April 21, 2012

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1411

12 PAGES

www.alwatandaily.com

150 Fils with IHT

Interpellations may be temporarily postponed

Mohammad Al-Salman, Mohammad Al-Khaldi, Osama Al-Shimmery, Ahmad Al-Shimmery and Jarrah Al-Metairie Staff Writers

KUWAIT: MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji disclosed that several MPs plan to postpone the interpellation motion which is expected to be filed against the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali.

Meanwhile, parliamentary sources pointed out that postponing the motion will be a temporary step as the government might endorse a ministerial reshuffle or even the changing of some ministers, over the course of the summer, and before the next parliamentary term.

Sources from the Majority Bloc unveiled that the coordination committee of the bloc will submit a new technique for dealing with motions during its meeting, which will be held tomorrow (Sunday) in the Diwaniya of Shaye Al-Shaye, indicating that the bloc will deal with motions according to the principle of “postponing matches change” seeing as the government intends to change certain ministers including Al-Shamali.

On his part, MP Jamaan Al-Harbash said that

he and other MPs will vote for endorsing the draft law, which stipulates putting those who insult the Prophet (PBUH) to death, next Tuesday. He expected that the majority of MPs will support the law in an attempt to defend the Prophet.

In another vein, the lawmaker added that the Minister of State for Housing Affairs Shuaib AlMuwaizri is facing a severe media campaign, because he has utilized his authority in an attemp to stop the monopoly of certain estates in particular, housing, which has led to the rapid increase of property prices.

The MP Abdulhameed Dashti said that the case of loan interests will be tackled by the parliament if the government doesn’t take effective steps in solving the current issues, adding that the parliament is able to put an end to the sensitive case, and that he will submit some parliamentary suggestions regarding this concern.

On the other hand, the committee investigating the multimillion bank deposits case will hold a meeting this evening (Saturday) with the governor of the Central Bank Mohammad Al-Hashel, as well as several senior bank officials, in order to probe and discuss withdrawal and deposit transactions, both domestic and international, especially related

Ousted Mali president takes refuge in Dakar

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‘No stabbing’ in Central Jail attack: Administration

Abdullah Al-Najar Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The administration of the Central Jail has opened an investigation into the alleged stabbing that occurred between an inmate and another prisoner, who was arrested under charges of insulting the Prophet (PBUH), in order to unveil the circumstances of the case. The administration issued recommendations to separate the two inmates and have them relocated to separate cells, and it also affirmed that no stabbing had occurred as some news reports have indicated. The administration further clarified that the prisoners had attacked one another following an argument which had broken out between them, and that neither inmate was severely injured.

Airliner carrying 131 crashes in Pakistan

Pakistani rescue workers remove the remains of victims at the site of a plane crash in the oustskirts of Islamabad on April 20, 2012. Up to 130 people are feared dead after a Boeing 737 crashed while trying to land in bad weather near the Pakistani capital Islamabad on April 20, officials said. The Bhoja airline flight from Karachi came down outside Islamabad’s international airport, police official Fazle Akbar said, adding that emergency teams have been sent to the site. (AFP) More on 3

Mexico volcano spews glowing rock, tower of ash

XALITZINTLA: A 17,886-foot (5,450-meter) volcano outside Mexico City exhaled dozens of towering plumes of ash and shot fragments of glowing rock a half-mile (1 kilometer) down its slopes Friday morning, frightening the residents of surrounding villages with hours of low-pitched roaring not heard in a decade. A roiling white cloud of ash, gas, water vapor and superheated rock spewed from the cone of Popocatepetl high above the village of Xalitzintla, whose residents said they were awakened by a window-rattling series of eruptions. Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center said that a string of eruptions had ended in the early morning, then started up again at 5:05 a.m., with at least 12 in two hours.

“Up on the mountain, it feels incredible,” said Aaron Sanchez Ocelotl, 45, who was in his turf grass fields when the eruptions happened. “It sounds like the roaring of the sea.”

The white cone of Popo, as most call the mountain, is an iconic backdrop to Mexico City’s skyline on clear days, but its 40 miles (65 kilometers) distance means even a moderately large eruption is unlikely to do more than dump ash on one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas. It’s a different matter for the villages on the flanks of the volcano, where the quiet of the corn fields and fruit More on 3 orchards was pervaded by the volcano’s spooky roaring.

to the State’s financial system.

In a separate field, the committee that was formed to study the conditions of Bedoun will hold a meeting tomorrow morning (Sunday) during which the committee will listen to a detailed explanation to be given by the Chief of the Central Apparatus for the Affairs of Illegal Residents, Saleh Al-Fadhala, about the latest reports on addressing the conditions of Bedoun (stateless Arabs), as well as providing the committee with the different decisions of the cabinet regarding the issue.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication Salem Al-Uthayna unveiled that the law of privatizing Kuwait Airways Company will be submitted to the cabinet during tomorrow’s (Sunday) session to be discussed. The law will then be referred to parliament, adding that the process of privatization will progress - in the first stage - under the supervision of Kuwait Investment Authority for five years. After this the law will be floated as a tender in which 35 percent of shares will be assigned for foreign investors, 20 percent for the government institutions and 5 percent for civil servants and the remaining 40 percent of shares will be bought by the government to be distributed to the Kuwaiti citizens equally.

Uninterrupted electricity use this summer

Khalid Al-Otaibi Staff Writer

KUWAIT: A source at Ministry of Electricity and Water confirmed that the country will not face an electricity shortage crisis this summer, seeing as the ministry has finalized the Subiya power station project, which is expected to produce an extra 2000 megawatts of power. At present electricity production only reaches up to 13,341 megawatts, but the surplus power which will be generated with the completion of the new station is expected to cover and exceed all consumer needs, which will negate the likelihood of strict power consumption regulations this summer.

Tens of thousands protest Egypt’s military rule

Thousands take part in the Friday prayers during a rally in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on April 20, 2012, to protest against the ruling military and hold-overs from the former ruling government ahead of the presidential election to be held at the end of May. (AFP)

CAIRO: Tens of thousands of protesters packed Cairo’s downtown Tahrir Square on Friday in the biggest demonstration in months against the ruling military, aimed at stepping up pressure on the generals to hand over power to civilians and bar ex-regime members from running in upcoming presidential elections.

Islamists and liberals turned out together in force for the protest to show the widespread anger at the military over the country’s political chaos ahead of the first presidential elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago. The confusion has raised suspicions the generals ruling since Mubarak’s ouster are manipulating the process to preserve their power, ensure the victory of a pro-military candidate and prevent reform.

“Down with military rule,” protesters in

Libya government takes control of Tripoli airport TRIPOLI: Libya’s interim government on Friday took control of Tripoli International airport from a coalition of brigades that had been guarding the facility since the liberation of the capital in August 2011.

“The revolutionaries of Zintan announce today that they are handing over the airport to the transitional government of Libya,” Yussef Ibrahim said at the handover, speaking on behalf of the coalition from Zintan which had been guarding it.

The takeover represents a major victory for the interim authorities who have called for the handover of strategic sites which are currently under the control of revolutionary brigades.

Deputy Interior Minister Omar Hadrawi, who attended the ceremony, called the move a “historical turning point, marking a transition from the phase of revolution to the phase of state.” Transportation Minister Yussef Luheshi, who was also present, told AFP the “government will take over securing the airport.”

The ceremony outside the airport was attended by ministers and senior government officials who presented certificates of recognition to commanders of the coalition of Zintan brigades.

Several other similar revolutionary units and militias of former rebels are still guarding important buildings and facilities in Tripoli. -AFP

Iraq unveils oil, gas exploration auction details

CAPITALS: Baghdad unveiled on Friday a list of signing bonuses and the final contract for a forthcoming energy auction, the latest stage in a bold oil expansion plan that moves on from developing existing oilfields to searching for new reserves. After targeting production capacity in three post-war licensing rounds, Baghdad is now focusing a fourth tender mostly on finding gas in remote parts of western and central Iraq. The country is potentially one of the world’s last great unexplored territories after decades of neglect due to wars and sanctions. According to a “Final Tender Protocol” obtained by Reuters, the 12 oil and gas exploration blocks up for grabs on May 30-31 could net the central government up to 235 million US dollars in non-recoverable signing fees if they More on 5 are all taken up.

Tahrir chanted, and banners draped around the sprawling plaza denounced candidates seen as “feloul,” or “remnants” from Mubarak’s regime. Liberals and youth groups called for all factions to agree on an antimilitary “revolution” candidate in the presidential vote, but the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists - who have their own ambitions in the race - refused to sign on. The Brotherhood, Egypt’s strongest political movement, has been frustrated that the military has prevented their domination of parliament from translating into real political power. The group was angered when the military-appointed election commission over the past week disqualified its initial candidate for president, along with nine other hopefuls. In response, the Brotherhood is callMore on 2 ing for a “second revolution.”

Police, protesters face off as Bahrain Grand Prix begins

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Syrian forces fire on anti-regime protesters

BEIRUT: Syrian troops fired on thousands of protesters who spilled out of mosques after noon prayers Friday, and state media reported that a roadside bomb killed 10 soldiers as the latest diplomatic efforts failed to halt more than 13 months of bloodshed in the country. The United Nations hopes to have 30 ceasefire monitors in Syria next week and plans are being made for the deployment of up to 300, though Syria is still balking at UN demands that observers be able to use their own helicopters and planes to visit hotspots.

The UN is also trying to ramp up its humanitarian response and send more food, medicine and aid workers to Syria, said John Ging, the head of emergency

response at the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The whole infrastructure of the country is under strain,” Ging said. He added that the Syrian regime has finally acknowledged that there is a “serious humanitarian need” and that this should ease the aid mission. On Friday, protests were reported in the capital Damascus and its suburbs, as well as in the northern city of Aleppo, the central regions of Hama and Homs, in eastern towns near the border with Iraq and in the southern province of Daraa. Demonstrators spilled out from mosques onto the streets, calling for Assad’s downfall and chanting in support of the country’s rebel forces, activists See also 2 said. -AP

Super salmonella bacteria found

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DNA alternative created by scientists

LONDON: Scientists have created artificial genetic material that can store information and evolve over generations in a similar way to DNA - a feat expected to drive research in medicine and biotechnology, and shed light on how molecules first replicated and assembled into life billions of years ago according to The Guardian.

Ultimately, the creation of alternatives to DNA could enable scientists to make novel forms of life in the laboratory. Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, in Cambridge, developed chemical procedures to turn DNA and RNA, the molecular blueprints for all known life, into six alternative genetic polymers called XNAs. The process swaps the deoxyribose and ribose (the “d” and “r” in DNA and RNA) for other molecules. It was found the XNAs could form a double helix with DNA and were more stable than natural genetic material. In the journal Science the researchers describe how they caused one of the XNAs to stick to a protein, an ability that might mean the polymers could be deployed as drugs working like antibodies. Philipp Holliger, a senior author on the study, said the work proved that two hallmarks of life - heredity and evolution - were possible using alternatives to natural genetic material.

“There is nothing Goldilocks about DNA and RNA,” Holliger told Science. “There is no overwhelming functional imperative for genetic systems or biology to be based on More on 9 these two nucleic acids.”

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir waves to the crowd gathering outside the Defence Ministry in the capital Khartoum on April 20, 2012 to celebrate retaking the oil town of Heglig from South Sudanese forces. Border clashes between Sudan and South Sudan escalated last week with waves of air strikes hitting the South, and Juba seizing the north’s Heglig oil hub on April 10. (AFP)

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ALWATAN DAILY

CULTURE

saturDAY, april 21, 2012

Berlin Biennale showcases contemporary political art BERLIN: Hundreds of birch trees from the biggest Nazi death camp, at Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, are dotted around Berlin as a living memorial of this dark chapter in Germany’s past.

The trees, called Birke in German, lent their name to the Birkenau camp where as many as 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, perished between 1940 and 1945.

The installation “Berlin-Birkenau” by Polish artist Lukasz Surowiec, 26, is part of the Berlin Biennale, a contemporary arts festival devoted this year to political art.

“This is an attempt to create a new kind of monument - a living monument,” said Surowiec, who has had commemorative plaques erected in front of the trees. “With the help of nature, I try to continue a generational mission of deepening the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

“My project is effectively based on giving back the ‘inheritance’ to its owners.”

Biennale director Artur Zmijewski, also Polish, says it seems paradoxical to his compatriots that a place where Germans committed one of the worst crimes against humanity is not in Germany, but in Poland. This installation, one of many at the Biennale which is not confined to a gallery or museum, is therefore partly about the “politics of history”, he said.

The Holocaust and the Palestinian territories are strong themes at the Biennale this year, which is run by the contemporary art centre KW in former East Berlin but sprawls throughout the entire city.

The Berlin Biennale was founded in 1998, inspired by the Venice Biennale, and aims to showcase little established young artists and provide a forum for experimentation. The seventh edition officially opens on April 27 and runs through until July 1, but many projects such as Surowiec’s are already taking place.

Zmijewski, 45, has said he wants “the exhibition to become a political space that resembles a parliament more than a museum”.

Israeli, Palestinian Art

Israeli artist Yael Bartana, 41, will hold the “First International Congress of The Jewish Renaissance Movement”, a symbolic project

An undated handout production still taken from the artwork ‘Zamach (Assassination), 2011’ by artist Yael Bartana, which is being shown at the 7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art which runs from April 27 until July 1, 2012. (Reuters)

An undated handout photo of the artwork by artist Khaled Jarrar, a ‘State of Palestine’ postal stamp, which is being shown at the 7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art which runs from April 27 until July 1, 2012. (Reuters)

calling for the return of Jews to Poland that she created through video artwork.

“We call for the return of 3.3 million Jews to Poland to symbolize the possibility of our collective imagination - to right the wrongs history has imposed, Bartana says.

From May 11-13, she hosts a “parliamentary debate” on the questions: “How should the EU change in order to welcome the Other?

How should Poland change within a re-imagined EU? How should Israel change to become part of the Middle East?”

Palestinian Khaled Jarrar, used the Biennale to develop his artist-activist project staking out Palestinians’ right to a sovereign state.

Jarrar, 36, shot to international prominence last year by offering unofficial passport stamps of his own design to foreigners arriving in the

out against injustice,” he said. “We should make art that will make a difference.”

Amundsen and Scott drive Antarctica tourism rebound

FRANKFURT: Sweeping landscapes, an untouched coastline, whales and penguins galore and the thrill of walking in the footsteps of famous explorers. After a drop in tourist numbers in recent years, Antarctica is gaining in popularity this year thanks to the recent centenary of the South Pole expeditions and as people start to feel more comfortable shelling out for a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

British university lecturer Andrew Murray, 34, said a long-held fascination with explorers, mountains and remote landscapes had inspired him to spend around 3,600 pounds ($5,800) on a 10-day Christmas trip to Antarctica. He paid for flights to Argentina separately. “When I booked it, I thought what have I done? It is a lot of money,” he told Reuters. He said it was worth it though, with highlights including camping on the ice, seeing almost 50 humpback whales feeding in the Drake Passage and getting up close and personal with Gentoo penguins on a pebble beach.

“It’s a place that has such an impact on you,” he said. “But a lot of people seem to put out of mind that it is possible to do it.”

Earth’s only continent without a permanent human population welcomes most travelers from the United States, Australia, Germany and the UK, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).

