June 11, 2012 by Al Watan Daily

MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1460

12 PAGES

www.alwatandaily.com

150 Fils with IHT

Parliament approval precondition for lending countries Fire outbreak in Kuwait City injures two firefighters Staff Writers

This photo shows a smoldering building (center left) following a ﬁre outbreak in Kuwait City, which spread to three adjacent buildings on Sunday, June 10, 2012. (KUNA)

KUWAIT: A group of MPs on Sunday put forth a proposal stipulating that the government should obtain Parliament’s prior approval before giving loans to any country through the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development. The government considered the proposal unconstitutional and interference in its affairs. The said proposal was tabled by MPs Osama Al-Menawer, Mohammad Hayef, Abdullah Al-Tarreji, Mohammad Al-Hatlani and Badr Al-Dahoum. According to the proposal, the prime minister must submit a detailed report to the National Assembly containing the reasons and justifications for giving a particular loan, specify the amount of the loan as well as explain how the beneficiary will spend the funds. A government source reacted to this development by stating that the amended Fund Law indicates that the loans are given in accordance with the supreme interests of the State of Kuwait and that they should serve the country’s foreign interests regionally and internationally. The source made it unequivocally clear that there is no convincing justification for such a proposal that can, in fact, hinder paperwork process for providing loans, adding that the proposal is unconstitutional and inapplicable. Further, the source asserted that the National Assembly has subsequent oversight role in case there are any irregularities. The source further remarked that the concept of issuing legislation is being misunderstood, and vowed that the government will not tolerate unabated unconstitutional measures in the issuance of legislation. In another development,

Several innovations can reduce sand storms’ severity in Kuwait

Coastguards close four Yemeni ports in pay protest

SANAA/ADEN: Yemeni coastguards blocked ports on Sunday to protest against the government’s failure to pay financial benefits they said it had promised, halting most shipping. Port officials said the guards prevented workers from entering four main ports, including Aden in the south, Hodeidah in the west and the Red Sea ports of Mokha and Saleef. “Movement has completely stopped in almost all ports,” Sharaf Mohammed, a ship captain at Hodeidah. Yemen has slipped into a state of chaos during a year of unrest. Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been ousted after 33 years of rule and replaced by his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, un-

der a deal brokered by Yemen’s rich Gulf neighbors. The army is pushing ahead with campaign to retake towns seized by Islamist militants linked to Al Qaeda during the upheaval. In Zinjibar, capital of the southern Abyan province, where the army has been fighting the Islamist militants for more than a month, at least five militants were killed in battles on Sunday with government forces, a local official and residents said. Separately, at least one soldier and one member of the southern secessionist movement were killed during rare clashes on Sunday in the southern province of Dalea, the Defense Ministry and southern activists said. -Reuters

State of emergency declared for western Myanmar

YANGON: Myanmar’s president on Sunday night declared a state of emergency in a western state where sectarian tensions between Buddhists and Muslims have unleashed deadly violence. He warned that if the situation spun out of control, it could jeopardize the democratic reforms he has been instituting since taking office last year. It is the first time Thein Sein has invoked the measure since becoming president. A state of emergency effectively allows the military to take over administrative functions for Rakhine State, a coastal region that borders Bangladesh. The move follows rioting on Friday in

two Rakhine areas that state media say left at least seven people dead and 17 wounded, and saw hundreds of houses burned down. The unrest spread on Saturday and Sunday, though order was said to have been restored in the areas shaken by Friday’s violence. In a nine-minute speech televised nationally, Thein Sein said that the violence in Rakhine State was fanned by dissatisfaction harbored by different religious and ethnic groups, hatred and the desire for vengeance. The accounts in state media blamed Friday’s rioting in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships on 1,000 “terrorists,” but residents’ accounts made clear they were Muslims. -AP

MP Faisal Al-Mislem stated that the former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad’s refusal to honor the invitations of the panel, which has been probing allegations of illicit transfers of public fund abroad, constitutes disregard for the people and their legislative institutions. Similarly, MP Musallam Al-Barrak noted that it is “sad” that the former premier has underrated the reason of the Kuwaiti people by stating that the probe is not being carried out to achieve national security, which is the expressed goal of such investigations. Meanwhile, MP Nabeel Al-Fadhl called on the National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun to apply the Parliament’s Internal Charter with regard to the leakage of information reached by investigatory committees. The MP described the volume of leaked information as horrifying and nonchalant to the dignity of people, and charged that members of the panel are “neither clean nor partial.” In a separate development, the Fire Service Directorate announced on Sunday that five firefighting teams managed to contain a fire which broke out at a 19-storey building under construction behind the Liberation Tower and near the Scientific Museum at the Merqab area. The fire reportedly injured two firefighters and caused material damage. The Public Relations Officer at the Fire Service Directorate Lieutenant Colonel Khalil Al-Ameer told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the fire broke out at 4 pm in the 17th floor and spread to the 19th floor and then three adjacent buildings. The official added that the fire has been brought under control and that the two injured firefighters were treated on the spot.

Hosni Mubarak in critical condition, says official CAIRO: Hosni Mubarak is slipping in and out of consciousness eight days after the ousted Egyptian leader was sent to prison to begin serving a life sentence, a security official said on Sunday. With rumors of the former president’s death spreading rapidly, authorities granted his wife, former first lady Suzanne Mubarak, and the couple’s two daughters-in-law special permission to visit him in Cairo’s Torah prison early that morning. “The former president’s health is in decline, but now it’s stable in its deteriorated state,” the official said. Since his wife’s visit, Mubarak has suffered from an irregular heartbeat and required assistance in breathing. The official told The Associated Press that the former president now lives only on liquids and yogurt. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Mubarak’s health is reported to have collapsed since his June 2 conviction for failing to stop the killing of protesters during the uprising that overthrew him in 2011. His life sentence saw him transferred immediately to a prison hospital, instead of the military hospital and other facilities where he had been held since his April 2011 arrest. Authorities have turned down several requests by Mubarak’s family to transfer the ousted president back to a military facility, the official said. -AP

Italy 1

Croatia 3

Ireland 1

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Today’s Matches:

France vs England and Ukraine vs Sweden

At least 35 killed as Syrian forces renew Homs assault

AMMAN: At least 35 people have been killed in a renewed Syrian army effort to regain control of the province of Homs, epicenter of the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad, opposition activists said on Sunday. The army bombarded opposition strongholds in the city of Homs and the towns of Qusair, Talbiseh and Rastan. Free Syrian Army rebels had been intensifying attacks on army patrols, roadblocks and missile batteries in the area, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and other opposition campaigners said. Abu Qassem, an activist in Rastan, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Homs, said at least 500 rockets and shells had fallen on the town since Saturday, and army helicopters were firing machineguns into the area. “The Free Syrian Army is far outgunned, but it is responding by mounting guerrilla attacks while trying to avoid direct exchange of fire,” he said. He said among the rebels’ targets had

been an army missile battery in the area of Ghanto near Rastan. Most members of the missile squadron defected and the battery fell under rebel control. Rastan was once a reservoir of Sunni Muslim recruits for the military, whose senior ranks are dominated by members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam. After Syria’s revolt broke out in March last year and prodemocracy demonstrators in Rastan were killed, Sunni officers from the town began defecting. Talbiseh to the south came under shelling and heavy mortar fire from loyalist troops after some soldiers from surrounding roadblocks defected on Saturday and drove two armored personnel carriers into the town, according to opposition sources there. “Five people have been killed, including a woman and her one-year-old daughter. They were among the few civilians who had not fled Talbiseh,” activist Abu Mohammad said by More on 3 satellite phone.

Six injured following Quake in southwest Turkey

ISTANBUL: An earthquake of magnitude 5.8 shook southwest Turkey on Sunday and at least six people were injured after jumping from their balconies or windows in panic, observatory data showed and local media reported. The quake struck off the coast of the Mediterranean province of Mugla, a popular destination for foreign tourists. A few buildings were damaged, the province’s Deputy Governor Necmi Kurt told NTV news channel. Six or seven people were being treated for injuries in hospital, the channel said, citing local health officials, but no one died. There were no immediate reports that tourists were among the injured. Earthquakes are a daily occurrence in Turkey, which is crisscrossed by geological fault lines. In October last year, more than 600 people died in the eastern

province of Van after a quake of 7.2 magnitude and powerful aftershocks. The latest earthquake struck at 3:44 p.m. (1244 GMT) in the Mediterranean Sea, at a depth of nearly 25 miles, the US Geological Survey said on its website. Residents in the tourism hub town of Fethiye, in Mugla province, told NTV the quake lasted about 30 seconds. Many people remained outside as aftershocks rocked the area. The earthquake was felt in several Turkish provinces as well as in the city of Izmir, about 330 km north of Fethiye, and northern Cyprus, NTV said. The Greek island of Rhodes also shook, officials there told Reuters. It was the largest in a series of about 40 small quakes off Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts in the last 24 hours, Istanbul’s Kandilli observatory said. -Reuters

Prosecutors probe German minister’s flying carpet

People hold signs reading “Where are you taking us?” during a demonstration organized by trade unions to protest against Islamist-led Moroccan government in Rabat on June 10, 2012. (AFP)

Spain 1

BERLIN: German prosecutors are looking into whether Chancellor Angela Merkel’s international development minister broke the law by failing to declare to customs a rug he bought in Afghanistan which he later got the country’s top spy to bring back for him. Dirk Niebel, a member of the Free Democrats (FDP) who share power in Merkel’s center-right coalition, has become the subject of jokes and criticism over the “flying carpet” scandal. A spokesman for Berlin prosecutors confirmed media reports on Sunday that the office was looking into “initial suspicions of possible punishable behavior”. Niebel has said he bought the thick red carpet in Kabul for his dining room but that it was too heavy to fly back so he asked the embassy to arrange for it to be

sent on the next government plane. The head of Germany’s intelligence agency, the BND, ended up carrying the 30 kg (66 lb) rug on a plane back to Berlin and an estimated bill of about 200 euros (250 US dollars) in import duties was not paid. Niebel has apologized for the lapse and is now sorting out payment. “With the request for late payment, the matter is over,” he told Bild am Sonntag. The minister, also under fire for sending his driver to pick up the carpet at the airport, said he had meant to help the Afghanistan economy with the purchase. “I wanted to support small businesses in Afghanistan and buy a rug for my dining room. I really wanted to go to a bazaar but security told me I wasn’t allowed to,” said Niebel. -Reuters

Supporters of Pakistani political and Islamic party Jammat-e-Islami (JI) gather for a protest in Karachi on June 10, 2012, against the Pakistani government’s plan to reopen NATO supplies route to Afghanistan. (AFP)

Kenya security minister killed in chopper crash

Stress alters kids’ brains, study suggests NEW YORK: Intense and lasting stress may deliver a blow to a kid’s noggin, say researchers who found that a brain area linked to memory was smaller in children who had experienced chronic stress compared with their less-strained counterparts according to LiveScience. The brain differences also bore out in cognitive ability, with those children with highly stressful lives performing poorer than other kids on spatial memory tests. The highly stressed children also had more trouble with tests of shortterm memory, including tasks such as finding a token in a series of boxes, the researchers said. “All families experience some stress, so it is important to note that effects were found for high levels of stress,” study researcher Jamie Hanson, a psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told LiveScience, adding that some extreme examples would include family members falling victim to violent crimes or the chronic illness of a child or other family member. The research adds to other evidence of the impacts of stress, with one recent study showing that children exposed to multiple instances of violence age faster on a cellular level. Another past study suggested childhood stress could actually More on 8 take years off an individual’s life.

ALWATAN DAILY

local

monday, JUNE 11, 2012

Several innovations can reduce sand storms’ severity in Kuwait: Meteorologist Mervat Abduldayem Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The General Director of the Department of Meteorology Mohammad Karam said that the causes of the recent severe dusty weather are due to several factors including notably strong winds carrying fine sands. He explained that the country lacks proper trees and shrubs all over which hinders the spread of such sandy winds. He also attributes the sudden spread of the dusty whether to severe shortage of rain, high and low pressure as well as the breaking up of sand layers forming fine sand. Karam said that the number of days which the country usually suffers from dusty weather is nearly 154 days, 26 of which are typically stormy, 79 days where the dust is in high atmosphere and 59 days of dust lingering in the air. “The sandy storm consists of tiny particles of sand usually lingering in the air reaching hundreds of meters and in some instances hundreds of kilometers. Based on the speed of winds and the rate of dry weather, the

sandy storms vary from one to another. “It is normal that sometimes the rate of concentration may reach thousands of particles per one cubic centimeter. Kuwait due to its geographical location, climate conditions and geological characteristics is subjected to a great amount of sand each year,” he explained. As for using technology to stop such sandy storms in the future, Karam said that there are several innovations which play a pivotal role in reducing the severity of the sand storms. He added however that such innovations as radar, satellite, maps and so on do not really reduce the sand storm but rather provide us with an early warning of possible severe weather conditions. He added that to stop such severe weather conditions is almost impossible because they are natural climatic conditions and that the only way to minimize their effect is to detect them at an early stage and try to deal with them instantly. He went on to say that usually early detection is made about four days prior to the weather conditions taking place effectively.

FILE- Photo showing a road with limited visibility caused by recent sandstorm Monday, June 3, 2012. (Al Watan)

Kuwaiti citizens join rebels in Syria Kuwait denies reported foreign financial transfers KUWAIT: The foreign ministry Saturday categorically denied media reports that some of its financial transfers went to Arab singers and designers of females’ garments. Media reports have recently spoken about foreign ministry’s financial transfers abroad, and that some of them went to

Process to build ten new ambulance stations ‘done’: Ministry

FILE- Photo showing Kuwaiti women holding up the adopted Syrian revolutionary flag during a protest in front of the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait on May 26, 2012. A local daily reported that dozens of Kuwaitis are fighting in Syria alongside the Free Syrian Army. (AFP)

DUBAI: Gulfnews quoted a local daily which reported that dozens of Kuwaitis are fighting in Syria alongside the Free Syrian Army. “Saudi, Algerian and Pakistani nationals are also fighting on the side of the rebels,” Kuwaitis said, quoting their relatives who crossed into Syria, a local daily said on Sunday. Kuwaitis who reach Syria are welcomed by members of the Free Syrian Army and are given weapons before they are integrated into fighting units. “The foreigners are given Syrian identi-

ty papers to help them in case they are held prisoners by the regime forces,” the report said. The Kuwaiti identity papers are reportedly left at the Free Syrian Army liaison offices at the borders with Turkey. Kuwaitis who volunteered to join the Syrian rebels but were less than 18 were told to return to Kuwait, said the paper. Unlike religious leaders in Saudi Arabia who have banned public donations to the Syrian rebels, Kuwaiti Islamists have been pushing for greater assistance to the dissidents. -Agencies

KUWAIT: “Ten new ambulance stations would be constructed in various areas in the country with the process being well underway,” said a Health Ministry official here Sunday. Dr. Faisal Al-Ghanem, head of the emergency medicine at the ministry, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) in an exclusive interview that the main station would be built in Al-Sabah medical area, adding that other centers in Hawalli, Al-Salmiya, and other residential area would be constructed. The new stations would be built to support the 34 stations to develop the medical sector in the country and provide better healthcare for the people, said the official. Ambulance stations would be equipped with the latest in emergency tools and vehicles, said Al-Ghanem, noting that employees of such facilities would be well-trained to face emergency situations. He revealed that there were plans to include female staff at the stations, noting that the first batch of female emergency workers are to graduate next October. The official called for increasing the salary and special allowances for ambulance stations’ employees, stressing that their job is of integral importance. -KUNA

Top development decision-maker calls for greater role for private sector KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Fadhil Safar has reaffirmed necessity of participation of the private sector in execution of the State development scheme and called for removing, or minimizing effects, of all obstacles that face the private entrepreneurs’ partaking in the national development process. Safar, in an exclusive interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), on Sunday, forecasted greater role for the private companies in the development process in phases such as studying, consultation and contracting, following the enacting of the law of privatization and enterprises. Regarding lack of noticeable role for the private investors in the process, the minister alluded this to several causes, namely bureaucracy, control of the private sector on most utilities, global economic slowness, caution of the banks toward commercial companies and failure of the private companies of employing a proportion of nationals in government enterprises. The minister called for building confidence between the private and public sectors, government abstention from granting services to national companies, supervising their performance and injecting funds into the market by means of promoting development projects for sake of shoring up the national economy. Regarding ventures, executed by his ministry, Safar said these projects, cost of which is projected at 900 million Kuwaiti dinars, include construction of Jaber AlAhmad Hospital, which has been proceeding as scheduled, in addition to six other ventures, four of which are still in the phase of tendering and promoting, such as the new birth hospital, Ibn Sina Hospital, the new children hospital and the new AlRazi hospital. Two of these projects are currently being promoted, he said, alluding to the new Al-Jahraa hospital and the permanent headquarters of the medical specialties institute, in addition to three future ven-

Arab singers and designers of women’s clothes. “These reports are completely false and no transfers as such have taken place for these purposes,” a foreign ministry official confirmed. The ministry will inform chairman of the foreign transfers committee “about documents that prove that these

claims are absolutely groundless,” the source added. He expressed the foreign ministry’s regret that media were reporting inaccurately and in a way that is “gravely harming the State of Kuwait and its credibility as well as undermining its foreign relations.” -KUNA

