June 26, 2012

TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1471

Staff Writers and Agencies

12 PAGES

www.alwatandaily.com

150 Fils with IHT

Cabinet submits resignation to Amir

KUWAIT: The Cabinet submitted its resignation to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah on Monday, days after the constitutional court nullified legislative elections.

The decision was announced by Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Sabah following an extraordinary cabinet meeting, presided over by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah on Monday.

The move mainly aims to ensure all constitutional and legal procedures for properly enforcing a recent Constitutional Court ruling on appeals against the 2012 National Assembly election.

During the meeting, the ministers focused on a report presented by a ministerial committee, which is composed of the ministers of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic affairs, Information, Communications, and Commerce and Industry, on how to handle the Constitutional Court ruling. Several experts and specialists from within as well as outside the state bodies were present at the cabinet meeting, the minister of information said.

At the meeting, Minister of Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Jamal Al-Shihab, who is the head of the ministerial committee, elaborated on how to put the ruling in effect, the bodies that would enforce it and the constitutional status of the government. In the meantime, sources have quoted the National Assembly Speaker Jassem

Al-Kharafi as expressing understanding for any measures that might be needed in the current situation to enforce the Constitutional Court’s order and “rectify” any constitutional flaws in order to ensure stability in the country. It has been reported that Al-Kharafi has assured the Amir of his readiness to constitute any measures necessary and that he will discuss the matter with some of the MPs who served in the 2009 Parliament.

Correspondingly, Al-Kharafi met on Sunday with certain members of the 2009 assembly, in the presence of some of the lawmakers of the 2012 Parliament during which he explained the constitutional requirements needed to address the situation and the role of the 2009 Parliament in ensuring the enforcement of the court’s ruling.

The sources mentioned that Al-Kharafi has communicated to the MPs the agreement he had reached with His Highness the Amir during their meeting, involving two main options. The first option is that the 2009 Parliament be convened with the new Cabinet taking oath of office before its members and the budget being passed. Thus, the legislative term wraps up and recess continues until October upon which one or two sessions are held, to be followed by a decree to dissolve the assembly. However, this option has been ruled out given the lack of quorum.

The second option, which has been settled on, entails that a new Cabinet is formed, which can takes oath of office before His Highness the Amir

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah (center) during an extraordinary cabinet meeting held on Monday, June 25, 2012. (KUNA)

Egypt’s Mursi mulls cabinet amid Tahrir sit-in

South Korea May Iran crude imports down 40% on year SEOUL: South Korea’s imports of Iranian crude oil fell nearly 40 percent in May from a year earlier, reflecting Seoul’s efforts to reduce purchases in return for a waiver from US sanctions targeting Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

The north Asian nation, currently the world’s number four buyer of Iranian crude, could also see imports suspended from July due to a European insurance embargo on Iranian oil shipments.

South Korea imported 3.96 million barrels of Iranian crude in May, or 127,880 barrels per day (bpd), compared with its combined term-agreements to import 200,000 bpd this year. It imported 29.22 million barrels from Iran during the first five months of the year, down almost 16 percent from a year ago, data from the state-run Korea National Oil Corp showed. The United States earlier this month extended exemptions from its tough, new sanctions on Iran’s oil trade to seven more economies including South Korea. Of South Korea’s four refiners, only SK Energy and Hyundai Oilbank import Iranian crude. Sources said both refiners will stop importing from Iran when the EU insurance embargo takes effect from July 1. “It is impossible to choose Iranian crude under the EU insurance embargo,” said a Seoul-based refining source who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. The United States and the European Union accuse Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. More on 7

Mombasa blast deaths rise to 3, suspect arrested

to acquire executive authority without having to be sworn before the Parliament to acquire legislative powers because the ministers will not be attending Parliament or take part in legislation.

In line with the latter arrangement,Al-Kharafi will extend invitations for the 2009 Parliament to convene, and in the event that there was a lack of quorum or the Cabinet fails to attend, he will call off the session. This move will be then followed by the issuing of a decree to dissolve the Parliament. Sources have suggested that a decree to disband the Parliament is likely to be issued in the third week of July while general elections are called toward the end of September or early October. The 2012 cabinet was formed just over four months ago following a February parliamentary election in which the opposition scored an impressive victory, achieving a majority. It was the ninth cabinet to resign in Kuwait since February 2006. Two of the cabinet’s 16 ministers had been forced to quit over the past few weeks under pressure from MPs. The constitutional court, whose rulings are final, scrapped the February legislative election and reinstated the previous pro-government parliament. Opposition members from the scrapped parliament rejected the court ruling and described it as “null and void,” insisting that the court has exceeded its mandate stipulated under the law.

They have equally called for a mass protest on Tuesday at the Determination Square.

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Qatari national sentenced to 10 years for running over citizen

Yousef Al-Yousef Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Criminal Court sentenced the Qatari national for running over citizen Ahmad Asad, to ten years in jail with hard labor and ordered deporting him after spending the ten years in jail.

The court also sentenced Ahmad Asad and his friend Ibrahim to six months in jail with hard labor for beating the Qatari national. The court referred the civil case to civil court on the background of the incidents which took place in Jaliah four months ago during National Celebrations.

The court sentenced the Qatari national to five years in jail for attempting to kill

Ahmad Assad and sentenced him to five years in jail for attempting to kill Asad’s friend Ibrahim. Investigations conducted by police and interrogations conducted by the Public Prosecution and testimonies indicated that a skirmish took place between the Qatari national and Asad when Asad and his friends splashed water on the Qatari during national celebrations.

The two parties quarreled and then the Qatari national drove his car and ran over Asad. The defendant is still in custody while Asad is still hospitalized.

Lawyers Mohammad Al-Enzi, Dalal Al-Mulla and Hawraa Al-Habib, who defended Al-Asad, praised the court and More on 2 valued its ruling.

Cyprus applies for EU bailout

NICOSIA: Cyprus became on Monday the fifth euro zone country to seek financial assistance from the EU’s rescue funds, announcing it was applying for a bailout for its banking sector hit by exposure to the crisis in Greece. Tiny Cyprus needs to raise at least 1.8 billion euros - equivalent to about 10 percent of its domestic output - by June 30 to satisfy European regulators about the health of Cyprus Popular Bank, which saw its balance sheet hurt by bad Greek debt.

It may seek more.

“The purpose of the required assistance is to contain the risks to the Cypriot economy, notably those arising from the negative spillover effects through its financial sector, due to its large exposure in the Greek economy,” a government announcement said.

With its coffers emptying rapidly and hurtling towards an immovable deadline, the island suffered a further fiscal sovereign credit rating cut to non-investment, or junk, status by Fitch at BB+.

With a bailout widely viewed as all but inevitable, Cyprus has for weeks been trying to juggle its options between a bailout from Europe’s rescue funds, the temporary EFSF and the permanent ESM, or a bilateral loan from either Russia or China. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias was scheduled to brief political leaders on Tuesday afternoon, a statement from the presidency said.

If Cyprus signs up for the EU rescue program it will join the ranks of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. -Reuters Police officers holding their guns participate in a protest near Murillo square in La Paz June 25, 2012. Some members of the police and their wives occupied police barracks and marched in their fifth day of protests against low wages according to local media. (Reuters)

Pakistan PM to raise border attacks with Karzai

KARACHI: Pakistan’s new prime minister Monday condemned cross-border attacks from Afghanistan and said he would discuss the matter with President Hamid Karzai, a day after six Pakistani soldiers were killed.

“Pakistan has strongly protested with Afghanistan on the cross-border attacks and I will also take up this issue with Karzai,” Raja Pervez Ashraf told reporters in Karachi. His office did not elaborate on when such a conversation might take place.

Pakistani officials said Islamist militants killed six troops on patrol in the Soni Darr area of Upper Dir, a northwestern Pakistani district on the Afghan border. Intelligence officials said the attackers were loyalists of Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who fled into Afghan-

istan when the army recaptured the Swat valley after a two-year Taliban insurgency ended in 2009.

Afghanistan and Pakistan trade accusations of blame for Taliban violence plaguing both sides of their porous, mountainous border. Pakistan says rebels have regrouped in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan and US officials want Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked havens used to launch attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistani troops have been bogged down for years fighting local Taliban but have resisted US pressure to carry out a sweeping offensive against Afghan Taliban fighters in its North Waziristan district.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Islamabad earlier this month that Washington was running out of patience More on 5 over terror safe havens.

Actor Dylan McDermott’s mother murdered in ‘67

EU affirms Iran oil ban, dismisses Greek concerns

LUXEMBOURG: EU governments on Monday formally approved an embargo on Iranian oil to start on July 1, dismissing calls by debt-ridden Greece for possible exemptions to help ease its economic crisis.

They also warned Iran that more pressure could be put in place if it continued to defy international demands for limits on its nuclear program, which they say is geared to developing weapons. The Islamic Republic says its nuclear activity is for electricity production and other peaceful ends only. “It is important that the Iranian leaders understand the resolve of the countries of the European Union on this,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague said.

“We will go on intensifying the economic pressure until the world can be satisfied that Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.” Greece had pushed for a delay in the implementation of the EU ban - originally drafted in January - because it relies heavily on Iranian crude oil to meet its energy needs.

Tehran has offered preferential credit terms to debt-stricken Athens. At a meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers said that the embargo would go ahead as planned, although they pledged to review its implementation in the future to ensure European governments retain sufficient access to crude.

“There is no change in terms of how we’re going forward on July 1,” EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on the sidelines of the meeting. “The sanctions that have been agreed will be implemented.”

Ashton said European governments hoped diplomacy could resolve the nuclear standoff soon, but they would keep sanctions against Iran under constant review and could crank up pressure. “My ambition, my real ambition, is to try to resolve this as quickly as possible. We look for what further pressure were are able to do and these discussions continue pretty much consistently, to persuade Iran to come and negotiate with us.” A new package of financial sanctions by the United States comes into effect later this week. -Reuters

UN rights investigator in Syria for first talks

GENEVA: A top UN human rights investigator has been holding talks in Damascus with senior Syrian officials to pave the way for a probe into massacres and other atrocities in the country, UN and diplomatic sources said on Monday.

It is the first time Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro has been granted permission to enter Syria since his team was set up in September by the UN Human Rights Council.

“He is trying to pave the way for us to be able to go into the country,” a UN source told Reuters in Geneva. “We need to go before September when our final report is to be submitted.”

In reports based on hundreds of interviews with witnesses, survivors and

refugees in the region, the team has accused Syrian forces of committing crimes against humanity, including executions and torture. It has also blamed rebels for carrying out atrocities.

Pinheiro, a veteran UN rights investigator who acts in an independent capacity, arrived on the unannounced trip to Damascus late on Saturday after securing a visa from the Syrian diplomatic mission in Geneva, diplomatic sources said.

He has met deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad and is due to return to Geneva on Tuesday, a day before presenting the team’s latest report to the 47-member rights forum, they said.

It was not immediately clear what other appointments he had. More on 3

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Even moderate exercise might cut breast cancer risk: Study

CAPITALS: Women who exercise may cut their risk of breast cancer by as much as 30 percent, a new study suggests, reports HealthDay News. Weight gain, however, may undermine the benefit of exercise, the researchers noted.

“Our study showed that moderate recreational physical activity may reduce breast cancer risk,” said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Importantly, we found reduced risk of breast cancer for women who engaged in exercise after menopause,” she said.

“This is particularly encouraging given the late age of onset for breast cancer.”

The report was published in the June 25 online edition of Cancer. For the study, McCullough’s team collected data on more than 1,500 women with breast cancer and a similar number of women without the disease. All the women had taken part in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project. They found women who exercised before or after menopause had a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Women who exercised 10 to 19 hours a week had the largest benefit – about a More on 8 30 percent reduced risk.

New York State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver(second left), developer Larry Silverstein (second right), and US Representative Jerrold Nadler (right), sign the final steel beam to be raised to the top of 4 World Trade Center during a ceremony to mark its installation in New York, June 25, 2012. (Reuters)

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ALWATAN DAILY

local

tuesday, JUNE 26, 2012

Qatari national sentenced to 10 years in jail for running over citizen Asad Yousef Al-Yousef

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Criminal Court sentenced the Qatari national for running over citizen Ahmad Asad, to ten years in jail with hard labor and ordered deporting him after spending the ten years in jail.

The court also sentenced Ahmad Asad and his friend Ibrahim to six months in jail with hard labor for beating the Qatari national. The court referred the civil case to civil court on the background of the incidents which took place in Jaliah four months ago during National Celebrations. The

court sentenced the Qatari national to five years in jail for attempting to kill Ahmad Asad and sentenced him to five years in jail for attempting to kill Asad’s friend Ibrahim.

Investigations conducted by police and interrogations conducted by the Public Prosecution and testimonies indicated that a skirmish took place between the Qatari national and Asad when Asad and his friends splashed water on the Qatari during national celebrations. The two parties quarreled and then the Qatari national drove his car and ran over Asad. The defendant is still in custody while Asad is still hospitalized.

Lawyers Mohammad Al-Enzi, Dalal Al-Mulla

and Hawraa Al-Habib, who defended Al-Asad, praised the court and valued its ruling. Al-Enzi said that the defendant destroyed the future of his client but the court sentenced the defendant to jail. He added that the criminal did not say that he unintentionally ran over Asad but he declined running over Asad and falsely claimed that Asad’s friend was the one who ran over him. He added that such a case can never affect the friendly relations with the Qatari people who can never accept injustice. Lawyer Al-Habib valued the fair and just court ruling. She added that the defense team will appeal the court ruling against their client who was defending himself.

Local drugs sponsored by states, international organizations: Dr. Al-Samdan Mohammad Atef

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Chairman of the National Committee for Drugs Prevention Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking activities was launched Monday in 360 Shopping Mall under the title “Good Health means Good Home”.

Speaking to Al Watan, the General Secretary of the National Committee for Drugs Prevention and Chairman of GRASS Dr. Ahmad Al-Samdan as well as the Manager of the National Awareness for the Prevention of Drugs Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti said that the very celebration of such event is important as it underscores the country’s keenness to prevent the widespread of this practice.

“This event coincides with the United Nations’ the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which was held on June 26, 1987 in Vienna after many participating countries called on for such meeting. They all agreed that a special day should be marked for the event to highlight

the significance of drugs prevention,” Dr. Al-Samdan explained.

Al-Samdan went on to praise the United Nations efforts to introduce more preventive measures and awareness which was held this year under the title “Global Action for Healthy Communities without Drugs”.

Asked about accurate statistics for drugs abuse, Dr. Al-Samdan said that there is no data available which can be described as accurate but added that questionnaires have shown the effectiveness of the campaign carried out by GRASS. He added equally that it would be difficult to ascertain Kuwait’s rank worldwide in terms of drug abuse.

“On the other hand, the rise of the drugs production worldwide is significantly alarming because it means that there is increasing demand for this illegal trade. Unfortunately, there are international organization behind all of this and in some instances state sponsored trade which makes local, regional and international endeavors and perseverance all the more valuable,” he explained.

He went on to add that the absence of stricter measures to curb the widespread of drugs is a prime reason behind such activity stressing that

members of the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) should act and work closely with one another to curtail further activities.

On his part, Dr. Al-Shatti said that people need to understand that Kuwait is not an isolated country and that there is drug abuse pointing out at the same time that the country’s geographical location makes it a venerable and easier target. He also said that countries which suffer from political instability such as Iran, Pakistan and Iraq make such illegal activities vibrant. He added that the main centers of drug abuse in Iraq are the northern and southern parts of the country.

“The GCC is an easy target by drug cartels because of the abundance of cash. Traders are willing to risk severe penalties because of the huge margin of profits this illegal trade generates. Recent statistics have shown that the amount of drugs smuggled into the country is no longer tiny and small as in some instances there were 60 kg confiscated in one raid,” he remarked, adding at the same time that the security forces should pay more attention to all of the country’s ports, exits and entrances to minimize the widespread of the practice of this illegal trade.

Finance Ministry honors former minister Al-Shimali KUWAIT: The Finance Ministry held a function Sunday evening honoring its former minister Mustafa Jassem Al-Shimali under the care and in the attendance of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Addressing the gathering, Al-Shimali said that before making a living, holding a public office is a means of serving the homeland, and stressed that the success of state bodies and administration spills over in all aspects of life in the country.

He added that throughout his career, his motto

had been “honesty and competence” which he considers the two keys for success.

“As I end my career, I cannot but express my thanks and gratitude and honor to have served at the ministry and alongside officials including governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and the chairmen at Kuwait Investment Authority, the Public Institution for Social Security and Customs Department.

“I have the greatest appreciation for their support of me at times of challenge,” Al-Shimali re-

Former minister Mustafa Jassem Al-Shimali (right) and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (center) during an honoring ceremony held Monday, June 25, 2012.

(KUNA)

marked.

Acting Finance Minister, Minister of Education and of Higher Education Nayef Al-Hajraf said Al-Shimali’s career is one that is long and with many accomplishments since his graduation in the 1960s till his appointment in leading posts in the finance and economy sector. His long experience in foreign economic relations brought the ministry a valuable resource of information that aid in decision-taking.

Al-Hajraf stressed the man proved his mettle and proved up to his post, and his leaving the post is a loss for the ministry.

For his part, Industrial Bank of Kuwait Board Chairman and Managing Director Abdulmehsin Al-Hnaif said Al-Shimali belongs to the founding generation, and had shown excellent leadership in his post and in his management of the departments under the ministry’s umbrella.

Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said he was personally honored to have served alongside AlShimali for over 18 years, and hoped the standards of service and policies he put in place would serve the ministry for many years to come.

His Highness the Premier Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah presented Al-Shimali with a commemorative shield at the end of the ceremony.

The officials attending included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and a host of sheikhs, ministers, governors, and senior state officials. -KUNA

Criminal Court adjourns Parliament breaking in case until October 8

KUWAIT: Criminal Court adjourned considering the case of storming the headquarters of National Assembly until October 8. This was stated in a press release issued Monday. The court endorsed such step in order to have further time for studying the case. However, the court has already called for lifting the parliamentary immunity of several members of the Parliament (MPs) which were elected in 2009 such as Musallam Al-Barrak, Faisal Al-Mislem, Jamaan AlHarbash, Falah Al-Sawwagh, Mohammad Al-Mutair, Salem Al-Namlan, Khalid Al-Tahous, Waleed Al-Tabtabaie and Mubarak Al-Walaan.

Furthermore, the court had listened to the answers of some accused figures regarding the accusations but all of them have denied all accusations. Moreover, the court could not interrogate the MPs of 2009 parliament because they have a parliamentary immunity now due to the recent sentence of the constitutional court in this concern.

The court released all accused men immediately after completing the session. The suspects were accused of storming the parliament, damaging public property, and fighting security forces and policemen who were exerting all possible efforts to protect state property.

Kuwait sponsors women’s empowerment project

‘Ending discrimination against women benefits from strong legal backbone’

CAPITALS: Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is sponsoring a project targeting women’s economic empowerment as part of the government’s program of action, in cooperation with the UN Development Program (UNDP).

The Kuwaiti economic system is a capitalist one that is, by nature, based on two key pillars, namely an efficient and developed banking system and small and medium-sized projects, the ministry said in a press release.

But, it said there is still much work for setting out a fresh system for small-sized projects, noting that a relevant major initial step was taken in May 2012 when the National Assembly (parliament) passed an integrated law in this respect.