Around 25,320 people travelled to the continent during the 2011/2012 season, a drop of 25 percent on the previous year as the global recession hurt bookings. For the 2012/13 season, IAATO forecasts around a 10 percent rise in tourists to 29,200, still well down on the near 46,300 that made the trip during the 2007/08 season.

Bucket list

It is 100 years since Robert Falcon Scott made his fateful journey to the South Pole, losing out in a race to Norwegian rival Roald Amundsen.

It was to be a journey from which Scott and his party never returned.

Scott died around March 29, 1912.

Nowadays, the journey is a lot smoother, with the majority of visitors sailing in a comfortably equipped research ship from Ushuaia in Argentina, down to the Antarctic Peninsula via the Drake Passage.

The Scott exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum, which includes a life-size representation of Scott’s hut and an emperor penguin egg collected by the team in 1911, has proved a hit with visitors, with over 50,000 people having already attended. Tour operator Wolters expected around 50 bookings for this winter, and believes that number will rise significantly for next winter.

“The Amundsen effect will probably be more evident in the 2012/2013 season,” Wolters spokesman Timo Seghorn told Reuters.

“This is the kind of trip that you book a long time in advance.”

The destination is also making it onto the “bucket lists” of experiences people wish to have before they die.

A poll of travel bloggers by UK tour operator First Choice recommended Antarctica as one of the top five countries to visit were the world to end in December 2012, as predicted by an ancient Mayan calendar.

Polar expedition specialist Quark, whose trips range from $4,295$29,995, is hoping to attract more families to its tours. They mostly comprise couples and single travelers now, which shows how the market has changed since the mid 1990s, when the average tourist was an American pensioner. “Tourists are more heterogeneous now, from the backpackers to the millionaires and there are products catering to them all,” said Ricardo Roura, who advises the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC). While no country rules the continent, it is the subject of inter-governmental treaties.

ASOC says it is the only non-governmental organization working full time to preserve the Antarctic continent and its surrounding area and has called for more regulation as tourism increases, such as that which banned the use of heavy fuel oil.

Roura said it was hard to determine the impact tourism has on the region and its wildlife, especially when combined with other factors such as climate change, although he cited one “peculiar” example of an elephant seal apparently jumping to its death from a cliff after being scared by visitors. “There are difficulties ensuring compliance with regulations,” he said. “There are no ‘park rangers’ in Antarctica.” -Reuters

occupied territories. For the Biennale, he created a postage stamp for the “State of Palestine” with a drawing of the Palestine Sun Bird flying near delicate flowers.

The stamp was issued by Deutsche Post and can be used in the regular mail. More than 20,000 stamps have been sold so far.

“After I printed official post stamps in Germany and Netherlands, people started using these stamps to send letters all over the world,” he wrote in an email.

“We are not allowed in the Palestinian post office to print postage stamps with the words ‘State of Palestine’.”

Jarrar said he felt artists should be politically engaged and not just leave it up to politicians to act.

“We should think and work hard to speak

Art is Politics

Curator Zmijewski, who focuses on moral and political issues in his own video artwork, told Reuters he wanted to create an atmosphere “in which people start to fantasize about political issues and try to redefine politics”.

He believes recent shocks like the financial and debt crises had made civil society more politically engaged, demonstrated by the eruption of protest movements like “Occupy”.

This trend towards greater political engagement was reflected in art too, yet he still felt that artists today all too often offered only theoretical questions in their work rather than practical solutions to problems.

During his research for the Biennale, Zmijewski compiled a 400-page thick book on political engagement in culture today - the different strategies deployed and results achieved.

He interviewed artists and artistic-minded politicians or activists, from the Russian underground art collectiveVoina to a former mayor of Bogota, and entitled the book “Forget Fear”.

“Art is politics,” said the stern curator, who sports closely cut black hair, a beard and moustache, and rarely smiled during his interview.

“We don’t have to change existing politics, we can just propose our own politics and even propose a different kind of politician.”

Zmijewski said he would prefer to talk politics with artists like Berlin-based Belarus activist Marina Naprushkina than with establishment figures. -Reuters

Italy museum burns art to protest against crisis

ROME: An Italian museum director in the mafia-influenced northeast of Naples has pledged to burn three works of art per week to protest against the lack of spending on culture. Antonio Manfredi plans to torch a photograph entitled “The great circus of Humanity” by Filippos Tsitsopoulus, on Thursday. He has already destroyed two paintings and has selected three more works from the museum’s collection of 1,000 for next week.

The 50-year-old Manfredi is a full-time artist who has been director of the Casoria Contemporary Art Museum for seven years.

The museum receives no public funds. But the recession has eliminated what private funding sources it had and Manfredi said the local Camorra mafia has tightened its grip in the area by buying up struggling businesses. “I don’t know who to turn to anymore for money,” Manfredi told Reuters. “And I refuse to ask the Camorra.”

Worse than the lack of funds is the indifference of politicians to the plight of the nation’s vast cultural wealth, which is increasingly bankrupt, while mafia influence grows, he said.

The plight of Casoria’s small, private contem-

porary art museum reflects problems felt by public contemporary art museums in Rome, Naples and Palermo, which have virtually no funding for new exhibitions.

Italy’s belt-tightening to restore faith in its ability to pay back 1.9 trillion euros ($2.5 trillion) in debt has hit cultural spending particularly hard.

Rome’s MAXXI museum, just over two years old, was placed under special administration earlier this month after running into financial problems and the MADRE in Naples has closed two floors because it cannot afford to put exhibits there.

Even the country’s historic art treasures are falling into disrepair, as a series of structural collapses have shown at the ancient city of Pompeii, which was buried in ash after Mount Vesuvius blew its top 2,000 years ago.

Wrong to burn art

Some eminent voices in Italy’s art world disagree with Manfredi’s methods.

“Burning art is adolescent exhibitionism. It’s a Neapolitan parody, where one man is taking advantage of the severe crisis for visibility,” said

Heirs to French art sue Serbia over wartime seizure

PARIS: Three French heirs to a collection of over 400 works of art, including by 19th century painters Renoir, Matisse and Degas, have sued Serbia, saying its National Museum in Belgrade has held the works illegally since 1949. The 429 pieces were part of a collection belonging to a prominent French art dealer and collector, Ambroise Vollard, who died in July 1939 in an accident.

As World War Two broke out in Europe, part of his collection was transferred to Yugoslavian Erih Slomovic for safekeeping, but Slomovic, who was Jewish, was subsequently arrested and killed in a concentration camp in 1943. The Yugoslav government later requisitioned the works and placed them in the national museum.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the museum, which has let some of the works be exhibited internationally, is well aware of their disputed history.

“The history of the ‘Vollard/Slomovic collection’ and the legal decisions rendered in France have created an international stir for decades and no curator or museum director holding these works could be unaware of it,” wrote lawyer Francois Honnorat in the complaint filed on Wednesday, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

Another group of 190 paintings once owned by Vollard but left in Paris by Slomovic was similarly disputed in the courts, with the Vollard heirs ultimately winning an appeal in 1996.

The collection includes a trove of Impressionist and other 19th century art, including a still life by Paul Gauguin, lithographs from Paul Cezanne and Mary Cassatt, more than 50 pastels and drawings by Edgar Degas, and a group of works from Pierre-Auguste Renoir depicting women, dancers and guitar players.

Other great 19th and early 20th century painters whose works are found in the collection include Pierre Bonnard, Camille Pissaro and Maurice Utrillo.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers say they had alerted the Serbian embassy in Paris to the litigation, but that it had not responded. -Reuters

Achille Bonito Oliva, one Italy’s leading contemporary art critics.

And yet on one thing both Manfredi and Bonito Oliva agree - that some of the millions of euros spent on political parties should be funneled toward museums and culture.

A series of scandals, including one involving the Northern League, a former ally of Silvio Berlusconi that spent eight of the past 10 years in power, has highlighted defects in public funding of election campaigns and parliamentary groups.

The Northern League treasurer restored a cache of diamonds and gold bars he had deposited in a Genoa bank to the party this week, and the party spending scandal led to the resignation of its founder, Umberto Bossi, two weeks ago.

Bonito Oliva said parties should reduce their public funding, which some estimates put at 180 million euros for this year alone, and invest the savings in the struggling museums.

“The lack of funding for museums is a real drama, and it’s masochistic of Italy not to convert the raw materials it has - art - into a finished product,” Bonito Oliva said. -Reuters

Catholic nuns group ‘stunned’ by Vatican slap

Pope Benedict XVI makes his ‘’Urbi et Orbi’’ (To the city and the world) address from a balcony at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican April 8, 2012. (Reuters)

LONDON: A prominent US Catholic nuns’ group has said it was “stunned” that the Vatican reprimanded it for spending too much time on poverty and social justice concerns and not enough on abortion and gay marriage. In a stinging report on Wednesday, the Vatican said the Leadership Conference of Women Religious had been “silent on the right to life” and had failed to make the “Biblical view of family life and human sexuality” a central plank in its agenda. It also reprimanded American nuns for expressing positions on political issues that differed, at times, from views held by American bishops.

Public disagreement with the bishops - “who are the church’s authentic teachers of faith and morals” - is unacceptable, the report said.

The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a “doctrinal assessment” saying the Holy See was compelled to intervene with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious to correct “serious doctrinal problems.”

The nuns’ group said in a statement on its website, “The presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious was stunned by the

conclusions of the doctrinal assessment.” It added the group may give a lengthier response at a later date. The conference said it represented 80 percent of America’s 57,000 Catholic nuns. It is influential both in the United States and globally.

Academics who study the church said the Vatican’s move was predictable given Pope Benedict’s conservative views and efforts by Rome to quell internal dissent and curtail autonomy within its ranks.

“This is more an expression of the Church feeling under siege by trends it cannot control within the Church, much less within the broader society,” University of Notre Dame historian Scott Appleby said. That includes a steady drumbeat of calls to ordain women as priests, which the pope has reasserted was an impossibility. The Vatican named Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain and two other US bishops to undertake the reforms of the conference’s statutes, programs and its application of liturgical texts, a process it said could take up to five years. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

entertainment Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: 212 (Feat. Lazy Jay) Artist: Azealia Banks Album: 212 - Single Genre: Rap/Dance In short: Drawing inspirations from Diplo, Santigold, and M.I.A., Azealia Banks is the latest storm to take over the rap scene with her sharp verses and slick flow; «212» has been hyped way before its release, and way after. One listen to the song and listeners would know why Banks is causing this much commotion between the indie and mainstream rap scene.

To listen to the song visit www.alwatandaily.com E-mail your feedback to falsabah@alwatandaily.com

The Buzz Oprah not among Time’s Most Influential People Oprah Winfrey has been on Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World every year the magazine has published the list... until now. After being included by Time for nine years, more times than any other influencer, Winfrey is missing from the just-released 2012 list. In the past year, Winfrey has ended her syndicated daytime talk show, pulled the plug on Rosie O’Donnell’s OWN show, and announced layoffs as OWN struggles for ratings. Among those who snagged spots on the list for the first time are Claire Danes, Mitt Romney, Tim Tebow, Louis C.K., Kristen Wiig, Jeremy Lin, Matt Lauer and “The Help” stars Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis. -Reuters

Officer appears in celebrity ‘bling ring’ movie The Los Angeles police officer who solved the so-called “Bling Ring” celebrity break-ins case is playing himself in a movie about the investigation. Filmmaker Sofia Coppola hired veteran LAPD Officer Brett Goodkin as a technical adviser on “The Bling Ring,” which is based on a band of young people charged with stealing $3 million worth of goods from the homes of Orlando Bloom, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and others. The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/J2Z4Uv ) says Goodkin also plays himself in the movie. A recently filmed scene shows him slapping handcuffs on a suspect played by Emma Watson. But trials are still pending for three defendants in the case and Goodkin’s testimony is likely to be critical. He never notified prosecutors about his work on the movie. -AP

Author Stephen Covey injured in bicycle accident Motivational speaker and author Stephen R. Covey is recovering Friday in a Provo, Utah, hospital after being knocked unconscious the previous night in a bicycle accident. The 79year-old Covey was in stable condition and responding to family members, said his publicist Debra Lund. While there was no timetable for his release, Lund said doctors had not found any sign of long-term damage to his head. “He just lost control on his bike and crashed,” Lund said. “He was wearing a helmet, which is good news.” The accident happened on a steep road in the foothills of Provo, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. No one else was involved, Provo police Sgt. Mathew Siufanua said, although an assistant for Covey who was riding with him witnessed the crash. “He just took a corner too fast,” Siufanua said. “He hit his head and had a pretty good goose egg.” When officers arrived, they found Covey unconscious and sent him to the hospital. There was some bleeding but no signs of other head trauma. Catherine Sagers, Covey’s daughter, told The Salt Lake Tribune that her father was being monitored in an intensive care unit because of some bleeding on the frontal lobe of his brain. While subsequent head scans have not shown any increased swelling or bleeding, Sagers said, the family is “praying a lot he’s OK” and that it is still scary. “They’re just waiting to see if the brain is going to swell and bleed out more,” Sager said. “If it (bleeds) out more, they’ll probably have to go in and drain it.”-AP

Unlikely finalist struck from ‘American Idol’ “American Idol” viewers apparently weren’t caught in a romance with Colton Dixon. The 20-year-old alt-rocker was revealed Thursday to have received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox talent competition. Dixon was surprisingly eliminated from “Idol” after delivering lukewarm renditions of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Earth Wind and Fire’s “September” on Wednesday’s evening of old and new tunes.

It was his first time in the show’s bottom three. “I need to apologize,” Dixon said. “I wasn’t myself last night, and I get it.” Dixon was joined in the bottom three by Elise Testone, the rockin’ 28-year-old teacher Charleston, S.C., who fizzled with Alicia Keys’ “No One” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On,” and soaring 18-year-old singer Hollie Cavanagh from McKinney, Texas, who redeemed herself with Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” and Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The dismissal of the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native, who sometimes used the “Idol” platform to broadcast his Christian faith, shocked the finalists, including groovy crooner 21year-old Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Ga. The normally jovial singer remained seated on a couch on stage with his head down and his hands clasped as Dixon performed his swan song. “You have a huge career ahead of you,” Randy Jackson told Dixon after his elimination. -AP

saturDAY, april 21, 2012

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Jonathan Frid, actor in Dark Shadows, dies at 87 TORONTO: Jonathan Frid, a Canadian actor best known for playing Barnabas Collins in the 1960s original vampire soap opera “Dark Shadows”, has died. He was 87.

Frid died Friday of natural causes in a hospital in his home town of Hamilton, Ontario, said Jim Pierson, a friend and spokesman for Dan Curtis Productions, the creator of “Dark Shadows.”

Frid starred in the 1960s gothic-flavored soap opera about odd, supernatural goings-on at a family estate in Maine.

His death comes just weeks before a Tim Burton-directed version of Dark Shadows is due out next month starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. Frid has a cameo role in the new movie in which he meets Depp’s character in a party scene with two other original actors from the show.

Pierson said Burton and Depp were fans of Frid, who played a vulnerable vampire in one of the first sympathetic portrayal of the immortal creatures.

“Twenty million people saw the show at its peak in 1969.

Kids ran home from school and housewives watched it. It had a huge pop culture impact,” Pierson said.

Pierson said Frid, whose character was added in 1967, saved the show and stayed on until the end of its run in 1971.

He said Frid was never into the fame and fortune and just wanted to be a working actor. He said he loved the drama and finding the flaws and the humanity in his characters.