Arabian Business lists 26 Kuwaitis among Most Influential Arabs for 2012 Name

Local ranking

Regional ranking

Industry

Mohammed Alshaya

Retail

Badr Al-Kharafi

Retail

Saad Al-Barrak

Telecoms

Faisal Al-Ayyar

Banking & Finance

Hosnia Hashem

122

Industry

Sheikha Al-Bahar

124

Banking & Finance

Ghayda & Ghosson Al-Khaled

136

Construction & Industry

Nabeel bin Salamah

141

Telecoms

Marwan Boodai

146

Transport & Industry

Farouq Al-Zanki

171

Energy

Khaled Abou El Fadl

178

Culture & Society

Maha Al-Ghunnaim

205

Banking & Finance

Suad Al-Humaidi

206

Banking & Finance

Naif Al-Mutawa

229 Media & Marketing

Emad Bukhamseen

234

Banking & Finance

Rashid Al-Nafisi

239

Construction & Industry

Zahi Khouri

245

Banking & Finance

Tarek Sultan

255

Transport & Industry

Donna Sultan

263

Construction & Industry

Salam Al-Hindi

278 Arts & Entertainment

Mahmoud Al-Nouri

290

Samer Al-Nafeesi

315

Banking & Finance

Hamad Al-Falah

414

Transport & Industry

Ali Al-Shamlan

445

Science

Ibrahim Al-Qadhi

452

Banking & Finance

Adnan Al-Musallam

456

Banking & Finance

PADA discusses including disabled students in scholarships to US

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Institute for Planning and Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Planning and Development Dr. Fadhil Safar (left) giving a speech during the board’s meeting Saturday, June 9, 2012. (KUNA)

tures, pending allocation of plots of land and budgets, namely, the new hospital adjacent to Al-Farwaniah Hospital, a new hospital in the southern region and the Infectious Diseases Hospital. Regarding Jaber Al-Ahmad bridge, minister Safar that it was still examined by committees of the cabinet, adding that the two bridges, one for cars and the other for trains, linking Al-Sabbiah with Boubyan Island, would be inaugurated soon. He indicated that construction of bridges and new roads was aimed at linking up Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port with Kuwait mainland, adding that a railway network will link the northern and southern borders as well as Al-Metlaa in the north with Boubyan. Concerning development of the islands, Safar indicated at a Cabinet resolution that classified the national islands as natural reserves, except for Failaka and Boubyan, where security affairs are undertaken by the Ministry of Defense

and development affairs by the Minister of Public Works. As to Boubyan, the designs have been concluded, but the project of Failaka has reached the department of initiatives and development projects, known as BOT. On hurdles delaying execution of the ventures, Safar indicated at various barriers in and outside the ministry as well as a long chain of bureaucratic procedures for endorsement of the ventures. He also cited several other hurdles such as lack of sufficient data papers, lack of experienced personnel, the central tenders’ law, the law of the Audit Bureau, lack of coordination among departments, shortages in financial resources, incentives and equipment. The minister noted that he has been following up on regular emergence of such obstacles and reporting about their negative effects on the execution of the planned ventures for sake of removing them. -KUNA

KUWAIT: Director of the Public Authority for Disabled Affairs (PADA) Dr. Jassem Al-Tammar said that the authorities discussed with concerned bodies to include all students with disabilities in the scholarships plan for 2012-2013 and increasing the numbers according to conditions and controls that will be issued by PADA. This came in a statement by Al-Tammar Saturday following his meeting with members of the US culture attaché, where they discussed educational opportunities provided by the US for students with disabilities. Al-Tammar said that they reviewed universities

in the US which provide special services to students with disabilities according to the type of disability and the academic programs provided to them. He added that they discussed providing facilities to get visas to the US for disables and their families as well as the possibility of cooperation to provide consultants to evaluate the educational services provided by private schools which are recognized by the PADA. Al-Tammar also noted the monthly payment allocated to disabled students who are continuing their university education is continued and until 26 years of age according to article no. 26 of law 8/2010. -KUNA

Municipality complains lack of coordination for Sabah Al-Ahmad City

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Member of the Law Society Layla AlRashed said that there have been several warnings given to the Kuwait Municipal demanding that citizens who received their authorizations to own a state house in the Sabah Al-Ahmad City should have the relevant paper work. Al-Rashed pointed out that such discrepancy is due to the lack of communications as well as coordination between miniseries, which made it difficult for the municipality to process the paper work. Speaking in a press conference held Saturday discussing the plight of the people of SabahAl-Ahmad City, she explained that “there are many instances of lack of coordination among the service ministries to improve the infrastructure in many areas across the country, including the Sabah Al-Ahmad City where the plots of residential lands were distributed some two years ago, but to this day the infrastructure is

not completed yet because of the obvious lack of coordination on the part of the Ministry of Water and Electricity, who have been using an old argument that the municipality hadn’t granted the citizens with the needed authorizations.” “The Minister of Housing has been positively responding to the demands of the citizens but the fact of the matter that shortcomings remain prevalent in many new residential areas. There is an unmistakable discrepancy between the Municipality and the Ministry of Water and Electricity. The initial disagreement began with the landlines and so forth and this particular problem remain even since for the past two years,” she remarked. As for the new roads built for the new cities, Al-Rashed said that they are not appropriate, describing them “death roads”. She explained that the roads suffer from bad quality and not good enough in terms of endurance making them a death trap for commuters.

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

MONdAY, June 11, 2012

At least 35 killed as Syrian forces renew Homs assault AMMAN: At least 35 people have been killed in a renewed Syrian army effort to regain control of the province of Homs, epicenter of the revolt against President Bashar AlAssad, opposition activists said on Sunday. The army bombarded opposition strongholds in the city of Homs and the towns of Qusair, Talbiseh and Rastan. Free Syrian Army rebels had been intensifying attacks on army patrols, roadblocks and missile batteries in the area, the Syrian Network for Human Rights and other opposition campaigners said. Abu Qassem, an activist in Rastan, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Homs, said at least 500 rockets and shells had fallen on the town since Saturday, and army helicopters were firing machineguns into the area. “The Free Syrian Army is far outgunned, but it is responding by mounting guerrilla attacks while trying to avoid direct exchange of fire,” he said. He said among the rebels’ targets had been an army missile battery in the area of Ghanto near Rastan. Most members of the missile squadron defected and the battery fell under rebel control. Rastan was once a reservoir of Sunni Muslim recruits for the military, whose senior ranks are dominated by members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam. After Syria’s revolt broke out in March last year and pro-democracy demonstrators in Rastan were killed, Sunni officers from the town began defecting. Talbiseh to the south came under shelling and heavy mortar fire from loyalist troops

A handout image released by the Syrian opposition’s Shaam News Network on June 9, 2012, shows Syrians carrying the coffins of people who were allegedly killed during an offensive by government troops in Deraa. (AFP)

after some soldiers from surrounding roadblocks defected on Saturday and drove two armored personnel carriers into the town, according to opposition sources there. “Five people have been killed, includ-

Retaliatory abductions near Lebanon-Syria border TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Gunmen abducted on Sunday four Syrian Alawites and a Shiite man along the border with Syria after a Sunni Lebanese was kidnapped in the same region, a security official and witnesses told AFP. The tit-for-tat abductions occurred in the Wadi Khaled border region between the two countries, where tensions have run high between supporters and opponents of the regime in Syria, the sources said. They said unidentified gunmen first kidnapped a Sunni Muslim Lebanese man in the village of Massoudiyeh, which has a large Alawite community, the same sect of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Afterwards gunmen abducted four Syrian Alawites in the Wadi Khaled region and later a Syrian Shiite Muslim was also seized, the sources added. The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam and represents only 12 percent of Syria’s mostly Sunni population of 22 million people. Residents of the mostly Sunni region of Wadi Khaled blocked roads and burned tyres to protest against the abduction of the Lebanese national. Several kidnappings of Lebanese and Syrians have recently occurred in Wadi Khaled, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled repression in their country. The opposition Syrian National Council has repeatedly accused the Damascus regime of breaching the border with Lebanon and of launching attacks against Lebanese citizens and Syria refugees alike. Lebanon has also witnessed deadly sectarian violence over the past weeks, namely in the northern port city of Tripoli where supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime have clashed. -AFP

Iraq PM’s rivals lack votes to oust him, says president

BAGHDAD: Iraqi premier Nouri Al-Maliki called for a national dialogue Sunday after President Jalal Talabani said his rivals lacked the votes to oust him, but a protracted political row looked set to drag on. Opponents of the prime minister have for months accused him of monopolizing decision-making, with a political crisis that began in December worsening in recent weeks with open calls from multiple political parties to withdraw confidence from Al-Maliki’s national unity government. But late Saturday, Talabani said groups opposed to the premier lacked the 163 parliamentary votes required to sack him, with Al-Maliki pushing on Sunday for the country’s leaders to unite to rebuild the conflict-racked country. “I take this opportunity to renew a call for all political partners to sit at the table for negotiations, and to be open to discuss all disagreements,” the prime minister said in a statement issued by his office. “I am sure we will be able to overcome all challenges and difficulties that are in our way,” he added, while also thanking Talabani for his “constructive” role. On Saturday, Talabani’s office issued a statement, saying there was insufficient backing to pass a vote of no confidence against Maliki. “Due to a lack of (support), the letter of his Excellency the president of the republic, although its text was prepared, was not given to the parliament,” the statement said. It said more than 160 lawmakers had originally supported the motion to unseat Al-Maliki and, by extension, his government. They included members of the secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, the main Kurdish faction, and the movement loyal to powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. All three of those parties are members of Al-Maliki’s national unity government. At least 163 votes are required to pass a motion of no confidence in the prime minister, according to Article 61 of Iraq’s constitution. A no confidence motion can be put before parliament either by the president or by one-fifth of the 325 members of parliament.Talabani’s statement added, however: “Later, 11 of the signed lawmakers informed the office of the presidency of the withdrawal of their signatures, while two others requested to suspend their signatures.” It did not provide details on who the lawmakers in question were, or what blocs they belonged to. Despite Talabani’s statement, the crisis looked far from resolved, with Iraqiya, the Kurdish alliance, and Sadr’s bloc meeting in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil for further talks. -AFP

ing a woman and her one-year-old daughter. They were among the few civilians who had not fled Talbiseh,” activist Abu Mohammad said by satellite phone. In Homs, the army shelling was concen-

trated on the neighborhood of Al Khalidiya, inhabited mostly by Sunni tribal families from the desert to the southeast of Homs, activists said.

Civil disobedience

The Free Syrian Army on Sunday called on Syrians to begin a campaign of mass “civil disobedience” and also urged the strife-torn regime’s military officers and troops to jump ship and join the rebel ranks. “We call on Syrians to launch a general strike leading to mass civil disobedience,” FSA spokesman in Syria Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said in a statement. Saadeddine urged officers and men in Syria’s regular army “whose hands are not tainted with blood to join the fighters.” He said that for the FSA, which is largely composed of Syrian military deserters, “the hour of liberation and change has come.” “Soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers are called upon to join the rebellion and the ranks of the Free Syrian Army,” he added. The Syrian opposition’s new leader said on Sunday President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime was on its “last legs,” given the spiraling violence of recent days. “The multiplying massacres and shellings show that it is struggling,” said Kurdish activist Abdel Basset Sayda of a spate of mass killings of civilians. Sayda was elected in Istanbul to head the Syrian National Council, replacing the SNC’s first leader, Paris-based academic Burhan Ghalioun, who stepped down last month in the face of mounting splits undermining the group’s credibility. The death toll from the nearly 15-month uprising against Assad’s rule has now topped 14,100, the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. -Agencies

Human Rights Watch slams Israel migrant law JERUSALEM: Human Rights Watch on Sunday urged Israel to repeal or amend a law that allows migrants to be detained without charge for up to three years, calling it a violation of “basic rights.” The New York-based group said the new law “punishes asylum seekers for irregularly crossing into Israel, in violation of their basic rights.” “Subjecting irregular border-crossers to potential indefinite detention without charge or access to legal representation would violate the prohibition against arbitrary detention under international human rights law,” it said.

Israel announced on June 3 that officials would be able to detain migrants who crossed into the Jewish state illegally for up to three years, as part of a bid to stem the flow of African migrants into the country. But Human Rights Watch said the law stood to stoke anger against migrants, which erupted last month when a protest by around 1,000 people against the rising number of Africans in Israel turned violent. “Israeli officials are not only adding rhetorical fuel to the xenophobic fire, but they now have a new law that punishes refugees in violation of international

law,” said Human Rights Watch’s refugee program director Bill Frelick in a statement. “The law should be amended immediately, and not enforced until necessary revisions are made.” Interior ministry statistics show there are approximately 60,000 African immigrants who have entered Israel illegally. Some are refugees fleeing persecution in their home nations, but others are economic migrants. During the protest last month, demonstrators went on the rampage, attacking African-run shops and smashing up a car

driven by two African men. Police said afterwards that 20 people had been arrested on suspicion of vandalizing shops and attacking cars driven by Africans, but there were no injuries. Migrants have subsequently been targeted in several attacks, including the firebombing of an apartment in Jerusalem last week. The riots sparked shock in Israel, but also prompted top-level calls for the immediate arrest and expulsion of tens of thousands of African migrants, most of whom come from Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea. -AFP

ICC team in Libya for staff accused of ‘spying’ TRIPOLI: A Libyan official said Sunday an Australian lawyer detained after meeting Seif Al-Islam was being investigated for the crime of spying, as an ICC team arrived in Tripoli to try to secure her release. “The delegation just arrived now to negotiate with the Libyan authorities and the prosecutor general for the (ICC) team’s release,” said Ahmed Jehani, Libya’s envoy to the international tribunal. An International Criminal Court team of four people on Thursday visited Seif Al-Islam, son of slain dictator Muammar Gadhafi, in the town of Zintan, 180 kilometers (110 miles) from the capital, where he is in detention. The four were afterwards detained for allegedly breaching national security. The ICC said in a statement on Saturday that all four were being held. But Jehani said that only two members of the team, Australian Melinda Taylor, and her Lebanese interpreter, Helen Assaf, were in detention, while two men, a Russian and a Spanish national, stayed behind out of their own accord. “They arrested just two, the others stayed voluntarily,” said Jehani. “Melinda was arrested because she was surprised exchanging papers with the accused Seif Al-Islam,” he said, adding that her Lebanese interpreter was being held as

Ajmi Al-Atiri, commander of the Zintan brigade that arrested Seif Al-Islam, shows a document during a press conference in the Libyan city of Zintan on June 9, 2012. (AFP)

an “accomplice.” “She (Melinda Taylor) had a pen camera and a letter from one of the men most wanted by the Libyan judiciary,” Mohammed Ismail, the former right hand man to Seif who is now on the

run, he added. Jehani said he had seen the letter which consisted of “drawings” and “symbols,” a “code” which cannot be understood except by the person who sent it and the intended recipient, Seif.

“She is under investigation because she committed a crime. According to Libyan law, it would be spying, communication with the enemy.” Taylor works with Xavier-Jean Keita, the defense attorney appointed by the ICC. Contacted by AFP, Keita declined to make any comment. The team was there to help Seif choose a defense lawyer and that the visit was authorized by Libya’s chief prosecutors, according to the ICC. But Taylor’s wardens, members of the same Zintan brigade that captured Seif, say she should have declared the documents instead of sneaking them in. Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr called on Sunday for her release. “Australia wants Libyan authorities to grant immediate consular access to Melinda Taylor and provide every assistance in securing her release.” ICC president Judge Sang-Hyun Song noted on Saturday that his staff have “immunity when on an official ICC mission.” Jehani said: “The Libyan authorities should respect the immunity but Melinda broke the law in a very grave manner.” Jehani told AFP that he was working in conjunction with the ICC delegation for the team’s release and that he hoped the issue could be settled “amicably.” -AFP

Iran to crack down on web censor-beating software TEHRAN: Iran’s cyber police force is poised to launch a new crackdown on software that lets many Iranians circumvent the regime’s Internet censorship, media reported on Sunday. The operation will target VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, which use a secure protocol to encrypt users’ data, foiling online blocks put in place by Iran’s authorities, according to the head of the specialized police unit, Kamal Hadianfar. “It has been agreed that a commission (within the cyber police) be formed to block illegal VPNs,” he was quoted as saying in a report originally published by the Mehr news agency. “About 20 to 30 percent of (Iranian internet) users use VPN,” or more than seven million people out of the country’s 36 million web users, he added. Legal VPNs would only be used by “the likes of airlines, ministries, (state) organizations and banks,” he said - and even they would be monitored by the commission. Iran has long tried to stop its population accessing millions of foreign web-

sites authorities see as undermining the Islamic regime, including Facebook, Twitter, the online pages of the BBC and CNN, many torrent sites, blogs, and pornographic hubs. “Some websites are obscene and others are officially hostile towards the Islamic republic’s system. (Thus), in the interest of the people and in order to prevent the collapse of families... there is blocking of the Internet,” Hadianfar said. The Islamic republic’s suppressing of the Internet has intensified since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was returned to office in a disputed 2009 election that sparked a wave of antigovernment protests, mostly organized online. Many Iranian Internet users are used to getting around the censorship through the use of either VPNs or IP proxy software. But they are being increasingly hemmed in by more sophisticated measures being deployed by officials, who are planning a closed “Islamic Internet” that some believe could be designed to supplant the world wide web within Iran.

Iran’s telecommunications ministry last month reportedly ordered the country’s banks, insurance firms and telephone operators to stop using foreign e-mail accounts such as Gmail to communicate with clients, and instead adopt e-mail domains ending with .ir, which belongs to Iran. Authorities have also several times recently slowed connections through VPNs to an excruciatingly slow speed to dissuade their use, and have occasionally halted all access to Gmail, Yahoo mail and other foreign communication services. Such tactics have drawn criticism, even from within the regime, with politicians lamenting the obstacle they present for import/export merchants, students and researchers. Iran’s former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a sidelined pragmatic figure who now heads an advisory council to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted two weeks ago by the ISNA news agency as saying Facebook was a “blessing”. “We see that a Facebook page cost-

ing nothing can outstrip several television and radio outlets, and can influence millions of people,” he was quoted as saying. Trying to block the Internet - and banned although widely-watched foreign satellite television channels - was futile because users will always find ways around, he said. “People cannot be stopped in their pursuit of information,” he was quoted as saying. Rafsanjani said some in Iran’s regime may dislike that, “but if we think about the happiness of human beings, we see that if social media did not exist, movements against tyranny and oppression would be endangered.” The United States, Iran’s arch foe and the genitor of the Internet, is seeking to tear open what President Barack Obama in March termed the Islamic republic’s “electronic curtain”. He announced measures to encourage US software makers to market communication programs in Iran. And in April, he ordered new sanctions targeting companies that help Iran and its ally Syria oppress their people with surveillance software and monitoring technology. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION / VIEWS

MONdAY, June 11, 2012

Shards of Europe

Being wary of Twitter as a reliable news source

If Europe’s political center is widely perceived to be arbitrary and overweening, its authority will be rejected and resisted.

