March 25, 2012 by Al Watan Daily

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1384

16 PAGES

www.alwatandaily.com

150 Fils with IHT

Parliament ‘temporarily’ accepts government pay raise Wage increments for civil servants, retirees temporarily accepted by MPs

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

KUWAIT: The majority of MPs are likely to temporarily accept the wage increments that have been recently made by the Civil Service Commission for civil servants and retirees, to avoid further delays. Reportedly, the lawmakers will, afterwards, make fresh demands for the wages to be raised after the necessary studies are completed. In the same vein, it has been gathered that the joint parliamentary committee, which is tasked with studying special allowances and salaries, will hold its first meeting tomorrow (Monday). The committee is expected to outline a comprehensive vision concerning the discrepancies in special allowances and bonuses. It will also ask the government to provide information about State reserves and budget surplus particularly since the Civil Service Commission only gave figures about wage increases without submitting a compressive study about the framework through which the increases were made. The sources affirmed that there is a likelihood of redefining

all jobs in order to raise salaries for intermediate certificate holders. According to reports, the government will turn to consultative firms in this regard, with sources expecting that the studies will cost from five to eight million Kuwaiti dinars. The study is due to last between four to six months. Parliamentary sources spoke of mounting pressures on MPs to finalize wage increases. In the same vein, MP Hamad Al-Mattar asserted that the recent increments are completely unacceptable because they do not achieve justice or equality. “As a result, we are back to square one as far as this issue is concerned. If the government refuses to consider my proposal, then the Parliament needs to play a role,” the MP was quoted as saying. Referring to the layoffs from the private sector, Al-Mattar accused the government of merely coming up with figures rather than presenting a clearcut vision. A member on the Parliament’s Budget Committee has cast doubt on the figures offered by the government. According to the MP, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the figures seek to scare lawmakers and citizens of a collapse of budge structure due to salaries. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Kuwait apologizes to Kazakhstan over anthem

Deadly clashes in Egypt after soccer club banned

Pigeons ﬂy over an installation of clocks by French artist Arman on March 24, 2012 in Paris. Europe moves to summer time at 0100 GMT on March 25 when clocks go forward an hour. (AFP)

PORT SAID: One person was shot dead and 18 injured when angry soccer fans clashed with security forces in Egypt’s Port Said after their club was banned over the country’s worst stadium disaster, a medical source said on Saturday. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) banned the club, Al-Masry, for two seasons for a pitch invasion that killed 74 fans last month, the most deadly incident since the protests that toppled President Hosni Mubarak last year. The EFA ordered Port Said Stadium, where the stampede took place after Al-Masry beat Cairo’s Al Ahli, to be closed for three years. Military police fired shots in the air to disperse hundreds of soccer fans protesting outside the Suez Canal Authority building in Port Said, witnesses said. The clashes began late on Friday and continued into the early hours of Saturday. “Hundreds of angry fans clashed with military police after the decision was announced,” one witness said. “One was shot dead, in the back, and 18 were injured in the clashes, two of them are suffering gunshot wounds,” the medical source said. Port Said harbor was closed on Saturday morning because of the protests and ships using the Suez Canal were directed to a secondary route east of the city, sources at the Suez Canal Authority More on 4 and Port Said harbor said.

North Korea to hold first parliament session under new leader

SEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday it will hold an annual parliamentary session next month during which the reclusive country’s new young leader, Kim Jong-un, is expected to be appointed officially to top posts of the state. The announcement by the North’s state news agency that the session will be on April 13 came as concern grew over a decision by the North to launch a rocket next month marking the centenary of founder Kim Il-sung’s birth. The rocket launch, which the United States and other countries say is the same as a ballistic missile test, which is banned under UN resolutions, could coincide with the promotion of the young Kim to the top posts. Even China, North Korea’s main ally, has expressed its worry over the rocket launch, scheduled for between April 12 and April 16, and has urged the North to “stay calm and exercise restraint and avoid escalation”. The secretive North has twice tested a nuclear device, but experts doubt whether it yet has the ability to miniaturize an atomic bomb to fit inside a warhead. Many North Korea watchers expect the junior Kim, who is in his late 20s, to be apMore on 5 pointed at the assembly to the posts his late father, Kim Jong-il, held.

Egyptian protesters gather opposite riot policemen (right) during a demonstration outside the Cairo convention centre against potential Islamist inﬂuence on Egypt’s post-revolution constitution on March 24, 2012. Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament and senate began meeting to elect a panel to draft a new constitution amid calls by liberal groups for protests against Islamist inﬂuence over the charter. (AFP)

African Union launches US-backed force to hunt Kony

JUBA: The African Union (AU), backed by the United States, has put together a 5,000-strong military force to hunt down fugitive warlord Joseph Kony, whose profile has shot up following a celebrity-backed campaign against him. Kony, accused of terrorizing northern Uganda for two decades, is wanted by the International Criminal court for war crimes. He is accused of leading a group that abducted children to use as fighters and sex slaves and hacked off living victims’ limbs as a method of intimidation and revenge. A video about Kony posted on YouTube by a California filmmaker has been viewed by tens of millions of people, promoted on Twitter with the hashtag #Kony2012 and endorsed by major Hollywood celebrities. The AU force aims to coordinate soldiers already hunting for Kony from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and Uganda with logistical and intelligence help from Washington. In October, US President Barack Obama said he was sending 100 military advisers to the four countries involved in the new

Facebook takes steps to address privacy concerns

Greece’s deputy prime minister retiring

ATHENS: Greece’s deputy prime minister, who made headlines by saying that ordinary citizens are just as responsible as politicians for his nation’s economic crisis, announced Saturday that he will not seek re-election. An early election is expected in May, and Theodoros Pangalos, 73, a veteran socialist lawmaker, told state TV channel NET he won’t compete in it. He also predicted that his party and the conservative New Democracy, which leads in opinion polls, will both fail to win an outright majority. True to form, the outspoken Pangalos said he does not think the two coalition partners - his socialists and the conservatives - will be able to continue ruling together to pull Greece out of its worst economic crisis in several decades. “The two biggest parties are proving that they cannot govern together, even if a large portion of the decisions they will have to make is prescribed” by the two loan agreements Greece has signed with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Pangalos said. Asked if the politicians whose policies nearly bankrupted the country will manage to take it out of its current predicament, Pangalos said: “Of course not. That’s why I am retiring.” Widely known as a brilliant but mercurial man, who clashed with political friends as well as opponents, Pangalos became a lightning rod for disaffected Greeks who have tended to blame politicians for all their woes during the past two years. “We devoured (the money) together,” he had said when the extent of the crisis became apparent, meaning that ordinary citizens as well as politicians were to blame for the profligate state and that many had profited from widespread corruption. His words caused a huge outcry and are still used against him and politicians in general. Pangalos, who is tall and overweight, has been verbally and physically attacked, with critics throwing yogurt at him in public. -AP

Device created to prevent baby theft or switches

People take part in a ﬂash mob event organized by the “Alliance VITA” association as part of their tour of France in solidarity with elderly people and against euthanasia on March 24, 2012 in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. Events take place in 50 French cities from March 5 to May 4, 2012. The placards read “To care is not to kill”. (AFP)

AU force. “The Americans are playing a pivotal role in some aspects,” AU special envoy Francisco Madeira said on Saturday. “They support us militarily, they support us with equipment, they support us with military advice, they support us even with intelligence and training,” he told reporters at its launch ceremony in the South Sudanese capital Juba. He gave no details on the troops’ strategy. The force will be headquartered in Yambio in South Sudan near the border to the DRC. Units will be also based in Dungu in the DRC and Obo in the CAR, officials said. UN Central Africa envoy Abou Moussa said the force had to capitalize on the high level of global pressure on Kony. “We need to take advantage of the high level of interest, goodwill and political commitment to finally put an end to this crime.” LRA violence in the region has subsided since 2005 when the LRA was ejected from Uganda and now Kony is believed to command only hundreds of followers, scattered in jungle hideouts. -Reuters

MADRID: Recent reports about newborns who were switched by mistake at the hospital and sent home with the wrong mother or babies who were outright stolen from their mothers during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco have shocked Spain and prompted activists to demand that their cases to be clarified. That is why the Spanish firm ICN Technologies has created an identification and monitoring system for babies which

company chairman Carlos Herreros said would make changing or stealing babies impossible. Herreros became obsessed with the idea of baby safety when his first daughter was born. When he returned to the hospital after an initial visit with his newborn he found his child was wearing different garments from the ones hospital workers had dressed her in initially and her identification band was on a different leg. More on 11

Star Wars Stormtroopers pose for photographers in a queue at Legoland in Windsor west of London on March 24, 2012, to mark the launch of the new Star Wars Miniland Experience. (AFP)

Lawyer says French gunman’s mother is released

PARIS: Authorities investigating France’s deadly shooting rampage have released the mother of the Islamist fanatic blamed for the killings but were questioning his older brother to determine whether he served as an accomplice, officials said Saturday. Police are trying to determine whether 23-year-old Mohamed Merah had any help in carrying out the executionstyle murders of seven people that have shocked France and refocused attention on the threat of radical Muslim terrorists. Police say there is evidence to suggest that his brother worked as an assistant. Merah’s brother, Abdelkader, was flown to Paris for further questioning Saturday, along with his girlfriend, but a lawyer for Merah’s mother, 55-year-old Zoulhika Aziri, said she had been released

without charge. Jean-Yves Gougnaud told reporters in the southern French city of Toulouse that Aziri’s world had been “turned upside down.” “She is devastated,” he told reporters after her release. “At no time could she have imagined that her son was the one who did it.” Aziri was freed late Friday from a police station in Toulouse, a judicial official said on condition of anonymity because the information wasn’t cleared for public release. Mohamed Merah, who claimed allegiance to al-Qaida, died in a hail of gunfire Thursday after a dramatic 32-hour standoff with police at his apartment in Toulouse. At one point, police brought his mother to the scene, but she refused to urge her son to surrender, officials See also 5 said.-AP

ALWATAN DAILY

kuwait

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

USD 4.4 billion to restructure, renovate Kuwait Airways’ fleet

Government says equipped with answers for interpellation

Sami Wadi Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Informed sources expect that the renovation and restructuring of Kuwait Airways’ fleet will be submitted to the Cabinet during the coming six months, after the Kuwait Airways privatization law is amended. Developments also include referring employees to retirement and shifting others to governmental authorities, in addition to hiring a consultancy firm that is specialized in aviation and will be in charge of the restructuring process. The number of Kuwaiti employees willing to move to the new company after privatization is expected to be 464 employees, excluding those working at subsidiaries and non-Kuwaiti employees. Sources revealed that the estimated cost of the restructuring process and the renovation of the fleet for the next three years is 160 million Kuwaiti dinars (USD 4.4 billion). However, the current fleet will not be renovated, since the cost will be too high. Eleven old aircrafts that include Airbus A300, A310, and A320 will be discarded, since their life span is 17-19 years. Sources explained that the renovation plan stipulates purchasing 25 high-tech aircrafts. In addition, the management of Kuwait Airways has assigned a high profile committee to study the mechanism of taking maximum advantage of operative rights that the company has been possessing for the past 56 years; especially that those rights have not been beneficial because of the limited number of aircrafts of the current fleet. Meanwhile, Minister of Communication Salem Al-Othaina announced that the amendment of the privatization law concerning Kuwait Airways will be discussed during today’s Cabinet meeting in order to be approved before being submitted to the National Assembly to decide if the company will become a private sector institution. He added, during his participation at Pakistan’s national day, that the privatization of Kuwait Airways is the best solution since the company will be working under the umbrella of Kuwait Investment Authority, where the required funds to purchase

FILE- Photo of a recent Cabinet meeting session on Sunday, March 11, 2012. (Al Watan) Mutairan Al-Shaman Staff Writer

Minister of Communication Salem Al-Othaina (left) and Pakistani ambassador to Kuwait Eftekhar Aziz during a celebration held to mark Pakistan’s national day on Friday, March 23, 2012. (Al Watan)

new aircrafts will be available. He added that employees who are eligible to retire will do so, while others will either move to other governmental authorities or the new company. Concerning the Iraqi Airways deal and its claims that are made in London, he explained that this is a private Iraqi matter, noting that this agreement serves to cement good intentions between the two countries in order to allow a broader scope of cooperation. He revealed that there is a committee that is responsible for receiving the money they had agreed upon.

