April 22, 2012

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1412

16 PAGES

www.alwatandaily.com

150 Fils with IHT

‘Majority’ to decide on Al-Shamali’s interpellation today

Mohammed Al-Salman, Mohammed Al-Khaldi, Osama Al-Qatari and Ahmed Al-Shemmari Staff Writers

KUWAIT: During a planned meeting at MP Shaya Al-Shaya’s diwaniya, the Majority Bloc is expected to take a conclusive decision regarding the interpellation of the Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali in terms of the issues to be highlighted in the motion as well as the timing.

Informed sources have predicted that the meeting will witness a heated debate about the timing of submitting the interpellation and certain items therein, adding that members of the bloc might resort to a vote in order to overcome any contention on the matter. However, it has been gathered that the minister’s failure to address certain questions might put off the interpellation, and that the concerned MPs might seek a parliamentary decision binding the minister to address the questions. Further, the sources indi-

cated that pressure is being mounted for expediting the interpellation on the part of MPs who are warm to the idea of questioning the minister, including MPs Musallam Al-Barrak, Abdurrahman Al-Anjeri and Khaled Al-Tahous. Reportedly, MP Dr. Obeid Al-Wasmi’s desire to wade in by grilling the minister, can be a contributing factor for speeding up the submission of the motion.

A source within the Popular Action Bloc announced that the minister’s draft interpellation has been finalized and made available to the members of the bloc for endorsement. The motion will be presented to the Majority Bloc during today’s meeting in order to secure final approval and to have the main issues of the interpellation endorsed. In addition, the members will decide on the names that will sign the motion as well as agree on the timing.

The source revealed that the perceived irregularities within the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), the State property in Shuweikh, as well as the loans incurred by citizens and social securi-

Real Madrid beat Barca 2-1

UN team visits Syria’s battered Baba Amr

BARCELONA: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo takes a shot on goal past Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara (left) during their Spanish first division soccer match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona April 21, 2012. Real Madrid defeated defending champions Barcelona 2-1 to open a seven-point lead at the top of La Liga with just four games left. (AFP) More on 16

Japan to forgive Myanmar debts, restart loans

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China, N. Korea hold highest-level talks since rocket

BEIJING: China and North Korea on Saturday held their highest-level talks since Pyongyang staged a rocket launch that drew international censure, and they exchanged views about the tense Korean peninsula, according to an official Chinese news report. Wang Jiarui, the head of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s International Department, met Kim Yongil, the Korean Workers’ Party director of international affairs, for “strategic” talks between the two ruling parties, the Xinhua news agency reported.

“Both sides thoroughly exchanged views on developing exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and North Korean parties, on developments on the Korean peninsula, and on other international and regional issues of common concern,” said the report which did not mention the recent failed rocket launch.

China conducts many of its high-level contacts with North Korea through party

channels, rather than traditional diplomatic ones. This meeting was the most high-level between them since Pyongyang defied international pressure and pushed ahead with a rocket launch on April 13, which it said aimed to put a weather satellite into orbit. Critics said the launch was intended to enhance North Korea’s capacity to design a ballistic missile that could deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting continental United States. But the rocket quickly fizzled out and crashed into the sea.

China has fended off calls for harsher pressure on North Korea, its neighbor and long-time ally that it sees as a strategic buffer against US power.

But Beijing joined other powers in backing a United Nations Security Council statement condemning the North’s rocket launch and warning Pyongyang of consequences if it carries out another launch or nuclear test. -Reuters

ties will top the issues of the interpellation.

For his part, MP Dr. Mohammad Al-Kandari expected that the interpellation might be deferred, while citing concerns of potential crisis involving the executive and legislative authorities which can tear the Majority Bloc apart due to differences over the timing of tabling the motion.

He added that there are mainly two views concerning the motion, saying that while some members are inclined to postponing the motion, others believe that the interpellation should be filed urgently.

Al-Kandari further explained that the bloc will also discuss a proper mechanism for handling interpellations, whether they are submitted by the majority or the minority.

Meanwhile, the Majority Bloc’s agenda also includes the endorsement of its priorities for the month of March, including the proposed laws for the fight against corruption, the appointment of senior state officials and early retirement for CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 women.

DAMASCUS: UN monitors visited the restive province of Homs on Saturday ahead of an expected Security Council vote on deploying hundreds of observers across Syria to monitor a shaky ceasefire. “A team of international observers visited the province of Homs and met the governor,” the state-run news agency SANA reported. The small advance team of monitors, who had previously been prevented from visiting Homs for “security reasons,” were able to tour different districts of the city of the same name, including battered Baba Amr. Regime forces shelled Baba Amr for a month, leaving hundreds dead according to monitors, before retaking it from rebels on March 1. Two Western journalists were among those killed.

The visit came as the opposition Syrian National Council claimed that Homs neighborhoods were being pounded, although an activist in the city said the situation was calm.

But in the town of Qusayr, near the Lebanese border in Homs province, a sniper shot dead a woman on Saturday, said the Syrian Observatory More on 4 for Human Rights.

Czechs in mass march against austerity

Several thousand trade unionists protest against the centre-right government’s planned budget cuts and social reforms, on April 21, 2012, in Prague. The protest comes as the cabinet, in power since mid-2010, is scrambling for a parliamentary majority following the split-up of a junior coalition party this week. (AFP)

PRAGUE: Tens of thousands of Czechs on Saturday staged one of the biggest protests since the fall of communism, marching in Prague against spending cuts, tax rises and corruption and calling for the end of a centre-right government already close to collapse.

Police estimated that 80-90,000 workers, students and pensioners snaked through the capital to rally in Wenceslas Square. Chanting and whistling, the crowd held banners proclaiming “Away with the government” and “Stop thieves”. Rallies of such a scale are rare in the country of 10.5 million people.

World describes driving in Kuwait as dangerous

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New Brotherhood candidate pitched into Egypt race

CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood’s new presidential candidate, pitched into the race after its first choice was disqualified, promised on Saturday to govern in coalition and to steady Egypt after more than a year of political turmoil.

Mohamed Mursi, 59, the head of the Brotherhood’s political party, said he would seek the votes of ultra-conservative Muslims after a popular hard-line Salafi candidate was barred too, but he promised to be a president for all Egyptians.

The quietly spoken engineer is trying to make up ground after Khairat AlShater, a millionaire businessman and top Brotherhood strategist, was blocked from running because of a conviction handed down in President Hosni Mubarak’s era when the Islamist group was banned.

The Brotherhood’s broad grass-roots network will help Mursi, but rival Isla-

mists and liberal candidates who served under Mubarak have campaigned longer and can boast better name recognition.

Mursi also needs to prove that as the Brotherhood’s reserve candidate he has the authority to lead the Arab world’s most populous nation after a turbulent transition led by generals who took power after Mubarak was ousted 14 months ago.

“The word ‘reserve’ is over ... Now the Brotherhood and (its) Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has a candidate with a clear program in this election,” Mursi told Reuters in an interview shortly before his first campaign news conference.

“I hope the people will choose me, an Islamist candidate from the FJP and Muslim Brotherhood, and God willing the system will move towards stability and development,” he said. -Reuters

Chip lets smart phones see through walls, clothes

Hundreds of thousands may lose Internet in July

Indian milkmen from Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh pour milk into a drain during a protest in New Delhi on April 21, 2012. The milkmen were protesting against the decision of milk products producing companies to reduce the purchase price of milk by 37 percent. (AFP)

The demonstration against Prime Minister Petr Necas’s government is the third such trade union-led protest in 12 months against austerity measures, and the turnout underscored rising public frustration after a series of graft scandals.

“This government is devastating state structures and is demeaning the unprotected with its asocial reforms,” Jaroslav Zavadil, the head of the Confederation of Trade Unions, told the crowd. The protest comes as the government is working to reaffirm its majority in parliament ahead of a Monday deadline. -Reuters

WASHINGTON: For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world.

In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org , that will inform them whether they’re infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won’t be able to connect to the Internet. Most victims don’t even know their computers have been infected, although the malicious software

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probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more vulnerable to other problems. Last November, the FBI and other authorities were preparing to take down a hacker ring that had been running an Internet ad scam on a massive network of infected computers. “We started to realize that we might have a little bit of a problem on our hands because ... if we just pulled the plug on their criminal infrastructure and threw everybody in jail, the victims of this were going to be without Internet service,” said Tom Grasso, an FBI supervisory special agent.

On the night of the arrests, the agency brought in Paul Vixie, chairman and founder of Internet Systems Consortium, to install two Internet servers to take the place of the truckload of impounded rogue servers that infected computers More on 12 were using.

Israeli soldiers holding up riot shields form a line as a Palestinian boy tries to push them back, during a protest by Palestinian, Israeli and foreign activists wanting to reach Palestinian land close to the Jewish settlement of Karmi Tsour which is reached via the Palestinian village of Beit Omar, in the Israeli occupied West Bank on April 21, 2012. (AFP)

Pakistan PM orders air crash inquiry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister has called for a judicial inquiry after the deaths of 127 people in an air crash near the capital city, Islamabad.

Announcing on Saturday that he had ordered a judicial commission to investigate the accident, Yousuf Raza Gilani said “it is not fair to reach any conclusion without a proper investigation”. The Bhoja Air flight from Karachi city burst into flames on Friday evening after coming down in fields near a village on the outskirts of the Islamabad as it approached the city’s international airport amid bad weather. The airline said the Boeing 737 passenger jet was carrying 121 passengers, including 11 children, as well as six crew.

The owner of Bhoja Air, a private carrier, has been banned from leaving the country, and the government has launched an investigation into the air crash.

Police have said there is no chance of finding any survivors. Soldiers and emergency workers have been looking for bodies and body parts among the debris. Rehman Malik, interior minister, said on Saturday that Farooq Bhoja, head of Bhoja Air, had been put on the “exit control list”. “The causes will be investigated, whether it was any fault in the aircraft, it was lightning, the bad weather or any other factor that caused loss of precious lives,” he said.

Jahanzeb Khan, a Bhoja Air representative, declined comment.

Investigators have recovered the aircraft’s “black box” flight recorders, according to reports. So far 110 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, Brigadier Sarfraz Ali, head of the recovery efforts, said. “There is no chance of any survivors. It will be only a miracle. The plane is totally destroyed,” Fazle Akbar, police official, said. “We cannot identify them because some of the bodies are not recognizable.” Relatives and friends of passengers killed in the crash gathered at Karachi airport, where distraught family members indentified the More on 5 names of the people on board on the flight.

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ALWATAN DAILY

kuwait

SunDAY, april 22, 2012

Cabinet discusses terminated citizens, tenders, Jahra fire Mutairan Al-Shaman Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Cabinet discussed this afternoon several important issues, which include the fund for Kuwaiti employees who have been terminated from their jobs, a report about Kuwait’s tenders, the tenders law that will be discussed during the National Assembly’s next session, penalty law, a report about the fire in the tires dump yard in Jahra, and the parliamentary committees investigating deposits and overseas transfers.

In addition, Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali will present a report about the progress accomplished

regarding the draft law concerning insurance against unemployment as well as the Kuwaitis who were terminated from their jobs.

Al Watan was told that the government will look into several recommendations regarding terminated employees, such as granting them allowances, opening registration, and granting allowances for those terminated after June 30, 2011. Non-Kuwaitis will be substituted with Kuwaitis who were terminated in the companies owned by Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), prioritizing terminated Kuwaitis in the development plan projects, temporarily suspending all legal procedures taken against terminated employees, and referring terminated employees

Majority to decide on Al-Shamali’s interpellation today CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Other issues to be tackled by the bloc involve the decisions of the Parliamentary Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee with regard to lifting the immunity of a number of MPs accused of being involved in the storming of Parliament.

The National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun has included the committee’s report in Parliament’s scheduled session for Tuesday to hold a vote on it. It could be recalled that the said committee recommended that the immunity of nine MPs be lifted for their alleged involvement in attacking the Parliament.

Reports have indicated that the Parliament is likely to endorse the request, particularly since the MPs in question have agreed to it themselves. They are: Musallam Al-Barrak, Mohammad Al-Khalifa, Jamaan AlHarbash, Falah Al-Sawagh, Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaie,

Dr. Faisal Al-Mislem, Salem Al-Namlan, Khaled AlTahous and Mubarak Al-Waalan.

In another development, MP Musallam Al-Barrak announced that he had received a response from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlSabah regarding his question about the alleged transfer of public funds abroad via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The MP revealed that after a cross-examination of the answers, it transpired that it is made up of 240 pages and that 50 percent of it the content is unrelated to the questions he addressed to the minister.

“Although certain aspects contained in the answers are meaningful, there are shortfalls that the minister needs to address,” the outspoken MP said. Al-Barrak added that the incomplete answers raise serious question marks over the minister’s political responsibility in misleading the National Assembly and highlight his attempt to cover up the issue.

Kuwait’s aid for children cancer center in Lebanon appreciated

who had been working over 20 years to retirement.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet will discuss a request made by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak to refer all governmental tenders to the Audit Bureau, in order to ensure that all procedures are correct and that there are neither financial nor administrative violations in any project submitted to the committee.

Moreover, the Cabinet will also discuss the tenders and penalties draft laws. A source revealed that the Cabinet will not discuss military tenders because this is classified information. The Cabinet will discuss the extent of the cooperation between government authorities and the

Kuwait helps Syrian refugees in Lebanon BEIRUT: Up to 55 Syrian families that have taken up refuge in Lebanon would be provided with funds to cover their expenses for a year, Kuwaiti Al-Rahma Society for Relief and Development said here Saturday. Head of the society Bader Bo-Rhama told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) while delivering relief aid to Syrians that the funds would cover these families’ basic needs for a year-period, adding that Syrian refugees receiving treatment for their wounds they suffered during the conflict in their country would also be checked upon by the society.

He called on Kuwaitis to continue to support their Syrian brethren by any means they see fit. Kuwait’s leadership had recently donated five million US dollars to support the relief aid campaign for the Syrian people.

Kuwaiti charitable societies are still providing aid for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. -KUNA

parliamentary investigations committee regarding deposits and overseas money transfers; especially that the premier had called for complete cooperation and transparency.

Furthermore, the Cabinet will deliberate reports submitted by economy and legal affairs committee regarding the allowances for employees working at Fatwa and Investigations departments, in addition to increases and allowances of the customs and Kuwait Airways.

Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othaina will submit a final report about privatization of Kuwait Airways, and the draft law will be deliberated by the parliament during the week.

ICRC, Syrian Red Crescent providing aid to people in need GENEVA: The unrest in Syria continues to cause suffering in several parts of the country, but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are doing their utmost to help the people affected, an official at the committee said here Saturday.

“There is a continuous flow of people leaving their homes in search of a safe haven,” said Alexandre Equey, the ICRC’s deputy head of delegation in Syria in a periodical report on Saturday.

“While some have managed to move in with relatives, friends, or even strangers willing to lend a helping hand, others have had no choice but to take refuge in schools, mosques and churches, “ he added.

Volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are working round the clock in areas affected by the unrest, such as the governorate of Homs, north of Damascus.

With ICRC support, they have distributed food and other essentials to 60,000 people in several governorates over the last two weeks.

“Most of these people left their homes in a hurry, abandoning all their belongings,” said Equey. “They still need food and other essential items.”

People will continue to need humanitarian assistance for some time, and the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are working flat out to help them as rapidly as possible.

The ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent activities over the past two weeks are eight trucks delivered food parcels for 60,000 people affected by the unrest in the governorates of Homs, Lattakia, Dar’a and Rural Damascus.

In Homs, the two organizations also distributed hygiene materials, towels, blankets, mattresses and candles.

Work started on upgrading water storage, toilets and showers at 10 public buildings in Homs, including schools, to improve sanitary conditions for 2,000 displaced persons.

The ICRC provided the Syrian Arab Red Crescent branches in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Idlib and Homs with enough medical supplies to treat 200 casualties. -KUNA

KFAED helps to fund electricity project in Jordan AMMAN: Three Arab funds, including Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), helped to finance a 191 million US dollars electricity project in Jordan, said Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jaffar Hassan here on Saturday.

Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Red Crescent Society Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer (third left) with other prominent entrepreneurs and Chairman of the Children Cancer Center of Lebanon Paul Edde during a reception held on occasion of the center 10th anniversary. (KUNA)

BEIRUT: Chairman of the Children Cancer Center of Lebanon Paul Edde has praised the unlimited support for Lebanon in various fields particularly aid for the center that treats and cares for many children suffering from the deadly disease.

Edde, in remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on occasion of the center 10th anniversary, expressed deep gratitude to Kuwait, namely His Highness the Amir, the government and people, also hailing individual Kuwaiti donors who have also given contributions to the center that offers free of charge services for children suffering from the disease of various nationalities.

He also hailed the Deputy Chairman of Kuwait

Red Crescent Society Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer and the eminent Kuwaiti entrepreneur, Faisal Al-Mutawaa, for their generosity for the center, over the past ten years.

Establishment of Abdullah House in Kuwait, which cares for children of serious illness, is a source of pride not only for Kuwait but all other states of the region.

For his part, Dr. Al-Sayer, praised tremendous efforts exerted by the center for aiding children with cancer, noting exchange of experience between the center and Kuwait.

The center, established in 2002, treats 80 cases per year. -KUNA

Inventor snatches silver medal at Geneva expo GENEVA: Kuwaiti inventor Adel Jumaa Abdine on Saturday was declared winner of the silver medal at the prestigious International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, the most important inventions-related event in the world. Abdine won the silver medal for his invention of a unique system for emergency runway for civil and military aircraft which will help solve many problems which face air planes while landing.

“I dedicate this winning to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah for their support to me,” Abdine told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). Abdine said that his invention provides better communications between the control and rescue rooms in the airport and the plane crew. It also allows rescue teams to operate fireextinguish pumps on both sides of and beneath plane

pavements. The invention also includes a system for heating the pavements during cool times.

“This award encourages me to do all in power to help Kuwait become the first country in the world to use this system,” he said.

Abdine revealed that he has received two invitations to participate in Geneva civilian aircraft exhibition to be held next month and the military aircraft exhibition to be held here next year.

“I hope His Highness the Amir would sponsor my participation in the two exhibitions,” he said.

The 40th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, the most important in the world, is a special event, with 46 countries, represented by 789 exhibitors who show 1’000 inventions. The exhibition, which is held between the 18th to the 22nd April 2012 in Hall 7 of Palexpo, attracts more than 60,000 visitors. -KUNA

He told the press that the KFAED had contributed $42 million to fund the project, adding that the steam-powered plant was to produce 150 megawatt of electricity without resorting to gas or fuel, saving up to $50 million on annual basis.

World describes driving in Kuwait as dangerous Mervet Abduldayem Staff Writer

KUWAIT: A number of specialists have stressed the importance of raising the level of public awareness in order to ensure road safety in Kuwait, and fostering cooperation among relevant authorities. They also proposed that no single authority should be solely in charge of ensuring safe driving, explaining that Kuwait is dubbed as dangerous.

The remarks were made during a workshop organized by Transport and Traffic Committee in the Kuwait Society for Engineers. The event was attended

by Engineering Advisor Lafi Al-Fuhaid who is a member of the US based Safety Society, the Coordinator of the National Traffic Strategy Brigadier Nasser Al-Enzi and Engineer Essa Al-Hajeb, among others. Speaking at the workshop, AlFuhaid said that a number of developed countries considers driving in Kuwait as dangerous and advise their citizens to be cautious when driving on Kuwait’s roads.

He cited statistical data showing that about 493 people died in Kuwait from car accidents in 2011, adding that there is no analysis to indicate whether the number of victims has increased or decreased.

However, althoughAl-Fuhaid praised

Group photo of Engineering Advisor Lafi Al-Fuhaid, the Coordinator of the National Traffic Strategy Brigadier Nasser Al-Enzi and Engineer Essa Al-Hajeb, among others during a workshop organized by Transport and Traffic Committee in the Kuwait Society for Engineers on Thursday, April 19, 2012. (Al Watan)

the efforts of traffic authorities who impounded about 20,000 vehicles in nine months and issued citations worth 30 million Kuwaiti dinars during the same period, he noted that these efforts do not go far enough. Al-Enzi, for his part, remarked that there is inadvertent ignorance of traffic laws in Kuwait on the

part of motorists, while lamenting slow implementation of relevant procedures.

The official called for concerted efforts involving civil society organizations and the official authorities in order to confront the challenges by focusing on things that are considered to be distractive for motorists.

‘Traffic Department must use patrol cars to ensure traffic flow during rush hours’ Jassem Al-Tanneeb Staff Writer

Photo of Kuwaiti inventor Adel Jumaa Abdine (left) receiving his medal on Saturday, April 21, 2012. (KUNA)

The project would increase the electrical capacity in Jordan to 880 megawatts and would cover the growth in demand for power by seven percent.

KFAED has provided 25 loans, worth $533 million, to Jordan since the fund’s inception in 1962. -KUNA

KUWAIT: While most main roads in Kuwait witness development and expansion, people are suffering from severe traffic congestions, which have become a chronic issue. It is beyond doubt that expansions are inevitable to ease the traffic congestions in all streets, but it is noticeable that the construction operations that accompany such expansions obstruct the flow of traffic, such as Airport Road, Damascus Road, and Riyadh Road, in addition to many other roads.

Kuwait suffers traffic congestions in most times of the day as a result of thousands of cars found in the streets; especially at traffic lights, entrances, exits, and bridges. Such a

situation necessitates that the Traffic Department must use its patrol cars to ensure the flow of traffic during rush hours when people and students are going and coming back from their schools and work.

The severity of the issue will force all concerned authorities to shoulder their responsibilities, and police patrol cars are required to be present at points of congestion, in order to avoid any accidents that can make the situation even worse. The traffic congestion prevents emergency cases from being handled properly, such as sick or injured people in ambulances, and fire brigades that find it challenging to reach fire sites as soon as possible. Many bad results could be avoided if the traffic is smooth, and if roads become safe for all people to use.

ALWATAN DAILY

KUWAIT

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sundAY, april 22, 2012

Kuwait Airways privatization on Cabinet’s agenda today: Al-Othaina Fahad Al-Loban Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Minister of Communication Salem Al-Othaina stressed that the issue of privatizing the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) is on the Cabinet’s Sunday agenda. The Cabinet is discussing the issue with the purpose of referring it to the National Assembly for approval.

The Minister’s statement came on Thursday evening, during the conclusion of a ceremony held and organized by the Kuwait

Airways Corporation Union as part of its activities of hosting North Africa, Middle East and Europe Aviation Unions Conference under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister.

“The privatization law which was agreed on back in 2008 has many discrepancies in terms of its commercial nature which has had great impacts on the foreign and non-foreign bidders,” he remarked.

He went on to say that the government opted for amending certain items in the law with the view that any privatization ven-

ture would be done under the Investment Public Authority for the first five years and then it would be available to the public in the form of tender with 35 percent for the foreign investment, 20 percent for the government bodies, five percent for employees and the remaining 40 percent the state will acquire and redistribute to the citizens in equal terms.

As for the bloggers, the minister said that his ministry is coordinating with all internet service providers in the country to closely scrutinize people who use pseudonyms in

their Twitter accounts. The minister said that the decision was taken as an initial plan but promised that at a later stage much stricter measures would be taken to regulate the way internet service is provided and especially social networking services.

As for the strike slated for next Monday by the Civil Aviation employees, the minister said that the issue of employment grading which is the demand of the employees has been approved and settled by the Civil Service Bureau and that it has been already passed to the Financial Department

Kuwait, Brazil discuss ties, coordination for UN polls BRASILIA: Kuwait Ambassador to Brazil Ahmad Abdulsamad has held talks with Brazilian officials on issues of common interest namely prospects of holding a meeting of the joint commission for sake of bolstering economic ties.