Harold James

Project Syndicate

s European leaders struggle after another failed summit, they should think hard about what their continent - and the world - might look like if they continue to produce unsatisfactory solutions to Europe’s financial and economic problems. What would follow the disintegration of the eurozone and - almost certainly with it - that of the European Union? The best place to consider that question would not be Brussels, but Tiraspol, the capital of the entity that calls itself the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, or Trans-Dniestr. This territorial sliver with a population of a half-million emerged in the early 1990s, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union (population almost 300 million), when it broke away from the Republic of Moldova (population four million), which had separated in the 1940s from Ukraine (population 50 million). Trans-Dniestr has its own government and parliament, army, constitution, flag, and a rousing Soviet-style national anthem; of course, its nationhood would be incomplete without its own currency. This political entity is a precise counterpart in the political world to a well-known physical phenomenon of splintering or fissuring. When stressed, a big surface bifurcates in big chunks, but then the disintegration continues into smaller and smaller fragments. Of the six larger EU states, only France has a really well-defined centralized political system. Poland’s centralism comes close, but strong regional differences persist - a legacy of the three large and quite different imperial systems that encompassed today’s Poland in the nineteenth century. Italy and Germany were nineteenth-century amalgamations of a colorful variety of small and medium-size political units. The United Kingdom looks older and more stable, but Scotland today is controlled by a political party that wants to repeal the 1707 Act of Union, with the future to be determined by a Scottish referendum in 2014. Spain after the Franco dictatorship stabilized itself by granting autonomy to its regions, which in many ways now behave like independent units. In these fragmented political areas, the logic of integration in the past depended on areas that were dissatisfied with political outcomes appealing to new allies in larger units. Franconians in southern Germany disliked the fact that the Napoleonic Wars subjected them to Bavarian rule; they saw German nationalism as a way to use Prussia and Berlin as a counterweight to Munich’s hegemony. But, once Germany was united, Bavarians did not like the outcome, and then thought of a united Europe as a counterweight to the German state. Indeed, Bavaria became adept at using European Community resources to bolster its own

This leads us to believe the underlying fact that our feelings and sentiments cloud our judgment towards or against certain news and it is this negative aspect that always misguides us.

Khaled Al-Qahas

political system. Integration had its own historical momentum; if and when it goes into reverse, that process will have a counter-momentum. The argument against European structures depends on hostility to a transfer union that might lead to some redistribution of resources.Why should our money be taken away and given to people in a very different area? What sort of claim do those people have? Germans thinking about the likelihood of transfers to southern Europe doubtless recall their country’s reunification after the collapse of communist East Germany in 1989-1990. There were massive transfers, and national resources were devoted to gigantic infrastructure projects. That was not enough to halt the hollowing out of the eastern L nder, as many of the ablest and most entrepreneurial people left - an experience that put enormous strain on national solidarity. Problems of transfers in a large political unit are at the heart of federalism. The United States’ early history was dominated by a passionate debate about the issue of solidarity. In 1790, when Alexander Hamilton argued that the new federal government should assume the states’ debts from the War of Independence, he encountered fierce hostility. The only way to sustain such a new political order, James Madison argued in The Federalist Papers, was to ensure that federal powers were few and limited. Europe is confronting a similar moment of destiny. It is now mired in an existential crisis more profound than at any point since 1945. And, while muddling through is a characteristic response of complex political systems, it is deeply destructive. If Europe’s political center is widely perceived to be arbitrary and overweening, its authority will be rejected and resisted. While adopting a new treaty may look like an unwieldy process, ill-suited to managing a fastmoving modern financial crisis, it is the only way to generate legitimacy for the institutions that are needed to address that crisis - in particular to provide reassurance that transfers will not be indefinite and unlimited. If European integration shifts into reverse, the outcome will not be a series of happy and prosperous nation-states, living in a sort of replica of the 1950s or 1960s. Southern Germans would wonder whether they were not transferring too much to the north’s old industrial rustbelt; northern Italians who support the anti-EU Lega Nord in the self-styled unit of “Padania” would want to escape from the rule of Rome and the south. Setting the clock back would thus not simply return Europe to the mid-twentieth century. The small states of the mid-nineteenth century, with no fiscal transfers out of a relatively limited area, might be recreated. But the dynamic might go further: the German territories had around 350 independent political entities in the mid-eighteenth century, and more than 3,000 before the middle of the seventeenth century. Watch out, Trans-Dniestr.

logged on to Twitter two days ago and was literally shocked to read a news article that was posted on its site claiming that the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior deported some Syrian nationals who were involved in storming the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait. On reading the news that was posted, a group of tweeters joined hands and put up a united front to stop their deportation, taking into consideration the underlying fact that once those deportees set foot on Syrian soil, they would not only be arrested but tortured mercilessly by the Syrian authorities. The tweeters also tweeted on their respective blogs that the deportation order was surely in violation of international human rights while several Kuwaiti MPs and political activists also decided to join the ranks of the team of tweeters in efforts to lend credible support to all those who objected the deportation of those Syrians. And in efforts to take their cause even further up the political hierarchy, a group of youths even plucked the courage and headed straight to Kuwait International Airport to voice their concerns over the harsh deportation sentence while a battery of arguments on Twitter, for and against the verdict, escalated and spiraled beyond control. It was only later, much to everyone’s relief of course, that news surfaced that the Ministry of Interior had issued a statement clarifying any and all doubts that those that were deported were just two Syrian men with criminal records and they were not, in any way, involved in the attack on the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait. The statement further explained that the two convicts were deported in accordance to Article 16 of the Constitutions applicable to expatriates.

However, just for the record, when I first read the news on Twitter, I frantically tried to find other reliable sources that could lend any credence to the news circulating on Twitter as well as among the inner circle of Kuwaiti MPs, but all my attempts were rendered futile. In fact, on taking a closer look at the tweets that were posted on Twitter, it finally dawned on me that the entire issue just didn’t make any sense. Since I just couldn’t bring myself to satiate my curiosity, I even went to the extent of asking others (through my Twitter account) if they had any other official sources affirming the news while also making it a point to mention the fact that I personally do not subscribe to the fact that the Kuwaiti government could ever undertake such a drastic and inhumane step; especially while taking into consideration the fact that the that the Kuwaiti government and citizens had unanimously condemned the Syrian government’s crackdown on its citizens that led to widespread chaos, commotion, violence; not to mention the gory deaths of hundreds of innocent lives. I just cannot comprehend the reasons why so many tweeters actually took the trouble of linking the deportation of those Syrians to the attack on the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait. Why didn’t they seek concrete evidence over the issue before jumping to

Ali Farzat

Harold James is Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton University and Professor of History at the European University Institute, Florence.

The price of inequality America can no longer regard itself as the land of opportunity that it once was. But it does not have to be this way: it is not too late for the American dream to be restored.

Joseph E. Stiglitz

Project Syndicate

such absurd and dangerous conclusions? Media studies have always indicated that people tend to believe what they want to believe, irrespective of whether the news is accurate, reliable or not. This leads us to believe the underlying fact that our feelings and sentiments cloud our judgment towards or against certain news and it is this negative aspect that always misguides us. This is a proven fact that those in the media are fully aware of and it indeed unfortunate that despite knowing the consequences of their actions, they still engage in misleading the people through erroneous assumptions by distorting the facts. The people on the other hand have always been known to first react and think of the consequences - by which time it is too late since the repercussions already begin to set in by then. This is precisely what happens in a small country like Kuwait especially since its population comprises a small yet well-knit society. And taking into consideration that it comprises a well-knit society, it is only understandable that gossip of any magnitude spreads like wild fire to an extent that the entire country could be agog with those rumors well within the hour. Moreover, it is the diwaniya culture that is deeply embedded in our minds and hearts that is the root cause of all those rumors that are a blot on society in general and our lives in particular.

merica likes to think of itself as a land of opportunity, and others view it in much the same light. But, while we can all think of examples of Americans who rose to the top on their own, what really matters are the statistics: to what extent do an individual’s life chances depend on the income and education of his or her parents? Nowadays, these numbers show that the American dream is a myth. There is less equality of opportunity in the United States today than there is in Europe - or, indeed, in any advanced industrial country for which there are data. This is one of the reasons that America has the highest level of inequality of any of the advanced countries - and its gap with the rest has been widening. In the “recovery” of 2009-2010, the top 1 percent of US income earners captured 93 percent of the income growth. Other inequality indicators - like wealth, health, and life expectancy - are as bad or even worse. The clear trend is one of concentration of income and wealth at the top, the hollowing out of the middle, and increasing poverty at the bottom. It would be one thing if the high incomes of those at the top were the result of greater contributions to society, but the Great Recession showed otherwise: even bankers, who

had led the global economy as well as their own firms, to the brink of ruin, received outsize bonuses. A closer look at those at the top reveals a disproportionate role for rentseeking: some have obtained their wealth by exercising monopoly power; others are CEOs who have taken advantage of deficiencies in corporate governance to extract for themselves an excessive share of corporate earnings. And there are still others who have used their political connections to benefit from government munificence - either excessively high prices for what the government buys (drugs), or excessively low prices for what the government sells (mineral rights). Likewise, part of the wealth of those in finance comes from exploiting the poor, through predatory lending and abusive credit-card practices. Those at the top, in such cases, are enriched at the direct expense of those at the bottom. It might not be so bad if there were even a grain of truth to trickle-down economics - the quaint notion that everyone benefits from enriching those at the top. But most Americans today are worse off - with lower real (inflationadjusted) incomes - than they were in 1997, a decade and a half ago. All of the benefits of growth have gone to the top. Defenders of America’s inequality argue that the poor and those in the middle shouldn’t complain. While they may be getting a smaller share of the pie than they did in the past,

the pie is growing so much, thanks to the contributions of the rich and superrich, that the size of their slice is actually larger. The evidence, again, flatly contradicts this. Indeed, America grew far faster in the decades after World War II, when it was growing together, than it has since 1980, when it began growing apart. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, once one understands the sources of inequality. Rent-seeking distorts the economy. Market forces, of course, play a role, too, but markets are shaped by politics; and, in America, with its quasi-corrupt system of campaign finance and its revolving doors between government and industry, politics is shaped by money. For example, a bankruptcy law that privileges derivatives over all else, but does not allow the discharge of student debt, no matter how inadequate the education provided, enriches bankers and impoverishes many at the bottom. In a country where money trumps democracy, such legislation has become predictably frequent. But growing inequality is not inevitable. There are market economies that are doing better, in terms of both GDP growth and rising living standards for most citizens. Some are even reducing inequalities. America is paying a high price for continuing in the opposite direction. Inequality leads to lower growth and less efficiency. Lack of opportunity means that its most

valuable asset - its people - is not being fully used. Many at the bottom, or even in the middle, are not living up to their potential, because the rich, needing few public services and worried that a strong government might redistribute income, use their political influence to cut taxes and curtail government spending. This leads to underinvestment in infrastructure, education, and technology, impeding the engines of growth. The Great Recession has exacerbated inequality, with cutbacks in basic social expenditures and with high unemployment putting downward pressure on wages. Moreover, the United Nations Commission of Experts on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System, investigating the causes of the Great Recession, and the International Monetary Fund have both warned that inequality leads to economic instability. But, most importantly, America’s inequality is undermining its values and identity.With inequality reaching such extremes, it is not surprising that its effects are manifest in every public decision, from the conduct of monetary policy to budgetary allocations. America has become a country not “with justice for all,” but rather with favoritism for the rich and justice for those who can afford it - so evident in the foreclosure crisis, in which the big banks believed that they were too big not only to fail, but also to be held accountable. America can no longer regard itself as the land of opportunity that it once was. But it does not have to be this way: it is not too late for the American dream to be restored. Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in Economics, is Professor of Economics at Columbia University. His latest book is The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers our Future.

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ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

MONDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

Kenya security minister killed in chopper crash NAIROBI: Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister for internal security George Saitoti and his deputy were killed when a police helicopter crashed into a forest just outside the capital, the government said on Sunday. Prime Minister Raila Odingaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesman said Odinga had been informed of the deaths of Saitoti and his deputy, Orwa Ojode. A former long-serving vice president under the former President Daniel Arap Moi, Saitoti was also a presidential candidate in an election expected to be held by March next year. A Reuters photographer counted three charred bodies at the scene of the crash in a forest in the Ngong area just outside of Nairobi. Debris of the burnt-out blue police helicopter were strewn in the brush where government officials and curious locals jostled to catch a glimpse. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. More people were feared to have been on board the helicopter. Saitoti, an ally of President Mwai Kibaki, was the leading government voice against Somali militants Al-Shabaab, often visiting the scenes of grenade attacks inside Kenya and vowing the east African nation would crush the group. Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troops have been fighting Al-Shabaab in neighboring Somalia since last October. The militants have killed several people in a string of grenade attacks in Nairobi, the far north and the coast in retaliation to Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moves against them. -Reuters

said. The chopper vanished in a mountain region on Wednesday, on a flight from Mazuco, in Madre de Dios department, to Cusco. Rain and snow had been major obstacles to the rescue workers until now. The helicopter lost contact with its base in Hualla Hualla between the towns of Ocongate and Marcapata, near the snowcapped Apu Colque Cruz peak. In Seoul, the foreign ministry said the South Koreans were engineers and officials from four South Korean companies on their way back to Cusco after conducting aerial surveillance on a possible site for a hydroelectric project near Puno, in southern Peru. Two officials from the South Korean embassy in Lima were in Cusco to monitor the search and rescue operations. Police General Hector Dulanto told AFP that the police mountain climbers found the helicopter crash site at mid-morning. The team took seven hours to reach the site from their base camp, officials said. Police said that it would be safer to send a team to the crash site by ground than by air due to the bad weather. Heavy rain and snow have hampered rescue efforts for days. -AFP

Romaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling leftists face test in municipal vote

MANILA: The leader of the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; largest Muslim rebel group is optimistic about the signing of a peace deal with the government, the group said on its website Sunday. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim acknowledged as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;breakthroughâ&#x20AC;? an agreement signed in April where both sides committed to create a new autonomous political region in the troubled south. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This document serves as the guide in the discussion over the negotiating table on the details of a peace accord between the two parties,â&#x20AC;? Murad was quoted by the rebel-controlled www.luwaran.com website as saying. -AFP

RAJKOT: Stepping up his attack on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that the country is disappointed with it and also exuded confidence that the Congress will be wiped out in the state assembly elections later this year. Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state executive meeting here, Modi said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The country is disappointed and upset with the Congress led UPA government. Coalition compulsions are preventing Congress from acting against corruption.â&#x20AC;? Being optimistic about his win in Gujarat assembly election in December, Modi said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been winning elections since 2002 and Gujarat has turned electoral politics into developmental politics. People will vote us to power again this year.â&#x20AC;? -AFP

second place ahead of the populist Dan Diaconescu, whose new party wants steep tax cuts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What matters to us is to get better wages, more jobs, and ... to see the government cares more about us,â&#x20AC;? said Elena Constantinescu, 40, working at a cable company in the southwestern city of Pitesti. The USL group is dominated by the PSD party, the reformed heir of Romaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-1989 communists. Eighteen candidates have entered the race for Bucharest including incumbent USL-backed mayor Sorin Oprescu and PDL deputy Silviu Prigoana. Most candidates have promised to tackle the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chronic stray dogs problem. There are up to 40,000 strays in the streets of Bucharest, a problem exacerbated by late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu who forced thousands of people move into apartments where they could not look after the animals. Former premier Emil Boc, who rolled out the painful austerity cuts and tax hikes in 2010, is running to become mayor of the city of Cluj in Transylvania - his stronghold. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a test day for those who had governed Romania at times of crisis,â&#x20AC;? President Traian Basescu, a PDL ally, told reporters after casting his ballot. Polling stations are due to close at 02.00 p.m. EDT when the first exit polls will be released. The Central Electoral Bureau may release final results as early as on Monday. -Reuters

Minister flies to Afghanistan after French deaths PARIS: Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense minister is due to travel to Afghanistan on Sunday hours after an attack that killed four French soldiers and an announcement that the nation would begin withdrawing troops in July. The attack by a burqa-clad Taliban suicide bomber was the first fatal incident to hit the French since Francois Hollande took office last month and the president said France would pay â&#x20AC;&#x153;national homageâ&#x20AC;? to the dead. Speaking after the attack in eastern Afghanistan Hollande, who has promised to bring combat troops home by the end of the year, announced that the withdrawal would begin next month. He also asked Defense Minister JeanYves Le Drian to head to Afghanistan. Five other troops were wounded in Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attack in the Nijrab district of Kapisa province, where most of Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3,500 soldiers in the country are stationed, officials said. Three were in critical condition. Hollande reiterated his vow to with-

draw all combat troops by the end of 2012 - a year earlier than Paris initially planned, and two years before NATO allies - saying the suicide attack had not changed his plans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What happened does not change anything, it neither accelerates nor delaysâ&#x20AC;? withdrawal plans, he said. While some have called for the pullout to be sped up, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is not possible to go faster,â&#x20AC;? he added. NATO allies have downplayed the effect of their early departure, saying Afghan troops were ready to take over. And US General John Allen, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, has said there will be no reduction in security in Kapisa. But the province, which controls part of the access to Kabul from Taliban flashpoints on the Pakistani border, has proved a tough operation for the French, troubled by turf wars between Islamist insurgents and drug dealers. And there are fears that Afghan forces will not be able to fill the security vacuum.-AFP

was slightly below the 22.56 percent whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d voted by midday in the first round of the last parliamentary elections in 2007. Most polling stations close at 1600 GMT, while those in Paris and other large cities close at 1800 GMT. The first results are expected shortly after the end of the voting. The legislative race hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t garnered nearly the headlines or drama of the presidential race in April and May, and many polls suggest turnout among Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 46 million voters could be around 40 percent - far less than in Hollandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showdown with Nicolas Sarkozy. -AP