The second impressive step, it maintained, includes the creation of incubators for small-sized projects.

Business incubators are programs designed to support the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services.

The Ministry of Social Affairs had established the first incubator for smallsized projects as part of Kuwaiti women’s economic empowerment, according to the release.

Furthermore, work is being underway for turning the ministry’s family development center into a new incubator building and the project is expected to be completed before the end of this month.

The fresh incubator will provide various services, mainly training and consultation and counseling, it pointed out.

In other news, the State of Kuwait Monday expressed satisfaction over the report of the Human Rights Council Working Group on Discrimination against Women, stressing ending discrimination against women requires stronger laws and

penalties regarding this topic.

Addressing the 20th regular session of the Human Rights Council, Foreign Ministry Political Researcher Iqbal Fahad Thnayyan Al-Ghanem said that this is in harmony with Kuwaiti Constitution, and stressed Kuwait realizes the importance of women empowerment and encouraging more active participation in politics and parliament affairs by women. Kuwaiti law, she went on, granted women the right to become members in parliament and municipal councils and bodies, and we see women assuming many leading posts in the country in political, diplomatic, and administrative spheres as well.

“Out of its belief in the need for bolstering women’s standing and role and contribution to social development alongside male peers, the country enacted many laws and issued many regulations that give women equal rights in civil service at ministries and other state bodies.

“Many laws had been issued recently giving women even more rights, such as right to state housing, law on service in the public sector concerning working hours and special benefits, and regulations that take in consideration women’s physical and overall constitution, wherever due, in different professions.” The researcher told the council Kuwait’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is further proof of its belief in this policy of equality. She also said there had been many great services to the homeland rendered by women from all walks of life and in all fields and professions.

The council discusses a periodic report presented by the Human Rights Council Working Group on Discrimination against Women regarding both law and practice, and this falls within the discussions on promotion of Human Rights, whether they be civic, political, economic, social, or cultural, including right to benefit from and have access to aspects of overall development. -KUNA

Kyrgyzstan lauds Kuwait’s humanitarian efforts

Foreign undersecretary lauds EU-GCC cooperation LUXEMBOURG: Kuwait’s foreign ministry undersecretary Khalid Suleiman Al-Jarallah Monday said the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the 27-member European Union (EU) share common positions on many regional and international issues and enjoy very good cooperation.

“Relations, contacts and cooperation between the EU and GCC are very, very strong and we are happy with this kind of cooperation,” he told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) in an interview.

He said in Monday’s ministerial meeting between the EU and GCC in Luxembourg they are going to discuss the cooperation between the GCC and the EU. “This is an annual meeting which we have either here in Luxembourg or Brussels or in a GCC country. We have an agenda which is related to

the cooperation between the two sides and we will also discuss regional issues like Syria, Iran’s nuclear program, Yemen, Iraq,” he said.

“We will also discuss the situation in the Arab Spring countries and Egypt is one of these and also relations of the EU and GCC countries with the Arab Spring countries,” said the Kuwaiti official.

The EU is trying to support these Arab countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya and Yemen of course, he noted.

The financial crisis in Europe, he said, is also affecting the economies of Gulf countries.

“There is a serious challenge in Europe regarding this crisis and this affects our economies, affects the prices of oil,” said Al-Jarallah.

“We hope that our friends in Europe will really contain this problem and develop their

economy to avoid a serious problem not only for Europe but for the whole world,” he said.

Regarding the recent Syrian-Turkish tensions following the shooting down of a Turkish fighter plane, Al-Jarallah said he was sure that the crisis would not escalate.

“I am sure that in the end wisdom will prevail and I am sure there will be some kind of containment,” he added.

Al-Jarallah arrived in Luxembourg Sunday afternoon at the head of a five-member delegation to participate in the joint EU-GCC ministerial meeting to be held this evening.

Kuwait’s ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg and the EU, Nabeela Al-Mulla, along with second secretary Mubarak Al-Hajiri and Abeer Alduaij are also in Luxemborg to welcome and support the Kuwaiti delegation. -KUNA

Group photo of Kyrgyzstan media delegation and KRCS representatives on Monday, June 25, 2012. (KUNA)

KUWAIT: Head of Kyrgyzstan media delegation Dr. Gayed Al-Marzouki lauded here Monday the humanitarian efforts of Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) stressing that its efforts were felt both on a regional and global scales.

Speaking to the press after visiting KRCS’ headquarters, Al-Marzouki said that the delegation was briefed about the society’s mission to help others around the globe during the visit.

The Kyrgyzstan delegation is visiting Kuwait on an invitation by the Foreign Ministry foreign media department. -KUNA

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

TUESdAY, June 26, 2012

UN rights investigator in Syria for first talks Red Cross says security concerns barring Homs evacuation

GENEVA: A top UN human rights investigator has been holding talks in Damascus with senior Syrian officials to pave the way for a probe into massacres and other atrocities in the country, UN and diplomatic sources said on Monday.

It is the first time Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro has been granted permission to enter Syria since his team was set up in September by the UN Human Rights Council. “He is trying to pave the way for us to be able to go into the country,” a UN source told Reuters in Geneva. “We need to go before September when our final report is to be submitted.” In reports based on hundreds of interviews with witnesses, survivors and refugees in the region, the team has accused Syrian forces of committing crimes against humanity, including executions and torture. It has also blamed rebels for carrying out atrocities.

Pinheiro, a veteran UN rights investigator who acts in an independent capacity, arrived on the unannounced trip to Damascus late on Saturday after securing a visa from the Syrian diplomatic mission in Geneva, diplomatic sources said.

He has met deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad and is due to return to Geneva on Tuesday, a day before presenting the team’s latest report to the 47-member rights forum, they said. It was not immediately clear what other appointments he had.

The Council, at an emergency session held on June 1, condemned Syria for a massacre of at least 108 people in the Houla region and called for the UN investigators to identify the perpetrators and gather evidence for possible criminal prosecution.

Syria has accused “terrorists” of carrying out the Houla massacre, its term for anti-government rebels leading a 16-month revolt against the rule of President Bashar Al-Assad. The UN team announced last February it had drawn up a confidential list of Syrian officials and commanding officers suspected of murder, abductions and torture. It also identifies armed militants linked to abuses.

Although the Human Rights Council has no direct power to punish wrongdoings, the detailed catalogue of abuses and secret list could be the basis for prosecutions by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the UN war crimes tribunal in the Hague.

Syria appears to have agreed to allow Pinheiro access after his team’s report last month contained more allegations of gross human rights violations

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Turkish rescue plane also targeted by Syria: Diplomat

ANKARA: A rescue plane searching for a Turkish fighter jet that had been shot down over the eastern Mediterranean was itself placed in the crosshairs by the Syrian military, a European diplomat told AFP on Monday.

The Turkish army Casa CN-235, a twin-propeller transport, was targeted by a Syrian ground-to-air defense system as it looked Friday for the F4 Phantom jet that had been downed earlier with its crew of two, said the diplomat.

“When a plane is targeted by such a defense system, the pilots are warned by their instruments that they are targeted,” added the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. But the plane was not shot at, he noted. The source was not able to say if the plane was in Syrian or international airspace when the Syrian radar locked on to it.

On Sunday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu briefed diplomats from EU and NATO member states about the incident and held a second round of meetings with diplomats from other countries.

Turkey, a former ally of Syria, called

for an emergency NATO meeting Tuesday after accusing Damascus of shooting down its jet in international airspace.

Davutoglu said in televised remarks Sunday that the F4 was unarmed and was fired on after it had left Syrian airspace.

Turkey says the jet stayed over Syrian airspace for three minutes and Syria says it was five minutes, the European diplomat told AFP. He also said it was hard to figure out what happened on Friday because Turkey is not a party to the Montego Bay Convention of 1982 on the law of the sea because of its territorial disputes with neighboring Greece. Rescue teams are still searching for the wreckage of the Phantom 1,300 meters (4,000 feet) down in Syrian waters. Turkish diplomatic sources said it was still unclear if the pilots had ejected and the search was continuing.

Turkey mobilized efforts to find the wreckage with one coast guard vessel, two frigates, four high-speed boats, five helicopters and several aircraft including the one targeted by Syria, the European diplomat noted. -AFP

Putin in Israel, West Bank for talks on Syria, Iran Demonstrators protest against Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad in Kafrawaid, near Idlib, June 24, 2012. Picture taken June 24, 2012. (Reuters)

committed by the militants, UN sources said.

“It is a positive signal that they finally accepted to allow them in. But between now and Wednesday what can he (Pinheiro) achieve?” one Arab diplomat said. Red Cross chief Jakob Kellenberger said on Monday that booby traps and a lack of clear agreement from Syria’s rival sides were preventing aid workers from evacuating the sick and wounded from Homs. “There are real security concerns - booby traps and other things,” Kellenberger he told reporters at the launch of the annual report of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The ICRC, working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, tried last week to enter the old city of Homs in central Syria after agreement from the government and opposition but the attempts had to be aborted as shooting continued.

“In order to go to a place in a situation like it is now, it’s important to have an unambiguous agree-

ment of all those concerned in the violence so that you can do your job,” Kellenberger said.

“We today again have made an intervention on the government side to go to Homs,” he added.

“We also need the reaction of the armed opposition.We do also have to make our evaluation of the security situation.” The ICRC president said it was difficult to hold structured talks with the opposition since it comprised several groups.

Kellenberger has visited Syria on several occasions since the revolt against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad begin in March last year and has held talks with the ruler. The ICRC president is retiring after 12 years and will be succeeded from July by former Swiss state secretary for foreign affairs Peter Maurer. “I have one regret,” Kellenberger told reporters. “It’s that there are still wars and it’s still the most vulnerable who suffer, not those who engineer them.” -Agencies

Egypt’s Mursi mulls cabinet amid Tahrir sit-in CAIRO: Egypt’s president-elect Mohamed Mursi began selecting a new government on Monday as his supporters pursued a sit-in to pressure the ruling military to hand over full powers to the Islamist.

After a tight race in which Mursi was forced to reach out to pro-democracy groups, the former Muslim Brotherhood politician is expected to include ministers who will have the support of his movement’s election allies.

Despite the historic victory in which Mursi was on Sunday declared the first civilian president of Egypt, he still has to contend with a ruling military seeking to retain broad powers and with a precarious economy.

The Muslim Brotherhood that fielded Mursi in the election to replace ousted leader Hosni Mubarak has said it would press on with a sit-in to pressure the ruling generals to relinquish more powers to Mursi.

On Monday, Mursi, once a prisoner under Mubarak’s regime, was moving into the presidential palace and had already begun talks to appoint his new cabinet, days before the military is scheduled to transfer power, a spokeswoman said.

“He has already started, with a list of names he is considering. He says he will declare the cabinet soon,” said Nermine Mohammed Hassan, a campaign spokeswoman.

The military-appointed cabinet is expected to offer

its resignation on Monday, state media reported, adding that it would assume caretaker responsibilities until Mursi is sworn in.

An official with the military, which took charge after Mubarak’s overthrow in the uprising early last year, told AFP the transfer is still scheduled for June 30.

A senior Brotherhood member, Sobhi Saleh, told the official news agency that Mursi would take the oath in front of the constitutional court instead of in parliament, which the military disbanded earlier this month.

In Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Muslim Brotherhood cadres pressed on with a days-long sit-in aimed at pressuring the military to repeal decrees granting it the disbanded parliament’s powers and a broad say in security policies.

The military also has control over the budget drawn up by the outgoing cabinet, which the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament had strongly disputed.

Mursi, who defeated his rival and ex-Mubarak premier Ahmed Shafiq with 51.7 percent of the vote, quickly moved to allay domestic and international concerns over the Islamists’ victory in the Arab world’s most populous country.

The Cairo stock exchange briefly suspended trading on Monday after a more than six percent increase amid optimism that the official announcement of a president would help stabilize the country. -Reuters

Police disperse protest in east Sudan KHARTOUM: Sudanese police used teargas to disperse anti-government protesters in an impoverished eastern region on Monday, witnesses said, as demonstrations fueled by an economic crisis continued to break out outside the capital.

Small demonstrations have spread across the country for more than a week, provoked by government moves to cut spending, scale back fuel subsidies and take other austerity measures to plug a widening budget gap. About 200 protesters gathered in the town of Gedaref, near the border with Eritrea, chanting “No, no to high prices” and “the people want to overthrow the regime” on Monday, two witnesses told Reuters.

The police were not immediately available to comment.

The most widespread protests so far broke out on Friday in neighborhoods across Khartoum and expanded beyond the core of student activists who had dominated them.

Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir on Sunday dismissed the demonstrations as the work of a few agitators whose aims are not shared by the majority of Sudanese.

Although the capital has been relatively quiet since a security crackdown on Saturday, activists have continued to try to use discontent over the economy to build

a broader movement to end Al-Bashir’s 23-year rule. A number of students from the University of Khartoum faculty of medicine tried to stage a demonstration in the city centre on Monday. But a heavy security presence stopped the protest gaining any momentum, a witness said. Late on Sunday, police also used batons and teargas to break up a protest in the Al-Jerief area in eastern Khartoum after demonstrators blocked a major road, burned tyres and chanted slogans against high prices, witnesses said.

Sudan’s economy - already reeling from years of conflict, US trade sanctions and mismanagement - was hit hard by the secession of oil-producing South Sudan a year ago.

The new nation took about three quarters of the country’s oil output, previously Sudan’s main source of foreign currency, exports and state revenues.

The left Sudan with a mounting budget deficit, a weakening pound and high inflation in the prices of food and other goods, many of which are imported.

The two countries were supposed to work out a deal in which landlocked South Sudan would pay Khartoum fees to export its oil via pipelines and other facilities in Sudan, but the two failed to reach an agreement. South Sudan shut down its oil output in January after Khartoum started confiscating some crude. -Reuters

NETANYA: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday unveiled a World War II memorial during a rare trip to Israel where he is expected to hold talks on the situation in Syria and Iran’s nuclear program.

Putin, who arrived earlier Monday, is to hold talks with his counterpart Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, before meeting Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank on Tuesday.

His meetings are expected to focus on the continuing bloodshed in Syria, where an estimated 15,000 people have been killed since an uprising began in March 2011, and on international efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear program. Putin joined Peres at a ceremony to inaugurate a memorial to the role of the Red Army during World War II in the northern city of Netanya, where one in three residents is originally from the former Soviet Union.

“I am confident that Russia, which defeated fascism, will not allow similar threats today. Not the Iranian threat. Not

the bloodshed in Syria,” Peres said during the ceremony overlooking the Mediterranean. Putin said the monument would serve “as a reminder that the world is still fragile and we should do our best in order for the criminal Nazi doctrines, no matter what form or shape they take, to be left in the past.” World War II veteran Boris Kagan, 87, attended the ceremony in uniform. Kagan, who emigrated from the Ukraine to Israel in 1990, expressed hope that ties between Israel and Russia would improve with Putin’s visit. “We have to be friends,” he told AFP, praising the memorial.

After the ceremony, Putin was to hold talks with Netanyahu, with the Russian leader’s aides saying beforehand that Syria and Iran would top the agenda. Moscow and the West have been at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with the Kremlin refusing to support sanctions against its Soviet-era ally and resisting outside intervention. Putin is also expected to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, which is a key concern for the Jewish state. -AFP

4

ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION / VIEWS

TUESdAY, June 26, 2012

Asia’s next axis

When demands of parliamentary majority hit the ceiling

Marzouq Al-Harbi

Using the trilateral FTA to expand its economic and political influence would require China to increase transparency, open its service sector, and remove non-tariff barriers.

Yoon Young-kwan

Project Syndicate

L

ast month, the leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea agreed to begin negotiations later this year on a trilateral free-trade agreement. If the talks succeed, the global trade map will need to be redrawn. An FTA that encompasses, respectively, the world’s second, third, and 12th biggest economies (in purchasing power parity terms in 2011), with a population of 1.5 billion, would dwarf the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement, comprising the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Indeed, Northeast Asia would become the third major axis of regional economic integration, following the EU and NAFTA. Until now, the region has been unable to institutionalize economic cooperation as vigorously as Europe and North America have. But if the proposals discussed in Beijing last month are realized, the resulting FTA could surpass NAFTA in its degree of integration and importance to the world economy. In addition, the formation of a China-Japan-South Korea FTA would most likely trigger a chain-reaction. For example, the momentum could expand southward and stimulate ASEAN, which has bilateral FTAs with all three countries, to join the group. Such a turn of events would be equivalent to establishing the East Asia Free Trade Area, which the ASEAN+3 envisioned about a decade ago.

If that happened, other countries - Australia, New Zealand, and, most importantly, India might seek to jump on the bandwagon.

The US would, of course, need to respond to the conclusion of any trilateral Northeast Asian FTA in order to preserve its own role in global trade - and in the supply chains that dominate the Asian economies. It would likely seek to expand and deepen the infant Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade agreement that President Barack Obama committed the US to last year.

In particular, the US would strongly encourage Japan to join the TPP, because the US might want a united Asia-Pacific economic community, rather than a division between Asia and the Pacific. Because Japan would not want to be disconnected from the US for strategic reasons, it might indeed accept America’s invitation.

In this scenario, both Japan and South Korea would have to find some means to bridge a Sino-centric Asia and a US-centered Pacific. Despite its smaller economy, South Korea seems to be better prepared than Japan to play this critical role. South Korea has already concluded an FTA with the US, after years of difficult negotiations, and plans to negotiate a bilateral FTA with China this year. Thus, the key question is whether and how much Japan will be willing to take on a similar bridging role. Robust Japanese participa-

I

tion would mitigate Asia-Pacific polarization and contribute to building momentum for regional integration.

But the magnitude of domestic challenges that Japan faces nowadays seems too great for its political leaders to play a proactive international role. Japan’s governments have been fragile and short-lived for close to a decade, and the current debate over raising the value-added tax could cause another change of administration.

Moreover, Japan’s powerful agricultural interest groups, especially the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, may strengthen their opposition to both a trilateral FTA with China and South Korea and the TPP with the US. But Japan’s leaders are being squeezed from both directions. If they do nothing while South Korea continues to conclude FTAs, Japan will lose markets in the US and China.

But if they act, domestic political opposition would likely be so severe as to drive them from power. This is the main reason why it will be difficult for Japan to conclude the proposed trilateral FTA, despite Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s recent endorsement of it. Indeed, only a looser FTA that would exclude each country’s sensitive economic sectors appears to be viable. For China, political considerations seem to be the strongest motivation for pursuing a Northeast Asian FTA. But using the trilateral FTA to expand its economic and political influence would require China to increase transparency, open its service sector, and remove non-tariff barriers.

In essence, it would have to accept a rulesbased system for its relations with its two neighbors, something of which China’s government has been wary. One advantage for China, however, in pursuing an FTA strategy is that it is still an authoritarian state, and thus could overrule domestic opposition far more easily than could governments in Japan or South Korea.

Finally, South Korea, which has concluded FTAs with almost every important economic actor in the world - the US, the EU, ASEAN, India, and others - may be better prepared to conclude a trilateral FTA than Japan. But it, too, will have to face strong opposition from domestic agricultural interest groups and manufacturing sectors, which might mobilize even more strongly than they did in opposing the FTA with the US. If a trilateral Northeast Asian FTA can be concluded, the three countries would be able to generate more market demand domestically at a time of weak demand from the West and would gain greater influence in the global political economy.

