose for photographers during a photo call for the film Macbeth,at the 68th international Cannes film festival.

The leading

films for the

Palme d’Or

Of the 19 films competing for the Cannes FilmFestival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, half a dozenstand out as the favorites to win.

‘Carol’ (US director Todd Haynes)The US and British press fell hard for this period lesbian

romance, with critics predicting its Australian star, CateBlanchett, could even go on to win another Oscar.

‘My Mother’ (Italian director Nanni Moretti)Powerfully emotional, and one of a number of Cannes

films that reference the cinema industry, this movie followsa director facing personal and professional crises.

‘Son of Saul’ (Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes)The 38-year-old Nemes’s first feature, this movie was

widely acclaimed for taking audiences into a Nazi concen-tration camp and showing the Holocaust in a different way.

‘The Lobster’ (Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos)Starring a paunchy, deadpan Colin Farrell, “The Lobster”

is a weird but well-received movie about single peoplewho are transformed into animals if they don’t find a mate.

‘The Assassin” (Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien)Rave reviews for the look of this one, about a ninth-cen-

tury Chinese female assassin having to choose betweenher heart and her mission. Some though saw it as slow-moving, with a hard-to-follow plot.

‘Youth’ (Italian director Paolo Sorrentino)Starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Jane Fonda,

“Youth” impressed for its rich images as well as its intelli-gent and amusing riffs on ageing. — AP

Africa’s “fragile” cinema has kept a toe-hold at theCannes Film Festival, with a veteran Malian direc-tor and the first-ever Ethiopian as the continent’s

only entries in the official selection. “I feel very grateful,lucky and proud to represent this part of the world,” saidYared Zeleke, 36, whose movie “Lamb” became the firstEthiopian flick selected for the world’s premier film festi-val. The only other African director among the 50-oddfilms in the official selection was Souleymane Cisse, a 75-year-old Malian who won the third-place jury prize in1987 for “Yeelan”.

“We are part of the privileged few,” said Cisse, whopresented his film “Oka” (“The House”), a drama aboutfour grown-up sisters who are expelled from their homeby a corrupt judge. Cisse said he wanted to discuss “thecorruption of officials that leads to violence” in his coun-try. He hoped his presence was not linked to his beingfrom Africa. “We have a sacred responsibility to makequality films, otherwise it’s better not to represent Africaat all.”

African films have made it into the top competition forthe Palme d’Or in the last two years, with Chad’s “Grigris”in 2013 and the much-lauded film about radical Islam,“Timbuktu”, last year. But African productions are rare,with few countries willing or able to invest in cultural sub-sidies and huge numbers of cinemas shutting their doorsunder pressure from home video and piracy.

“Over the past 20 or 30 years ago, almost all the cine-ma halls in Mali have been destroyed,” said Cisse, addingthere was only one theatre left in the whole country.Nigeria has retained a thriving movie industry known as“Nollywood”, but quality is not a high priority. “They makefeature films in two weeks, put them out, recoup theirmoney and start again,” said Cisse.

‘Time to tell our stories’ African cinema is “very fragile”, said Zeleke, who stud-

ied film in the United States where he spent 20 yearsbefore returning to his native Ethiopia. “But with theeconomy developing, and more and more people beingeducated, it’s time for us Africans to tell our own stories,”he said.

His film “Lamb” tells the story of Ephraim, a nine-year-old boy who loses his mother and is sent to stay with dis-tant relatives in the mountains accompanied by his sheepcompanion Chuni. As with many first films, Zeleke facedan uphill battle to get financing, especially with a storyabout an African boy and a sheep, but he managed to getassistance from French producers and distributors.Ethiopia currently lacks any institutions for supportingcinema, though Zeleke has set up his own productionhouse in Addis Ababa to get the ball rolling.

Other African filmmakers were also in Cannes thisweek, looking to secure deals for future projects. Amongthem was Haminiaina Ratovoarivony, a 38-year-old fromMadagascar, one of 10 budding directors from the devel-oping world selected by the festival and its partners tocome to Cannes to seek funding. “Every day, we are meet-ing producers, TV buyers, selectors from other big festi-vals around the world,” said Ratovoarivony, who is lookingfor 700,000 Euros ($780,000) to start filming. He said therewas barely any support for cinema in Madagascar, whosecapital now has only two cinemas-”and they’re oftenoccupied by evangelical church services”. — AFP

Closing film a call to armsto tackle climate change

The Cannes Film Festival’s closing filmyesterday was a call to arms to tackleclimate change featuring the scientific

pioneer who spent decades in Antarcticaproving the existence of global warming. “Iused to be pessimistic, but I think peopleare changing,” said Claude Lorius, the 91-year-old French scientist whose ground-breaking research on ice cores proved thelink between greenhouse gases and globaltemperatures.