Ambassador talks with top Cambodian lawmaker on cooperation

Regarding Pakistan, he stressed that the Kuwaiti-Pakistani relationships are strong, and that taking part in Pakistan’s national day is the least Kuwait can do to show its gratitude towards the stances taken by Pakistan in favor of Kuwait. In addition, Pakistani ambassador to Kuwait Eftekhar Aziz asserted that the bilateral relationships between the two countries are solid and highlighted the fact that the political leaderships in both countries are adamant to cement friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

KUWAIT: In its weekly meeting expected to be held today, the government will approve the replies of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah concerning the five issues submitted in the interpellation by lawmaker Saleh Ashour. The prime minister said that the interpellation session will be held in public in order to assure his commitment to the plan he put after swearing in as a premier, which include political reform, transparency and cooperating with the National Assembly. Sources related to Al Watan that Sheikh Jaber is ready to answer the questions, but that he is also discussing the nature of the grilling and its contents from constitutional point of view. Sources also pointed out that the prime minister has stressed that transparency would be achieved throughout the grilling as well as full cooperation with the parliamentary committees

Defense Minister promotes army officers

Parliament ‘temporarily’ accepts government pay raise Continued from page 1

Kuwait’s ambassador to Cambodia Dherar Al-Tuwaijri (left) with Heng Samrin, the Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly (right) on Saturday, March 24, 2012. (KUNA)

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s ambassador to Cambodia Dherar Al-Tuwaijri has held talks with Heng Samrin, the Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly, on mutual cooperation between Kuwait and the Kingdom. In remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday, the ambassador said he was pleased to meet such a veteran politician, known for defense of the Cambodian people against the Khmer Rouge, which ruled the country in the 70s. Al-Tuwaijri conveyed greetings of National Assembly (Parliament) Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun and the chairman personal aspiration to elevate level of the parliamentary ties between the two friendly countries, the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The diplomat indicated that his meeting

with the top Cambodian legislator was part of a series of scheduled meetings with the nation ranking figures, aimed at cementing the Kuwaiti-Cambodian relations at various levels. For his part, Samrin affirmed necessity of boosting the parliamentary KuwaitiCambodian relations, following reciprocal visits by the prime ministers of the two countries in 2008 and 2009. Samrin praised democratic practices in Kuwait, namely activities of the parliament, wishing the Gulf country further progress and prosperity. The chairman of the Cambodian parliament is known as an eminent struggler against the defunct Khmer Rouge regime. At the end of the meeting, the ambassador presented Samrin with a memorial award depicting Kuwait’s heritage. -KUNA

Kuwait inaugurates 14th Ophathomology conference

KUWAIT: The 14th International Ophathamology Conference commenced its activities on Saturday. “Developments in retinal disease and surgery” is the title of the (eye-surgery) conference that is hosted by the Ministry of Health. It is held with the broad participation of visiting doctors from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, US, Canada and Europe. The two-day conference takes place under the framework of the ministry’s commitment for medical education programs through the establishment of medical and scientific conferences and lectures that allow medical staff to find the most recent tools of medicine in various health fields. -KUNA

For his part, MP Abdulatiff Al-Omairi called for the suspension of the wage increases that have been announced by the government and that jobs should be redefined so that increments are made based on well-studied numbers. In the meantime, the Parliamentary Finance Committee urged the Parliament to assign it to continue keeping track of the Civil Service Commission with regards to the discussion and study of allowances. In a letter he addressed to the National Assembly, the Chairman of the Finance Committee Marzouq Al-Ghanem mentioned that the committee had previously studied special allowances for all ministries and government institutions. Accordingly, the committee would like to keep track of this issue in order to resolve the disparities in the allowance scheme. In other news, the Parliament Education Committee has agreed to a draft law which calls on the government to set up a 50 million Kuwaiti-dinar financial portfolio to support self-sponsored Kuwaiti students. The proposal stipulates that the portfolio should stay for a renewable twenty-year period. National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun is said to have included the bill in the Parliament’s agenda for Tuesday. On the other hand, the Parliamentary Finance Committee deferred decision on Tenders Bill until its meeting today. Following a meeting on Saturday, the committee Rapporteur Ahmad Lari stated that discussions have centered on the exemption of Ministry of Defense’s tenders from the law with regard to military equipment. He explained that the government has based its request for exemption on an Amiri decree on the matter. The MP further noted that the committee’s scheduled meeting today will be crucial in voting on the Tenders Bill. Further, the Education Committee has asked the Parliament to discuss certain issues pertaining to the Ministries of Education and Higher Education including the unfilled supervisory positions therein. Other issues include the appointment of Kuwaiti PhD degree holders in government and private universities, regulatory matters and the standardization of certificates. Meanwhile, MP Jamaan Al-Harbash has addressed a barrage of questions to the Ministers of Education and Social Affairs asking them to explain the Education Strategy for people with special needs.

set up by the National Assembly whether to discuss the multi-million deposits or foreign transference. He also stressed that representatives from the government will attend all meetings to answer any questions and provide all data and information required. Meanwhile, the government is looking into the alternative strategy to provide 2,800 job opportunities with the aim of handling salary and wages as well as employment grading. The alternative solution looks into the better employment grading in practical terms so that financially matters are well-balanced. It also looks into ways of setting up structural organization which will ensure that all will be in the right position and fit perfectly into the organization. His Highness the Prime Minister is also expected to ask the National Assembly to endorse a Development Bill for the second year because failure of doing so will cause legal violations as the state has already signed contracts with various contracting businesses.

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah issued a ministerial decree to promote five army officers to higher ranks. Name

list of army officers included Brigadiers Sulaiman Al-Huwail, Mohammed Al-Khder, Anwar Al-Mezidi, Abdulrahman Al-Hadhood, and Abdulrahman Al-Awadi. -KUNA

Global Mercy Organization: Syrian people need further support Nafel Al-Humaidan Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Social Reform Society official Abdul Rahman Al-Mutawwa, who witnessed the sufferings and agony of Syrian refugees located at the Syrian borders with Lebanon and Jordan, said that he had met many Syrian families who have injured members receiving medical treatment at Lebanese and Jordanian hospitals. He revealed that Global Mercy Organization managed to send aid into Syria through families and asserted that the Syrian people need further support from their brothers in Kuwait. Moreover, he mentioned that this is not the first time the organization visits the Syrian refugees at the borders, as there was an earlier visit made by a delegation that was headed by Bader BuRahma to distribute the aid of the first phase to the Syrian people. He noted that this visit aims to distribute aid and determine the needs of Syrian families. However, this delegation was accompanied by volunteers, media personnel, doctors, and artists from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He stated that he has seen several individual volunteers from Gulf Cooperation Council

(GCC) countries that do not represent and charity organizations, adding that the organization’s offices in Jordan and Lebanon have prepared lists that include the names of families that moved to the borders and the aid they have received. He added that the main challenge that faces Syrian families is the high apartment rents that have reached 250 US dollars. However, he said that many Lebanese and Jordanian families have allowed Syrian families to stay in their homes for free. He explained that Syrian families need financial aid, in order to be able to pay the rent and to buy the necessary items for their children and women. Moreover, he recalled visiting injured and sick Syrians in Al-Rahma Hospital in Lebanon, where he met a 14 year old boy who is paralyzed after being hit by a bullet in his back. He added that for every one dead Syrian, there are 60 injured. However, those injured Syrians cannot be treated in Syrian hospitals, which force their families to smuggle them across the borders to Lebanon; but many of them cannot afford the expenses of medical treatment, which leads to either their death or permanent damage to their bodies.

ALWATAN DAILY

KUWAIT

SUNDAY, march 25, 2012

‘Hope Voyage’ underscores country’s humane dimension: Participants

Chairwoman of Voluntary Work Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah with Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah and other officials on stage congratulated a child for his art work. (Al Watan) Mervat Abduldayem Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Participants in the ‘Hope Voyage’ expressed their deepest gratitude and appreciation to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah for financially sponsoring the trip. Under the patronage of Chairwoman of Voluntary Work Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad AlSabah and with the presence of several ministers and notables as well as people with dis-

ability, a ceremony was held Friday evening in preparation for a trip expected to be launched on Dec. 12, 2012 that would sail from Kuwait all the way to the United States of America. The ultimate message of the ‘Hope Voyage’ is to highlight the needs of people with disability. Speaking to the press, Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said that it is a matter of pride and joy to see such trip kicking off from Kuwait cruising to the United States with such noble aim. Similarly, the Minister of Social Affairs Ah-

Some of the citizens with disability are seen in a group picture during a ceremony held for “Hope Voyage”. (Al Watan)

mad Al-Rujaib said that the trip would certainly underscore the issue of people with disability, where in Kuwait the government pays due attention to the needs of this important category in society. “There is no doubt that the trip will convey the true and bright image of Kuwait as a country which really looks after this particular segment of society,” he remarked, thanking at the same time His Highness the Amir for his generous gesture. On his part, the Minister of Education

Nayef Al-Hajraf praised the voluntary work of the people behind the initiative and that such exemplary trip with such noble aim would be recorded in history books. As for the Project Manger Ahmad Al-Bader, he explained that the idea came about in 2003 the aim of which is bring the issue of people with disability into prominence and at the same time to showcase the role of Kuwait and its keenness to address such issue internationally and locally. The trip will sail off from Kuwait through

Bill to establish fund for supporting students gets approved by committee Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Educational Committee said it approved a bill to establish a fund for students studying on their own expenses. The Speaker of the National Assembly Ahmad Al-Saadoun had referred to the parliamentary Educational Committee on March 4 the second report related to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee to review the first draft bill. This was followed by a letter sent by Al-Saadoun dated March 7, with which the report to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee is attached, to approve the second draft bill in its current wording. Following the provisions in Article 100 of the National Assembly Bylaw, the Committee decided to endorse the first draft bill as the prime facie text and the subsequent additions and drafts as amendments. The committee held a meeting for that purpose March 12 to discuss the contents of the draft bill. Following the meeting, it was agreed by the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf that the draft bill would be endorsed as a law in its current form because it would certainly contribute and shall be of great

service towards the educational process in the country. The committee discussed the aims and purposes of the draft bill and found out that it would be beneficial for undergraduate students as well as post graduate students as it would provide them with the needed loans to pursue their higher education in Kuwait or outside the country. The draft bill underlined the importance of education citing the Kuwaiti Constitution articles and its significant role, adding that governments should advance such principle for the progress of society given that education is a legitimate right for all Kuwaitis and that expenses and fees should be covered by the state as in Article 13, 14 and 40 (First Clause). As a result, it is now agreed that a fund would be set up to make such aim possible and provide students with the needed subsidy and financial assistance to further their education. The fund would also be under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education as it is the ministry in charge of the educational affairs along with the financial and administrative sectors within the ministry. It was also agreed that by assigning the ministry of higher education along with the financial and ad-

ministrative sectors to manage and run the fund, it would be on one hand cost effective as this would do away with finding and setting a new body the sole purpose of which fund management. On the other hand, it would certainly keep routine, paper work and bureaucracy at bay. The outcome would be careful and concise procedures where the fund and subsidy would be allotted to those who qualify to them and subsequently be beneficial and productive to the country’s needs and requiems in terms of specialization and academic interest. The committee also raised the issue of the increasing number of school graduates each year and that a fund would certainly meet the rapid requirements to meet the needs of the new school leavers. Similarly, the fund would be closely intertwined with the government’s development plans in terms of improving and advancing the educational process with the view of supporting overseas scholarships and grants, a policy which the Ministry of Higher Education has been stressing for some time due to the scheme’s significance in advancing the education input in the country. The committee concluded its meeting fully supports the draft bill.

the Arabian Gulf reaching the Mediterranean Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean until it reaches its destination: the United States. It is expected that the ship will visit 20 countries on its away trip and 19 as it is heading towards Kuwait. There will be synopsis and awareness promotion in each country the group will visit. The trip, the duration of which is estimated to last six months, was the brain child of some of the parents who were keen to showcase the issues related to their disabled children locally and internationally.