A trilateral FTA would also most likely contribute to stabilizing the three countries’ troublesome political relations with each other, and could provide a better environment for North Korea’s eventual economic reconstruction. The myriad benefits of a Northeast Asian FTA are clear. The question is whether it is an ambition too far.

t is common knowledge here in Kuwait that when members of the parliamentary majority submit any demands; there is absolutely no limit or even reconsiderations in attempts to ascertain whether their demands are plausible, feasible or even justifiable in the long run. This was precisely what was witnessed at the recent meeting when members of the parliamentary majority submitted a list of demands - such demands that have literally raised the ceiling to such an extent that they themselves must not have expected in their wildest dreams; leave aside actually taking the initiative of discussing the pros, cons and repercussions of their actions and decisions.

Previously unheard of demands such as the possibility of an elected government, various other vague and contested constitutional amendments, the one constituency system and a series of other complicated terminologies were, at one point of time, only discussed and debated by the most extrememinded politicians.

Of course one must also bear in mind that those extreme-minded politicians were thorough professionals by nature and hence; definitely knew what they were talking about unlike the current batch of politicians who seldom know the minute and sensitive intricacies involved in political work.

Raising the ceiling of demands by the parliamentary majority called for an elected government and constitutional amendments that include that the government cannot take oath without having a clear work program, the parliament cannot be dissolved before two years of its legislative term, the government must be formed of parliamentary majority, and elections must occur in one constitution only. Such demands began

gradually years ago, and then the ceiling of those demands was raised after the 2009 parliament that is perceived as the worst parliament in Kuwaiti history.

Several members of the current parliament are, by now, renowned for their penchant in accepting or even bribing their way around to achieve all their vested interests as was evident at that particular point of time (in 2009) when several incidents coincided in parliament that literally exposed the government’s disorganized state of affairs; especially in dealing with members of the parliament coupled with several other political events that transpired during that time.

Soon after, the ceiling of demands was raised once again and reached its zenith as was witnessed during the last meeting of the powers that be and which culminated in scores of citizens gathering at the Determination Square demanding the dissolutions of both the parliament and the government.

In another first; the Determination Square also witnessed a wave of threats that were directed towards the decision makers; challenging the authority and ingenuity of their decisions.

In fact the demonstrators even went to the extent of discussing and challenging the elected government’s concepts and amendments for the very first time as a political opinion. Secondly, not only did the 2009 parliament raise the ceiling of demands; its very existence promulgated the formation of various political groups comprising youths from all walks of life and which have matured so much within a limited period of time that they are now nursing a plethora of strong and efficient political agendas; not to mention their ever-dominating presence at the Determination Square.

Amidst all that the uproar with regards

to the government’s shoddy performance from time to time; coupled with no marked improvement in any or all of its dealings; it was this parliamentary majority that slowly but steadily began to emerge from the shadows and began to make its presence felt in society. In fact the very presence of its members was so strong and overpowering that they lost no precious time in engaging in; and bringing about strong and effective reformative changes in society in desperate attempts to end the state of political chaos in the country.

On the other hand, the scenarios that we are witnessing these days in the political arena are not only disturbing; they are overwhelmingly unprecedented. To cite a case in point, one needs to go no further than focus on the underlying fact that members of the parliamentary majority are now aiming to accomplish an even bigger victory than what they have already accomplished. And once they accomplish that aim, there will be nothing standing in their way of realizing all their dreams and aspirations that they have been yearning to accomplish over the past several years.

On the other hand, it is also common knowledge that they are trying their level best to increase their representation at the National Assembly to at least 40 MPs - all of whom will surely be witnessed promulgating their own political agendas with an even higher ceiling of demands.

Once that is done, the country will then witness the dawn of another era of governance that will be unlike any other throughout its past history. And in the event that we are asked to speculate on whether the outcome of that mode of governance will turn out to be positive or negative; that speculation will go beyond one’s comprehension, as only time will tell.

POLICE STATION

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Mohmmed Thallab

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YoonYoung-kwan, South Korea’s foreign minister in 2003-2004, is currently Professor of International Relations at Seoul National University.

Wrongheaded in Rio Bjorn Lomborg

Project Syndicate

T

ens of thousands of people will soon gather in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Earth Summit. The participants, ranging from weary politicians to enthusiastic campaigners, are supposed to reignite global concern for the environment. Unfortunately, the summit is likely to be a wasted opportunity.

The UN is showcasing the alluring promise of a “green economy,” focused on tackling global warming. In fact, the summit is striking at the wrong target, neglecting the much greater environmental concerns of the vast majority of the world. Global warming is by no means our main environmental threat. Even if we assumed - unreasonably - that it caused all deaths from floods, droughts, heat waves, and storms, this total would amount to just 0.06 percent of all deaths in developing countries.

In comparison, 13 percent of all Third World deaths result from water and air pollution. So, for each person who might die from global warming, about 210 people die from health

problems that result from a lack of clean water and sanitation, from breathing smoke generated by burning dirty fuels (such as dried animal dung) indoors, and from breathing polluted air outdoors. By focusing on measures to prevent global warming, the advanced countries might help to prevent many people from dying. That sounds good until you realize that it means that 210 times as many people in poorer countries might die needlessly as a result - because the resources that could have saved them were spent on windmills, solar panels, biofuels, and other rich-world fixations.

But of course, poor countries’ tangible pollution problems are not trendy, and they do not engage outspoken campaigners, media and governments the way that global warming can. Nowhere are the failed priorities better illustrated than in the UN’s official, colorful “Rio+20” leaflet.

Here, the UN helpfully provides a layman’s explanation of the summit, along with examples of its envisioned “green economy” in action.We see scary pictures of dry riverbeds (the result of global warming), along with plenty of pretty solutions like wind turbines and solar panels.The problem is that green energy mostly is still much more expensive, less effective and more intermittent than the alternatives. Yet,

By focusing on measures to prevent global warming, the advanced countries might help to prevent many people from dying. the summit literature claims that it will boost economic growth and eradicate poverty.

But seriously, why do well-meaning First Worlders think that the Third World should have energy technologies that are more expensive, feebler and less reliable than their own?

Without a hint of irony, the leaflet is called “The Future We Want.” But, in a world where a billion people go to bed hungry, and where six million die each year from air and water pollution, most of those in the developing world likely have a very different set of priorities for their future.

The leaflet cheerfully claims that China’s shift “to a low-carbon growth strategy based on the development of renewable energy sources (has) created jobs, income, and revenue.”

In fact, over the past 25 years, China has quadrupled its CO2 emissions. While China does produce about half of the world’s solar panels, 98 percent are exported to reap gen-

erous subsidies from rich-world markets. Only 0.005 percent of China’s energy comes from solar panels. China’s decades-long economic expansion has lifted 600 million people out of poverty, but the enormous pollution that this has entailed does not fit into Rio+20’s green narrative. Likewise, the brochure explains that some farmers in Uganda have embraced organic farming.

Unfortunately, Africa is almost entirely organic now - leading to low yields, hunger, and deforestation.

Africa needs to boost its yields, and that means enabling farmers to use modern crops, fertilizers, and pesticides. Producing less with more effort might appeal to well-fed First Worlders, but it is literally starving the poor.

Reading further, the leaflet gushes that France has created 90,000 jobs in the green economy.

But the stark reality remains hidden: the average cost of each green job is more than $200,000

per year, which French taxpayers patently cannot afford. And economic models show that France has lost as many or more jobs because of the extra costs of the subsidies. Adding insult to injury, a beautiful photograph shows electric cars finishing the “Zero Emissions Race” in Geneva. Omitted is the fact that most electricity still comes from burning fossil fuels, so the cars are anything but “zero” emissions.

And, more importantly, most of our planet’s inhabitants still dream of owning some form of mechanized transport - which is unlikely to be an electric vehicle with a price tag of $50,000 or more. In a world plagued by serious problems caused by air and water pollution, this breezy focus on trendy topics and unrealistic solutions is deeply disturbing.

A disconnected global elite is flying to Rio to tell the world’s poor to have a solar panel.

Rather than pandering to advanced countries’ obsessions, Rio+20 could do more good for humanity - and the planet - by focusing on the top environmental problems and their simple solutions.

Bjorn Lomborg is the author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It, head of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, and adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School.

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ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

tuesdAY, June 26, 2012

Pakistan PM to raise border attacks with Karzai KARACHI: Pakistan’s new prime minister Monday condemned cross-border attacks from Afghanistan and said he would discuss the matter with President Hamid Karzai, a day after six Pakistani soldiers were killed.

“Pakistan has strongly protested with Afghanistan on the cross-border attacks and I will also take up this issue with Karzai,” Raja Pervez Ashraf told reporters in Karachi. His office did not elaborate on when such a conversation might take place.

Pakistani officials said Islamist militants killed six troops on patrol in the Soni Darr area of Upper Dir, a northwestern Pakistani district on the Afghan border. Intelligence officials said the attackers were loyalists of Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who fled into Afghanistan when the army recaptured the Swat valley after a two-year Taliban insurgency ended in 2009.

Afghanistan and Pakistan trade accusations of blame for Taliban violence plaguing both sides of their porous, mountainous border.

Pakistan says rebels have regrouped in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan and US officials want Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked havens used to launch attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistani troops have been bogged down for years fighting local Taliban but have resisted US pressure to carry out a sweeping offensive against Afghan Taliban fighters in its North Waziristan district. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Islamabad earlier this month that Washington was running out of patience over terror safe havens. Islamabad imposed a

The nominated candidate for prime minister from the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Raja Pervez Ashraf leaves after a meeting with the main coalition party of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PMLQ) in Islamabad on June 22, 2102. (AFP)

blockade, now in its seventh month, on overland NATO supplies into Afghanistan since US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border on November 26.

Pakistani soldiers ‘beheaded’

Pakistan said Monday that seven soldiers were beheaded by Islamist militants who infil-

Many feared dead in Uganda landslide on Mt. Elgon KAMPALA: Many villagers were feared dead in eastern Uganda on Monday after a landslide buried several settlements on the slopes of Mt. Elgon which straddles the Kenyan border, local media reports said.

Some reports said about 10 people had been killed in the landslide, while the local member of parliament, David Wakikona, told Reuters that up to 100 people could have been buried. This could not be independently verified. “Three villages have been flattened in the Bumwalukani parish on the slopes of Mt. Elgon and the initial reports I have is that more than 100 have been buried,” he said. “The areas around Bududa district have been experiencing heavy rains for days now and I am told the landslides started around midday today and that they’re still going on and some villagers who survived the early slides are fleeing.”

Landslides caused by heavy rains are frequent in eastern Uganda where at least 23 people were killed

last year after mounds of mud buried their homes.

Scores of others were buried alive in a similar disaster in March 2010. The area affected produces coffee in what is the third biggest economy in east Africa.

The Uganda Red Cross Society said it had sent a team of volunteers to assess the situation. Local authorities have said there could be about 80 people living in each village.

“We have reports of landslides in Bududa but we have no word on casualties yet. We have sent out teams but we haven’t heard from them yet,” Catherine Ntabadde, a spokeswoman for Uganda Red Cross said.

Nine people had been injured and 15 houses buried in the mudslide, while 29 houses were at risk and needed to be urgently relocated, she added. Rain has fallen over parts of Uganda in a sustained fashion for much of the past two months, even though it is usually a dry period between the rainy seasons. -Reuters

Ukraine trial put off until after Euro 2012 final KHARKIV, Ukraine: A Ukrainian court on Monday adjourned the high-profile tax evasion trial of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko until mid-July, a move that will spare Kiev further negative publicity during the Euro 2012 soccer tournament.

Western outrage over Tymoshenko’s prosecution - which she says is a politically-motivated witch hunt - has already prompted some European politicians to boycott matches at the football championship, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland.

In a hearing in the city of Kharkiv, Judge Kostyantyn Sadovsky adjourned further hearings into the tax evasion case until July 10 at the request of state prosecutors, ordering a medical examination of Tymoshenko, 51, in order to establish whether she is fit to attend her own trial. Receiving treatment for back trouble in a state-run hospital in the same city, the co-leader of the country’s 2004 Orange Revolution has said she is not well enough to be present.

The decision by some politicians to boycott the Ukrainian segment of the football tournament was prompted by a Kiev court, which in October sentenced Tymoshenko to seven years in jail for abusing her powers in 2009 when prime minister, a charge she denied.

That conviction - an unexpectedly harsh punishment - triggered international condemnation.

The latest case involves tax evasion and embezzlement charges dating back to the 1990s.

According to an official list of charges published in the Kommersant Ukraine newspaper on Monday, Tymoshenko’s now-defunct gas trading company caused damages equivalent to about $4 million to the state, while she personally evaded paying $85,000 in taxes.

Twice prime minister, Tymoshenko denies wrongdoing.

Tymoshenko was not present at the brief hearing on Monday, but dozens of her supporters rallied outside the building chanting “Free Yulia!”.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, the man she accuses of orchestrating her persecution in revenge for her political opposition to him, has repeatedly said he hopes the Euro 2012 football tournament will help boost Ukraine’s international image and attract inward investment.

Any fresh legal moves against Tymoshenko during the event would have been certain to attract unwanted publicity and analysts say the court is reluctant to rule until after the championship finishes on July 1 when the country is out of the media spotlight. -Reuters

Mombasa blast deaths rise to 3, suspect arrested

A bar attendant injured in a blast at Jerico Pub in the Kenyan Coast arrives for treatment at the Coast General Hospital in Mombasa June 24, 2012.

(Reuters)

trated from Afghanistan, lashing out at Kabul over cross-border attacks.

The protests come with Pakistan under growing US pressure to act against Al-Qaedalinked safe havens on its own soil and the antiterror Islamabad-Washington alliance at its lowest ebb since the 9/11 attacks.

Pakistan already reported that six soldiers were killed in gunbattles with militants Sunday who crossed from Afghanistan into the northwestern district of Upper Dir, a key border transit route that neighbors the Swat valley where Pakistan defeated a local Taliban insurgency in 2009.

Intelligence officials blamed the attack on loyalists of Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who fled to Afghanistan after losing control of Swat to the army. But on Monday, the military said 11 soldiers had also gone missing, “out of whom seven soldiers have been reportedly killed and then beheaded”.

The bodies have not been found, but intelligence intercepts indicated that they had been killed, a senior military official told AFP in the northwest. The army said more than 100 militants “from a safe haven across the border” attacked troops on patrol. It claimed to have killed 14 militants.

Pakistan said two rockets and sniper fire were also fired into Lower Dir on Monday. The army “has strongly protested with their counterparts across the border for not taking action against miscreants present in safe haven in Afghanistan,” a military official said. -AFP

Combat between army, mutineers resumes in DR Congo

KINSHASA: Fighting between the army and troops who have deserted resumed Monday, after a week of relative calm, in the eastern Nord-Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, mutineers said.

The armed forces (FARDC) “are starting to attack us with heavy weaponry on a hill close to Mbuzi”, one of the three hills where the mutineers have set up strongholds, said Lieutenant-Colonel Vianney Kazarama, spokesman for the deserters, who have formed a March 23 Movement (M23).

Before returning fire, “we are waiting, we are going to talk to partners.

We’re informing MONUSCO (the UN mission in DR Congo) to tell them that the FARDC should cease attacks to give a chance” to young people to take their high school graduation exams in “serenity”, Kazarama added.

High school exams begun Monday throughout the whole of the vast central African country. The government announced that it had taken steps to enable young people in the Rutshuru territory, where the fighting began more than a month ago, to take the exams in spite of the clashes.

“We have gathered all those who are in the zone of unrest between Jomba and surrounding places, in Bunagana,” on the border with Uganda, where they will benefit from “the protection of the army and MONUSCO,” government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP. Fighting began in May between the FARDC and former rebels of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), who deserted military ranks in protest at what they called bad treatment.

They demanded the full implementation of peace accords signed on March 23, 2009, under which they were integrated into military ranks.

The clashes between M23 and the army have displaced more than 200,000 people, while 20,000 others have fled across borders into neighboring Rwanda and Uganda. -AFP

Clashes in Indian Kashmir as fire guts Muslim shrine

KASHMIR: A major fire gutted a 200-year-old, revered Sufi Muslim shrine in Indian Kashmir Monday, sparking clashes between police and residents in the region’s summer capital Srinagar, police said.

Nearly two dozen people were injured in the violence, triggered by anger at the perceived delayed response of firefighters in battling the blaze.

There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the fire at the Peer Dastageer Sahib shrine, one of the most revered Sufi sites in Indian Kashmir which houses a relic of the 11th century Sufi saint, Sheikh Abdul Qadir.

Witnesses noticed the fire in the upper floor on Monday morning and it quickly engulfed the wooden structure. “Ten policemen and an equal number of protesters have been injured in the clashes,” senior police officer Shiv Murari Sahai told AFP. “We are ascertaining the cause of the fire,” Sahai said. Kashmir is India’s only Muslim-majority state and a long-running separatist insurgency has made for perennial tensions between residents and the security forces that often spill over into violence.

Sufism is the predominant Islamic tradition followed by Kashmiri Muslims. Local resident Muhammed Yusuf Khan and other witnesses claimed the fire tenders arrived late on the scene and were not properly equipped to handle the blaze. To control the ensuing violence and prevent large-scale protests, authorities placed the region’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and some other separatist leaders under pre-emptive house arrest.

Various separatist parties and religious groups called for a protest shutdown in the state on Tuesday. The chief custodian of the shrine, Syed Khalid Hussein, said all relics, handwritten copies of Quran and other sacred articles housed in the shrine were safe. -AFP

Central Africa gunmen attack French uranium plant: Army MOMBASA: The death toll from Sunday’s explosion in a Mombasa night club rose to three and Kenyan police said on Monday they had arrested a suspect, a man in his twenties who was injured in the blast and taken to hospital. The cause of the explosion was not yet known, police said, but there have been several attacks in the east African port city, popular with Kenyan and foreign holidaymakers, since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October to crush Islamist militants.

A day before the blast the US embassy warned of an imminent attack on Mombasa and urged all its staff to leave. It also said it had suspended travel to the city by embassy staff until July 1.

The suspect now under arrest was taken to hospital after suffering abdominal and leg injuries in the blast, but early on Monday police handcuffed him to his hospital bed and said they needed to question him further. “One of those wounded people is assisting us with investigations because he is providing contradic-

tory statements. He is being held as a suspect,” said Aggrey Adoli, the Coast regional police chief.

At least 15 people have been killed in grenade attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa, including a security guard at a Mombasa night club. There have also been grenade and gun attacks in northeast Kenya near the Somali border. Kenya has blamed the attacks on al Shabaab, a Somali rebel group which formally merged with Al Qaeda this year and has declared war on Kenya because of its incursion into Somalia.

On Wednesday Kenyan police arrested two Iranians after seizing chemicals they suspected were going to be used to make explosives in Mombasa.

Ahmad Mohammed and Sayed Mousavi were charged at the Nairobi High Court on Monday with being in possession of 15 kilograms of explosives and preparing to commit a felony. They denied the charges and were detained until Wednesday, when the judge will rule on their bail application. -Reuters

BANGUI: Gunmen have attacked a uranium plant operated by French nuclear power giant Areva at Bakouma in the southeast of the Central African Republic, army and French diplomatic sources said Monday.

“A violent clash yesterday (Sunday) afternoon pitted” Central African troops against “an unidentified group of armed men attempting to launch an assault on the site of mining company Areva,” a military statement said.