“That’s why he had this vampire that was very multidimensional. It really set the trend for all these other things that have been done with vampires over the last 40, 50 years,” Pierson said. “Vampires were not in the vernacular. In 1967, there wasn’t a pop culture of vampire stuff, so here he was in this mainstream network show that aired at 4 P.M. that really took off. And then he did the movie which was also a big hit.”

Frid had been an accomplished stage actor before “Dark Shadows” made him famous. The show has lived on in reruns.

Stuart Manning, editor of the online “Dark Shadows News Page”, said Frid brought a new dimension to the role of the vampire by injecting the role with depth and a sense of regret for his immortal existence.

“Now that idea has been taken many times since — ‘Twilight’ uses it, shows like ‘True Blood,’ ‘Buffy’ — which again I think shows the influence ‘Dark Shadows’ has had,” said Manning, who worked with Frid as a writer on the 2010 “Dark Shadows” audio drama spinoff, “The Night Whispers.”

The youngest of three sons, Frid served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. After graduating from Hamilton’s McMaster University, he got a degree in di-

FILE - In this 1970 file photo originally released by ABC, Jonathan Frid, from “Dark Shadows,” is shown. Frid, a Canadian actor best known for playing Barnabas Collins in the 1960s original vampire soap opera “Dark Shadows”, has died. He was 87. (AP)

recting at the Yale School of Drama and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.

Frid starred in various theater productions with illustrious actors including Katharine Hepburn. But it was his turn in “Dark Shadows” and its first feature film adaptation, “House of Dark Shadows,” that made him a commercial success and kept him busy throughout his career with reunions, fan events and dramatic readings.

He lived in New York for several decades before moving back to Canada in the ‘90s. His other credits include the 1973

Cybill Shepherd’s back, and on the List BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.: For Cybill Shepherd, her role on “The Client List” is all about happy endings.

After a career as a teen model in the late ‘60s, she made her transition to film as the muse to boyfrienddirector Peter Bogdanovich in his critically beloved “The Last Picture Show,” and then scored commercial and critical success again in director Elaine May’s “The Heartbreak Kid” and Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.”

But two ambitious big-screen Bogdanovich disappointments (“Daisy Miller” and “At Long Last Love”) were, in part, the reason she retired in the late ‘70s.

Shepherd returned with two successful TV series, the ‘80s detective comedy “Moonlighting” and the ‘90s sitcom “Cybill,” the memories of both tarnished by stories of behind-the-scenes strife after Shepherd was snubbed by the Emmys and watched co-stars Bruce Willis and Christine Baranski go home with the gold.

She addressed those issues in her 2000 autobiography, denying behind-the-scenes arguments, but admitting: “The grain of truth is this: Who doesn’t want to win an Emmy?”

Since then, the 62-year-old Shepherd has focused on family and work. Despite eternal leading-lady looks she took on a blast of colorful supporting character-actor roles. She’s a regular in Lifetime’s “The Client List,” which last weekend saw its audience grow to 2.9 million viewers, making it the network’s second-highestrated Sunday series, right behind its perennial hit “Army Wives.” In demographic-focused cable-network terms, it’s a breakthrough hit.

In the series, Shepherd portrays the Bible-thumpin’,

tough-Texas-talkin’ mama Linette with the tease-it-toJesus-hairdo. Her only child, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Riley, is forced to support her family working as a masseuse — and not the kind her mama thinks.

“I think ‘the iron butterfly’ is how they referred to (the late first lady) Lady Bird Johnson. Of course that became ‘steel magnolias,’ so, definitely, Linette falls into that category,” Shepherd said in a recent interview. “And, also, as Ann Richards, for former governor of Texas said, ‘The bigger the hair, the closer to God.’” It takes some doing to get Shepherd’s shoulder-length golden hair to that high state. “(Linette’s hair) has got a life of its own. You learn to do it. I can’t do it on myself like that,” she continued. “But I’ve had hairdressers, and they just make my hair huge.”

And then there’s that accent. Memphis-native Shepherd naturally has a soft, sultry drawl, but had to get the stronger Texas sound down for “Picture Show,” and it still proves no small feat.

“I can overdo the Texas accent. I, at one point, was saying, ‘Y’all HAWN-gry?’ And the executive producer, who is from Texas, came up from Beaumont, said, ‘We don’t say HAWN-gry. We say, ‘HUN-gry.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, thank you. Tell me that as soon as you notice it.”

For Shepherd, the “Client List” role feels a bit like following in the shoes of her mentors. She was just 20 when she did “Picture Show,” opposite veterans Eileen Brennan, Ellen Burstyn and Cloris Leachman (the latter winning an Oscar for her performance). “And they were all playing these wonderful older characters in their prime. And I feel like this is my chance to do that.” -AP

TV movie “The Devil’s Daughter,” co-starring Shelley Winters, and Oliver Stone’s directorial debut, “Seizure.” He also starred in the Broadway revival and national tour of “Arsenic and Old Lace” in the ‘80s.

Pierson said Frid been in declining health in recent months.

At Frid’s request, there was no funeral and there will be no memorial.

“He really was kind of a no-fuss guy,” Pierson said.

Frid never married. He is survived by a nephew, Donald Frid. –AP

Madonna charity reaffirms commitment to Malawi

De Niro, Apatow worlds collide at Tribeca NEW YORK: If a talk with Robert De Niro and Judd Apatow can be considered a meeting of drama and comedy, humor easily won out when the two took the stage at the Tribeca Film Festival.

De Niro, a co-founder of Tribeca, and Apatow, the director of “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” convened Thursday for a conversation built around the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios. Both have made numerous films for the Comcast Corp.-owned studio founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle.

But as stark as the differences between De Niro and Apatow, the yuck-filled conversation, if anything, proved the blurring of genre lines.

De Niro, who famously segued into comedy with “Meet the Parents” and “Analyze This,” is far looser and jovial than his iconic, intimidating big-screen presence.

And Apatow’s films, while uproarious, are ultimately personal expressions that make room for drama, too, like James L. Brooks and Cameron Crowe movies.

“One movie might be a little broader than another, and something might be more serious,” said Apatow, talking about “walking the line” between comedy and drama. “But I’m usually thinking about ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ or ‘Broadcast News’ or something like that.”

The conversation, moderated by Mike Fleming of Deadline Hollywood, was sometimes awkward. (Meryl Streep had originally been planned to join, but canceled due to a family illness.) Apatow frequently joked at the impossible transitions between discussing such different filmographies.

Talking about casting the then less known Steve Carrel in “40 Year-Old Virgin,” Apatow paused and then exaggeratedly added: “Much like Christopher Walken in ‘The Deerhunter.’”

Apatow drew a more direct line between his “Funny People” and De Niro’s “The King of Comedy” — both movies, he said, about performers and their wounds.

“Goodfellas,” he said, is hilarious,” and that even “Cape Fear” ‘’has some humor in it.”

Singer Madonna Launches Her Signature Fragrance “Truth Or Dare” By Madonna Macy’s Herald Square on April 12, 2012 in New York City. (AFP)

Actor Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower attend the Tribeca Film Festival opening night premiere of “The Five-Year Engagement” at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 in New York. (AP)

But like many before him, figuring out De Niro proved too difficult for the filmmaker.

“You’re a very, very warm, nice man,” said Apatow.

“Why do you think you’re so good at playing tough guys or murders or all that?”

“That’s for me and my psychoanalyst,” replied De Niro. –AP

PARIS: American pop diva Madonna’s Malawi charity on Friday pledged to continue its work as the country makes a new beginning under President Joyce Banda.

“This is a critical time for Malawi as President Banda attempts to steer Malawi back toward more successful times. It is also a crucial moment for the friends of Malawi to continue to show their support,” Raising Malawi said in a statement.

“Raising Malawi remains a committed friend to Malawi and has expanded support in 2012 into the area of education.”

Banda was sworn in on April 7 as Malawi’s first female president after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika two days earlier.

Raising Malawi in January announced it would build 10 rural schools, changing focus after abandoning a failed $15 million-project to set up a girls academy.

The plans angered education officials in the country over not being consulted on the change of focus.

Ground was broken on the first school in central Malawi in February and two more schools are set to be finished later this year, it said. Immediately after coming to power Banda moved to heal breaches with donors that had been alienated by Mutharika’s oppressive economic policies.

Several had suspended funding, including the United States, the IMF, and Britain which previously contributed 19 million pounds ($30 million, 23 million euro) in aid a year.

Madonna, whose adoptions of two children from Malawi were embroiled in controversy, has not visited the country since she dropped the academy plans last year.

The singer has poured millions into helping children in Malawi, where 39 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day. –AFP

12

ALWATAN DAILY

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUT

SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

If you have an event you wish to include, please email: aroundtown@alwatandaily.com

Feature o f

graffiti

the day

moderately confused

‘Color of prosperity’ with Damas’ new Akshaya Tritiya 2012 collection

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait: Damas, the Middle East’s leading international jewelry and watch retailer, has launched its new Akshaya Tritiya 2012 collection across Kuwait. The 10 new designs within the collection have been crafted to welcome the ‘color of prosperity’ associated with the auspicious occasion.

The word Akshaya means ‘that which never diminishes’ and the day is ideal for beginning new ventures as it is believed that all investments made on this day appreciate.

The day is believed to bring good luck and success, and will be celebrated this year on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

This Akshaya Tritiya, immerse yourself in all that is auspicious, and pave the way for a prosperous new beginning with Mira, the classic, Victorian-style jewellery set from Damas. Inspired by designs that once adorned the necklines of high royalty, the set is crafted in 18k gold and sterling silver and accompanied with rose cut and single cut. The pendant and earrings set is an exquisite reproduction of classic Victorian jewelry.

Drawing inspiration from the rich culture and colors of India, the new Legacy jewelry necklace and

Month a t

Sudoku

Intermediate

earrings set is crafted in 22k yellow gold and accompanied with rose cut diamonds and rubies.

Damas has also created a number of other beautiful designs for Akshaya Tritiya, which are suitable for all ages, tastes and budgets. The

Advanced

Elementary

collections can be found in select Damas stores throughout UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman.

The new Akshaya Tritiya 2012 collection is available at select Damas outlets from April 1 - April 24, 2012.

General A n n o u n c e m e n t s

a glance are mundane encounters of beauty that sprouted from the ego and surrounding events, creating emotions which dissolved into aesthetic visual messages.

Golden era club April 27/ 5 p.m. - 7 p.m./ Rumaithiya: Join the Golden Era (an exclusive seniors club) for a 3500 km, zero carbon footprint, journey to a beautiful European country credited with amazing achievements. Dr. Leos Tovarek’s dynamic presentation will give a unique insight into the Czech Republic; its history, culture, strengths, potential and future. Home sick Czech nationals are particularly invited to share their culture. Venue- House #34, next to AbuTammam Intermediate School for Boys, Sate Alhusari St., Block 2, Rumaithiya. For details call 97172788/ 66208183.

K’S PATH invites applicants for the adoption of pets Sepp is a Domestic Long Haired (DLH) male cat. He will be 2-years-old April 2012. This friendly, laid-back boy loves a good cuddle and likes a high vantage point in a cat tree or ledge to look out from. He would do best in a home with children over 12 years of age.

To adopt, contact +965 67006122 or visit the website www.kspath.org

Marriage counseling session Diwaniya presentation April 24/ 7 p.m. / The AWARE Center: The AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Beachcombing in Kuwait,” by Claudia Farkas Al-Rashoud. Virtually everyone who walks along a beach starts to collect odd bits and pieces that have been washed up and deposited along the strandline. On Kuwait’s beaches you can find many things that make beachcombing an interesting pastime. There are more than 500 varieties of mollusc shells alone. For more information, call 25335260/70.

Presentation on iconic rugs April 24/ 6 p.m. / Sadu House: The KTAA under the auspices of Al Sadu House cordially invites you to the presentation: ‘The Turkmen Yurt and Its Furnishings’ by James Bishop. Inhabiting the steppes of Central Asia, the diminishing nomadic people of Turkmenistan weave some of the most iconic rugs. The weavings of each tribe are distinctive with characteristic octagons or guls. This evening you will learn about some of the major tribes, the primary design features of their various guls, their bags (chuvals, torbas, jollars, etc.), tent bands, animal trappings, and chirpies.

Art exhibition April 15-26/ 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. / Gallery Tilal: Abdul Rasool Salman’s rhythms

May 2/ 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. / TIES Center: TIES Ladies Club invites all ladies to a lecture on Marriage Institution by Joanne Hands (Psychologist, Licensed Counselor, Marriage & family Therapist). The lecture will cover on a brief introduction to the stages of marriage institution, a successful approach to the day to day marriage life, tricks of nourishing and improving your marriage relationships and techniques of overcoming the marriage challenges.

Refreshments will be served. For more information please contact us on 97228860/2523015/6 or emailinfo@tiescenter.net.

Mario is a gentle and affectionate 6-years-young Spitz male. This friendly boy does great with people and dogs of all ages.

Bread baking course April 19- May 10/ 6 p.m.-8 p.m. /TIES Center: TIES Ladies Club invites all ladies the unique course of preparing the ancient traditional food “The Bread Baking”. Baking of different kinds of breads will be demonstrated including Old English Toast, Italian Bread Stick, Strawberry Sweet Heart and many more. For more information please contact us on 97228860/2523015/6 or emailinfo@tiescenter.net.

Open House for Indian Citizens Ambassador of India would be holding an Open House for Indian citizens to address their problems\grievances on Wednesdays of the second and the fourth weeks of every month between 1500 hrs and 1600 hrs in the Embassy. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day. To ensure timely action/follow-up by the Embassy, it is requested that, wherever possible, Indian citizens should exhaust the existing channels of interaction/grievance redressal and bring their problems/issues in writing with supporting documents.

Waist Watchers Every Tuesday/ 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. / British Ladies Society: Meetings are based on the world’s most successful healthy eating plan.

Weekly meetings include private weigh in, motivational talks, recipes to try, and cooking demonstrations. Fee of KD 2.500 is required to cover for the cost of course material. For more info contact; Danielle desertdanny@hotmail.com.

Dilbert

Royal Thai Embassy The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait wishes to invite Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

Nancy

Horoscopes Aries: March 21 - April 19

Old problems should be more easily resolved today; this is because certain negative influences have moved away. Now that it has gone you should be able to move things forward in a much more positive way. However, if your energy levels aren’t quite replenished, then do take it easy!

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Elements of yesterday’s planetary influences are likely to have a continued effect on your day today.

If you’re getting tired of work or school seriously eating into all your time, be assured that changes are on the way. In the meantime snatch what moments you can in order to relax!

Gemini: May 21- June 21

Certain negative influences, which are likely to impact on your general nature, could have you focusing too much on the material things in life.

However, buying things isn’t going to make you feel happier today, whereas some time out with less seriously minded friends will!

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

You should find that you’re feeling much happier than you have in a number of days today. Any problems in your friendships should just melt away and an evening spent with your best friends, whether it’s bowling or visiting the movies will establish old bonds again!

Leo: July 23 - August 22

The positively glowing aspects that have been responsible for your financial well-being will shift today, which means that you will need to be more careful when it comes to money matters. Plan any shopping sprees with care and take along a friend who will be happy to tell you when to stop!

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Friends will be flocking to you today, as you seem to be able to offer advice on a whole range of issues from money to relationships. The current influences are such that you’ll be able to pick up on the deepest feelings of those around you. Make sure you use this temporary talent wisely!