Abdulsamad discussed these topics during a meeting with the director of the Middle East of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Carlos Elvira. In remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the diplomat expressed satisfaction at current level of coordination between the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission with Brazilian officials.

Among the issues that were pondered by the two sides during the meeting was prospect of holding a meeting of the joint Kuwaiti-Brasilian Committee,

Kuwait Ambassador to Brazil Ahmad Abdulsamad with the director of the Middle East of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Carlos Elvira.

(KUNA)

very soon. They noted necessity of holding such a meeting, during this year, in the Brazilian capital, considering that such activities would help in boosting the bilateral relations between the two countries -- particularly in the economic and commercial sectors.

Moreover, the Kuwaiti ambassador and the Brazilian official discussed coordination of stances regarding Kuwait’s nomination for membership in the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), during polls, due to be held during the UN General Assembly’s 67th session, as well as re-nomination of Brazil for membership in the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, during election at the international organization, scheduled in June. -KUNA

THIS WEEK IN KUWAIT’S HISTORY April 22:

1964: Discussion of interpellation motion filed against Electricity and Water Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah by MP Rashid Saleh Al-Tawheed.

1969: Saad magazine, the country’s first magazine for children, is published.

1980: A decree by law is issued to monitor metals and precious stones is issued.

1990: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, orders the establishment of the National Council, tasked with studying negative impacts of lack of cooperation between executive and legislative authorities.

2001: Kuwait wins membership of the Executive Council of the Union of Islamic Universities for the first time.

2001: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) opens gathering center number 28 with a production capacity of 210,000 barrels of crude oil and 143 million cubic feet of gas per day.

2002: Kuwait University wins the prize for electronic excellence as the best Kuwaiti governmental project during the second conference of electronic government.

2003: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issues a law on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) customs law.

2003: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issues a law to pave the way for the government to withdraw 500 million Kuwaiti dinars from the state’s reserves.

2006: Kuwait Sports Club wins for the eighth time Fahad Al-Ahmad Football Championship.

2008: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah inaugurates the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq with the participation of 29 countries and regional and international organizations.

April 23:

1841: Kuwait signs its first marine agreement with Britain.

1959: The Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues a decree for real estate registration.

1975: The Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem AlSabah, issues law 6/75 for the ratification of an agreement over the establishment of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), aimed at boosting the economic and social development of the member states and Islamic societies according to the Islamic Sharia laws.

1985: Assassination attempt made against Chief Editor of Al-Seyassah daily Ahmad Al-Jarallah.

2000: Al-Arabi Football Team wins the Amir’s 38th Cup after winning the match against Al-Tadhamun.

2001: Al-Salmiya Football Team wins the Amir’s 39th Cup after winning the match against Kazma 2-0.

2007: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issues law 10/07 on freedom of and right to competition in trade and economic activity.

2007: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issues law 11/07 on right to social and overall care for national senior citizens.

2007: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issues law 14/07 on approval of the agreement on foundation of the “International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation”, which was signed in Kuwait in 2006.

2008: The Kuwaiti barrel of crude hits a new record of USD 105.43 per barrel.

April 24:

1967: Al-Yaqaza magazine hits newsstands, with Abdullah Yakoub Bishara as editor-in-chief.

1972: The State of Kuwait ratifies a treaty for rescuing astronauts approved by the UN General Assembly.

1972: The State of Kuwait approves an international agreement on measures against copyright piracy.

1991: Deployment of international observers along the Kuwaiti-Iraqi borders.

2010: Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research detects quake in Manaqish, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale.

April 25:

1960: Kuwait joined the International Civil Aviation Organization.

1961: The Department of Electricity and Water announced the discovery of pure water in the Rawdhtain area, estimated to span an area of 50 square kilometers.

1976: An Amiri decree was issued for the establishment of the Kuwaiti Melamine Industries Company, with a capital of approximately KD four million.

1982: Law 32/1982 on the establishment of a civil information system, which includes complete data on all Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis in the country, was passed.

1995: The National Assembly unanimously approved a draft proposal to amend the Narcotics Law by implementing capital punishment on drug traffickers.

2001: National Assembly passed KD 50 salary increase, a KD 20 increase every three years, and amends regulations on women’s retirement.

2005: Minister of Communications and Minister of Planning and Minister of State for Administrative Development Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah inaugurates first conference on ecrime.

2009: Qadsiya Club is crowned champion of first class soccor clubs after a tie in a final match against Kuwait Club.

April 26:

1962: Sawt Al-Khaleej, a weekly magazine published by Baqer Khuraibet, hits news stands.

1978: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, inaugurates Ahmad Al-Jaber Air Base.

The base is located 70 km west of Kuwait City.

1980: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, issues law 24/1980 approving the General Agreement for Economic, Technical, and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

1988: A bomb blast rips through the office of Saudi Airlines in the center of Kuwait City, injuring a security man and causing material damage.

1990: Clashes in Adailiya, Khaldiya, and Yarmouk between security men and Kuwaiti demonstrators demanding restoration of parliament.

1993: The Interior Ministry announces apprehension of a terrorist network comprising 17 people including 12 Iraqis, four Kuwaitis, and one stateless person. The Iraqi regime had recruited the group to carry out sabotage acts, destabilize the country, and spread fear among the public.

1998: Minister of Health and Acting Minister of Education and Acting Minister of Higher Education Dr. Adel Al-Subeeh inaugurates the first regional conference on combating smoking.

1999: Osul Leasing and Financing Company is established as a shareholding company with a capital of KD 15 million.

2000: Kuwait signs an agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Qatar for the bylaws of the GCC environmental societies’ network, aimed at increasing cooperation and coordination between them.

2003: A Kuwait Airways Corporation plane loaded with humanitarian aid supplies to the Iraqi people lands at Baghdad International Airport. The plane is the first Kuwaiti aircraft to enter Iraqi airspace in 13 years.

2004: Subscription for Shariah-compliant Boubyan Bank shares begins. Up to 760 million shares worth KD 76 million out of KD 100 million of the bank’s total capital are open for public subscription.

2009: The first edition of the daily newspaper, “AlHurriah,” is published. The daily chief editor is Muthannaa Saleh Al-Fureij.

April 27:

1951: Iraqi President Nouri Al-Saeed visits Kuwait.

1955: The Construction Council, chaired by Sheikh Fahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah, approves the establishment of Al-Sabah Hospital after reviewing its layouts. The hospital is inaugurated in 1962 during the reign of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah with a capacity of 585 beds.

1960: Al-Ahmadi Hospital is inaugurated.

1965: Thomas Paul Malone presents his credentials to the Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, as first Ambassador of Canada to Kuwait.

1991: Al-Safat post office is reopened after the liberation of Kuwait.

1998: The Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khaled Al-Sabah announces an Amiri pardon of 13 Jordanian prisoners indicted of collaborating with the Iraqi forces during the occupation of Kuwait. The decision is also taken to deport 25 Jordanians held at the deportation center back to their country.

2003: Minister of Education and Higher Education, and acting Minister of State for Administrative Development, Dr. Musaad Al-Haroun issues a ministerial decision to teach citizenship and civil education in all levels of study for the year 2004-2005.

2004: Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Al-Taweel opens Marriot Courtyard Hotel, the first in the Middle East.

2010: German President Hirst Kohler decorates His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah with the presidential medal in appreciation for his role in promoting bilateral ties and mutual cooperation. The Amir reciprocated granting the president Mubarak Al-Kabeer Medal.

April 28:

1976: The Public Authority for Housing gives out, for the first time, 1, 721 plots in Mishref.

1976: Amiri decree number 23/76 is issued on the approval of the establishment of the special fund for the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) signed in Paris on January 28, 1976. Kuwait contributed 72 million dollars of the country’s reserve to support OAPEC countries.

2002: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) awards, for the first time, an Arab figure.

The award is presented to the chairman of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society, Barjas Hmoud Al-Barjas, in appreciation of the society’s international efforts.

2002: Amiri decree number 38/2002 is issued to ban unlicensed medication and herbal products.

All pills and creams should be licensed by the ministry of health before they are offered to the public.

2002: Amiri decree number 39/2002 is issued for the protection of real-estate rights in the country, stipulating that all plots not within the residential areas would be state property, and all real estate with no owner would be transferred to state property.

2002: The Kuwaiti fencing team for the disabled wins second place in the world tournament held in Budapest, winning four silver medals and three bronze.

2002: A heat wave hits the state with the highest temperatures to be recorded in April, reaching 46 degrees Celsius, the highest in 45 years, due to southwestern winds.

2005: Kuwait is nominated member in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Committee, offshoot of the UN Social and Economic Council, as representative of Asia, and membership expires in 2009. -KUNA

to do the necessary steps.

He added that the supervisory positions soon would be finalized and all vacancies would be filled.

The minister also explained that the issue of salary increase for the KAC employees is being looked into and that he had contacted the Civil Service for that purpose.

On his part, the General Secretary of the Union Hussein Habeeb said that the fact that the conference was held in Kuwait shows the important role Kuwait plays internationally in the field of aviation.

Sheikha Hessa Al-Sabah honored in Malaysia for outstanding record

Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Sabah speaking to the press during a ceremony held to honor her outstanding efforts within framework of the Arab Businesswomen’s Council. (KUNA)

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia: The Malaysian magazine, Leaders, has honored Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Sabah with its top award for women and society development in appreciation for her outstanding efforts within framework of the Arab Businesswomen’s Council.

Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Mustapha Mohamed opened the honoring ceremony, with attendance of the Kuwaiti ambassador to Malaysia, Munther Al-Issa, a number of Arab and foreign diplomats and Malaysian officials.

In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the occasion, Sheikha Hessa said she was personally honored for representing Kuwait at this level, noting that her honoring was fruit of her work within the council for promoting Kuwait and Arab women. “With His Almighty’s help, we succeeded in 12 years in creating an international-Gulf-Arab reputation,” she said.

Elaborating on Kuwaiti women, she expressed hope that banks would help the Kuwaiti businesswomen with interest-free loans to facilitate their bids to launch enterprises.

Citing the Business magazine, Sheikha Hessa said 12 Kuwaiti women were among 100 women grouped in the global list of females of outstanding records, noting that she was personally honored for being among those of excellent performance and image.

For his part, the Kuwaiti ambassador congratulated Sheikha Hessa for earning this outstanding honoring.

Sheikha Hessa has served as the head of the Arab council since 1999 and has been honored by various international and regional organizations.

The Malaysian city of Putrajaya hosted, late on Friday, the honoring ceremony for winners of the global leadership award, granted by the magazine annually. -KUNA

Kuwait hosts surgical pathology conference

KUWAIT: The fifth conference for medical laboratories and surgical pathology got underway here on Saturday with participation of internationally-renowned specialists.

Dr. Omar Al-Sayed Omar, the assistant undersecretary for medical affairs and equipment, said in a statement, addressed on behalf of Minister Dr. Ali Al-Obeidi, that the State namely the ministry has been keen on encouraging organization of such medical and scientific activities for sake of experience swap. This convention is the first to be held at this level in Kuwait and the whole Middle East, he said, noting that some eminent surgeons including a number of doctors from Toronto University, Canada, were taking part in the gathering.

It constitutes a precious opportunity for exchange of expertise in the realm of surgical pathology, Dr. Omar said, noting the opportunity for training personnel on state-of-art technologies installed in laboratories. Up to 28 seminars will be held within framework of the convention. -KUNA

4

ALWATAN DAILY

regional

May Allah save Egypt

By Hossam Fathi Staff Writer

KUWAIT: During last Friday’s gathering at Tahrir Square, over 50 political movements were present. Each movement had its own agenda, goals, and slogans. Not one dominated the square, and not one prioritized Egypt’s welfare above all parties, movements, blocs, and agendas. Shoes were being thrown at parliament members and prominent Muslim Brotherhood member Mohammed Al-Beltagi, and the buses carrying Muslim Brotherhood supporters were attacked while they were leaving the square. The 6th of April movement was accused of this attack, but the movement denied such claims, and announced that it will organize a protest in conjunction with the Muslim Brotherhood.

What is the result of all this mayhem? People wanted to unite and agree upon one fate for Egypt, but they have failed miserably, since they instead have chosen to attack each other rather than prioritize the welfare of their country. While political powers are bickering among themselves, the Egyptian economy is slipping into a dark tunnel as people simply stand by and watch. Health care services are deteriorating, but no one cares, not to mention the fact that security and stability has been absent in Egypt for quite some time now. I hope Allah will protect Egypt and foil plots designed by her enemies to assassinate the revolution. hossam@alwatan.com.kw Twitter:@hossamfathy66

Israelis told to leave Sinai over attack fears

CAPITALS: Israeli authorities warned citizens on Saturday to leave Egypt’s Sinai peninsula immediately because of a “critical and immediate threat” of a terrorist attack.

“All Iraelis in the Sinai are called upon to leave the region and return to Israel,” said a statement from the antiterrorist bureau.

“Based on information in our possession, terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip are continuing to work energetically to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets on Sinai’s beaches in the immediate term,” it said.

Resorts dotted along the Red Sea in the Sinai are a popular holiday destination for Israelis seeking a relatively cheap break in the sun.

But since the start of the uprising in Egypt that toppled president Hosni Mubarak last year, security in the peninsula has deteriorated significantly, with Egypt sending troops into the area to try to bring it back under control.

Last August, gunmen infiltrated southern Israel from Sinai and launched a coordinated series of ambushes on vehicles on a border road north of the Red Sea resort of Eilat.

Eight Israelis were killed and more than 25 wounded.

Israel’s military intelligence chief, Aviv Koshavi, recently said they had foiled more than 10 attempted attacks in the past two months.

The border area is also a paradise for Bedouin smugglers, with the Israeli authorities often seizing drugs, cigarettes and telecommunications equipment as well as weapons and explosives heading for the Gaza Strip.

Israel is building a giant steel security barrier along the 240 kilometer (150 mile) frontier, which is due to be completed by the end of this year. -AFP

Libyan army clashes with southern militia, 2 dead

TRIPOLI: Two people were killed and 15 injured in clashes between Libyan soldiers and tribesmen in the remote southeastern desert, a regional community leader said Saturday.

The fighting underlined the internal disorder and surfeit of uncontrolled weapons continuing to afflict Libya eight months after longtime dictator Muammar Gadhafi was overthrown by rebels.

The armed forces were sent to al Kufra, near Libya’s borders with Chad and Sudan, in February to quell fighting arising from long-standing rivalry between the Tibu and Zwai tribes, posing a fresh challenge to Libya’s transitional leadership. An army spokesman who declined to be named said the fighting began when the Tibu in Kufra found one of their men killed on the street on Thursday.The Tibu blamed the national army and attacked one of their bases.

Hussein Shakai, head of the Kufra community centre, said two people had been killed and 15 wounded in the clashes.

He said troops had surrounded Tibu neighborhoods in Kufra, some 1,100 km (680 miles) south of Tripoli, and were not allowing people to enter banks or schools there.

Long-standing rivalries, divided communities and plentiful weapons are plaguing Libya as the interim government struggles to impose its authority and secure peace among the vast oil-producing country’s ethnic groups.

Bouts of violence in the southern Sahara and in the mountainous west have shown how volatile Libya remains following the demise of Gadhafi, who had long played off one tribe or clan against the other to weaken their power.

The Tibu tribe lives mainly in Chad but also inhabits parts of southern Libya. In February, the Zwai tribe accused the Tibu of attacking Al Kufra, backed by mercenaries from Chad. The Tibu said it was they who had come under attack.

The remote southeast has a history of violence involving tribes. A tribal rebellion in 2009 was suppressed only after Gadhafi sent in helicopter gunships. -Reuters

sunDAY, april 22, 2012

UN team visits Syria’s battered Baba Amr DAMASCUS: UN monitors visited the restive province of Homs on Saturday ahead of an expected Security Council vote on deploying hundreds of observers across Syria to monitor a shaky ceasefire.

“A team of international observers visited the province of Homs and met the governor,” the state-run news agency SANA reported.

The small advance team of monitors, who had previously been prevented from visiting Homs for “security reasons,” were able to tour different districts of the city of the same name, including battered Baba Amr. Regime forces shelled Baba Amr for a month, leaving hundreds dead according to monitors, before retaking it from rebels on March 1. Two Western journalists were among those killed.

The visit came as the opposition Syrian National Council claimed that Homs neighborhoods were being pounded, although an activist in the city said the situation was calm.

But in the town of Qusayr, near the Lebanese border in Homs province, a sniper shot dead a woman on Saturday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The monitoring group reported a huge blast at a military airport in the Damascus district of Mazzeh.

Also in the runup to the UN vote, state-media reported that authorities released 30 people detained for their alleged role in Syria’s anti-regime uprising, but who have “no blood on their hands.”

The move takes to nearly 4,000 the number of people the authorities have released since November, SANA reported.

In New York, diplomats said the Security Council had reached a tentative accord on a resolution to send in the 300-strong ceasefire observer force that could be voted later on Saturday.

The council approved an advanced mission of 30 observers and seven are already in Syria where the UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed in a 13-month crackdown on dissent against President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule.

The Syrian Observatory reported that “a loud explosion was heard at the Mazzeh military airport in Damascus,” but provided no further details.

Activists however told AFP that the army blocked the road leading to the military airbase while snipers took positions on the rooftops of buildings in the area.

Sporadic clashes between government troops and army deserters have rocked Damascus in recent weeks, ahead of a cease-

A demonstrator holds a burning placard with a picture of Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad after Friday prayers in Talbiseh, near Homs April 20, 2012. The sign on the right reads: “No to medicines; yes to freedom”. (Reuters)

fire that went into effect on April 12.

Elsewhere, an “armed terrorist group” on Saturday blew up a section of an oil pipeline in the Deir El-Zor region of northeast Syria, SANA said.

Monitors say more than 200 people have been killed in Syria since the shaky ceasefire to which the government and rebels committed themselves went into effect.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International expressed concern about the fate of a cardiologist, Dr Mahmud Al-Rifai, arrested in Damascus on Feb. 16 and “believed to have been tortured” for having treated injured protesters.

The London-based group raised similar fears about another

Tunisian town’s outrage over unemployment TUNIS: Southwest Tunisia has some of the world’s richest phosphate deposits, but a recent series of violent protests by jobless residents highlights the region’s desperate unemployment problem. Applying for a job at the Gafsa Phosphates Company (CPG), long the area’s main employer, has become so fraught with economic angst that police sent reinforcements for the company’s latest hiring round, after the last sparked three days of violence.

Some 28,000 unemployed residents had applied for the 4,000 openings advertised by CPG and its parent company, the Tunisian Chemical Group (GCT). When the companies released the list of successful applicants for the town of Om Larayes last Saturday, it exploded in protest as angry young residents set fire to a police station and threw stones at police, drawing teargas grenades in return. The protests, which erupted Sunday, lasted until Wednesday. Calm has now returned, but the dejection remains.

“They’ve killed me,” said Mohamed Issaoui, an unsuccessful applicant and father of two. “I’m already past 45, I’m invisible, I’m buried.” Om Larayes, a town of 35,000 that sits 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Algerian border, got just 605 job offers out of 3,000 applications to CPG. The town was one of two that erupted into similar violence after an earlier hiring round in November that was later annulled because of the protests. “CPG does billions in business,” said Mohamed Naceri, who spent years looking for a better life in Europe before coming back to Tunisia. “They could give a billion and hire all the unemployed people in the south and they would still have money left.”

Tunisia’s southwest mining basin has been the scene of unemployment protests since 2008, a precursor to the upris-

ing that ousted former president Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring. The region’s unemployment rate sometimes crosses 50 percent, well above the national rate of 18.3 percent posted last year.

Tunisia is the world’s number five exporter of phosphates, mined for use in agriculture and industry.

And CPG is considered one of the country’s best employers, with salaries far higher than the 280-dinar (140-euro, $180) monthly minimum wage, health insurance for the whole family, free transportation and bonuses.

But in Om Larayes, the phosphate washing plant has ground to a halt, with production and shipping suspended.

“For a year now the company has been paying us to do nothing,” said Abdelhay Saoud, a middle manager who shows up every day to guard the facility.

CPG’s directors fled the town during the violence, as protesters set fire to the company’s administrative buildings.

Files were scattered on the ground, walls smashed in and windows broken as angry residents attacked the company that is seen as both the region’s lifeblood and its enemy.

The lucky few who have just been hired by the company do not know when they will start work, or for what salary.

“The situation is catastrophic,” said CPG engineer Ammar Seidi. “There needs to be investment in other industries, there needs to be infrastructure.” But other firms are closing one after another, driven away by strikes and social strife.

This week, Om Larayes residents learned the brand new buildings at Japanese auto parts manufacturer Yazaki, closed since the revolution, would not re-open their doors.

The firm is relocating to the larger city of Gafsa, taking 450 jobs with it. -AFP

S. Sudan says pullout continues as Obama urges talks

doctor, Mohammed Al-Ammar, whom it said was a peaceful activist detained on March 19 in the southern city of Deraa, cradle of the uprising.

On the political front, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin called for a “unanimous vote” on the text to dispatch monitors to Syria, which his country took a leading role in drawing up.

But his US counterpart Susan Rice indicated a vote is not certain Saturday at the Security Council as the West decides whether the conditions for the force are strong enough.

Ban asked this week for the expanded force to be set up even though he said Al-Assad has not kept commitments to withdraw troops and heavy weapons from Syrian cities. -AFP

Sectarian shootout kills 8 in north Yemen

SANAA: Eight people were killed in fighting between Sunni Muslim Salafis and Shi’ite Muslim rebels in northern Yemen on Saturday, a local official said, the latest flare-up of sectarian tension in the impoverished state.

Shi’ite rebels known as Houthis have exploited a year of political upheaval in Yemen to effectively carve out their own state within a state in the rugged province of Saada, which lies along the border with Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have fought regularly with Salafis attending a religious college in the area. They accuse Riyadh of smuggling weapons to the Salafis because the two follow a similar creed.

The official said the confrontation took place on the outskirts of Saada city, when four Salafi students ventured up to a checkpoint manned by the Houthis. Four people died on either side and each blamed the other for firing the first shot.

Salafis view Shiites as heretics.

Saudi Arabia briefly fought the Houthis in north Yemen after they grabbed Saudi territory in 2009.

The US envoy to Yemen said earlier this year there were signs that Shi’ite Iran was becoming more active in Yemen, posing a threat to the country’s security and stability. Iran denies interfering there.

Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, says Iran is fomenting unrest among Shiites in its east and in neighboring Bahrain.

Rebellion in the north is just one of a host of challenges facing President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who replaced Ali Abdullah Saleh after months of anti-government protests that paralyzed the Yemen government for most of 2011.

Apart from a looming humanitarian crisis, the south of the country is home to rising secessionist sentiment and a tenacious arm of Al-Qaeda, which has launched a string of deadly attacks on the army since Hadi took office. -Reuters

Libya building up case against Seif: ICC envoy

Soldiers of the South-Sudan’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) leave the Rubkona Military Hospital in Rubkona, South Sudan, on April 20, 2012. (AFP)

KHARTOUM/JUBA: South Sudanese forces were pulling out from Sudan’s main Heglig oilfield on Saturday, an official said, as US President Barack Obama called on both states to resume talks. “Our troops are still withdrawing; it will take three days,” Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told AFP. Sudanese army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad told AFP on Saturday afternoon: “Now the fighting in Heglig is finished.” While the 10-day occupation, which UN chief Ban Ki-moon branded illegal, appeared to be coming to an end, each side had its own version of events.