“The enemy did some material damage and pulled back while taking a sizeable quantity mainly of food with them,” Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Ladawa said in the statement, which was read on national radio. “For the moment, it’s difficult to establish a casualty toll from the fighting. However, we sustained no losses either among personnel or the population at Bakouma,” he said. “Measures are being prepared in consultation with the French side, which joined the Central African side in the management of this situation,” the military spokesman added. A military source in Bangui, who asked not to be named, said that the raid had claimed no victims but operations were under way “neutralise this group of armed men, who are believed to be members of the Chadian rebel Popular Front for Recovery (FPR) led by ‘General’ Baba Ladde.” The FPR has been active in the Central African Republic since 2008. -AFP

5

NEWS IN BRIEF Court to rule on row between Romania leaders over EU summits BUCHAREST: Romania’s center-right presidentTraian Basescu on Monday asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether he or his left-wing rival Prime Minister Victor Ponta should attend EU summits.

“The presidency asked the court to rule about a conflict between the presidency and the prime minister”, a court spokeswoman told AFP. A hearing is scheduled on Wednesday, the day before the next European Union summit opens in Brussels.

Basescu’s spokesman, Bogdan Oprea, refused to comment on the move. Ponta said he is engaged in a “very powerful conflict” with Basescu. The premier has been very determined to attend EU summits since his center-left coalition took power at the beginning of May after the former centerright government fell on a no-confidence vote. On June 12, parliament adopted a statement recommending that Ponta attend EU meetings on economic, social and fiscal issues while Basescu should go to those devoted to security and foreign affairs. But Basescu immediately rejected parliament’s move, telling a press conference “it violates the Constitution and has no legal value”. -AFP

US journalist to modernize Vatican communications strategy ROME: A scandal-hit Vatican, struggling to cope with years of bad press, has hired American Fox News correspondent Greg Burke to help modernize its communications strategy. “I hope to help the ancient communications machine take some steps forward,” Burke told the Corriere della Sera newspaper Monday. Burke, 52, a member of the conservative Opus Dei movement, said his new position “will be a challenge,” but he hoped to help the Vatican revolutionize its use of the Internet, particularly in English, and better public relations. The Vatican has been overwhelmed in recent years by a widespread and highly damaging clerical sex abuse scandal, and has had to deal this year with intense media speculation over an alleged power struggle at the heart of the Holy See. It has been caught out in a number of embarrassing blunders since Pope Benedict XVI’s election, including the pontiff’s move in 2009 to welcome back into the fold a dissident Holocaustdenying bishop. The seasoned journalist will help coordinate the Holy See’s communications strategy by integrating communications issues within the Vatican’s secretariat of state and working with the tiny State’s press office. -AFP

Briton dies after jumping from Eiffel Tower PARIS: A British man has committed suicide by climbing up the Eiffel Tower in Paris and jumping to his death, officials said on Monday. Police spotted the man climbing the structure of the tower around 11:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) on Sunday. They evacuated the tower, sealed off the area and tried to negotiate with the man. Firefighters tried to talk the British man down from the tower but failed and he jumped from between its second and third levels, a height of between 125 and 310 meters (410 to 1,017 feet), said Frederic Grosjean, deputy spokesman for the Paris firefighters’ brigade. Suicides by jumping from the tower “happen frequently enough, but it is rare for someone to be able to climb so high”, a police source said. Firefighters intervened again on Monday when a woman aged about 30 also attempted to jump from the tower.

She was talked out of the suicide and lifted by helicopter from the structure.

Reached by AFP, Eiffel Tower management refused to comment on the number of suicides at the site every year, saying only: “It is always too many.” -AFP

N. Korea executes four returned refugees: activist SEOUL: North Korea has publicly executed four refugees who were repatriated by China and sent 40 others to its notorious prison camps, a South Korean activist said Monday. China has repatriated 44 fugitives from its communist neighbor in recent months, said Kim Heung-Kwang, who heads NK Intellectuals Solidarity, a Seoulbased defectors” group. Four of them were executed and 40 sent to camps for political prisoners, he told a seminar. South Korean rights groups say there are six political prison camps in the North holding around 200,000 detainees. Kim said he had obtained his information from a source inside the North, but gave no details. The South’s unification ministry, which is in charge of cross-border affairs, declined to comment. Tens of thousands of North Koreans looking to escape hunger or repression in their communist homeland have fled in recent years.Virtually all cross the border to China, which repatriates those fugitives it catches. Beijing says they are economic migrants rather than refugees, a policy criticized by international rights groups.

The refugees often travel on from China to Southeast Asian countries, hoping to fly from there to South Korea. Last week 19 refugees were arrested in Thailand on charges of illegal entry. -AFP

BUSINESS

m ar ket watc h KUWAIT

DUBAI

QATAR

0.74% 5791

0.3% 1456

1.28% 8228

OIL MARKETS

OMAN

ABU DHABI

BAHRAIN

EGYPT

0.12% 5662

0.28% 2487

0.04% 1124

7.59% 4482

SAUDI 0.92% 6683

US Crude $79.03 $0.73 London Brent

$90.33 $0.65 Kuwait Crude

$86.45 $0.00 Information Courtesy: KAMCO

KSE price index loses 42.96 points closing in red Aggregate Q1 2012 net profit of GCC listed companies up 12.9%

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange’s KSE15 index ended Monday’s trading session with a gain of 6.5 points to read 969.47 points.

The price index lost 42.96 points dropping to 5,791.02 points. The weighted index went up 0.82 points to 398.01 points.

Trades came to 3,852 transactions, worth KD 15,308,303.699 and volume reached 215,953,572 shares.

Top share for the day was that of Kuwait Foundry Company. The biggest loser was Kuwait Gypsum Manufacturing Trading Company and top volume share was that of Al-Safwa Group Company. The 14 sector indices were mixed upon closing.

Weighted index of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) lost 0.76 points reaching level of 396.43 points in early trading of Monday’s session.

Price index lost 39.3 points falling to 5,794.68 points. But the KSX 15 index gained 0.81 points reaching 963.78 points by 9:25 a.m.

Number of trades amounted to 518, value of traded shares KD 2,566,760.125 and volume of exchanged stocks 27,221,667.

In more news, First quarter of 2012, three months ending in March, witnessed an increase of profitability of GCC companies, according to a lengthy study released by Global Investment House on Monday.

Total net income of GCC companies for that period was 14.5 billion US dollars, a 12.9 percent increase over the March-2011 level of $12.9 billion.

The study covers 543 locally listed companies, in which 39 companies are from Bahrain, 160 from Kuwait, 65 from Oman, 41 from Qatar, 144 from Saudi Arabia, and 94 from UAE. It excludes those that have not reported financial results, dual listing companies and companies whose fiscal year does not end on Dec. 31.

By country, all GCC stock markets managed to enhance their bottom lines by the end of March 2012, barring the Bahrain Bourse, with its corporate profitability declining by 0.9 percent year on year (YoY).

The Kuwaiti market had the best performance amongst its regional peers, with its corporate profitability increasing by 40.6 percent YoY after excluding non recurring earnings of Wataniya of KD 265.5 million, recorded in first quarter (Q1) of 2011, due to a revaluation of the existing held interest in Tunisiana, following increase in the shareholding from 50 percent to 75 percent.

By sector, Q1 2012 aggregate net profits for GCC Banking sector increased by 9.9 percent YoY. Insurance sector was also a notable gainer, with its aggregate net profit increasing by 34.7 percent YoY by the end of Q1 2012.

On the negative side, aggregate net profit of GCC services stocks retreated marginally by 0.2 percent YoY, as it dropped from $445 million in Q1 2011 to $444.3 million in Q1 2012.

As to GCC markets’ profitability by sector, profitability of Bahraini listed stocks declined marginally by 0.9 percent by the end of Q1 2012, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Aggregate corporate profits announced

by Bahraini companies stood at $560.3 million in Q1 2012, down from $565.5 million in Q1 2011.

tuesDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

CURRENCIES US Dollar

British Pound

Saudi Riyal

Qatari Riyal

Indian Rupee

Buy 0.2806 Sell 0.2807

Buy 0.4364 Sell 0.4367

Buy 0.0748 Sell 0.0748

Buy 0.07710 Sell 0.07710

Buy 0.4921 Sell 0.4923

Euro

Japanese Yen

UAE Dirham

Bahraini Dinar

Philippine Peso

Buy 0.3504 Sell 0.3505

Buy 0.3516 Sell 0.3517

Buy 0.0764 Sell 0.0764

Buy 0.7442 Sell 0.7445

Buy 0.00657 Sell 0.00659

Prices in Kuwaiti fils. As of June 25, 2012. Courtesy: KAMCO

US dollar rate stable against Kuwaiti dinar at KD 0.280

KUWAIT: The exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar was stable, KD 0.280, whereas the euro dropped to KD 0.351 compared to Sunday’s figures, said the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) on Monday.

Meanwhile, the exchange rate of the Sterling pound was stable at KD 0.436.

The Japanese yen remained unchanged at KD 0.003 while the Swiss franc dropped to KD 0.292. -KUNA

Qatar seeks $5 billion quota to invest in China’s capital market

Sees 2013 economic growth as slowest in decade

Workers paint a fence on a street in Shanghai on June 25, 2012. Chinese manufacturing activity hit a seven-month low in June, data from HSBC showed, putting pressure on Beijing to do more to boost the world’s second-largest economy. (AFP)

In Kuwait, a total of 160 Kuwaiti companies announced their Q1 2012 financial results, (excluding 13 dual listing companies), 12 companies with fiscal year not ending on December 31, and 19 companies whose shares are suspended from trading, with exclusion of results the KD 265.5 million, one off profits of National Mobile Telecommunications Company (NMTC) in the Q1 2011 to draw a fair comparison between the Kuwaiti companies.

Aggregate net profit of listed Kuwaiti companies for Q1 2012 stood at $1.34 billion, up by 40.6 percent YoY, compared to $0.96 billion net profit for the corresponding period of last year.

Banking Sector accounted for 41.2 percent of the total net profit of the 12 sectors’ profit. Aggregate net profit of the nine local banks (excluding three dual listing banks) stood at $554 million in Q1 2012, registering 1.4 percent decrease compared to $561.9 million recorded in Q1 2011.

Total banking shareholders’ equity rose by 4.8 percent in Q1 2012, amounting to $22.1 billion. While, sector’s total assets improved by 7.2 percent compared to the Q1 2011, amounting to $182.1 billion. Five out of the nine listed Kuwaiti banks witnessed an increase in their profitability, led by Burgan Bank, with a net profit amounting to $63.1 million.

The bank posted a good set of results and exceeded our estimates and Bloomberg Consensus Estimates for the quarter, most likely on reduced levels of provisions.

The growth in loans and deposits was exceptionally high and therefore a definite plus. National Bank Of Kuwait (NBK) posted $291.3 million in net profit in Q1 2012, as opposed to a net profit of $290.4 million in Q1 2011. NBK’s results were

closely in line with our expectations and therefore void of any surprises with the exception of deposit growth which was starkly high.

Excluding the aforementioned non recurring earnings of Wataniya in Q1 2011, the Telecommunications sector’s net profit would stand at $356.9 million in Q1 2012, up by 7.2 percent YoY. As for Kuwait’s first telecom operator, Zain Group, generated consolidated revenues of $1.172 billion, reflecting a one percent increase over the same period of Q1 2011. The net income has witnessed an increase of two percent year-on-year to reach $255.1 million.

National Mobile Telecommunications Company (Wataniya), consolidated Net Profit stood at $102.3 million, compared to Net Profit for the same period in 2011 of $1.0 billion. Net Profit for Q1 2011 includes a fair value gain of $959.3 million recorded due to revaluation of existing held interest in Tunisiana following the increase in the shareholding from 50 percent to 75 percent. The Net Profit in Q1 2011 without the fair value gain was $70.8 million, an increase of 44.2 percent over Q12011.

The Real Estate sector had the best performance amongst all the market sectors in terms of its net profit growth.

By the end of the first quarter of the year 2012, the sector’s net profit stood at $119.7 million, up from $18.12 million in Q1 2011. United Real Estate Company’s Q1 2012 net profit took a big step and rose by 1,110 percent, reaching $54.6 million, compared to $4.5 million in Q1 2011. As for the sector’s heavy-weight, Mabanee Company, it reported a net profit amounting to $21.6 million in Q1 2012, up by 4.2 percent YoY. -KUNA

UAE mall developer MAF picks banks for possible bond DUBAI: UAE mall developer Majid Al-Futtaim Holding (MAF) has picked banks to arrange investor meetings ahead of a potential second bond issue this year, lead managers said on Monday.

MAF, the sole franchisee of French hypermarket chain Carrefour will meet investors in Singapore and London starting June 26 following which the company may issue a dollar-denominated bond, subject to market conditions.

J.P. Morgan Chase, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Barclays Plc, Standard Chartered Plc and UBS AG have been mandated to arrange roadshows.

Any eventual bond will be under MAF’s $2 billion medium term notes program, which was set up last year.

Due to market volatility, MAF, a rare example of an investment-grade fully corporate bond issuer from

the region, decided to hold off on a debut conventional offering under the programme last year and instead opted for an Islamic bond in January.

It raised $400 million from a 5-year bond which priced at 5.85 percent. The Sukuk was bid well above par at just under 106.5 cents to the dollar on Friday, to yield 4.3 percent, indicating a healthy level of investor interest in the paper. MAF, which is seen as more price sensitive than other regional issuers, will be hoping to take advantage of a recent rally on Gulf bonds, particularly the high grade paper and Dubai names which has resulted in narrowing spreads and possibly more appealing pricing.

The company agreed terms for a $500 million loan to fund a shopping centre in Egypt where the mall developer had to take writedowns after Arab Spring protests, its chief executive said in March. -Reuters

Egypt to offer 3.5 billion Egyptian pounds in bonds CAIRO: Egypt’s Ministry of Finance will offer 3.5 billion Egyptian pounds (578 million US dollar) in bonds at an auction on July 2, the central bank said on Monday.

It will offer 1.5 billion pounds in reopened seven-

year bonds maturing on April 3, 2019 with a coupon of 16.85 percent, and two billion pounds in three-year bonds maturing on July 3, 2015, the bank said.

Settlement for the bonds, which the central bank is selling on behalf of the ministry, is on July 3. -Reuters

Gulf oil integration ineluctable amid global about-turn

KUWAIT: Gulf integration in the realm of oil and gas is extremely crucial in the light of instant global and world changes, an economic report showed here Monday. Oil-rich Gulf countries supply the world with a quarter of its oil needs, and roughly 20 percent of its natural gas requirements, according to the recent report, released by the Diplomatic Center for Strategic Studies.

They also boast around 45 percent of world oil reserves and 17 percent of natural gas stocks, it indicated.

However, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are still lacking in proper integration and cooperation, and the Gulf private sector is still unable to play a significant role in oil development, the report lamented. Comparatively, the global oil market has been dynamically developing, the report said, calling for an equilibrium between energy production and efficient consumption.

Gulf oil integration could contribute to slimming relevant costs by means of devising concerted policies involving exploration, refining, marketing and pricing, the report emphasized.

It listed recent significant developments in the global energy market as growing demand for oil and natural gas, prompting oil-producing countries to boost their output. Gulf countries are able to largely control supply and demand in the international oil market, it concluded. -KUNA

CAPITALS: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is applying for the status of Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (QFII) in mainland China’s capital market and aims for an investment quota of five billion US dollars, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Qatari Energy and Industry Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada said during his trip in Beijing that by applying for the QFII status, Qatar Investment Authority plans to invest part of its revenues generated from transferring gas to China in Chinese shares and initial public offerings (IPOs), according to Xinhua.

Liquefied natural gas transported from Qatar to China amounts to 5 million tons annually. “The decision, which has received positive responses from China, is out of recognition of the strength and prospect of the Chinese economy,” AlSada was quoted as saying.

He said the current disappointing performance in China’s A-share market will be short-lived and Qatar is eyeing China’s long-term growth potential for strategic investments.

Launched in 2002, QFII is one of the few channels for overseas investors to trade in China’s domestically listed yuandenominated A-share market within given quotas. The quota that Qatar proposed far exceeded the current cap of $1 billion.

Last December, Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) received QFII status, becoming the second qualified Middle Eastern fund after Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

With an increasing number of foreign investors showing interest in China’s Ashare market, China’s top securities regulator had quickened its pace to further open its capital market, the report said.

Earlier this month, China Securities Regulatory Commission cut the asset requirements for foreign institutions wanting to invest in its stock markets and allowed the QFIIs to hold up to a 30-percent stake in a listed company.

The commission has also quickened QFII approvals recently to encourage foreign investors who held long-term investment plans.

In more news, Qatar’s economic growth is expected to slow to 4.5 percent in 2013, the weakest rate in a decade, but the country plans to continue heavy investment in its non-hydrocarbon sector, the OPEC member’s planning authority said on Monday.

Qatar’s oil and gas-reliant economy

has been surging at a break-neck, doubledigit pace for the past six years but it is expected to decelerate as the impact of two decades of gas output expansion fades.

The General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) sees inflationadjusted gross domestic product growth easing to 6.2 percent in 2012 from 14.0 percent last year. Large growth risks exist in the global economy, particularly in the debt-ridden euro zone.

“While the (euro) bloc’s problems may seem remote from Qatar, an unexpected weakening of oil prices risks reducing the resources available to the state,” the GSDP said.

Worsening global economy prospects have already knocked crude oil prices down $35 from March highs to current around $90 per barrel, near lowest levels since December 2010.

The International Monetary Fund said in January after concluding regular consultations with Qatar, its government had adequate financial cushions to mitigate potential risks.

Qatar, which has avoided the social unrest that rocked the Arab world last year, plans to boost government spending by 27 percent to $49 billion in the fiscal year that began in April.

The world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas plans to invest about $130 billion in its non-hydrocarbon sector in 2012-2018, the GSDP said. Infrastructure spending should average more than 10 percent of GDP ahead of the 2022 soccer World Cup. In September, Qatar raised basic salaries and social benefits for state civilian employees by 60 percent, while military staff received 50-120 percent increases.

Despite increased spending, the Gulf Arab country’s government budget should show a comfortable surplus of 7.8 percent of GDP in the 2012 calendar year, although GSDP forecasts it to fall to 4.8 percent in 2013.

Inflation in Qatar, which pegs its riyal to the US dollar, should edge higher and float between 2 and 3 percent in 2012 and 2013, the GSDP said. It has been hovering just above 1 percent since the start of 2012 due to weakness in the property sector.

“Inflationary pressures are expected to remain tame in 2012 and 2013,” the GSDP said.

“Excess supply in the residential rental market looks set to continue and - in a context of anemic global demand - non-fuel global commodity prices seem unlikely to stoke imported inflation,” it said. -Agencies

Bank Muscat plans share sale at 25% discount

DUBAI: Bank Muscat, Oman’s largest lender, is planning to offer new shares to existing holders at a 25 percent discount to raise capital to fund its credit growth and venture into Islamic finance.

The bank, in which Dubai Financial Group has a 14.7 percent stake, will raise 96.7 million rials ($251.17 million) from the rights issue, a company document seen by Reuters showed.

As part of the issue, Bank Muscat is offering 226.5 million shares at 0.427 rials per share, the document said.

The lender’s shares closed at 0.57 rials Sunday on the Muscat bourse. Rights issues are generally sold to current shareholders at a nominal discount.

Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund the bank’s credit expansion and future foray into Islamic finance, the document said.

“The additional capital will also strengthen the capital adequacy of the issuer and enable readiness for adoption of Basel III when introduced,” the document stated.

While lenders in neighboring Gulf states have ramped up Sharia-compliant services in recent years, Oman has stood out by refusing to participate in the industry.

The central bank reversed that stance last year, partly to prevent the outflow of Islamic funds. Bank Muscat intends to set up a Sharia-compliant banking arm to offer Islamic services, it said in December.

Bank Muscat posted a 20-percent growth in first-quarter net profit in April thanks to increased lending and a drop in impairments.

Omani and Gulf investors account for about 82 percent of the bank’s ownership while the remainder is held by foreign investors.

The rights issue will be open from July 9 to July 23. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

7

TUESdAY, June 26, 2012

South Korea May Iran crude imports down 40% on year Monday 25 June, 2012 Index Price index Weighted Index KSX 15

Change ź Ÿ Ÿ

-42.96 0 82 0.82 6.50

Security

High

Low

Volume

MARIN

156

156

10

IKARUS

0

0

0

325

325

10,000

0

0

AREFENRGY

132

GPI

51

ABAR

IPG NAPESCO

FILE - An employee fills the tank of a car at a petrol station in Seoul June 27, 2011.

South Korea’s imports of Iranian crude oil fell nearly 40 percent in May from a year earlier, reflecting Seoul’s efforts to reduce purchases in return for a waiver from US sanctions targeting Iran’s controversial nuclear program. (Reuters)

SEOUL: South Korea’s imports of Iranian crude oil fell nearly 40 percent in May from a year earlier, reflecting Seoul’s efforts to reduce purchases in return for a waiver from US sanctions targeting Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

The north Asian nation, currently the world’s number four buyer of Iranian crude, could also see imports suspended from July due to a European insurance embargo on Iranian oil shipments.

South Korea imported 3.96 million barrels of Iranian crude in May, or 127,880 barrels per day (bpd), compared with its combined term-agreements to import 200,000 bpd this year.

It imported 29.22 million barrels from Iran during the first five months of the year, down almost 16 percent from a year ago, data from the state-run Korea National Oil Corp showed.

The United States earlier this month extended exemptions from its tough, new sanctions on Iran’s oil trade to seven more economies including South Korea.

Of South Korea’s four refiners, only SK Energy and Hyundai Oilbank import Iranian crude. Sources said both refiners will stop importing from Iran when the EU insurance embargo takes effect from July 1.

“It is impossible to choose Iranian crude under the EU insurance embargo,” said a Seoul-based refining source who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The United States and the European Union accuse Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. Tehran says the program is strictly for civilian purposes.

South Korea imported almost 60 percent more crude from Iran in April than in March, and also 42 percent more than the

same month a year ago, pushing purchases to their highest this year and reversing a decline that began in January. Some analysts said South Korea was stockpiling crude ahead of the EU shipping insurance ban, which would make it extremely difficult to ship Iranian oil. South Korea’s May import of Iranian crude oil were down 47.3 percent from April.

Other oil producers plug gap

To plug the Iranian supply cuts, South Korea has turned to other Middle Eastern producers, including the world’s top exporter Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Qatar.

Shipments from Kuwait in the first five months rose 23.3 percent to 348,493 bpd, while those from Saudi Arabia rose 7.9 percent to 838,678 bpd. Imports from the UAE increased 8.6 percent to 258,263 bpd, the KNOC data showed.

January-May imports from Qatar rose 14.3 percent to 280,829 bpd.

“The cost of Iranian crude oil is relatively cheap so it will have a small impact on refiners’ results although there won’t be a problem sourcing supplies from other countries,” said Baek Young-chan, analyst at Hyundai Securities Co Ltd, said.

Unlike Japan, South Korea is not considering providing sovereign guarantees to insure Iranian oil shipments and get round the EU embargo, according to government sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

South Korea has, however, imposed curbs on exports of goods to Iran to reduce the risks of payment defaults.

Korean exporters usually receive payments via the Iranian central bank’s wondenominated accounts where Korean refiners pay for their oil imports. -Reuters

Light dims for emerging economies WASHINGTON: Commodity prices can be a good barometer for emerging market growth, and their relentless selloff over the past two months has tracked the fading of the one bright light in the global economic recovery.

Brazil and India are slowing sharply, China has ratcheted down a notch as global trade slows, and the almost 30 percent decline in the price of oil has hit Russia’s economy. These all make for troublesome developments when Europe is teetering on the edge of recession and US business is retrenching. “This is part of the long period of healing in the global economy,” said Pablo Goldberg, head of emerging markets research at HSBC. Emerging and developing economies had roared out of the 2007-2009 global financial crisis to post 7.5 percent and 6.2 percent GDP growth in 2010 and 2011.

They were lifted by generous stimulus programs and their solid government, bank and household balance sheets.

The stellar performance helped drive commodity prices to heady levels. The Thomson Reuters/Jeffries Commodity Research Bureau Index hit a record level above 471 in mid-2008 on strong demand from emerging economies before retreating. It rallied again from late 2009 until mid-2011. But as China showed signs of slowing, it has slumped, and since March this year, the index has lost 18 percent.

The hope had been that buoyancy in emerging markets would allow the global economy to ride out its long and painful healing as US households paid down debt and banks cleaned up their balance sheets. Then Europe’s government debt problems intervened, protracting the slow recovery. European Union leaders meet next weekend, but they have warned not to expect any quick fix to the 2-1/2 year old debt crisis. The most they expect to deliver at their summit is an agreement to move forward on a banking union, while pushing off fiscal and political union to a later date.

This gradualist approach will keep the euro zone in a perilous state for many months or even years ahead, with Spain and Italy vulnerable to market pressures, hurting growth. Now the drivers for emerging market growth are fading too.

Export demand from Europe, and to a lesser extent the United States, is slump-

ing. Despite growing domestic consumer markets, emerging economies remain heavily export dependent.

A round of central bank tightening last year to counter inflationary pressures is starting to bite. China in 2010 and 2011 tightened interest rates by 1.25 percentage points and Brazil and India by 3.75 percentage points. In addition, financial market volatility driven by the euro crisis is scaring investors away from riskier assets. At the same time, major Western banks are withdrawing from emerging markets as they restructure and rebuild their capital base. All of this is sucking investment from emerging markets.

The Institute of International Finance estimates that international banks have withdrawn $190 billion in financing from Latin America and Eastern Europe since the second half of 2011.

“That undermines their capacity to finance investment projects, which in turn exacerbates the negative impact on emerging markets’ fixed investments stemming from both higher uncertainty and weaker future demand from advanced economies,” said Martin Schwerdtfeger, a senior economist at TD Economics.

Investment banks have started to lower their emerging market growth forecasts.

Barclay’s Capital shaved 0.2 percentage point from this year’s GDP outlook, to 5.6 percent, and by half that amount from its 2013 forecast, to 6.2 percent.

Credit Suisse is more pessimistic.

It cut its GDP forecast by 0.4 percentage point in both 2012 and 2013, to 5.1 percent and 5.6 percent respectively, and warned that worse could come if Europe’s problems deepen.

World leaders at their G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, last week noted that “clearly the global economy remains vulnerable.” If economic conditions further deteriorate significantly, countries with sound budgets stand ready to implement additional budgetary stimulus measures, they said.

But this time around, emerging economies have less room to maneuver. In 2008, their budgets on average were in balance. Four years later, they have a two percent deficit, Credit Suisse estimates.

On the monetary front, policy rates on average were seven percent in 2008 and today are several points lower. -Reuters

Last Closing

High

Low

5,791.02 398 01 398.01 969.47

5,833.98 397 19 397.19 962.97

5,833.98 398 28 398.28 970.76

5,769.24 395 09 395.09 960.75

Trades Value (KD)

Volume Value (KWD) Number of Trades

216,015,151 15 320 047 15,320,047 3,867

High

Low

Volume

Trades Value (KD)

URC

104

104

435 409 435,409

45 283 45,283

6

104

ź

-2 0 -2.0

NRE

116

114

44,300

5,059

3

116

ź

-2.0

5.0

SRE

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ŷ

0.0

PEARL

33

32

4,010

126

2

33

ź

-1.0

130

ź

-2.0

TAM

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

50

Ÿ

1.5

AREEC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

1 15

180 940.17

ź ź

-6.0 -4.26

MASSALEH ARABREC

88 32

78 30

90,000 133,000

7,769 3,965

3 10

88 30

Ÿ ź

5.0 -1.5

UREC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

20

108

ŷ

0.0

ERESCO

90

86

49,189

4,231

6

90

Ÿ

1.0 20.0

Trades

Last

2

1

156

ź

-4 0 -4.0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

3,250

1

325

Ÿ

0

0

0

0

128

32,969

4,284

4

48

132,200

6,717

8

180

180

644 175,823

116 14,369

108

104

461,959

49,457

Oil & Gas PIPE

Closing

Change

Security

Trades

Last

Change

KFOUC

300

285

29,300

8,565

8

300

Ÿ

25.0

MABANEE

1,060

1,000

389,780

397,736

45

1,040

Ÿ

BPCC

590

580

370 100 370,100

217 659 217,659

11

590

ŷ

0.0

INJAZZAT

61

59

22 006 073 22,006,073

1 320 360 1,320,360

14

61

ŷ

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

INVESTORS

17

17

13,860,146

231,911

111

17

ź

-1.0

188

186

17,014 878,373

3,173 278,853

5 44

186 930.63

ź Ÿ

-2.0 12.62

IRC ALTIJARIA

38 80

38 77

483,301 1,981,650

18,244 154,139

19 57

38 79

ź ź

-1.5 -1.0

SANAM

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

AAYANRE

77

72

2,006,000

146,383

35

72

ź

-5.0 5.0

ALKOUT ALQURAIN Basic Materials KCEM REFRI

156

152

75,020

11,403

2

156

ŷ

0.0

AQAR

99

90

15,000

1,415

3

99

Ÿ

CABLE

1,140

1,100

82,784

93,109

11

1,140

ŷ

0.0

ALAQARIA

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

SHIP

180

178

211,020

37,566

12

180

ŷ

0.0

MAZAYA

70

70

5

0

1

70

Ÿ

3.0

PCEM

860

830

67,468

56,762

14

850

ź

-10.0

ADNC

28

26

5,237,900

136,118

118

26

ź

-2.5

PAPER

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

THEMAR

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

MRC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

GRAND

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ACICO

234

228

20,010

4,562

4

234

ź

-4.0

TIJARA

38

37

740,435

27,442

26

37

ź

-1.5

GGMC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

TAAMEER

43

39

2,320

89

3

41

ŷ

0.0

HCC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ARKAN

90

90

50

5

1

90

Ÿ

2.0

KPAK

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ARGAN

174

174

3,000

522

1

174

Ÿ

2.0

KBMMC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ABYAAR

39

38

2,186,300

82,556

29

39

ź

-0.5

NICBM

265

265

18,737

4,965

1

265

ŷ

0.0

MUNSHAAT

27

26

5,161,350

134,746

111

27

ź

-1.0

EQUIPMENT

148

138

34,000

5,022

5

148

ŷ

0.0

FIRSTDUBAI

38

37

60,000

2,220

4

37

ź

-2.5

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

KBT

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

140

140

1

0

1

140

ź

-20.0

REAM

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0 -0.5

NCCI GYPSUM SALBOOKH

34

32

190,135

5,990

9

34

Ÿ

0.5

MENA

36

36

22,050

794

1

36

ź

AGLTY

375

370

30,000

11,200

3

375

ź

-5.0

ALMUDON

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

MARAKEZ

40

37

30,170

1,117

4

37

ź

-2.5

112 570

106 520

1,473,027 6,460

161,721 3,498

69 5

108 570

Ÿ Ÿ

2.0 30.0

REMAL Real Estate

335

325

617,500 57,520,960

201,930 3,017,337

25 675

335 903.93

Ÿ ź

5.0 -8.95

EDU CLEANING CITYGROUP KGL

90

87

131,402

11,641

15

90

Ÿ

1.0

KCPC

320

320

50

16

1

320

ź

-5.0

KINV

98

98

40,000

3,920

4

98

ŷ

0.0

HUMANSOFT

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

FACIL

280

280

101,840

28,515

3

280

ŷ

0.0

NAFAIS

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

IFA

36

35

1,400,900

49,371

58

36

ŷ

0.0

SAFWAN

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

NINV

102

100

1,025,220

103,024

53

102

ŷ

0.0

GFC

25

22

20,311

467

8

25

ŷ

0.0

KPROJ

325

320

20,000

6,425

3

325

ŷ

0.0

19

18

9,104,029

167,109

106

19

ŷ

0.0

COAST

42

39

2,809,400

112,190

74

41

ź

-0.5

1,200

1,060

22,776

26,202

14

1,200

Ÿ

40.0

TII

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

MTCC

85

81

258,100

20,979

20

81

ź

-2.0

SECH

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

UPAC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

IIC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ALAFCO

280

275

320,100

88,128

13

280

ŷ

0.0

SGC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

MUBARRAD

48

47

1,142,300

53,220

43

47

ź

-2.5

IFC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0 2.0

MAYADEEN CGC

LOGISTICS

214

212

90,750

19,356

12

214

ŷ

0.0

MARKAZ

108

106

60,001

6,360

2

108

Ÿ

SCEM

74

68

80,012

5,801

3

74

Ÿ

2.0

KMEFIC

53

53

50

3

1

53

Ÿ

1.0

GCEM

88

86

19,600

1,720

3

86

ź

-3.0

AIG

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

QCEM

59

58

15,000

875

3

58

ŷ

0.0

ALAMAN

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

FCEM

73

73

20,993

1,532

4

73

ź

-3.0

ALOLA

130

124

1,333,852

168,371

34

130

Ÿ

4.0

RKWC Industrials

102

102

5,000 13,439,085

510 793,357

1 382

102 896.23

ź ź

-2.0 -5.58 5.58

ALMAL GIH

37 25

35 23

1,235,000 1,767,000

44,283 42,194

50 49

36 24

ź ź

-1.5 -0.5 0.5

AAYAN

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

KSH

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

BAYANINV

34

34

1,400

48

1

34

Ÿ

1.0

NSH

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

GLOBAL

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

PAPCO

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

OSOUL

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

CATTL

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

KFIC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

DANAH

80

80

101,675

8,134

3

80

ź

-3.0

KAMCO

234

226

5,170

1,202

3

234

ź

-2.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

1,260

1,260

10,000 111,675

12,600 20,734

1 4

1,260 912.99

Ÿ ź

40.0 -0.37

MHC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

ATC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

YIACO Health Care

435

435

10,010 10,010

4,354 4,354

2 2

435 1180.25

ź ź

-10 -8.23

KCIN

920

880

255

231

2

920

Ÿ

30

KHOT

200

200

5,000 000

1,000 1 000

1

200

Ÿ

8

TAMINV

SULTAN

102

99

391,119

38,974

12

100

ŷ

0

EXCH

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

TAIBA

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

POULT FOOD Consumer Goods

CABLETV

NIH

38

34

5,050

172

2

34

ź

-2.5

ISKAN MADAR

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

ŷ ŷ

0.0 0.0

ALDEERA

31

29

2,024,852

58,847

77

29

ź

-2.0

ALSAFAT

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ALSALAM

220

214

3,737,800

813,008

147

214

ź

-4.0

EKTTITAB QURAINHLD

67 0

63 0

3,480,000 0

225,520 0

71 0

63 0

ź ŷ

-5.0 0.0

ALMADINA

48

45

5,152,256

233,631

157

45

ź

-2.5

NOOR

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

164

1 154 4

250 2 0

40

2

164

ŷ

0 0.0 0

EYAS

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

KSHC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

IFAHR

300

275

5,100

1,405

3

300

ŷ

0

STRATEGIA

57

57

10,752

613

1

57

ź

-5.0 -1.0 1.0

MASHAER

242

240

290,600

69,834

12

240

ź

-4 4

KCIC

62

59

144,569

8,608

14

61

ź

OULAFUEL

305

305

105,166

32,076

14

305

ź

-25

MANAFAE

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

GNAHC

40

35

81,150

3,200

4

36

ź

-1.0 0.0

MUNTAZAHAT JAZEERA

370

360

99,702

36,323

14

360

ź

-25

AMWAL

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

SOOR

224

220

133,964

29,952

33

224

Ÿ

10

MASAR

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

FUTUREKID

106

106

20,000

2,120

2

106

ź

-4

ALIMTIAZ

82

79

679,000

54,525

45

79

ź

-4.0

ALNAWADI

99

99

9,000 9 000

891

5

99

ź

-1 1

MANAZEL

25

23

24,027,022 24 027 022

566 119 566,119

350

24

ź

-2.0 20

ALRAI

118

106

58,103

6,193

12

110

ź

-6

NIND

204

198

2,689,438

537,923

81

200

ź

-6.0

ZIMAH

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

UIC

88

88

869,000

76,472

33

88

ŷ

0.0

UFIG

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

BIIHC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

KOUTFOOD Consumer Services

0

0

0 1,118,009

0 218,999

0 110

0 931.12

ŷ ź

0 9.76 -9.76

SHOP SENERGY

0 61

0 59

0 325,054

0 19,503

0 8

0 59

ŷ ŷ

0.0 0.0

AGHC

134

134

250

34

1

134

Ÿ

6.0

720

700

2,088,189

1,493,326

95

720

Ÿ

10

ALSAFWA

17

16

53,900,487

861,587

499

17

ź

-1.5

2,220

2,200

44,567

98,522

15

2,200

ź

-20

KPPC

70

67

79,200

5,396

7

67

ź

-2.0

67

5,088,500 7,221,256

347,275 1,939,122

86 196

69 887.81

ŷ Ÿ

0 1.68

TAHSSILAT JEERANH

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

ŷ ŷ

0.0 0.0

ZAIN NMTC

HITSTELEC 69 Telecommunications

EKHOLDING

295

285

76,731 76 731

22,352 22 352

6

295

Ÿ

5 5.0 0

NBK

1,040

1,020

871,288

895,045

30

1,040

Ÿ

20

GFH

36

35

12,869,104

451,430

163

35

ź

-0.5

GBK CBK

415 750

410 750

459,786 50

188,537 38

22 1

415 750

Ÿ ź

5 -40

INOVEST Financial Services

45

45

445,100 120,396,898

19,827 4,524,713

14 2,017

45 829.15

ź ź

-1.0 -9.61

MAREF 0 Investment Instruments

0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 0.00

ŷ ŷ

0.0 0.00 0.0

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

ALMUTAHED KIB

870 250

870 248

13,849 898,005

12,049 222,707

2 38

870 250

ź ŷ

-10 10 0

BURG

430

425

2,061,600

876,235

53

430

Ÿ

5

KFIN

710

700

2,814,422

1,979,515

95

710

Ÿ

10

ASC

500

500

39,000

19,500

1

500

ŷ

BOUBYAN

620

610

60,422

36,918

14

620

ŷ

0

SAFTEC

67

58

216,654

13,421

7

67

Ÿ

4.0

UGB

154

154

150

23

1

154

ź

-10

FUTURE

222

222

150

33

1

222

Ÿ

10.0

AUB ITHMR

164 32

164 31

40,000 40 000 7,493,907

6,560 6 560 233,726

1 128

164 31

ź ź

-4 4 -2

HAYATCOMM Technology

116

110

101 101,700 700 357,504

11 11,677 677 44,632

10 19

116 1127.23

ŷ Ÿ

00 0.0 23.08

14,713,479

4,451,353

385

935.05

ź

-10.64 0.0

ABK

Banks

BAREEQ

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

AFAQ

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

0.0

ALSHAMEL

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ŷ

0.0

SAFRE

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ŷ

0.0

AJWAN

33

33

100

3

1

33

Ÿ

1.5

0

ŷ

0.0

SPEC

510

470

20,100

9,946

8

495

ŷ

0.0

0

ŷ

0.0

MASAKEN

32

32

20,000

640

1

32

ź

-2.5

KINS

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

GINS

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

AINS

0

0

0

0

0

0

WINS

0

0

0

0

0

0

KUWAITRE

0

0

0

0

0

FTI

0

0

0

0

0

WETHAQ

46

42

10,500

481

3

42

ź

-2.5

DALQAN

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

ARIG

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

00 0.0

ALEID

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

00 0.0

BKIKWT Insurance

0

0

0 10,500

0 481

0 3

0 909.90

ŷ ź

0.0 -6.85

MIDAN FLEX

0 83

0 83

0 180

0 15

0 2

0 83

ŷ Ÿ

0.0 5.0

THURAYA AINV

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0

SOKOUK KRE

0 48

0 47

0 1,962,022

0 93,179

0 37

0 47

ŷ ź

0.0 -1.0

100

94

1,199

119

2

100

Ÿ

1.0

KCLINIC

0

0

0

0

0

0

ŷ

0.0

AMAR Parallel Market

51

51

20,000 61,579

1,020 11,743

1 15

51 1006.56

Ÿ Ÿ

1.5 11.22

For more information, call 1 80 42 42, www.globalinv.net

LIFE

tuesdAY, June 26, 2012

Even moderate exercise might cut breast cancer risk: Study CAPITALS: Women who exercise may cut their risk of breast cancer by as much as 30 percent, a new study suggests, reports HealthDay News.