NATO will not launch air raids near homes KABUL: NATO will not conduct any more air strikes in residential areas, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said, after 18 civilians, most of them women and children, were killed in a recent raid provoking fresh rage against foreign forces. The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Allen, has apologized for the killings in Logar province during a joint operation with Afghan forces on Wednesday and promised an investigation into circumstances leading to the air strike. Karzai met Allen and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Saturday and said that such strikes were a violation of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries last month both in â&#x20AC;&#x153;text and spiritâ&#x20AC;?, the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office said a statement late on Saturday. -Reuters

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Polls open in French legislative elections PARIS: French voters choose lawmakers for the lower house of parliament Sunday, in a poll that will determine whether new President Francois Hollandeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Socialists or rival conservatives control the government. The elections, followed by runoffs a week later, will also show whether Hollande can push his taxthe-rich, down-with-austerity agenda, and how much of a voice the far right will have in policies on immigration and Muslim practices. At midday turnout was 21.06 percent, according to figures released by the Interior Ministry. That

Philippines Muslim rebel leader hopeful of deal

Rescuers collect the burnt bodies of passengers of a police helicopter after it crashed at a forest in the Kibiko area of Ngong township, on the outskirts of Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital Nairobi, June 10. (Reuters)

A Peruvian police high mountain rescue team preparing to explore the Hualla Hualla area during the ongoing rescue operations on June 8, to locate the wreckage of the Sikorsky S-58ET helicopter lost at more than 4,700 meters (15,500 feet) above sea level in a southern Andean area of Peru. (AFP)

BUCHAREST: Romanian voters went to the polls on Sunday in the first electoral test of the ruling leftists since they came to power on a wave of discontent over austerity measures in the European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second-poorest economy. Prime Minister Victor Ponta will be particularly keen to capture powerful mayoral positions in a string of big cities, including the capital Bucharest, to build up his support ahead of a November parliamentary vote. Thousands of county and municipal seats were also up for grabs in the ballot which started at 7 a.m. (12.00 a.m. EDT). â&#x20AC;&#x153;I voted for what I think could be honest and diligent politicians,â&#x20AC;? said 58-year-old teacher Mariana Stoiculescu at a downtown polling station in Bucharest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want better wages, better services and a better life for our children.â&#x20AC;? Police said they were investigating a number of fraud allegations during early voting, including accusations of bribery and attempts at multiple voting. Pontaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Liberal Union USL alliance toppled the centre-right Democrat-Liberal Party (PDL) following a no-confidence vote in parliament last month. He promised to restore wages and cut some taxes, while sticking to an International Monetary Fund-led aid deal. The PDL cut public salaries and raised sales tax in 2010 as part of an austerity program. The party was so badly damaged it has struggled to hold on to

NEWS IN BRIEF

Modi steps up attack on Congress-led UPA

Peru rescuers to recover bodies of helicopter victims

LIMA: Officials said they hoped to recover Sunday the bodies of 14 people who died when their helicopter crashed in the Peruvian Andes several days ago. A special police mountain rescue team managed to reach the crash site Saturday and confirmed everyone on board the Sikorsky S-58 ET which went missing Wednesday had died. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are en route to the accident site where the helicopter and the bodies are located,â&#x20AC;? prosecutor Cesar Guevara, of the town of Urcos in the southern department of Cusco, told Canal N television by phone. However it could take up to four hours to reach the site, located near Mount Mamarosa, some 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level, and the team could be retrieving bodies into Sunday, Guevara said. On board the helicopter were eight South Koreans, a Czech, a Swede, a Dutch citizen and three Peruvians - two of them crew - according to helicopter owner HeliCusco. However it could take up to four hours to reach the site, located near Mount Mamarosa, some 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level, and the team could be retrieving bodies into Sunday, Guevara

(â&#x201E;Ś.Â˘T) Ă&#x161;eĂ&#x2030;Ă â&#x2C6;?d â&#x201E;ŚĂ&#x201C;Â°ĂšdG QGO ĂĄcĂ´Â°T

Dar al Salam Ins.co.

A-

BUSINESS

m ar ket watc h KUWAIT

DUBAI

0.19% 6110

0.23% 1467

QATAR

OMAN

0.18% 8301

0.49% 5757

monDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

OIL MARKETS

ABU DHABI

BAHRAIN

0.61% 2455

0.45% 1137

EGYPT

SAUDI

0.39% 4471

1.3% 6749

US Crude $84.34 $0.24 London Brent $99.47 $0.46 Kuwait Crude $94.68 $0.95 Information Courtesy: KAMCO

CURRENCIES US Dollar

British Pound

Saudi Riyal

Qatari Riyal

Indian Rupee

Buy 0.2805 Sell 0.2807

Buy 0.4339 Sell 0.4343

Buy 0.0748 Sell 0.0748

Buy 0.07708 Sell 0.07701

Buy 0.005065 Sell 0.005059

Buy 0.7439 Sell 0.74447

Buy 0.006492 Sell 0.006472

Euro

Japanese Yen

Buy 0.351 Sell 0.3514

Buy 0.003526 Sell 0.003532

UAE Dirham

Buy 0.07635 Sell 0.07642

Bahraini Dinar

Philippine Peso

Europe bailout of Spain could cost $125 billion

Prices in Kuwaiti fils, as of June 10, 2012. Courtesy: KAMCO

UAE may face risks from deepening euro crisis, says IMF

CAPITALS: Spain became the fourth and largest country to ask Europe to rescue its failing banks, a bailout of up to 100 billion euro (125 billion US dollars) that leaders hoped would stabilize a financial crisis that threatens to break apart the 17-country eurozone. The rescue offer follows growing pressure from international investors and the Obama administration and comes a week before elections in Greece, whose voters could decide whether the country leaves the euro. Europe’s widening recession and financial crisis has hurt companies and investors around the world. Providing a financial lifeline to Spanish banks is likely to relieve anxiety on the Spanish economy - which is five times larger than Greece’s - and on markets concerned about the country’s ability to pay its way. “What the markets are looking for is essentially the Spanish government’s acceptance that its banks are broke,” said Jacob Kirkegaard, a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, Saturday. Economy Minister Luis de Guindos announced the deal after an emergency conference call with eurozone financial leaders. He said the aid will go to the banking sector only and would not come with new austerity conditions attached for the economy in general - conditions that have been an integral part of previous bailouts to Portugal, Ireland and Greece. The exact figure of the bailout has not yet been decided. De Guindos said the country is waiting until independent audits of the country’s banking sector have been carried out before asking for a specific amount. The audits are expected June 21 at the latest. De Guindos did say, however, that Spain would request enough money for recapitalization, plus a safety margin that will be “significant.” With markets in turmoil, de Guindos said the government’s efforts to shore up the financial sector “must be completed with the necessary resources to finance the needs of recapitalization.” Finance ministers of the 17 countries that use the euro said the money would be fed directly into a fund Spain set up to recapitalize its banks, but underscored that the Spanish government is ultimately responsible for the loan. Still, that plan allows Spain to avoid making the onerous commitments that Greece, Ireland and Portugal were forced to when they sought their rescues. Instead, the eurogroup statement said that it expected Spain’s banking sector to implement reforms and that Spain would be held to its previous commitments to reform its labor market and manage its deficit. The eurogroup statement said that meant the cost could reach 100 billion euro. The Spanish acceptance of aid for its banks is a big embarrassment for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who insisted just 10 days ago that the banking sector would not need a bailout. He was elected in November and walked right into a hurricane. International pressure on Spain to solve its financial problems has grown more urgent in recent weeks. On Thursday ratings agency Fitch hit Spain with a three-notch downgrade of its credit rating. That left it two levels above junk

A Chinese woman weaves rattan baskets for sale at a shop in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province on June 10, 2012. China said its exports and imports shot up in May, but analysts cautioned the better-than-expected data was no cause for joy amid global economic woes and a slowdown in the Asian powerhouse. (AFP)

status. Then on Friday, Moody’s Investor Services warned it could downgrade Spain and other countries in the eurozone. The International Monetary Fund early Saturday released a report estimating that Spanish banks need a recapitalization injection of at least 40 billion euro ($50 billion) following a stress test it performed on the country’s financial sector. That report came out three days ahead of schedule, underscoring the urgency of the situation. And US President Barack Obama, facing re-election, enduring a weak economy and in need of strong trading partners, expressed strong concern late Friday over the European economic crisis. US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner welcomed Spain’s decision and the offer of European support, describing them as “important for the health of Spain’s economy and as concrete steps on the path to financial union, which is vital to the resilience of the euro area.” French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the deal would “contribute to restoring confidence in the eurozone.” “The accord announced tonight speaks to a reinforced solidary among the countries of the eurozone and to their resolute desire to ensure its stability,” he said in a statement. Spain’s financial problems are not due to Greek-style government over-spending. The country’s banks got caught up in the collapse of a real estate bubble. However, as Spain’s leaders have struggled for a solution to their banking crisis, the country’s borrowing costs have soared close to the level

KSX15 to be reviewed semi-annually KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) has conducted the first review of its KSX15 Index since it was officially launched on May 13, in parallel with the launch of the new trading system ‘X-stream’. This was part of a press release on Sunday. According to the Index rules, the review of KSX15 Index is performed semi-annually based on data collected after market close on the last trading days of May and November. The re-evaluation of the listed companies will sometimes result in the removal of some companies from the Index and the addition of others. As a result of this Periodic Review, National Mobile Telecommunications and Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Company have been removed from the Index and are replaced by Boubyan Petrochemicals Company and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company, both of which were previously in the Reserve List. Also, The Commercial Real Estate Company and United Real Estate Company have been added to the Reserve List in addition to Aviation Lease and Finance Company. The Periodic Review for selection of companies in KUWAIT 15 Index is conducted by selecting the fifty most traded companies by turnover in the period under review and ranking them by market capitalization; the fifteen

highest ranked companies are selected to the Index for the next period. Also, KSE publishes a Reserve List of three companies which will be drawn on at the time of any deletion of any constituent in the KSX15 Index before the next regular review. A removed constituent will be replaced by the highest ranked company in the Reserve List. KSX15, which started with a base value of 1,000 points, has a special significance as it tracks the performance of the Kuwait stock market using a set of key liquid stocks and hence gives a highly reliable indication of the performance of the Kuwaiti economy. This helps KSE foster transparency in the market which in turn enables the different categories of investors to take informed decisions. The result of this review will be implemented after the market close on June 21, which is the third Thursday in June according to the Index procedures rules. KSX15 companies represent 64.21 percent of the total market capitalization and 31.27 percent of the total market liquidity. KSX15 constituents are listed in the table below as well as the Reserve List according to the review of the listed companies for the period from Dec.1, 2011 until the end of May 2012. This list is valid from June 21 to the end of November 2012.

Capital Markets Authority launches official website KUWAIT: Kuwait Capital Markets Authority (CMA) announced in a press release on Sunday the launch of its official website (www.cma.gov.kw) to the public as part of its plan to continuously develop proper means of accessing information and to increase the levels of transparency and disclosure. The new website will allow the visitors to have access to all important information related to the CMA such as Law number 7/2010, the executive bylaw, announcements, decisions and press statements issued by the CMA, among others. The CMA remains keens that the

new website has a special design rich of information which includes, among other things, useful websites of different authorities and institutions in Kuwait for visitors. This new website also serves as a window of information about the CMA like the activities and services offered by the CMA. It also serves as a channel of contact with all those interested about the CMA. With the launch of the website, The Capital Markets Authority urges all authorized persons to follow the website regularly in order to receive and be updated with the latest information, decisions and instructions issued by the CMA.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

that forced the governments of Greece, Portugal and Ireland to seek rescues. Some of Spain’s banks are struggling with by toxic real estate loans and assets. The Bank of Spain says they total around 180 billion euro. Nationalized lender Bankia, SA, which has requested 19 billion euro in aid, has 32 billion euro in toxic assets. Around four other banks are considered prime candidates for bailouts. De Guindos said Saturday the sector is largely solid and the euro zone package will be funnel toward only about 30 percent of it. Analyst Rafael Pampillon if IE Business School in Madrid said the bailout addressed the uncertainty the markets had felt about how Spain’s debt-laden banking sector would recapitalize. “This uncertainty, and hence the panic, will slowly dissipate from the markets,” he said. Pampillon added that with polls forecasting a pro-Euro victory in Greek elections, markets would be further relieved because the austerity conditions imposed on Greece would most likely be fulfilled. Eswar Prasad, a Cornell University trade policy professor and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the decision “buys some temporary breathing room for the eurozone.” Moody’s said Spain’s banking problem is largely confined to that country and not likely to spill over to other eurozone nations, with the exception of Italy - where the European Central Bank has already stepped in to buy government bonds as a way to help lower the country’s borrowing costs. Spain has been criticized for being too slow to set out a

Company Name NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY K.S.C KUWAIT FINANCE HOUSE GULF BANK OF KUWAIT BOUBYAN BANK K.S.C AHLI UNITED BANK COMMERCIAL BANK OF KUWAIT BURGAN BANK MABANEE COMPANY ( S.A.K.C ) KUWAIT PROJECTS COMPANY (HOLDING) K.S.C.C AGILITY PUBLIC WAREHOUSING COMPANY BOUBYAN PETROCHEMICALS CO. (K.S.C) NATIONAL INDUSTRIES GROUP (HOLDING) KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL BANK QURAIN PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES CO.K.S.C

Reserve List Company Name 1 AVIATION LEASE AND FINANCE CO. K.S.C.C 2 THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CO. K.S.C.C 3 UNITED REAL ESTATE COMPANY

UAE’s Dana Gas shuffles board amid debt talks

DUBAI: Sharjah-based Dana Gas, the energy firm which has a one billion US dollars Islamic bond, or Sukuk, due in October, has appointed a new chairman, it said in a bourse filing on Sunday. Adel KhalidAl-Sabeeh, previously deputy chairman, replaces Hamid Jafar as chairman, according to the results of an annual general meeting held on June 7. Jafar remains a board member, the company said. Dana also named Tawfeeq Abdulrahman Al-Moayed as its new deputy chairman. No reason for the changes to the company’s board were given in the bourse filing. The natural gas producer appointed Blackstone Group and Deutsche Bank as advisers to help it weigh options for repayment of the outstanding $920 million on the convertible Sukuk and said it was committed to finding a consensual solution. -Reuters

roadmap to resolve its problem. European business leaders and analysts have stressed that Spain must find a solution quickly so that it is not caught up in any market turmoil sparked by the June 17 Greek elections. There are concerns that anti-bailout left-wing party Syriza could become the largest party in the Greek parliament, putting the country’s membership in the eurozone at risk. Working in Spain’s favor is the fact that its public debt is actually quite low, at 68.5 percent of its gross domestic product at the end of 2011. Its debt is predicted to hit 78 percent by the end of the year, but even that figure would be below the debt-to-GDP ratios of Europe’s strongest economy, Germany, which is at 82 percent. But Spain’s in its second recession in three years, with unemployment at nearly 25 percent and little hope for improvement this year. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government has imposed a wave of austerity measures since he took office in December that have raised taxes, made it cheaper to hire and fire workers and cut government funding for education and health care. In more news, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Gulf countries could face major financial repercussions if the euro zone debt crisis spreads from the bloc’s peripheral states to its core and infects global markets, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. Risks are particularly serious for economies that depend on foreign financing and have financial links to Europe, the IMF said in a report dated April 27, which it prepared for consultations with the UAE and released in June. “While vulnerabilities have decreased since 2008, the results of this analysis nonetheless suggest that the (UAE) authorities need to remain vigilant to global shocks and continue to strengthen buffers.” The banking system of the UAE, the world’s No. 3 oil exporter, is only moderately exposed to Europe, the IMF noted. Foreign liabilities are about 19 percent of its total liabilities, while Europeans hold about 20 percent of UAE banking system assets. “While the estimated level of financial spillovers to Dubai is once again increasing, it is still below 2008-09 levels. European countries, Greece in particular, have been key contributors.” The IMF also said the UAE banking system did not show any signs of distress now, while the probability that all its banks would experience large losses simultaneously was very low. However, the report added, “The results of this analysis show that risk is concentrated in a few banks; these banks will need stronger supervision and closer monitoring of their cross-border and their domestic interbank exposures.” Any worsening of the pressures on euro zone governments and banks to fund themselves would pose a direct risk for the UAE, the IMF said. Despite solid economic growth last year, Dubai is still recovering from its 2009-2010 corporate debt crisis. “While the funding situation of local banks has stabilized, a foreign funding shock could generate some liquidity tightening in the banking sector,” the report said. It predicted the asset quality of UAE banks would deteriorate this year and the number of bad loans would rise, although the banking sector would be able to handle a significant increase. Seven out of 26 listed companies in the UAE’s real estate sector, with total liabilities of $12 billion, have operating losses or do not have sufficient operating income to service their debt, it said. -Agencies