Libra: September 23 - October 22

In general you tend to be quite a shy person in the work place and this can have some negative effects in terms of your treatment by others. Today is the day for you to finally stand up and deal with anyone who you feel is treating you unfairly or taking you for granted. The influences around you mean that you simply can’t lose!

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

Scorpio is rightly regarded as the most secretive of all the signs. Today this is a positively good thing and you will be well liked by your close friends for your ability to be discreet. The positions of the planets indicate that someone will need to share a secret and you will be the only one they can really trust!

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

After a few days of feeling thoughtful, today will bring back your usual feisty approach to the world.

Perhaps someone has been less than friendly lately; maybe someone has been sticking their oar in over a close relationship. Today is the day to broach this with them and let them know that it needs to stop!

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

There are a number of positive romantic energies around you today, which is excellent news for relationships.Trust in your intuition today when it comes to affairs of the heart and you will end the day a very happy individual. Someone who you least expect has certain feelings for you and is just waiting for you to say something!

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

After yesterday’s challenges you will feel like rewarding yourself. Travel is very well aspected for you today and your finances are looking up. Take some time this afternoon to look into the possibility of a short break. The rest will do you good and there may be an interesting meeting as an unexpected bonus!

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

We all know that Pisces is the wisest of the signs, but over the last few days someone has been trying to steal your crown. The planetary influences are forcing matters to a head so now is the time to take back your rightful place at the center of things. Your friends will be very glad to have the real you back again!

2

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

saturdAY, april 21, 2012

UN seeks Syria permission for major aid operation Assads’ luxury lifestyle is target of new EU sanctions

GENEVA: The United Nations hopes to get permission from the Syrian government in the coming days to send more aid workers to help at least 1 million people in need of urgent assistance, a top UN humanitarian official said on Friday. Syria has recognized there are “serious humanitarian needs” and that action is required, but logistical issues and visas for aid workers are still being discussed, said John Ging, director of operations of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“Now it’s a question of implementing those plans. This is where we are needing to mobilize more effective engagement with the Syrians to get that plan fully up and running,” Ging said.

“The next step in the process which we want to see concluded in a matter of days ... is to get agreement on the operation of the plan and concurrent with that the mobilization of the resources to make it happen,” he said.

It was important to get Syrian agreement on the plan and to mobilize partner aid agencies for what Ging said would be a “major humanitarian operation”.

He was speaking to reporters after the Syrian Humanitarian Forum was held in Geneva to discuss a 180 million US dollars assistance plan for six months aimed at helping an estimated 1 million within Syria.

An advance team of UN monitors is due to deploy in Syria in the coming week to monitor a fragile ceasefire that has so far failed to stop the bloodshed.

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva,

Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, attended the closed-door talks along with representatives of donor countries, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and European Union’s humanitarian office (ECHO).

Speaking separately to reporters, Hamoui said it had been a constructive meeting but accused some delegations of trying to politicize humanitarian aid.

“We are ready to cooperate but we hope they come to enter the house from the front door, not the window,” he said. “We don’t have any crisis in Syria, it is not Somalia.”

The Assad couple’s lifestyle is the next target of EU sanctions on the Syrian regime, with the bloc ready to ban exports of luxury items, diplomats said Friday.

“Sanctions are ready,” said an EU diplomat who asked not to be named.

“We will see Monday, depending on the situation on the ground, if European Union foreign ministers decide to adopt them or not” at talks in Luxembourg.

This 14th round of EU sanctions would concern luxury goods and so-called dual-use goods which can be used for internal repression or for the manufacturing of equipment used for internal repression, a senior EU diplomat said.

By targeting luxury items, the EU is “symbolically” targeting the lifestyle of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his glamorous British-born wife Asma, said a European diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The Assad couple, as well as his inner circle and leaders of the regime must be made to understand that events in Syria will also impact their personal lives,” the source told AFP. The EU a month ago tightened the noose on Assad’s family, slapping a travel ban and asset freeze on his wife, mother and sister in the 13th round of EU sanctions in a year. -Agencies

Demonstrators protest against Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad after Friday Prayers in Kafranbel, near Idlib April 20. (Reuters)

Tens of thousands protest military’s rule in Egypt At least 25 Al-Qaeda

fighters killed in latest Yemen clash

People attend Friday prayers in Tahrir square in Cairo April 20, where tens of thousands of Egyptians demanded on Friday that their military rulers stick to a pledge to hand over power by mid-year after a row over who can run in the presidential election raised doubts about the army’s commitment to democracy. The banner reads, “rejection of military rule.” (Reuters)

CAIRO: Tens of thousands of protesters packed Cairo’s downtown Tahrir Square on Friday in the biggest demonstration in months against the ruling military, aimed at stepping up pressure on the generals to hand over power to civilians and bar exregime members from running in upcoming presidential elections.

Islamists and liberals turned out together in force for the protest to show the widespread anger at the military over the country’s political chaos ahead of the first presidential elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago.

The confusion has raised suspicions the generals ruling since Mubarak’s ouster are manipulating the process to preserve their power, ensure the victory of a pro-military candidate and prevent reform.

“Down with military rule,” protesters in Tahrir chanted, and banners draped around the sprawling plaza denounced candidates seen as “feloul,” or “remnants” from Mubarak’s regime.

Liberals and youth groups called for all factions to agree on an antimilitary “revolution” candidate in the presidential vote, but the powerful Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists - who have their own ambitions in the race - refused to sign on.

The Brotherhood, Egypt’s strongest

political movement, has been frustrated that the military has prevented their domination of parliament from translating into real political power. The group was angered when the military-appointed election commission over the past week disqualified its initial candidate for president, along with nine other hopefuls. In response, the Brotherhood is calling for a “second revolution.”

Liberals and the youth groups who led the revolt against Mubarak, however, are also skeptical, accusing the Brotherhood of abandoning the revolution to pursue their own quest to rule. The Brotherhood largely stayed out of antimilitary protests and accepted the generals’ running of the transition, betting that the process would pave their way to political power.

Nada Al-Marsafi, a 21-year-old student protesting Friday in Tahrir, questioned the Islamists’ intentions. “The Brotherhood is using this (rally) as a chance for self-promotion to campaign for their candidate,” she said. Many in the secular camp demand the Brotherhood “apologize” for its actions over the past year and show it is not intent on monopolizing power.

“First they must make an apology for the revolution whose image they ruined,” says Amr Hamzawy, a liberal lawmaker.

Khaled Al-Balshi, editor of the leftist el-Badeel news site, said he feared that Islamists are once again using the protests as a card to pressure the military council and would go back to striking deals with it again later. “I am afraid that right now there is something being cooked,” he told Al-Jazeera television.

Another major force in the square were the ultraconservative Salafis, an Islamic movement that is more hard-line than the Brotherhood. Many of them are furious over the disqualification of their favored presidential candidate, Hazem Abu Ismail, who was barred from the race because his mother held American citizenship. Election rules bar a candidate’s close family from having dual citizenship. Many of his supporters accuse the military and election of commission of forging documents to force out the popular Abu Ismail.

His supporters marched through the square Friday carrying a long banner with Abu Ismail’s image, demanding that he be reinstated.

The presidential elections are scheduled for May 23-24. A new president will be announced on June. 21. The military council has pledged to transfer power to the elected civilian administration by early July. -AP

Iran cleric praises atom talks, signals shift

DUBAI: An influential Iranian cleric praised recent nuclear talks between Iran and world powers on Friday, the latest in a series of positive statements from senior figures that analysts said could signal Tehran is softening its stance.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, secretary of the powerful Guardian Council, said the talks showed “success and progress” but added Tehran would break off the negotiations if Western countries carried on imposing sanctions while negotiating.

World powers held talks with Tehran in Istanbul last week over their concerns about its nuclear program, which the United States and its allies say is a cover for developing an atomic weapons capability. Iran has refused to stop enriching uranium, despite pressure from Western sanctions, and says its nuclear work is for purely peaceful purposes. Western diplomats reacted to the meeting with cautious optimism but said there was a long way to go before any deal could be done. The two sides agreed to meet again in Baghdad on May 23.

Addressing Friday prayers, Jannati said the talks showed “success and progress”, adding: “They (western countries) are ready to accept that enrichment is Iran’s right,” state media reported. He added Iranians needed assurances from the West that it would no longer be their enemy.

“The West should lift sanctions against Iran but if they continue to insist on sanctions and then say they are negotiating

with Iran, it is clear that this talks will be halted,” he warned.

Although his comments took a typically anti-Western tone, analysts say they were a further sign of a changing attitude within the Iranian leadership. Earlier this week Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran was “ready to resolve all issues very quickly and simply”. His words were echoed by parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and senior MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi. “Iran will bargain inch by inch in Baghdad but there is a genuine desire to reach an agreement,” said Sadeq Zibakalam, a professor of political science at Tehran University, who was optimistic that a deal could be reached eventually.

“They are paving the way and preparing the public for a deal with the West. But the language is about trying to maintain that it is not a submission and that they haven’t given in.”

While other analysts were less sanguine about prospects of a deal, they agreed Tehran had altered its strategy.

“It seems to be that they are trying to shape the talks through public diplomacy. I think they are certainly looking for a deal but I am not sure they are going to get it,” said Professor Ali Ansari of Scotland’s St Andrews University.

“They are definitely trying to change the narrative.”

Sounding a more skeptical note, one western diplomat earlier this week told Reuters the change of tone was welcome but said Iran might just be trying to buy more time. -Reuters

SANAA: Yemeni government troops launched a surprise attack in the south of the country to recapture an Al-Qaeda stronghold, killing 25 Islamist militants, an official said Friday. The official said the army succeeded in regaining control over one district on the outskirts of Zinjibar, but the rest of the provincial capital was still in Al-Qaeda’s hands.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.

A Defense Ministry statement on Friday said the offensive that started two weeks ago around another city in the southern Abyan province, Lawder, has so far killed 250 Al-Qaeda militants. Also, 37 Yemeni soldiers have died, it said.

During a year of internal turmoil that eventually led to longtime Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s resignation, Al-Qaeda took advantage of a security vacuum to overrun parts of the south.

The US believes Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen is the most dangerous arm of the terror group because of its repeated attempts to carry out attacks in the US. In recent weeks, the Yemeni military has been hitting the militants in ground and air operations, while al-Qaeda has carried out some bloody surprise attacks of its own against government forces.

Yemen’s government expressed determination.

“The war on terrorism will expand and reach all the terrorist elements; it will continue and will not stop until it curbs it and uproots it,” a statement Friday from the Ministry of Interior read.

Under a power transfer deal brokered by Arab Gulf countries and backed by the United States, Saleh received immunity from prosecution in re-

turn for stepping down. Protesters have been on the streets ever since, rejecting the terms.

The new president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, has pledged to purge Saleh’s loyalists and family members from top security and military posts, a step toward restructuring the army to enable it to effectively combat Al-Qaeda militants in the south.

Hadi’s decisions have met with stiff resistance from the Saleh’s allies. The battle in the south between Yemen’s army and the Al-Qaeda branch is seen as a test of Hadi’s ability to combat the Islamist militants. The Yemen military offensive in the south appeared to be making gains.

On Friday, the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, “the heroes of the Armed Forces have achieved a great advancement toward Zinjibar,” the capital of Abyan province, where Al-Qaeda has been dominant. Ansar Al-Sharia, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, confirmed in a statement Friday that its members have “encountered a massive offensive by Sanaa regime forces, but they have failed” to retake Zinjibar. Elsewhere in Yemen, demonstrators repeated their long-standing demands against Saleh.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis rallied in the capital, Sanaa, and several other cities demanding trial of Saleh and his family for killing protesters during past year’s uprising.

“The people want to prosecute the murderer,” the protesters chanted, holding up composite pictures showing Saleh behind bars. Saleh stepped down in February but remains in Yemen. Some charge he is still meddling in state affairs through relatives and cronies in senior positions. -Reuters

Yemeni protesters shout slogans during a protest demanding the trial of corrupt officials in Sana’a, Yemen, April 20. (EPA)

Tiny Gulf islands rekindle big Arab-Iran dispute TEHRAN: There would seem to be enough points of tension to keep Iran and its Gulf Arab rivals fully occupied: Tehran’s nuclear program, accusations of Iranian meddling in Bahrain’s uprising, Iranian threats to block Gulf oil shipping lanes. But it’s all been overshadowed by three contested islands that Iran wants to turn into a tourist draw.

For more than a week, the political temperature has been rising since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a surprise visit to the Gulf outpost Abu Musa, the largest in the three-island cluster controlled by Iran but also claimed by the United Arab Emirates. On Thursday, Iran’s ground forces commander spoke for the first time about the readiness to defend the tiny islands between Iran and the UAE. “We will not allow any country to carry out an invasion,” Gen. Ahmad Reza Pourdastan was quoted as saying on state TV. “If these disturbances are not solved through diplomacy, the military forces are ready to show the power of Iran to the offender. Iran will strongly defend its rights.”

It appeared to be a reply to Tuesday’s statement by senior Gulf officials pledging full support to the UAE and saying any “aggressions” would be considered an act against the entire six-nation bloc, known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, which is led by Iran’s

main regional foe Saudi Arabia. Despite the tough talk, the chances of armed conflict still seem very remote. But the rumblings were enough for Washington to take notice. State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Tuesday for a “peaceful resolution” of the dispute through international mediation, but noted that a visit like Ahmadinejad’s last week “only complicate efforts to settle the issue.”

The motivations are still unclear for Ahmadinejad’s trip - the first by an Iranian head of state to Abu Musa since it came under Tehran’s control in 1971. But it suddenly turned a normally back-burner Gulf dispute into a diplomatic tempest. The UAE recalled its ambassador to Iran and hammered Tehran with harshly worded declarations that were in stark contrast to the usual cautious tones from Abu Dhabi on regional affairs. After the UAE canceled an exhibition soccer match with Iran, the head of the UAE’s soccer federation quipped: “A friendly match should be between friends.” Abu Musa sits like a sentinel over the western edge of the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf, the route for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and US Navy warships patrol the narrow waterway, which Iran had threatened to choke off in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. -AP

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

SaturDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

Airliner carrying 131 crashes in Pakistan

Mexico volcano spews glowing rock, tower of ash

Pakistani rescue workers and local residents search the site of a plane crash in Islamabad on April 20. (AFP)

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani airliner with 131 people on board crashed in bad weather near Islamabad’s international airport on Friday, a civil aviation official said. The civilian plane, which was traveling from Pakistan’s biggest city and commercial hub Karachi to the capital Islamabad, crashed about five nautical miles from the airport, said the official, Pervez George, without mentioning casualties.

Television channels showed charred parts of the aircraft strewn across a street in what appeared to be a residential area.

The aircraft was operated by local carrier Bhoja Air.

The airline’s spokesman, Jaser Abro, said 116 passengers were on board and up to six crew.

State television reported that all hospitals in Islamabad and the nearby city of Rawalpindi had been put on high alert after the crash.

The last major aviation accident in Pakistan occurred in July 2010, when a commercial airliner operated by AirBlue with 152 people on board crashed into the hills overlooking Islamabad.

In 2006, a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft crashed near the central city of Multan, killing 45 people. -Reuters

Myanmar president starts Japan trip, loan resumption eyed

TOKYO: Myanmar President Thein Sein, his government braced to emerge from Western sanctions, arrived in Tokyo on Friday to discuss debt forgiveness and development aid in the first visit by the country’s head of state to Japan in nearly three decades.