Weight gain, however, may undermine the benefit of exercise, the researchers noted.

“Our study showed that moderate recreational physical activity may reduce breast cancer risk,” said lead researcher Lauren McCullough, from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Importantly, we found reduced risk of breast cancer for women who engaged in exercise after menopause,” she said. “This is particularly encouraging given the late age of onset for breast cancer.”

The report was published in the June 25 online edition of Cancer.

For the study, McCullough’s team collected data on more than 1,500 women with breast cancer and a similar number of women without the disease. All the women had taken part in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project.

They found women who exercised before or after menopause had a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Women who exercised 10 to 19 hours a week had the largest benefit – about a 30 percent reduced risk.

The risk of breast cancer was cut with any amount of exercise, the study found.

The risk reduction was seen mostly for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed type among American women.

Even among active women, however, gaining a significant amount of weight, particularly after menopause, increased the risk of breast cancer, negating the beneficial effect of exercise, the researchers found.

McCullough said the reasons that exercise is linked with a reduced risk of breast cancer aren’t known.

Yet it is known that maintaining a normal body weight is associated with reduced breast cancer risk.

“It is thought that a reduction in body fat results in less exposure to circulating hormones, growth factors and pro-inflammatory markers, all of which have been

FILE-Physical instructors help woman to improve their health and reduce risk of disease during a fitness training at the Body Alchemist at Ikoyi district in Lagos on May 17, 2012. Women who exercise may cut their risk of breast cancer by as much as 30 percent, a new study suggests. (AFP)

shown to be related to breast cancer risk,” she said. “Other mechanisms include enhanced immune response, antioxidant capacity and DNA repair,” she added.

One expert believes reducing the risk for breast cancer means living a healthy lifestyle overall.

“There is more and more evidence that one of the things women can do to reduce the risk of breast and other cancers is to

modify their lifestyle,” said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. Women who exercise more probably lead a healthier lifestyle – they watch what they eat, they don’t smoke, they don’t drink. “It’s hard to say it’s just exercise,” Bernik said. “This goes along with what we tell patients: ‘If you live a healthy lifestyle your risk for cancer probably can be lowered.’”

World loses species with death of Lonesome George

FILE-Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island Tortoise, subspecies Geochelone nigra abingdoni, is pictured at Galapagos National Park’s breeding center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz island, Galapagos on March 18, 2009. (AFP)

FRANCE: Lonesome George has died, leaving the world one species poorer. The only remaining Pinta Island tortoise and celebrated conservation icon passed away Sunday, the Galapagos National Park Service said in a statement.

Estimated to be more than 100 years old, the creature’s cause of death remains unclear and a necropsy is planned.

Lonesome George’s longtime caretaker, Fausto Llerena, found the tortoise’s remains stretched out in the “direction of his watering hole” on Santa Cruz Island, the statement said.

Lonesome George was discovered on Pinta Island in 1972 at a time when tortoises of his type were already believed to be extinct. Since then, the animal had been part of the park service’s tortoise program.

Repeated efforts to breed Lonesome George failed.

“Later two females from the Espanola tortoise population (the species most closely related to Pinta tortoises genetically) were with George until the end,” the park service said.

In honor of Lonesome George, the park service said it was convening an international workshop in July on management strategies for restoring tortoise populations over the next decade.

The Galapagos Islands, situated about 1,000 kilometers off Ecuador’s coast, is considered a haven for tortoises. -AFP

Male bird loses interest in fading females, study finds

FRANCE: Not unlike some among their human counterparts, male blue tits lose interest when their mates’ beauty starts fading, staying out longer and neglecting their offspring, a report said Monday.

Scientists who dulled the bright blue head tinge that crowns the female of the species, subsequently noticed the males skulking off for more alone time and making fewer trips to feed their chicks.

“It seems that they stay around, but not in the nest,” study co-author Matteo Griggio told AFP. “Probably they take a rest.... It is not a joke, probably they keep some energy, maybe for the next breeding season?”

Both male and female blue tits, which usually have several mating partners in a lifetime, have feathers on the tops of their heads that reflect UV light.

For the purposes of the experiment, the team from the Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology in Vienna waited for chicks to hatch before smearing an oil containing UV-blocking chemicals on the crowns of the females.

To confirm that it would not be the smell that put off the males, they applied the same oil, without UV-blockers, to a separate test group of females.

The scientists said they took care not to render the partners unrecognizable to each other.

“The UV reflectance of the crown plumage of female blue tits significantly affected male investment in feeding nestlings,” the team wrote in a study published in the BioMed Central journal Frontiers in Zoology. “Males made less frequent feeding trips when paired with UV-reduced females.”

While much has been written about male posturing and strutting to compete for female attention, this was a rare study to measure male response to female attractiveness in the animal kingdom.

The results showed that female blue tits must invest a lot of time in preening to remain attractive as sexual partners.

In nature, those birds with poorer personal hygiene risk losing their blue luster under a coating of dust, pollution or parasites. -AFP

Eating placenta, an age-old practice in China

FRANCE: After Wang Lan delivered, she brought home a baby girl and her placenta, which she plans to eat in a soup – adopting an age-old practice in Chinese traditional medicine.

The health-giving qualities of placenta are currently creating a buzz in Western countries, where some believe it can help ward off postnatal depression, improve breast milk supply and boost energy levels.

But placentophagy – the practice of eating one’s placenta after birth – is relatively common in China, where it is thought to have anti-ageing properties, and dates back more than 2,000 years.

“It is in the refrigerator now and I am waiting for my mother to come and cook it to eat.

After cleaning, it can be stewed for soup, without that fishy smell,” Wang said, adding she believed it would help her recover from delivery.

Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a unified China, is said to have designated placenta as having health properties some 2,200 years ago, and during China’s last dynasty, the dowager empress Cixi was said to have eaten it to stay young.

A classic medical text from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) said placenta – which lines the uterus and is key to the survival of the foetus – was “heavily nutritious” and “if taken for the longer term... longevity will be achieved”.

China’s state media says the practice of eating placenta has re-emerged over the past decade. One maternity hospital in the eastern city of Nanjing reported that about 10 percent of new parents took their placenta after childbirth.

Internet postings swap recipes on how to prepare placenta. One popular health website suggests soup, dumplings, meat balls or mixing it with other kinds of traditional Chinese medicine.

While trade in the organs has been banned since 2005, pills containing placentas ground into powder are legally available in Chinese pharmacies – indicating unwanted placenta is somehow making its way to drug companies.

“It is a tonic to fortify the ‘qi’ and enrich the blood,” a traditional medicine doctor at Shanghai’s Lei Yun Shang pharmacy said, referring to the “life force” that practitioners believe flows through the body.

“Sales are very good. Basically, every time we have supplies, they sell out very quickly,” a clerk at the shop told AFP. And it’s not just mothers who want to eat the placenta.

One new father in Shanghai who did not want to be named said his relatives were eager to try the sought-after item. “My wife and I were still in the hospital... and they ate it,” he said.

But strong demand has created a thriving black market with hospitals, medical workers and even mothers selling placentas in violation of the law.

Last year, authorities investigated a hospital in the southern city of Guangzhou for selling placentas for 20 yuan ($2) apiece.

“They (nurses) take the money and use it to buy breakfast,” a source told a the local Xin Kuai newspaper.

They fetch a higher price in other parts of China like the eastern city of Jinan, where dealers ask as much as 300 yuan per placenta, most sourced from hospitals, the Jinan Times said last year.

Last month, South Korean customs said they had uncovered multiple attempts to illegally import over 17,000 capsules apparently containing the powdered flesh of dead babies.

Experts have said the pills may actually be made from human placenta, raising concerns that China’s trade in the organs has started to go international.

Some people, meanwhile, are averse to the idea of eating the organ.

“I know it’s good for health, but the idea of eating human flesh is just disgusting. I cannot do it,” said Shanghai accountant Grace Jiang, who opted to leave the placenta after giving birth to her son. -AFP

Diet Care gives you 8 simple steps to rid yourself of belly fat KUWAIT: Did you know that having a pear shaped body is safer than an apple shaped one? It sounds slightly strange, doesn’t it?

An apple shaped person carries more body fat around the abdominal region equaling to a larger waistline. Most often than not, men appear to be apple shaped compared to women who are usually pear shaped. A pear shaped person carries more body fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks, and women predominantly fall into this shape, according to a press release. Essentially an apple shape means more abdominal fat, which leads to health complications such as major cardiovascular risk factors, Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, some types of cancers, sleep apnea and a higher risk of mortality.

Sarah Dimashkieh, expert dietitian at Diet Care shares 8 tips that will aid you in bidding farewell to the belly and hello to a healthier you.

Step 1: Lose the extra weight

Make sure you always know the calorie content of each meal or food item that you consume. Dimashkieh explains the importance of eating the right amount of calories for your weight on a daily basis as an easy method to lose the extra kilos.

“If your weight suggests that you should be consuming approximately 1800 calories a day, then make sure you are always under that region and not above it,” she reveals.

Step 2: Choose the right types of food

Just because your meal looks small does not mean it’s not high in calories. A doughnut may have three times the amount of calories when compared to a whole plate of vegetables. “So avoid food items that are high in refined sugar, saturated fat, and trans fat like doughnuts, biscuits, and fried items that will all go straight to your belly as fat”, Dimashkieh explains. And always remember, even if you’re at ideal weight and you’re not exceeding your total number of calories, a high-fat, refined-sugar diet will give you a belly.

Step 3: Eat 5 small meals throughout the day

Having one large meal a day lowers your metabolism making it harder for you to lose weight and especially your belly fat. “Feed your body 5 small meals a day - three main meals and two snacks - that way you will feel full throughout the day and won’t succumb to all sorts of unhealthy cravings,” Dimashkieh says.

Step 4: Go to bed with an “empty” stomach

The midnight snack or a late dinner is your enemy. Research clearly shows that eating and going straight to bed, increases your weight and body fat percentages. Dimshakieh advises you have your last meal at least two hours before going to bed. This way you’re giving your body time to digest the food and your belly will thank you for it.

Step 5: Get rid of the fizz

This may come as news to you but not only is the sugar content in carbonated drinks detrimental to your waist line but recent studies indicate that the fizz in both regular and diet ones correlate with a larger waistline. “Through the years we’ve all heard of all sorts of miracle drinks that will help in losing weight. But the truth is that the only liquid that will aid fat loss is water.

Only water has the ability to aid the function of the liver and actually has the ability to burn reserved fat and convert it into energy. And it is important

Sarah Dimashkieh, expert dietitian at Diet Care.

to know that hot or cold water both work the same way,” Dimashkieh unravels. Alternatively, have peppermint tea or other herbal drinks or get creative and add a hint of lime, lemon or cucumber to your water if you’d like to have a bit of flavor once in a while.

Step 6: Keep yourself regular

Feeling bloated? Constipation could at times be the culprit to a fuller belly. So make sure you eat enough fiber and drink plenty of water on a daily basis for healthy bowel movements. “The recommended intake for fiber is 25 daily grams for women and 38 for men. An apple has about 5 grams of fiber and you can also easily get your fiber from other sources such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds,” Dimashkieh explains. Also, don’t forget to exercise as it will really help keep you regular.

More details about exercising in the next step.

Step 7: Work your body

The biggest myth in reducing belly fat is believing that abdominal exercises is the key method in reducing belly fat. Dimashkieh suggests combining both cardio exercises to burn the visceral fat, as well as the strength or weight training to shape up your muscles and burn additional fat.The combination will increase your metabolic rate both during and after the workout as well as stimulate the fat burning hormones in your body. A simple routine would be to start off with cardio activities such as walking, jogging, or a Zumba class and finishing up the session with weight training activities,” Dimashkieh said.

Step 8: Relax and sleep right

Stress causes your body to accumulate fat in the belly area. Dimashkieh explains that stress causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol which increases blood sugar and fat, and decreases the rate at which your body burns proteins and carbohydrates.

So while you not may be eating more than usual, you still may be gaining belly fat due to increased stress levels. “Another important aspect is to get your sleep right! Too little or too much sleep plays a role in belly fat build-up. Six to eight hours per day is the ideal amount for adults,” Dimashkieh concludes.

ALWATAN DAILY

CULTURE

tuesday, JUNE 26, 2012

9

FBC to represent OFW organizations in the Middle East for global award

FBC was chosen for its significant and outstanding contribution in spearheading educational, medical and social missions.

POLO and OWWA officials, FBC members and Philippine Amateur Basketball Association in Kuwait (PABAK) players with Commissioner Rod Cerezo and FBC Founding Chairperson Dr. Chie Umandap during the victory lunch held at the Kuwait Disabled Club Gym in Hawally. (Al Watan Daily) Ricky Laxa

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Filipino Badminton Committee in Kuwait has been chosen to represent the Middle East in the worldwide search for the Geny Lopez Jr. Global Bayaning Pilipino Award (Genny Lopez Philippine Hero Award). The global nomination, which recognizes organizations’ community and social services for Filipinos both abroad and local, chose FBC for its significant and outstanding contribution in spearheading educational, medical and social missions.

“FBC is more than an organization, it is a family bonded by spirit of sharing, giving and camaraderie, and inspired by the same spirit we are guided to provide assistance and support to our fellow Filipinos in need of our help. FBC members have responded without hesitation extending their time, effort and limited resources to accomplish projects and charity missions for those same reasons, we believe FBC was chosen to represent the Overseas Filipino Workers in the Middle East and the first sports organization ever designated and won the nomination.

FBC members are a real treasure and we extend our gratitude to everyone who kept us on the right path, primarily to local and foreign news,

which never ceased to underline our projects and missions. As FBC receives its award on the 30th of June 2012, we share with everyone the accomplishment,” commented FBC Founding Chairperson Dr. Chie Umandap.

Philippine Labor Attach David Des Dicang in his speech, praised FBC for its tireless and continuous effort to inspire other organizations with their missions and projects. Significant undertakings of FBC include much publicized “Bayawak Boys”, a group of forty five Filipinos workers abandoned by their employer and left to fend themselves by hunting dessert lizards for food, leaving their families and children back in the Philippines deprived of education and basic living necessities. FBC was the first organization to respond and provided food and medicines to the workers during successive weeks, while the legal case was filed against their employer.

Another mission was a bingo social held to fund purchase ticket to the Philippines for a Filipino in Talha deportation center. The Filipino deportee was detained for resigning from his work, which upset his employer thereby filing a case against him. He was detained for the past one year.

“I thank FBC for giving me the chance to start my life anew in the Philippines with my family and with the help they extended, I am much indebted

to them. I am a vivid proof of FBC’s generous and kind missions and I hope other Filipino organizations in Kuwait will focus their attention to the service of their countrymen who may need urgent and assistance and help, rather than spend their time idled and unconcerned,” stated Filipino deportee Joaquin David.

Sixteen organizations in the Middle East qualified to enter the selection and three were chosen, finally FBC bagged the nomination for the Middle East ABS-CBN new.com published; This is the first time for the awards to go global as it searches for Filipino organizations doing extraordinary service to their fellow Filipinos in the US, Canada, Middle East, Australia, Japan, Asia-Pacific (Singapore and Hong Kong), and Europe (Italy and United Kingdom).

“It is a huge and momentous initiative to reach out to Filipinos all over the world and recognize their collective efforts in serving their less fortunate Filipino brothers and sisters wherever they may be.

We are truly excited by this development,” said Fr. Nilo Tanalega, SJ, head of the Ugnayan at Tulong para sa Maralitang Pamilya (UGAT) Foundation.

The Philippine-based UGAT oversees the screening of nominations and selects the winners. FBC official will fly to Manila to receive the nomination and hope to return to Kuwait with the award.

Carluccio’s celebrates summer with its authentic, flavorful menu

Philippine Labor Attach David Des Dicang delivers a brief message praising FBC for its accomplishments. (Al Watan Daily)

LA museum unveils artist’s big rock work

LOS ANGELES: The rock was the star as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art pulled the covers off artist Michael Heizer’s latest creation - a 340-ton boulder positioned to appear as though it’s floating in midair.

About a thousand people showed up under sunny skies in Los Angeles as the gigantic work titled “Levitated Mass” was unveiled Sunday on LACMA’s backyard, where it is intended to remain forever.

Its centerpiece is the two-story-tall chunk of granite that was hauled 105 miles from a Riverside rock quarry earlier this year. Since then, the rock has been carefully positioned above a 465-footlong trench that museum visitors can stroll.

From the trench, the rock appears to be hovering overhead.

The 67-year-old Heizer, who rarely appears in public, was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and led the first procession under the big rock. Along the way he waved and shook hands with mu-

seum officials and art enthusiasts.

Also Sunday, the museum opened “Michael Heizer: Actual Size,” an exhibition of more than a dozen gigantic photographs showing other works by the artist.

Heizer may be best known for “Double Negative,” a 1,500-foot-long land sculpture cut into a desert mesa in southern Nevada.

Heizer has planned for more than 40 years to create “Levitated Mass,” but had to locate the perfect rock. He finally found one in a quarry on the outskirts of Riverside about seven years ago.

It took dozens of people and a specially built trailer to haul it over the surface streets of 22 cities. The trip lasted nearly two weeks, with the rock traveling only at night and rarely faster than 5 mph.

Thousands of people turned out to cheer it on.To thank those who put up with road closures and other delays, the museum is granting free admission for a week to people who live in zip code areas traversed by the rock. -AP

Some of the dishes on Carluccio’s new multi course summer menu.