On Friday, Sudan said its soldiers had “liberated” the oil field by force, speaking after South Sudanese President Salva Kiir had already announced that “an orderly withdrawal will commence immediately.” Obama said late Friday that “the presidents of Sudan and South Sudan must have the courage to return to the table and negotiate and resolve these issues peacefully.” Ban urged both governments “to resume negotiations immediately” under a mediation effort led by African Union envoy Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president. Sudan pulled out of those talks after the Heglig invasion. Although South Sudan disputes it, Heglig is inter-

nationally regarded as part of Sudan.

Juba, which claimed Heglig was being used by Khartoum as a base to attack the South’s oil-producing Unity state, argues Heglig is its territory and has asked for international arbitration. At the UN, South Sudanese Ambassador Agnes Oswaha said Juba decided to withdraw from Heglig “because it does not wish to see a return to war and seeks an immediate resumption of negotiations between the two parties.”

Sudanese Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said: “We will not aggress and cross the international border. We hope that they learned their lesson and do not repeat such an aggression.” Sudan released no casualty figures from the fighting and did not allow journalists or other observers into the Heglig area, so the situation on the ground has been difficult to verify. The government on Friday night said it had organized a trip to Heglig for journalists. But an AFP correspondent who went to the airport in Khartoum early Saturday was told the trip was cancelled because Heglig’s airport could not yet receive planes. Juba’s UN envoy said “journalists and international monitors are highly welcomed” to go to Heglig to see who is in control. -AFP

TRIPOLI: Libya has been building up evidence against Seif Al-Islam Gadhafi in the hope of persuading International Criminal Court judges to sanction a local trial, an ICC envoy said on Saturday. “The general prosecutor explained to us what he was doing and he has a very good case,” Luis Moreno-Ocampo told journalists in Tripoli at the close of a trip to follow up on Seif’s case and push forward investigations on rape.

“I understand there are more than 30 witnesses,” he said.

“He has witnesses, interceptions, documents; apparently he has a lot of evidence,” Ocampo told AFP, adding he had not seen the body of proof because it remains confidential at this stage of the investigation.

Libya has been at loggerheads with the ICC over who has the right to bring former regime figures such as Seif Al-Islam and the dead dictator’s spymaster, Abdullah Al-Senoussi, to justice.

“Libya on April 30 will present its arguments on why Libya wants to do the trial of Seif Gadhafi and Al-Senoussi,” 62, who was detained in March in Mauritania, Ocampo said. There is no deadline for judges to make a decision, but Ocampo hinted that, based on his estimates, it seems unlikely Libya will be able to uphold its vow to try Seif ahead of elections for a constituent assembly in June.

Gadhafi’s son remains in the custody of a brigade in the town of Zintan which has been reticent to hand him over to the new authorities. Ocampo said Libyan officials told him they were confident he is “not mistreated.” “Zintan authorities have to show that his rights are respected,” he said.

Ocampo said it was critical for Libyans who fought against the injustices of Muammar Gadhafi’s regime last year to show that they can now “respect justice for a person like Seif.”

The prosecutor said his mission had also focused on how to tackle the taboo topic of rape in the hope of collecting evidence against top officials of the former regime who are now outside the country.

“We are investigating rapes by Gadhafi’s forces,” he said, adding that the probe targets high-level officials who ordered or encouraged rape rather than those who physically committed the act. The prosecutor said last June that ICC investigators had evidence that Gadhafi had ordered his fighters to commit rape and supplied them with sexual stimulants like Viagra.

Ocampo appealed to local leaders to change public discourse on rape so that women and girls who have suffered sexual violence are not marginalized by their families or community. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

sundAY, april 22, 2012

Aboriginal teens shot by Sydney police SYDNEY: Two Aboriginal teenagers were shot by police in central Sydney on Saturday after mounting a crowded footpath in a stolen car and hitting a bystander, stoking race tensions in the city.

The 14-year-old driver was hit in the chest and arm and his passenger, 18, took a bullet to the neck after police opened fire on the windscreen of their car as it sped onto a busy pavement in the city’s Kings Cross nightclub zone.

Assistant police commissioner Mark Murdoch said onlookers “literally jumped for their lives” as the stolen vehicle mounted the kerb at around 4am, mowing down a 29-year-old woman who was hospitalized with chest injuries.

Murdoch said police had recognized the driver and passenger as youths from the impoverished Aboriginal district of Redfern, and the pair had sped the car onto the footpath “to avoid apprehension” as officers had approached them.

“That vehicle struck a female pedestrian.

That female pedestrian was pushed under the front of the vehicle,’ Murdoch told reporters.

“At that point police, in an attempt to protect that person, discharged a number of shots into the vehicle.”

Whether “that decision turned out to be the right decision” would be determined by an internal investigation but Murdoch said his advice was “that the police had little other option” to protect onlookers.

“We have a vehicle being driven on the footpath... when there are many tens, if not po-

deaths linked to police pursuits have been a flashpoint for riots in the past.

“I would hope (the community) understands that we need to investigate exactly what happened and why it happened,” he said.

“As soon as we know something, they’ll know.”

Scores of police were injured in a wild ninehour standoff in Redfern in 2004 following the death of 17-year-old TJ Hickey, who was im-

Jailed Ukraine ex-PM Tymoshenko moved to hospital

This Aug. 10, 2011, file photo, shows a tent camp in support of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko outside the Pecherskiy District Court building in central Kiev. (AP)

KIEV: Ukraine’s former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, whose jailing last year has soured the former Soviet republic’s relations with the West, has been moved to hospital where she is expected to receive treatment for back pain. The imprisonment of Tymoshenko, a fierce opponent of President Viktor Yanukovich, has become a key issue in Ukraine’s relations with the European Union, which saw her prosecution as an example of selective justice.

The European Court for Human Rights, which is looking into her appeal against last year’s conviction on abuse-of-office charges, has urged Ukraine to ensure Tymoshenko receives proper medical treatment. Tymoshenko, 51, who is now on trial on graft charges, has suffered from back pain for months, her lawyers and family say, and has refused to attend the fresh hearings.

“Tymoshenko has already arrived at the clinic where she will be offered a range of procedures recommended

by German and Ukrainian doctors,” the state prison service said in a statement late on Friday.

Tymoshenko had previously refused to move to

China top military paper warns of armed confrontation over seas

BEIJING: China’s top military newspaper warned the United States on Saturday that US-Philippine military exercises have fanned risks of armed confrontation over the disputed South China Sea. The commentary in China’s Liberation Army Daily falls short of a formal government statement, but marks the harshest high-level warning yet from Beijing about tensions with the Philippines over disputed seas where both countries have recently sent ships to assert their claims. This week American and Filipino troops launched a fortnight of annual naval drills amid the stand-off between Beijing and Manila, who have accused each other of encroaching on sovereign seas near the Scarborough Shoal, west of a former US navy base at Subic Bay. The joint exercises are held in different seas around the Philippines; the leg that takes place in the South China Sea area starts on Monday. “Anyone with clear eyes saw long ago that behind these drills is reflected a mentality that will lead the South China Sea issue down a fork in the road towards military confrontation and resolution through armed force,” said the commentary in the Chinese paper, which is the chief mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army. “Through this kind of meddling and intervention, the United States will only stir up the entire South China Sea situation towards increasing chaos, and this will inevitably have a massive impact on regional peace and stability.” Up to now, China has chided the Philippines over the dispute about the uninhabited shoal known in the Philippines as the Panatag Shoal and which China calls Huangyan, about 124 nautical miles off the main Philippine island of Luzon. -AP

NEWS IN BRIEF

Police shot a boy and a young man, aged 14 and 18 years respectively in King’s Cross on the morning of April 21. (AFP)

tentially hundreds of people. That to me presents a significant risk of harm to the community,” Murdoch said.

Both teenagers were in hospital and the driver was in a “serious but stable” condition.

Murdoch said they were expected to recover from their injuries.

Police had met with Redfern’s Aboriginal elders to discuss the incident, Murdoch added, urging calm in the inner-city community where

the hospital, which belongs to the state-owned railway company and is near to the prison were she is held in the city of Kharkiv. Tymoshenko was convicted in October of abusing her power as prime minister in brokering a 2009 gas deal with Russia which Yanukovich’s government says ran against national interests and made energy imports exorbitantly expensive.

In the fresh trial, she faces charges of tax evasion and attempted embezzlement which carry a sentence of up to 12 years. Tymoshenko has denied any wrongdoing in both cases, dismissing them as part of a campaign of repression against the opposition by Yanukovich’s government.

The European Union has warned Ukraine that its members would not ratify key bilateral agreements on political association and free trade while Tymoshenko remains in prison. Tymoshenko was one of the leaders of the 2004 Orange Revolution which doomed Yanukovich’s first bid for the presidency and went on to serve twice as prime minister. She lost the 2010 presidential vote to Yanukovich in a close race. -AP

paled on a fence as - according to his family - officers chased him on his bicycle.

An inquiry ultimately cleared the police over Hickey’s death, but the violence, which saw the riot squad pelted with bricks, rocks and petrol bombs, shook the city.

Redfern Aboriginal leader Mick Mundine said Saturday’s meeting between the police and about 30 family had gone well and he was hopeful of the peace holding, with race relations in the community greatly improved since 2004.

“The family don’t want this issue and Redfern tied in with it, it’s got nothing to do with Redfern and it’s just a one-off thing,” Mundine told AFP. “Even the family and the grandmother have just told people ‘just butt out, it’s nothing to do with you, nothing to do with Redfern’ so that’s good.”

Mundine said there would be “one or two who will stir the police just for the sake of trouble” but it was “very quiet here at the moment” and he expected it to stay that way. “(The family) are angry, would be angry at the police of course, police shooting a 14-yearold boy, shooting at kids in other words. The police have got a lot to answer for,” he said.

“On the other hand, what’s a 14-year-old doing in a hot car in the Cross? At least he’s not dead, that’s the main thing I suppose.”

Aborigines are Australia’s most disadvantaged minority, with shorter life expectancy and much higher rates of imprisonment and disease than the broader population. -AFP

Campaigns on hold as France prepares to vote PARIS: French presidential candidates marked a one day truce Saturday on the eve of voting in a first-round poll to whittle the ten-strong field down to two frontrunners.

French election rules outlaw both campaigning and opinion polling on the last day of the race, but Socialist challenger Francois Hollande went into the weekend favorite to oust right-wing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.

The two 57-year-old political veterans are expected to win the two spots in the May 6 run-off, and polls suggest that the left-winger will comfortably win the battle to become one of the most powerful leaders in the world.

France is a nuclear-armed power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the tenth biggest economy in the world in terms of GDP. Its executive president wields extraordinary personal power.

Sarkozy has, in the teeth of much criticism of his hyperactive leadership style, made the office still more influential by downgrading the role of his prime minister and taking day-to-day charge of matters of state.

The eventual winner of the May 6 vote will still have to win legislative elections in June to make sure of his or her authority, but any French leader with a parliamentary majority has wide room to maneuver. First, however, 44.5 million French electors must make their choice.

Voting in the first round began on Saturday in France’s far-flung overseas territories - islands in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans - where 882,000 people enjoy full voting rights as citizens of the republic.

Then on Sunday, 85,000 polling stations will open around the mainland from 8.00am (0600 GMT). Most will close at 6.00pm, but in major cities they will stay open until 8.00pm, when estimated results will be released.

In France, opinion poll institutes are permitted to take samples from ballot boxes during polling, so the estimates they release at 8.00pm are generally an accurate measure of the result and the figures will lead television news.

More than 400 opinion polls have been conducted during the campaign, a third more than in the last race in 2007, and the vast majority tell the same story. Hollande is expected to come in first place in the first round, closely followed by Sarkozy, so both ought to qualify for the run-off. Three more candidates could break into double figures in percentage terms, far-right flag-bearer Marine Le Pen, hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon and veteran centrist Francois Bayrou.

While good scores would give these three a voice in national politics and their supporters a boost before the June parliamentary election, they will bow out on Sunday and leave the frontrunners to woo their voters.

This is where it gets tricky for Sarkozy, who is personally unpopular even among voters who broadly share his centre-right agenda. Hollande is expected to romp home comfortably on May 6, making Sarkozy a one-term leader. -AFP

Japan to forgive Myanmar debts, restart loans Tokyo to give Y600 billion in aid to Mekong nations over three years

TOKYO: Japan has agreed to forgive Myanmar 303.5 billion yen (3.72 billion US dollars) in debt and overdue charges,

and resume development loans to the Southeast Asian country, the two nations said on Saturday, in a move to help foster the nascent democracy’s economic development.

They have decided to cooperate in drawing up a blueprint for the Thilawa Special Economic Zone in Myanmar, potentially giving Japanese firms a leg-up

Yoshihiko Noda, Japan’s prime minister, (left), listens as Thein Sein, Myanmar’s president, speaks to the media after their bilateral meeting at the Mekong-Japan Summit at the State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, on April 21. (EPA)

5

over rivals in winning infrastructure projects for the area.

The announcements were made jointly by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and President Thein Sein, Myanmar’s first head of state to visit Japan in nearly three decades. just a year ago, prompting the West to ease sanctions on a nation rich in untapped resources and seen as one of Asia’s last frontier markets.

Japan will provide 600 billion yen ($7.35 billion) in official development aid to Mekong region countries in three years from April 2013 to help improve the region’s infrastructure and boost the area’s economy, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Saturday.

Noda made the announcement following a meeting with leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar - countries with strong growth prospects.

“There is no development in east Asia without the stability and growth in the Mekong region,” Noda told reporters.

“Our country will firmly press ahead with its cooperation with the region, which is our focus area for support.”

Japan, which is saddled with a rapidly greying population, targets exports of social infrastructure, such as railway systems and power generation systems, as a growth driver, while countries in the Mekong region need to carry out large-scale infrastructure upgrades to attract foreign investment. -Reuters

Strong quake hits eastern Indonesia JAKARTA: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck eastern Indonesia on Saturday off Irian Jaya, the United States Geological Survey said, and the Indonesian disaster mitigation agency said the quake has no tsunami potential. The USGS said the quake was recorded offshore, 51 miles south-southeast of the town of Manokwari, at a depth of 18.5 miles. It had initially estimated the magnitude of the tremor at 6.9 and 7.0. At least one major aftershock was recorded. In Manokwari, “the quake was felt quite strongly for a couple of seconds, and residents ran away from houses and buildings,” said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. -Reuters

Afghan security intercepts insurgents with explosives KABUL: Afghan security forces have detained five insurgents in Kabul, with 10,000 kilograms (22,046 lbs) of explosives they intended to use in a massive attack on crowded areas in the capital, an Afghan intelligence spokesman said on Saturday. “If this amount of explosives had been used, it could have caused largescale bloodshed,” National Directorate of Security spokesman Shafiqullah Tahiri told a news conference. The explosives were found stuffed into 400 bags and hidden under piles of potatoes in the back of a truck on the city outskirts. “Three Pakistani terrorists and two of their Afghan collaborators who placed the explosives under bags of potatoes in truck were caught,” said Tahiri. -AP

North Korea ‘may be ready for nuclear test’ SEOU;: North Korea has apparently completed preparations for a third nuclear test, possibly within two weeks, after firing a long-range rocket this month, according to a newspaper report. South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo said the information came from a government source. It relates to preparations for a test in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri, where the North carried out two previous nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. A defense ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report. -AFP

Pakistan PM orders air crash inquiry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister has called for a judicial inquiry after the deaths of 127 people in an air crash near the capital city, Islamabad.

Announcing on Saturday that he had ordered a judicial commission to investigate the accident, Yousuf Raza Gilani said “it is not fair to reach any conclusion without a proper investigation”.

The Bhoja Air flight from Karachi city burst into flames on Friday evening after coming down in fields near a village on the outskirts of the Islamabad as it approached the city’s international airport amid bad weather.

The airline said the Boeing 737 passenger jet was carrying 121 passengers, including 11 children, as well as six crew.

The owner of Bhoja Air, a private carrier, has been banned from leaving the country, and the government has launched an investigation into the air crash. Police have said there is no chance of finding any survivors. Soldiers and emergency workers have been looking for bodies and body parts among the debris. -AFP

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ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION

sunDAY, april 22, 2012

The experiment of reducing the absence phenomenon at schools Dr. Esam Abdulatif Al-Fulaij

T

he absence of students became a phenomenon especially on the days that precede official holidays.

And this phenomenon sweeps most Kuwaiti schools at the present time. With the exception of some schools whose headmasters could change the behavior of schools and reduce absences as well.

I have received an invitation from the student advisor at the Ministry of Education- Ahmad Al-Jabali- for attending the educational forum “commitment .... is a national must” wherein the forum was conducted at Nusaiba Bint Kaab School.

One of the things that drew my attention is the work paper that was submitted by Huda Al-Meer- the headmistress of school- in which the headmistress discussed the problem in detail and submitted serious solutions according to her previous experiment for reducing the phenomenon of absence before the official holidays.

I prefer to talk about some of the points that she mentioned. She said that this problem endangers students because it affects the educational level of students from a scientific point of view and it also contributes in planting unacceptable values with students from a didactic point of view.

The students in this concern can’t bear the required responsibility in the future. The very problem shows the lack of interest in education in particular and knowledge in general.

She also mentions that some of the reasons of absence are: depending on private tuition wherein the parents of students used to hire teachers for their children to teach

The phobia of Muslim Brotherhood Movement

The very problem shows the lack of interest in education in particular and knowledge in general.

them at home and students get bored due to the daily routine that extends for months then they neglect attending schools.

The parents of students were not interested or are not serious to urge their children to attend all classes regularly since the stage of the primary school. In the same time, they do not follow up the performance and the educational level of their children. Such things make students careless and less aware of the importance of education.

The other point is that the administrative staff at most schools did not abide to applying regulations which were already put in order for students to abide by their school classes. Another problem is a lack of interest by some teachers for different reasons.

Especially when explaining lessons which are not taught well enough and when a significant number of students were absent. Such conduct by the faculties of some schools encourages even the students who are used to attending classes to become absent on the days that precede official holidays.

Some teachers indirectly permit students not to attend through showing that students who are absent will not face a serious problem.

In addition to that, getting medical leave shows that the students were sick despite that they were not. Some doctors approve to give students medical leave while get-

ting absent from schools in order to help students to avoid all problems that they might face according to regulations and the easiness of getting such statements also allows students not to care about school attendance.

The media sources have had a negative role in increasing the collective absences phenomenon. Students are sometimes in a point that they decide not to attend classes as long as a significant number of students are not interested in attending classes.

Meanwhile, the headmistress submitted some suggestions and solutions to reduce this phenomenon such as: reducing private tuition as much as possible in addition to making the educational environment at schools an attractive one.

The last step can be carried out through submitting different types of programs, increasing student journeys and students awards as well.

It is important to conduct continuous awareness campaigns for families about the great effects that their children will face due to absences. As such a step can be taken in cooperation between the ministry of education and the ministry of information.

The administration of the different schools should also be more serious in the field of applying regulations upon all students who get absent especially that such a step will urge students to abide attendance of classes. The points

also include making sure teachers follow up the lesson plans and the general plan for explaining the curriculum which stipulate completing each unit or the whole semester with a certain period of time. The teachers have to also explain the lessons even if only one student attends a specific class.

The ministry of education must also conduct more training courses for teachers in order to enable them to develop their performances. That should be followed with the dependence on the modern techniques for explaining lessons to meet the open minds of students at the modern age. The ministry of health should also ban giving medical statements unless the students are examined for their health concerns and deserve a medical statement.

In the meantime, the ministry of education can assign short tests to be submitted during the days that precede official holidays. In effect the students will become more interested in attending classes. The teachers can also assign an incentive award for dedicated students who abide by rules and who keep attending classes.

So, I mentioned some points of the paper work which were submitted by the headmistress of Nusaiba Bint Kaab School Huda Al-Meer and I hope the ministry would benefit from that.

I admired the saying of the well known cleric Ibn Taymiya: “Whatever my enemies commit against me, if they kill me then I would be killed like a martyr, if they jailed me then I will worship God inside the jail even more than my worship while I am free, if they exile me then I will become a tourist who travels in the earth of God”. May God embrace our cleric with His mercy.

BU QUTADA & BU NABIL We need to censor blogs and political sites on the internet so that MPs stop screaming

The movement exploits supporting certain issues to get public support but the movement now opposes the very issues that it supported in the past.

We should also censor Twitter and Facebook so that we ward off parliamentary questions

Listen friend, close them up so that we can rest

Close them up so that we rest.

Waleed Jassem Al-Jassem

W

e watched a famous TV interview conducted by our colleague Ahmad with his Saudi guest the cleric Hamad Al-Ateeq who attacked politely the Muslim Brotherhood Movement. The guest doubted the call of the movement for applying Sharia as the source of legislation and mentioned many examples to prove his statement. We also hope the movement could reply on the statement of the cleric clearly. If the movement remains silent then silence can be explained as defeat or that they cannot face the evidences that the cleric submitted.

I am going to mention some points which were discussed during the interview. I will start with the point that concerns Kuwait while Kuwait was under the Iraqi invasion and the stance of the movement about that invasion. The very stance taken can be compared to their stance towards some countries in the period of the Arab Spring.

Some Kuwaiti members of the movement opposed seeking the assistance of foreign forces to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion but they call for foreign interference to liberate other Arabian countries such as Libya and Syria. The movement exploits supporting certain issues to get public support but the movement now opposes the very issues that it supported in the past.

The movement depends on a wicked principle to incite people through attempting to exaggerate some mistakes wherein such mistakes occur everywhere.

The famous cleric of the movement Al-Qardawi said in the past that he could not see Muslim states as good as Iran and Sudan. The cleric also attacked the United Arab Emirates due to certain problems which exist in the different countries but the question is “doesn’t the country which the cleric lives in have any problems?”

The other cleric Al-Areefi had attended a celebration held by the daughter of the former Libyan leader Gadhafi and he was praying for them in some video clips before. What has changed now and why is Al-Areefi against the persons who he was praying for? Was Gadhafi before the Arab Spring different from Gadhafi after the Arab Spring?

These are some points and notices that the cleric Al-Ateeq discussed during the TV interview and we hope to hear reasonable comments and replies of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement. We would like to hear logical and rational comments and not the reply that we used to hear: “they are suffering from the phobia of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement!”. We are waiting for the right statement!

And we need to censor Yahoo and Hotmail so that the MPs keep quiet.

Well, what about the E-Government project which is run by the internet?

Shut down the internet altogether; we have no appetite for problems

It’s like the issue of development. Stop it.

The most important thing to us is to secure the satisfaction of MPs

Mohmmed Thallab

mthallab@alwatan.com.kw

Save the educational process Fatima Hussein

A

s a Kuwaiti citizen I read the stories which were published by Al-Qabas Newspaper about the crisis of education. I am interested in such stories because I feel sorry about what happens to the educational process wherein thousands of graduates look for jobs and other thousands of high school graduates look forward to getting a seat at university. They suffer from such problems although the country is full of expatriate workers who head to Kuwait from the different countries of the world.

The expatriates hold a significant number of jobs where Kuwaiti citizens could manage to hold and the main thing that they need is a

good education.

Some relevant officials told me that the assigned budget for education is weak and small and most of the budget is allocated for salaries.

However, education as relevant experts say, is making human beings. It is not merely buildings, classrooms and halls but it is a very significant process for preparing the next generation. Therefore, such a process requires a qualified administration and a staff to turn students into an intellectual power who would contribute in developing the country.

Frankly, while reading the stories I believed that I would maintain my hope which fluctuates between optimism and pessimism but the results of the study or the stories that were published about the educational crisis

made me a bit pessimistic although I don`t like to be pessimistic.

A lot of people were not as surprised as myself by the results of the study because they understood what is happening in the educational field but I think the decision to publish such a study will lead to positive results. Such a decision might urge the relevant officials to exert further efforts to develop the educational process unlike the useless attempts or studies which were already conducted such as the study of Tony Blair and many others!