Myanmar, run by the military for five decades until a year ago, has undertaken a series of reforms, allowing the main opposition to run in parliamentary by-elections, releasing detainees deemed political prisoners and easing restrictions on the press.

The United States has eased some sanctions against the southeast Asian country and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Friday that the European Union would suspend its punitive measures next week in recognition of the reforms. Thein Sein’s visit is his first to a major industrialized power since the changes were introduced, though he has already been to China and India.

The president attended a reception hosted by Japanese business lobbies on his first day and will take part in a six-way meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and top leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

He is expected during the five-day visit to clinch an agreement with Noda on debt forgiveness and a resumption of Tokyo’s development loans to pay for much-needed infrastructure projects.

Japanese companies have long conducted business in Myanmar, but interest has grown since the reform-minded government took office, particularly in its planned industrial zones.

Myanmar is setting up Special Economic Zones in Thilawa, south of Yangon, Kyaukphyu, on the Bay of Bengal and a $50 billion project to the south in Dawei, which could become Southeast Asia’s biggest industrial estate.

Japan is ready to resume low-interest, long-term development loans to Myanmar as it introduces more democratic and economic reforms, a source close to the matter told Reuters this week and the two countries are completing details of debt forgiveness.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said in its evening edition on Thursday that Noda will agree to forgive about 300 billion yen ($3.68 billion) in debt when he meets Thein Sein on Saturday.

Myanmar’s government has made no comment.

The limitations of Myanmar’s transport system could present logistical problems for investors planning to use the country as a manufacturing base. Railways cover only a handful of routes and many roads are in poor condition, even its new ones, while an estimated 75 percent of the country is without access to reliable electricity.

Democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi won a seat in parliamentary by-elections this month, in which her National League for Democracy swept 43 of 45 legislative seats contested. -Reuters

XALITZINTLA: A 17,886-foot (5,450-meter) volcano outside Mexico City exhaled dozens of towering plumes of ash and shot fragments of glowing rock a half-mile (1 kilometer) down its slopes Friday morning, frightening the residents of surrounding villages with hours of low-pitched roaring not heard in a decade.

A roiling white cloud of ash, gas, water vapor and superheated rock spewed from the cone of Popocatepetl high above the village of Xalitzintla, whose residents said they were awakened by a window-rattling series of eruptions.

Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center said that a string of eruptions had ended in the early morning, then started up again at 5:05 a.m., with at least 12 in two hours. “Up on the mountain, it feels incredible,” said Aaron Sanchez Ocelotl, 45, who was in his turf grass fields when the eruptions happened. “It sounds like the roaring of the sea.”

The white cone of Popo, as most call the mountain, is an iconic backdrop to Mexico City’s skyline on clear days, but its 40 miles (65 kilometers) distance means even a moderately large eruption is unlikely to do more than dump ash on one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas. It’s a different matter for the villages on the flanks of the volcano, where the quiet of the corn fields and fruit orchards was pervaded by the volcano’s spooky roaring.

“Everyone needs to take this seriously. This buzzing, this roaring isn’t normal,” said Gregorio Fuentes Casquera, the assistant mayor of Xalitzintla, a village of 2,600 people about seven miles (12 kilometers) from the summit. He said the town had prepared 50 buses and was sending out its six-member police forces to alert people to be ready to evacuate.

He said he believed about half the populace would be willing to evacuate,

Ash and smoke are spewed from Popocatepetl Volcano as seen from the town of Xalitxintla in the central state of Puebla, 12 km from the crater. (AP)

while the rest would want to stay.

Leon Analco Analco, 83, chopped corn stalks with a machete as he related some residents’ plans to simply move to a shelter they’d constructed on a ridgeline about 200 feet higher than the rest of the village. “This is a ravine. All the mud will run down here. It’s dangerous,” he said. Webcam images on the site of the National Disaster Prevention Center showed the plume rising from the top of the peak at dawn, though clouds obscured the volcano for people further away. The Televisa television network broadcast images of red, glowing material rising from the crater and falling on its slopes.

Authorities this week raised the alert level due to increasing activity at the volcano, whose most violent eruption in 1,200 years occurred on Dec. 18, 2000.

The coordinator general for civil pro-

tection, Laura Gurza, told Televisa that officials were not yet ready to order any evacuations, but urged people living near the mountain to be “very, very attentive” to action at the volcano. She also urged them to gather important papers and to have their escape routes planned in case they have to leave.

The ash was blowing to the northeast, in the general direction of the city of Puebla.

Residents of Huejotzingo, 18 miles (30 kilometers) from the peak, went about the day as normal despite a magnificent plume of ash and water vapor. Luz Maria de Olate, 35, put her 5-year-old in a surgical mask because the teachers said the ash could damage children’s lungs.

But like hundreds of other residents on the flank of the volcano, she doesn’t fear an eruption. Neither did her son as they headed for school. -AP

France election campaign enters final day PARIS: Like Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy swept to power on a wave of hope for change. Sarkozy’s wave crashed on the global financial crisis and his own failings. On Sunday, the French leader faces a tough fight against nine challengers in presidential elections awash in fear and anger.

This has been a race of negative emotion and nostalgia for a more protected past: One of the world’s top tourist destinations and biggest economies, France is feeling down about its debts, its immigrants, its stagnant paychecks, and above all its future. To voters, the conservative Sarkozy gets much of the blame. While he’s almost certain to make it past Sunday’s first-round voting and into the decisive second round May 6, polls show his support waning. They predict another man will trounce Sarkozy in the runoff and take over the Elysee Palace: Socialist Francois Hollande.

How votes for the utopian far left and the anti-immigrant far right and the other myriad candidates shake out Sunday will weigh heavily on the remainder of the campaign, on the makeup of the future government and on parliamentary elections in June.

And that will weigh on the fate of France - and a struggling Europe in which it plays a central role.

Hollande, in his Mr. Nice Guy kind of way, has tapped into a fear of the free market that has always held more sway in France than almost anywhere in the West, and has enjoyed a resurgence in the era of Occupy Wall Street and anti-banker backlash.

Hollande wants to tax high-income earners at 75 percent and reconsider a hard-won European fiscal treaty meant to stem the continent’s debt crisis. He says it’s too focused on cost-cutting and hurts ordinary folks.

Investors worry that France - no mat-

France’s President and UMP party candidate for the 2012 French presidential elections Nicolas Sarkozy salutes militants as he arrives at his campaign meeting in Nice, southeastern France, on April 20. (AFP)

ter who’s in charge, but especially if it’s Hollande - is on a path to debt disaster if it doesn’t tighten public finances and slash or rethink its generous welfare benefits.

Yet Hollande is just one of five leftists in Sunday’s race - and he’s the most moderate and pragmatic of the bunch. If fiery rival Jean-Luc Melenchon, with his red neck-scarves and rallies thick with communist red flags, scores strongly, he and his voters will press Hollande to swing his own policies even farther leftward.

On the other side of the spectrum, the campaign fear-mongering has a different focus: France’s No. 2 religion.

Far right candidate Marine Le Pen rails against the “Islamization” of France and made a stink about the widespread

Perceptions of Afghan Taliban victory dangerous PESHAWAR: The withdrawal of most combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014 has raised questions from Kabul to Brussels to Washington about the potential chaos that may follow if the Taliban press to take over again.

Few people are as worried about what the pullout could trigger next door in nuclear-armed Pakistan as LieutenantGeneral Khalid Rabbani, commander of the frontline corps fighting militants in the northwest of the country.

Sitting in his office in the heavilyfortified headquarters of the XI Corps in Peshawar - one of the Pakistan cities worst hit by suicide bombings - he speaks anxiously about creating the right perceptions as the foreign troop exit approaches.

If the Taliban are seen as the victors in any way, that could be disastrous for Pakistan, emboldening homegrown Taliban militants, who are close to al Qaeda, to step up their campaign to topple the

3

US-backed Islamabad government.

“If they are leaving and giving a notion of success to the Taliban of Afghanistan, this notion of success may have a snowballing effect on to the threat matrix of Afghanistan,” Rabbani told Reuters in an interview this week.

“On our side, it may give impetus to the already dying down so-called Tehrike-Taliban’s (Pakistan Taliban) effort over here.”

Rabbani has good reason to worry, even though he and other military officials say security crackdowns have hurt the Pakistani Taliban.

The loose alliance of militant groups - the biggest security threat to the state - has proven resilient, despite repeated offensives from the military, one of the largest in the world.

They have carried out suicide bombings and high-profile attacks, including one on army headquarters, since they were formed in 2007 after a military raid

on Islamabad’s Red Mosque, which was controlled by its allies.

The Pakistani Taliban have close links with the Afghan Taliban. They move back and forth across the unmarked border, exchange intelligence and shelter each other in a region US President Barack Obama has described as “the most dangerous place in the world”.

Those ties worry military commanders like Rabbani, who believe the strengthening of ties between the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban will complicate efforts to contain any spillover of instability in 2014.

One of the most notorious Pakistani Taliban leaders, Afghanistan-based Mullah Fazlullah, has already demonstrated what may be in store if US-led NATO forces fail to stabilize Afghanistan before 2014.

Hundreds of his fighters staged crossborder raids on Pakistani border posts last summer, killing dozens of Pakistani

availability of halal meat and Muslims praying on sidewalks for lack of mosque space.

The rhetoric horrifies many voters and stigmatizes France’s estimated 5 million Muslims - Western Europe’s largest Muslim population. But it’s hit a nerve among many French, especially after a suspected gunman killed Jewish schoolchildren and paratroopers in the name of radical Islam in a rampage last month.

Le Pen - and many of her voters link Islam with immigration, since many French Muslims have family roots in former colonies in Africa. And they think France has too much of both.

At an exuberant Le Pen rally in Paris this week, 32-year-old Fabien Engelmann

soldiers.

“Our friends on the other side know exactly where they are because we communicate it to them. But they have capacity issues,” said Rabbani, referring to Western and Afghan forces.

“I wonder, that if the superpowers and the Western world operating on the other side, they have capacity issues, we certainly have them too.”

Critics say Pakistan has created a major security threat along the border by supporting militant groups for decades, an allegation Islamabad denies.

Rabbani took command at a time of deep crisis in relations between Washington and Islamabad, a week after a crossborder NATO air attack killed 24 Pakistan soldiers on Nov 26. Pakistan’s parliament recently concluded a review of ties with the United States, recommending that the government demand an end to American drone strikes in the nation’s tribal areas.

-Reuters

of Hayange in eastern France said she’s “the only one who can defend the country” against multiple threats from the “Europe of Brussels” to Islamization.

And Sarkozy has followed Le Pen’s lead.

He championed a ban on Islamic face veils that he says imprison women and go against French values, and says the country should slash the number of immigrants it takes in. And he’s threatened to pull France out of Europe’s border-free travel zone if more is not done to tackle illegal immigration, an idea gaining traction in other capitals.

More than anything else, this French election campaign is a referendum on the man currently in charge. -AP

news in pics

A giant deep sea diver puppet, part of a street theatre production entitled “Sea Odyssey”, walks through the streets in Liverpool in north-west England, on April 20, 2012. (AFP)

4

ALWATAN DAILY SaturDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

A steward stands outside one of the shooting arenas during the Olympic Shooting test event and world cup at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, Friday, April 20, 2012. (AP)

A woman worker holds bricks at a brick factory in Imadol on the outskirts of Katmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 20, 2012. (AP)

The Green Monster scoreboard at Fenway Park is seen before a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in Boston, on the 100th anniversary of the opening of the ballpark, Friday, April 20, 2012. (AP)

The three baby bears called Ben, Yogy and Zora take a walk at the Juraparc of Mont-d’Orzieres near Vallorbe, Switzerland, Friday, April 20, 2012 (AP)

Tourists float in the Red Sea before the start of the Elite Women’s Triathlon ETU European Championships in the southern Israeli city of Eilat April 20, 2012. (Reuters)

A fisherman holds up a lobster at Timang beach in Gunung Kidul, near the ancient city of Yogyakarta April 20, 2012.

(Reuters)

A boy plays in the waters of the Arabian Sea on a beach in Mumbai April 20, 2012. (Reuters)

Amman bourse benchmark falls

AMMAN: Main index of Amman Stock Exchange dropped 12.2 points during the past week operations and its daily trade also fell, by 21 percent. Meanwhile, the market value stood at 26.7 billion US dollars. According to weekly figures of the bourse, the benchmark decreased, upon closing of the weeks’ session, to 2,021.4 points, compared to 2,033.6 points the week before, at a 0.6 percent proportion. As to sectors, the main index of the financial sector rose 0.29 percent, that of services fell 1.6 percent and index of industries decreased 1.62 percent. Volume of daily trading amounted to approximately 16.6 million US dollars, compared to $21 million the week before, with a decline proportion of 21 percent. Volume of trade of the week amounted to some $83 million, in contrast to $105 million the previous week. -KUNA

BUSINESS

saturdAY, april 21, 2012

Oil up to $119, supply concerns support LONDON: Oil rose to 119 US dollars a barrel on Friday, trimming its decline this week, as improved German business sentiment countered nervousness about the euro zone debt crisis, while worries about supply from sanctionsbound Iran also lent support. German business sentiment rose for the sixth month in a row in April, a survey showed on Friday. Oil buyers are cutting purchases of Iranian crude in April, industry sources said this week, adding to signs Western sanctions are curbing its sales.

Brent crude gained $1.07 to $119.07 a bar-

rel by 1350 GMT. It fell as low as $116.70, the lowest since Feb. 10, on Wednesday. US crude added $1.62 to $103.89 and was heading for a weekly gain. “I think we’ve marked the bottom of this downward move,” said Christopher Bellew, a broker at Jefferies Bache in London.

Support for Brent is coming from “the impact of sanctions on Iran and probably, once refineries come out of turnaround, quite a tight supply situation,” he said.

The North Sea crude market, which underpins Brent futures, has come under pressure

this week as maintenance at refineries curbed demand. Brent’s decline this week was earlier on Friday on track to be the steepest in absolute terms since mid-January.

The Munich-based Ifo think tank said on Friday its German business climate index, based on a monthly survey of some 7,000 companies, inched up to 109.9 in April from 109.8 in March, taking it to its highest level since July 2011. A Spanish bond sale on Thursday had failed to ease concerns about the sustainability of the country’s debt, while a US employment

report suggested a slowdown in job creation, dimming the outlook for oil demand.

Iran

Concern about possible supply shortages as Western sanctions target exports from Iran helped to send Brent to above $128 a barrel in March, the highest since 2008.

Helping to allay those concerns, top world exporter Saudi Arabia is pumping crude at the highest rate in decades and its Oil Minister, Ali Al-Naimi, said on April 13 the kingdom was

Japan’s Cosmo oil renews Iran oil imports deal

Iraq unveils oil, gas exploration auction details

Says crude export fall to 2.1 million bpd

TOKYO: Japan’s Cosmo Oil Co has renewed its annual oil purchase deal with Iran and cut the volume to comply with US sanctions against the Islamic nation, trade sources said on Friday. A company spokesman declined to comment.