KSE ends session with mixed indices

Gulf stock markets bearish, forecast to remain so in summer

CAPITALS: Kuwait Stock Exchange’s (KSE) KSX 15 index ended Sunday’s trading session with a loss of 4.39 points to read 963.02 points, while contrast, the price index was up 11.61 points to 6,110.87 points. The weighted index shed 0.59 points to 401.14 points. Trades came to 4,835 transactions, worth 25,401,015.755 Kuwaiti dinars and volume reached 333,523,916 shares. Top share for the day was that of National International Company holding. The biggest loser was Dulaqan Real Estate Company, and top volume share was that of Gulf Finance House. The 14 sector indices were mostly in green with healthcare on top. The biggest loser was the Insurance sector. Kuwait Stock Exchange started week trading Sunday on a mixed board with the price index coming to 6,104.71 points, an increase of 5.45 points, while the weighted index dropped to read 400.84 points on a down of 0.89 points, and the lately introduced KSX 15 index came to 963.13 points, losing 4.28 points. Trades came to 928 transactions, worth KD 4,020,499.466, with 72,406,643 shares changing hands till time of this reading. In more news, Gulf stock markets performed in a “tragic manner” in May and closed the month bearishly, according to a report released by Global Investment House. Lacking new motivating factors, the stock markets of the Gulf region had to resort to follow-up on international markets, which also took an alarming bearish path, due to the deepening credit crisis in Europe. Spain was the center point of latest developments in Europe, with Standard and Poor’s lowering credit rating for major Spanish banks. Saudi market was number-one loser among bourses of the region, falling 7.7 percent, in May, the Global report said, noting that the bearish trend of the regional markets was forecast to proceed in the summer. The Global report said up to 21.8 billion shares were traded in May, compared to 28.2 billion the previous month, 22.7 percent lower. Total value of traded shares reached 49.5 billion US dollars in contrast to $79.4 billion in April, dropping 37.6 percent. Market value amounted to $721 billion in the end of May. The value of the Saudi market constituted up to 50.5 percent of the overall value of the regional markets. -Agencies

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

mondAY, June 11, 2012

Iran feels sanctions pain as oil income slumps LONDON: Iran’s state finances have come under unprecedented pressure and the resilience of ordinary people is being tested by soaring inflation as oil income plummets due to tightening Western sanctions and sharply falling oil prices. Tough financial measures imposed by Washington and Brussels have made it ever more difficult to pay for and ship oil from Iran. Its oil output has sunk to the lowest in 20 years, cutting revenue that is vital to fund a sprawling state apparatus. Already down by more than a quarter, or about 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), from rates of 2.2 million bpd last year, shipments of crude oil from Iran are expected to drop further when a European Union oil embargo takes effect on July 1. Tehran is already estimated to have lost more than 10 billion US dollars in oil revenues this year. Causing even more pain, oil prices fell below $100 a barrel last week to a 16month low amid a darkening outlook for economies in Europe, the United States and China. “This is an act of economic warfare. The sanctions are having a big effect in cumulative terms: Iran is being locked out of the global financial system,” said Mehdi Varzi, a former official at the National Iranian Oil Company. “It does appear that Iran is more amenable to negotiations now than it was a year ago. The West should take advantage of this momentary situation to offer more meaningful concessions - a road map to where this will all end,” said Varzi, now running an energy consultancy in Britain, Varzi Energy. Diplomats and analysts say Iran may offer the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, increased cooperation as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with world powers, which resumed in April after a 15-month hiatus and are to continue in Moscow on June 18-19. Basic mathematics dictate that the lower Iran’s oil exports, the higher the oil price it will need to stay in the black. According to the International Monetary Fund, Iran needs oil at $117 a barrel to balance its budget, set at $462 billion. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the budget was designed to decrease Iran’s dependence on oil revenues. Senior Iranian oil officials have acknowledged that sanctions have reduced exports but say the country has long experience of finding ways around them and a drop in oil revenue is not the end of the world. “Personally, I will be very happy if the dependence of the economy on oil revenue is decreased,” said an Iranian oil official, who requested anonymity. “We can use the sanctions as an opportunity”. Struck by soaring prices

International sanctions have been a fact of life in Iran for decades and Tehran is adept at working round them. But there are growing signs that ordinary people are feeling much more pain from them than in the past as inflation has soared in the last six months. “I was struck by the high prices when I went to the grocery store yesterday,” said Ahmad, 54, who owns a small fabric shop in Tehran’s bazaar. He said the price of apples had more than doubled in the past month and strawberries had almost tripled to 110,000 Iranian rials per kilo, or more than six dollars at market rates. “Little by little, even fruit is becoming a luxury.” Inflation is now officially running at about 20 percent, although economists say prices of the goods most Iranians worry about are rising much faster. The country is undergoing what the

government has called major economic surgery, in the form of cuts to the multibillion dollar subsidies which for years have held down the price of essential goods such as fuel and food. The value of the rial began to slip in January and traded at around 20,000 rials per dollar in February, up from 10,500 rials in December. It now stands at around 17,800 rials at market rates while the official rate is 12,260 rials to dollar. The price of petrol on the domestic market remains stable but taxi and public transport fares have gone up. Sanctions are also painfully reshaping flows of goods for small enterprises, with one owner of an import company in Tehran saying he was forced to fire some workers recently after being forced to source his purchases from China instead of Europe. “The shift caused a great deal of financial loss for us. I am not sure how much longer we can go on like this. We certainly will not be able to cope if financial sanctions on Iran intensify,” the entrepreneur, who asked not be named, said. Homeless oil

On the export front, several big European companies have halted purchases of Iranian oil and others are winding down. Iran had hoped that energy-hungry China and India, both major customers, would mop up much of the oil left homeless by European clients. That may not be the case. “Our impression is that China and India have not been as helpful as the Iranians expected,” said a senior Western oil executive, who declined to be identified. “But it’s very difficult to get a clear picture of how much oil is moving because they are deliberately cutting off communication.” Since early April, Tehran has been hiding the destination of its oil sales by switching off tracking systems on its tankers. But barrels counted upon arrival in Iran’s top four customers - China, India, Japan and South Korea - show a 20 percent decrease, or 357,000 bpd, so far this year, according to government data and industry sources. That translates into a loss in revenue of roughly $35.7 million a day, or $4.3 billion in the first four months of this year, based on current Brent crude prices. Iranian crude is sold at a discount of several dollars per barrel to benchmark dated Brent, so the actual losses are likely to be even higher. Some relief has come from soaring prices earlier this year as Brent so far in 2012 is averaging $116 a barrel, up from 2011’s $110, which was a record high. But reduced output and falling prices are making things worse very quickly. From July 1, Morgan Stanley expects Iranian exports to fall by a further 150,000 bpd while the International Energy Agency has said they could almost halve by one million bpd. That is putting Iran on course for a huge drop in oil revenues, while those of its rivals from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPCE) will hit a record. According to the Londonbased Centre for Global Energy Studies, the strong oil price has put OPEC on a path to earn $911 billion from oil exports this year. Iran - OPEC’s second biggest producer - could see a 39 percent decrease this year to $44 billion, while Saudi Arabia is expected to see a three billion dollars increase to $294 billion. Belt tightening may be needed for Iran to withstand lower oil prices and exports after the EU sanctions take full effect. “The only way around it will be for Iran to cut the budget, which has a lot of fat,” said Varzi. -Reuters

Dubai’s Friendi eyes 6 markets after Virgin deal

DUBAI: Dubai group Friendi plans to expand into six more countries within four years after the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreed a strategic partnership with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, its chief executive told Reuters on Sunday. Under the deal, Friendi will add Virgin Mobile’s South African unit to its existing MVNO licenses in Oman and Jordan. The company will be renamed Virgin Mobile Middle East & Africa, with Virgin holding a minority stake to become the largest shareholder in the new entity. No financial details of the transaction were provided. MVNOs lease excess capacity from conventional telecoms operators and typically pay them a percentage of their revenue. The new company will have more than one million subscribers, with about 300,000 from Virgin Mobile South Africa and the remainder from Friendi’s Jordan and Oman operations. Friendi also provides branding and advisory services to Saudi Arabia’s number three telecoms operator Zain Saudi. “We have a target of growing to five million customers by 2015, so adding about a million customers per year for the next three to four years,” Friendi Chief Executive Mikkel Vinter told Reuters. “It’s partly growth in existing markets, but also reasonably fast expansion across new markets. We have an ambition to get to 10 markets from the four we have today within a three- to four-year timeframe.” He declined to reveal which countries the company was targeting. “We are looking at some markets in the Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia,” said Vinter. “We have an ambition of at least one additional launch later this year.” The Virgin tie-up will likely be concluded within two months, pending regulatory approval. “It’s essentially a cash and shares deal where we’re getting the South African business, the brand licence and some cash and they’re getting some shares,” he said. This will also boost Friendi’s plans to launch an initial public offering within the next two years. “Virgin has an impressive track record of listing its businesses, which will give comfort to the exchanges and investors,” added Vinter. “There are two important parameters - the market needs to be ready, which is currently not the case, and we need to be ready, which is also not the case.” Vinter said no financial advisors had been named for the potential float. -Reuters

Sunday 10 June, 2012 Index Price index Weighted Index KSX 15

Change Ÿ ź ź

11.61 -0 59 -0.59 -4.39

Security

High

Low

Volume

MARIN

152

144

43437

IKARUS

340

320

41,651

IPG

Closing

Last Closing

High

Low

6,110.87 401 14 401.14 963.02

6,099.26 401 73 401.73 967.41

6,118.78 401 73 401.73 967.41

6,093.78 398 95 398.95 955.94

Trades Value (KD)

Trades

Last

6 477 6,477

148

60 6.0

0.0

13,628

320

-5.0

Change

Volume Value (KWD) Number of Trades

334,120,322 25 693 180 25,693,180 4,877

High

Low

Volume

Trades Value (KD)

Trades

URC

108

106

341 703 341,703

36 221 36,221

108

NRE

126

124

60,000

7,540

126

2.0

SRE

255

25,000

6,375

255

-5.0

Security

Last

Change

20 2.0

NAPESCO

325

4,392

1,427

325

0.0

PEARL

36,992

1,017

0.5

AREFENRGY

130

272,220

35,389

130

-2.0

TAM

0.0

GPI

122,848

7,371

2.0

AREEC

ABAR

190

172

1,007 485,555

191 64,483

5 38

182 955.35

Ÿ Ÿ

2.0 6.72

MASSALEH ARABREC UREC

PIPE

106

104

50,000

5,260

106

2.0

ERESCO

716,435

66,263

KFOUC

315

20,000

6,300

315

0.0

MABANEE

1,020

990

524,300

525,434

BPCC

610

75 000 75,000

45 750 45,750

610

0.0

INJAZZAT

903 299 903,299

56 505 56,505

0.0

INVESTORS

31,813,835

633,632

305

ALQURAIN Basic Materials

216

214

661,540 806,540

141,997 199,307

43 55

214 954.81

ź Ÿ

-2.0 1.48

IRC ALTIJARIA

55 84

51 83

64,699,271 243,500

3,412,962 20,252

433 6

SANAM

140,000

8,540

KCEM

400

10,623

4,249

400

0.0

AAYANRE

3,545,300

292,394

REFRI

168

162

517,000

83,784

168

4.0

AQAR

CABLE

1,180

1,120

62,650

71,830

1,180

-20.0

ALAQARIA

SHIP

182

180

502,400

91,128

180

0.0

MAZAYA

73,000

PCEM

890

870

352,010

306,794

880

0.0

ADNC

744,998

21,232

2.5

PAPER

200

4,852

970

200

-2.0

THEMAR

6,428,766

552,874

1.0

Oil & Gas

ALKOUT

0.0

100 36

99 35

12,000 833,328

1,190 29,237

2 33

100 36

ź Ÿ

-2.0 0.5

0.0

1,000

10.0

-1.0

0.5

53 84

Ÿ ŷ

1.0 0.0

0.0

5,402

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LIFE

mondAY, June 11, 2012

Asteroid warning system needed to alert, educate public worldwide WASHINGTON: The nations of the world need to work together to develop a warning and communication system that could mitigate the worst effects of a catastrophic asteroid strike, a new report stresses according to SPACE. Such a system would issue international warnings about possible impending strikes and educate the public about the threats posed by near-Earth objects. It also would call government leaders’ and the public’s attention to the scientific value and potential economic importance of asteroids. Coming up with international guidelines of this sort would not be easy, since nothing of its kind has been done before, write the authors of the report, which was issued by the nonprofit Secure World Foundation. “Today no worldwide disaster-notification protocol of any kind exists. The closest analogy might be the cooperative early-warning system developed for tsunamis in the wake of the devastating inundation of the coasts of Southeast Asia in 2004,” the report states. It is being presented this week to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space during a conference in Vienna. Communicating the risk

The report summarizes the findings of a

meeting convened last November by the Secure World Foundation and the Association of Space Explorers. That meeting concentrated on helping a United Nations team develop a proposed Information, Analysis and Warning Network, or IAWN, for near-Earth objects. The rationale behind pushing the IAWN proposal is simple: Colossal asteroid strikes, which have pummeled Earth fairly regularly over its 4.5 billion years, know no international borders. If a threatening near-Earth object (NEO) comes onto scientists’ radar, the whole world will need to know - and they’ll need to know what, if anything, they should do in response. Scientists have identified nearly 9,000 near-Earth asteroids and believe lots more are out there. Many different teams of astronomers around the world are hunting for them and keeping tabs on the ones that have been found. The warning network would help streamline and consolidate many of these efforts, the report says. “The IAWN has an essential role in a global response to the NEO hazard,” it states. “Essentially, it would comprise the functions and activities already being carried out by the Minor Planet Center, the National Aeronautics and

Treating prediabetes might prevent full-blown disease

CONNECTICUT: Treating prediabetes aggressively with lifestyle changes and medications may prevent its progression to diabetes, a new study finds according to HealthDay News. People with prediabetes who had their blood sugar returned to normal were 56 percent less likely to develop full diabetes in the five years after treatment, researchers say. Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not as high as seen in full-blown diabetes. “The biggest risk for people with prediabetes is that about 70 percent of them will develop type 2 diabetes over their lifetime,” said lead researcher Dr. Leigh Perreault, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado-Denver. “This is singlehandedly fueling the diabetes epidemic,” she added. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 79 million Americans -- about 35 percent of the adult population -- have prediabetes. In addition, about 11 percent of these people go on to develop full diabetes each year, the agency notes. For their study, Perreault’s team used data from the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, which included more than 3,000 patients with prediabetes and was funded by the US National Institutes of Health. People in that trial were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group was asked to make lifestyle changes; a second group was given the drug metformin, which lowers blood sugar; and the third group was given an inactive placebo. The goal of the program was for participants to reduce their blood sugar levels to a normal range. The new study looked at these individuals years later to see if the gains they made during the trial were maintained. The researchers found that patients who were able to return to normal blood sugar levels, even for a short period, could prevent or slow progression to full type 2 diabetes. People who reduced their blood sugar had a 56 percent reduction in progression to diabetes during nearly six years of follow-up regardless of how those normal blood sugar levels were achieved and even when it was only for a short time, the researchers found. It didn’t matter how people got back to normal, whether with diet and exercise or with metformin or placebo, Perreault said. As long as they went back to normal they had the benefit, she noted. Dr. Natalia Yakubovich, an assistant professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial, said that “if these findings are confirmed in other studies, an ability to regress to normal glucose regulation can help identify people at lower risk of developing diabetes, while those people who do not regress despite conventional therapies might need to be treated more aggressively to prevent diabetes.” However, she added, “whether the regression improves other long-term health care outcomes such as heart disease, kidney disease or blindness is currently unknown and needs further study.” Another expert, Dr. Joel Zonszein, a professor of clinical medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a physician at the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York City, added that “the analysis stresses the significant long-term reduction in diabetes risk when someone with prediabetes returns to [normal blood-sugar levels], supporting a shift in the standard of care to early and aggressive glucoselowering treatment in patients at highest risk. “My recommendation for my patients with early diabetes is therapeutic lifestyle changes plus aggressive anti-diabetic agents [often in combination],” he said. This study supports the idea that early and aggressive glucose-lowering not only prevents complications, but also may preserve insulin function, thus requiring fewer medications later, Zonszein said. Dr. Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, noted that it is currently the standard of care to treat prediabetes with lifestyle changes and in some cases metformin. “Early control and regression to normal glucose levels does confer benefit,” she said.

on humanity here on Earth, by explaining the consequences of a NEO impact on our home planet.” Planting the seed

FILE - An artist’s illustration of a large asteroid headed for Earth. (Agencies)

Space Administration’s (NASA) NEO Program Office, and Europe’s Near Earth Object Dynamic Site (NEODyS) program.” The system also would serve to keep laypeople, including lawmakers, abreast of the latest asteroid findings and threats.

“Another key component of IAWN is education and outreach, to relay information on NEO hazards and implications to the public and policymakers,” the report says. “This information will generally serve to alter the general view that the cosmos has little effect

The authors acknowledge that it will be a challenge for any warning system to convey to the public the uncertainty surrounding any particular NEO threat. A potential impact might be years down the road, and its probability is likely to be revised as scientists make more and more observations.The report further stresses that the IAWN’s educational campaign shouldn’t be all doom and gloom. Rather, it should also highlight the scientific importance of NEOs - ancient objects that could reveal insights about the solar system’s birth - as well as their potential economic value. Some NEOs are packed full of platinumgroup metals and water, which make the space rocks intriguing targets for off-Earth mining.The billionaire-backed company Planetary Resources, for example, recently announced its plans to extract NEO resources using unmanned probes in deep space. Overall, the report says the need for international cooperation and communication is urgent. A plan must be in place before a threatening space rock comes onto the scene, the authors write.

Stress alters kids’ brains, study suggests NEW YORK: Intense and lasting stress may deliver a blow to a kid’s noggin, say researchers who found that a brain area linked to memory was smaller in children who had experienced chronic stress compared with their less-strained counterparts according to LiveScience. The brain differences also bore out in cognitive ability, with those children with highly stressful lives performing poorer than other kids on spatial memory tests. The highly stressed children also had more trouble with tests of short-term memory, including tasks such as finding a token in a series of boxes, the researchers said. “All families experience some stress, so it is important to note that effects were found for high levels of stress,” study researcher Jamie Hanson, a psychology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told LiveScience, adding that some extreme examples would include family members falling victim to violent crimes or the chronic illness of a

child or other family member. The research adds to other evidence of the impacts of stress, with one recent study showing that children exposed to multiple instances of violence age faster on a cellular level. Another past study suggested childhood stress could actually take years off an individual’s life. Sizing up stress

The team was inspired by work in animals that has found a link between stress and brain changes, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in working memory, or the part of your memory that’s available for quick recall. So with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the researchers conducted interviews with 61 children ages 9 to 14, asking about stressful events throughout their lives. They also used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan each participant’s brain, finding the anterior cingulate, which

resides in the prefrontal cortex, took up less space in the highly stressed children. The anterior cingulated cortex is thought to play a role in a range of emotional and cognitive tasks, including so-called spatial working memory, or the workstation of sorts, where spatial information can be processed and accessed quickly. “These are subtle differences, but differences related to important cognitive abilities,” Hanson said. The researchers also looked at differences in the amounts of gray matter and white matter in the brain, finding both types of tissue showed smaller volumes in the overly stressed group compared with the not-so-stressed. (White matter comprises the long, spindly appendages on some neurons that transmit electrical signals used by brain cells to communicate; gray matter is made up of the cell bodies that essentially use the information shared by the white matter to “do the math.”)