Kuwait apologizes for Kazakhstan over anthem mistake

KUWAIT/ MOSCOW: Organizers of the Arab Shooting Championships in Kuwait issued on Saturday an official apology for Kazakhstan’s delegation regarding the “unintentional” mistake of playing a wrong national anthem during an award ceremony on Friday. The Organizing Committee, in a statement, said the mistake was corrected and the national anthem of Kazakhstan was replayed afterwards. The committee expressed deep sorrow for the unintentional mistake, affirming the respect of the friendly nation of Kazakhstan, noting as well on the strong ties between the two sports communities of the two countries. Earlier, Kazakhstan has called the playing of a spoof of its national anthem from the satirical movie ‘Borat’ at an international sporting event “a scandal” and demanded an investigation of the incident. Maria Dmitrienko won a gold medal for Kazakhstan on Thursday at the Arab Shooting Championships in Kuwait, but during the award ceremony the public address system broadcast the spoof anthem from the 2006 movie “Borat,” which offended many Kazakhs by portraying the country as backward and degenerate. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ilyas Omarov told the ITAR-Tass news agency the incident “is, of course, a scandal and demands a thorough investigation, which we intend to conduct.” ITAR-Tass quoted shooting team member Oksana Stavitskaya as saying that Asian Shooting Federation President Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah had apologized to the team. -Agencies

THIS WEEK IN KUWAIT’S HISTORY

1975: Kuwait ratifies a 1972 treaty banning the production, use, and stockpiling of biological and toxic weapons and the destruction of those weapons. 1978: Amiri decree 10/78 authorizes Kuwait’s partnership to the agreement signed in New York on June 10, 1958 on the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. 2008: The Interior Ministry says it dispersed, through use of force, a gathering of over 350 people, including former parliament members, who gathered in front of the public prosecution demanding release of those arrested for calling for byelections.

nizing direct foreign investment in Kuwait. 2002: Kuwaiti diplomacy marks a successful triumph when it clinches a pledge from the regime in Baghdad not to repeat its aggression on the State of Kuwait. The Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein makes the pledge during the14th Arab Summit in Beirut. 2002: The UN Regional (North Africa and the Middle East) Bureau for combating narcotics and crime prevention selects Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah as Arab Woman Personality for the year 2001. 2006: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah issues decree 3/2006 on the press and publications law.The first article guarantees freedom of press and print, while prohibiting blasphemy and speaking against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and his family members. It also allows the establishment of new newspapers and printing houses with licensing from the Information Ministry provided that the individual or company has a capital of KD 250,000. 2006: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah issues decree 5/2006 endorsing the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, which Kuwait signed on December 12, 2000. 2006: His Highness the Amir issues decree 8/2006 issued to establish a UN bureau in Kuwait to present aid to Iraq, as agreed between Kuwait and the UN. 2006: The Amir issues decree 9/2006 endorsing Kuwait’s membership in the Convention on Nuclear Safety, issued in Vienna on September 20, 1994. 2006: The Amir issues decree 12/2006 endorsing Kuwait’s membership in the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, which Kuwait signed on September 18, 1998. 2006: The Amir issues decree 13/2006 endorsing the statute of the GCC Standardization Authority, approved during the 24th GCC Summit hosted by Kuwait in December 2003. 2008: Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid AlSabah, issues a ministerial order prohibiting all media outlets from broadcasting or publishing advertisements calling for primary elections among tribes, which are against the law.

March 27:

March 28:

March 25:

1919: The British government decorates Sheikh Salem AlMubarak Al-Sabah, the ninth ruler of Kuwait, with the India Star Medal in a ceremony at Seif Palace. 1921: A number of Kuwaiti men present a memo to the ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, suggesting the establishment of a state council to include 12 figures. 1970: The Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues decree 5/1970 on return of exploited state lands. 1979: A huge demonstration is staged in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Kuwait after the Egyptian president signs a peace agreement with Israel. 1984: Construction works at the 12,000-square-meters AlSafat Square project takes off at a cost of 4.2 million Kuwaiti dinars. 1999: Board of governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency approves at a meeting in Vienna signing an agreement on implementing guarantees with Kuwait, in appreciation of its belief in the principles of peace and security. 2001: Kuwait cancels anchorage of ships at its ports to stimulate trade in the region’s ports. 2007: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah issues decree 66/2007 forming the 24th cabinet in Kuwait’s history, headed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The cabinet includes two women ministers for the first time in the nation’s history. March 26:

1965: The Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues law 11/1965 making education mandatory in Kuwait. 1966: Kuwait Swimming, Diving and Water Polo Union is declared, after two years of establishment. 1968: Cultural cooperation agreement signed between Kuwait and the Soviet Union. 1971: The first Kuwaiti movie, “Bas Ya Bahar” (Enough, O Sea), is screened at Al-Andalus Cinema, illustrating life in Kuwait prior to the discovery of oil. 1989: Kuwait’s first theater festival kicks off. 2000: The Municipal Council closes down the oyster market, banning its sale in the country, on basis of a religious fatwa (edict). 2001: The National Assembly approves a private bill orga-

1962: Mohammed Al-Junaidi presents his credential to the Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, as first Jordanian ambassador to Kuwait. 1965: Kuwait establishes diplomatic relations with Malaysia at the ambassadorial level. 1966: Kuwait Track and Field Federation established. 1979: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, sponsors a meeting between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Abdulfattah Ismael, aimed at Yemeni unity. 1983: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, issues a law establishing the Public Authority for Minors Affairs. 1995: The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992 comes into effect in Kuwait.

2006: The Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah heads his country’s delegation to the 18th Arab Summit in Sudan. 2008: Al-Qadisiyah Sport Club wins the GCC Volleyball Clubs’ Championship held in Bahrain. March 29:

1952: Iraq’s Crown Prince, Abdulilah arrives on a threeday official visit. 1954: Saudi’s King Saud bin Abdulaziz makes a seven-day official visit to Kuwait. 1961: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia sign a border agreement under which the neutral zone is surveyed and demarcated. 1966: Decree law 161 is issued to establish an information consulting council under the Ministry of Guidance and Information. 1974: Kuwait’s national football team wins the Third GCC Cup. 1975: The 1971 Convention Concerning Protection against Hazards of Poisoning Arising from Benzene comes into effect in Kuwait. 1983: The Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah inaugurates the Majerus truck factory. 1989: Kuwait signs a special protocol on pollution resulting from exploring and utilizing the continental shelf. 2000: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurates “Al-Hashimi II,” regarded as one of the world’s largest wooden ships, at the Radisson SAS Hotel. The vessel took two years to construct and is testimony to Kuwaiti creativity and artistry. 2001: Kuwait wins the golden medal in the 14th GCC Tennis Tournament for the under-14 category, and silver medal for the general games. 2003: Souq Sharq is attacked by Iraqi missiles, causing material damage but no casualties. 2005: The Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah places the cornerstone for Jaber Al-Ahmad City. 2005: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation launches its bureau in China, in a step that aims to broaden its commercial activity in the world’s second largest oil consuming market. 2008: The Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah heads the country’s delegation to the 20th Arab League Summit held in Damascus. 2008: Kuwaiti Taekwondo team earns six medals; three gold, two silvers, and a bronze, in the second international Taekwondo championship held in Bahrain. March 30:

1965: Kuwait agrees to the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) which prohibits nuclear weapons tests “or any other nuclear explosion” in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. 1974: Kuwait national soccer team wins the cup of the third Gulf Tournament held in Kuwait. 1979: Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah addresses

the final session of the Yemeni summit in Kuwait, attended by president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Abdulfattah Ismail, in which they affirmed that they came to Kuwait with the goal of reaching an understanding and cooperation and achieving the hopes and aspirations of the Yemeni people. 1988: Three speedboats attack a Kuwaiti military post at Boubyan Island and injure two Kuwaiti soldiers. 2000: Izzat Jaafar dies at the age of 88. Jaafar assumed many honorary posts at the Amiri Diwan. He also helped establish the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and the Kuwait-Danish Dairy Company (KDD). 2003: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) index hits an all-time record climbing 70.9 points to close at 2,825.6 points. Over 226 million shares were traded at KD 73.2 million through 4,542 transactions. 2003: Kuwait asks the Libyan charge d’affaires to leave the country. Libya is also requested to lower its level of diplomatic representation in Kuwait in accordance with the number of Kuwaiti diplomats in Tripoli. 2005: First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issues a ministerial decree stating civil identification cards are to be used as document required instead of passport upon passing between Kuwait and the states of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. March 31:

1965: The Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah issues decree 17/1965 endorsing the international agreement on marine safety 1960. 1974: The Kuwaiti Society for the Protection of the Environment established. 1982: A decree is issued on the establishment of the Supreme Housing Council. 1985: Terrorists assassinate Iraqi diplomat, Hadi Saeed, and his son in Kuwait. 1986: The Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah lays the cornerstone of Al-Qurain housing project. 1991: The Islamic constitutional movement established as one of the political movements in Kuwait. 1995: The State of Kuwait and the Tajik Republic sign a protocol for the establishment of diplomatic ties. 1997: Information Minister Sheikh Saud Nasser Al-Sabah inaugurates the new building of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). 2003:The National Assembly agrees during a closed-door session to add KD 500 million as expenditure for emergency security situations. 2003: Kuwait officially launches its project for providing fresh water to the Iraqi port city of Umm Qaser as a gift from the Kuwaiti people. One million liters of water a day were being sent. 2004: Venezuela names a square in the state of Vargas after Kuwait in appreciation for the donations presented by the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah after the 1999 floods. -KUNA

ALWATAN DAILY

regional Paralysis

By Hossam Fathi Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The transportation sector in Egypt was fully paralyzed, where hundreds of cars lined up at empty petrol stations. Dozens of fights broke out, and some people were killed because of the scarcity of petrol and solar gas, not to mention the scarcity of gas cylinders. The Minister of Internal Commerce accused figures from the previous regime of manipulating the market; especially famous businessman Majdi Rasekh, who is Alaa Mubarak’s father-in-law. Rasekh alone possesses a share of 8 percent in gas cylinder outlets. The minister stated that he gave instructions to ban Rasekh’s share of gas, since he sells them on the black market. Our minister, who we hoped would be able to achieve social justice, failed to handle the bread crisis, and also failed to contain the gas cylinders crisis, in addition to failing in finding a solution regarding the scarcity of solar gas and petrol. This prompted the minister to address the consumers who have nothing to consume, by asking them not to be concerned and not to listen to rumors. He also asked them not to stock merchandise. How can the ministry fail to monitor gas tankers? Have our officials not heard of GPS tracking systems? Despite the current strike held by public transportation drivers, the solar and petrol crisis continues. The Cabinet sacrificed its weekend and met on Friday to announce that the crisis will end in 3-4 days, while a senior police officer stated that the police are on high alert to control the smuggling of solar gas and petrol. hossam@alwatan.com.kw Twitter:@hossamfathy66

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

Syrian tanks enter northern town, Homs pounded anew BEIRUT: Syrian forces pounded the central city of Homs with mortar fire while troops backed by heavy armor stormed rebellious towns across the country on Saturday, leaving six civilians and four soldiers dead, opposition activists said. Ignoring a UN Security Council call for an end to hostilities, President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces clashed with rebel fighters and bombarded several towns and cities, aiming to crush a yearlong uprising against the government. Security forces killed at least one person as they raided Saraqib, in Idlib province bordering Turkey, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). “There are dozens of tanks and armored vehicles storming Saraqib now and there is heavy artillery fire,” said activist Manhal from Idlib province via Skype. “A portion of the rebels have made a strategic retreat, but there are rebel forces still inside, and about a third of residents have fled the town,” he added. Two died in Homs, the epicenter of the anti-Assad revolt, as the central city suffered another day of what activists said was indiscriminate gunfire and shelling on residential areas. “The shelling started like it does every morning, for no reason. They are using mortar and tank fire on many neighborhoods of old Homs,” an activist in Homs’s Bab Sbaa neighborhood told Reuters by Skype, adding most residents in the area had fled to safer districts and many were trying to get out of the city altogether. “The Free Syrian Army had been in Bab Sbaa when the army started shelling the area four days ago and they weren’t able to block the army raids because they were getting hit by mortars at the same time that armored vehicles were coming in,” he said. “We only have a few rebels here left, there is nothing they can do.” Heavy fighting