Cosmo’s new contractual volume from April onwards remained unclear. The company had already lowered its Iran crude imports to a little below 30,000 bpd from about 40,000 bpd since January, and was set to cut further from April, the sources said. Japan’s top buyer of Iranian crude, Showa Shell Sekiyu KK , has already renewed its deal, industry sources have said. The contract renewal came after Iran agreed to include a clause in contract terms that released Japanese buyers from any penalty if international sanctions prevent them from taking delivery of Iranian oil, sources said. Japan will slash its crude purchases from Iran by almost 80 percent in April compared to the first two months of the year as buyers comply with Western sanctions, trade sources told Reuters this week.

The cuts, amounting to 250,000 barrels per day, are the steepest yet by the four Asian nations who buy most of Iran’s 2.2 million bpd of exports, as tightening sanctions make it tough to pay, ship and insure the oil. The United States and Europe are trying to squeeze the revenues Iran makes from its oil exports to force it to halt a nuclear program they fear will be used to make weapons but which Tehran says is for power generation. Japanese buyers will load just 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Iran in April, trade sources said, down 77 percent from the average imports of 322,900 bpd in the first two months of the year. Customs data breakdown for Iran is not yet available for March. In more news, Iran is exporting 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, compared with an average of 2.3 million bpd in the last Iranian year that ended on March 19, Iranian oil officials said on Friday, Platts reported. Mohsen Qamsari, head of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC), told a news briefing at an industry conference that current exports were 2.1 million bpd. Speaking at the same event, NIOC Managing Director Ahmed Ghalehbani said Iran’s exports averaged 2.3 million bpd in the last Iranian year.

A European Union ban on Iranian crude takes effect on July 1. Industry sources told Reuters this week Iran’s exports to Japan and Europe have been reduced in April by tightening Western sanction on Tehran. -Reuters

South oilfields to pump 2.75 million bpd by end 2012

Two girls selling sweets watch from their makeshift kiosk as other boys and girls their age (not pictured) attend a school in the city of Makeni in Sierra Leone, April 20, 2012. (Reuters)

National Bank of Bahrain posts $37.5 million in net profits in Q1 of 2012 MANAMA: The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) announced on Friday its posting of a net profit of 14.1 million Bahraini dinars, 37.5 million US dollars, for the first quarter (Q1) of 2012, an increase of 3.5 percent of the same period of last year.

In a press statement, the bank said that the net income from interests of current period has reached around 16 million Bahraini dinars, compared to 13 million Bahraini dinars of same period of the previous year, a growth of 19.2 percent.

The statement added that the other income for the three-month period was nine million Bahraini dinars, noting that operating expenses increased marginally from BD 6.8 million of the same period in last year to 7.2 million Bahraini dinars for the first quarter of 2012.

Moreover, NBB’s focus on domestic market has led to the increase in business and market position, the statement pointed out, adding that total earning assets were comprised of treasury bills, bank placements, loans, advances, and Investment securities. –KUNA

McDonald’s meets expectations as profit jumps

Customer Steven Price sits at a table at a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s ever-evolving mix of old menu standbys and new items like Chicken McBites lured in more diners who helped boost its first-quarter profit. (Reuters)

NEW YORK: McDonald’s ever-evolving mix of old menu standbys and new items like Chicken McBites lured in more diners who helped boost its first-quarter profit.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain said Friday that its net income rose five percent in the first quarter, in line with Wall Street expectations. McDonald’s Corp. said global sales rose 7.3 percent at stores open at least 13 months, driven by gains from all regions. The metric is key because it excludes the impact of newly opened stores.

A big part of the McDonald’s success story in recent years has been the chain’s rollout of popular menu items such as coffee frappes and fruit smoothies, which have high profit margins and bring in customers throughout the day.

Customers also love them because it’s a way to have a treat for a couple of bucks.

Other recent introductions by the fast-food chain include oatmeal and Chicken McBites, which the company said helped boost sales in the US in the first quarter.

For the first three months of the year, McDonald’s reported a profit of $1.27 billion, or $1.23 per share. That compares with a profit of $1.21 billion, or $1.15 per share, in the yearago period.

In the US, sales at restaurants open at least 13 months rose 8.9 percent, as new menu items like Chicken McBites, updated restaurants and warm weather drew customers. The

results also benefitted from an extra day in the Leap Year.

McDonald’s said sales in Europe, its biggest market, rose 5 percent despite economic turmoil and severe weather in many parts of the region. Sales rose 5.5 percent in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region, where the company is focusing its expansion efforts in the coming years.

Although McDonald’s has consistently outperformed its peers in the fast-food industry, the company is facing the pressures of increasing costs for ingredients. The company’s is also seeing costs for labor and rent increase in some overseas markets.

The higher expenses are particularly problematic for a chain like McDonald’s, which risks driving away customers if those costs are passed on.

Still, the fast-food chain last year raised prices three times for a total price increase of three percent. The company has said it expects commodity costs to increase an additional 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent this year, which would be roughly in line with last year’s increases.

Because of its size, the way McDonald’s handles price increases can set the tone for the rest of the fast-food industry.

Shares of McDonald’s, based in Oak Brook, Ill., rose $1.72, or nearly two percent, to $95.28 in premarket trading. -AP

Microsoft rises as better PC sales boost profit

CAPITALS: Shares of Microsoft Corp rose more than five percent on Friday after the world’s largest software maker reported a quarterly profit that beat Wall Street forecasts on better-than-expected sales of personal computers.

The deluge of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, has seen Apple Inc and Google Inc vie for top honors in consumer electronics, leaving Microsoft trying to reinvent itself to compete in a changing landscape.

Microsoft’s first-quarter results, released on Thursday, boosted confidence in the company, which expects to

“determined” to see a lower oil price.

Talks between world powers and Iran over its nuclear program have also eased the pressure on prices. A second round of discussions is scheduled to take place in Baghdad on May 23.

US crude remained supported on expectations that an oil glut in the US Midwest would ease with an earlier-than-scheduled plan to reverse the flow of the Seaway crude pipeline. Brent’s premium to US crude was trading below $15 on Friday, having weakened from almost $22 on April 5. -Reuters

launch a new tablet-friendly version of Windows. At least four brokerages raised their price targets on the stock.

“The product launches should create a positive mix effect on gross margin, as was the case in the previous two Windows launches,” Barclays analyst Raimo Lenschow said in a research note to clients.

Lenschow, who has an “equal weight” rating on Microsoft shares, raised his price target on the stock by three US dollars to $36.

Evercore analyst Kirk Materne said strong demand from enterprise customers should mean the shares con-

tinue to rise ahead of the company’s expected fall product launch.

But he said it was unclear if additional revenue from upcoming product launches “will need to be plowed back into spending on businesses where (Microsoft) is lagging (mobile, online) or whether most of the upside can drop to the bottom line.”

Microsoft shares were up $1.62, or 5.2 percent, to $32.63 on Nasdaq in morning trade. The stock touched a four-year high of $32.95 last month but has declined 6 percent since. -Reuters

CAPITALS: Baghdad unveiled on Friday a list of signing bonuses and the final contract for a forthcoming energy auction, the latest stage in a bold oil expansion plan that moves on from developing existing oilfields to searching for new reserves.

After targeting production capacity in three post-war licensing rounds, Baghdad is now focusing a fourth tender mostly on finding gas in remote parts of western and central Iraq.

The country is potentially one of the world’s last great unexplored territories after decades of neglect due to wars and sanctions.

According to a “Final Tender Protocol” obtained by Reuters, the 12 oil and gas exploration blocks up for grabs on May 30-31 could net the central government up to 235 million US dollars in non-recoverable signing fees if they are all taken up.

Those companies awarded contracts will each be obligated to spend a minimum of $90 million to $130 million, depending on the block.

Companies will be able to extract gas discovered in the blocks immediately, but the Iraqi government has retained the option to make companies wait up to seven years to start extracting oil and pay them compensation in exchange.

The auction was repeatedly pushed back as potential bidders had strong complaints about the terms of the initial service contract. Baghdad made some improvements in February.

“It was a move in the right direction, but there is still potential for a delay in development - especially if oil is found,” said a senior oil executive.

The definitive model contract issued on Friday has only minor changes compared with the draft, said an Iraqi oil official.

“The economic terms in the final contract are more lucrative and favorable to the foreign firms compared to the service contracts of the previous rounds,” he said. US oil major Exxon Mobil did not make the final list of 47 pre-qualified bidders for the fourth round, because it had signed a deal with the semi-autonomous Kurdish north.

But Exxon, along with other companies that have existing Iraqi licenses such as BP, Eni and Royal Dutch Shell, may look to explore for oil below and beside their existing oilfield projects, instead of competing for new assets.

Total has also provoked Baghdad by expressing interest in Kurdistan. But Chief Executive Christophe de Margerie, long a critic of Iraq’s service contracts, said the French major will not seek deals in the exploration round.

“The majors that participated and were successful in the (first three) oil rounds have their fill of southern Iraq by now,” said a Western oil company source.

Iraq already has significant volumes of associated gas that are produced alongside oil at the giant southern fields of Rumaila, West Qurna-1 and Zubair. But most of that is flared.

For those hoping to find oil, the big prize is Block 9 in the southeast near the border with Iran. Iraq sees production from its southern oilfields reaching 2.75 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of the year as the country, expected to be the world’s biggest source of new oil supplies over the next few years, pushes to increase output.

Iraq’s biggest field Rumaila, operated by BP, is currently producing 1.316 million bpd and is expected to boost output by 250,000 bpd in the second half of this year, Dhiya Jaffar, head of the state-run South Oil Co. said on Friday.

“We expect production from Basra oilfields will increase from 2.15 million barrels per day to 2.75 million barrels per day by the end of this year,” he told a news conference in the southern oil-rich city of Basra.

Iraq aims to double its output over the next three years as it recovers after years of sanctions and war. Last month, the country’s oil production rose above three million bpd for the first time in more than three decades.

Jaffar said output at West Qurna One, currently at 406,000 bpd, was seen increasing by 100,000 bpd in the next six months while Zubair oilfield, also in the south, was producing 254,000 bpd and expected to increase by 100,000 bpd by the end of 2012.

West Qurna One is run by Exxon Mobil and Italy’s ENI is in charge of Zubair field. –Reuters

saturdAY, APRIL 21, 2012

SPORTS

Sports Editors Highlight MADRID: Valencia will give season-ticket holders free entry to ensure they have a full stadium when they seek to overturn a 4-2 deficit in their Europa League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid next week. Radamel Falcao scored twice as Atletico stormed into a 4-1 lead on Thursday but an added-time goal from Ricardo Costa has left Valencia with hopes they can go through to face either Portugal’s Sporting or Athletic Bilbao in the May 9 final. Valencia fans, who will be reimbursed if they have already purchased a ticket, have whistled their team and under-fire coach Unai Emery after some inconsistent results in recent weeks. The Europa League has been much-maligned by soccer fans as a poor cousin to the more lucrative and prestigious Champions League. -Reuters

FOOTBALL

Barca, Real lock horns in Clasico title showdown MADRID: Bitter rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid meet on Saturday in the sixth ‘Clasico’ of the season to fight for three crucial points that will shape the destiny of this season’s La Liga title.With five games remaining, Real Madrid go to the Nou Camp four points clear of their great rivals knowing that a win or draw will almost certainly break Barca’s dominance and hand Jose Mourinho’s side their first title in four seasons.

Real were 10 points clear of the Catalans just over a month ago but have drawn three of the last seven games while Barca have won their last 11 league matches. Real’s run, that has opened the door for Barcelona, began with a 1-1 draw at home to Malaga followed by further draws against Villarreal and Valencia.

The goals of Lionel Messi have been crucial in Barca’s recent run, the Argentine has scored an incredible 18 goals in those 11 wins.

Cristiano Ronaldo has also netted 41 league goals for Madrid making it a head-to-head shoot out between the two best players in the world for the “Pichichi” prize awarded to the league’s top scorer. Both have earned countless man of the match awards, the tricky recent away wins for both sides at Atletico Madrid standing out for great match-winning goals from the two stars.

Messi has 63 in all competitions to Ronaldo’s 53, but if the Portuguese star wins his first La Liga title, against the reigning Spanish, European and World Club Champions, it would surely rank with the best feats in

his career to date. “El Clasico” matches have courted a fair amount of controversy in recent seasons with the appearance of Mourinho on the Madrid bench and his attempts to add a psychological dimension to the clash.

The rivalry boiled over at the beginning of the season when Mourinho poked Barca coach Pep Guardiola’s assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a game. Mourinho has only beaten Barca once in 10 attempts since he took over in the summer of 2010.

That victory came in last season’s Spanish cup final with a Ronaldo winner in extra-time, but a league title over the Catalans would certainly justify Mourinho’s antics in the eyes of ‘’Madridistas”.

To add more spice, the clash comes the weekend before both sides attempt to turn around first-leg away defeats in the Champions League semi-finals in a bid to meet each other in May’s final in Munich. Real Madrid lost 2-1 to a last-minute goal against Bayern Munich on Tuesday while Barca failed to score in 24 attempts at goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea. In a bid to reduce the pressure on his players Guardiola has continued to reiterate in recent weeks that winning the league is an impossible task.

On Wednesday he was philosophical about his team’s defeat and the battles to come. “I don’t know what will happen on Saturday and next Tuesday (the Champions League return leg) but I feel that we have triumphed already,” he said cryptically, perhaps referring to Barca’s success in recent years. -AFP

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (right) controls the ball in front of Real Madrid’s Pepe (center) during their Spanish King’s Cup quarter-final second leg “El Clasico”, Jan. 25, 2012. (Reuters)

Chelsea meet City look to tame Arsenal for season-defining game wolves in league showdown

FILE - Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie (right) takes on Chelsea’s John Terry during their English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London, Oct. 29, 2011. (Reuters)

LONDON: Chelsea plays the latest match in a season-defining run of seven games in 21 days on Saturday against Arsenal, a team almost as desperate for a Premier League victory as the Blues. Chelsea wants to avenge a 5-3 loss earlier this season to boost its chances of finishing fourth, clinching a spot in the playoffs for next season’s Champions League. Arsenal wants three points for pretty much the same reason - to strengthen its grip on third place and automatic qualification for the Champions League. With fourth-place Tottenham at Queens Park Rangers in another of Saturday’s seven matches, victory could put Arsenal eight points clear of Spurs with three games remaining. But Chelsea could move ahead of Tottenham and Newcastle into fourth if it wins and the pair immediately above it lose.

“We want to be among the top three,” Arsenal striker Gervinho said. “The whole group is very motivated and we are already happy to be where we are.

We can still do better with the four matches coming.We

are fighting only for third place, we don’t think about fourth spot. Everybody is determined to fight until the end, from the players and the manager to the fans, to maintain third place. If we manage to keep it then everybody should be proud because we fought very hard for it.” Chelsea and Arsenal were both in danger of missing out on the top four and Champions League qualification before remarkable turnarounds. The Gunners overturned a 10-point deficit within a month to take third spot off Tottenham and Chelsea has lost just one of 13 matches since Roberto Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas as manager last month.

Di Matteo is likely to rest Didier Drogba after the veteran striker scored the winning goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Barcelona, keeping him fresh for next week’s second leg. In Saturday’s other games, Newcastle hosts Stoke, Wigan is at Fulham, Swansea is at Bolton, Norwich is at Blackburn and Sunderland is at Aston Villa. -AFP

Hodgson returns to Anfield for Liverpool match

LONDON: Roy Hodgson will return to Anfield on Sunday afternoon when his West Bromwich Albion team play Liverpool.