Permanent scars?

Hanson and his colleagues aren’t sure of the mechanism behind the links between stress and brain changes, though they have some ideas.“Exposure to very high levels of stress could change important chemicals in the brain and body,” Hanson said, noting two chemicals of particular interest, cortisol and dopamine. The hormone cortisol tends to increase with stress and can affect brain cells, Hanson said. There’s also a chance the seemingly stunted brain development is just temporary. “We’re not trying to argue that stress permanently scars your brain. We don’t know if and how it is that stress affects the brain,” Hanson said. “We only have a snapshot, one MRI scan of each subject, and at this point, we don’t understand whether this is just a delay in development or a lasting difference. It could be that, because the brains is very plastic, very able to change, that children who have experienced a great deal of stress catch up in these areas.”

Fruits, veggies may help smokers quit CONNECTICUT: People trying to quit smoking are three times more likely to succeed if they eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, according to a new study reports HealthDay News. Pubic health researchers at the University at Buffalo also found a diet rich in produce helps people remain smoke-free longer. “Other studies have taken a snapshot approach, asking smokers and nonsmokers about their diets,” Gary Giovino, chairman of the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, said in a university news release. “We knew from our previous work that people who were abstinent from cigarettes for less than six months consumed more fruits and vegetables than those who still smoked. What we didn’t know was whether recent quitters increased their fruit and vegetable consumption or if smokers who ate

more fruits and vegetables were more likely to quit.” The researchers conducted a national telephone survey of 1,000 smokers aged 25 and older. The survey participants received a follow-up call 14 months later to find out how much they had smoked in the past month. The study, published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, revealed that smokers who ate the most fruit and vegetables were three times more likely to have not smoked for at least 30 days at the time of the follow-up call than those eating the least amount of produce. The researchers noted this was true even after they took into account the smokers’ age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, income and motivation to be healthy. The study also found smokers who ate more fruits and vegetables smoked fewer cigarettes daily, waited longer to

Sri Lanka holds mass baby elephant christening PARIS: Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage staged its biggest mass christening Sunday by naming 15 baby elephants born in captivity, an official said. Thirteen babies born last year and two in 2010 were given names chosen from among thousands suggested by visitors to the Pinnawala orphanage, director Nihal Senaratne said. “An astrologer looked at the time of birth of each elephant. He then decided on the first letter of each baby’s name according to its horoscope,” Senaratne told AFP when contacted by telephone. “The lucky letters were published and visitors were asked to suggest names accordingly,” he said, adding that Sunday’s ceremony was the biggest ever at the facility since it opened in 1975. Foreign visitors to the orphanage named two of the babies Trinky and Elvina, while the others were given popular Sinhalese names including Mangala (meaning ceremonial), Singithi (small) and Ahinsa (innocent). The orphanage, in a coconut grove about 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Colombo, is a major tourist attraction and large crowds were present for Sunday’s ceremony. Babies are fed gallons of milk in public and the en-

tire herd is taken across a main road to a nearby river at bathtime in a ritual that has become hugely popular with visitors. Formally established in 1975, the orphanage shelters 83 elephants, most of whom were abandoned or separated from their herds when they were babies. Many have also been born at the orphanage. Elephants are considered sacred animals and a number of the babies born at Pinnawala have been gifted to Buddhist temples to be paraded during annual pageants. Sri Lanka’s elephant population remains healthy despite decades of fighting between government and rebel forces in the island’s north-east, the first survey since the end of the bloody civil war showed last year. The survey showed the country had 7,379 elephants living in the wild, despite fears that the population had dwindled to an estimated 5,350. The country boasted 12,000 elephants in 1900. The survey carried out in August last year counted 1,107 baby elephants in the wild, officials said. The 15 babies were named: Singithi, Ahinsa, Themiya, Wanamali, Trinky, Elvina, Nandi, Mangala, Annuththara, Jeevaka, Kadol, Isira, Bimuthi, Aithi and Gagana. -AFP

Elephants at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage on Sunday. Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage staged its biggest mass christening Sunday by naming 15 baby elephants born in captivity, an official said. (AFP)

smoke their first cigarette of the day and were less dependent on nicotine. “We may have identified a new tool that can help people quit smoking,” said study first author Jeffrey Haibach, a graduate research assistant in the department of community health and health behavior. “Granted, this is just an observational study, but improving one’s diet may facilitate quitting.” The researchers noted that fruits and vegetables worsen the taste of cigarettes, and that could help explain why they help smokers quit. “It is also possible that fruits and vegetables give people more of a feeling of satiety or fullness so that they feel less of a need to smoke, since smokers sometimes confuse hunger with an urge to smoke,” Haibach said.

Pneumonia, diarrhea are top killers of kids: UNICEF PARIS: Pneumonia and diarrhea are among the top causes of childhood deaths around the world, particularly among the poor, said a report out Friday by the UN Children’s Fund. UNICEF said that while these two diseases kill more than two million children each year, making up 29 percent of child deaths under age five worldwide, some simple interventions could save lots of lives in the coming years. The report urges the 75 countries with the highest mortality rates to aim to treat poor children with diarrhea and pneumonia the same way they do those from the top 20 percent of households, a so-called “equity approach.” Key interventions include vaccinating against the major causes of pneumonia and diarrhea, encouraging infant breastfeeding, improving access to clean water and sanitation, offering antibiotics for pneumonia and rehydration solutions for diarrhea. “Modeled estimates suggest that by 2015 more than two million child deaths due to pneumonia and diarrhea could be averted across the 75 countries with the highest mortality burden,” said the report. “If national coverage of key pneumonia and diarrhea interventions were raised to the level in the richest 20 percent of households in each country,” it added. About half of childhood deaths in the world due to diarrhea or pneumonia take place in five countries: India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and Ethiopia, said the report. There has been some progress in offering vaccines against Hemophilus influenza type b, as well as pneumococcal conjugate vaccines and rotavirus vaccines in the poorest countries, but more effort is needed, it said. Water and sanitation is another key hurdle, with 783 million people globally not using an improved drinking water source, and 2.5 billion not using sanitation facilities. “Nearly 90 percent of deaths due to diarrhea worldwide have been attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene,” said the report. “Hand washing with water and soap, in particular, is among the most cost-effective health interventions to reduce the incidence of both childhood pneumonia and diarrhea.” Pneumonia is responsible for 18 percent of childhood deaths worldwide each year, and diarrhea is linked to 11 percent. In contrast, AIDS is responsible for two percent of global childhood deaths annually and malaria for seven percent, according to the report.-AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

CULTURE

MONday, JUNE 11, 2012

Jamaican author publishes first book in Kuwait, ‘The Infidelity Chronicles’ Onilda Fernandes Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Ayana Ashanti has touched some of the deep reasons why infidelity exists in marriages and long term relationships in her first book, “The Infidelity Chronicles”, which delivers a message many people find hard to admit and discuss in the open. Not just an author, Ashanti is a mother, military retired from US Army, poet, entrepreneur, daughter of Bishop Arthur and Rev. Inez Richards and an artist who has been writing poems and articles for over 31 years. This interpersonal relationship book was published and printed in Kuwait and distributed in America, Jamaica, Canada and England. Below are excerpts of an interview with Al Watan Daily.

To give a broad answer to this question, I must say, I wanted to write about something which was easy and not hard to find information on or about. Since I was traveling, meeting new people and fresh out of the military, all the answers to any questions I had was right there in front of my face. People inspired me to write about this topic. It was people all around me everywhere I went or traveled to, people were practicing “infidelity” as if it was free chesses being given out by the government. It had to be people; who or what else can do this? Certainly not animals. I wrote about the act which is continuously being practiced in the military, the church, the White House etc.

Infidelity is a very common issue which people face every day since Jesus was a baby. I just think it was more hidden because in Biblical days, people took holy books more seriously and women were not out in the world working; they were at home being mothers and wives and the entire neighborhood knew how, what, when and where these women did mostly everything. The entire village helped to raise the children; so women had less chance of committing infidelity and with the men, it was

Does “The Infidelity Chronicles” have any incidents or resemblances to your life?

In an indirect way, it does. My dad cheated on my mother and I’m the love child of his out of wedlock affair. The strange part was, my father adopted me when I was nine months old. The ironic thing was, my blood mother was the cousin to my father’s wife. So, one can say, this was really a “family affair.” As I thought more about writing this book, my own life inspired me to write about “infidelity.” I wanted closure to who I was and who I am. I lived with my blood father and the woman I knew as my mother who adopted me. Later on I realized she was also my cousin. I tried to find closure by telling myself everything was ok; but it wasn’t; I never got the chance to thank my blood father for raising me and being there for me, neither did I have the opportunity to thank my cousin (my mother) for accepting me as her husband’s love child and raising me although I was a constant reminder of his “infidelity.” What’s making me sad is, they both died before I knew Bishop Richards was my blood father and this was my number one goal. (To be the blood daughter of Bishop Richards)

What really inspired you to write “The Infidelity Chronicles”?

Why according to you does infidelity begin in marriages and long term relationships?

How did you go about getting your fist book published?

Ayana Ashanti (left) with a guest at her book-signing event.

hidden and expected. Today, with technology and the information age, women are now out in the world working and meeting people of the opposite sex and people are paying more attention to the “laws of attraction.” More and more men are searching for the opposite sex on the internet and bluetooth is not helping the situation. Technology plays a big part in the world of “infidelity” because it makes it easier and more convenient for people to practice “infidelity.”Infidelity can begin anywhere; it does not necessarily have to begin in mar-

riages or long term relationships but where else would one expect it to begin? In a short term relationship, I don’t think most people have enough time to cheat because they are too busy trying to impress one another and it takes time, effort and energy to do this; people also need to concentrate in order to get things right and time is not always on our side, so we must act accordingly to achieve the best we aspire to gain. Plus, most people would not get bent out of shape if someone cheats on them in a short term relationship.

Did having a very religious upbringing prepare you for the world of “infidelity”?

My religious upbringing was more of confusion than a preparation for the world of infidelity. My parents raised me, having a Bishop for a father and a Reverend for a mother, one would think I would have been well prepared for the world of infidelity, but, on the contrary, I really don’t think so. My father, whom I loved dearly, was too busy practicing this fancy 10 letter word we substitute for cheating; if anything, I was prepared for everything else in life but that.

I self published my first book right here in Kuwait. After taking my manuscript to the Library of congress and waiting for two-three days for my ISBN number and my depository number, the rest was easy. Publishing and printing was a piece of cake. What are you working on now? What do your readers have to look forward to in the future?

My next book is titled “Inside a Woman’s Mind.” I don’t think enough men understand women or how we think. I know my book will help them to understand us more. I can list a few of the chapters. “Secrets women take to their graves”, “Mama’s baby- Papa’s maybe”, “Why women fake it?” My second book is finished and I’m looking for a good publisher. I also have a cookbook coming out and it’s called, “Cooking Jamaican in Kuwait.”

Fresh out of hospital, LA’s Getty Museum Britain’s Prince Philip turns 91 illustrates death in Middle Ages FRANCE: Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip celebrates his 91st birthday at home on Sunday, after five days of hospital treatment for a bladder infection sparked concerns about his health. The outspoken Duke of Edinburgh left London’s King Edward VII hospital on Saturday, just in time for his birthday. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history and the queen’s stalwart companion throughout her reign, would mark his birthday privately “at home”. The prince was in good spirits as he walked out of the hospital in central London, shaking hands with staff and smiling. Asked if he was feeling better, he quipped: “Well, I wouldn’t be coming out if I wasn’t.” He was driven to Windsor Castle near London, the BBC reported. Two gun salutes will be fired in London on Monday to mark his birthday, but a palace spokesman said it was not yet known whether he will be able to carry out his hectic schedule of royal engagements in the coming week. “He continues to make a good recovery and will continue his convalescence at home,” the spokesman said. The illness forced Philip to miss the final two days of Britain’s jubilee celebrations, including Monday’s star-studded pop concert outside Buckingham Palace. Crowds at the concert cheered and shouted “Philip! Philip!” after heir to the throne Prince Charles suggested; “If we shout loud enough, he might just hear us in hospital.” The Duke also missed an appearance by the main royals on the palace balcony on Tuesday, when crowds of flag-waving revelers again surrounded the building in a sea of red, white and blue. He is famous for his off-color jokes -- once telling a British student in China that “If you stay here much longer, you’ll go home with slitty eyes” -- but family members say he is a key source of support for the 86-year-old queen. “He is her rock, really, and she is his,” the couple’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie told Britain’s Sky News in an interview broadcast Saturday. A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times newspaper found that Philip’s popularity has risen in the wake of his illness, with 58 percent describing him as an asset to the royal family compared to 47 percent before the jubilee. Philip’s health has generally been good

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh waves as he leaves King Edward VII Hospital in central London after being treated for a bladder infection, Saturday, June 9, 2012. (AP)

but he said before his 90th birthday he would scale down his engagements. If well enough, he will host a garden party with the queen at Sandringham House in Norfolk, eastern England, on Tuesday, and both are scheduled to attend a jubilee picnic in nearby Lincolnshire on Wednesday. Born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, he gave up these titles to marry the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and also sacrificed a promising naval career to be her full-time consort when she acceded to the throne in 1952. He once admitted the curtailment of his career was “disappointing”, but said that “being married to the queen, it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best way I could”. Besides their four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward, the royal couple has eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. -AFP

Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al Bida’a celebrates EuroCup 2012

Michael A. Kolarov Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Moevenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a in partnership with the embassies of Poland and Ukraine, sponsored by The Athlete’s Foot, KLM, Zain, and Vaio Water are hosting events for the Euro cup 2012 at the Movenpick Hotel & Resort in Al Bida’a. There is a minimum charge of KD5 to go and enjoy the games in the company of fellow football enthusiasts, and also a daily raffle which will be held with prizes being offered by the sponsors of the event, namely iPhones, vouchers for goods at The Athlete’s Foot, and tickets to Europe.

The event for the opening ceremony was attended by Janusz Szwedo, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the state of Kuwait, Volodymyr Tolkach, Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Kuwait, among dignitaries from other nations, representatives of the sponsors of the event, and Maged Gubr, General Manager, Movenpick Hotel & Resort AlBida’a Kuwait. According to Gubr, the dress code for the event is very relaxed, sports t-shirts, ideally your favorite national team’s football tops. He also told Al Watan Daily that “Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al Bida’a is hosting this event so that it may celebrate the Euro cup with its valued guests.”

LOS ANGELES: Death and taxes may both be inevitable in this modern-day world of ours, yet it seems only death has had the ability to inspire great art in people since at least medieval times. So much so that life’s final curtain call, as seen through the brushes and pens of artists of the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, is the subject of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s latest exhibition,“Heaven, Hell and Dying Well: Images of Death in the Middle Ages.” With paintings, drawings, parchment illustrations and works on stained glass, each of them intricately detailed and most of them stunningly colorful, the exhibition takes visitors on a tour of the final days of existence and straight into the afterlife. It opened last week in a dimly lit gallery that, while the space was darkened mainly to protect the priceless and fragile parchment works, also manages to evoke through its muted lighting a quiet, contemplative space for reflecting on the end of life’s existence. It will remain there through Aug. 12, in the sprawling museum nestled in the hills above Los Angeles. The exhibition’s creation was the brainchild of guest curator Martin Schwarz, who although just 26 is fascinated both by death and how its representation in films, books and other modern media appears so strongly influenced by the European artists of 500 to 700 years ago. It was during the Middle Ages that those artists, perhaps influenced by the relatively short life spans of a period marked by disease, wars and terrifyingly high child mortality rates, really began to envision what it was like to confront death at almost any moment, says Schwarz. What’s more, their work, often used to illustrate Biblical and other stories that had been handed down through the centuries, began to take on a look that continues to this day in the way devils, vampires, angels and other such creatures are portrayed. “If you think about the imagination of Heaven and Hell in movies and popular culture and books and so forth, very much these ideas go back to the Middle Ages,” Schwarz said recently by phone from Chicago, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in art history at the University of Chicago. “Everybody who thinks about Hell today knows about demons, and when we see them we identify them very easily because we know what they look like from these artists.” In the 15th century book “The Visions of the Knight Tondal,” for example, French artist Simon Marmion painted Hell pretty much as it is represented today: as a big, red, blast-furnace-like place filled with familiar demons and tortured souls. Among those souls, in both Marmion’s and other artists’ works, are a fair share of priests and nuns who are being tormented for eternity for failing to maintain their chastity vows during their lifetimes. “That’s among my favorites,” said Elizabeth Morrison, the museum’s senior curator of manuscripts, as she pointed out a collection of beleaguered priests and nuns. She noted it is a reminder that today’s priestly sex scandals are nothing new. As for Death himself, in an illustration for the prayer book “Denise Poncher Before Death,” he also appears much as he does today. He’s a big, boney fellow covered in worms and armed with his trademark scythe. In fact he’s carrying four scythes in Marmion’s