Egypt parliament elects panel for new constitution

CAIRO: Egypt’s Islamist-dominated parliament and senate began meeting on Saturday to elect a panel to draft a new constitution amid calls by liberal groups for protests against Islamist influence over the charter. The constitution drafted by the 100-member assembly - half of it legislators and the rest public figures and trade unions - will replace the one annulled by the ruling military after an uprising ousted president Hosni Mubarak last year. However, several of the groups that spearheaded the revolt against Mubarak now fear that the Islamists, who swept to victory in parliamentary and senate elections after Mubarak’s downfall, want to exert control over the process. They have called for marches to the Cairo convention center where the legislators are gathered. According to a schedule established by the military, the panel is meant to finish its work before presidential elections, which now seems unlikely ahead of the vote due to be held in May. Some presidential candidates fear that could leave the new president without constitutionally defined powers, while the dominant Islamist Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) angles to give more powers to a prime minister in the new charter. The Muslim Brotherhood’s party has been pressuring the military to sack the cabinet and appoint a FJP-led government. At Saturday’s joint session, which began at noon local time (1000 GMT), the lawmakers were each to list 100 members they want appointed to the panel and then cast their ballots in 14 boxes, parliamentary speaker Saad Al-Katatni said. Thirteen of the lawmakers on the panel are senators, and the rest parliamentarians, while the 50 others are split between public figures and representatives of labor syndicates, in which Islamists are heavily involved. Liberals fear that the Islamists will try to beef up references to Islam in the new constitution. The old charter said that the principles of Islamic law were the source of legislation, a vague formulation that hardliners in the ultra-conservative Salafi Nur party want clarified in the new constitution. But the FJP, the political arm of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, has sought to allay fears that it wants a stricter adherence to Islamic law in the new constitution. In a comment on his Twitter account, Mohamed El-Baradei, the former UN nuclear watchdog chief turned Egyptian dissident, questioned parliament’s right to form the panel. “A parliament whose legitimacy is in doubt will elect a panel, half of it from parliament, that is not partial to forming a constitution for Egypt rather than for the (parliamentary) majority,” he wrote. The independent Al-Shorouk daily reported that the Cairo administrative court was considering a petition by a legal expert and 17 activists and media personalities against the election of the panel by parliament. The petitioners argue that drafting the constitution, which defines the powers of parliament, should not be left to the legislature. -AFP

Tunisia to elect post-uprising parliament by March TUNIS: Tunisians are likely to vote for their first full post-revolutionary parliament in just under a year’s time, a government official told Reuters on Saturday. Since elections that followed the overthrow of the autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, an uprising that sparked revolutions across the region, Tunisia has been governed by an interim assembly whose main task is to draft a new constitution within about a year. Lutfi Zaitoun, political adviser to Prime Minister Hamadi Jbeli of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda that won October’s election, said its work should be completed in time for a full election to be held in mid-March 2013. “There is an agreement between the parties in the ruling troika to set a road map (for elections) to reassure public opinion and domestic and foreign investors,” he said. “March 20 of next year has been suggested. It is not a final date 100 percent, and could happen weeks earlier if we finish drafting the constitution.” For now, Ennahda is ruling in coalition with two secular parties, Ettakatol and Conference for a Republic. The political uncertainty over who will eventually rule Tunisia has weighed on the economy as wary investors and nervous tourists stay away. -Reuters

Mortars and heavy artillery fire reportedly hitting the city of Qusair, in Homs province, killed two civilians according to the SOHR, which has a network of contacts across Syria. In the southern province of Deraa, birthplace of the revolt, SOHR said a man was shot dead at a checkpoint in an area where security forces were raiding towns after a soldier was killed at a checkpoint. Three other soldiers were killed in a rebel attack in the northeastern province of Hasaka, it said. Independent verification of the reports is impossible because the Syrian authorities have barred access to foreign journalists and human rights workers. Activists in the towns of Douma, near the capital Damascus, reported hearing explosions from heavy fighting overnight as ambulances raced through the city. By late morning they said the fighting had eased and reported seeing armored vehicles and snipers deployed through the city. Army forces were also bombarding the town Qalaat alMadyaq, close to Hama, with heavy artillery and mortar fire.

Syrians carry the coffin of 13-year-old Ahmad bin Muhsin Qarush during his funeral on March 24, 2012 who was reportedly killed two days earlier in shelling by regime forces in the northwestern city of Sermin. (AFP)

They have been trying to storm the city for two weeks, the SOHR said, but have met stubborn resistance from rebel forces. More than 8,000 people have died in the uprising, according to UN figures. Western and Arab states have accused the Syrian army of committing brutal abuses on unarmed civilians and have demanded that the autocratic Assad stand down. The Syrian government says rebels have killed some 3,000 security forces and blames the violence on “terrorist” gangs. Annan to Russia Syrian peace envoy Kofi Annan headed to Moscow on Saturday to gauge how far Russia is willing to push its key Arab ally after it finally joined a UN call on regime forces to pull back from protest cities. Annan is to meet President Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday before flying to China, the other UN Security Council member resisting global efforts to condemn Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The UN-Arab League envoy will be carrying with him the

Deadly clashes in Egypt after soccer club banned

closed on Saturday morning because of the protests and ships using the Suez Canal were directed to a secondary route east of the city, sources at the Suez Canal Authority and Port Said harbor said. Eyewitnesses told Reuters that many factories did not open as hundreds of protesters closed roads leading to the coastal Mediterranean city, denying entrance to thousands of workers from neighboring provinces. The EFA said in a statement that Al-Masry’s soccer activities would be suspended for the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons. The club would be reinstated to the Egyptian Premier League in the 2013/14 season. During the February pitch invasion, steel doors at the stadium were bolted shut, trapping fans trying to escape from the stands. Dozens were crushed to death. Many fans blamed the government for failing to send enough police to the stadium given the tense build-up to the match, and many believe the violence was started by hired thugs. At least 1,000 people were injured. Prosecutors referred 75 people, including nine security officials in Port Said, to the criminal court on March 15 to face trial over the violence. -Reuters

Palestinian PM says freed US aid to help ease crisis RAMALLAH, West Bank: Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Saturday the release of 88.6 million US dollars in development funds by US lawmakers would help ease a fiscal crisis in the aid-dependant Palestinian economy. “This is very important in order to help us deal with the economic crisis,” Fayyad told reporters in Ramallah. In August Republican lawmakers put a hold on $147 million in US assistance because they objected to a Palestinian push for recognition at the United Nations, arguing that Palestinian statehood should be achieved through peace talks with Israel. On Friday, US Representative Kay Granger announced she was ready for the entire sum to go to the Palestinians. But the other representative who had a hold on the funds, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, limited the release to $88.6 million. Fayyad said he hoped that the whole amount, meant to support development projects, would be released. “The entire sum must be sent in order to begin allocating spending for the year 2011 and this is important in order to support the Palestinian Authority’s budget,” Fayyad said. There have been growing warnings, from the International Monetary Fund too, that the Palestinians are facing a deepening financial crisis due to a drop in aid from Western backers and wealthy Gulf states as well as Israeli restrictions on trade. The IMF urged donors last week to meet their aid pledges to the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has a projected 2012 budget deficit of $1.1 billion. -Reuters

Iraq detains 22 policemen after jailbreak BAGHDAD: Iraq detained 22 policemen on Saturday after 19 inmates, including two men on death row, escaped from a prison in the northern city of Kirkuk a day earlier, the local police chief said. “We are investigating 22 policemen who have been detained, to find out about the escape of the terrorists,” Kirkuk provincial police chief Jamal Taher Bakr told AFP, adding that local police were hunting for those on the run. Deputy Interior Minister Adnan AlAssadi told AFP on a visit to Kirkuk that authorities had opened an investigation into the prison break, and that security forces rearrested one of the 19 men in the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil. “Clearly there is some collaboration and negligence,” Al-Assadi said. “This escape could not have happened unless there were people who helped them.” Al-Assadi said the escaped prisoners included 11 charged with terror-related offences, and that some of them had been held in custody since 2006. The group of 19 fled Al-Tasfirat prison in central Kirkuk, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, early on Friday morning. They apparently drugged guards and fellow inmates using narcotic-laced dates that put them to sleep before breaking out of the jail. The prisoners were alleged Al-Qaeda insurgents and fighters belonging to Ansar Al-Sunna, a Salafist group that has

An Iraqi policeman asks for IDs of passengers in a car at a checkpoint in the northern city of Kirkuk on March 24, 2012. (AFP)

claimed several attacks against US and Iraqi security forces. Jailbreaks and prison unrest are relatively common in Iraq. In January, 11 inmates tunneled out

embattled leader’s answer to a peace plan under which Syria could begin a “political transition” to a representative government, with no specifically defined role for Al-Assad. Moscow backed Wednesday’s non-binding Security Council statement in support of the initiative only after making sure it contained no implicit threat of further action should Al-Assad fail to comply. A top Kremlin-linked lawmaker said Al-Assad should treat the UN statement as “an insistent recommendation” whose implementation would determine the future course of relations between the two countries. “Al-Assad has to take the first step: he must pull the Syrian army out of large cities,” the lower house of parliament’s foreign affairs chief Mikhail Margelov said on Thursday. “Russia’s future position on the conflict will depend on how successfully (the Syrian government) complies with the provisions spelled out in the Security Council statement,” said Margelov. -Agencies

of a prison in the northern Kurdish province of Dohuk, and in September, 14 prisoners charged with terror offences escaped from jail in the northern city of Mosul, also through a tunnel. -AFP

Ethiopian forces target another Somali rebel base CAPITALS: Hundreds of heavily armed Ethiopian troops advanced into a central Somali town Saturday with the aim of attacking the main stronghold of the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militia in the region, witnesses said. A convoy of battle trucks drove into Dhusamareb, which is under the control of a pro-government Somali militia, ahead of a planned attack on the Al-Shabaab-controlled town of El Bur, 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, local residents said. “The Ethiopian troops in at least 50 trucks entered Dhusamareb this morning. Their target this time seems to be El Bur district, which is the main base of the Al-Shabaab” in central Somalia, said Abdulahi Ahmed, an elder in Dhusamareb. The Al-Shabaab commander in the region, Sheik Adan Farey, confirmed the military movement, saying his fighters were ready for the Ethiopians. “The invading Christian mercenaries from Ethiopia entered Dhusamareb.Whatever their intentions are, we will defeat them,” Farey told AFP by phone. Ethiopian troops have captured Baidoa and Hudur, two key Al-Shabaab towns in southern Somalia, since deploying into the war-torn country in November. Ethiopia’s latest incursion is the second in five years. They toppled an Islamist movement after deploying in 2006, but they withdrew in 2009 after the group’s hard-line fighters - the AlShabaab - mounted a bruising guerrilla war. Now Al-Shabaab are facing increasing pressure from regional armies, with Kenyan troops in the far south and a 10,000-strong African Union force battling them in the capital Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab were ousted from Dhusamareb on Tuesday hours after they captured it from the pro-government militia Ahlu Sunna in fierce fighting. Al-Shabaab and other armed groups control large swathes of the south of the lawless Horn of Africa nation, which has had no effective central government since the ouster of president Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

sundAY, march 25, 2012

Obama leaves on trip to Asia

North Korea to hold first parliament session under new leader Pyongyang’s rocket plan ‘provocative’, says UN chief

US President Barack Obama prepares to depart Joint Base Andrews outside Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, Korea, March 24. (Reuters)

ANDREWS AIR FORCE AIR BASE: US President Barack Obama left for Asia early Saturday, on a trip that will include a visit to the tense and fortified border zone between the two Koreas. Air Force One carrying the president and his aides took off from Andews Air Force Base outside Washington at 00:07 am local time (0407 GMT). Obama wants to pay tribute to some of the 28,500 US soldiers serving in South Korea. He also wants to honor the strength of their host nation, a key ally in Asia, a re-

gion to which he has reoriented American foreign policy. The president will on Sunday meet South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak ahead of a 53-nation nuclear security summit in Seoul and a day before holding more key talks with China’s President Hu Jintao, officials said. On Monday he will hold his last meeting as an equal with outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with whom he masterminded a reset of US ties with the Kremlin. He will hold talks too with the leaders of Turkey and Kazakhstan. -AFP