At the present time the educational crisis became clearer and we hope that the ministry of education or the government could endorse effective solutions for that. I met a female official at the ministry of education recently and she told me a thing that raised

some concern wherein some female teachers at different kindergartens refused to teach older students although they are qualified to do that. They refused such step because of the working hours as the working hours in kindergartens are less than that of other stages.

Imagine teachers refuse the orders of administration and imagine the administration that can`t deal well with its teaching staff. Do you expect to have a distinguished educational process or we will remain the same?!

Now we feel that it is a must for us to appeal His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad to save the educational process because corruption has spread in different institutions. The educational process is heading to a dark tunnel and it needs serious decisions to be saved.

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ALWATAN DAILY

views

sunDAY, april 22, 2012

That old tax magic Simon Johnson Project Syndicate

T

ax time in the United States - the dreaded mid-April deadline for filing annual income-tax forms - has come and gone.

The system, Americans have been reminded, has become painfully complex, with many a loophole through which one might try to squeeze. The fear of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service lurks in homes across the country.

At such a sensitive time, it is no surprise to hear politicians pitching the idea of “tax reform” - suggesting that they can simplify the system, close loopholes, and use the proceeds to reduce tax rates. The allure of such appeals is that a crackdown on others’ tax avoidance will mean that you personally will pay less in taxes.

In the policy jargon increasingly heard in today’s political discourse, tax reform will be “revenue neutral” - meaning that it will not worsen the budget deficit or drive up the national debt. The broader subliminal message is that you can have whatever you currently expect in terms of government services for less than it costs you now.

The problem with this vision of tax reform is that it is magical - an attractive illusion with no basis in reality. Consider the recent pronouncements of Mitt Romney - now the presumptive Republican candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in November.

Romney wants to cut tax rates, mainly benefiting those at the upper end of the income distribution. He also wants to close loopholes, but none of the details that he has offered add up to much. His boldest proposal - eliminating deductions for interest paid on mortgages on second homes - is trivial in terms of generating revenue.

Obama is only slightly better. While he talks less about “tax reform,” he is currently communicating the message that merely raising taxes on rich people - the infamous 1% will bring the budget and national debt under control. That, too, is a pipedream.

Americans - and taxpayers in many other countries - need a more transparent approach to assessing candidates’ budget proposals. In

FILE - A trader at the CME Group signals in the S&P 500 Futures pit in Chicago, Sept. 21, 2011. (AP)

In the policy jargon increasingly heard in today’s political discourse, tax reform will be ‘revenue neutral’ - meaning that it will not worsen the budget deficit or drive up the national debt. the US, there are groups that offer their own assessments. For example, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget performed an admirable service in “scoring” the fiscal plans of rival candidates for the Republican nomina-

Let’s stop talking about a ‘double-dip’ recession James Ledbetter Reuters

B

arely a day goes by without some expert publicly worrying whether or not the U.S. economy will fall into a “double-dip” recession. In a CNBC interview last September, investor George Soros said he thought the U.S. was already in one.

Earlier this month, the former chief global strategist for Morgan Stanley cited an academic study to argue that “after every financial crisis there’s a long period of much slower growth and in almost every case you get a double dip.” Granted, this is a minority view; most economists are predicting sustained modest growth for the near future. Which makes sense, because while few are thrilled with the pace of comeback, the US economy has grown for 11 consecutive quarters, beginning in mid-2009.

But given that the recovery is approaching its third birthday, how far away from the Great Recession do we need to get before another downturn would be considered not a “second dip” but simply a separate recession instead?

For all its ubiquity, there is no uniform definition of what a “double-dip” recession is; even the origins of the term are hazy.

One analyst wrote in a 2010 research note that the term dates from about 1994, when there was concern about sliding back into the 1991 recession. But Safire’s Political Dictionary traces the term to a 1975 BusinessWeek article, attributing it to an unidentified economist in the Ford administration.

(Tellingly, the “double dip” the government feared back then did not actually materialize.) Much of what is meant by “doubledip” recession is intuitively clear: It’s what happens when a recovery is so feeble that, soon enough, an economy sinks back into contraction. It’s the “soon enough” part that no one can agree on. Investopedia defines double dip as “when gross domestic product growth slides back to negative after a quarter or two of positive growth.” If that were the case, fear of a double dip would long ago have subsided.

Of course, an imprecise term need not be useless. There can be good conceptual and historical reasons for associating an economic downturn with one that preceded it. Many Americans naturally think of the Great Depression as a single, sustained economic horror that began with the stock crash of 1929 and didn’t end until the US entered World War Two at the end of 1941.

Technically, that’s not true; the US economy actually began growing in 1933 and continued to grow until 1937, when a second dip hit. But the economy had shrunk so severely in the first dip that it never got back to its pre-’29 level by the time it began contracting again - which redeems the popular fusion of two recessions separated by a weak recovery into one Great Depression.

Some economists have claimed, more contentiously, that nearly back-to-back recessions in 1980 and 1981-82 qualified as first and second dips.

But that’s not what’s happened this time

tion.

The problem is that in an election with high stakes and deep polarization, who, exactly, can voters trust? Everyone has an agenda, perceived or real. The veracity of any organi-

zation that is funded by particular individuals, or through less transparent corporate channels, will be called into question.

What the US and many other countries need is an independent, competent, and ex-

7

perienced body that leans neither right nor left. Fortunately, the US has the Congressional Budget Office, which scores legislation in terms of its budgetary impact, assesses official budget proposals, and formulates its own economic projections. (I serve on the CBO’s Panel of Economic Advisers, which comments on the draft forecast twice a year, but does not assess budget proposals or anything else.)

Because the CBO reports to the relevant congressional committees - those dealing with tax and budgets - both Republicans and Democrats watch its every move. But the CBO, created in the 1970’s precisely to bring greater transparency and accountability to the rather byzantine congressional budget process, really is independent and run by professionals.

The CBO does not, however, score proposals by political candidates, and that is part of the problem. In the run-up to the pre-election debates between Obama and Romney, both sides should agree to submit detailed budget proposals in the correct format for CBO assessment. The relevant congressional committees also should agree to this exercise.

If one presidential candidate refuses to cooperate in this manner, that should confer an advantage on the candidate who is willing to disclose more fully the specifics of his plan. And, to make this pressure to disclose meaningful, part of one debate should focus on budget proposals, with the questions being structured around how the CBO has reacted to specifics. If either candidate does not want to bring the national debt under control, he should be pressed to explain why.

This is not a matter only for the world’s largest economies. Candidates to lead their countries should not be allowed to get away with speaking in generalities or engaging in vague rhetorical flourishes. Democracy can and should be better than that.

Simon Johnson, a former chief economist of the IMF, is co-founder of a leading economics blog, http://BaselineScenario.com, a professor at MIT Sloan, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and co-author, with James Kwak, of White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You.

The ghost of North Korea

There can be good conceptual and historical reasons for associating an economic downturn with one that preceded it. around. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis(BEA), the American economy bottomed out in the Great Recession in the second quarter of 2009, when GDP sank to 13.85 trillion US dollars, a shrinkage of about 3.9 percent from the then-alltime high a year before of 14.42 trillion US dollars. Since then, we’ve far surpassed that previous high-water mark, with current GDP at 15.32 trillion US dollars. One way to think about this: The distance between where we are now and the previous high of 2008 is greater than the distance between that 2008 peak and the 2009 trough.

Even using what BEA calls “chained 2005 dollars” (in other words, accounting for inflation), current GDP is higher now than it has ever been.

Why, then, do we keep hearing about a double dip, instead of a new recession? Part of the reason seems to be psychological, a sense that weaknesses that were manifest in the Great Recession - slow job growth, too much reliance on Federal Reserve activity have not been fully addressed. As Alan Levenson, chief economist for T. Rowe Price, told me: “A turnaround always looks like a struggle. Each time we live through a slowdown, we feel like the economy can never grow again.”

The fear of a double dip is also a potent political weapon. On the right, commentators and politicians seek to stoke fear about a renewed economic downturn as a way of “proving” that Barack Obama’s economic policies have failed; the argument is: “No, he didn’t create the economic crisis, but he made it worse.” On the left, it’s useful to remind Americans of the past economic crisis as a way of repudiating Republican economic policy; the argument is: “We’d better not go down that road again.” In both cases, appealing to fear hits harder because our economic pain still seems so close - not some as-yet-unknown future downturn.

Ironically, as Levenson points out, if the US economy does slow down - which he’s not predicting for 2012 - it will probably have little or nothing to do with fiscal or monetary policy. Rather, it will more likely come from some external shock, such as skyrocketing oil prices or a renewed European meltdown. That probably won’t prevent people from calling it a double dip, but it really is time to put the Great Recession behind us and see any future recession for what it truly is.

James Ledbetter is the op-ed editor of Reuters. The opinions expressed are his own.

Kim Jong-un (right), current leader of North Korea, stands with military officers during the unveiling ceremony of bronze statues of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung and late leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang April 13, 2012. (Reuters)

The failed launch also marked a security fiasco for the North, as a South Korea think tank obtained the final orders for it.

Yuriko Koike Project Syndicate

A

t 7:39 a.m. on April 13, North Korea fired a missile which it called a satellite launch in the face of opposition from almost the entire international community. In a perverse way, the world got its way, because the vehicle exploded a minute after takeoff, its debris falling harmlessly into the sea.

North Korea typically goes silent after such episodes: “failure” does not exist in its political lexicon, so it cannot be reported or discussed.

The country’s media routinely meets any failure with outpourings of patriotic music and bombastic praise for the regime.

But this time was different. Behind the scenes in North Korea, failure does have consequences. In the coming weeks, we will most likely learn of a purge of those responsible. Indeed, the engineers and scientists involved in the launch probably put their lives on the line.

Moreover, North Korea could not deny failure this time, because the regime invited international media to attend the event - even allowing foreign reporters into the missioncontrol room - in order to legitimize it as a “satellite” launch and not a weapons test. The “failure” could not be concealed, so it was quickly admitted.

What was supposed to be a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the late Kim Jong-il on April 15, and of the regime’s new beginning under his successor, his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, ended up being a funereal salute. Supposedly ordinary people in Pyongyang told foreign media, with a practiced spontaneity, that “success is born of repeated failure.”

That is a chilling sentiment. The missile launch is believed to have been a legacy of Kim Jong-il, who fervently believed that the North’s

survival required it to develop nuclear and biochemical weapons. So the failed missile launch probably means that a resumption of nuclear testing is inevitable, following tests in 2006 and 2009.

However, radioactive elements, such as Krypton-85 or Xenon-135, were not detected in the atmosphere after previous tests. Just as the North called the recent missile a “satellite,” an underground explosion caused by conventional explosives cannot be used as a bargaining chip unless it is called a “nuclear test.”

The next one probably will occur as soon as 500-1,000 tons of dynamite have been secured.

The failed launch also marked a security fiasco for the North, as a South Korea think tank obtained the final orders for it. These instructions casually referred to Kim family business, indicating that “the teachings should be executed by Kim Kyong-hui” (Kim Jong-il’s sister), that “Kim Kyong-hui and Kim Jong-un should take care of the family,” and that “Kim Kyonghui should handle management of all assets inside and outside the country.”

Foreign media often focus on Kim Kyonghui’s role as the wife of regime insider Jang Sung-taek, but, as Kim Jong-il’s sister, she has been firmly in control of personnel changes since her brother’s death. Of the 232 members on Kim Jong-il’s funeral committee, she was listed 14th; her husband was 19th. She is routinely ranked higher than her husband in terms of protocol. Indeed, Jang Sung-taek’s promotion to General was her decision.

The problem is that Kim Kyong-hui is in poor health, owing to years of alcohol abuse.

Moreover, she is so capricious and self-centered that even Kim Jong-il had trouble keeping her in check.

Due to her poor health, it is unclear how

long she will be able to continue advising Kim Jong-un, now surrounded by military personnel in their seventies and eighties who supported past generations. He needs advisers closer to his own age, but none is at hand.

Dynastic concerns now seem to be paramount for the regime. Speculation is growing, for example, about whether Kim Sol-song - the second daughter of Kim Jong-il’s third wife will be appointed when Kim Kyong-hui is no longer able to perform her duties.

Before his death, Kim Jong-il reiterated that at least three nuclear reactors should be built. He also warned that China, despite being North Korea’s closest ally, is also the country that merits the most caution. North Korea, he insisted, must not allow itself to be used by China.

When Kim Il-sung (the “Eternal Great Leader”) died in 1994, Kim Jong-il relied on his father’s teachings to reinforce his authority.

Indeed, there is no way of knowing whether his ideas and policies throughout his reign were actually Kim Il-sung’s. Perhaps Kim Jong-il’s “Ten Principles for the Establishment of the One-Ideology System” should now be viewed as an official document that stipulates which instructions are to be followed when, where, and by whom. In that case, his successor, the callow Kim Jong-un, can claim to be bound to do as he was told.

North Korea routinely pushes the international community around. But the North is itself being pushed around by the teachings of a ghost, conveniently used by the people who remain in charge in Pyongyang. How long will the rest of the world allow itself to be pushed around by a ghost?

Yuriko Koike is Japan’s former Minister of Defense and National Security Adviser.

8

ALWATAN DAILY

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Te l : 1 8 3 9 0 9 0

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sundAY, april 22, 2012

BUSINESS

KSE advances 1.22% at close of week, witnesses buying trend

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 1.22 percent, while the weighted index advanced by 1.06 percent compared to the closings of the week before.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 0.95 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 35.37 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 406.12 million shares, recording increase of 31.57 percent. The market managed to end the week in the green zone for the second week, supported by the buying trend on some Investment groups, in addition to the collection deals on some small stocks, especially on Services sector.

See Page 10

ALAFCO earns KD 18.3 million net profit, EPS of 23.4 fils Declares results for first half ended March 31, 2012 Compiled by Al Watan Daily

KUWAIT: Aviation Lease and Finance Company K.S.C. (ALAFCO) Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), Ahmad A. Al-Zabin, announced on Saturday, the company’s first half financial result for the period ended March 31, 2012. He stated that the company achieved a net profit of 18.3 million Kuwaiti dinars, and earnings per share (EPS) of Kuwaiti fils 23.4 during the first-half, ending March 31, 2012. Al-Zabin explained that the net profit included exceptional profit realized through the adjustment of some purchase agreements with aircraft manufacturers.

During the first half, ALAFCO firmed up the transaction to purchase 85 A320neo aircraft from Airbus valued at 7.65 billion US dollars at list prices, thus positioning itself to reach its target of a 100 aircraft portfolio by the end of the decade. “After a full analysis, the company concluded that the A320neo will continue to be in strong demand, therefore, we are seizing the opportunity to secure an additional 35 aircraft to meet the future requirements of our customers. The A320neo is the market’s favorite single-aisle aircraft family.” said Al-Zabin.

Also during the period, the company leased three Airbus A320-200 aircraft to Vietjet Air in Vietnam for a period of eight years.

Earlier this year the company announced their first quarter results which was for the period ending Dec. 31, 2011, where it earned a net profit of KD 15 million.

ALAFCO’s fiscal year started in October 2011.

Chairman and CEO, Ahmad Al-Zabin announced that ALAFCO has achieved the result with earnings per share of 19 fils, adding that the net profit includes exceptional gains realized through the adjustment of some purchase agreements with aircraft manufacturers during the period.

A boy sits in front of his house as he has his lunch in Kathmandu April 21, 2012. Nepal is among the countries with the highest ratio of decent jobs per million dollars of investment from green investments, said International Trade Union Confederation urging governments to drive investment of at least two percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the green economy in the wake of independent economic analysis forecasting the potential for the growth of green jobs. (Reuters)

During this quarter, ALAFCO announced the lease and delivery of three Airbus A320 aircraft to Vietnambased Vietjet Air for a term of eight years, which is a new addition to the customer base.

ALAFCO is a Kuwait-based aircraft leasing compa-

Kuwaiti oil price continues downward trend, drops to $114.93 KUWAIT: Price of Kuwaiti crude oil slipped down by 0.02 US dollars to $114.93 per barrel on Friday, compared to $114.95 pb on Thursday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said on Saturday.

The slight decrease in Kuwaiti oil price comes at a time when Brent crude oil futures closed last weekend with an increase due to being backed up by an improvement of German companies’ morale, as well as the rise of Euro, which led to high demand for Brent oil futures. -KUNA

Saudi’s Kingdom Holding Q1 net profit up 11.3%

CAPITALS: Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding , the investment vehicle of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said on Saturday its first quarter net profit rose by 11.3 percent year-on-year to 100.8 million Saudi riyals (26.88 million US dollars).

The company attributed its performance to the sales of its stake in Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel and its share of the Oasis Kingdom project in Riyadh, in a statement posted on the Saudi bourse website. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian real estate company Dar Al Arkan said on Saturday its first quarter net profit rose 7.1 percent year-on-year due to improved gross margins in real estate sales.

The firm posted a net profit of 292.6 million Saudi riyals ($78.02 million) in the first quarter of 2012, compared with 273.1 million in the same period last year, it said in a statement on the bourse website.

In more news, Samba Financial Group posted first-quarter net profit of 1.145 billion riyals ($305.32 million), it said on Saturday, nearly matching analysts’ forecasts. The kingdom’s second largest listed lender by market value said that its first quarter net profit increased by two percent year-on-year, due to a jump in operating income. Eight analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast the bank’s net profits would be, on average, 1.17 billion riyals. Total operating profit for the quarter rose by 5.6 percent on the year to 1.79 billion riyals. Profit from special commissions dropped by 0.5 percent in the first quarter compared with the same period last year, while loans and advances at the end of the quarter stood at 93 billion riyals, up from 81 billion a year earlier. Bank lending to businesses has surged in the Saudi market in recent months, government figures showed in February.

A long process of provisioning by all banks was ordered by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) after the collapse of a major conglomerate in 2009 prompted concerns over bad loans in the kingdom. -Agencies

ny. Its stock trades on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) under the ticker symbol ALAFCO. The company’s owned aircraft portfolio consists of 48 Boeing and Airbus aircraft leased to airlines globally. In addition, ALAFCO manages another 12 aircraft for investors.

CMA decides to cancel delisting decision of TID at bourse

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: In a press release made available to Al Watan, The Investment Dar (TID) announced that the Complaints Committee in the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has made its decision 1/10/2012/T regarding Dar’s complaint, which states that the decision made by the CMA Commission in its meeting 4/2012 held Feb. 12, 2012, that The Investment Dar application to include its shares at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) would be rejected, should be revoked. The Investment Dar had earlier complained against the decision to the Complaints Committee in the CMA outlining the unfairness of the committee’s decision.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of The Investment Dar, Abdullah Al-Humaidhi said that the decision made by the Complaints Committee of the CMA to revoke the Commission’s decision only underscores the unyielding tenacity of the financial sector in Kuwait to maintain and adhere to the strong and healthy laws and bylaws. “On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Dar and its executives, I am pleased to express my deepest gratitude to all those who have made valuable contribution towards resolving the issue. In particular, I must mention the Chairman of the Complaints Committee in the CMA, Dr. Ahmad Hamad Al-Farisi and the rest of the team,” he remarked, adding that the Dar will reschedule its shares at the bourse soon.

OPEC’s first $1 trillion Kamel Al-Harami Independent energy analyst Exclusive to Al Watan Daily

KUWAIT: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has reached its first trillion US dollars worth of income last year. Now who is benefiting most from this high income? Are they the traditional countries like the US, Europe and Japan who are the largest importers of oil or the emerging markets like China to benefit the most?

OPEC’s 12-member income from oil is expected to reach $1,170 billion against last year’s close of $1,020 billion and this is another sign of hardening oil prices in view of the uncertainty surrounding the world from every angle. Political tensions in the Middle East along with a fragile global economy are not helping oil process to stabilize, despite Saudi Arabia’s repeated assurances.

The balance of OPEC’s expenditure is more favoring of China than the traditional two countries of US and Japan. Last year the US gained only 34 US cents in each dollar spent on importing OPEC oil against the traditional 56 cents. While Japan lost more in its imports of oil - 14 cents against its traditional of 43 cents.

China came at the top last year with its 64 cents in every US dollar spent, in buying one barrel of OPEC crude, oil went back with a loss of 36 cents from its original one dollar spent. Europe however, maintained its highest position of 80 cents income from its one dollar spent. The figure however does not represent the full picture of expenditures as OPEC’s financial investments and most importantly its investments in Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are excluded.

Certainly US and Japan will fight to regain the lost positions but not within the coming years as their reliance on oil is on the increase. Besides that, Japan’s strong currency value makes it difficult to increase its exports. China, on the other hand can and will continue to make and produce cheaper products against both countries.

Oil will continue to rise despite the Saudi assurances as Iran is coming back with more strong verbal threats to its neighbors. Its last statement that Saudi’s increased production will not be enough to close the gap to meet all oil demands will bring the market to a new turmoil. The situation will most likely remain unstable until OPEC’s next meeting in June when things will be more focused and clea .

OPEC reaching its first trillion dollars since inception is an event. Its members should be asking how much of that trillion has gone to cover improvements of its people. In education, health, and improvements in living conditions along with raising the life of its populations. Or do the OPEC members have a break down on each dollar earned on various services to its citizens. We doubt they do.

Surprisingly some members for sure became poorer, and continue to lack basic infrastructure which is mainly attributed to an increase in population and corruption.

We in Kuwait, can with confidence say that we have benefited the most of the stream of oil income in comparison to other members.We also can claim that in the recent years we have fallen behind our neighbors and this situation must be stopped. In the last 10 years we have been lagging behind others even in our core business namely oil.

Some members have totally misused its oil income in investing in weapons to strengthen its military power to use against its own neighbors which ended up in a total waste of their millions of its monies and being in red.

Solid financial results and annual increase in oil income are always good news. The better part of it is however, how much the country has gained from its income and any figure below 40 cents is bad news of direct investments in health, education growth and developments. Investing in overseas Sovereign Wealth Funds should be to the minimum. We are afraid this is may be our sad part of it.

The author of this article can be reached at naftikuwaiti@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions presented in the column are the company’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Al Watan Daily and its staff.

Abu Dhabi’s GHC plans $1.58 billion industrial investment ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi government-owned General Holding Corporation (GHC) plans to invest 5.8 billion UAE dirhams (1.58 billion US dollars) in the short-term in three industries to boost manufacturing as the oil-rich emirate tries to diversify its economy, its chairman said on Saturday.

The plans include three billion dirhams to expand capacity at Emirates Steel, 800 million dirhams in downstream aluminum extrusion and two billion dirhams in manufacturing seamless pipes for the oil and gas industry.

GHC, which has industrial assets totaling 23.7 billion dirhams, has interests in sectors including

steel, oil and gas fabrication, cables, food and building materials. It is eyeing new industries such as aluminum and copper.

“Our strategy is to help speed industrial growth in Abu Dhabi which is targeting a 25 percent contribution from industry to the emirate’s GDP (gross domestic product) by 2030. Today, it is below 15 per cent,” Hussain Al-Nowais told reporters.

Financing for the investments will be a combination of debt and equity, he said, adding GHC plans to raise $600 million in project finance over two years. It has appointed BNP Paribas as financial advisor.

Last year GHC borrowed 660 million dirhams ($180 million) from banks and invested 2.7 billion dirhams in various industries.

“Our debt-equity ratio is 1:1 and we have cash generated from profit. Debt could include bank borrowing, export credit agencies or even bonds,” he said.