In this photo taken Tuesday, May 29, 2012, A medieval manuscript: “Opening the Fourth Seal; The Fourth Horseman” by an unknown artist, London, about 1255-60, is displayed at the “Heaven, Hell and Dying Well: Images of Death in the Middle Ages” exhibit at The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. (AP)

work and, looking rather jaunty, almost appears to be showing them off as he confronts Poncher, a beautiful young woman of means who art historians believe the expensive prayer book was created for. “It reminds you that death could be lurking around any corner and you’d better be prepared because you want to go to Heaven, not Hell,” Morrison said of the message in the text and the illustration. “It’s a realization that, yes, I’m young and beautiful, but I could die at any time, and that’s why I need for my soul to be prepared.” Interestingly, though, even as people prepared for Heaven, most of the artists represented in the exhibition portrayed it as a pretty boring place. In Flemish painter Master of James IV of Scotland’s illustration of the Biblical story of “The Feast of Dives,” for example, Heaven simply contains blue skies, a few trees and some winged angels milling about. Hell, on the other hand, is filled with serpents, demons and other interesting looking monsters that pass the time jabbing Dives with pitchforks after he’s been dispatched there for refusing to aid the beggar Lazarus. Morrison, noting the contrast, says it’s likely that, as with the making of horror films today, Hell and all the evil it represents was simply much easier for artists of the Middle Ages to illustrate, especially after they unleashed their imaginations. “When you hear people talking about Heaven, even nowadays, it’s like well, maybe there’s a field and birds tweeting and sunlight and it’s a good temperature,” she said. “But if you think about Hell you can come up with 30 images off the top of your head: There’s demons, there’s pain, there’s fire, there’s grills, there’s a devil ... “-AP

In this photo taken Tuesday, May 29, 2012, A prayer book titled, “Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death,” Paris, about 1500, depicts the owner Denise Poncher kneeling with her prayer book before Death, a terrifying skeleton covered with rotting flesh and holding numerous sickles. (AP)

ALWATAN DAILY

ENTERTAINMENT

Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: Unashamed Desire Artist: Missy Higgins Album: The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle Genre: Pop In short: Missy Higgins’ latest album’s artwork reflects its sound, and what beautiful artwork and sound they are. Although “Unashamed Desire” isn’t the album’s main highlight, it’s the most accessible song on the record and it sets the tone of the album for listeners who aren’t familiar with Higgins’ music. A must-listen. To listen to the song visit www.alwatandaily.com E-mail your feedback to falsabah@alwatandaily.com

The Buzz Actor Donald Sutherland honored in France Actor Donald Sutherland has been awarded the honor Commander of the Arts in France for his contribution to cinema. Sutherland was decorated on Saturday evening at a ceremony in Paris by former French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, who praised the Canadian star’s “extraordinary” career - with diverse roles in films such as Federico Fellini’s “Casanova.” There were chuckles as Mitterrand struggled to tie the medallion around the 76-year-old actor, who sported the long silver hair last seen for his role in blockbuster movie “The Hunger Games.” Sutherland said he loved France, and thanked his French-speaking wife for introducing him to the country’s culture through “cinema, but also cheese and baguettes.” -AP

Matthew McConaughey weds Camila Alves Texas native Matthew McConaughey and his love of six years Camila Alves tied the knot in Austin Saturday, multiple sources confirm to Us Weekly. “There were about 100 of his close friends and family there,” one wedding guest tells Us of the “high-end,” campout-themed soiree. “[The ceremony] was very emotional. There was a moment when . . . [Matthew] leaned down and whispered something in [Camila’s] ear and you could see a tear coming down her face. Everyone let out a collective sigh.” Following the ceremony, guests -including Woody Harrelson and filmmaker Richard Linklater -- celebrated all night long, camping out in state-of-the-art tents set up on McConaughey and Alves’ property. Alves and McConaughey, 42, who met at a bar in Los Angeles in 2006, have two children together, Levi, 3, and Vida, 2. The actor proposed to his Brazilian-born love this past Christmas. “Just asked Camila to marry me, #MerryChristmas,” the Magic Mike star tweeted December 25, posting a sweet photo of the newly-engaged pair sharing a smooch. Still, the head-over-heels pair saw no reason to rush things, because, as Alves told ET Canada this past March, they already felt like a married couple. As young as her children are, Alves admitted her kids were excited when their parents decided to make their union official.

Hatfield-McCoy kin sought for reality TV show Television producers are looking for descendants of the once-feuding Hatfield and McCoy families to take part in a reality show that will be filmed in West Virginia. Bill Richardson is a West Virginia University Extension agent who is involved with casting for the show. He told the Charleston Gazette that the show will set five to 10 members of each family against one another in a competition to create businesses around their history. If selected, cast members must prove their lineage to a member of the Hatfield or McCoy clans through a family tree. The warring families were known for violent clashes during the Civil War era. -AP

Rapper Lil Phat fatally shot near Atlanta: Police Police have identified the 19-year-old man who was fatally shot outside a suburban Atlanta hospital as a rapper known as Lil Phat. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the rapper - whose real name is Melvin Vernell III, of Sandy Springs - was fatally shot Thursday night. Sandy Springs police spokesman Capt. Steve Rose said Friday that police are searching for two men seen fleeing the scene. The victim was found shot in a car parked on the second level of a parking deck next to the hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward. A motive was not known. -AP

Lauryn Hill responds to NJ tax evasion charges Reclusive singer Lauryn Hill said in an Internet posting Friday that she hasn’t paid taxes since she withdrew from society to guarantee the safety and well-being of herself and her family. The eight-time Grammy Award winner and South Orange, N.J., resident was charged this week with willfully failing to file income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Federal prosecutors said she didn’t pay taxes on more than $1.5 million earned in 2005, 2006 and 2007 from recording and film royalties. Hill responded to the federal charges in a lengthy post on her Tumblr page Friday. She described how she has rejected pop culture’s “climate of hostility, false entitlement, manipulation, racial prejudice, sexism and ageism.” She said in her online post that she explained herself to authorities when she was questioned by authorities about her failure to pay taxes. A spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s Office for New Jersey, which filed the tax charges, said in response to Hill’s posting Friday that they could not speak to the specifics of the investigation. -AP

MONday, JUNE 11, 2012

Reclusive singer D’Angelo makes first US appearance in twelve years MANCHESTER: D’Angelo is back. The reclusive R&B singer made his first live US appearance in 12 years at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival early Sunday morning, surprising a few thousand fans during Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Superjam session. “I’ve been waiting 12 years to say this ladies and gentlemen, D’Angelo!,” Thompson said as the crowd roared. It was his first US show since 2000 and a prelude to an appearance at July’s Essence Music Festival and a European tour with many of the same players who backed him Sunday morning. D’Angelo played live in Europe earlier this year. D’Angelo and his all-star band powered through a 90-minute jam session Sunday morning that included Jimi Hendrix’s “Have You Ever Been to Electric Ladyland,” Parliament Funkadelic’s “Funky Dollar Bill,” Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” and The Beatles’ “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” but no new music. D’Angelo worked from lyric sheets and the band put together a six-hour practice session Saturday before The Roots, Thompson’s regular band, played a gig on Bonnaroo’s biggest stage. When the crowd chanted “One more song! One more song!” after the set,

DeAngelo performs during the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., June 10, 2012. (AP)

Thompson told fans they hadn’t learned any others to play. Asked if he would be interested in an in-

terview after the show, D’Angelo said “not yet.” His only recent public comments were made in a GQ article last month.

Road trip drama sweeps awards at ‘Bollywood Oscars’ PARIS: Director Zoya Akhtar’s road trip drama “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” swept the top honors, including best picture and best director, at the “Bollywood Oscars” held late Saturday in Singapore. The movie, which loosely translates to “You Wont Get A Second Life”, scooped up nine awards including best supporting actor for the director’s brother Farhan Akhtar and best story at the annual ceremony. “This evening is turning out to be more fabulous than expected... I thank my crew and I beg them to do my next film,” a jubilant Zoya Akhtar said in her acceptance speech. The movie traces a soul searching bachelor trip to Spain by three inseparable friends played by heart-throbs Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar. It was seen as a strong contender at the 13th International Indian Film Academy awards, which was taking place for the second time in Singapore, and did not disappoint. Elsewhere, Vidya Balan won best actress for her role in “The Dirty Picture”, a loosely based biopic about the tumultuous life of South Indian sex siren “Silk Smitha”. Ranbir Kapoor, the latest member of the legendary Kapoor clan to enter the Bollywood fold, won best actor for his role as an aspiring professional musician in the pulsating romantic drama “Rockstar.” Indian music maestro and Oscar award winner A.R. Rahman won the nod for best music direction in the same movie. Some 10,000 fans were at the Singapore Indoor Stadium to watch the four-hour ceremony which included high-octane song and dance performances, organizers said. Another 800 million were estimated to have watched the TV broadcast of the awards ceremony, they added. A three-day festival leading up to the night saw the world premiere of political thriller “Shanghai,” a glitzy fashion show and film workshops for Bollywood fans in Singapore. The city-state last played host to the event in 2004. First launched at the Millennium Dome in London, the awards have been held in 12 cities around the world including Colombo, Macau, Bangkok, Dubai, Amsterdam and Johannesburg. It is held outside India every year in an effort to increase

Road trip drama “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” wins best picture and best director at the “Bollywood Oscars” held June 9,2012 in Singapore. (AFP)

the international profile of the popular Hindi-language film industry and win new audiences abroad. -AFP

California filmmakers dominate Student Academy Awards BEVERLY HILLS: Students from across Southern California dominated the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 39th annual Student Academy Awards. Amanda Tasse of the University of Southern California and David Wolter of California Institute of the Arts were among the five students hailing from Southern California schools. Both received gold medals, the highest honor at Saturday’s ceremony at the motion picture academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Other winners of the gold medal included David Winstone of the University of Westminster in London, Mark Raso of Columbia University in New York and Keiko Wright of New York University. The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past winners have gone on to receive 46 Oscar nominations and have won or shared eight trophies.

39th Annual Student Academy Awards gold winners, from left, Amanda Tasse, David Winstone, David Wolter, Keiko Wright and Mark Raso pose at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Saturday, June 9, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. (AP)

At the 84th annual Academy Awards earlier this year, 2011 Student Academy Award winners Hallvar Witzo and Max Zahle were respectively nominated in the live action short film category for “Tuba

This year’s winners were: Alternative

Atlantic” and “Raju.” James Spione, a Student Academy Award winner in 1987, earned a nomination in the documentary short subject category for “Incident in New Baghdad.” -AP

Bronze Medal: “Lost Country,” Heather Burky, Art Institute of Jacksonville (Fla.). Narrative

Gold Medal: “The Reality Clock,” Amanda Tasse, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Gold Medal: “Under,” Mark Raso, Columbia University, New York.

Animation

Silver Medal: “Narcocorrido,” Ryan Prows, American Film Institute, Los Angeles.

Gold Medal: “Eyrie,” David Wolter, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, Calif. Silver Medal: “The Jockstrap Raiders,” Mark Nelson, University of California, Los Angeles. Bronze Medal: “My Little Friend,” Eric Prah, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, Fla. Documentary

Gold Medal: “Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment,” Keiko Wright, New York University, New York. Silver Medal: “Dying Green,” Ellen Tripler, American University, Washington D.C.

Bronze Medal: “Nani,” Justin Tipping, American Film Institute, Los Angeles. Foreign Film

Gold Medal: “For Elsie,” David Winstone, University of Westminster, London. Silver Medal: “Of Dogs and Horses,” Thomas Stuber, Film Academy, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Bronze Medal: “The Swing of the Coffin Maker,” Elmar Imanov, The International Film School, Cologne, Germany.

Dressed in a black tank top and jeans with a black and white bandanna wrapped around his dreadlocks, D’Angelo was visibly reserved at the start of the set. But he warmed up, kicking into high gear during the Zeppelin portion of the show. Switching between keyboards and his guitar, D’Angelo’s only verbal interaction with the crowd came near the end of the night when he shouted: “Do y’all want us to go home yet?” Thompson, sipping a cup of orange juice, was still fired up after the show. “Man, I want to go to Disneyland, right?” he said. “I’ve been dreaming about this.” Thompson said he had an ulterior motive for luring his friend to Manchester. He wanted to prove D’Angelo was still in fighting shape. “I wanted him to see that,” he said. “That’s a green light. Me doing it wasn’t, like, running out of jam partners. Me doing it was basically showing him, ‘Look, you are so missed you don’t even realize how much you are missed,’ hoping that this will be the adrenaline boost that will finally get him to turn his record into the label. It’s done, it’s brilliant. I played on it. I know it’s brilliant. Now it’s just time to let his kids go and show it to the world. That’s what I’m here for.” -AP

Innovative blues, jazz guitarist Pete Cosey dies

CHICAGO: Pete Cosey, an innovative guitarist who brought his distinctive distorted sound to recordings with Miles Davis, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, has died, his daughter said. He was 68. Cosey died May 30 of complications from surgery at Vanguard Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said his daughter Mariama Cosey. Pete Cosey’s musical journey began early, his daughter said, noting that Cosey’s father died when he was 9 years old. “That’s how he dealt with his father’s passing ... and if I had to pick one instance in his life that just really rocked his world, that was it,” she said. “I think he tried to spend his time trying to communicate with my granddaddy.” In the 1960s, Cosey was a member of the studio band at Chess Records in Chicago, where he played on Waters’ “Electric Mud” and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Howlin’ Wolf Album.” Cosey also worked with Etta James and Chuck Berry. He took a creative approach to stringing and tuning his guitars, and liberally applied the distortion pedal to his licks. He started to develop his unique sound as a teenager in Arizona, where he would play in the mountains near Phoenix, according to a Chicago Tribune article. His explorations of sound drew the attention of one of jazz’s legendary minds, Miles Davis. In an interview with music writer George Cole, published on Cole’s “The Last Miles” website, Cosey said Davis sought him out, wanted him at the front of the band and told him to turn up his guitar’s volume. Cosey ended up playing on many of Davis’ boundary-pushing recordings in the 1970s, including “Dark Magus,” ‘’Agharta” and “The Complete on the Corner Sessions.” Cosey was also in Martin Scorsese’s 2003 blues documentary, “The Blues: A Musical Journey.” In recent years, health problems had slowed Cosey, but he had been playing music in children’s hospitals and schools, according to the Chicago Tribune. Cosey’s daughter said that, to her father, music was a language. “He taught me that music is not genre-specific. It’s one way that everyone around the world communicates,” she said. “It wasn’t about being black or white, but it was about making notes universally.” -AP

Bhawri a tragic romance in a traditional, backward society KUWAIT: Lakhvinder Singh, who has just made a series of Rajasthani films, is now ready to release his new film titled “Bhawri,” according to press release. The film stars Nitin Joshi and Neha Shri as the main leads of the story. After tasting a string of successes, he made “Meena and Gujjar”, which fared very well at the box office. The film is a tragic love story set against the backdrop of a traditional and backward society. “If Bhojpuri and other regional cinema could do well in their respective states, why can’t Rajasthani films taste the same magnitude of success?” mused Lakhvinder. “Bearing that in mind and after having consultations with some of my local sources I explored the idea. I am now convinced that potential filmmakers have just got to take Rajasthani cinema seriously and they can surely come up with successful films. After all, who does not want to see his/her people on screen?” he added. The film falls into the thriller genre and revolves around “Bhawri”. It is not a political murder mystery that is making headlines now-adays, he said. He also drew the attention to the state government’s announcements of offering economical assistance of Rupees five lakh to the makers of Rajasthani films. “We do not know the process involved (to avail of those funds) nor are we aware of the concerned departments and officials that we have to approach,” he lamented.

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

MOnDAY, june 11, 2012

Basketball

‘Big Three’ powers Miami to finals MIAMI: The Miami Heat and their Big Three are going back to the NBA finals. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh combined for the Heat’s final 31 points as they roared past the Boston Celtics 101-88 to win the Eastern Conference championship in Game Seven on Saturday. James scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while the Heat came back from an 11-point first half deficit to earn a meeting with Western winner the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA finals. Game One is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City. “We look forward to the next challenge,” James told reporters as he talked about the Heat’s return to the NBA finals for a second consecutive year. Miami had hoped the crown would be theirs last season with the addition of James and Bosh, but they were beaten in the finals by the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat and Thunder played only twice this season, each winning on their home court. Wade added 23 points on Saturday with Bosh scoring 19 off the bench and role player Shane Battier contributing four key threepointers. “This has to be a collective group for us to win a championship, from the first guy all the way down to 15,” three-times league most valuable player James said. “Everybody was in tune today and we wanted to give our fans a big win tonight and

we were able to do that.” Rajon Rondo tried to keep the aging Celtics competitive, and they were for three quarters before the Miami’s Big Three took over. “We let this one slip away,” said Rondo, who finished with 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds. “We just had nothing left,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers after his team had gone deeper in the Eastern series than many had thought likely against the Heat. Paul Pierce added 19 point and Brandon Bass, the sparkplug of the Celtics’ first half lead, finished with 16.But he had only two points in the second half as Miami cranked up three defense and turned to their Big Three for all of their fourth quarter points. What turned out to be a nip-and-tuck third quarter ended in a 73-73 tie and after Ray Allen drilled home a three-pointer for Boston’s final lead at 82-81 with 8:49 to go in the game, James and company took over. James put Miami back up with a monster dunk, Bosh added the last of his career-best three three-pointers and James scored again, and suddenly the Heat fans were ready to celebrate. “He was big time. Every shot, every defensive play, every defensive rebound.” James said of Bosh, who played his biggest role since returning earlier in the series from a strained lower abdominal muscle. “We missed him and are just happy to have him back at the right time.” -Reuters

Tennis

Nadal leads Djokovic 6-4 6-3 in French Open final

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns in the mens final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the French Open tennis tournament in Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday June 10, 2012. (AP)

PARIS: Rafa Nadal stood just one step away from winning a record seventh French Open title by taking the opening two sets of Sunday’s final against Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3. The Spaniard raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks of serve as his forehand pierced holes in Djokovic’s defensive armor. Nadal had the opportunity to go 4-0 up, but missed a forehand wide allowing the Serb, who is bidding to win his fourth straight major, to force his way back into the tie. He cleverly dragged Nadal out of court and then finished him off with crunching winners to draw level with a double break of his own. After putting in the effort to get himself back in the set, he allowed Nadal to edge ahead again with a double fault at break point in the seventh game and he finished it off three games later with a forehand across the court.