The West Brom manager was sacked as Liverpool manager last season, but could yet finish above the Anfield club with his new side and isn’t expecting a friendly reception from the fans of his former club.

“There is no reason to give me a good reception because they didn’t like me when I was there. I can’t see they are going to like me now,” said Hodgson. “There aren’t that many people I worked with that are still there and people like Damien Comolli (director of football) have moved on. But it will be nice to see one or two players I worked with. I’m sure they will be in a buoyant mood. Their home form has not been that good so I think they will be concentrating on getting the three points and as close to fourth spot as they can.”

Liverpool go into the game on the back of their FA Cup semi-final win over Everton, and manager Kenny Dalglish insists that their cup exploits won’t distract the players from a strong league finish.

“They are coming off the back of a fantastic

performance and result at Wembley on Saturday, but for us to think that it is finished would be wrong and we want to continue,” said Dalglish. “It is not difficult for them to lift themselves. They are not complacent or arrogant. We are delighted we got the result at the weekend, but we will not get carried away. The players have been really professional in the way they have gone about their job and I am sure they will continue to do that from now until the end of the season in every game we play. They come in and are determined to do their training properly and they want to win every game on the pitch.” “They enjoyed the result (against Everton) but I am sure they will dust themselves down and try to get some positive results until the end of the season.”

Liverpool have won six straight league meetings against West Brom at Anfield and are unbeaten at home against the Baggies in the last 21 meetings - a run that stretches back to 1967. The Reds have won just one in six at home and are on course for their lowest ever number of home wins in a Premier League season. A win will mathematically guarantee West Brom’s Premier League survival. -AP

LONDON: Manchester City will be looking to keep up the pressure at the top of the Premier League when they play Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Sunday afternoon.

City could find themselves as many as eight points behind league leaders Manchester United come kick-off, and Mancini is wary of the threat posed by a Wolves side who still have a glimmer of hope of Premier League survival.

Bottom of the Premier League and eight points from safety, Wolves need a win to hold any chance of escaping the drop, but manager Terry Connor believes that all of the pressure will be on the titlechasing visitors.

“Everyone will be thinking when City come here that they’ve got to win to keep the title race going,” said Connor. “They could be eight points behind United by the time our game kicks off if United beat Everton earlier in the day. But no-one will be saying ‘Wolves have got to win this one to stay in the league’ even though that is what we will be striving to do.

“That’s why possibly, the best team we could be facing is one of the top two. City could conceivably win four on the trot.

They’ve done it before. But people don’t think we can do that because we haven’t done it all season. It’s a different mindset from people looking at the team at the bottom. They think we can’t get back-toback wins, or we concede too many goals, but who knows in a one-off game?.”

The performances in the last four or

five games have been excellent and with a bit more luck, the results could have been better. We’ve lost by the odd goal in three of the four games after leading in three of them and got a good point at Sunderland.

“The players are not going to give up the ghost. We just have to keep playing in the same manner and with the same spirit for the next four games and, wherever we end up, we’ll accept it.”

Wolves won this game 2-1 last season, but go into Sunday’s meeting without a win in ten and with just one in 20. The home side have lost eight on the bounce at home and are facing a Man City team who have scored 34 goals on the road the second best in the league behind United. City have won just three away from home since November, picking up 12 points from 11 games away from the Etihad. -AP

Vincent Kompany of Manchester City heads the ball away from Kevin Doyle of Wolverhampton Wanderers during a match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Oct. 29, 2011. (AFP)

United set sights on nearing title LONDON: Manchester United will look to move a step closer to the Premier League title when they welcome Everton to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

United go into the weekend five points clear at the top of the table, and centre-back Jonny Evans believes that the squad should be getting more praise for their achievements this season.

“The bar has been raised again,” said Evans. “Chelsea did it a few years ago.

Whenever there is an out-and-out challenger the other teams have to be better

than they had been before. People keep saying it is a great achievement for this team (to be where we are) but if you look at our record it speaks for itself. People say we have not been playing well but some of the football we have played at home has been outstanding. You can’t always play well away from home but we have gone away and ground out results.”

Visitors Everton will be picking themselves up from last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool, but captain Phil Neville has dismissed reports that

Sylvain Distin of Everton challenges Antonio Valencia of Manchester United during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on April 23, 2011. (AFP)

the Wembley loss may prompt an exit for manager David Moyes.

“The way he has managed us in the last month or two suggests to me that he is in it for the long-term,” said Neville. “He has been fantastic and rotated the team, something this club hasn’t been able to do before. The lads have really embraced that. He is ambitious and he wants to get to the top. He wants to do that with Everton. We’ve just got to make sure we stop slipping up at this stage of games. It’s going to be difficult to lift ourselves. Back in October, everyone had written us off. Everyone thought the club was on its knees and we were finished as a team. But we bounced back. It’s going to be a test of our mettle now but we’ve got five games left and if we can finish seventh that might give us European football. That is something to hang on to.”

United remain without Anderson (hamstring), Anders Lindegaard (ankle), Darren Fletcher (bowel), Nemanja Vidic (knee) and Michael Owen (thigh). Everton have doubts over Leighton Baines (hamstring) and Jack Rodwell (hamstring).

Manchester United have won five straight home matches against Everton and haven’t lost to the Toffees in the league since 1992 - a run of 19 games. The Red Devils are in fine form having won seven on the bounce at Old Trafford and conceding just once in their last seven games home and away.

Only Manchester City have scored more goals at home than United this season. The Toffees have yet to be shown a red card this season, but not a single player has managed more than five goals over the course of the campaign. -AP

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

SaturDAY, APRIL 21, 2012

7

Formula one

Police, protesters face off as Bahrain Grand Prix begins MANAMA: Bahrain’s Crown Prince rejected calls from human rights activists to cancel this weekend’s Grand Prix as pro-democracy opposition groups threatened further protests after days of clashes with security forces.

As Formula One cars took to the Sakhir circuit for practice, Crown Prince Salman said that calling off the race on Sunday would play into the hands of “extremists”.

Speaking to the media alongside Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and in front of TV crews broadcasting live around the world, Salman said: “I think cancelling the race just empowers extremists.”

The government aims to use the Grand Prix as a way of showing that life is back to normal after democracy groups launched an Arab Spring-inspired uprising last year. The protests were initially crushed, but were not stamped out, and demonstrations and clashes are frequent.

Human rights organizations and anti-government groups have argued that the race should not be held while what they describe as political repression and rights abuses are taking place in Bahrain.

The prince was speaking after two of the 12 teams said their staff had been caught up in incident where protesters threw petrol bombs on their way back from the track to hotels in Manama.

The Force India team missed Friday’s second practice for safety reasons to make sure staff could get back to their hotels safely before nightfall.

On the eve of Friday’s practice session, protests had flared in villages surrounding the capital, Manama, away from the race circuit. Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have been building in the week leading to Sunday’s round of the World Championship.

Bahrain has been in turmoil since a democracy movement erupted last year following uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Protests were initially crushed with the loss of dozens of lives, but youths still clash daily with riot police in Shiite Muslim districts, and thousands take part in opposition rallies.

Bahrain’s ruling Al-Khalifa family, a Sunni Muslim dynasty ruling a majority Shiite population caught between neighbors Saudi Arabia and Iran with opposite sympathies in its internal strife, hopes the race will offer an opportunity to tell the world that life is returning to normal.

Unrest forced the cancellation of last year’s Grand Prix, and the 2012 race has been in doubt as Bahrain’s human rights record has come under fire from abroad.

The Force India team cancelled its second practice on Friday, choosing to stay in its hotel because of security fears. -Reuters

Basketball

Suns end Clippers’ streak with wild 93-90 win PHOENIX: Steve Nash hit a crucial driving layup, then made two free throws for the deciding points and the Phoenix Suns bolstered their playoff hopes with an intense 93-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

Chris Paul, who had 10 assists, scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half of just the third loss in 16 games for the Clippers, who had won five straight.

Caron Butler added 19 points for the Clippers, while Blake Griffin scored 16 points, only two after the first quarter.

Jared Dudley scored 18 points and Channing Frye had 16 for the Suns, who moved into a tie with Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Suns have the tiebreaker against the Jazz. Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix while Nash and Sebastian Telfair both scored 13. The Clippers fell one game behind the first-place Lakers in the Pacific Division with the Lakers holding the tiebreaker.

With the game tied at 88, Paul missed a jumper with Telfair in his face. Telfair found Gortat for a breakaway.

He missed the dunk but was fouled by Randy Foye.

Gortat, though, made just one of two free throws to put Phoenix ahead 89-88 with 48.4 seconds to go.

Paul made two more from the line with 42.5 seconds to go to put the Clippers ahead 90-89. After a timeout, Nash was fouled by Martin on a drive to the lane and made both free throws, giving Phoenix a 9190 lead with 25.9 seconds left, the game’s 24th lead change.

Telfair knocked the ball out of the hands of a driving Paul with 7.7 seconds to play. On the subsequent out of bounds play, the Clippers had to call a timeout, their last of the game, as Telfair denied Paul the pass.

Neither team led by more than four points until the Clippers mounted an 11-2 run to go up 67-58 with 3:54 to play. The run ended on Paul’s free throw following a technical foul against Dudley. -AP

Tennis

Berdych upsets Murray to seal Djokovic semi

Czech Tomas Berdych hits a return to Britain’s Andy Murray during their Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series tournament tennis match on April 20, 2012. (AFP)

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa Crown Prince talk to the worlds media in the paddock following practice for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 20, 2012. (AFP)

Heat top Bulls 83-72, tighten East race MIAMI: The earliest Miami and Chicago could meet again is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Good thing.

The tempers could use a little time to cool down. And after a game filled with shoves and takedowns, the race for the No. 1 seed in the East is still going strong.

LeBron James had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Miami tightened up the race in the East by beating the Bulls 83-72 on Thursday night in a scuffle-filled win that pulled the Heat within 1 1/2 games of Chicago in the conference standings.

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points and Udonis Haslem grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, which held the Bulls to a seasonlow point total. The Bulls had been 23-0 this season when holding teams to 86 points or less.

John Lucas scored 16 points for Chicago, which was again without reigning MVP Derrick Rose because of injuries.

Joakim Noah had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Luol Deng added 11 points and Carlos Boozer had 10 for the Bulls, who split four games with Miami this season and could have clinched the top spot in the East with a win on Thursday.

The teams combined for four individual technical fouls, two flagrant fouls and Miami reserve James Jones was ejected.

But above all else, Miami decided this one with defense. The Bulls went up 2120 on a layup by Deng with 3:36 left in the first quarter, making them 10 of 14 from the field at that point. They shot 15 for 56 - 27 percent - the rest of the way.

Chicago (47-16) has games with Dallas, Indiana and Cleveland left, while Miami (45-17) still has matchups with Washington (twice), Houston and Boston.

Miami won despite playing without Chris Bosh, sidelined for the second straight night to rest minor bumps and bruises.

In case anyone forgot that the Heat and Bulls don’t particularly care for one another, the refresher courses came often in this one.

The first real salvo came with 6:05 left in the first half, when Jones was ejected after being assessed a flagrant-2 for excessive contact against Noah while trying for

LeBron James (6 )of the Miami Heat goes up for a pass during a game against the Chicago Bulls at American Airlines Arena on April 19, 2012. (AFP)

a rebound. Jones stretched out both arms to move Noah out of the way, making contact around the head. By the end of the game, that play seemed like a love tap.

Wade and Chicago guard Richard Hamilton - rivals for years - raised the level of angst a few more notches early in the third quarter. -AP

Cricket

Clarke vows to keep pressing for victory

MONTE CARLO: Tomas Berdych was as giddy as a little boy after overpowering world number four Andy Murray in their Monte Carlo Masters quarter-final on Friday to set up a clash with top seed Novak Djokovic.

The sixth seed made the Briton dizzy as he relied on his powerful forehand to prevail 6-7 6-2 6-3 in the season’s first big claycourt event, where Rafa Nadal is still on track to defend his title after seeing off Stanislas Wawrinka. Czech Berdych, who already reached the semifinal of the Mediterranean glamour tournament in 2007, will face world number one Djokovic after the Serb thrashed Dutchman Robin Haase 6-4 6-2 in 77 minutes.

“It’s a day to play the No. 1 player in the world, which is always great. It’s a semi-final, which is fantastic,” Berdych told a news conference. “But still, I want to play my best tennis and I want to do well.” Holder Nadal, who is chasing an record eighth consecutive crown in the principality, also booked his place in the semi-final when he defeated Swiss Wawrinka 7-5 6-4.

The Spaniard, who worked hard to fend off a relentless Wawrinka, will take on a Frenchman as Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were meeting in the last quarter-final.

On a chilly morning, Murray had the luck to grab the opening set as Berdych wasted four set-point chances in the 12th game before faltering in the tie-break.

As the sun eventually shone and the sea glittered, the world number seven tightened his grip and hit numerous winners to unsettle a frustrated Murray, who now has a 2-4 win-loss record against Berdych.

“He played extremely well today. He dictated a lot of the points. He went for his shots. He served very well, I think, too,” Murray told reporters.

The Scot - who spent most of the match far behind his baseline - struggled with his footwork and made unusual errors, including a backhand smash which went wide to grant Berdych a decisive break in the third set’s third game. Djokovic, who had to control his emotions on Thursday to move past Alexandr Dolgopolov a few hours after learning of his grandfather’s death, moved more easily past 55-ranked Haase.

The packed crowd gave the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open champion an ovation and stayed supportive throughout the match.

Djokovic easily beat the Dutchman despite having some trouble focusing in the first set, in which he loosened up to let Haase recover from 1-4 to 4-4.

“Tomas is a threat for anybody on any surface,” Djokovic, who has an 8-1 record over the Czech, told reporters as he looked ahead to Saturday’s semi. “It’s a big challenge for me to see if I’m able to keep the focus throughout the whole match because this is the only way I can actually get a win against Tomas.” -Reuters

PORT OF SPAIN: Australia captain Michael Clarke vowed to keep making ambitious declarations even if it meant risking seeing his plans come back to haunt him.

Clarke set the West Indies a 215-run target off 61 overs in the second Test on Thursday, after declaring on 160 for eight early in the afternoon, only for torrential rain to wash away any chance of a result. His decision to tempt the West Indies to force a result had paid dividends in the first Test in Barbados, which his team won by three wickets, despite declaring his team’s first innings 43 runs behind.

Thursday was also set for an intriguing finish when West Indies reached 53 for two off 11 overs before rain returned to end the weather-battered contest. “My goal my whole career has been to help the Australian team win as many games as possible and I guess now that I am captain I have the opportunity to show that,” said Clarke. “At times with my declaration, when there is a chance for winning, you’ve got to have a go at it. I know the guys are really focused on the team having success and trying to win as many games as we can. And I think it’s bringing the best out of the team.”

The draw meant that Australia retained their two-decade grip on the Frank Worrell Trophy with just the final Test to play starting in Dominica on Monday. In an effort to win on Thursday, West Indies captain Darren Sammy switched his batting order, moving Kieran Powell to open and placing himself at number three. But Australian seamer Ben Hilfenhaus soon had the West Indies rocking, trapping Powell

lbw for just four in his second over which allowed Sammy, himself, to come to the crease.

Hilfenhaus had both openers back in the dressing room just two overs later when he produced a beautiful outswinger that took the edge of Adrian Barath’s bat and the catch was taken by Clarke at first slip. That left West Indies on 13 for two. Sammy, though, still had his sights firmly set on an unlikely win and launched into an attack on Hilfenhaus, striking him for two boundaries and a six over long-off. He reached 30 not out from 26 balls with his team still needing another 162 runs to win when the weather brought an end to the contest.