GHC also said it made a net profit of 1.5 billion dirhams in 2011, up 15 percent on the previous year, driven by sales and cost control. The profit came largely from two of its flagship firms, Emirates Steel and National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC). -Reuters

BlackBerry maker hires law firm for restructuring

CAPITALS: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has hired law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP to work out a restructuring plan that could include selling assets, seeking joint ventures or licensing patents, people briefed on the matter said.

As part of the struggling Canadian smartphone maker’s strategic review, the RIM board is discussing ways to boost revenue from its new BlackBerry 10 operating system and possibly opening up its proprietary network, the sources said.

At one point, RIM was hoping to add as much as four billion US dollars in revenue from deals with major telecom carriers, sources said.

“This is a very mature strategy and RIM was very far down the road with a lot of those discussions with carriers,” one of the sources added.

The restructuring efforts come as the Blackberry maker tries to stem customer losses to Apple Inc’s iPhone and smartphones running Google Inc’s Android software.

RIM posted a $125 million loss in its most recent quarter as it wrote down BlackBerry inventories. It took an

even larger hit on its underperforming PlayBook tablet computers three months earlier. RIM’s stock has plunged 75 percent in the last 12 months, giving the company a market value under $7 billion.

Representatives for Milbank and RIM declined to comment. A number of investment banks have approached RIM over the past several months, vying for a role as financial adviser. But for now, RIM is not expected to hire a banker unless it decides to sell off a major asset or if the company receives takeover interest from an industry competitor, the sources said. RIM has worked with Milbank previously and also retains law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and the consulting firm Monitor Group for strategic advice. The two firms were not immediately available for comment.

Balsillie’s proposal

RIM, which once dominated the smartphone market, appointed a new chief executive officer (CEO), Thorsten Heins, in January when longtime co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie resigned under pressure. Before he left,

Balsillie had led a three-pronged plan to double RIM’s service revenue by allowing carriers to use its services for messaging, content delivery, and analytics on all smartphones, sources with knowledge of his plan told Reuters.

Balsillie’s plan offered carriers a way to tempt budget customers to upgrade to smartphones, with a data plan restricted to social networking and messaging services.

The sources said it also involved a “carrier cloud” to compete with device-specific services such as Apple’s iCloud and cross-platform products, like DropBox and Netflix. RIM started talks with the world’s largest telecom companies more than six months ago and they were still going on as late as January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

But the board got cold feet on concerns about cost and fears that the company’s smartphones could lose more market share if the popular BlackBerry Messenger chat system was available on other devices. Balsillie quit RIM’s board in March.

Sources declined to discuss pricing details for the aborted plan, citing the potential for deals to still get done.

It was not clear how much of Balsillie’s plan will be incorporated in the restructuring that Milbank is advising on.

Strategic acquisitions

Since late 2010, RIM had been taking steps to make its network services available to other devices, and made a string of acquisitions to support that strategy, according to several sources with knowledge of the matter.

Last October, RIM bought Dublin-based digital content company Newbay Software, which stores photo and video albums, music, address books, calendars on its own servers and can deliver it to any Internet-connected device, including mobile phones, personal computers, tablets and televisions.

When RIM bought it, Newbay boasted more than 80 million subscribers and had relationships with many of the carriers that Balsillie was negotiating with. Earlier in 2011, RIM bought small Swedish video-editing company Jaycut, German social gaming company Scoreloop in June, and Waterloo-based tinyHippos, which owned a cross-platform app testing tool. -Reuters

10

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

sunDAY, april 22, 2012

KSE advances 1.22% at close of week, witnesses buying trend KSE weekly activity, April 19, 2011

Sectors’ activity

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,264.6 points, up by 1.22 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 1.06 percent weekly gain after closing at 416.81 points.

Sectors’ indices

Six of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other two recorded declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the Indus-

try sector, achieving 3.97 percent growth rate as its index closed at 4,428.3 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Services sector’s index closed at 14,430.4 points recording 1.26 percent increase. The Banks sector came in third as its index achieved 1.01 percent growth, ending the week at 11,621.8 points. The Investment sector was the least growing as its index closed at 3,987.1 points with a 0.57 percent increase.

On the other hand, the Insurance sector

China’s quarterly growth will pick up

Since 2008 % chg, YoY 14

What does the indicator tell us?

Real GDP is a measure of the economic output or of the size of the economy _ adjusted for inflation or deflation. It is the sum of the adjusted values of all final goods and services produced by that country or region over a given time period. The values depend on the quantities (volume) of the goods produced and their prices. Real GDP is a measure that holds prices constant by using a given year’s value (the base date) for all items and services. Then these values are used to calculate GDP for years prior to the base year and subsequent years. GDP can be measured in several ways, and the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the government body responsible for national ac-

Benchmark

Closing

Current

Return (%) YTD-12 Return

(000's shrs)

(000's USD)

(USD Mln)

2,030,618

648,353

106,735

416.8

1.06%

2.8%

Ÿ KSE - KAMCO TRW Index

2,638.9

0.67%

2.1%

Ÿ KSE - Weighted Index

Market Cap.

Value

7.7%

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Chg. (USD Mln)

935

Trailing Trailing (%)

0.88%

P/E (X)

23.97

P/B (X)

Dividend

1.31

2.9%

ź Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL)

7,513.9

(0.78%)

17.1%

3,080,352

16,103,585

391,805

(3,148)

(0.80%)

15.63

2.07

3.4%

2,500.2

(0.91%)

4.1%

234,032

88,437

76,843

(592)

(0.76%)

9.66

1.06

4.9%

ź Dubai Financial Market

1,638.3

(2.41%)

21.0%

853,976

325,630

50,193

(682)

(1.34%)

33.41

0.96

2.6%

ź Qatar Exchange

8,638.9

(1.66%)

(1.6%)

57,109

423,485

125,900

(1,270)

(1.00%)

12.04

1.81

3.7%

Ÿ Bahrain Bourse Ÿ Muscat Securities Market

1,159.3 6,004.1

2.03% 0.38%

1.4% 5.4%

4,334 118,281

2,227 77,907

16,808 17,485

2.03% 0.34%

10.52 12.76

0.92 1.60

5.1% 4.3%

6,378,702

17,669,625

785,770

(0.55%)

15.70

1.85

2.9%

Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE)

Top 10 Largest Kuwaiti Companies by Market Cap

335 59 (4,363)

2

JanͲ12

MarͲ12

SepͲ11

Source: KCIC Research on National Bureau of Statistics, 2012.

NovͲ11

JulͲ11

MayͲ11

JanͲ11

MarͲ11

NovͲ10

JulͲ10

MarͲ10

MayͲ10

JanͲ10

SepͲ09

NovͲ09

JulͲ09

MayͲ09

JanͲ09

MarͲ09

0

www.kcicͲasia.com/research

policy. We believe, however, that the government will continue to apply its prudent monetary policy as the strong domestic demand can withstand some of the headwinds from the external economy. We think the focus of the new policymakers will be stable growth but no massive stimulus package, but investors.

East and emerging Asia by providing financial and advisory services, and managing third party capital.

Important Disclaimer: The information contained in this report is prepared by the Research Department of the Kuwait China Investment Company (KCIC) and is believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted. Research recommendations do not constitute financial advice nor extend offers to participate in any specific investment on any particular terms. Investors should consider this material as only a single factor in making their decisions.

Prepared by Fatema Akashah - For more information please visit: www.kcic-asia.com or email: research@kcicasia.com. KCIC is an Asia-focused investment company. Licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait, it facilitates capital flows between the Middle

Price

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

(KWD)

Return (%)

(KD Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's KD)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

Beta

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Price

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

(AED)

Return (%)

(AED Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's AED)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

Beta

ROE YTD Price Chg. (%)

ź 1- EMAAR Properties

3.200

(0.6%)

19,492

75,094

238,975

10.9

0.6

4.0%

1.40

5.7%

ź 2- Emirates NBD

2.800

(2.4%)

15,562

2,442

6,968

6.1

0.4

7.1%

0.61

7.2%

(4.8%)

ő 3- Mashreq Bank

91.45

0.0%

15,462

0

0

18.8

1.3

2.2%

0.05

6.7%

(9.9%)

ő 4- Emirates Integrated Telecom.

3.170

0.0%

14,491

20,860

67,457

13.2

2.3

4.7%

0.98

17.6%

9.7%

ź 5- Dubai Financial Market

1.150

(3.4%)

9,200

75,880

87,290

NM

1.2

0.0%

1.61

-0.1%

36.9%

ź 6- Dubai Islamic Bank

2.000

(1.5%)

7,594

6,027

11,998

7.5

0.8

6.3%

1.15

11.1%

3.1%

ź 7- Commercial Bank of Dubai

2.750

(3.8%)

5,605

576

1,594

6.8

0.9

6.9%

0.27

13.0%

(5.2%)

24.5%

Ÿ 8- Arabtec Holding P.J.S.C.

3.460

0.3%

5,173

49,906

168,054

19.9

1.8

1.4%

1.31

8.8%

117.6%

ź 9- Dubai Investment ź 10- Air Arabia Co.

0.869 0.631

(2.4%) (13.6%)

3,103 2,945

9,513 81,100

8,269 55,176

15.3 9.6

0.4 0.6

5.8% 7.1%

1.23 1.01

2.4% 5.8%

43.6% 7.7%

Qatar Exchange (QE)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

ROE YTD Price

Top 10 Largest Qatari Companies by Market Cap

Chg. (%)

ő 1- National Bank of Kuwait

1.060

0.0%

4,615

3,933

4,197

15.3

1.8

3.4%

1.44

13.0%

7.8%

Ÿ 2- ZAIN

0.740

1.4%

3,168

9,640

7,064

11.1

1.4

8.0%

1.58

12.9%

(10.5%)

ź 3- Kuwait Finance House

0.750

(1.3%)

2,178

5,385

4,039

27.1

1.5

1.8%

1.48

6.2%

(8.3%)

Ÿ 4- National Mobile Telecom. Co.

2.400

7.1%

1,210

610

1,419

3.3

1.5

2.1%

1.21

39.6%

26.3%

Ÿ 5- Gulf Bank

0.435

1.2%

1,145

2,930

1,250

37.4

2.5

0.0%

0.88

7.1%

(10.4%)

Ÿ 6- Boubyan Bank

0.600

3.4%

1,049

8,415

4,941

NM

4.4

0.0%

1.50

3.3%

1.7%

Ÿ 7- Ahli United Bank (Kuwait)

0.880

3.5%

1,041

1,220

1,064

33.0

3.5

1.5%

1.03

12.0%

19.4%

ő 8- Commercial Bank of Kuwait

0.790

0.0%

1,005

0

0

NM

1.9

0.0%

0.80

0.2%

0.0%

ő 9- Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait ő 10- Burgan Bank

0.610 0.425

0.0% 0.0%

923 657

235 3,740

141 1,570

18.3 13.0

1.8 1.4

2.3% 2.1%

0.72 1.34

10.3% 11.3%

(0.7%) (3.9%)

Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Price

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

(QAR)

Return (%)

(QAR Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's QAR)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

Beta

ROE YTD Price Chg. (%)

ź 1- Qatar National Bank

134.20

(0.1%)

93,904

431

57,837

12.5

2.2

2.7%

0.85

17.9%

ź 2- Industries Qatar

139.80

(1.3%)

76,890

632

88,268

9.7

2.9

5.4%

1.07

30.2%

6.0%

ź 3- Ezdan Real Estate Co.

19.34

(2.3%)

51,299

48

933

148.5

1.8

0.8%

0.53

1.2%

(14.4%)

Ÿ 4- Qatar Telecom. (Q-Tel)

20.0%

(2.9%)

128.70

0.8%

29,447

280

35,918

11.3

1.4

1.8%

0.64

12.4%

ź 5- Masraf Al Rayan

26.85

(1.8%)

20,138

3,893

105,104

14.3

2.4

4.1%

0.85

16.6%

(3.6%)

ź 6- Commercial Bank of Qatar

74.00

(2.5%)

18,311

633

47,140

9.7

1.3

8.1%

1.14

13.2%

(10.6%) (8.1%)

77.00

(0.8%)

18,195

214

16,539

13.3

1.6

5.8%

1.03

12.2%

ź 8- Qatar Electricity & Water Co.

138.20

(4.4%)

13,820

62

8,783

10.6

4.6

4.7%

0.79

42.9%

1.4%

Ÿ 9- Qatar Fuel Co. (Wokod) ź 10- Doha Bank

242.50 58.30

0.2% (2.2%)

12,604 12,050

75 290

18,265 17,217

10.9 9.7

2.6 1.7

3.3% 7.7%

0.71 1.04

24.0% 17.5%

24.0% (6.6%)

ź 7- Qatar Islamic Bank

Bahrain Bourse

Top 10 Largest Saudi Companies by Market Cap

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Price

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

(SAR)

Return (%)

(SAR Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's SAR)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

Beta

Top 10 Largest Bahraini Companies by Market Cap

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

ROE YTD Price

Price

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

Chg. (%)

(BHD)

Return (%)

(BHD Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's BHD)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

102.00

(0.7%)

306,000

28,817

2,910,439

10.5

2.2

4.9%

1.23

21.2%

6.0%

ź 2- Al-Rajhi Bank

78.00

(1.6%)

117,000

7,732

599,481

15.9

3.6

4.2%

1.06

22.5%

Ÿ 3- Saudi Telecom

41.20

2.7%

82,400

9,279

372,082

10.5

1.8

4.9%

0.83

16.7%

ź 1- Saudi Basic Industries Corp

4

Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Dubai

Yield (%)

ź Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

Total GCC Equity Markets

6

19-Apr-2012

Volume

1.22%

8

19-Apr-12

Benchmark

6,264.6

Ÿ KSE - Price Index

China’s growth has been gradually easing over the past two years; 2012 GDP growth is expected to be in the range of 8.4-8.6 percent, slower than 2011’s 9.1 percent. Although the first quarter came as a surprise and we expect that it will be the lowest quarterly result this year), the fears over a hard landing, or a sudden and rapid decline in growth, are still unjustified because domestic demand will continue to improve. Domestic demand will grow because of fundamentals, like strong population dynamics and rising income, plus the role of policy. Driven by slowing growth concerns, global investors expect the government to take action and quickly ease its tight monetary policy in order to encourage growth. Chinese regulators had been tightening the monetary policy in order to cool surging inflation and a booming property market. Inflation has eased below the central bank’s target of 4.0 percent and property markets have recorded an annual contraction; this, combined with easing economic growth, allows room to maneuver in terms of the monetary

10

KAMCO Research

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

What are the economic and financial implications?

12

KAMCO Research GCC Week No.16 GCC Equity EquityMarkets MarketsReport Reportforfor Week No. 16 Index

counts data, tends to publish GDP by sector output. The three main sectors are the primary (raw materials and basic foods such as agriculture, mining, etc); secondary (manufacturing, processing, construction, etc.); and finally tertiary (the services industry such as retail, transportation, entertainment, tourism, etc.).

SepͲ08

Why is this graph important?

Market capitalization

CN: Real GDP Growth

ing Managers’ Index (PMI), a gauge of manufacturing activity, rose to 53.1 in March from 51.0 in February. Exports growth improved to 8.9 percent in March compared to the JanuaryFebruary average of 6.9 percent. The steadfast support to China’s GDP is domestic demand; consumption, as represented by retail sales, showed a strong growth of 15.2 percent y-o-y, higher than the January-February average of 14.7 percent. Lower income taxes and an appreciating currency will continue supporting strong domestic consumption, adding support to GDP growth. Therefore, accounting for the one-off factors and grim external demand, China’s domestic economy remains vigorous and supportive of sustainable economic growth.

China’s economic activity for the first quarter of 2012 grew 8.1 percent since the same quarter last year, a pace that is slower than the 8.3 percent to 8.5 percent range economists had expected. In 2011, the fourth quarter gross domestic product (GDP) grew 8.9 percent yearover-year (y-o-y), and before that China grew 9.1 percent y-o-y in the third quarter. Despite missing economists’ estimates, the growth in China’s economic output, as represented by gross domestic product, is still robust and not suggestive of an upcoming sharp slowdown; in fact, the first quarter growth may be the lowest this year. In the first two months of the year, China experienced major political changes and the worst winter in 27 years. The severe cold held back construction, which delayed the consumption of raw materials and investments, and the change in party leadership and policymakers limited the attention of the government to the economy. In March the weather improved and the political transition was smooth, enabling the economy to rebound. Cumulative industrial production improved from 11.4 percent y-o-y in the January-February period to 11.6 percent y-o-y in January-March. The official Purchas-

Disclaimer: This report has been prepared and issued by the Studies & Research Department @ Bayan Investment Company on the basis of publicly available information, internal data, and other sources considered reliable. While great care has been taken to ensure that the facts stated are accurate, neither Bayan Investment Company nor any of its employees shall be in any way responsible for the contents. This report is not an offer to buy or sell any of the securities referred in the report.

KSE total market capitalization grew by 1.05 percent during last week to reach KD 28.46 billion, as six of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization, whereas the other two recorded declines. The Services sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization

NovͲ08

China’s growth is expected to have bottomed in the first quarter

The Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 692.50 million shares changing hands, representing 34.10 percent of the total market trading volume. The Real estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 28.84 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 585.60 million shares. On the other hand, the Services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 56.72 million or 32.07 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Investment sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 33.81 million represented 19.12 percent of the total market trading value.

SepͲ10

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 1.22 percent, while the weighted index advanced by 1.06 percent compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 0.95 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 35.37 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 406.12 million shares, recording increase of 31.57 percent.

The market managed to end the week in the green zone for the second week, supported by the buying trend on some Investment groups, in addition to the collection deals on some small stocks, especially on Services sector.

Moreover, trading on the leading stocks during last week, especially the Banking sector, in response to the good first quarter financial results, increased the optimistic and confidence levels among dealers.

On the other hand, the profit taking operations were present, as a response to the market good performance. Those operations slowed the market growth, and even managed to push KSE main indices to close in the red zone twice.

GCC Equity Markets Weekly Performance

reached KD 6.85 billion, increasing by 2.32 percent. The Industry sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.85 percent increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 2.18 billion. The third place was for the Real estate sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 1.97 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 1.27 percent. The Non Kuwaiti Companies sector was the least growing with 0.33 percent recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 1.69 billion.

On the other hand, the Insurance sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.57 percent to reach, by the end of the week, KD 299.78 million. The Food sector was second on this list, which market value of its listed companies declined by 0.13 percent, reaching KD 665.23 million.

headed the losers list as its index declined by 0.53 percent to end the week’s activity at 2,673.8 points. The food sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.05 percent, closing at 4,221.5 points.

Beta

ROE YTD Price Chg. (%)

Ÿ 11 Ahli United Bank (Price in USD)

0 610 0.610

1 7% 1.7%

1 204 1,204

86

20

10 3 10.3

13 1.3

4 7% 4.7%

2 11 2.11

12 2% 12.2%

12.2%

Ÿ 2- Aluminum Bahrain

0.595

5.3%

845

295

170

4.0

1.0

11.3%

NA

26.2%

(9.8%)

21.9%

Ÿ 3- Bahrain Telecommunications Co.

0.486

6.6%

700

414

196

8.7

1.4

8.2%

0.93

15.8%

24.0%

(8 3%) (8.3%)

ź 4- Saudi Electricity Co.

13.65

(4.2%)

56,874

49,208

678,932

25.6

1.1

5.1%

0.76

4.3%

(1.8%)

ő 4- Arab Banking Corp. (Price in USD)

0.420

0.0%

492

0

0

6.4

0.4

0.0%

0.76

5.7%

0.0%

ź 5- Samba Financial Group

53.75

(1.8%)

48,375

1,237

66,318

11.2

1.7

3.1%

0.68

15.3%

15.3%

ő 5- National Bank of Bahrain

0.550

0.0%

470

13

7

10.3

1.7

5.5%

0.57

16.6%

(4.3%)

67.00

1.5%

46,900

5,766

383,044

9.2

2.6

4.9%

0.99

27.6%

27.6%

181.00

(6.0%)

45,250

1,423

257,434

11.0

5.5

7.2%

1.08

50.1%

2.8%

ź 8- Kingdom Holding Co.

12.05

(1.2%)

44,656

8,241

99,186

69.8

1.8

1.0%

0.82

2.5%

Ÿ 9- Riyad Bank Ÿ 10- SABB

25.10 36.70

0.4% 1.1%

37,650 36,700

2,883 1,327

72,288 48,600

12.0 12.7

1.2 2.1

5.2% 1.5%

0.74 0.73

10.4% 16.8%

Ÿ 6- Al-Etihad Etisalat Co. ź 7- Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Co.

ő 6- Al Baraka Banking (Price in USD)

0.930

0.0%

356

0

0

8.0

0.8

8.6%

0.75

9.8%

(14.7%)

ő 7- Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait

0.400

0.0%

341

159

64

10.7

1.4

6.3%

0.34

13.4%

(3.4%)

36.2%

ő 8- United Gulf Bank

0.304

0.0%

254

0

0

457.5

1.2

0.0%

0.50

0.3%

1.3%

7.7% (9.8%)

ő 9- Investcorp Bank (Price in USD) ő 10- Gulf Hotels Group

796.95 0.720

0.0% 0.0%

240 119

0 0

0 0

121.3 15.2

0.6 2.2

0.0% 4.2%

0.48 0.07

0.5% 14.6%

0.0% 6.7%

Muscat Securities Market (MSM)

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Abu Dhabi

Ÿ 1- Emirates Telecom. Co.

Weekly

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

Chg. (%)

(OMR)

Return (%)

(OMR Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's OMR)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

4,604

2,906

Market Cap.

Volume

Value

Trailing

Trailing

Dividend

(AED)

Return (%)

(AED Mln)

(000's shrs)

(000's AED)

P/E (X)

P/B (X)

Yield (%)

8,858

76,469

11.7

1.7

8.1%

1.00

14.8%

68,438

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Price

Weekly

0.7%

Beta

ROE YTD Price

Price

8.66

Top 10 Largest Omani Companies by Market Cap

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

(5.1%)

ź 1- Bank Muscat

0.630

(1.4%)

1,132

9.6

1.3

3.4%

Beta

ROE YTD Price Chg. (%)

2.78

13.5%

(17.8%)

Ÿ 2- Oman Telecom Co.

1.284

0.2%

963

845

1,085

8.6

2.0

7.8%

0.88

22.6%

(1.9%)

ź 3- Bank Dhofar

0.458

(7.3%)

504

587

275.6

36.1

2.2

1.3%

0.66

6.1%

(16.3%)

ź 4- Omani Qatari Telecom (NAWRAS)

0.597

(0.8%)

389

1,244

747

8.2

3.0

6.4%

1.27

28.4%

(8.2%)

Ÿ 5- National Bank of Oman

0.303

2.4%

336

2,464

741

9.8

1.2

5.6%

1.02

12.2%

(5.3%)

Ÿ 6- Oman International Bank

0.278

1.8%

272

5,547

1,541

15.1

1.6

4.0%

0.99

10.4%

(0.7%)

Ÿ 7- Shell Oman Marketing

2.315

0.6%

232

42

98

18.4

7.7

5.1%

0.38

42.1%

(3.3%)

20.0%

Ÿ 8- Raysut Cement

1.112

6.6%

222

931

1,014

14.9

2.2

4.5%

0.97

14.6%

46.3%

(0.9%) 68.0%

ź 9- Ahli Bank Ÿ 10- Oman Cement Co.