The second set began in a similar vein to the first with Djokovic losing his opening service game with a double fault on break point and then fighting back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 as the drizzle began to fall on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Serb tossed his racquet down in a show of petulance in the fifth game before exhibiting extraordinary sportsmanship to gift Nadal a point following a late and incorrect line call when the rules called for it to be replayed. Nadal broke in the seventh game with a rasping forehand winner, which again brought the worst out in the frustrated Serb who smashed a hole in his courtside chair. The second seed moved to within one game of the set when rain suspended play for 35 minutes and he was quick out of the blocks on the restart, breaking to take the second set with a scorching backhand winner on the run. -Reuters

Formula one

Maldonado takes another grid penalty

FILE- Williams’ F1 Formula One driver Pastor Maldonado of Venezuela is seen after his crash during the Monaco F1 Grand Prix May 27, 2012. (Reuters)

MONTREAL: Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado collected a five place grid penalty for the Canadian Formula OneGrand Prix on Sunday after Williams changed his car’s gearbox. The penalty was his third in the two races since his stunning victory in the Spanish Grand Prix last month. In Monaco two weeks ago, Maldonado was handed a 10 place penalty for causing a collision in final practice and then picked up another five place demotion

for an unscheduled gearbox change as a result of that impact. He had damaged his gearbox in Montreal when he lost control of the car at the last corner and hit the notorious “Wall of Champions’ during qualifying. Without the accident, he might have been in the top 10. After starting on pole position in Barcelona, the Venezuelan was 24th on the grid in Monaco and will line up 22nd in Montreal. -Reuters

Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (center) drives to the basket as Boston Celtics’ Rajon Rondo (right) and Paul Pierce (left) defend during the second half of Game 7 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Saturday, June 9, 2012. (AP)

Andy Roddick: This could be my last Wimbledon LONDON: Former world number one Andy Roddick admits this year’s Wimbledon could be his last appearance at the All England Club as he struggles to cope with the wear and tear of so many years on the ATP Tour. Roddick is well established as one of the best grass-court players of his generation after reaching the Wimbledon final three times, losing on each occasion to Roger Federer, and also winning four titles at Queen’s Club. But as the 29-yearold American prepares to launch another grass-court campaign at Queen’s next week, he is aware time is beginning to take its toll on his body. A series of injuries over the last 18 months have sent Roddick slipping down the rankings and he is currently 27th in the world after a dispiriting year reached a new low with a first round exit from the French Open against Nicolas Mahut. In an ideal world, Roddick, who won his only grand slam title at the US Open in 2003, hopes to play on for a few more years, but he knows his time at the top could run out sooner than expected. “I’m just trying to play in the moment. I’m just here trying to win some matches. But do I think this could be my last Wimbledon? Possibly - but that’s so much of an unknown,” Roddick told the Mail on Sunday.

FILE- Andy Roddick of the US returns the ball to Nicolas Mahut of France during the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris May 27, 2012. (Reuters)

“Of the guys I started with, it’s only Roger Federer left now. We were in the top 10 for so long, and everyone else’s body has been banged up. “I can’t do what Rafa Nadal does with his racket, I can’t do what Roger does

with his racket. “I guess I have to believe my coach, Larry Stefanki, when he says I can’t run through walls any more. We’re trying to find the fine line and work against nature a little bit.” -AFP

Boxing

Bradley scores decision win over Pacquiao LAS VEGAS: Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges’ scorecards. In a fight Pacquiao seemed to have in hand, two judges decided otherwise, giving Bradley a split decision Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter’s remarkable seven-year unbeaten run. Promoter Bob Arum fumed, the crowd at the MGM Grand arena booed, and Pacquiao seemed stunned when the decision was announced. Arum said there would be a November rematch, though he blasted the way the decision went down. “I’ve never been as ashamed of the sport of boxing as I am tonight,” said Arum, who handles both fighters. Bradley came on strong in the later rounds, winning five of the last six rounds on two scorecards and four on the third. He won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing on the third by the same margin. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111. “I did my best,” Pacquiao said. “I guess my best wasn’t good enough.” Pacquiao tried to turn the fight into a brawl, using his power to hurt Bradley in the early rounds. But Bradley changed tactics in the middle rounds and used his boxing skills to win enough rounds to take the narrow decision for the welterweight title. It ended a 15-fight winning streak by Pacquiao dating to 2005 that turned him into a boxing superstar and made him a national hero in the Philippines. “I thought I won the fight,” Bradley said. “I didn’t think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn’t feel his power.” Ringside punching statistics showed Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, who vowed before the fight to take the 147-pound title from Pacquiao. The Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao landing more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds. Bradley was so confident that he had oversized tickets printed up for a Nov. 10 rematch that will now likely happen. Bradley seemed hurt in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Pacquiao had trouble landing big punches after that. Still, he seemed in control of the fight everywhere but on the judge’s scorecards. “Can you believe that? Unbelievable,” Arum said. “I went over to Bradley before the decision and he said, ‘I tried hard but I couldn’t beat the guy.’” Bradley said he hurt his ankle in the second round, and that trainer Joel Diaz said he could either quit or try to take the fight to Pacquiao. “I got my second wind in the sixth round,” Bradley said. “I worked the angles, sticking and moving.” Pacquiao said he studied Bradley on tape before the fight and wasn’t surprised by anything he did. He said he thought he was in control of the fight and was shocked when the decision went against him. “He never hurt me with his punches, most of them landed on my arms,” Pacquiao said. Pacquiao tried to brawl with Bradley and seemed to hurt him in both the fourth and fifth rounds. But Bradley started mov-

ing and counter punching, though he never seemed to land any shots that hurt Pacquiao. Pacquiao had vowed to look impressive against Bradley after struggling in his last outing with Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight many thought he lost. And he did early, landing good long left hands while beating Bradley to the punch on most exchanges. “He hurt me a couple of times with his left,” Bradley said. “He’s a beast.” Trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao after the 10th round that he had control of the fight, and urged him to fight hard the final two rounds. “You have six minutes to go, son,” Roach said. “It’s your fight.” But it wasn’t Pacquiao’s fight, with Bradley getting credit for winning some of the close middle and later rounds. After the 11th round Bradley went back to his corner and trainer Joel Diaz told him he needed to win the final round. “I listened to my corner,” Bradley said. “I got to give him a rematch now.” Arum said there will be one on Nov. 10, though he thought Pacquiao won easily, as did most writers at ringside. “I’ll make a lot of money off the rematch, but this was outrageous,” Arum said. It was the biggest fight of Bradley’s career and it came with a minimum $5 million payday. The rematch will be even richer, though Pacquiao’s loss could damage any plans for a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather did not see the fight because he is serving a sentence on a domestic abuse charge at a jail a few miles from the MGM Grand. -AP

Manny Pacquiao, from the Philippines (left) covers up as Timothy Bradley, from Palm Springs, California, throws a punch in the first round of their WBO world welterweight title fight Saturday, June 9, 2012. (AP)

SPORTS

Football Croatia 3

Spain 1

Ireland 1

Croatia thrash Ireland in stirring Euro start

Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic (center) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the Euro 2012 championships football match Republic of Ireland vs Croatia on June 10, 2012. (AFP)

POZNAN, Ukraine: Croatia piled on the misery for Ireland, beating them 3-1 in their Euro 2012 opener here on Sunday, with Mario Mandzukic scoring two in a stirring meeting that saw both teams battle hard from start to finish. Keenly aware that on the road ahead lie heavyweights Italy and defending European champions Spain, both Ireland and Croatia had been clear that they needed a convincing start to the tournament. Just three minutes in, Wolfsburg striker Mandzukic moved into position for a cross from captain Darijo Srna, stumbling briefly before steadying himself to beat Irish goalkeeper Shay Given with a powerful header. Veteran Given - Ireland’s most capped player with 122 - appeared uncomfortable as he was caught off guard, conceding his country’s first half goal in 15 matches. The 36-year-old Aston Villa keeper had been a doubt because of a knee injury but after being able to train fully on Friday suffered no reaction and was cleared to play in Sunday’s match giving coach Giovanni Trapattoni a boost. Croatia’s ecstatic fans let off flares to celebrate Mandzukic’s goal, and did so again to mark the ensuing strikes despite appeals from the announcer, meaning the team looks set to be the latest to be fined by UEFA for the behavior of its supporters at Euro 2012. Ireland, roared on by their fans, battled back. They had a chance to equalize after winning a free kick on the edge of the area in the 11th minute when Gordon Schildenfeld fouled Kevin Doyle, but Keith Andrews’s shot was blocked. Eight minutes later,

however, came a repeat performance, as Doyle was brought down by Vedran Corluka.Aiden McGeady stepped up to take the shot, firing the arching free kick to Sean St Ledger, who nodded past Croatian keeper Stipe Pletikosa. That put a smile on the face of the Leicester City player, who did not score for his club this season. Ireland’s green, white and orange-clad supporters responded by doing “the Poznan”, a backs-to-the-pitch jumping dance made famous by fans of the city’s topflight club Lech. The two teams continued to parry and thrust into the dying minutes of the half, until Croatia packed into the Irish area, with Ivan Perisic crossing to Ivan Rakitic. A touch by StephenWard put Nikica Jelavic onside, and he beat Given in the 43rd minute. Three minutes after returning from the dressing room, Croatia made it 3-1 when Mandzukic fired towards the far corner of the net. The shot hit the post, but bounced off the lunging Given and into the back of the net. Ireland and their supporters were irate in the 62nd minute when talismanic captain Robbie Keane - their 31-year-old record goal scorer who like Given is at what is likely to be his last international tournament - was brought down by Schildenfeld in what the video replay showed was the Croatian box. But Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers refused to award a penalty. Ireland came achingly close to an honor-saving goal in the 86th minute as they packed around the Croatian net, but failed to made good on the pressure they applied. – AFP

M’Vila returns to fitness for France DONETSK, Ukraine: France coach Laurent Blanc revealed on Sunday that Yann M’Vila has returned to fitness following his ankle injury, but said he was unlikely to start Monday’s Euro 2012 opener against England. M’Vila had been expected to miss out with the injury, which he sustained in the 2-0 friendly win over Serbia on May 31, but Blanc said he stood a chance of being named in the squad for the Group D curtainraiser in Donetsk. “For Yann M’Vila, Blaise Matuidi and Steve Mandanda, the news is pretty reassuring,” said Blanc.

MOnDAY, JUNE 11, 2012

“That’s to say that they will train with the group tonight (Sunday). The medical staff have done remarkably well to get them back as quickly as possible.” He added: “The three players are ready to train but there’s also a risk. But if you worry about risks too much, you’ll finish the Euro without having used any of those players. “Our objective is to pick the best team possible. I think it’ll be hard for those three to start, but they should be in the squad.” With M’Vila expected to start on the bench, Alou Diarra is set to continue to deputise for him in the holding midfield role. – AFP

French midfielder Yann M’Vila (left) and midfielder Blaise Matuidi run during a training session at the training center in Kircha on June 9, 2012. (AFP)

Tahiti win Oceania title, Confederations berth HONIARA, Solomon Islands: Steevy Chong Hue’s 10th minute goal gave Tahiti a 1-0 victory over New Caledonia on Sunday, securing the Oceania Nations Cup title and a place in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. It is the first time that neither New Zealand nor Australia, who moved to the Asian confederation in 2006, have won the Oceania tournament, which also doubled as the second round of the region’s qualifying tournament for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Italy 1

Holders Spain held to draw by Italy GDANSK, Ukraine: Holders Spain were held to a 1-1 draw by a dogged and determined Italy at the Arena Gdansk here on Sunday in the opening Group C match at the European Championship. Italy took the lead on 61 minutes through substitute Antonio Di Natale only minutes before the world champions equalized through Cesc Fabregas. But Chelsea striker Fernando Torres missed two glorious late chances after coming off the bench to replace the goal scorer. A draw was a fair result as Italy were the better side in the first half and were fearless in taking the game to the world champions. Both coaches sprung a surprise with their team selections as Vicente Del Bosque opted to go without a striker, playing Fabregas between Andres Iniesta and David Silva. Italy’s Cesare Prandelli opted for Juventus reserve Emanuele Giaccherini in the left wing-back position, a role the forward is far from used to playing. And the surprises continued until after kick-off as Italy were the better side in the first period. Spain clearly lacked a striker and were guilty of overplaying the ball on several occasions. Italy kept it tight, dropping into a back five with three in front of them when they didn’t have the ball. But they showed no fear when claiming possession and attacked with gusto. Andrea Pirlo had the first sight of goal when his low freekick was palmed away by Iker Casillas on 13 minutes. Claudio Marchisio put Antonio Cassano in down the inside right channel but the AC Milan forward’s shot on the turn from a tight angle screwed wide of the far upright. Iniesta had a low shot that Gianluigi Buffon gathered comfortably at his near post but otherwise Italy were far the more dangerous. Casillas spilled a shot from Cassano before Mario Balo-

telli was harshly adjudged to have fouled Gerard Pique as they tangled over the follow-up. Cassano then picked out Marchisio, whose first time volley was spectacular but straight at Casillas. Spain came alive a minute before the break as Xavi picked out Iniesta inside the box with an arrowed pass but his Barcelona team-mate shot too high. The chance of the half came in time added on as Cassano crossed from the right and Thiago Motta’s header from pointblank range was somehow kept out one-handed by Casillas. Del Bosque must have said something to his players at half-time because within five minutes of the restart Fabregas had taken aim and brought a sprawling save out of Buffon. Soon after, Iniesta’s shot from the left was deflected just past the far post. But then a Sergio Ramos mistake presented Balotelli with a free run on goal but the Italian was too casual and the Spaniard rushed back to redeem his error. It was the carefree Balotelli’s last contribution as he was promptly hauled off for Di Natale, and not before time. Di Natale’s first act was to beat the offside trap on 61 minutes to meet Pirlo’s precise through ball and clip home beyond Casillas. That seemed to wake up the holders, though, and a clever move saw the ball shift quickly from Iniesta to Silva and then the breaking Fabregas to finish under Buffon. Del Bosque finally brought Torres on for Fabregas but when presented almost immediately with a one-on-one chance he overran the ball and Buffon cleared the danger. A dinked pass from Sebastian Giovinco, on for Cassano, freed Di Natale but his volley on the stretch went well wide. From another Italian defensive mistake Torres was presented a glorious opportunity but instead of playing in the unmarked Jesus Navas, he chipped Buffon and the bar. – AFP

Spanish defender Alvaro Arbeloa and Spanish defender Sergio Ramos (right) vies with Italian forward Mario Balotelli (center) during the Euro 2012 championships football match Spain vs Italy on June 10, 2012. (AFP)

Shevchenko still Ukraine’s talisman KIEV: His best days as one of Europe’s top marksmen may now be behind him but even at the age of 35 former European player of the year Andrei Shevchenko remains a talismanic figure for Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine. That much was proved by the reception he received after training ahead of his country’s opening match against Sweden on Monday, when he found himself presented with a zozulica - a clay whistle in the form of a cuckoo and a part of regional Slavic culture dating back thousands of years. Shevchenko’s career has come full circle as the former AC Milanand Chelsea forward, who has won a host of honors in the game, sets out on his final international adventure on home soil and three years after returning home from Milan to Dynamo Kiev, with whom he made his name as a predatory striker. “Sheva” will hope the whistle - which has not enjoyed the same media buzz as its South African equivalent, the noisier vuvuzela, brings him luck and chases away evil spirits, which it is wont to do according to Ukrainian folklore. Shevchenko himself was the good luck charm in previous years - instrumental in helping the national side reach the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals. Some 3,000-4,000 fans who attended Thursday training chanted constantly “Sheva, Sheva,” in recognition of the fact that this event will be the 2004 Ballon d’Or winner’s international curtain call. Assorted injury problems meant that Shevchenko played barely 20 matches over the season - and none from December to April. Yet national team coach Oleg Blokhin was eager to include him in the squad for his talismanic status and indeed his experience of the biggest stages while the player benefited from a specially-concocted light training program to help to get him ready. “Andrei is not any old footballer - he is also a personality with immense and indisputable authority which a team so needs,” says Blokhin, himself also a former European player of the year. Shevchenko, who scored 175 goals for Milan but then struggled at Chelsea, insists that if he is not fit enough to make an impression then he will make that plain. “If my health problems persist and prevent me from playing a full role with the team then I would never set foot on the pitch. I do not wish to embarrass the team - or myself,” he insisted late

New Caledonia had caused a major upset by beating 2010 World Cup finalists New Zealand in the semi-finals on Friday in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara. The All Whites finished third in the tournament after beating the Solomon Islands 4-3. New Zealand they had blown a 3-0 halftime lead, courtesy of a Chris Wood hat-trick, as the host nation stormed back to score three goals, Benjamin Totori scoring the equalizer in the 87th minute.

last year. As he signed autographs from fans, “Sheva” added this week that “the question is not to know if I wish to start the match or not but if I am fit to play. And I am,” he stressed. – AFP

Ukraine’s national football forward Andriy Shevchenko takes part in a training session, on June 10, 2012. (AFP)

Striker Shane Smeltz, however, snatched the winner in stoppage time, however, to ensure Ricki Herbert’s side salvaged some pride after a poor tournament they had been expected to win easily. “Today was about making a small dent back in our reputation, and getting our World Cup campaign back on track,” Herbert said in a New Zealand Football (NZF) statement. “The best thing we could do today was go out and win.

The hurt (from the campaign) is not going away from me for a long time but maybe today has taken a little bit away.” All four teams that made the semi-finals at the tournament now move to the third and final phase of Oceania qualifying, a single pool of the four teams, starting in September. The group winner will advance to face the fourthplaced team from the Central and North American confederation (CONCACAF) in a two-legged playoff for a spot in Brazil. -Reuters