His story is told in the documentary “Iceand the Sky”, featuring footage from his ear-liest missions in the 1950s through to thepresent day. Lorius carried out 22 expedi-tions-some lasting as long as a year-inAntarctica, where he helped pioneer thedrilling and examining of ice cores, gather-ing climatic data going back more than400,000 years. One of his key insights,described in the film, came from drinkingwhisky one day with colleagues. Watchingice crack in the glass made him realize hecould extract ancient air bubbles from theice samples they were collecting.

“I’d already had a bit to drink, otherwise Iwouldn’t have had this brilliant idea, thisbrainstorm,” Lorius told reporters after thescreening. “It took many years to put theideas into practice.” Director Luc Jacquetsaid the world had made “fundamentalprogress” in understanding the problem ofclimate change. “When Claude publishedhis paper 30 years ago, the concept didn’teven exist, it was hard to drum this ideainto people’s minds,” said Jacquet. “But peo-ple are now aware of the problem andimpatient to see results.”

Lorius said he was looking forward toprogress at the next global climate confer-ence being held in Paris in December. “Weexpect a lot from the conference, it couldreally change things,” he said. “I deeplybelieve that if everyone tackles these issues,they will cease to be problems. They can bea source of tremendous creativity.”— AFP

Cannes Film Festival reminded Hollywood that it’snever too early to start campaigning for nextyear’s Academy Awards. The O-word first

popped up during a presentation from HarveyWeinstein about his upcoming slate, where he prom-ised that Jake Gyllenhaal would get nominated forplaying a boxer in this summer’s “Southpaw.” ButWeinstein showed that he had more than one awards-season trick up his sleeve with the premiere of “Carol,”the biggest Oscar contender to debut at this year’s fes-tival. Here are five films from Cannes that will likely beawards-season contenders.

‘Carol’Todd Haynes’ lesbian love story, which opens the-

atrically in December, is certain to be in the running for

best picture, director and screenplay (Phyllis Nagyspent 15 years adapting Patricia Highsmith’s scan-dalous 1952 novel). It should land Cate Blanchett herseventh Oscar nomination for the title role of a womanin an unhappy marriage. Rooney Mara, who portraysher inexperienced girlfriend, also shines in a lead role,but don’t be surprised if she gets downgraded to bestsupporting actress, where her odds will be stronger.

‘Inside Out’ In 2009, Pixar came to Cannes with “Up,” which

earned the second best picture nomination ever for ananimated film. This year, it returned with the out-of-competition comedy set in the mind of a young girl,where her emotions such as Joy and Anger run amok.If the Academy keeps the best picture race to more

than five nominees, “Inside Out” has an excellentchance of landing one of those slots. It’s also now thefrontrunner for best-animated film, but it will have tocompete with another Pixar movie, “The GoodDinosaur,” which opens in November.

‘Sicario’ Denis Villeneuve’s drug trade drama “Sicario” earned

strong reviews, especially for its star Emily Blunt, whoplays an FBI agent. The Lionsgate release (slated forSeptember) could finally earn the “Into the Woods”actress her first Oscar nom.

‘Amy’ While the Academy’s doc division has shown an

aversion to celebrity documentaries-such as “Life Itself”

about Roger Ebert, “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” or “JoanRivers: A Piece of Work”-it may be harder to forget thedevastating portrait of how addiction destroyed once-in-a-generation crooner Amy Winehouse, which hadthe Cannes audience in tears. A24 will debut the film inJuly in the US.