0.219 0.629

(1.4%) 1.1%

209 208

1,736 1,059

384 653

11.5 16.3

1.7 1.4

0.0% 4.8%

0.81 0.99

10.9% 8.6%

(17.4%) 45.6%

ź 2- National Bank Of Abu Dhabi

8.60

(4.0%)

33,321

958

8,260

9.0

1.3

2.6%

1.17

14.0%

6.0%

ź 3- First Gulf Bank

9.12

(3.0%)

27,360

3,193

29,426

7.4

1.0

5.5%

1.31

13.9%

18.1%

ź 4- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

3.21

(1.5%)

17,962

2,844

9,133

5.9

0.8

6.2%

1.30

13.7%

15.5%

ź 5- Abu Dhabi National Energy

1.34

(1.5%)

8,342

2,324

3,128

11.1

0.7

7.5%

1.34

6.0%

11.7%

ź 6- Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

3.17

(0.9%)

7,496

475

1,510

6.5

0.9

7.7%

1.24

13.5%

0.3%

ź 7- Union National Bank

2.91

(3.3%)

7,262

530

1,539

4.8

0.6

5.2%

1.13

11.7%

0.7%

ő 8- National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah

5.00

0.0%

6,927

181

901

5.8

1.5

5.0%

0.14

25.6%

ő 9- National Bank of Fujairah ź 10- AL DAR Properties Co.

4.51 1.09

0.0% (7.6%)

4,961 4,453

0 66,825

0 75,089

17.7 6.9

2.4 0.6

2.2% 4.6%

NA 1.52

13.6% 9.1%

LIFE

Consider kickboxing

Kickboxing is a fun way to burn calories and tone muscles. But experts say participants, especially beginners, should take precautions to avoid injury.

The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions for people who are just starting to kickbox: • Don’t wear weights or hold dumbbells when you punch. Either can injure your joints.

• When kicking or punching, don’t lock your joints.

• Don’t overextend when you kick.

• Don’t give in to your peers and continue exercising when you are tired.

SUNDAY, april 22, 2012

UN calls for doubling renewable energy by 2030 FRANCE: UN chief Ban Ki-moon made a call to double global consumption of renewable energy over the next two decades in order to ensure sustainable economic development.

“It’s possible if we show political leadership,” Ban said about the goal that falls under a sustainable energy initiative aiming to have universal access to power by 2030. Currently, renewable energy accounts for about 16 percent of world consumption.

“We have to be very austere in using energy... We have to completely change our behavior, at home, at the office,” the UN secretary-general added at an event hosted by the

Center for Global Development think-tank in Washington.

About 1.3 billion people on Earth -- a fifth of the global population -- lacks access to electricity, while 2.7 billion do not have clean fuel to cook their food and heat their homes, relying instead on open fires or furnaces that burn coal, wood or animal waste. “Energy is central to jobs, transport, water, sanitation... climate,” Ban said after meeting with finance ministers from the G20 most powerful economies.

The United Nations is expecting some 120 heads of state and government to attend the Rio+20 meeting on sustainable development

in Brazil in June, with a focus on developing a plan for implementation and action.

On Monday, the European Union vowed fresh funds Monday to help developing nations provide sustainable energy to 500 million people by 2030.

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso pledged 50 million Euros ($65 million) over two years for technical assistance and said EU nations would seek hundreds of millions of Euros more to support investments in sustainable energy for developing countries.

Speaking at the Center for Global Development event, Danish Development Cooperation

Minister Christian Friis Bach noted that fossil fuels received four to five times more subsidies worldwide than renewable energy.

The think-tank issued a report coinciding with the event saying the US government should play a key role in helping meet the UN targets.

“The United States is the logical country to lead an effort to address these problems, given the size of its venture capital and investment community, the prominence of its financial markets and exchanges, and its tradition of support for business-oriented agencies,” it said in a statement. -AFP

Glaucoma need not steal sight, experts say CAPITALS: Though glaucoma has been nicknamed the silent thief of sight, eye experts now say it generally doesn’t have to be that way, reports HealthDay News.

“For most people, if you treat early, you should have vision for a lifetime,” said Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and medical director of the Fromer Eye Centers, both in New York City, and the eye surgeon director for the New York Rangers hockey team.

Glaucoma isn’t just one disease but a group of conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. Left untreated, glaucoma can in fact cause blindness. And because the disease can progress for long periods undetected, experts stress that checkups and early detection are key to maintaining vision.

Most forms of glaucoma develop because of increased pressure in the eye, according to the Glaucoma Foundation. High eye pressure, also known as intraocular pressure, is the biggest risk factor for developing glaucoma. However, some people have what’s called normal tension glaucoma, and they can have optic nerve damage even when eye pressure is normal.

“Some people are just more susceptible to optic nerve damage,” Fromer noted.

The most common form of glaucoma is called primary open-angle glaucoma, he said.The angle referred to is where the cornea and the iris meet. Fluid normally drains through the angle. Sometimes, however, the fluid drains too slowly, which allows it to build up and increase the pressure in the eye. The increased pressure causes optic nerve damage, and, as the damage increases, so does peripheral vision loss.

If the angle narrows or closes completely, an acute form of glaucoma can develop. The pressure rises quickly and causes pain, blurred vision and halos around lights. This is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment to save vision.

“If you develop severe pain in your eye, get seen right away at the ER,” said Dr. Gregory Harmon, a New York City ophthalmologist who’s chairman of the Glaucoma Foundation. “Without treatment, you can have a permanent loss of vision.”

People who have a family history of glaucoma are more likely to develop glaucoma themselves. Harmon said that blacks and Hispanics have a four to five times higher risk for glaucoma than whites. Older people, especially those who are also developing cataracts, have an increased risk of glaucoma as well, according to Fromer. And those who take any type of steroid medication -- whether it’s oral, inhaled or even a topical cream -- also face a higher risk for glaucoma, he noted.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that people older than 40 have a baseline eye exam and then discuss how often follow-up visits are necessary based on their particular glaucoma risk factors. After 65, testing is recommended every year or two.

The most commonly used test for glaucoma is called tonometry, which involves looking into a device that blows a small puff of air into your eye. Though it can be slightly startling, the test is painless. Another important tool for detecting glaucoma is the dilated eye exam, which Harmon said “allows us to look at the optic nerve and evaluate the optic nerve health.”

If there’s evidence of optic nerve damage, your eye doctor will probably conduct a visual field test as

New purple crab species found in Philippines

Four new species of freshwater crab, bright purple in color, have been discovered in the biologically diverse Philippines, according to a scientific paper.

(Agencies)

FRANCE: Four new species of freshwater crab, bright purple in color, have been discovered in the biologically diverse Philippines, according to a scientific paper. The tiny crustaceans were found in streams in remote areas of the Palawan island group, according to a team led by Hendrik Freitag, of Germany’s Senckenberg Museum of Zoology.

“They are semi-aquatic and hide in burrows at the stream bank, which are usually found under boulders and roots,” said his paper published in the latest edition of the National University of Singapore’s Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Their eggs hatch directly into juvenile crabs, and the creatures emerge at night to forage under water, Freitag added.

Photographs of the adult crabs published on the website of Dresden-based Senckenberg museum showed them with a purple carapace, and with claws and legs tipped red.

Scientists began extensive investigations of similar

freshwater crabs in the area in the late 1980s, with one new species being found -- the Insulamon unicorn -Freitag’s paper said.

More field work in the noughties led Freitag to conclude there were four other unique species.

“Based on available new material, a total of five species are recognized... four of which are new to science,” Freitag said.

The biggest, Insulamon magnum, is just 53 millimeters by 41.8 millimeters while the smallest, Insulamon porculum, measures 33.1 by 25.1 millimeters.

The two other new species were Insulamon palawense and Insulamon johannchristiani.

The four slightly differ from the first find, and from each other, in the shapes of their body shells, legs, and sex organs.

US-based Conservation International lists the Philippines as one of 17 countries that harbors most of Earth’s plant and animal life. -AFP

Vietnam asks WHO to help identify killer disease HANOI, Vietnam: Vietnam has asked international health experts to help investigate a mystery illness that has killed 19 people and sickened 171 others in an impoverished district in central Vietnam, an official said Friday.The infection has mostly affected children and young people. It begins with a high fever, loss of appetite and a rash that covers the hands and feet. Patients who are not treated early can develop liver problems and eventually face multi-organ failure, said Le Han Phong, chairman of the People’s Committee in Ba To District in Quang Ngai province.

Nearly 100 people remain hospitalized, including 10 in critical condition. Patients with milder symptoms are being treated at home. The illness responds well to treatment if detected early, but 29 patients have been reinfected, Phong said.

The Ministry of Health sent a team of health officials to the area earlier this month, but they were unable to determine the cause of the illness. The ministry has since asked the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help investigate. A WHO spokesman said the Geneva-based body hadn’t yet received the request from Vietnam. “We can’t investigate without an official request,” said Tarik Jasarevic.

The ailment was first detected last April, but the number of cases had died down by October. A fresh spate of infections started last month, with 68 cases and eight deaths reported between March 27 and April 5, Phong said. Most of the patients are from Ba Dien village in Ba To. It is one of the poorest districts in the province and home to many from the Hre ethnic minority. -AP

well. You’ll be asked to click a button whenever you see flashes of light, which lets the doctor determine whether you’ve lost any peripheral vision.

If the doctor diagnoses glaucoma, treatment usually begins with eye drops that help lower pressure in the eyes. Eye drops can decrease fluid production, or they can help open the drainage ducts. There are also oral medications that can be used, according to Harmon. Eye drops may need to be used as many as four times a day, but Fromer said that most eye doctors start with once-daily drops given at night.

“We try to keep it simple,” he said, “but if one eye drop doesn’t work, we’ll add another for a synergistic effect.”

If eye drops aren’t effective, the next step is usually laser treatment. If those treatments don’t work, then surgery to implant more effective drainage tubes can be done.

What’s important to know is that these treatments can be effective at preventing vision loss -- but if you’ve already lost vision, they can’t get it back.

“We can prevent but not reverse vision loss,” Harmon said.

He also said that regular exercise -- 20 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week -- can help lower eye pressure. “The healthier your body is, the healthier your eyes are,” he noted. Just be sure to clear any exercise program with your doctor first because some types of exercise can raise eye pressure.

The bottom line, to Fromer, is that you can’t prevent the development of glaucoma but you can protect your sight. “If you’re gonna get glaucoma, you’re gonna get glaucoma,” he said. “But you don’t have to lose your vision. It can be protected with appropriate medications.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon speaks on April 17, 2012 during a press conference following a working session with Luxembourg Prime Minister in Luxembourg. (AFP)

Chip lets smart phones see through walls, clothes FRANCE: Researchers at a Texas university have designed a chip that could give smart phones the long-envied ability of comic book her Superman to see through walls, clothes or other objects.

A team at University of Texas at Dallas tuned a small, inexpensive microchip to discern a “terahertz” band of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The design works with chips made using Complementary MetalOxide Semiconductor technology behind processors commonly found in personal computers, smart phones, televisions and videogame consoles.

“CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips,” electrical engineering professor Kenneth O said in a statement Friday.

“The combination of CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and a transmitter on the back of a cell phone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see through objects.”

To assuage privacy worries, the professor and his team at the Texas Analogue Center of Excellence are limiting their study to what the chips can make visible at distances of four inches (10 centimeters) or less, according to the university.

The terahertz band has wavelengths that fall between microwaves used for mobile phone signals and infrared that is employed for night vision goggles.

The chip designed by O’s team detects terahertz waves and shows the resulting imagery, perhaps on a smart phone screen.

O’s team highlighted potential medical uses such as enabling doctors to peer easily into patients’ bodies and practical applications along the lines of finding studs in walls.

“We’ve created approaches that open a previously untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for consumer use,” O said.

“There are all kinds of things you could be able to do that we just haven’t yet thought about.”-AFP

Fatigue after early breast cancer often fades: Study NEW YORK: Many people treated for cancer are worn out for a time, but new findings suggest that long-lasting fatigue may be less common than thought -- at least for women with early-stage breast cancer.

The study, of 218 women treated for early breast cancer, found that almost one-third had “cancer-related fatigue” at the end of treatment. But far fewer -six percent -- still had the problem a year later.

That suggests for most women with the disease post-treatment fatigue will fade with some time, the researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

It’s well known that cancer patients often suffer fatigue. And some studies have concluded its common for that weariness to last for years after treatment ends. Among breast cancer survivors, researchers have found that more than onethird has fatigue two to three years after treatment.

The reasons, though, have not been clear. And the new findings support the idea that some cases of chronic fatigue in earlier studies may have had causes other than the cancer itself.

Past studies have often been “crosssectional,” meaning they studied people at one time-point.

So it’s possible to catch some bouts of fatigue that are related to various causes, explained Dr. David Goldstein, who led the new study.

That could mean lingering fatigue from a viral illness, for example, or fatigue related to depression, according to

Goldstein, of Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick, Australia.

“There are cancer survivors with true post-cancer fatigue,” Goldstein said in an email. It’s just that the number may be “less than previously thought.”

That may be true at least with earlystage breast cancer -- and possibly some other early cancers, Goldstein said -- but not necessarily more-advanced cancer.

“The fatigue associated with advanced cancer is a much more complex issue -- tied up with the biology of an active tumor and its many physical effects, as well as the drugs used (for treatment),” Goldstein explained.

The findings are based on 218 women who were treated for early-stage breast cancer with surgery and some type of “adjuvant” therapy, usually radiation, chemotherapy or both.

The women answered questions about their physical and psychological health every few months for a year after treatment. Overall, Goldstein’s team found, 11 percent persistently had fatigue at the sixmonth mark, while six percent still had symptoms a year after treatment ended.

Goldstein said the study used a questionnaire that distinguished between physical and psychological symptoms, which some past studies have not done.

And women who had persistent fatigue at six months were evaluated to rule out “alternative” causes -- like low thyroid hormone levels or depression.

It’s not clear why some women treated for early breast cancer remain fatigued for months or longer, according to Gold-

stein. Some recent research, he noted, has hinted that some patients could have a genetic predisposition to an “exaggerated bodily response” to chemotherapy, for example. Other work has suggested that chronic, body-wide inflammation could play a role.

As for fatigue treatment, there’s evidence that good sleep habits and regular exercise can help, if people can keep those habits up.

Based on research into chronic fatigue, a combination of exercise plus cognitive behavioral therapy might help some patients, according to Goldstein. He said he and his colleagues are currently studying that approach.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy focused on changing the thought patterns and behaviors that seem to be feeding physical or mental symptoms.

One recent study also found that breast cancer survivors who got more omega-3 fats in their diets were less likely to have long-lasting fatigue than survivors who ate less.

Omega-3 fats, which are thought to fight inflammation, are largely found in oily fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna.

Those findings, though, do not prove that omega-3 directly affects the longterm risk of fatigue. And the researchers said it was too soon for cancer survivors to be taking fish oil to battle fatigue.

They noted, though, that eating fish a couple times a week -- something that’s already recommended for general health -- could be a good idea. -Reuters

AIDS experts launch ‘CNN of virology’ in Canada FRANCE: A new digital media service will foster the global collaboration of physicians and help them to share the latest advances in AIDS and other virus research, according to its Canadian promoters. The new bilingual French and English service, “viroXchange,” is funded by large pharmaceutical companies but will provide “independent” reporting on the latest medical breakthroughs for healthcare professionals, they said.

“ViroXchange broadens access to information by researchers in general, while allowing them to share their knowledge on a global scale,” Dr Mark Wainberg, a member of the initiative’s Scientific Committee, said in a statement.

“It’s important for the scientific community to be aware of the latest trials and of their impact on research priorities and scenarios. In this context, viroXchange allows us to better collaborate.” The digital service, unveiled at an annual HIV/AIDS conference held here in Montreal, will mainly produce online videos, said Guy-Charles Pelletier, CEO of the Neuhauz Company and architect of the project.

A team of reporters will cover the 10 major scientific conferences each year, interviewing specialists on camera about the latest studies and advances in HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C research, he said.

The videos will then be edited by a team led by Dr Rejean Thomas, a leading figure

in the fight against AIDS in Quebec and head of the largest specialized clinic in the province, in consultation with the Scientific Committee. The target audience is doctors and other healthcare specialists, especially those working in AIDS-ravaged Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, who cannot afford to attend several international conferences each year. It will also be geared towards specialists who want to stay up to date on the latest findings but do not always have time to leaf through major journals, organizers say. The company will begin with just 20 employees, 10 of them permanent, but Pelletier hopes to expand the staff to 100 within the next three years, creating what he calls the “CNN of virology.” -AFP

12

ALWATAN DAILY

Technology

APP OF THE WEEK

Jumanah Al-Ghadban Staff Writer

App: Bubble Bust!

Category: Games Price: $0.99 Platform: iOS Works with: iPhone, and iPod Touch Briefly: Bubble Bust is one of those addictive games which makes you spend hours and hours playing just to attempt to reach the next level. It’s a bubble-shooter game featuring tons of exciting new bubbles and power ups. The game is easy to play but eventually gets harder to clear the marbles and bust the hidden key bubble. It’s fun and challenging and has 90 levels of pure fun.

TECH TALK YouTube dealt fresh blow by German copyright ruling: Google Inc’s YouTube and similar online music and video services may face a hefty royalties bill in Germany after a Hamburg court ruled in favor of copyright owners in a landmark case on Friday. The court said the website was responsible for the content its users published and forced it to take down copyrighted clips. Friday’s ruling comes less than a month after a US appeals court dealt Google a major setback by reviving lawsuits from Viacom Inc, the English Premier League and various other media companies over the use of copyrighted videos on YouTube without permission. -Reuters

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012

Hundreds of thousands may lose Internet in July WASHINGTON: For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.

Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.

The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg. org , that will inform them whether they’re infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won’t be able to connect to the Internet. Most victims don’t even know their computers have been infected, although the malicious software probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more vulnerable to other problems.

Last November, the FBI and other authorities were preparing to take down a hacker ring that had been running an Internet ad scam on a massive network of infected computers.

“We started to realize that we might have a little bit of a problem on our hands because ... if we just pulled the plug on their criminal infrastructure and threw everybody in jail, the victims of this were going to be without Internet service,” said Tom Grasso, an FBI supervisory special agent.

On the night of the arrests, the agency brought in Paul Vixie, chairman and founder of Internet Systems Consortium, to install two Internet serv-

This undated handout image provided by The DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG) shows the webpage. (AP)

ers to take the place of the truckload of impounded rogue servers that infected computers were using. Federal officials planned to keep their servers online until March, giving everyone opportunity to clean their computers. But it wasn’t enough time. A federal judge in New York extended the deadline until July.

Now, said Grasso, “the full court press is on to

get people to address this problem.” And it’s up to computer users to check their PCs. This is what happened:

Hackers infected a network of probably more than 570,000 computers worldwide. They took advantage of vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows operating system to install malicious

Microsoft Office mobile arrives on Nokia Belle smartphones in Kuwait

Twitter to limit use of patents in lawsuits: Twitter said on Tuesday that it would structure its patents so they could not be used for offensive litigation purposes without permission from the people who developed them. Twitter said the move would give inventors more control over their creations and ensure its patents are not used to “impede the innovation of others,” the company said in a post on its official blog. -Reuters Facebook buys startup aimed at loyal shoppers: Facebook on Friday confirmed that it bought a San Francisco startup that helps merchants court shoppers with rewards for checking in with smartphones during visits. Facebook’s acquisition of Tagtile for an undisclosed sum came on the heels of a billion-dollar deal to acquire the startup behind wildly popular smartphone photo sharing application Instagram. -AFP Gmail service stumbles for short time: Millions of Gmail users were unable to get to their messages for about an hour on Tuesday due to a disruption at Google’s free Web-based email service.

The problem affected about two percent of the approximately 350 million Gmail users, according to updates posted at a Google dashboard monitoring the status of its online applications. -AFP Apple wants trial on e-book price-fixing: Apple Inc wants to go to trial to defend itself against US government allegations that it conspired with publishers to raise prices of electronic books, a lawyer for the Silicon Valley giant said in court on Wednesday. -Reuters

Google dumps publisher payment platform

PARIS: The One Pass payment platform for Internet news websites was shut down as Google continued house cleaning launched when co-founder Larry Page took charge last year.

One Pass, which failed to catch on since it launched in February of 2011, was swept out with Google Talk free voice or text conversation Web applications for smartphones other than Android-powered handsets with the software built in.

“Over the last six months we’ve done a lot of spring cleaning -- although it’s all happened out of season,” cloud services director Matthias Schwab said in a blog post at the California-based company’s website, on Friday.

One Pass let publishers set prices for online articles, with Google getting a 10 percent cut of revenue as opposed to the 30 percent bite that iPhone and iPad maker Apple takes out of transactions in gadget applications.

One Pass features, and users, were being shifted to a Google Consumer Surveys service, according to Schwab.

Page has made it a priority to get rid of products that are performing poorly so resources can be focused on more promising offerings.

The latest house cleaning included moving an online service providing maps to where flu vaccinations are available in the United States being moved to HealthMap Flu Vaccine Finder.

Support for Google Sync for Blackberry smartphones was eliminated. -AFP

Rumors swirl of smaller iPad, which Jobs detested NEW YORK: There’s a constantly spinning mill of rumors about Apple products, most of which turn out to be untrue.

What’s unusual this week is that talk has revived of a smaller iPad model, an idea company founder Steve Jobs derided publicly a year before he died.

Apple and its suppliers aren’t commenting. Rumors of a smaller iPad, or “iPad mini” have percolated ever since the first iPad was launched two years ago.

This time around, they’re fed by media reports from South Korea, China and Taiwan, saying Apple has ordered Samsung screens that are 7.86 inches measured on the diagonal. That would make the screen about two-thirds the size of the current iPad, which has a diagonal measurement of 9.7 inches.

Why it’s a good idea:

Microsoft Office mobile on Nokia Belle smartphones.

KUWAIT: Nokia announced on Monday the local availability of Office Mobile apps from Microsoft - including Word mobile, PowerPoint mobile and Excel mobile - via a software update (Office Mobile apps will be available from Nokia Store in early May 2012) for the new Nokia Belle range consisting of the Nokia 701, Nokia 700 and Nokia 603, according to press release.

The update is also available for Nokia E7, Nokia X7, Nokia C7, Nokia Oro, and Nokia C6-01 (The full suite of Microsoft productivity applications will be available at a later date).

Office Mobile completes the suite of Microsoft productivity applications for Symbian smartphones with Nokia Belle, including OneNote mobile, Document Connection, Lync 2010 mobile and PowerPoint Broadcast.

“Office Mobile apps and the productivity suite from Microsoft bring Nokia Belle smartphones to a whole new level that both the region’s business users and IT managers will appreciate. With more people using their own devices in office environments, the need for secure con-

nectivity is growing,” said Vithesh Reddy, General Manager, Nokia Lower Gulf.

“Business decision makers and users expect the best mobile experience for corporate communication through email and instant messaging. Moving beyond the business arena, the rich functionalities of Office Mobile will also be appreciated by anyone who uses Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel,” added Reddy.

Business users using smartphones with Nokia Belle range, can also enjoy the latest Nokia applications like Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps that feature free turn-byturn voice guided walk and drive navigation in more than 100 countries, maps for more than 190 countries and live traffic in 26 countries Maps; and access more than 100,000 apps in the Nokia Store, which is experiencing more than 13 million download requests per day.

More information on Mobile Office apps or the full suite of Microsoft productivity applications can be found from the Nokia for Business site.

software on the victim computers. This turned off antivirus updates and changed the way the computers reconcile website addresses behind the scenes on the Internet’s domain name system.

The DNS system is a network of servers that translates a web address - such as www.ap.org into the numerical addresses that computers use.

Victim computers were reprogrammed to use rogue DNS servers owned by the attackers. This allowed the attackers to redirect computers to fraudulent versions of any website.

The hackers earned profits from advertisements that appeared on websites that victims were tricked into visiting. The scam netted the hackers at least $14 million, according to the FBI. It also made thousands of computers reliant on the rogue servers for their Internet browsing.