Indian Maoists kidnap lawmaker during Italian hostage talks

BHUBANESWAR: Maoist rebels kidnapped an Indian politician on Saturday, police said, a move that could upset talks over the release of two Italian hostages held by left-wing fighters in the same eastern state of Orissa. A large group of armed men stopped Orissa state lawmaker Jhina Hikaka, 37, as he was being driven through a hilly area 500 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar early on Saturday. “They took him hostage but left the driver and the bodyguard,” police officer Suryamani Pradhan told Reuters. “We are awaiting further details.” Pradhan said the rebels left a leaflet on Hikaka’s car listing the same 13 demands set for the release of Italians Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo, taken hostage last week in what is believed to be the first time the rebels have targeted foreigners. It was not clear if the politician was kidnapped by the same wing of the Maoists. Saturday’s kidnapping took place in a different region of the state. Two rebel-appointed negotiators talked with government officials until late on Friday about the Italians, and talks were due to continue on Saturday. Although the rebels declared a unilateral ceasefire during negotiations, the government said they shot dead a police sub-inspector in the Maoist stronghold district of Malkangiri on Thursday, the day talks started. “The Maoists should desist from their continued violence,” state chief minister Naveen Patnaik said late on Friday. Also known as Naxals, the rebels have fought a decades-long war against the government in a wide swathe of central India. They say they are fighting for the poor and landless, and they often back farmers in land disputes with big business. The government calls them India’s main internal security threat, and an obstacle to higher growth and more jobs in Asia’s third-largest economy. Hundreds die annually in the conflict, although levels of violence have fallen in recent years. -Reuters

Australia hit by biggest quake in 15 years

SEOUL: North Korea said on Saturday it will hold an annual parliamentary session next month during which the reclusive country’s new young leader, Kim Jong-un, is expected to be appointed officially to top posts of the state. The announcement by the North’s state news agency that the session will be on April 13 came as concern grew over a decision by the North to launch a rocket next month marking the centenary of founder Kim Il-sung’s birth. The rocket launch, which the United States and other countries say is the same as a ballistic missile test, which is banned under UN resolutions, could coincide with the promotion of the young Kim to the top posts. Even China, North Korea’s main ally, has expressed its worry over the rocket launch, scheduled for between April 12 and April 16, and has urged the North to “stay calm and exercise restraint and avoid escalation”. The secretive North has twice tested a nuclear device, but experts doubt whether it yet has the ability to miniaturize an atomic bomb to fit inside a warhead. Many North Korea watchers expect the junior Kim, who is in his late 20s, to be appointed at the assembly to the posts his late father, Kim Jongil, held. The father was chief commander of the 1.2 million-strong armed forces and general secretary of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party. The young Kim took power after his father died in December and many analysts had feared a chaotic succession. His appointment to the top posts would appear to cement his position as paramount leader and ease lingering fears of a power struggle plunging the country into turmoil.

NEWS IN BRIEF Former Russian banker shot in London

The young Kim has only been named vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, one of the top ruling bodies in North Korea. Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak vowed Saturday to together tackle any threats arising from North Korea’s “gravely provocative” rocket launch planned for next month. Ban arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a 53-nation nuclear security summit on Monday and Tuesday, which takes place under the shadow of Pyongyang’s plan to launch a rocket to purportedly put a satellite into orbit. The United States, Australia and other nations see the move as a pretext for a long-range missile test banned by the UN. “President Lee and Secretary-General Ban shared an understanding that North Korea’s announced plan to launch a rocket is in breach of a UN Security Council resolutions,” Lee’s office said in a press statement. “They expressed concerns over the launch which they agreed would be a grave provocative act against the international community.” the office said. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said both sides agreed to work closely together to deal with any threats arising from the proposed rocket launch. Pyongyang has said any South Korean attempt to address the North’s nuclear program at the March 26-27 summit would be seen as a declaration of war. But the program and the rocket launch were expected to be hot topics on the sidelines of the meeting, which will see US President Barack Obama and other world leaders meet to discuss nuclear security issues. A UN Security Council resolution passed after the North staged missile and nuclear tests in 2009 bans a ballistic missile launch for any purpose. -Agencies

MOSCOW: A former Russian banker is in a critical condition after being shot several times near London’s financial district, police sources have said. German Gorbuntsov was entering a block of flats on the Isle of Dogs, close to the Canary Wharf area in east London, on Tuesday evening when a gunman opened fire. His condition was described as critical but stable. Al Jazeera’s Simon MacGregor Wood, reporting from the scene of the crime, said that Gorbuntsov was believed to have been hit at least four times. -Reuters

Taliban attack ‘kills three Pakistani soldiers’ ISLAMABAD: At least three soldiers were killed after dozens of Taliban militants stormed a check post in Pakistan’s northwest tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said on Saturday. The attack took place at a paramilitary check post in Khadizai area on the outskirts of Kalaya, the main town in the lawless Orakzai district, a senior military officer said. “Three soldiers were martyred when Taliban armed with guns and rockets launched an attack overnight,” he said, adding that several dozen insurgents were involved in the raid. -AFP

Four killed in roadside bombing KABUL: Afghan authorities say a remote-controlled bomb has killed a former Afghan senator and three other people in the south of the country. Fareed Ayal, who is the spokesman for the provincial police chief, says former senator Khairo Jan, a tribal elder named Sharafuddin and two bodyguards were killed as they were driving in Uruzgan province. Jan is an elder of the Popalzai tribe, the same tribe that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is from. -AFP

Senegal set for showdown for presidency

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visits the Korean People’s Army Navy Unit 123 in an undisclosed location in this undated picture released by the North’s KCNA in Pyongyang March 10. (Reuters)

DAKAR: Senegal’s veteran leader Abdoulaye Wade and his challenger Macky Sall have made their final appeals to voters ahead of weekend presidential polls in which the incumbent is seeking to extend his rule into his 90s. The 85-year-old Wade held a “victory tour” in Dakar on Friday where music rang out as his convoy made its way through the streets on the last day of campaigning ahead of the cliffhanger election in the west African nation. Having failed to deliver a crushing first-round victory a month ago, Wade faces a challenge from his former prime minister Sall, 50, who has gathered the full weight of the opposition behind him. -Reuters

French gunman’s brother whisked to Paris intelligence HQ PARIS: The brother of an al Qaeda-inspired gunman who killed seven people was taken to Paris on Saturday for further questioning about the massacre that has raised questions about national security four weeks from a French presidential election. Abdelkader Merah, elder brother of Mohamed Merah, who died in a hail of gunfire on Thursday as he jumped from his apartment window in Toulouse, was taken by car from police barracks in the southwestern city for transfer to the capital, along with his girlfriend, a judicial source said. Both people were arrested on Tuesday as negotiators sought their help trying to persuade Merah to turn himself in. Merah’s mother, who was also arrested on the same day, was likely to be released later on Saturday, according to the same source. Merah, 23, was shot dead by a sniper after a gun battle with police that ended a more than 30-

hour siege at his apartment during which he admitted killing three Jewish schoolchildren, a rabbi and three soldiers in three separate attacks. Abdelkader and his girlfriend, whose name was not given, were being transferred to a detention centre at the headquarters of the DCRI domestic intelligence agency in Paris and would be brought before a judge to decide whether there are grounds for opening legal proceedings over possible links with Merah’s attacks, another source said on Friday. Police have found explosives in a car Abdelkader owned, according to the public prosecutor leading the case. He was already known to security services for having helped smuggle jihadist militants into Iraq in 2007. DCRI head Bernard Squarcini told the daily Le Monde on Friday that there was no evidence Merah belonged to any radical Islamist network and he appeared to have turned fanatic alone.

Yet investigators are still trying to establish whether the young Frenchman of Algerian extraction had any logistical or ideological support or was a true “lone wolf”. Merah’s brother, and a sister, were known to have studied the Koran in Egypt in 2010 and French police had in the past found links between them and a radical Islamist group based in southern France led by a Syrian-born Frenchman dubbed “The White Emir” by French media because of his fair hair and beard. The shootings shifted the focus of political debate away from France’s economic woes and played to the strengths of President Nicolas Sarkozy as he fights an uphill battle for re-election in a two-round vote in April and May. Polls show that about two-thirds of voters approved of his handling of a crisis that reduced his challengers, chief among them Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande, to the role of bystander. -Reuters

Hong Kong leader hopefuls in final campaign push

Australia has been hit by its biggest earthquake in 15 years, seismologists said on March 24, rattling a remote part of the desert with local Aboriginals reporting strong shaking but no major damage. (AFP)

SYDNEY: Australia has been hit by its biggest earthquake in 15 years, seismologists said, rattling a remote part of the desert with local Aboriginals reporting strong shaking but no major damage. The 6.1-magnitude earthquake had its epicentre near Ernabella, in the middle of Australia, at a shallow depth of three kilometers (1.8 miles), Geoscience Australia said on Saturday. Ernabella is an indigenous arts hub home to about 500 Aboriginal people, some 317 kilometers southwest of the popular Alice Springs. Seismologist David Jepsen said: “An event like this, there are a number of Ab-

original communities around there and they have experienced strong shaking. “We’ve heard from them, people have felt strong shaking, but we haven’t heard of any damage yet, but there is that possibility.” It was Australia’s biggest quake since a 6.3-magnitude one was recorded in West Australia in 1997. Resident Ria Nicholls told ABC radio houses shook and windows rattled for about 30 seconds with elderly people on her street terrified by late Friday’s quake. “My husband and I just reassured them that it would be fine and it would pass, but they were frightened,” she said. -AFP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leadership candidates launched a final push for votes on Saturday, on the eve of the hardest fought election since the city’s handover from British rule in 1997. Former property consultant Leung Chun-ying is tipped to win a majority of votes in the electoral college when the 1,200 mainly pro-Beijing delegates meet to choose the regional financial centre’s new chief executive on Sunday. The 57-year-old son of a policeman had secured between 563 and 643 votes as of Friday, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported, after the biggest pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said they would support him as the city’s new leader. His main rival, former businessman Henry Tang, dismissed reports that he was considering bowing out of the race. “I will use the rest of my time to continue canvassing for votes,” Tang told a news conference, flanked by his wife and sons, while conceding that he is facing an “uphill battle”. “When I announced my candidacy, I had every expectation that it would be a long and treacherous campaign. Indeed it has been,” the 59-year-old heir of a textile fortune said. Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control from British rule in 1997, with a semi-autonomous status that guarantees broad social freedoms under limited democracy. Outgoing Chief Executive Donald Tsang and his predecessor, Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first post-handover leader, were elected virtually

unopposed after receiving the open backing of Beijing. But the 2012 vote has divided the semi-autonomous territory’s establishment and challenged Beijing’s carefully balanced model of governance in partnership with the city’s business elite. Tang was seen as a shoo-in for the job when

he launched his campaign with the backing of tycoons such as Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing. But a series of scandals involving his personal life, including the discovery of an illegal entertainment suit at his luxury home, saw his approval ratings plunge and reportedly prompted Beijing to shift support to Leung. -Reuters

Pro-democracy activists march on a street to protest against the city’s system of choosing its chief executive in Hong Kong March 24. The Chinese characters on the front banner read,”Hong Kong is my home field. Protest Beijing government’s interference on election.” The banner behind reads, “”Defending self-governance.” (Reuters)

ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

The ministry of information should face the media Jassem Mohammad Al-Taneeb

o far, we do not know why the government delays implementing the requests of the Kuwaiti people and raises obstacles by interrupting the procedures of endorsing increases in salaries. The government’s stubbornness contributed to disrupting certain aspects of public life. During the restive circumstances that sweep Kuwait at the present time, I`d like to highlight two things in which human beings cannot enjoy for good. The first is youth and the second is strength. There are other two things where human beings can always benefit from; good manners and tolerance. There are two things which increase the dignity of man; being humble and helping people. There are two more things which help people to avoid harm; alms and kinship or visiting and helping relatives. These were the characteristics of

The cabinet has just denounced staging the strikes and rejected endorsing final decisions to such sensitive cases. the Kuwaiti people in the past in which they showed great tendencies to coexist with each other and they were ready to help each other as well. Now the situation is different as certain people made the country as an arena for conflict due to the mistakes which were committed by the government. During the last few days the employees of the Customs General Department and Kuwait Airways Company have staged a strike and interrupted the interests of the country and people. Strikes might also be staged by other departments and government institutions soon while the government did not endorse any effective decisions and kept

watching what is happening in the local arena. The government did show a strong stance that might lead to final decisions to make the citizens of the country enjoy equal rights. The cabinet has just denounced staging the strikes and rejected endorsing final decisions to such sensitive cases. Meanwhile, the government has called for opening dialogue to consider the economic, social, developmental and structural dimensions to any salary raise, adding that having different salaries for civil servants in the different government institutions is a normal issue therefore the government rejects the attempts of labor unions to force the government to approve requests par-