“Sixty overs was enough. We thought we could get the runs. Our plan was to see how far we could get by tea and then reassess after that,” said Sammy, who believes his team are still capable of levelling the series. “The guys believe now that we can not only compete but we can win matches against top opposition and we go into every game thinking we can.”

Sammy’s optimism was boosted by seeing fast bowler Kemar Roach bag another five wickets to become first West Indian side 2005 to take 10 wickets in a match. “It was difficult. The wicket wasn’t assisting fast bowlers much. You had to be accurate,” said man-of-the-match Roach. “I am very proud of the way we fought. Now we will practice hard for Dominica and on Monday we will be ready and raring to go.” -AFP

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RESTAURANT • Café Library Lounge Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Tel: 23931000 Hang.Out Lounge Galleria 2000 Tel: 25755588 Song Bird Café Hilton Kuwait Resort Tel: 23725500 Chit Chat Café Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555 Lounge Café Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555 The English Tea Room Sheraton Hotel Tel: 1835555 Waterlemon Al-Raya Tel: 22244797 Marina Mall Tel: 22997666 Le Pain Quotidien Palms Beach Hotel Tel: 25633684 Marina Crescent Tel: 22244942 Avenues Tel: 24954632 • Casual Dining Applebee’s Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22407536 Fintas Tel: 23714559 Burgerhub Gulf road Tel: 22464818 Chili’s Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22452200 Chili’s Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253120/1 Hard Rock Café Salmiya Tel: 25710004 Ruby Tuesdays Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22444454 T.G.I. Fridays Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22544300

• Chinese China Hut Tel: 25656226 China Express Jabriya Tel: 25342399 Salwa Tel: 25653230 China House Salmiya Tel: 25713339 / 60 China Lake Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25713072 / 3 China Town Salmiya Tel: 25652541 Greens Al-Wafra Complex Tel: 22516031

Tel: 1815050 • French Le Notre Gulf Road Tel: 25758888 • Indian Dawat Restaurant Bneid Al Gar Tel: 22411728 Abu Halifa Tel: 23724251 Al Alamia Mall, Jahra Tel: 24554642 Taal Restaurant Salmiya Beda’ Tel: 22253142 Winner’s Salmiya Tel: 25739954 Abu Halifa Tel: 23711374 / 5 Riggae Tel: 24895501 / 2 Jahra Tel: 24560088/8800

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• Continental Casper & Gambini’s Kuwait City Tel: 22430054 La Marina Sharq Mall Tel: 22426672 • Fast Food Burger King Tel: 22444466 Domino’s Pizza Tel: 1800800 Hardees Tel: 1888333 KFC Tel: 1888666 Little Caesar’s Tel: 1888855 Pizza Hut

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LIFE

When your child is stressed

Stress is a fact of life, and children are no less immune than their parents. How can you recognize if your child is “stressed out?” The American Academy of Pediatrics mentions these possible warning signs: • Having physical problems, such as stomach ache or headache. • Appearing agitated, tired or restless. • Seeming depressed and unwilling to talk about his or her feelings. • Losing interest in activities and wanting to stay at home. • Acting irritable or negative.

• Participating less at school, possibly including slipping grades. • Exhibiting antisocial behavior (stealing or lying), avoiding chores or becoming increasingly dependent on his or her parents.

saturDAY, april 21, 2012

DNA alternative created by scientists Artificial genetic material – XNAs – expected to reveal how molecules first replicated and drive biotechnology research

LONDON: Scientists have created artificial genetic material that can store information and evolve over generations in a similar way to DNA – a feat expected to drive research in medicine and biotechnology, and shed light on how molecules first replicated and assembled into life billions of years ago according to The Guardian.

Ultimately, the creation of alternatives to DNA could enable scientists to make novel forms of life in the laboratory.

Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, in Cambridge, developed chemical procedures to turn DNA and RNA, the molecular blueprints for all known life, into six alternative genetic polymers called XNAs. The process swaps the deoxyribose and ribose (the “d” and “r” in DNA and RNA) for other molecules. It was found the XNAs could form a double helix with DNA and were more stable than natural genetic material.

In the journal Science the researchers describe how they caused one of the XNAs to stick to a protein, an ability that might mean the polymers could be deployed as drugs working like antibodies.

Philipp Holliger, a senior author on the study, said the work proved that two hallmarks of life – heredity and evolution – were possible using alternatives to natural genetic

material.

“There is nothing Goldilocks about DNA and RNA,” Holliger told Science. “There is no overwhelming functional imperative for genetic systems or biology to be based on these two nucleic acids.”

Vitor Pinheiro, a co-author on the paper, said the research could help scientists unpick how DNA and RNA became so crucial in the evolution of life, and perhaps even help in the search for extraterrestrial organisms. “If a genetic system doesn’t have to be based on DNA and RNA, what then do you define as life? How do you look for life?” he said.

In an accompanying article, Gerald Joyce, of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, says the study heralds an “era of synthetic genetics, with implications for exobiology [which deals with extraterrestrial life], biotechnology and understanding life itself”. He adds: “Construction of genetic systems based on alternative chemical platforms may ultimately lead to the synthesis of novel forms of life.”

Other scientists, including a team at the J Craig Venter Institute, in Rockville, Maryland, are hoping to make synthetic organisms from scratch, but the majority of the work so far has used conventional DNA. In his article on the Cambridge study Joyce alludes to the potential dangers of synthetic genetics. He writes: “As one contemplates all the alternative life forms that might be possible with XNAs and other more exotic genetic molecules, the words of Arthur C Clarke come to mind. In 2010: Odyssey Two, HAL the computer tells humanity, ‘all these worlds are yours’, but warns – ‘except [Jupiter’s moon] Europa, attempt no landings there’. Synthetic biologists are beginning to frolic on the worlds of alternative genetics but must not tread into areas that have the potential to harm our biology.”

Climate change ‘impacts Europe’s mountain plants’ PARIS: The acceleration of climate change is stressing mountain plants in Europe and driving them to migrate to higher altitudes, according to a study released by US researchers. The plant migration is also decreasing species diversity, the study’s authors said in the April 20 edition of the journal Science. The study was based on an inventory of flora on 66 mountains between northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

An increasing number of plant species was found only on mountains in northern and central Europe, the researchers reported, while in nearly all mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, the number of plant species was either stagnant or declining.

The researchers, who were coordinated by the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Vienna, produced a map of plant species on each of the sites studied in 2001 and 2008.

“Our results showing a decline at the Mediterranean sites is worrying because these are the mountains with a very unique flora and a large proportion of their spe-

cies occur only there and nowhere else on Earth,” said Harald Pauli, coordinator of the project. “The observed species losses were most pronounced on the lower summits, where plants are expected to suffer earlier from water deficiency than on the snowier high peaks,” he said. Mountainous areas at lower elevations typically experience a dry season in summer whereas at higher elevations, melting snow provides water to plants during the summer dry season.

Climate warming and decreased rainfall in the Mediterranean region in recent decades corresponds perfectly to the decrease in plant life, said Georg Grabherr, who chairs the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments.

“In addition, most of the Mediterranean region will become even drier in coming decades,” Grabherr said. “Impacts of climate change, either through warming or combined with increased drought stress, are likely to threaten alpine plants not only on the continent, but even on the world-wide level,” he said. -AFP

Super salmonella bacteria found

FILE - DNA and RNA have been turned into alternative genetic polymers called XNAs by researchers in Cambridge.

(Agencies)

Bonn to house top UN panel on biodiversity

PARIS: The former West German capital of Bonn has been chosen for the secretariat of a UN expert panel on biodiversity, the organization announced on Thursday. The decision was made at a plenary meeting in Panama City of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, or IPBES, according to an announcement on the platform’s website. “Germany (Bonn) wins the vote to host the IPBES secretariat by majority in the fourth round of the voting process,” it said in a flash news item.

IPBES was set up in 2010 after five years

in gestation. It held its first gathering in Nairobi last October. Its goal is to imitate the success of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in which thousands of scientists draw up an assessment of global warming to help policymakers. Some biologists say that Earth is in the early stages of a sixth mass extinction, a man-made phenomenon driven by habitat loss, hunting, introduced species and climate damage. The 2008 “Red List” assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that 38 percent of 44,837 species were threatened.

Bonn was the capital of West Germany until German reunification in 1990. It was the united country’s seat of government until 1999, when Berlin became the capital, but retained many government departments.

IPBES will join two other big UN environment organizations – the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – whose secretariats are in Bonn.

The five-day meeting in Panama, ending on Saturday, also aims at setting down procedures and a work program, IPBES said. -AFP

Heavy elements key for planet formation, study suggests WASHINGTON: Planets form more commonly in star systems with relatively high concentrations of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, a new study suggests according to SPACE. Such heavier elements are necessary to form the dust grains and planetesimals that build planetary cores, according to the study, which was carried out by researchers Jarrett Johnson and Hui Li of Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Additionally, evidence suggests that the disks of dust that surround young stars don’t survive as long when the stars have lower concentrations of heavy elements, or lower “metallicities” in astronomers’ jargon. The most likely reason for this shorter lifespan is that light from the star causes clouds of dust to evaporate.

The planet epoch

FILE - Salmonella typhimurium (red) invades cultured human cells in this color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph. (Agencies)

NEWYORK: Certain Salmonella bacteria, the microbes that cause food poisoning, have the potential to become as much as 100 times more virulent than normal, recent research has found according to LiveScience. In the study, these super-bugs overcame the protective effects of a Salmonella vaccine, killing vaccinated mice.

The scientists found that some of the bacteria have the potential to become much nastier than others, a result that has implications for averting outbreaks among humans and animals, they write in a study published in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

Led by Douglas Heithoff of the University of California, Santa Barbara, they used a technique called animal passage, in which a pathogen is weakened or strengthened by infecting an animal with it. In recent research that created a more transmissible version of the H5N1 flu virus, scientists passed it between ferrets. In this case, the scientists created more virulent forms of the bacteria by infecting mice. They found that certain strains had the potential to become hyperinfectious and were among the most virulent Salmonella ever reported, they write. To measure the nastiness of the strain, the team looked at how much was

required to kill half of the infected animals.

The hypervirulent strains required a dose as little as 100-fold lower than normal to be that lethal. Certain variables related to the host or the environment appeared to help create these microbial monsters, so the researchers warn that factors such as herd size, livestock diet, or livestock exposure to their own waste might inadvertently trigger the emergence of unusually virulent Salmonella in livestock.

Every year, 42,000 cases of salmonellosis are reported in the United States, but the actual number of cases is likely much higher, since many mild ones likely aren’t reported, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Infection causes diarrhea, fever, or abdominal cramps. The use of antibiotics in the livestock industry has led some strains to become resistant to antibiotics, according to the CDC. Outbreaks are frequent; one at the moment has infected at least 141 people in 20 states, and officials have traced it back to a frozen raw yellowfin tuna product, known as Nakaochi Scrape.

Although research is ongoing, there is no Salmonella vaccine for humans available yet; infections are treated with antibiotics.

Our cosmic history has several defining epochs, one of which is the point at which star systems began to form planets. Heavy elements such as carbon, silicon and oxygen first needed to be created from huge star explosions called supernovas and the stellar cores of the first generations of stars before the first planets could form.

“Our calculation is an estimate of the minimum amount of heavy elements that must be present in circumstellar disks before planets can form,” Johnson said. “Because these heavy elements must be produced by the first stars in the universe, the first planets could only form around later generations of stars.” Understanding how the first planets formed provides crucial information about the early universe. Additionally, a better understanding of early planetary formation impacts many facets of astronomy, including the search for life elsewhere, researchers say.

According to Johnson and Li, a successful theory of planet formation should make predictions about the properties of the earliest planets and their host stars. Such a theory could be tested by studying very old planetary systems in our galaxy. The enrichment of gas with metals from supernovas is thought to affect not only planetary formation, but the formation of low-mass stars like our sun as well. “A planet as massive and dense as the Earth could only form once stars and supernovae had enriched the gas with an abundance of heavy elements that is at least 10 per-

FILE - Artist’s concept showing a young sun-like star surrounded by a planet-forming disk of gas and dust. (AFP)

cent that in the sun,” Johnson said. “This suggests that many generations of stars had to form and evolve before habitable planets could form.”

One important consideration for planetary formation is the dispersal rate of the circumstellar disk of gas and dust around a host star. Two of the more prominent mechanisms for dispersing a planetary disk are giant planet formation and photoevaporation by the host star.

Photoevaporation appears to be the more dominant process Observations show that lowmetallicity disks have shorter lifetimes, which is bolstered by data showing higher-metallicity disks are better “shielded” from evaporation by a host star’s radiation. Johnson and Li further assert that disks with higher metallicity tend to form a greater number of high-mass giant planets.

The earliest planets

Based on their equations, the team finds that some of the earliest planets may have formed at a distance of 0.03 astronomical units from their parent star. One astronomical unit, or AU, is the distance from Earth to the sun, or about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). For comparison, our solar system’s innermost planet, Mercury, orbits at just under 0.4 AU. Given the high temperatures likely at 0.03 AU

(estimated at roughly 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1,300 degrees Celsius), the first planets probably were too hot to host life as we know it. [The Strangest Alien Planets] “Interestingly, our results also suggest that the first Earth-like planets may have formed in the habitable zones of stars slightly more massive than the sun,” Johnson said. “Because more massive stars burn out faster, it is possible that any life that evolved on these planets may have already perished with the death of its host star, which may have lived only 4 billion years compared to the 10 billion year lifetime expected for the sun.”

Johnson and Li also note that the formation of Earth-like planets is not itself a sufficient prerequisite for life to take hold, stating that early galaxies contained numerous supernovas and black holes – both strong sources of radiation that would threaten life. Given the hostile conditions in the early universe, it is expected that conditions suitable for life were only present after early galaxy formation.

“However, with the wealth of new exoplanets being discovered and characterized, our theory of the minimum metallicity for planet formation may yet be challenged,” Johnson said. “It will be exciting to see how [our model] holds up.”

Polar bears older than previously thought: Study PARIS: Polar bears diverged from their closest relatives 600,000 years ago, far earlier than previously thought, suggesting more challenges in the face of climate change, scientists said.

Previous genetic analysis of polar bears had determined the species was only about 150,000 years old. But in fact, it took them five times longer for the polar bear to adapt to arctic conditions, according to the study by Frank Hailer and colleagues. In turn, the bears may not have enough time to adjust to a rapidly changing climate, the study suggested.

The earlier studies had focused mainly on mitochondrial or mtDNA, which only accounts for a small portion of the entire genome and is passed from a mother to her offspring. They had concluded that polar bears were a recently evolved type of northern brown bear.

But Hailer’s study, published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science, examined data from many independently inherited regions of the nuclear genome that showed that both polar and brown bears are much older, genetically distinct species of their own right.

The species’ earlier origin “implies that polar bears as a species have experienced multiple glacial cycles and had considerable time to adapt to arctic conditions,” the study said. “However, the low genetic diversity in polar bears suggests that changes in the environment, such as warm phases, caused population bottlenecks.”

It warned that changes in habitat, hunting, toxic substances and other “stressors” caused by humans “could magnify the impact of current climate change, posing a novel and likely profound threat to polar bear survival.” -AFP