The number of victims is hard to pinpoint, but the FBI believes that on the day of the arrests, at least 568,000 unique Internet addresses were using the rogue servers. Five months later, FBI estimates that the number is down to at least 360,000. The US has the most, about 85,000, federal authorities said. Vixie said most of the victims are probably individual home users, rather than corporations that have technology staffs who routinely check the computers.

FBI officials said they organized an unusual system to avoid any appearance of government intrusion into the Internet or private computers.

And while this is the first time the FBI used it, it won’t be the last.

Now, he said, every time the agency gets near the end of a cyber case, “we get to the point where we say, how are we going to do this, how are we going to clean the system” without creating a bigger mess than before. -AP

A smaller tablet would help Apple further its lead in the tablet market. “From a competitive standpoint, we believe an iPad mini with a lower price point would be the competition’s worst nightmare, says Shaw Wu, an analyst at Sterne Agee.

“Most (competitors) already have a tough enough time competing against the iPad 2, as well as the new iPad.” Apple has successfully fended off competitors who have tried to sell tablets in iPad’s size range. But last year, Amazon. com Inc. figured out how to crack Apple’s stranglehold on tablets by making a halfsize, no-frills tablet. The result was the Kindle Fire, which sells for $199 -basically, the cost of production. Amazon has sold millions of them. Price isn’t the only reason customers might prefer a smaller tablet. A 7-inch model would fit in many handbags, unlike the current iPad.Wu says he’s seen evidence of Apple experimenting with both smaller and larger tablet screens since 2009, and doesn’t sense that the release of an iPad mini is “imminent.”

What it might cost:

It could be hard for Apple to make money from an iPad-quality 7-inch tablet that sells for $299. Analysts at IHS iSuppli estimate that a smaller tablet would cost around $250 to produce, a figure that doesn’t include development costs, packaging or patent royalties. That suggests Apple would price it at $329 or $349.

Why it’s a bad tdea:

A smaller iPad would be a headache for software developers. “Going to a different screen size ends up being a ton of work,” says Nate Weiner, the creator of Pocket, an application that stores Web pages and other material for later reading.

However, developers who have already adapted their programs to the Kindle Fire or other 7-inch tablets wouldn’t face a big hurdle in adapting to a third Apple screen size, Weiner says.

What jobs thought:

Apple’s late CEO made a rare appearance on an October 2010 earnings conference call to launch a tirade against the 7-inch tablet Samsung Electronics Inc. was set to launch as the first major challenger to the iPad. “The reason we wouldn’t make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit a price point, it’s because we don’t think you can make a great tablet with a 7-inch screen,” Jobs said. “The 7-inch tablets are tweeners, too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad.” He said the resolution of the display could be increased to make up for the smaller size, but that would be “meaningless, unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of the present size.” -AP

gears

2013 Ferrari California is great improvement over previous model Compiled by Jameel W. Karaki Staff Writer

CAPITALS: Ferrari California is a great improvement over the previous model in terms of chassis upgrade and power output. In other words, it is perfect for those who want a Ferrari minus the elemental nature of excitement it injects into the ride.

Ferrari is upping the sport level of its “entry-level” exotic for 2013. The California’s 4.3-liter V-8 engine will make an additional 30 CV, for a new total of 483 hp, and has 66 less pounds to move. The increase in power is due to new exhaust manifolds and tweaked engine software, and the reduction in weight comes from new fabrication techniques for the aluminum chassis, says Ferrari, which lowered the car’s zero-to-62 -mph time from “less than 4.0 seconds” to 3.8 seconds because of the changes.

The 2013 Ferrari California will also be available with a “Handling Speciale” package, which is designed to minimize body roll and improve responses to driver inputs. Changes pair the optional Magnetorheological dampers with an ECU that is 50 percent faster and also include stiffer springs and a 10-percent-quicker steering ratio.

Also for 2013, Ferrari will offer more colors for the California, including two-tone finishes, three-layer paints, and modern re-interpretations of classic color schemes. If the changes above aren’t enough to reel you in, Ferrari wants to remind you that the California (as well as the 458 Italia and FF) is available with seven

years of free standard maintenance.

Engine

2013 Ferrari California is powered by 4.3L V8 engine that renders 490 horsepower (37 horsepower more than that of the previous model) and 372 lb-ft of torque (14 lb-ft more than that of the previous model). 2013 Ferrari California touches the 60mph mark in just 3.8 seconds-thanks to the improved power-to-weight ratio.

Quick steering ratio, which is standard even in basic model, has been possible because of small wheel inputs as well as sharp turn-ins. The magnetorheological dampers make the car 50% faster. This package minimizes body rolls apart from improving driver input responsiveness.

Apart from the chassis revisions, 2013 Ferrari California does not play around with the rear end that stands as tall as the previous model and looks awkward. 2013 Ferrari California could not do away with the bulky folding roof either. Precise body control, more agility and comfortable riding define the driving prowess of 2013 Ferrari California.

Exterior

The first striking aspect of the 2013 Ferrari California is the massive reduction in its weight by as much as 66 pounds. This could have been impossible due to improved techniques of chassis fabrication as well as construction by Scaglietti Center of Excellence. This is not to mean that 2013 Ferrari California loses the characteristic rigidity and strength.

Less weight and more power for Ferrari’s hardtop convertible. (Agencies)

ALWATAN DAILY

entertainment Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: This Is The Beginning Artist: Boy Album: Mutual Friends Genre: Indie In short: German duo Boy have leagues and years ahead of them to become as big as they deserve to be, but some of the beauty of their music is its obscurity: listening to them is like landing in a foreign place little know about and just absorbing its beauty blink by blink.

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

The Buzz Taylor Swift might play Joni Mitchell in biopic Taylor Swift may be tuning up to play another blonde music legend on the big screen: Joni Mitchell. The country superstar is eyeing a part in “Girls Like Us,” Sony Pictures and Di Bonaventura Pictures’ take on Sheila Weller’s biography of Mitchell and two other big voices of her generation: Carole King and Carly Simon. Swift is attached to the project, but there is no deal on the table at this point, and the feature hasn’t yet been approved, according to an individual familiar with the situation. “House” executive producer Katie Jacobs optioned Weller’s 2008 book about the trio of singersongwriters and is slated to direct from John Sayles’ script.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura is producing. If Swift signs on, it’ll mark her debut in a feature drama - and the first time an actress has played Mitchell in a major movie. -Reuters

Hunger Games sequel finds a director The Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire” has found a director, a little more than a week after “Hunger Games” writer/ director Gary Ross bowed out of the project. Lionsgate is preparing to make an offer to Francis Lawrence, who helmed “I Am Legend” and “Water for Elephants,” to direct the second installment of the “Hunger Games” franchise. Lawrence is currently filming the TV movie “Gotham,” and lensed the pilot for Fox’s Kiefer Sutherland drama “Touch.” Ross dropped out of the project last week, citing time constraints. “As a writer and a director, I simply don’t have the time I need to write and prep the movie I would have wanted to make because of the fixed and tight production schedule,” Ross said in a statement. Lionsgate added that it regretted Ross’ decision.

“We were really looking forward to making the movie with him,” the studio said. “He did an incredible job on the first film and we are grateful for his work.” -Reuters

Matthew Perry comedy series to air on NBC Matthew Perry officially has a new NBC series. The former “Friends” star’s comedy pilot, “Go On,” has been picked up as a series by the network, an individual with knowledge of the situation confirmed to TheWrap. On the show, written and executive-produced by “Friends” alum Scott Silveri, Perry will play “an irreverent yet charming sportscaster” who finds solace from the members of his group therapy sessions as he attempts to recover from a loss. The series co-stars “Transformers” star Julie White, Laura Benanti of “The Playboy Club,” “Men of a Certain Age” actress Suzy Nakamura and Khary Payton. Perry’s most recent series, the short-lived ABC offering “Mr. Sunshine,” was canceled last May. -Reuters

Obama to appear on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon President Barack Obama will trade the jokers in Washington for another funnyman next Tuesday. The commander-inchief will make his maiden appearance on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on April 24, NBC said Friday. The episode will be taped earlier in the day at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Fallon’s house band The Roots will also be on hand for the taping. Dave Matthews will be the musical guest. No word on whether Obama plans to bust out his considerable vocal skills for the performance. There’s also no word if The Roots will attempt an encoded message in their song choices, as they infamously did with fellow political guest Michele Bachmann. Obama’s appearance on “Fallon” follows his wife Michelle’s guest spot on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” in January. -Reuters

13

Unauthorized biography spills Simon Cowell secrets LONDON: He gets colonic irrigations, Botox injections and vitamin drips, and insists on black toilet paper in his home.

A revealing new biography offers intimate - some might say too intimate - details about Simon Cowell, along with a portrait of the entertainment mogul’s savvy business side.

“Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell” is written by British journalist and biographer Tom Bower, whose previous subjects include former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, jailed media mogul Conrad Black and ex-Harrods owner Mohammad al-Fayed.

Bower says he became fascinated by the story of a middleaged music producer who struck gold by turning the old-fashioned talent contest into a slick 21st-century phenomenon and in the process earned a fortune estimated at 200 million pounds by the Sunday Times Rich List.

The book paints a picture of a man who struggled for years in the music business, spurred on to success out of a desire to prove his detractors wrong.

“He had 20 years - more than 20 years - of humiliation,” Bower said. “At school he was a total failure and as a music producer he was a total failure.

“But what he did have was charm and an ability to understand the music business because of all this failure.”

“Sweet Revenge,” published in the US by Ballantine Books on Tuesday, is billed as the first book about Cowell written with the mogul’s participation - though not his authorization. Bower spent many hours with Cowell aboard his private jet, at his Los Angeles home and on his yacht in the south of France and the Caribbean.

But he says Cowell told some friends and associates not to talk to him.Writing the book became “a cat and mouse game” between him and his subject.

“He clearly wanted his story told properly, but there are parts he didn’t want told and it was up to me to find out about them,” Bower said.

Cowell has stressed that the book was not written with his approval, tweeting: “This book is not written by me. It is unauthorized. The writer is Tom Bower.”

Cowell can’t have enjoyed the revelations in The Sun tabloid, which has been serializing the more salacious bits of Bower’s book.

Among the details: Cowell gets regular colonic irrigations

FILE-Simon Cowel attends the launch of Britain’s Got Talent at BFI Southbank on March 22, 2012 in London, England. (AFP)

because “it’s so cleansing - and it makes my eyes shine brighter.” He is put on a drip of vitamins and nutrients for a half hour each week.

He’s not gay, despite long-standing rumors. The book reveals bedroom secrets including a brief affair with former “X Factor” judge Danii Minogue. But Bower says that Cowell

Under pressure, Disney film boss Ross resigns

LOS ANGELES: Rich Ross resigned under pressure as chairman of Walt Disney Co’s movie studio after a less than three-year run that included the release of “John Carter,” one of the biggest flops in recent Hollywood history.

Ross, named to the job in October 2009, was never able to duplicate the success he enjoyed as president of the Disney Channel, where he was credited with creating monster franchises that included “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana.”

“I no longer believe that the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me,” Ross told his staff in an email. Disney will not immediately name a new head for its studio, a source familiar with the matter said.

In a statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger said: “For more than a decade, Rich Ross’ creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity have driven results in key businesses for Dis-

Johnny Depp on Jonathan Frid: ‘Elegant and magical’ Johnny Depp paid tribute to his “Dark Shadows” predecessor Jonathan Frid on Thursday, telling the Los Angeles Times that the first time he met Frid was “elegant and magical.” Frid, who played vampire Barnabas Collins from 1967 to 1971 on the soap opera, died April 13 at the age of 87, though news of his death began to filter out on Thursday. “Jonathan Frid was the reason I used to run home from school to watch ‘Dark Shadows,’” Depp told the paper. “His elegance and grace was an inspiration then and will continue to remain one forever more. When I had the honor to finally meet him... generously passed the torch of Barnabas.” Depp, who called Frid “a true original,” plays Collins in the big-screen adaptation of “Dark Shadows,” which hits theaters on May 11. Frid has a bit part in the film, as a party guest. According to Depp, when he met Frid, the elder actor was “elegant and magical as I had always imagined.” -Reuters

sunDAY, april 22, 2012

FILE-Walt Disney Studios President Rich Ross, attends the star unveiling ceremony for The Muppets on March 20, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (AFP)

ney. ... I appreciate his countless contributions throughout his entire career at Disney and expect he will have tremendous success in whatever he chooses to do next.”

Ross kept a low profile at the Disney Channel and never adapted to Hollywood glad handing, according to a source with knowledge of his style.

At the April 11 premiere for Disney’s big budget film “The Avengers,” the studio chief stood off to the side while the movie’s stars chatted up other executives.

Ross lost the confidence of Disney’s big name producers, including Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced its “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, said one person with knowledge of the relationship. Last summer, Ross shut down production of Bruckheimer’s big budget film “The Lone Ranger” over budget issues and cut its $250 million budget to $215 million The studio executive took the heat for letting the “John Carter” budget rise to $250 million from $200 million, said one person with knowledge of Disney thinking, and for its lackluster marketing effort. Ross killed another big budget film, a remake of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” but let “John Carter” production begin.

Disney said in March it expected the film to lose about $200 million and to saddle its studio with $80 million to $120 million in operating losses.

The swiftness of Ross’ resignation leaves Disney without an obvious successor for the job.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Ross’ lieutenant, Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman, are long shots to replace Ross.

Disney will likely look for a candidate outside its house. Ross “was a superstar at the Disney Channel, and the results at the studio have not been exceptional,” said Evercore Partners analyst Alan Gould. Still, he said Ross’ exit was a surprise given his earlier success in Disney’s cable business.

-Reuters

isn’t interested in serious relationships.

“He is only interested in women who are uninhibited and uncomplicated,” Bower said. “He is not interested in relationships. He’s a schoolboy.”

He is, however, generous. Bower says Cowell gave his exfiance Mezhgan Hussainy, a makeup artist on “American Idol,” a $5 million Beverly Hills house as a parting gift. Most of his exes have refrained from spilling the beans in the media.

While Britain’s tabloids have focused on Cowell’s sex life, Bower is more interested in the story of money and power, of “business rivalry and the skullduggery.”

At the heart of the book is Cowell’s feud with fellow svengali and former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller. The pair fell out over the 2001 British musical talent-show, “Pop Idol,” progenitor of “American Idol.” Fuller was listed as creator of the show despite what Cowell said was a verbal agreement to split the credit.

A legal battle between the two men was settled out of court, with Fuller getting the creator credit for “Idol” - though Bower says he found “overwhelming” evidence that Cowell played a vital role.

Bower said Cowell was “naive and humiliated by Fuller’s dexterity.”

“He didn’t understand the importance of owning a format,” Bower said. “He learnt his lesson.”

He said Cowell became “incensed” by the “created by Simon Fuller” credit on “Pop Idol” and “American Idol,” and vowed to create his own rival show.

The result was singing competition “X Factor,” which had its debut in Britain in 2004 and in the US last fall. Cowell also created “Britain’s Got Talent” and executive produces its US spinoff, “America’s got Talent.”

Publicist Max Clifford - who says Cowell pays him hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to keep stories out of the press - said he had advised Cowell not to speak to Bower, because it would undo years of carefully protected privacy.

“He knows it was a mistake,” Clifford said.

“For Simon, who has protected his privacy and never, ever spoken about his relationships with anybody, to suddenly be quoted about this, that and the other are to me very damaging. “Having created an image that’s been hugely successful, to see him damage it like that is sad and disappointing,” Clifford said. -AP

Anger as ‘Cher’ tries to sell Adelaide key online FRANCE: Officials in southern Australia’s Adelaide voiced their disappointment Saturday at revelations that US singer Cher had apparently put her key to the city up for sale on Internet auction house eBay. The key and accompanying memorial plaque was being sold online by a user called Authentic_Cher who claims to be the musician’s “personal consignor” selling her personal effects.

It had attracted a top ask of US$19,700

by Saturday afternoon, with four more days of bidding to go.

But the move offended officials in the quiet city of some 1.2 million people, with Adelaide mayor Stephen Yarwood saying he was “exceptionally disappointed.”

“It must be very embarrassing for her if she is selling it because she needs the money,” Yarwood told the city’s Adelaide Advertiser newspaper.

The man who presented Cher the key, former mayor Steve Condous, said the award had been in recognition of her performance at the 1990 Formula One Grand Prix and the fact that she “added a lot of charisma” to the event.

“I’m disappointed. I would have thought that getting the key to a city like Adelaide would have had some value to her, but obviously it doesn’t because she wouldn’t have got rid of it,” said Condous.

“If she didn’t want to keep it she should have returned it back to the city.”

FILE-Cher has apparently put her key to the city up for sale on Internet auction house eBay. (AFP)

Used shoes and clothing reportedly belonging to the star were also being auctioned, along with a “personally owned photograph” of Cher greeting Queen Elizabeth II. Cher, 65, earned both Oscar and Grammy glory in a career which saw her sell more than 100 million records. -AFP

Vicky Donor sheds inhibitions on sperm donation NEW DELHI: Talking about sex is still a cultural taboo in conservative India, but a Bollywood filmmaker is hoping to usher in change with a light-hearted take on infertility and sperm donation.

“Vicky Donor”, a romantic comedy about a sought-after sperm donor at a fertility clinic, is part of a wave of recent films tackling subjects rarely addressed in Indian cinema - gay relationships, biopics on sex symbols and now sperm donation.

Indian audiences, torn between rigid social mores and the challenges of a rapidly modernizing nation, have gradually accepted Bollywood films with bolder themes. But sperm donation may be pushing the limits. “Conservative families, how they will react, I don’t know,” said the film’s director, Shoojit Sircar. “Things may change. There are chances that youngsters may tell their parents to go and watch the film.”

In January, a couple’s advertisement offering 20,000 rupees for the sperm of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) alumnus sparked an online furor.

Sircar, whose 2005 film “Yahaan” was a love

story set in Kashmir, said he steered clear of adult jokes for “Vicky Donor”. “Vicky” is the name of the main character.

“Sperm donation could become a little repulsive if not presented right because it is a taboo and sperm donation straight away relates to masturbation,” the 43-year-old film-maker told Reuters in a phone interview from Mumbai.

“The treatment is quite humorous, a very Woody Allen-ish style of humor.”

Much of the dialogue in “Vicky Donor” is sourced from real-life anecdotes, with the filmmakers taking inspiration from the doctors and patients they met while researching the movie.

The trailer depicts a childless couple seeking a cricketer’s sperm sample so that their offspring could play for the country and also make a lot of money. “This is a subject that we talk only in our bedrooms but infertility is a huge problem in this modern society,” said Sircar.

Despite marketing gimmicks such as men dressed in sperm suits dancing at the film’s music launch earlier this month, the makers of “Vicky Donor” may find it difficult to counter the stigma attached to sperm donation. -Reuters

Indian Bollywood actress Waheeda Rehman (right) and Asha Parekh perform onstage during the NDTV talk show ‘Issi Ka Naam Zindagi’ in Mumbai on April 19, 2012. (AFP)

14

ALWATAN DAILY

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUT

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012

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

Feature o f

graffiti

the day

moderately confused

GUST organizes Science Expo

KUWAIT: The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) organized a 2-day Science Expo where students at all levels and disciplines participated and worked on different models to explain various scientific phenomena in biology, environmental science and nature, physics, chemistry and mathematics.

As noted by Margaret Combs, the Director of the Foundation Program at GUST, Educational events are an essential tool that helps in the overall development of the students’ ability to steer through the rest of his/her college life. The concept of Mathematics was portrayed through hand-made posters by students of the Math Foundation Unit portraying the theme - Math Study Skills.

Dr. Fawaz Azizieh, Professor of Biological Sciences and Environment at GUST noted: Part of GUST’s objectives is to enrich the cultural, intellectual and technological aspects of an individual’s experience, not only within our student body and staff, but even our society as a whole. And it is from this ideal that the idea of the Science Expo was initiated and was used as a tool for educating the students as well as educating the public about various issues through the models they cre-

Month a t

ated. For example, when it comes to environmental concerns, many students created varied models to stimulate interest in and commitment to preserve the wildlife and marine systems and the environment as well as touched on the issues of overpopulation, pollution, information on chemicals harmful to our health and the importance of recycling. As for the area of human science, models describe the work of some vital human organs such as our muscles, respiratory system, skin, and the structural degrees of burns.

The Science Expo included other activities such as a Photography Competition on the photo which best captures a scientific phenomenon. The photography club headed

by Taiba Jassim Al-Najjar and Afrah Waleed Theyab deserves commendation for their efforts in combining education through fun.

The Scientific Centre conducted live animal shows including some animals from the local environment and demonstrated how to care for and maintain the proper environment for the protection of these animals.

Sudoku

Elementary

Advanced

Intermediate

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

Communication could take some extra effort today, Aries. A business or romantic partner could seem like they’re keeping things from you. You might get some uneasy vibes and wonder if there’s trouble with your partnership. Don’t be afraid to ask. Your friend probably won’t tell you what the problem is, but will reassure you that it has nothing to do with you. If so, it isn’t your business. Let it go.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Messages from a distant state or foreign country, possibly through fax, email, or website, might not be totally accurate, Taurus. If any information presented in this fashion sets off an alarm bell in your head, be sure to do some research on your own and check out the facts.

Don’t accept any news at face value today. The lines of human and technical communication are definitely out of whack today.

Gemini: May 21- June 21

Staying in touch with a love partner could be difficult today, Gemini, almost to the point of causing a minor panic. Don’t jump to any unwarranted conclusions about possible problems in the relationship.

What’s causing the silence is probably beyond your friend’s control, and could well be related to sudden and unexpected crises.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Are you having problems with the lighting or heating in your home, Cancer? If so, you might not be able to get a professional out today. There could be problems in the entire neighborhood. You might have to get out the candles and flashlights to get you through the evening. Don’t let this throw you. It’s a minor inconvenience that will be fixed soon. Think of it as an adventure!

Leo: July 23 - August 22

A friend or neighbor you need to contact could be in and out all day, Leo, and so you could have trouble reaching him or her. Phone or email probably won’t work, since your friend could be too busy to check messages. The best way to make contact might be to hop in the car and drive to wherever they might be. Take the side streets, however. The main roads are probably clogged with traffic!

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

This probably isn’t a good day to do work that concerns money, Virgo. Your mind may not be in the right space. You could make errors that cause problems. If possible, also avoid working on any kind of creative project, since your mind might not be very clear and you probably won’t be happy with the results.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

A lost object could have all the members of your household going through every room trying to find it, Libra - probably without success. Visitors could pitch in as well and help with the search. The item is probably in a fairly large room that everybody uses, probably among other objects. If no one locates it, however, let it go for now. It could reappear later as if by magic.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

This could be a very busy day in your community, Scorpio. Some kind of rally, protest, or other public gathering might take place. If you attend, you may not hear much because of all the noise, and the event could seem disorganized at best. It could also render traffic impossible! If you can, stay home today. Going out could be more trouble than it’s worth. Protest with your vote or your wallet instead.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

A future course of action that you may or may not take could depend on information you might receive today, Sagittarius. However, don’t be surprised if the information is vague and needs to be clarified. On top of it all, you might not be able to reach the person who can clear it up for you! Hang in there.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

Are you unhappy or uncertain about your current profession, Capricorn? Are you thinking of making a change? News could reach you today of possible avenues to explore, but you shouldn’t make any decision today. Your mind isn’t as objective as it should be to think through everything. Think about it, by all means, but wait a day or two before giving serious consideration to anything vital.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

Your natural psychic or intuitive abilities could be short-circuited today, Aquarius. Interference from the minds of other people could cloud issues, and this won’t do you any good. Your imaginative faculties could be rather garbled as well. The best possible advice would be to take the day for your own needs. You can go back to your usual routine tomorrow.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

The atmosphere around you could seem somewhat unreal today. If you get a weird vibe from someone, Pisces, take everything this person says with a grain of salt. He or she has an agenda and isn’t above distorting the truth to achieve it. If what they say doesn’t affect you, don’t worry about it.