The different stances about the storming of parliament

Fourthly, those who defend the youths who stormed the parliament are either relatives or friends to youths and those who oppose correcting the report are supporters of the former government!! Rashid Al-Radaan

f we should speak frankly about the report of storming the headquarters of the National Assembly last year then we must highlight the following points: firstly, the Bureau of the former parliament showed an exaggerated stance against citizens who stormed the building as the former parliament expected that opposition MPs have fallen in the trap and it was a great opportunity for the bureau to scandalize the opposition MPs. As a result the bureau escalated the case because it was a convenient time to rebuke. They did not deal with the case of storming like the other cases wherein the bureau was expected to prepare the report and refer it to the public prosecution which could have taken final decisions but the bureau exploited the case to achieve certain targets. Secondly, the opposition MPs who were already accused of storming or defending citizens who stormed the parliament achieved great results while the last parliamentary election and they represent now the majority. The oppositions runs the bureau at the present time therefore they seek to correct the report attempting to get some excuses for the MPs and citizens who were involved in the case or even dropping some accusations that were directed against them. So, the accusations that were prepared by the former bureau will be dropped by the current one in addition to exerting all possible efforts to foil the plans of the former bureau against opposition and saving the youths from tough verdicts that might be issued by the judiciary against them, especially if the youths and MPs are condemned. Thirdly, all MPs who oppose the new report are supporters of the former speaker of the house and they became very happy for

The constitution of Bin Jamae Bader Al-Asfar

defend the Chief of Awazem Tribe Falah Bin Jamae for the second time within just two days because defending his stance means defending what is right. We have known Bin Jamae for a long time and we know his social status as well. We have heard about the great efforts that he has been exerting in unifying the Kuwaiti society and the chief doesn’t discriminate between the members of his tribe and any of the Kuwaiti citizens. He also supported anybody working for Kuwait and protecting national interests. I felt very sorry while reading inappropriate statements aimed at distorting the great stands of the chief and I felt sorrier when I read a statement insulting him although Kuwaiti people are certain that Bin Jamae is beyond such accusations. In the meantime we challenge the person who released such accusations to submit any evidence about that. The accusations are groundless and nobody is convinced of them as history itself certifies the great stances and contributions of the chief. Accusing Bin Jamae of receiving financial support from a Sheikh is groundless and it can be considered as a trivial attempt to distort his reputation. It is envy who made some figures attempt to distort the noble stands of the chief therefore such figures do not have even a single piece of evidence to prove that their statement was correct. Depending on imagination and wrong information to fabricate stories or accusations- such as claiming that the chief failed to win the primary election during the parliamentary election of 1992will never succeed to make people change their mind about the prominent personalities like Bin Jamae. Those who plan to distort his reputation should note that the membership of the parliament was offered for him to become an MP by recommendation but he rejected it at that time because he wants the members of his tribe to compete in order for the qualified ones to reach the parliamentary seats. In reality, Bin Jamae did not fail even if he lost the primary election because he refused the membership by recommendation. The candidate who had won the second rank while the primary election visited Bin Jamae and told him that he was ready to quit elections for the sake of Bin Jamae if the latter was planning to run in the parliamentary election. Of course, the persons who look just for their personal interests will never understand such high morality,

the case of storming the parliament to exploit it for achieving certain goals therefore they established feasts and celebrations in chalets and farms and others paid alms to the poor people due to that promising piece of news. They celebrated such an event because they had believed that opposition MPs fell in the trap, thinking that they would never be able to get out no whatever they might do!!Those MPs still do their best to interrupt corrections of the report because correcting the report will foil their plan of condemning MPs and youths before the public prosecution. They also planned to interrupt the sessions of the national assembly at that time just to prove that the storming case had contributed in interrupting work at a state organization so that the penalty would be tougher!! Fourthly, those who defend the youths who stormed the parliament are either relatives or friends to youths and those who oppose correcting the report are supporters of the former government!! This equation makes us consider that the case of storming did not undergo normal circumstances and it was politicized by certain sides, moreover the former bureau called the case as a report and not a complaint or case and reports usually don`t include names of accused persons unlike the complaint or case which usually include certain names. In the meantime some figures believe that Kuwait has benefitted from the breaking in case which brought the attention of the world and made the different countries consider Kuwait’s democracy because such cases usually occur in the European parliaments and the very storming caused financial losses in the various countries and they ignore all of that aspect. The question is “why we exaggerated and showed the case as a very dangerous crime!!”

the morality that Bin Jamae and the other candidates of his tribe enjoyed. Bin Jamae is the chief of the Awazem Tribe and he does not have an interest in the parliamentary elections because he is chief and a son of a chief too. He did not obtain the chief or sheikh title but he has enjoyed this title since birth. He was born as sheikh and he will die as sheikh. However, those who do not understand laws and many of the sentences that were issued against them will never understand the borders and constitution of the realm of Bin Jamae who did not visit a court during his life. He also did not attack or insult others. Furthermore there were no complaints filed against Bin Jamae in the Kuwaiti courts. The borders of the realm of Bin Jamae are the borders of Kuwait where he lives as a Kuwaiti citizen enjoying the rights that the other Kuwaiti citizens enjoy and abides by the duties which all other Kuwaiti citizens abide by. The constitution of Bin Jamae is the Kuwaiti constitution which all Kuwaiti citizens are subject to. His law is the law of Kuwait in which he has already called all to abide by this law. He also affirmed several times that we have to respect the ruling family as well as obeying his Highness the Amir. The false accusations against Bin Jamae contributes in stirring sectarian sedition and accusing him of attempting to draw the attention of people just to get their votes in the coming parliamentary elections is a groundless accusation too. All the members of the Awazem tribe know that the chief does not plan to run in any parliamentary election and he himself has announced that beforehand. The persons who accuse Bin Jamae don’t care about the parliamentary elections and whether he will run in the elections or not but they only aim at distorting his reputation and his noble stands about national issues especially after the Kuwaiti people appreciated his stances towards his tribe in particular and the Kuwaiti citizens in general. All what we have mentioned in this article is just the tip of the iceberg and we have much more to say for defending the chief against those who aim at distorting his reputation and the other persons who submitted great national stances and contributions for the service of Kuwait in the time where agitators who used to accuse others exert all possible efforts to seize the wealth of the country exploiting their influence and the influence of other corrupt figures.

ticularly that such attempts affect the authority of the government as well as the supreme interests of the state. We can reply to such statement saying that the government adopts a double standards policy as the government has approved raises for certain government sectors in the last stage and the government did not consider the interests of the state well at that time as a result of the former policy of the government contradicts the current one. Both the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and Ministry of Finance have not taken this point into consideration although the step of approving cadres and salary raises for certain

sectors and depriving other sectors from raises and cadres lead to critical problems because employees who do not get the raises would feel marginalized. The government has to be fair and achieve justice and equality for all civil servants. The government also has to protect the nation’s unity from chaos as some vicious figures and corrupt media sources attempt to undermine national unity and consequently the government should face such attempts. If the recent news about raising the award of ministers from 100,000 Kuwaiti dinars up to KD 200,000 is true then the government stance will be more contradicted because the very government has already rejected the salary raise of civil servants. The government might endorse the ministers` award because of the high cost of living!! Where is the equality and justice that we used to hear about through statements?!

BU QUTADA & BU NABIL We are going to grant you a bonus.. It’s us who have raised oil prices.

We are going to offer you a bonus because you contributed toward the rise of oil prices

Long live Bu Nabeel

Friends, oil prices have dropped...No cause for celebration

Leave Bu Nabeel

Mohmmed Thallab

mthallab@alwatan.com.kw

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ALWATAN DAILY

views

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

Forging Syria’s opposition Itamar Rabinovich Project Syndicate

yria’s crisis is now a year old, with close to 10,000 people, mostly civilians, dead - and no end in sight. The country is at a stalemate: the opposition is unable to topple President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and Assad’s forces are unable to quash the resistance. Both sides are adamant: the opposition is determined to bring down a regime that it views as illegitimate, sectarian, corrupt, tyrannical, and stained with blood, while the regime’s hard-line core believes that by persevering it will ultimately silence the opposition, whereas any concession would jeopardize its very existence. Its downfall, they believe, would mean dispossession and death for the regime’s leadership and for a large part of the minority Alawite community from which it is drawn. Assad and his cohorts are encouraged by the world’s failure to respond effectively to their brutal suppression of the revolt in Homs, and have proceeded to inflict vicious punishment on its survivors as a warning to opponents elsewhere. This may cow some of Syria’s civilian population in the short term, but it will serve only to exacerbate popular rage, and thus to increase the prospect of a bloody reckoning with Assad and his cronies down the line. Today’s brutal stalemate is likely to continue for some time. Diplomatic and humanitarian missions led by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and current UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos seem as ineffective as earlier efforts by the international community and the Arab League to mitigate the conflict or to facilitate a political solution. To be sure, the authorities have suffered some defections, with the most significant coming soon after the violence in Homs reached its peak, when the deputy energy minister resigned and joined the opposition. But, while defections have occurred among the officer corps as well, the regime has maintained its basic cohesiveness. The army, the security apparatus, and the Alawite community are still solidly supportive. A large part of the Syrian population the middle class in Damascus and Aleppo, the Christians, and other minorities - are passive or sitting on the fence, worried that the alternative to the status quois chaos, civil war, and possibly a radical Islamist takeover.

A Syrian man holds an oxygen cylinder with Arabic writing that reads, “the oxygen of freedom,” and a label reading, “the Free Syrian Army,” during an anti-Bashar Assad protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Amman, Jordan, Friday, March 23, 2012. (AP)

Assad and his cohorts are encouraged by the world’s failure to respond effectively to their brutal suppression of the revolt in Homs, and have proceeded to inflict vicious punishment on its survivors as a warning to opponents elsewhere. And Russia and China continue to provide diplomatic cover, with Iran sending material support. Life in Damascus, despite increasing shortages, seems almost normal. The regime’s foes, on the other hand, seem undeterred by the killings, continuing to stage protests across Syria. Armed opposition is spreading, albeit slowly. The Western countries, Turkey, and most of the Arab

world are incensed by the brutal killing and destruction, and pressure to intervene and stiffen international sanctions is building. But regional and international pressure on Assad has been ineffective. While the Arab League seemed to act decisively last November when it suspended Syria’s membership, the military-observer mission that it sent to Syria was a farce. Turkey’s initiatives have lost steam, and

Trickle-down consumption Chrystia Freeland Reuters

e know now that trickle-down economics doesn’t really work - the past decade in the United States has seen incomes at the very top soar, while the earnings of the middle class stagnated or declined. But a growing body of academic research is suggesting that this benign force’s wicked stepsister, a phenomenon two economists have dubbed “trickle-down consumption,” is having a powerful impact on the economy and politics of the United States. The idea is that income inequality has a significant impact on the 99 percent: It drives the rest of us to consume more, whether we can afford to or not. Robert H. Frank, an economist at Cornell University, is a pioneering student of this behavior who has been writing about the subject for nearly two decades, long before it became fashionable. Frank, who is the co-author of two economics textbooks with the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, believes that rising income inequality affects the rest of us through what he calls ‘’expenditure cascades.” Rising income inequality, he notes, isn’t just about the gap between the 99 percent and the one percent; it is also about growing differences across the income distribution, including at the very top. The result is that all of us see people we think of as our peers earning - and spending a lot more. As a consequence, we find ourselves spending more, too. “The main idea is that frames of reference are very local,” Frank said. “Bertrand Russell said beggars don’t envy millionaires, they envy other beggars who have a few more coins than they do. Expenditure cascades aren’t because the poor want to emulate the rich.” Instead, he argues, each of us imitates those near us and the result is a cascade of unaffordable consumption. “There has been extraordinary growth in the one percent,” Frank said. “Ordinary people don’t want to emulate them, but what happens is that the people who are next to them want to emulate them, and so on. That social cascade ultimately explains why the middle-class home got 50 percent bigger in the past three decades.” Frank says that the average US house went from 1,570 square feet, or 146 square meters, in 1970 to 2,300 square feet in 2007. This cascading increase in consumption can have what some of us might consider to be benign effects - everyone working harder and more women entering the workforce. But it can also have malign ones. In “Expenditure Cascades,” a paper Frank wrote with Adam Seth Levine and Oege Dijk, the three show that more bankruptcies, a higher divorce rate and longer commutes all correlate with increased income inequality. A draft study by two University of Chicago economists that is attracting a lot of attention in the academy supports this view. Marianne Bertrand and Adair Morse coined the term “trickle-down consumption,” and in their paper of the same name they find that higher spending, bankruptcy and self-reported financial distress all increase if you live in a community with higher income inequality, compared with one with lower income inequality. The concepts of “trickle-down consumption” and “expenditure cascades” help to explain one of the great mysteries of the past decade in US politics and society. Income inequality has been on the rise since the late 1970s, but it