‘Son of Saul’ The consensus in the South of France is that the for-

eign language film category will certainly find roomfor a nomination-if not an outright win-to LaszloNemes’ feature film directorial debut, “Son of Saul.” TheHolocaust drama from Hungary was acquired by SonyPictures Classics after a fierce bidding war. — Reuters

‘Fragile’ African cinema clings on

Ethiopian actress Kidist Siyum, actor Rediat Amare and director Yared Zeleke pose during a photocall for thefilm ‘Lamb’. — AFP / AFP photos

Cannes Oscar buzz: ‘Carol,’ ‘Inside Out,’ lead race

A person poses for a photograph with a box containing thePalme d’Or award, which will be presented today.


l if e s t y l e

The Aqua Park recently organized its 26thRaft Race Festival for companies. The raceattracted a large number of participants

from various companies in and around Kuwait.The race was attended by the Aqua Park’s chair-man of board, Mohammed Abdul RezaKhorshid, PR and marketing manager,Abdullatif Al-Shemmari, the sales manager,Mohammed Al-Enezi and the festival organiz-ing committee members.

Al-Sayer Company won first place in themen’s race while Al-Sayer (Lexus) came secondand ABB came third. Al-Sayer also won the firstplace in the mixed (men and women) race, ABBcame second while Al-Nasser Sports camethird. A special ceremony was held to honorthe winners, participants and sponsoring com-panies.

Al-Sayer wins 26th

Raft Race at Aqua Park

Al-Sayer’swinning raft team

38Cannes hails premiere

of bloody, stylish‘Macbeth’


Libyans drive on the sand dunes in their four-wheel drive vehicles in Qarabuli on the Mediterranean coast, 60 kilometers east of thecapital Tripoli. — AFP photos

With the engines throbbing, young Libyans battle it outamong the sand dunes, not with Humvee-style fighting vehi-cles but brightly colored and sporty four-wheel drives. In a

weekly escape from the violence gripping their country, they con-verge every Friday-the Muslim weekend-for races in Qarabuli on theMediterranean coast, 60 kilometers east of Tripoli.

The type of powerful all-terrain vehicles they race up to the top ofthe dunes were reserved only for the military and regime elite in thedays of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. “After the events of 2011,the market was opened to everybody,” said one of the organizers,Ahmed Abdelkader Atiga, referring to the revolt which swept awayKadhafi’s regime and since when Libya has been mired in chaos.

“Young people started buying four-by-fours,” said Atiga, a radio talkshow host. “This place has become a meeting place for young Libyanswho come from several towns every Friday. It’s a good image whichgives hope of resolving differences and saving lives.”Hundreds ofmotorsport enthusiasts also gather at Qarabuli as spectators, awayfrom the stress and daily uncertainty of life in post-Kadhafi Libya,where rival militias and political administrations are locked in a deadlystruggle for dominance.

Jihadists from the Islamic State group have also gained a footholdin the oil-rich North African country, feeding on the political break-down and lawlessness. Since October alone, more than 3,000 liveshave been lost in fighting, according to Libya Body Count, an inde-pendent group which collates data from different sources. Libya hasalso been in the news for the African migrants seeking a new life inEurope and left at the mercy of people smugglers exploiting the chaosto ply their lucrative trade with unseaworthy boats leaving from itsshores.

‘A Libya of coexistence’ But away from the fighting and the misery of the migrants, four-

wheel drives have flooded the market and adrenaline-driven youngLibyans hungry for excitement are leading the charge. Shortly beforesunset, spraying sand into the air and with tires screeching, dozens ofdrivers in red, green and yellow vehicles, many of them open top,scramble to make it in a race to the top of a steep dune.

“King of the Roads”, “Youths of Libya” and “Fireball” read stickers onthe cars, some flying the Libyan flag. It’s a test of maneuvering anddriving skills to prevent the wheels being buried in the sand, ratherthan speed alone that determines the winners. Some are forced togive up, while others keep trying again and again, spurred on by wildcheers from the crowd.

“We stop down at the beach before coming over for the races toencourage these young people,” said Mohamed, a dentist who hasbeen attending for the past two years. “We want to help these youthsto overcome the challenge. Every time I come, it’s like the first time forme,” he said, beaming. The two-hour event is rounded off with a three-kilometer rally along the seafront for all-comers.

“These weekly meetings give a different image from what the tele-vision stations show of the situation in Libya,” said Atiga. “It’s one of aLibya free of tensions, one of coexistence and joy.” The cars then drivein convoy for several kilometers (miles) offroad until they reach thehighway, before separating and returning to the reality of militiacheckpoints and risks of carjackings on their way home. — AFP

Far from chaos, Libya drivers battle it out in dunes

Libyan drivers show-off their four-wheel drive vehicles in the sand dunes.

Gulf producers to resist output cuts at OPEC meet - Kuwait Times

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