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

SUNDAY, april 22, 2012

Formula one

Vettel claims first pole of season in Bahrain

15

Todt says Bahrain race will not damage F1 image MANAMA : The head of Formula One’s governing body was unrepentant on Saturday about the decision to race in Bahrain and said the sport would suffer no lasting damage to its image despite worldwide condemnation.

Televised images of streets ablaze, with masked youths hurling petrol bombs while police fire teargas and birdshot at them, threaten to embarrass the sport and the global brands that back the series.

“I am sorry about what has been reported. I am not sure that all that has been reported corresponds to the reality of what is happening in this country,” International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt told a small group of reporters at the Sakhir circuit ahead of Sunday’s race.

“I feel F1 is very strong. I think it is a very strong brand, and I think all the people among the teams to whom I have been speaking are very happy. I was even told it

would have been a mistake not to come,” added the former Ferrari team principal, who arrived in Bahrain from Kazakhstan after also attending last weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Todt has been criticized by some media for keeping a low profile as debate rages about the wisdom of giving the green light for the multi-billion-dollar sport to race in the troubled Gulf kingdom.

Saturday’s comments marked the first time he had spoken to the media in at least 10 days and came after the already tense local situation was further inflamed by the body of a protester being found on a rooftop after overnight clashes with police. The Bahraini government has spent $40 million US dollars to host the race, hoping to show that normal life has returned after it cracked down harshly on Arab Spring demonstrations last year.

Todt said most senior figures in the sport, some of whose teams have signifi-

cant Middle Eastern partners or investors, supported the decision to race.

Todt repeated the view of many in Formula One, including commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, that the sport was not involved in politics or religion.

He said he had spoken to embassies, foreign ministers and organizations, adding: “All the recommendations are that it was absolutely no problem to be in Bahrain, so there was no reason to change our mind.”

Asked why, if Formula One was above politics, the local organizers were publicizing the event under the slogan “UniF1ed”, the Frenchman replied: “It is a sporting event. Then if the sporting event is helping to heal the situation it is very good for the sport.”

Todt said only a small section of Bahraini society was against the race going ahead and the majority should not suffer as a result of their opposition. - Reuters

Basketball

Spurs rout Lakers in Bryant’s return (Left to right) McLaren Mercedes’ driver Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber pose after the qualifying session at the Bahrain international circuit, April 21, 2012. (AFP)

BAHRAIN: Defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel grabbed his first pole position of 2012 on Saturday when he planted his Red Bull car at the top of the times in qualifying for Sunday’s controversial Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old German outpaced McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton by just 0.098 seconds to take the 31st pole of his career following a relatively lacklustre start to the season. The second Red Bull of Mark Webber and Hamilton’s teammate Jenson Button will start on the second row. This speedy top four were able to push last weekend’s maiden F1 victor Nico Rosberg down to fifth with a thrilling final flurry of laps in the closing seconds that left the Mercedes driver, who chose to run only once in Q3, slightly off the pace. His Mercedes team-mate, seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, was dumped out of qualifying in Q1 when he also was restricted to one run only by a technical problem with his Drag Reduction System (DRS).

Australian rookie Daniel Ricciardo was sixth for Toro Rosso ahead of Romain Grosjean of Lotus, Mexican Sergio Perez of Sauber, two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Paul Di Resta of Force India, who was 10th.

“Yes, that feels great,” said a relieved Vettel, who had scraped unconvincingly through both Q1 and Q2 before shining in the top-ten shootout. “We are back at the front and I owe it to the guys in the team. They have worked so hard, put in the hours and not had much sleep in these first four weekends this year. So they have earned it and I am happy for them and us.”

Hamilton said he was content with second, splitting the Red Bulls and bringing to an end a trio of front row lockouts by a single team - McLaren in both Australia and Malaysia and then Mercedes in China.

“Definitely, that was good for me and I am happy with the job that we have done,” said the 2008 champion who leads the 2012 drivers’ standings.

“We have done a lot of work on the set-up and it was a bit of a scare for me in Q1, but the laps after that were really good.”

On another steaming hot day at the Sakhir circuit in the desert, where the heat and dust, made worse by sandstorms, produced much slipping and sliding, the air temperature was 32 degrees Celsius and the track temperature was 43 degrees.

The first mini-session Q1 saw the shock exit of Schumacher after his Mercedes team chose to sit out the second part of the action.

A glum and frustrated Schumacher was left sitting in his car in the garage due to a team strategic error, in contrast to his rivals, many of whom chose to run again just to ensure they made the cut. As a result, the 43-year-old German was eliminated ahead of Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne, Caterham’s Vitaly Petrov, Charles Pic of Marussia, veteran Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa of Hispania, Timo Glock of Marussia and Indian Narain Karthikeyan in the second Hispania car. Q2 also delivered a few shocks with the eliminations of 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen of Renault and Felipe Massa of Ferrari, who failed to make the top ten for the fourth time in four races this year. -AFP

SAN ANTONIO: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all scored at least 20 points to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-97 on Friday night and spoil Kobe Bryant’s return. Bryant had missed the previous seven games with a bruised left shin, and the Lakers went 5-2 without the NBA’s scoring leader. But with only two games left in the regular season for Los Angeles (40-24), Bryant returned as he aims to get into a rhythm before the playoffs begin. Bryant wore a black sock over his lower left leg, with what appeared to be a shin guard protecting the injured area. He scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Spurs (46-16) stayed atop the Western Conference with their sixth straight victory while the Lakers missed a chance to clinch home court in the first round of the playoffs.

These teams could meet in the opening round, and judging by their latest meeting, it would be a mismatch.

San Antonio has given Los Angeles its two worst losses of the season the worst Friday night and 112-91 on Tuesday. Duncan had 21 points and eight rebounds, Parker had 20 points and 10 assists, and Ginobili added 20 points and seven assists.

San Antonio hit 47 of 77 shots from the field and broke the game open in the third quarter, when Bryant played his best. The Lakers’ star hit 5 of 6 shots in the quarter, directing his teammates on offense and yelling at them to “D-up” on defense.

It hardly mattered, though, as he was repeatedly on his heels on defense as the Spurs pushed the ball. San Antonio scored 18 points in the paint in the quarter to only two for Los Angeles.

While Bryant was sidelined, several Lakers increased their scoring, none more than Metta World Peace. World Peace more than doubled his scoring average with Bryant out of the lineup, but he had only 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting against the Spurs.

Andrew Bynum scored 17 points for the Lakers, while Matt Barnes had 14 and Pau Gasol 11.

“I think Kobe knew that if he came back too early from this injury, it would set him back,” Brown said. “We didn’t want to have any setbacks this time of year. He’s been great the whole time.”

He certainly got off to a strong start, going down low on Kawhi Leonard for a short jumper and a foul on the Lakers’ first possession. Bryant hit the ensuing free throw, but he didn’t score again until he hit a 15-foot jumper with 34 seconds left in the quarter. -AP

Cavaliers stun playoff-bound Knicks

Tennis

Nadal and Djokovic to meet in Monte Carlo final MONTE CARLO: World number one Novak Djokovic will try to deal Rafael Nadal another blow when the world’s two top players clash in Sunday’s Monte Carlo Masters tennis final, where the Spaniard is chasing an eighth consecutive crown.

Nadal recorded his 41st win in a row in the season’s first big claycourt event as he defeated Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3 6-4 in Saturday’s semi-finals, while the Serbian battled back from a set down to beat sixthseeded Czech Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Djokovic has won their last seven encounters, which were all finals in grand slam or Masters events, including at the Madrid and Rome clay court tournaments last year.

Djokovic refused to regard himself as the favorite as Nadal is unbeaten since 2005 in the principality and has reached this year’s final without dropping a set.

Djokovic has been overcome by emotion at times since the death of his grandfather on Thursday and the top seed had to work hard to move past Berdych after two hours 42 minutes. He wowed the packed crowd when he hit a backhand winner to wrap up the victory and advance to his 45th ATP Tour final.

On a sunny afternoon by the Mediterranean, where the players were distracted by gusty winds, Djokovic wasted an early break chance in the first set with un-

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Manny Harris (6) drives between New York Knicks’ Steve Novak (16) and Josh Harrellson (55) during an NBA basketball game, April 20, 2012. (AP)

characteristic unforced errors.

Berdych relied on his powerful forehand, as he did in his quarter-final win over world number four Andy Murray, to clinch the opening set.

Djokovic raised his arms to the sky after holding on to his serve to take the hard-fought opening game of the second set. He repeatedly screamed out loud and clenched his fists several times as he mounted his fightback, breaking early in the second set. “That was the turning point probably,” Djokovic said. “After that I kind of tried to encourage myself and be positive on the court. There was a change of momentum I think when I made a break.” A more aggressive Djokovic broke early in the third set and pushed Berdych into committing numerous mistakes, though the Czech mostly blamed the tough conditions. “My game is to be much more aggressive, play a bit riskier than him... So when the wind starts to blow, then it takes the ball and I start to make mistakes,” Berdych said.

Nadal stuck to his typical aggressive style to upset Simon, the ninth seed, who lacked the cutting edge on the crucial points.

Though Simon had more break chances than Nadal, he did not manage to convert any while Nadal grabbed his first opportunity in each set to reach his 68th ATP final. - Reuters

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Manny Harris (6) drives between New York Knicks’ Steve Novak (16) and Josh Harrellson (55) during an NBA basketball game, April 20, 2012. (AP)

CLEVELAND: Stoudemire returned after missing 13 games with a back injury, but playoff-bound New York looked tired after clinching a spot in the postseason and played one of its most uninspired games in weeks, losing 98-90 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Stoudemire, who had been sidelined since March 24 with a bulging disk, scored 15 points and didn’t show any signs of the injury. But the Knicks came out flat, stayed that way until making a late run and lost to a Cleveland team that won for just the fourth time in 19 games.

The Knicks dropped to 15-6 under Woodson, who took over when Mike D’Antoni resigned on March 14. New York may have missed a chance to move any higher than the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. As it stands now, the Knicks will face LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the

first round. Carmelo Anthony added 12 points, but he and Tyson Chandler sat out the entire fourth quarter as Woodson chose to rest some of his starters before a matchup with Atlanta on Sunday.

Manny Harris had 19 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to lead the Cavs, and rookie Kyrie Irving scored 21 points in his second game back from a shoulder injury. Samardo Samuels added 15 points for the Cavs, who have won 10 straight at home over the Knicks. New York hasn’t won in Cleveland since Nov. 29, 2006.

Stoudemire was in foul trouble in the first 5 minutes and never got into a groove. Anthony, who has had to carry the scoring load with the team’s No. 2 scoring option sidelined, went just 5 of 13 from the field in 29 uninspired minutes. The Knicks didn’t wake up until the final minutes when they cut a 19-point deficit to eight on two free throws by

Stoudemire with 2:33 left.

New York had a chance to get closer, but Toney Douglas made a silly pass for a turnover and JR Smith then fouled Harris on a 3-point miss. Harris knocked down two free throws and Cleveland’s Donald Sloan drove past four Knicks standing like statues for an easy layup to put the Cavs ahead 96-82.

Leading 74-60, the Cavs were in danger of turning it back over when Harris lost control of the ball. But he ran it down near halfcourt, turned and launched his 42-footer that caromed in off the glass as the horn sounded.

Irving showed some nice flashes in 26 minutes. The presumptive rookie of the year made two driving layups in traffic and dropped all eight free throw attempts. Scott didn’t put his young star back on the court in for the fourth and said it’s possible he will sit Irving out in one of the final four games. -AP

SUNday, april 22, 2012

SPORTS

Football

Real Madrid eye title as Ronaldo downs Barca

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) of Real Madrid CF heads the ball beside FC Barcelona defenders during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, April 21, 2012. (AFP)

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed his 54th goal of the season as Real Madrid moved closer to the La Liga title with a 2-1 win at Barcelona that stretched their lead to seven points with just four games left.

Sami Khedira opened the scoring at Camp Nou for Real Madrid in the first half before substitute Alexis Sanchez leveled. But Portuguese star Ronaldo’s 73rdminute winner gave Madrid their first league win over the defending champions in four years and, barring a major stumble, ensured the title will return to the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time since 2008.

For coach Jose Mourinho, it was his first win at Camp Nou with Madrid and only his second triumph in 11 attempts against the Catalans. Mourinho named an unchanged Madrid side to that which lost 2-1 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday.

Madrid had the first chance when Ronaldo powerfully headed a corner that Victor Valdes tipped over the bar on four minutes. Two minutes later, Casillas had to be quick to block at the feet of Dani Alves at the other end. Then, against the run of play, Madrid went ahead on 17 minutes when Khedira stabbed home from close range after Valdes could only block a Pepe header from a corner.

With that goal, the 108th of their league campaign, Madrid became the highest-scoring team in a single season in Spanish football history, beating the record previously held by the Madrid side of the 1989-90 season. Madrid, playing with two compact defensive lines, were content to sit back and counter-attack and went into the interval with no further problems against a strangely subdued Barca.

The second period began in the same manner and as the hour mark came and went, Barca had had only two more wide efforts from Tello and lacked any cutting edge in attack. Xavi went close from long-range on 68 minutes and then was immediately substituted for Sanchez.

Within two minutes they were level as the Chilean substitute finished at the second attempt from close range after Casillas blocked a Tello drive set up by Iniesta’s clever, wrong-footing flick.

But Madrid’s reaction was instant, with Ronaldo rounding Valdes after running onto a Mesut Ozil pass and putting the leaders ahead again with his 42nd league goal of the season. Barca were shell-shocked and it was Madrid, through Karim Benzema and Ronaldo, who came closer to adding to their tally in the dying moments. - AFP

Spurs woe deepens after QPR ambush LONDON: Tottenham dropped out of the Premier League top four after their failure to win at 10-man Queens Park Rangers on Saturday evening followed an earlier Newcastle United victory. A goal from Adel Taarabt ended up giving Rangers their fourth straight home victory and renewed hopes of avoiding relegation. Taarabt was later sent off for a second bookable offence but Rangers held on to the lead he had given them. Tottenham now trail Newcastle, who had beaten Stoke City 3-0 earlier, by three points and are in fifth place, which would qualify them for the Europa League, not the Champions League.

The defeat was the latest setback suffered by Harry Redknapp’s side, who had a 10-point advantage over Arsenal, who are now above them in third, in February. Rangers moved above Wigan to 16th and are three points above Blackburn Rovers, the third bottom team, with three games remaining.

Jamie Mackie fired an early Rangers chance across goal and wide as the home side started strongly. Gareth Bale was off target with a Tottenham reply and a

sustained spell of pressure saw two corners won. The second, delivered by Rafael van der Vaart was met by the head of Bale and Paddy Kenny, the Rangers goalkeeper, did well to tip it over. The corner that followed led to a well-struck long-ranger from van der Vaart that Kenny again was able to save.

Rangers reply was a 24th minute opener direct from a free-kick by Taarabt after Sandro had fouled the Morocco international. Taarabt was 25 yards away from goal but was still able to beat the wall and Friedel’s dive to his right. Tottenham should have been level within six minutes when Kenny could only parry a drive from van der Vaart into the air. It went straight to Jermain Defoe, who was starting as Tottenham’s lone striker in place of the injured Emmanuel Adebayor, but he could only head over from six yards.

The England forward was desperate to make amends but his next effort almost went out for a throw in. Taarabt was booked for bringing Walker down on the edge of the Rangers box but the home side held their lead. -AFP

Udinese struggles continue in Chievo draw

VERONA, Italy: Udinese failed to boost their Champions League hopes as they were held to an uneventful 0-0 draw at mid-table Chievo on Saturday. Francesco Guidolin’s men remain fourth in Serie A, closing the gap on third-placed Lazio in the final Champions League spot to two points, but having played a game more. It continued the northerners’ late-season meltdown, as they have won only one of their last eight games.

And yet they could have snatched the points if emblematic captain Antonio Di Natale had been more precise in his finishing.

Chievo enjoyed much the better of the first period and should really have gone into the break a goal to the good. In a crazy 60-second period, Alberto Paloschi turned Danilo but then slotted his shot wide.

American international Michael Bradley then burst in behind the defence but got no purchase on his effort before Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic had to turn Rinaldo Cruzero’s low strike around the post.

As the first period drew to a close, Mehdi Benatia lost possession to Paloschi and Bradley sent Cyril Thereau running clear, only to be brought down by Handanovic in the box. But the goalkeeper plunged low to his right to save the Frenchman’s resulting spot-kick.

Di Natale had three clear chances in the second period, including the last one deep into injury time.

His first he curled high and wide, while goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino stopped the second at his near post. But he failed to hit the target with the last of those and the game ended goalless.

Parma boosted their survival hopes while keeping Cagliari looking over their shoulders with a 3-0 victory over the Sardinians.

Sebastian Giovinco opened the scoring in the first half before Sergio Floccari and Stefano Okaka added penalties late on.

Parma now have 41 points, passing the theoretical safety mark of 40 points, but Cagliari, on 38 points, are just three above the drop zone. - AFP

Sports Editors Highlight ROME: Mario Balotelli will be an integral part of Italy’s European Championship squad in Poland and Ukraine in June, national team coach Cesare Prandelli said on Saturday. The temperamental Manchester City forward’s participation had been called into question following his latest indiscretion, when he received a three-match ban for being sent off against Arsenal. Prandelli originally said he would look into the incident, sparking rumours he would leave Balotelli out due to the 21-year-old’s disciplinary problems. But now the Italy coach insists he cannot do without the enigmatic star. Another player who Prandelli is keen to take with him in June is AC Milan’s Antonio Cassano, who still needs to prove his fitness following his recent return to action after heart surgery. - AFP

Arsenal and Chelsea grind out 0-0 stalemate LONDON: Chelsea held out for a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday as neither London club enhanced their prospects of finishing in the Premier League’s top four.

Sandwiched between Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, the derby proved a listless affair which left Chelsea in sixth place and Arsenal in the driving seat for a top three finish in third.

With three matches remaining Arsenal have 65 points, six ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United who both have played two games fewer. Newcastle host Stoke City and Tottenham travel across London to Queens Park Rangers later on Saturday.

Chelsea, who will try to defend a 1-0 lead in the Nou Camp on Tuesday, are in sixth spot, a point behind Newcastle and Tottenham, with four games left.

Robert Di Matteo’s Chelsea, playing their third game in less six days, made eight changes to the side who beat Barcelona on Wednesday with Didier Drogba, scorer against Barca, not included because of a knee injury.

They were resolute at the back though with John Terry and Gary Cahill, who repelled everything Barca could throw at them in midweek again impressive, restricting Arsenal to few chances, the best of which was a Laurent Koscielny header that smacked the crossbar

Arsenal’s Alex Song (left) challenges Chelsea’s Florent Malouda during the English Premier League soccer match at the Emirates Stadium, April 21, 2012. (Reuters)

in the opening period. Arsenal created most of the game’s best chances, several of them falling to top scorer Robin van Persie who for once was guilty of profligate finishing. The Dutchman failed to connect properly from close range early on and then he fired another shot too close to Petr Cech when well-placed.His best chance to add to his 27 league goals arrived after the break when he sliced a right-footed effort horribly wide.

Chelsea had few chances as they elected to play on the break with Daniel Sturridge denied late on by a last-ditch interception by Koscielny as the ball bounced up in the area.

The battle for the Premier League title continues on Sunday when leaders Manchester United host Everton and second-placed Manchester City go to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

-AFP

Kagawa strike seals German title for Dortmund DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund clinched a second successive German league title on Saturday as Japan star Shinji Kagawa’s second-half goal helped secure a 2-0 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Kagawa’s 59th-minute strike put the result beyond doubt after midfelder Ivan Perisic’s first-half header had put the hosts ahead at their sold out Signal Iduna Park stadium in front of 80,720 fans.

The victory leaves Dortmund eight points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich with just two games left.

This is the eighth time that Dortmund have won the German league and the fifth time they have won the Bundesliga title since it was founded in 1963.

Victory also extended the record for the German league’s longest unbeaten run in a single season to 26 matches.

There was more good news for coach Jurgen Klopp as Germany’s teenage star Mario Goetze came off the bench.

It was the 19-year-old’s first appearance since December having suffered with a groin injury since January.

Earlier, France star Franck Ribery hit a 90th-minute winner as Bayern poached a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen to briefly delay Dortmund’s title celebrations.

Bremen’s Brazil defender Naldo was both hero and villain as his 51st-minute strike from a Claudio Pizarro header put the hosts ahead before an own goal just

Dortmund players celebrate winning the 2nd consecutive Bundesliga title after the German first division Bundesliga soccer match against Borussia Moenchengladbach, April 21, 2012. (AP)

14 minutes later allowed Bayern back in the game.

Ribery came off the bench with 25 minutes left to hit the winner with time almost up. With Bayern due to visit Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday with a 2-1 lead, coach Jupp Heynckes decided to rest a host of stars.

Bayer Leverkusen remained on course for a Europa League place with a

1-0 win over Hoffenheim with Germany midfielder Andre Shuerrle hitting the a late winner. Former Germany captain Michael Ballack made a rare appearance from the bench.

At the other end of the table, Kaiserslautern had their relegation confirmed even though they managed a 2-1 win at Hertha Berlin. Kaiserslautern raced into a 2-0 lead before Hertha pulled a goal back with 60 minutes gone. - AFP

Montpellier extend Ligue 1 lead to five points MONTPELLIER : Montpellier pulled five points clear of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue 1 title race with a narrow 1-0 victory at home to Valenciennes on Saturday. With PSG not in action until they tackle Sochaux at Parc des Princes on Sunday, Rene Girard’s side took full advantage by strengthening their grip on top spot ahead of their final five

games of the season. Montpellier took the lead after just five minutes at Stade de la Mosson, with Souleymane Camara kneeing home Younes Belhanda’s drilled cross from the right following a short corner.

Belhanda thought he had doubled his side’s advantage early in the second half but after he tapped home the rebound from John Utaka’s shot, his celebrations

Montpellier’s Souleymane Camara (left) viesfor the ball with Valenciennes’s Mody Traore during their French Ligue 1 soccer match, April 21, 2012. (Reuters)

were cut short by the assistant referee’s offside flag. There was a sizeable let-off for Montpellier in the 85th minute, as Valenciennes midfielder Renaud Cohade struck the crossbar with a 20-yard shot that very nearly breathed new hope into PSG’s title hopes. Defending champions Lille closed to within two points of PSG and increased their cushion in third place to eight points by winning 2-0 at Dijon.

Lille were reduced to 10 men in the 35th minute when Idrissa Gueye was shown a straight red card for a foul on Brice Jovial but four minutes later Eden Hazard squared for Rio Mavuba to put the visitors into the lead. Dijon lost their numerical advantage when Abdoulaye Meite was sent off shortly after the interval and a 77th-minute red card for Bennard Kumordzi meant the hosts finished the game with nine men.

Rennes surged above Lyon and Toulouse into fourth place by winning 1-0 at Brest through a first-half Julien Feret penalty, while Toulouse lost 2-1 at in-form Evian, who climbed to eighth. Saint-Etienne drew level on points with Lyon and Toulouse by cruising to a 4-1 success at relegation-threatened Caen.

Beaten 3-0 at Toulouse in mid-week, Lyon will bid to get their fading challenge for a top-three finish back on track at home to Lorient on Sunday. - AFP