This cascading increase in consumption can have what some of us might consider to be benign effects - everyone working harder and more women entering the workforce.

is only since the financial crisis that it has gained any real traction in public life. That may be because increased consumption masked growing inequality. Retail therapy meant the 99 percent didn’t notice that the one percent was pulling away. Bertrand and Morse offer empirical evidence of an important explanation for why that was possible. In areas with higher income inequality, politicians were more likely to support measures to make consumer credit cheaper and more available. People weren’t talking about inequality much before 2009, but they felt it. And, America being a democracy, the political system worked to soften it. Interestingly, because inequality grew at a time when overt redistribution was falling out of favor, politicians made it easier to borrow. If you think the American middle class had too much debt before the crisis, and if you buy the notions of expenditure cascades and trickle-down consumption, the bad news is that the cycle may be about to start all over again. Ipsos MediaCT, a research firm, does a monthly poll of a group it describes as ‘’the affluents,” people with a household income of more than $100,000. Their February survey, released this week, showed this group is poised to hit the malls. “We have seen for some time what people call frugal fatigue,” said Steve Kraus, chief research and insights officer for Ipsos MediaCT. “Last month it jumped up from about a quarter to a third. They want to revisit the glory days of 2005 or 2006, when they could just buy something nice and treat themselves and not worry about it.” But credit is a lot tighter today than it was before 2008, so how will those who aren’t affluent cope when consumption at the top again becomes conspicuous? The alternative to easy credit for the poor is higher taxes for the rich. Surprisingly, Kraus found that his affluent respondents were willing to pay up. Nearly 60 percent were in favor of higher taxes for the rich and nearly 40 percent sympathized with Occupy Wall Street. “The past 40 years have been the best 40 years for rich people in the history of rich people,” Kraus said. “There is a recognition that we’ve had a pretty good run and now something has got to be done.” Even at the very top, though, there turns out to be a class divide. Households with an income of more than 250,000 US dollars are far less supportive of higher taxes and more hostile to Occupy Wall Street. “When you get to the really high-end folks, you get more of a strident conservative,” Kraus said. “More of a crowd that says: ‘Cut spending rather than raising taxes.’” Consumption may trickle down, but when it comes to the very top, ideas don’t climb up. Chrystia Freeland is the editor of Thomson Reuters Digital. The views expressed are her own.

the United States and its European allies are merely going through the diplomatic motions; in practice, their efforts imply little serious impact on the regime. America and the West claim that they cannot act significantly without a UN mandate, which Russia and China are denying them by vetoing anti-Syrian resolutions in the Security Council. But the truth is that governments in Wash-

The anti-Walmart David Rohde Reuters

ashiers are barred from interacting with customers until they have completed 40 hours of training. Hundreds of staffers are sent on trips around the US and world to become experts in their products. The company has no mandatory retirement age and has never laid off workers. All profits are reinvested in the company or shared with employees. A doomed Internet startup? Occupy Wall Street fantasy? Bankrupt retailer recently purchased by Walmart? No, a 6.2 billion US dollars a year, 79-store-supermarket chain with cult-like loyalty among its customers. Wegmans, which operates its 79 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and four other East Coast states, shows that a business can generously train its workforce and profit handsomely. Privately owned by the Wegman family, the chain employs 42,000 people - 20 times the number who work for Facebook - and defies quarterly-driven Wall Street wisdom. Executives say their most important resource is their workers. “Our employees are our number one asset, period,” said Kevin Stickles, the company’s vice-president for human resources. “The first question you ask is: ‘Is this the best thing for the employee?’ That’s a totally different model.” Yet the company is profitable. Its prices are low. And it is lauded for exemplary customer service. “When you think about employees first, the bottom line is better,” Stickles argued. “We want our employees to extend the brand to our customers.” The Wegmans model is simple. A happy, knowledgeable and superbly trained employee creates a better experience for customers. Extraordinary service builds tremendous loyalty. Where, though, is the profit? High volume, according to company executives. The chain’s stores are enormous - usually 80,000 to 120,000 square feet - larger than a typical Whole Foods and roughly double the size of a traditional supermarket. And they feature a dizzying array of 70,000 products, nearly twice the number available in a standard grocery store. Across the East Coast, Wegmans supermarkets have the highest average daily sales volumes in the industry. Employees are omnipresent in stores and do seem knowledgeable. With little prompting, they launch into exhaustive but friendly accounts of where the meat, fish or produce they sell hails from, what each item tastes like and how best to prepare it. A fish salesman raved about the exhausting standards of the company’s distributor in Alaska. A butcher said he had visited the ranch where a steak came from in Montana. And Maria Benjamin, a 38-year Wegmans veteran, started running a store bakery after managers loved her homemade Italian cookies. “They let me bake whatever I want,” said Benjamin, one of 1,015 people employed at the company’s 135,000foot flagship store in Pittsford, New York. “They’re really down-to-earth, wonderful people.” Executives say the company is also able to invest in its employees and focus on steady, strategic growth because it is not publicly traded. They said cutting jobs or shipping them overseas was, in part, the product of having to relentlessly please the stock market. “Some of that is that public mentality,” said Stickles, who has an MBA and once planned to be a stock broker.

ington, London, Paris, and elsewhere could do much more without a Security Council resolution. Perhaps most strikingly, while some governments have closed their embassies in Damascus citing safety considerations, there has been no systematic severing of diplomatic relations with Syria. Indeed, there has been no stoppage of flights to and from the country, or any other measures that could tilt the population of Damascus and Aleppo against the regime and bring the crisis to an end. This ambivalence can largely be explained by Western and Arab concern with the weakness and opacity of the Syrian opposition’s political leadership. There is a dramatic discrepancy between the courage and tenacity of the demonstrators and fighters in Homs, Idlib, and Deraa, and the Syrian National Front, whose people and factions have failed to formulate a coherent political program, build an identity, and obtain name and face recognition. Western policymakers and those in the Gulf ask themselves what Syria would look like the day after Assad is toppled. This was starkly illustrated in the second week of March, when US defense officials vented their frustration with the Syrian opposition in several press briefings. The regime has been effective in exploiting that uncertainty by spreading the fear of an Egyptian scenario, in which the weakness of secular activists leads to a takeover by the Muslim Brothers and jihadis. In fact, it is difficult to separate cause from effect. Recognizing the opposition as the legitimate government of Syria, as was done in Libya, would give Assad’s foes a boost, but, so far, they lack the gravitas that such a bold measure would require. The opposition must build itself as a credible and attractive alternative to the Assad regime, and the regime’s international and regional critics must assist in that process. Assad’s regime is doomed. It has no legitimacy, and it is bound to fall. But that could take a long time - and come at an alarming cost. The alternative is an effective opposition that enjoys unambiguous support by the key regional and international actors. Itamar Rabinovich, a former ambassador of Israel to the United States (19931996), is currently based at Tel Aviv University, New York University, and the Brookings Institution.

Executives say the company is also able to invest in its employees and focus on steady, strategic growth because it is not publicly traded. “The first thing they think about is the quarter. The first thing is that you cut labor.” The Wegman family, which grants few interviews, has owned and run the company since 1916. Robert Wegman, whose father and uncle opened the first store, dramatically expanded the business in the 1970s by being one of the first chains to vastly expand store size, include pharmacies and use bar codes. Today, the chain is run by Robert’s son, Danny, 65, and his two daughters, Colleen, 41, and Nicole, 38. Mary Ellen Burris, a 78-year-old senior vice-president and family confidant, said the owners refuse to open more than three stores a year because “we cannot continue to be the best if we try to go at a faster pace.” She said the family has no interest in taking the company public. “No, absolutely not,” Burris said. “It takes away your ability to focus on your people and your customers.” Like other companies, Wegmans has made mistakes. Over the years, it has had to close nine stores that failed to generate adequate revenues. And critics have accused it of moving stores out of poor urban neighborhoods and focusing its operations on wealthy suburbs. And while the benefits are generous, its pay rates are good, not extraordinary. Wegmans has also clearly benefited from being based in Rochester, a small but historically prosperous area in upstate New York that was the birthplace of Western Union, Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb and other companies.Wegmans treats its employees well in part to keep them from gravitating to other firms. Competition has also forced the company to change. The arrival of Walmart-owned supermarkets caused a sharp reduction in prices in 2004. “It was clear that people were gravitating to the discount stores,” said Jo Natale, the company spokeswoman. “And so we completely changed the way we did our prices.” But she and other executives insisted that Wegmans’ real advantage was the company’s happy, high-quality workforce. It sends butchers to Colorado, Uruguay and Argentina to learn about beef. It sends deli managers to Wisconsin, Italy, Germany and France to learn about cheese. Last year, it awarded 4.5 million US dollars in college scholarships to employees. The company has half the turnover of its peers. In February, Fortune magazine declared it the fourth-best company to work for in America in 2012. In 2005, it was number one. “What some companies believe is that you can’t grow and treat your people well,” Burris told me. “We’ve proven that you can grow and treat your people well.” Wegmans is a model. It shows that companies can train, innovate and profit at the same time. David Rohde is a Reuters columnist and former reporter for the New York Times. The views expressed are his own.

ALWATAN DAILY

SERVICES

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sundAY, march 25, 2012

EMERGENCY - Police - Fire - Ambulance 112 - TRAFFIC HOTLINE 1 88 41 41 CIVIL ID 1 88 99 88 - AIRPORT 1888 180 - KAC BOOKING 17 1

Prayer Times Fajer

WE FIX IT

04 : 27

Shorook

05 : 47

Dohor

11 : 54

Aser

03 : 23

Maghreb

06 : 02

Ishaa

07 : 19

KD KD KD KD KD KD KD

95 90 55 55 55 40 40

Jabriya (Surra) Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Old Jahra New Jahra & Abdaly Hawally Ras Al-Salmiya Al-Riqa Salmiya Shuwaikh Sabah Al-Salem (Messila) Sulaibiya Sulaibikhat

2531 0000 2431 0000 2477 0000 2457 0000 2261 0000 2571 0000 2394 0000 2561 0000 2481 0000 2551 0000 2467 0000 2487 0000

South Sabahiya Fintas Zoor Ahmadi Ardiya Fahaheel Farwaniya Kuwait City Mishref Manqaf Nuzha Umm Al Haiman & Wafra Shuaiba

2361 0000 2390 0000 2395 0000 2398 0000 2488 0000 2391 0000 2471 0000 2240 0000 2538 0000 2371 0000 2251 0000 2328 0000 2326 0000

metropolitan

Bus No. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 31 32 34 36 38 39 40 41 51 59 * 101 102 103 105 139 501 502 506 507 602

a re a b u s ro u tes

Origin

Orthopaedic Orthopaedic Kheitan * Messila Salmiyah * Kheitan * Salmiyah Orrthopaedic Al-Jleeb Al-Jleeb * Al-Jleeb Kheitan Salmiyah Jahra Gate Sulaibiya Al Jleeb Kheitan Jabriya Salmiyah Al-Jleeb Messilah Kheitan Fahaheel Kheitan Al Jleeb * Al-Jleeb * Fahaheel Fahaheel Jahra Fahaheel Jahra Gate Airport Fahaheel Al-Jleeb Al-Jleeb Fahaheel

Destination

Sharq Sharq Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Jahra Gate Sharq Mirgab Sharq Mirgab Sharq Mirgab Mirgab Jabriya Sharq Mirgab Sharq Sharq Sharq Salmiyah Jahra Gate Sharq Sharq UN Circle Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Al-Jleeb Fahaheel Mirgab Mirgab Jahra Gate Sharq Fahaheel

Via

Shuwaikh 4th Ring Rd Airport Rd Ras Salmiyah 4th Ring Rd 4th Ring Rd Hawalli Shuwaikh Kheitan Farwaniyah 3rd Ring Rd King Faisal Rd Hawalli Hawalli Andalus Shuwaikh Shamiyah Nuzha Farwaniyah Farwaniyah Bayan Shuwaikh Shuwaikh Al Rai 6th Ring Rd Al Hasawi Sabah Salem 3rd Ring Rd Jahra Rd Shuwaikh UN Circle Jahra Rd Fahaheel Rd Hawalli Shuwaikh Ahmadi

KD 70 KD 140 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40

VISITORS RESIDENTS

H.S.C. Barium Enema Barium Meal O.C.G. Ultrasound Ultrasound desfruct M.R.I.