KUWAIT: Carluccio’s the acclaimed Italian caf, restaurant and food shop, renowned for bringing authentic and traditional Italian cooking and ingredients, located at the Avenues welcomes guests to a summer that offers fresh flavorful Italian specialties prepared by the restaurant’s expert Italian Head Chef Davide Barison, according to a press release. Carluccios refreshes its menu each season, importing the best, finest and freshest ingredients from Italy offering a wider variety of dishes to customers.

Diners will enjoy Carluccio’s true taste of Italy which brings authentic ‘old country’ flavors out in an array of traditional pastas, seasonal salads, handmade ravioli, and Napoli-style pizzas, as well as grilled steaks and seafood.

The new multi course summer menu reflects Italian classics, homemade pastas and selected variety of meat, fish and delectable sweets. The menu features a range of dishes including ‘Prawn Marinara’ (prawn, tomato and garlic dish representing the typical flavors and ingredients used in Southern Italy), ‘Bresaola’ (thinly sliced cured beef imported from Lombardy and dressed with rocket leaves and shavings of parmesan cheese) and ‘Gnocchi with Lamb’ (fresh homemade potato dumplings with a lamb and vegetable ragu). Round-

ing off the scrumptious feast is a fine selection of desserts, which includes the classic Tiramisu, Strawberry Tart, Chocolate Bread and Butter pudding and delicious Italian gelato.

There is a separate breakfast menu which includes a choice of omelet’s, cooked breakfasts, organic muesli, croissants and fresh fruit salad - all freshly made and full of taste.

Commenting on the new menu, Sajan Alex, Country Operations Manager, Foodmark Kuwait said: “Italian food is about good quality ingredients and simple flavors and Carluccio’s has launched its new summer menu to complement the seasonal changes and offer a wider variety of dishes to its customers.”

“Carluccio’s has a reputation for offering the finest Italian cuisine and service. We have refreshed our menu to include some of Antonio Carluccio’s famed rustic recipes which are a must-try for all discerning food fans who want the real Italian experience. We have also recently launched our home delivery menu so our customers can also now enjoy their favorite Italian dishes in the comfort of their own home” further concluded Alex.

People get a closer view of ‘’Levitated Mass’’, artist Michael Heizer’s exhibit which features a 340-ton megalith rock, on opening day of the permanent exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California June 24, 2012. (Reuters)

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ALWATAN DAILY

ENTERTAINMENT

Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: Regret Artist: Fiona Apple Album: The Idler Wheel...

Genre: Alternative In short: Fiona Apple’s latest record isn’t as instant as her debut, but it grows on listeners with each play. Lyrically, “Regret” stands out immediately, but as far as melody and production go, it’s average. Apple makes it work effortlessly by simply just being herself.

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

The Buzz Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek suffers mild heart attack US television game show host Alex Trebek is recovering from a mild heart attack he suffered on Saturday, but is expected to recover in time to begin filming the next season of “Jeopardy!” in July, his studio said on Sunday. Trebek, 71, was admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sony Television said in a statement. “Trebek is in good spirits and is currently under observation and undergoing further testing,” the statement said. “Jeopardy!,” a general knowledge quiz, is one of the longest-running game shows on US television, entering its 29th season in July. Trebek was hospitalized for an earlier heart attack in 2007. -Reuters

tuesDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

Dylan McDermott’s mom murdered in ‘67: Connecticut police WATERBURY, Connecticut: A reopened police investigation has concluded that actor Dylan McDermott’s mother was killed in 1967 by her now-dead gangster boyfriend.

Waterbury police reopened the investigation last year into Diane McDermott’s death after Dylan McDermott contacted them with questions, the Republican-American newspaper reported Sunday and Monday as part of a two-part series.

He was 5 years old when his mother was shot in February 1967. Her death was originally ruled an accident.

Police told the newspaper that the evidence they found would be enough to file murder charges against John Sponza, who lived with McDermott at the time. He had told authorities that McDermott accidently shot herself after picking up a gun he had been cleaning.

Sponza, who police say had ties to organized crime, was shot to death in 1972, his body found in the trunk of a car in a Waltham, Mass., grocery store parking lot.

H. Wayne Carver, the state’s medical examiner, reviewed McDermott’s autopsy and determined that the gun found near the body was too small a caliber to have been the weapon used to kill her. The wound also showed that the murder weapon had been pressed to the back of her head, according to his report.

Police Superintendent Michael Gugliotti also stumbled over some of the initial findings.

“What troubled me was that there was very little follow up

other than the statement Sponza had given to police,” Gugliotti said.

“Sponza is telling the police that night that he very rarely, if ever, had arguments, yet everyone we spoke to, including Dylan, who was only 5 at the time, remembered very violent, vicious arguments,” he added. “Dylan vividly recalls the amount of times, not only flashing the gun, but pointing it at the kid, saying, ‘Shut up and get out of here.’ He’s still probably traumatized by that.”

Dylan McDermott, who won a Golden Globe in 1999 for his role on the TV drama “The Practice,” declined to comment to the newspaper about the investigation. His sister, Robin Herrera, said she is relieved that the truth has been discovered.

“I’m happy to know my mother wasn’t mentally ill or depressed,” she said. “Somebody took her from us; she didn’t leave us.”

Dylan McDermott met with Gugliotti and Mayor Neil M. O’Leary last year while in town for a fundraiser.

“He said in order for me to survive and to get where I am today, I needed to bury that moment in my life deep within myself,” Gugliotti said. “He said it wasn’t until recently that I’ve come to the point in my life where I’m able to begin to process all of this and make it part of his life.”

Police said the McDermott investigation has led to evidence that also implicates Sponza in at least two other unsolved homicides. -AP

DJ super group Swedish House Mafia to call it quits

Brave ousts Madagascar from top of box office “Brave,” Pixar’s 3-D fairytale about a Scottish princess trying to rescue her mother from an evil witch, kept audiences spellbound Sunday as it soared to the top of the North American box office in its opening week. With $66.7 million in ticket sales, according to industry estimates, it easily knocked another animated hit, “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” which had only $20.2 million in sales, into second place.

Movie tracker Exhibitor Relations said “Brave” was the 13th film from the Walt Disney Studios’ animation unit to open at the top of the box office. In third was the debut of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” a slasher flick casting America’s 16th president as a crusader not just against slavery, but blood-sucking monsters as well. It earned $16.5 million. Ridley Scott’s sci-fi adventure “Prometheus” came in in fourth place with $10 million in ticket sales. “Snow White and the Huntsman” starring Charlize Theron, was fifth with a little over $8 million, the box office tracker said. -AFP

Denver police officer shot dead at outdoor jazz concert A Denver police officer was shot and killed on Sunday after trying to break up a fight during a free jazz concert in a city park, police said. Police responded to a call shortly after 8 p.m. MDT (0200 GMT on Monday) about a disturbance at the outdoor concert. An officer was shot in the head while attempting to break up a fight between two groups, police said. The officer was later pronounced dead. The Denver Post reported that concert-goers fled in panic, abandoning lawn chairs and blankets brought out for what was to be a laidback tribute to Charlie Burrell, a local classical and jazz bassist for the Denver Symphony Orchestra. “At first, we thought it was someone setting off fireworks,” Dave Sevick wrote on the City Park Jazz Facebook page, “until, three seconds later, we heard the screams and saw the hordes of people running towards us.” Police had no further details on the incident. -Reuters

FILE - DJs Axwell (left) and Steve Angelo of Swedish House Mafia. (AFP)

PARIS: Swedish House Mafia, a massively popular DJ group, said on their website that they would call it quits after an upcoming tour. “Today we want to share with you, that the tour we are about to go on will be our last,” the Swedish trio, who began performing together in 2008, wrote on their official website late Saturday.

“We want to thank every single one of you that came with us on this journey. We came, we raved, we loved,” they added. The trio, Axwell (Axel Christofer Hedfors), Steve Angello (Steven Angello Josefsson Fragogiannis) and Sebastian Ingrosso, last year became the first ever electronic dance act to play at Madison

Square Garden, and sold out the legendary New York arena in a matter of minutes.

The three Swedes are set to kick off their final tour next month and said their next-to-last show would be held on home turf, in Stockholm, on November 24.

“The final leg of this journey will be announced in August,” they said. The trio did not explain why they were bringing their massive success to an end, but Swedish daily Expressen cited sources saying they all wanted to spend more time with their families.

“All three in the band have children, and several weddings are lined up,” the paper reported. -AFP

Star-studded K-pop concert in Hong Kong PARIS: Thousands of fans flocked to a major K-pop concert in Hong Kong, cheering an array of South Korean stars in the latest sign of the pop music phenomenon’s rising popularity. Music Bank featured eight popular South Korean artists and was the largest Kpop concert to be held in the southern Chinese city.

Boy band TVXQ and singing starlet IU were among the groups that danced and sang to a sea of exuberant fans.

“I am very happy that Hong Kong is able to organize such a large K-pop concert” said Sunye, a singer for South Korea’s top female group Wonder Girls, who also performed at the concert.

“I am also very happy that Korean culture has a worldwide influence.” Saturday’s extravaganza came after major South Korean groups such as Girls’ Generation and 2PM held concerts this year in Hong Kong, where K-pop is rapidly rising in popularity.

Music Bank concerts were sold out in Tokyo last year, and it was also a hit earlier this year in Paris, according to concert organisers. The tour will head to Brazil and the United States later this year. TV dramas and movies along with K-pop have been increasing in popularity across Asia, in a phenomenon known as “Hallyu”, or the Korean cultural wave. -AFP

Charlie Sheen to play US president in Machete sequel Charlie Sheen is following in his father’s footsteps. Sheen, whose father, Martin Sheen, famously played US president Jed Bartlet on “The West Wing,” will play the nation’s chief executive in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming sequel to 2010’s “Machete.” Filmmaker Rodriguez announced the casting on his Twitter account Thursday, writing, “I just cast Charlie Sheen in #machetekills as the President of the United States!

Who better? More soon...” As photographic evidence that the tweet was not some kind of cruel hoax, he included a photo of himself and Sheen together. Sheen retweeted the message, adding, “My Fellow Americans!” According to IMDB, the cast also includes Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez from the first film, with Mel Gibson and Amber Heard coming aboard for round two. The film is currently scheduled for a 2013 release. Now the only question is, will President Sheen pack the cabinet with his goddesses? -Reuters

Teens compete in high school theater awards Sixty high school students with a song in their hearts will be competing Monday night for top honors and scholarships at the National High School Musical Theater Awards.

The show will kick off at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway with a medley of Broadway songs and then six teens will be asked to sing solos. A seven-judge panel that includes Tony Award nominee Montego Glover will choose a male and female winner. The competition caps a months-long winnowing process that began with 50,000 students from 1,000 schools. The 60 finalists were invited to New York to compete for the title, nicknamed the Jimmy Awards after theater owner James Nederlander. The night’s hosts are Constantine Maroulis and Deborah Cox, stars of the upcoming revival of “Jekyll & Hyde.” -AP

Members of “MBLAQ”, a K-pop band from South Korea, perform at the Music Bank K-pop festival concert in Hong Kong. (AFP)

FILE - In this Aug. 11, 2009 file photo, actor Dylan McDermott arrives at the Hollywood Foreign Press Annual Installation luncheon in Beverly Hills, California. (AP)

All is Well, Drought win top LA Film Fest honors

LOS ANGELES: The Portuguese film “All is Well” and the Mexican film “Drought” won tops honors on Sunday at the annual Los Angeles Film Festival.

“All is Well,” the story of two sisters struggling in Lisbon after fleeing civil war in Angola, took the top prize for the festival’s best narrative film, while “Drought,” about a northeastern Mexico cattleranching community, was honored as best documentary.

The award for best performance in the narrative film competition went to Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, E.J. Bonilla and Aja Naomi King for their performances in Joshua Sanchez’s “Four.”

Among audience awards, best narrative feature went to “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” while “Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives,” took the prize for documentary feature. “Searching for Sugar Man” won the audience prize for best international feature.

“In an extremely competitive year, our juries had hard choices to make,” the festival’s artistic director David Ansen said in a statement.

“The winning films are wonderful examples of what the Festival celebrates: bold, fresh, personal visions that expand the horizons of independent cinema.”

Awards were also presented in several categories for short films.

The 18th Los Angeles Film Festival, which showcases new American and international cinema, kicked off on Thursday. It is organized

by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the prestigious Spirit Awards, traditionally held the day before the annual Academy Awards. -Reuters

Black Keys sue Pizza Hut, Home Depot over song use

LOS ANGELES: The Black Keys are not shilling power tools or pizza, the band said in copyright infringement lawsuits against The Home Depot and Pizza Hut. The “Lonely Boy” band filed the federal lawsuits Thursday, claiming Home Depot did not have permission to use elements of the hit song in an ad promoting power tools and that Pizza Hut misused “Gold on the Ceiling” in a recent ad.

Both songs appeared on the rock group’s seventh album, “El Camino,” which was released last year and has sold nearly 840,000 copies. The Black Keys are comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Musicianproducer Brian Burton, who is known as Danger Mouse, is also suing the companies.

“The experts confirmed that this was copyright infringement,” band spokeswoman Mary Moyer said in a statement.

The cases seek unspecified damages of more than $75,000 apiece and an order preventing the continued use of the songs in the commercials.

“We haven’t seen the complaint yet, but respect for intellectual property rights is a matter we take very seriously,” said Home Depot spokesman Stephen Holmes.

Pizza Hut spokesman Christopher Fuller said the company also hasn’t seen the case, but fully respects artists’ rights. He directed inquiries to the ad’s creators, The Martin Agency and The Interpublic Group of Companies.

A Martin Agency spokesman said the company doesn’t respond to pending lawsuits, and a spokesman for the Interpublic Group of Companies was not immediately available.

The suits claim both companies were given written notices that the ads misused The Black Keys’ music. The Home Depot ad touts Ryobi power tools, while the Pizza Hut ad touts its new “Cheesy Bites Pizza.”

Neither company received permission to use musical elements from the songs.

The ads do not include any vocals.

“Lonely Boy” and “Gold on the Ceiling” both topped the Billboard alternative music chart after their release.

The Black Keys won two Grammy Awards in 2010 for music from their album “Brothers,” which won the Best Alternative Music Album award that year. -AP

Desperate Housewives retrial date vacated

LOS ANGELES: Nicollette Sheridan’s ongoing legal battle hit a stumbling block on Friday, as a judge vacated the scheduled September retrial date and ordered both sides to enter settlement talks with a different judge.

Judge Elizabeth AllenWhite of Los Angeles Superior Court vacated the retrial date after admitting to being confused by wording in a writ issued by the court of appeals which put a temporary stay on the retrial.

The writ prevented Sheridan’s team from going ahead with the wrongful termination claim, but allowed for Sheridan’s team to amend its complaint and make claim under California Labor Code 6310 (b), which protects employees from

being terminated or threatened with termination if they make a complaint about workplace safety.

“Frankly, I find the language puzzling,” the judge said.

The judge also ordered attorneys for both sides to return to settlement talks to Judge Helen Bendix on July 20.

During Friday’s hearing, Baute continued to try to make the case for a wrongful termination claim.

“To keep this simple, Ms. Sheridan was fired before her contract was up,” Baute told the court. “Mr. Baute has argued this nine times,” Adam Levin, attorney for Touchstone, countered, adding, “The plaintiff is frankly ordering nonsense. The plaintiff is asking the court to violate the court of appeal.”

Judge White concluded, “I am going to let the court of appeal sort it out ... I will do whatever the court of appeal asks me to do.” Sheridan’s attorney Mark Baute told Reuters on Friday that he will focus on preserving the wrongful termination claim, despite the appeals court’s writ.

“The trial court recognizes, as did the Court of Appeal, that the Section 6310 (b) claim must go forward and the complaint amended to include that claim,” Baute told Reuters after the hearing. “The trial court wishes to have the Court of Appeal resolve through the writ process whether the wrongful termination in violation of public policy will also go forward.”

Levin had no comment for Reuters. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

TUESDAY, june 26, 2012

11

Tennis

Nalbandian keeps tantrums Champion Djokovic eases into second round in check, but in vain LONDON: Novak Djokovic began his Wimbledon title defense in cruise control as he blasted Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero off court to win 6-3 6-3 6-1 in the first round on Monday.

The number one seed endured an edgy start and was broken in the third game of the first set but he struck back immediately and closed out the opener with his usual combination of rugged defense and consistently accurate ground-strokes.

The Serb, who had the honor of opening Centre Court action after beating Rafa Nadal in the 2011 final, was in no mood for hanging around and broke the Spaniard twice in the second set and twice more in the third.

Djokovic will now play the winner of Ryan Harrison’s first round match against Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun. -Reuters

Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a return to Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain during their men’s singles tennis match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London June 25, 2012. (Reuters)

Formula one

Cycling fan Alonso shows rivals clean pair of wheels David Nalbandian of Argentina hits a return to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia during their men’s singles tennis match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London June 25, 2012. (Reuters)

LONDON: Fiery Argentine David Nalbandian let his tennis, not his temper do the talking at Wimbledon on Monday - but it was to no avail for the new villain in the tennis hall of infamy.

Nalbandian, who was disqualified from the Queen’s Club final eight days ago for injuring a line judge, folded 6-4 7-6 6-2 against Serbian eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic in the first round at Wimbledon.

The Argentine, who reached the Wimbledon final at his first attempt 10 years ago, had a brief spat with the umpire over a disputed line call when trying to break back in the second set against Tipsarevic. But the fireworks were a damp squib compared to his fury at Queen’s.

In fact his only argument of the day fired Nalbandian into drawing level, only to lose the tiebreak and slump two sets down.

At Queen’s, he slammed his foot into an advertising board which disintegrated and cut a gash in linesman Andrew McDougall’s leg. Nalbandian was fined

the maximum of 10,000 Euros (12,600 US dollars) by the governing body of men’s tennis and forfeited prize money of at least 56,800 US dollars.

The linesman were safe at Wimbledon - no advertising hoardings are allowed on the hallowed turf of this tennis temple. They even felt relaxed enough to take off their blue blazers and officiate in shirt sleeves.

The Argentine has long had a reputation as a tennis firebrand. Ten years ago he was thrown out of a tournament in Chile for hurling a torrent of verbal abuse at a linesman.

Back as a junior in 1999, he was defaulted at Wimbledon in the semi-finals of the boys singles after arriving late for his match.

On Monday, there was no trouble with the time keeping. He and Tipsarevic arrived on a sun-kissed Court One to warm applause from the crowd. He even earned cries of “Come on David” when battling hard to combat the superior firepower of Tipsarevic but Nalbandian’s game simply failed catch fire. -Reuters

Cricket

Sri Lanka thump Pakistan in first Test

Sri Lankan cricketer Suraj Randiv (second left) celebrates the run out of Pakistan cricketer Saeed Ajmal (left) during the fourth day of the opening Test Match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Galle International Stadium in Galle on June 25, 2012. (AFP)

GALLE, Sri Lanka: Nuwan Kulasekara and Suraj Randiv combined to vanquish Pakistan as Sri Lanka won the first Test by a massive 209 runs on Monday, their biggest win over their Asian rivals. The tourists, set a near impossible victory target of 510, were bowled out for 300 just before stumps on the fourth day despite defiant batting from Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq. The pair kept the Sri Lankan attack at bay for three hours to add 151 for the fifth wicket, Younis making 87 and Shafiq 80, before both fell on either side of the tea interval.

Off-spinner Randiv and seamer Kulasekara grabbed three wickets each to ensure Sri Lanka ended the match with a day to spare after Pakistan appeared to be taking the fight into the final day. Randiv finished with seven wickets in the game, but it was team-mate Kumar Sangakkara who was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 199 in Sri Lanka’s first innings. “It’s nice to continue the winning momentum,” said Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene, whose team won the preceding one-dayers 3-1 and now leads 1-0 in the three-Test series.

Jayawardene defended his decision not to enforce the follow-on despite a lead of 372 runs after Sri Lanka shot out Pakistan for a modest 100 in the first innings.

“The idea was to bat Pakistan out of the match and also give my bowlers a bit of a rest,” he said. “The weather was a bit of a concern but then Kulasekara was outstanding with the new ball. Younis and Shafiq batted really well, but we knew that once we broke the stand, we will go through.”

Younis, 34, the most experienced batsman in the Pakistan side with 77 Test appearances, held the in-

nings together during his 26th half-century in the five-day format. Shafiq, a 26-year-old playing his 14th Test, matched his senior partner with a fluent knock that contained 13 hits to the fence. But just when the duo appeared to have survived the entire post-lunch session, Shafiq was dismissed against the run of play, edging left-arm spinner Rangana Herath to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips. Younis, who went to tea on 81, fell in the first over with the second new ball when he edged Kulasekara to wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

Mohammad Hafeez, who led Pakistan after regular captain Misbah-ul Haq was banned from the Test for a slow over-rate in a one-day match, said he was proud of the entire team. “Ours is a young side and this match was a learning experience for everyone,” he said.

“There was very good spirit in the side and it was really satisfying to see Younis and Asad fight till the end. “But we need to work hard at the nets. It will be a big boost when Misbah returns for the next Test.”

Randiv claimed the last three wickets to give Sri Lanka their third win in the last five Tests, a turnaround in form following a dip after the retirement of the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan from the five-day game in 2010. Pakistan lost nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal in the day’s second over, run out by a direct throw from the covers by Suraj Randiv. Younis earned a reprieve on nine when Tillakaratne Dilshan picked up a low catch at mid-off, but television replays proved inconclusive whether the catch had been taken cleanly.

The second Test starts at the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo on June 30. The third match will be played in Pallekele from July 8. -AFP

LONDON: Ferrari’s FernandoAlonso, like the keen cycling fan he is, has made the breakaway and now it is up to the rest of the Formula One pack to reel him in.

The Spaniard’s stirring victory in his home European Grand Prix in Valencia on Sunday made him the first repeat winner in eight races of a thoroughly unpredictable season.

That success may have been against the odds, with Alonso starting 11th on the grid and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on pole and charging to victory before an alternator failure brought his car to a halt while leading. Yet the double world champion has now surged 20 points clear of Red Bull’s Mark Webber in second place, with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton a further three points behind.

Sunday was Alonso’s 20th successive race in the points, a run stretching back to Valencia last June, and only two of those finishes have been out of the top five.

With seven different winners in the

first seven races, consistency has been the name of the game and Alonso, repeatedly getting more out of the car than anyone would have thought possible, has been the master. “This victory is very important because our main rivals in the championship had some problems. Reliability is a key factor this year and you need to score points every time,” said Ferrari principal Stefano Domenicali. Until Sunday the championship rivals had all been tightly bunched together with nobody managing to get more than seven points clear at the top since the first race of the year. Briton Hamilton, who was left fuming after a collision with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado’s Williams pitched him into the wall and out of the race on the penultimate lap, arrived in Spain just two points clear of Alonso.

After last month’s Monaco Grand Prix Alonso was three points clear of Vettel who had been level at the top with the Spaniard after the Spanish Grand Prix in

Barcelona. Vettel, in turn, was four points clear at the top after the Bahrain race in April while Hamilton had a lead of two points after China and Alonso was five points ahead after Malaysia in March.

The Spaniard has now put clear distance between himself and the rest but there are many miles to cover and mountains to climb with more than half the season ahead. It could take rivals several races to reduce the gap, however, even if they will be pointing at their own mechanical misfortunes to show how quickly the situation can change. “Fernando’s finished every race, he drove brilliantly...but he’ll have a tough weekend at some point,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner whose advice to Vettel on Sunday was “keep your chin up, it’s a long championship and it’ll come back to you.” Ferrari also know Alonso’s driving is flattering their car and they have to keep on improving it after a slow start to the season. -Reuters

Olympics

Brazil basketball in the hands of Argentine coach SAO PAULO: Brazil’s fierce rivalry with South American neighbor Argentina is being put aside when it comes to basketball. In London, it will be an Argentine coach leading the Brazilian men’s team in its return to the Olympics after 16 years.

Desperately needing to revamp its basketball program, Brazil didn’t think twice when it went after Ruben Magnano, the Argentine who helped his nation win the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games after a stunning victory over the United States in the semifinals.

The Brazilian basketball confederation received an onslaught of criticism at first, but Magnano quickly gained widespread support, especially after qualifying Brazil for the Olympics for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The rivalry is not even an issue anymore, unless the subject is football, of course, something Magnano learned firsthand last year.

The day after Argentina’s home loss to Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the Copa America, the South American football championship, the Brazilian players decided to give Magnano a hard time on the basketball court. While breaking the huddle following a practice, instead of yelling “Brazil” as usual, the players in unison shouted “Uruguay,” loud and clear for Magnano to hear. It was enough to get a laugh from the usually tough and serious Argentine coach.

“They are always joking with me and I’m always joking with them,” Magnano told The Associated Press after a practice in Sao Paulo. “This is natural in sports. It’s all about how you take it. When you don’t cross the line, it’s something really positive. We all have a lot of respect for each other here.”

It was Magnano who got to brag earlier this month when Argentina defeated Brazil 4-3 in a football friendly in the United States, which was played the day the coach arrived for his team’s Olympic preparations. Watching a television in the lobby of Brazil’s hotel, he got to celebrate each the three goals scored by world player of the year Lionel Messi.

“I definitely remember that day,” Magnano said. The coach admits that it’s not always easy to be coaching a national team other than his own. He said one of the hardest things in his career was to have to face Argentina while coaching Brazil, which happened twice in last year’s qualifying Olympic tournament played in his country.

“I can’t say that I didn’t feel something different, it’s even hard to explain,” the 57-year-old Magnano said. “But you have to separate things when you are on the bench. Emotionally there is nothing you can do, because you can’t just simply forget what’s in your heart, nobody can, but I always know when it’s time to get to

FILE - Brazil’s head coach Ruben Magnano giving instructions to his players during their World Basketball Championship preliminary round match against USA in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 30, 2010. (AP)

work, which means I’m all about defending the colors of Brazil.”

The trip to Argentina last year also helped ease his concerns about how fans back home would react to his decision to take the Brazil job. “The reception I got from the fans was incredible. It was one of the greatest moments for me as a coach,” Magnano said. “It was the greatest prize I could’ve ever won. I would say it meant even more than winning the gold medal.

It was priceless.”

Magnano caught the world’s attention when he led Argentina to an 89-81 victory over a United States team which had Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire and Allen Iverson. The Americans were coming off three straight gold medals since the “Dream Team” made its debut in 1992 in Barcelona.

At the time, Argentina’s only player in the NBA was Manu Ginobili, although it also had Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino and Fabricio Oberto, who now are also playing in the United States. This time Magnano will be able to count on four NBA players in Brazil’s team going to London - Nene, Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejao.

“It’s going to be extremely important for this group to count on an Olympic champion like Magnano,” Varejao said.

“He has taken control of this national team and we are following his lead.”

The Brazilian basketball confederation always had its eyes on Magnano as the man to help revamp basketball in Brazil after years of disappointing results internationally.

“Obviously we hired him for his gold medal in 2004, but also because of his experience working with the youth squads and because of his interest in preparing Brazilian basketball for the future,” con-

federation president Carlos Nunes told the AP. “We knew that we would be heavily criticized for the choice, but we were certain that his great work would eventually make most of the critics go away.”

Magnano has been with Brazil since the beginning of 2010, and earlier this year his contract was extended until the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Most of the criticism against his hiring came from within the basketball community, from people who thought the confederation should have picked a local coach instead of a foreigner.

“You need to have the courage to take on new challenges and face the adversities,” Magnano said. “I’m a basketball professional. They offered me the job and I decided to take it. I thought Brazilian basketball was going through an important moment.”

Brazil won Olympic bronze medals in 1948, 1960 and 1964, but after that its best results have been fifth-place finishes on three occasions, the last in 1992. The South Americans reached the quarterfinals in Atlanta.

Brazil will open in London against Australia and then will face host Britain.

China and Spain, runner-up to the United States at the Beijing Games, are also in Group B, along with a qualifier to be determined in a pre-Olympic tournament in Venezuela in July.

Magnano, who also led Argentina to a runner-up finish at the 2002 World Championships, said there shouldn’t be any doubts about his commitment to try to help Brazil fight for a medal in London, no matter where he is from.

“I don’t forget who I work for,” Magnano said. “I won’t only be respecting the Brazilian flag and the national anthem.

Through hard work, I’ll be showing my respect to the Brazilian people.” -AP

Football

SPORTS

TUESDAY, june 26, 2012

Germany prepare to end Italy jinx in Euro semis WARSAW: The four teams left in soccer’s European Championship took a welcome breather from match action on Monday, the first of two rest days ahead of a pair of intriguing semi-finals which pit familiar foes against one another.

Germany and holders Spain are favorites to reach next Sunday’s final but must overcome respectively the weight of history and the world’s most expensive player Cristiano Ronaldo to get there.

The Germans, whose exciting young side have won all their games so far, scoring nine goals along the way, have never beaten opponents Italy at a major tournament in seven attempts and are sweating on the fitness of playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger ahead of Thursday’s game in Warsaw. However, ‘Schweini’ returned to training on Monday after two days on the sidelines and Germany are hopeful he will be able to shake off a nagging ankle problem in time to face the Italians.

Italy have their own injury headaches and coach Cesare Prandelli complained that the timing of the quarter-finals meant his opponents will have had two extra days to recover.

“It’s a problem that UEFA must consider for the next European Championship,” he told a news conference on Monday.

“To play a semi with this small gap does not help the spectacle.

As in 2006, when Italy were eventually crowned world champions, the team came into the tournament with unwanted headlines at home due to a domestic match-fixing

scandal.

But the Azzurri have drawn praise for playing an attractive attacking game and they had 35 shots on goal in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with England in Kiev - the first game to go to extra time at the finals - before prevailing on penalties. “Italy have been surprising at this tournament and they fully deserve to be in the last four,” Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil told reporters. “There was a lot of negative stuff written about them before the tournament but they have showed how good a team they are.”

The tournament, being held in eastern Europe for the first time, has been the most closely-fought in years. But for Poland’s co-hosts Ukraine the successful staging of matches on the pitch has been marred by a diplomatic boycott due to the jailing of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. A Ukrainian court on Monday adjourned Tymoshenko’s tax evasion trial until mid-July, but that will do little to unfreeze talks on trade and other issues with the European Union, or persuade foreign leaders to attend the tournament final in Kiev.

Spain and Portugal meet in the first semi-final in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Wednesday, with the focus on the clash of Ronaldo and his team mates from La Liga champions Real Madrid. Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso said Spain did not have a specific plan to counter the threat of the team’s third top scorer of all time. “We always play with the same idea whoever the opponent. In this case, we will analyze Cristiano’s game and there may be small adjustments but we will try to play as a team because that’s the best way to stop a player,” he told reporters. -Reuters

Captain Gerrard committed to England cause

England’s national soccer player Steven Gerrard leaves the EURO 2012 team hotel in Krakow June 25, 2012. (Reuters)

KRAKOW, Poland: England captain Steven Gerrard is committed to leading his side towards the 2014 World Cup despite being devastated by yet another major tournament heartache at the European Championship.

There had been some speculation the 32-year-old might quit internationals but he believes an improved performance in Ukraine and Poland bodes well even if England have to learn to keep the ball better.

“I’ve had a brief chat with the manager, I’m available as long as I’m wanted at this level,” Gerrard told a news conference on Monday, hours after England lost on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals following a 0-0 draw in Kiev.

“At times the football hasn’t been fantastic. Possession stats speak for themselves and moving forward we have to be better at keeping the ball. “(But) supporters will agree we have played for the shirt. We think we performed to a better level than at

previous tournaments for sure.” Italy had 64 percent possession and had 35 shots to England’s nine.

Pundits said it would have been a travesty had Italy lost on penalties but England’s dreadful record at spot kicks, winning just one shootout in seven at major tournaments, meant justice was done.

England manager Roy Hodgson said they had done everything they could to be ready for penalties but that the tension of a big match cannot be replicated.

“Nothing that you can do will ever prepare you for the moment,” he said.

“We’ve practiced, we talked about it, we knew where their penalty takers would put their shots.

“Penalty shootouts are a game within themselves.

We’ve got to get better to beat teams in 90 minutes.”

England now fly home from their Krakow base in search of more creative and technically adept players in the youth ranks and in a Premier League already dominated by foreign names. -Reuters

Shevchenko to decide future, weighs overseas offers KIEV: Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, who retired from international football following his country’s exit from Euro 2012, said on Monday he was weighing club offers from abroad but could still quit as a player altogether.

The 35-year-old’s deal with Dynamo Kiev, the club where he began his career before moving to AC Milan, is due to expire in July and he has expressed interest in a move to North America’s Major League Soccer. He said he needed time to think hard about his next step and would make a decision “in a week or two”.

“At the moment, I have not made a decision about my future - whether to continue playing football or retire, whether to stay in Ukraine or leave the country,” he said during a visit to his old school in Kiev where he was mobbed by well-wishers.

“I have offers from clubs abroad and from Dynamo Kiev. Let me take a breather after the Euros and make a decision. I will certainly stay in football.

Football is a bit more than a game for me. It is what I live for,” he added.

Shevchenko, regarded as the finest player that post-independence Ukraine has produced, was a record marksman for his country scoring 48 goals in 111 appearances.

The former Chelsea forward crowned his international career with two headed goals in the co-host’s 2-1 victory over Sweden this month, though Ukraine failed to progress out of the group stage.

Shevchenko has chronic problems with his back and left knee and said that the state of his health would be an important factor in any final decision about his future.

After Sunday’s quarter-final between England and Italy, which Italy won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, he congratulated his old AC Milan team mate Andrea Pirlo - who had a great game and scored with a cheeky dinked penalty.

“I think yesterday the stronger side won. Italy showed more quality than England and had more chances to score. That’s why Italy deserved some luck in a penalty shootout,” he said.

He declined to say who he thought would carry off the Henri Delaunay trophy after the final in Kiev on July 1.

“It is really hard to predict. Four of the strongest teams have made their way to the semi-final,” he said of holders Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy.

“They are all well prepared physically and psychologically. We can expect very interesting semi-finals and great entertainment in these games.” -Reuters

Germany’s national soccer team coach Joachim Loew stands on the pitch during a training session before their Euro 2012 soccer match against Italy in Gdansk, June 25, 2012. (Reuters)

Russian football chief resigns after Euro fiasco MOSCOW: The overall head of football in Russia on Monday resigned after the national team failed to make the knock-out stages of Euro 2012 with a hugely disappointing performance. “I would like to apologize to the fans for this result,” Russian Football Union president Sergei Fursenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said. “I have taken a difficult decision -- to step down as head of the Russian Football Union,” he added.

Russia were knocked out of the Euro 2012 after a defeat by Greece, a belowpar performance that exposed deep-rooted problems in the Russian game despite the vast sums of money being ploughed into the sport.

The downfall of Fursenko, who took on his post in 2010, had appeared inevitable since the weekend when Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the Euro flop showed that the Russian game was in need of a major overhaul. Fursenko said that the team -- boasting talent including established stars like Andrei Arshavin and new talent like Alan Dzagoev -- was strong and had been well prepared by Dutch coach Dick Advocaat. “But it went wrong. And of course our fans are now disappointed as they expected a different result.”

Mutko at the weekend acknowledged that football was heading in the wrong direction in Russia and said the government needed to interfere more in the running of the game.

The authorities are already seeking to rebuild grass-roots football infrastructure like pitches for youths as well as a serious coaching development system that collapsed along with the Soviet Union in 1991. The stakes for Russia are now even higher after it won the right to host the 2018 World Cup, a project spearheaded

FILE - FIFA President Sepp Blatter (left) holds his “Humanity in Football” award as he poses with President of the Russian Football Union Sergei Fursenko during a news conference at the Europa Hotel in St. Petersburg Jan. 20, 2012. (Reuters)

by Putin. At a meeting in Saint Petersburg before he left on a tour to the Middle East, Putin told Fursenko that football in Russia was developing with new players emerging and the domestic league becoming more exciting.

“The refereeing system has also been reformed which is very important to stop match-fixing,” Putin said.

Russia is already looking for a new coach for the national squad after Advocaat announced before the Euro he was quitting his post. He is now taking over PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands.

Billions of dollars have been poured into domestic football over recent seasons, notably at Premier League big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala, but the money has yet to lead to a radical change in quality on the pitch.

Fursenko grew up in Putin’s native Saint Petersburg, working in the television business and then for state gas giant Gazprom before moving to top executive positions at the city’s football side Zenit.

The head of Russia’s federal audit office Sergei Stepashin welcomed his departure as the right decision after the performance of the national side in Poland. “I think that the Russian Football Union needs to be led by someone who knows football and who has unquestionable authority in the world of football,” he said according to the Interfax news agency.

But in a sign his decision was made suddenly, Fursenko’s deputy Nikita Simonyan said he was not informed beforehand and there had been no hint of a resignation just a few days ago, RIA Novosti said. -AFP

Giovanni Moreno signs with Shanghai Shenhua BEIJING: Shanghai Shenhua says it has signed Colombia midfielder Giovanni Moreno, five days after bringing Didier Drogba to the Chinese club.

A brief statement on the club’s website Monday says the 25-year-old Moreno has signed for two years with an option for two more. It gave no salary details and did not say when he would arrive in Shanghai. Moreno joins Shenhua after a season with Argentine side Racing Club.

Shenhua has been spending prodigiously on foreign players. In recent months it has added former Argentina coach Sergio Batista and Drogba’s former Chelsea teammate, Nicolas Anelka.

Drogba signed with Shanghai Shenhua on a two-year contract last Wednesday. -AP

FILE - Racing’s midfielder Giovanni Moreno (right) vies for the ball with Boca Juniors’ defender Juan Insaurralde, during their Argentina First Division football match, at the Presidente Juan Domingo Peron stadium in Avellaneda, province of Buenos Aires, on May 20, 2012. (AFP)

Salzburg signs former Schalke coach Rangnick

SALZBURG, Austria: Austrian champion Red Bull Salzburg presented Ralf Rangnick as sports director and fellow German Roger Schmidt as head coach on Monday.

Also, former Liverpool and Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier was appointed global sports director at Red Bull Soccer, which has teams in Salzburg; New York; Leipzig, Germany; Brazil and Ghana.

Rangnick stepped down as Schalke coach in September because of fatigue, months after leading the club to the semifinals of the Champions League.

Schmidt, who worked with Paderborn in Germany’s second division last season, Ricardo Moniz. The Dutchman unexpectedly resigned as head coach after leading Salzburg to the Austrian league and cup titles. -AP