KD 40 KD 50 KD 45 KD 45 KD 15 KD 130 KD 245

KD 40 KD 35 KD 30 KD 30 KD 10 KD 65 KD 180

eMbassies &

Ministry of

C omm u nic a tions Telephone for Test & Complaints

warsha@warsha.com

f or e x p a tri a tes

VISITORS RESIDENTS

C.T. Scan Angiogram I.V.P MCUG Asc Urothrogram Sinogram Sialogram

Tel.: Afghanistan 2532 9461 Algeria 2251 9220 Argentina 2537 9211 Austria 2255 2532 Australia 2232 2422 Azerbaijan 2535 5247 Bahrain 2531 8530 Bangladesh 2531 6042 / 3 Belgium 25722014 Bhutan 2251 6640 / 50 Bosnia 2539 2637 Brazil 2532 8610 Bulgaria 2531 4458 Canada 2256 3025 China 2533 3340 Cuba 2254 9361 Cyprus 2243 3075 Czech 2252 9018 Denmark 2534 1005 Egypt 2251 9956 Ethiopia 2533 4291 Eritrea 2531 7426 Finland 2531 2890 France 2257 1061 Germany 2252 0827 Greece 2481 7101 Georgia 2535 2909 Hungary 2532 3901 India 2253 0600 Indonesia 2483 9927 Iran 2256 0694 Italy 2535 6011 Japan 2530 9400 Kenya 25353314 / 25353362 Lebanon 2256 2103

Libya 2257 5183 Malaysia 2255 0394/5/6 Morocco 2531 2980 / 1 Netherlands 2531 2650 Niger 2565 2943 Nigeria 2562 0278 North Korea 2532 9462 Oman 2256 1956 Pakistan 2532 7651 Philippines 2534 9099 Poland 2531 1571 Qatar 2251 3606 Republic of Botswana 2538 3619 Romania 2484 5079 Russia 2256 0427 Saudi Arabia 2240 0250 Senegal 2257 3477 Slovak Republic 2535 3895 Somalia 2539 4795 South Africa 2561 7988 South Korea 2533 9601 Spain 2532 5829 / 7 Sri Lanka 2533 9140 Switzerland 2534 0172 / 5 Syria 2539 6560 Thailand 2531 7530 Tunisia 2252 6261 Turkey 2253 1785 UAE 2535 5764 UK 2259 4320 Ukraine 2531 8507 USA 2259 1001 Venezuela 2532 4367 Vietnam 2531 1450 Yugoslavia 2532 7548 Zimbabwe 2562 1517

2257 5182 2255 0384 2531 7423 2532 6334 2564 0478 2562 0296 2535 1097 2256 1963 2532 8013 2532 9319 2531 1576 2251 3604 2539 3529 2484 8929 2252 4969 2242 0654 2254 2044 2535 3894 2539 4829 2561 7917 2531 2459 2532 5826 2533 9154 2534 0176 2539 6509 2531 7532 2252 8995 2256 0653 2259 4339 2538 0282 2532 4368 2535 1592 2532 7568 2562 1491

Police stations Tel.:

Abu Halifa 2371 7656 Ahmadi 2398 0304 Ardiya 2488 1273 Bayan 2538 7762 Dahar 2383 0500 Dahiya 2256 0855 Dasma 2253 1917 Fahaheel 2391 2959 Faiha 2255 2693 Farwaniya 2471 1977 Ferdous 2489 0583 Fintas 2390 4388 Hawalli 2264 1116 Jabriya 2531 5855 Jahra Ind. Area 2457 5565 / 2458 7392 Jahra North 2455 2295 Jleeb Al Shouyoukh 2431 1234 Keifan 2483 2839 Kheitan 2472 2590 Mina Abdullah 2326 1144 Nugra 2261 6662 Omariya 2474 2160

Ambulance

Central Adan Amiri Hospital Da’iya Fahaheel Farwaniya Farwaniya Jahra Mubarak Al Kabir Sabah Salmiya Shuaiba

23940600 / 23941455 22422366 22510854 23919098 24883000 24725149 24570583 25311437 24815000 25739011 23261927

Private Hospitals

Al-Rashid Hospital Dar Al-Shifa Hospital Hadi Clinic London Hospital Mowasat Hospital Salam Hospital

Qadsiya 2257 4386 Qurain 2542 3772 Rabiah 2474 2160 Rawda 2256 0058 Riqqa 2394 1958 Rumaithiya 2562 4123 Sabah Al-Salem 2551 7229 Sabahiya 2361 5619 Salhiya (Kuwait City) 2242 7157 Salmi 2457 6576 Salmiya 2572 6950 Salwa 2562 6950 Shamiya 2484 5953 Sharq 2244 2466 Shuaiba Ind. Area 2326 1789 Shuwaikh 2481 3726 / 2484 4842 Sulaibekhat 2487 6555 Sulaibiya 2467 0672 Sulaibiya Ind. Area 2467 2728 Surra 2531 2220 Tayma’a 2457 1700 Wafra 2381 0412 Waha 2455 7902 Zour 2395 0160

Adan General Hospital Al-Sabah Chest Hospital Al-Sabah Maternity Hospital Amiri General Hospital As’ad Al-Hamad Dermatology Center Farwaniya General Hospital Ibn Sina Hospital Jahra General Hospital Mubarak Al-Kabeer General Hospital Subhan Renal Hospital Sulaibikhat Orthopedic Hospital

25624000 22802555 1828282 1883883 25726666 22533177

Private Health Centers/ Clinics

Boushahri Clinic British Medical Center Care Clinic International Clinic

Public Hospitals

cons u l a tes

Fax 2532 6274 2251 9497 2537 9212 2256 3052 2232 2430 2535 5246 2533 0882 2531 6041 2574 8389 2251 6550 2539 2106 2532 8613 2532 1453 2256 4167 2533 3341 2254 9360 2240 2971 2252 9021 2534 1007 2256 3877 2533 1179 2531 7429 2532 4198 2257 1058 2252 0763 2481 7103 2535 4707 2532 3904 2257 1192 2481 9250 2252 9868 2535 6030 2530 9401 25353316 2257 2182

centr a l 4 7 2 2 0 0 0

94904040

hospital charges

medical services

Call, sms, Email us

O n- s i t e I T s e r v i c e s

23940600 24815000 24848067 22450080

1885544 23713100 22610666 25745111

Public Health Centers/ Clinics:

Dasman Clinic Faiha Polyclinic Farwaniya Polyclinic Hawalli Polyclinic Inaya Germen Medical Center Sabah Al-Salem Clinic Salmiya Polyclinic Shamiya Clinic Shuwaikh Clinic Yarmouk Clinic

24832067 24883000 24840300 24575300 25312700 24840027 24874240

22447602 22545188 24726033 22611645 25750777 25524821 25723500 25610660 24848913 25336482

DOCTORS & DENTISTS

I N PR I VAT E PR AC T ICE

Andrology, Male Infertility and Impotence Specialist Abdullatif A. Al Salim 2533 4438

Dermatologist & Venereologists Fahad I. Al Othman 2266 5166 Taibah M. Almonayes 2573 7477 Dr. Mohamed Bo Hamra 2266 5166

Dentists & Oral Surgeons Ahmed Al Balool 2262 2211 Badri K. Al Rayes 2574 2557 Duha Al Shaqan 2264 4614 Ebraheem Behbehani 2573 0000 Farida Al Herz 2257 3883 Maria Blanaru 2573 0000 Najat Essa-Bahman 2262 4595 Najeeb Kassim 2573 9277 Salwa A. Abdulsalam 2573 0000 Kuwait Medical Center 2575 9044 / 5 Endocrinologists Latifa Al Dowaisan Kamal Abdulaziz Al Shome

Gastroenterologist Mohamed A. Al Shimali 2532 2030 - 2263 9955 Urologist Fawzi Taher Abul Ali Yousef Mehdi

2565 0064 2533 3501

General Practitioner Dina Al Rifai 2533 3501 - 2533 3502 Obstetricians & Gynecologists Samira Al Awadi 2573 8055 Ma’asouma Maksheed 2573 1275 Mohamed Gamal 2534 9077 Mai Al Snan 2532 1171

2572 8004 2532 9924

Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeons Hossam Eldin Abdulfattah 2574 5056 Abdulmohsen Mousa Jafar 2565 5535

Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Adel Quttainah

2562 5030 / 60

Ministries

Awqaf & Islamic Affairs Commerce & Industry Communications Defense Education Health Higher Education Electricity & Water Finance

2248 0000 2248 0000 2481 9033 2484 8300 2481 7702 2487 7422 2240 1300 2537 1000 2248 0000

Foreign Affairs Housing Information Justice, Legal & Administrative Affairs Energy Planning Social Affairs & Labour Public Works

2242 5141 2530 1000 2241 5301 2248 0000 2241 5201 2242 8200 2248 0000 2538 5520

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

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

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

Gulf Royal Tel: 23925390-Fintas 22622556-Hawalli 25710448-Salmiya 22244795-Marina

Asha’s Tel: 22244502/3/9 Marina Crescent Tel: 24954700

Noodles Salmiya Tel: 25712233

Bukhara Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055

The Peacock Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25673000

Tourist Restaurant Kuwait City Tel: 22411702

Noodle Factory Avenues Tel: 24954751

Mugal Mahal Farwaniya Tel: 24726126/7 Fintas Tel: 23915588 Salmiya Tel: 25722223/4 Sharq Tel: 22425132

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

Tikka Tel: 1822833 • International Al-Bustan Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25673000 Al-Hamra Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055 Al-Marsa Restaurant Le Meridien Tel: 22510999 Atrium Restaurant Courtyard Marriott Hotel

Tel: 22997000

L I S T I N G S

Beit 7 Kuwait City Tel: 22450871 Café Rio Al-Fanar Tel: 25732226 Dunes Ritz Hotel Tel: 22499911 Failaka Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Tel: 23931000 La Brasserie JW Marriott Tel: 22455550 Ritz Shamiya Tel: 24820184 Shuwaikh Tel: 24844350 Square International Tel: 22437681 Test n’ Taste Villa Moda Tel: 24827010 Teatro Hilton Kuwait Resort Tel: 23725500

Kuwait City Tel: 22400737

Nino Gulf Road Tel: 22541900 Pizza Express Abdullah Al-Salem Tel: 22560273 Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253166 Airport Tel: 24342681 Tel: 23725500 Ricardo Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055 • Japanese Edo Shaab Tel: 22659590 Kei JW Marriott Hotel Tel: 22422650 Korea & Japan Restaurant New Park Hotel Tel: 25634200

Sakura Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

AlRoshinah Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555

Shogun The Palms Hotel Tel: 27070022

Il Forno Restaurant Courtyard Marriot Hotel Tel: 22997000 Johnny Carino’s Salmiya Tel: 22667050 La Piazza Kuwait City Tel: 24246639 Lorenzo

Manousha Salmiya Tel: 25722607 / 8

Al-Noukhaza Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

Fakhr Al-Din Restaurant Kuwait City Tel: 22423180

Villa Fairouz Shaab Tel: 22652030

Shrimpy Gulf Road Tel: 22563118 Totally Fish Marina Crescent Tel: 22244960/1

Garden New Park Hotel Tel: 25634200

Yeldes Palace Kuwait City Tel: 22455212

Kabab-Ji Tel: 1861616

Zahrat Tunis Hawalli Tel: 22662444/333

Mais Al-Ghanim Kuwait City Tel: 22402590

• Persian Kabab Al-Hijja Bnaid Al-Gar Tel: 22517512

Palm Palace Salmiya Tel: 25756331 Saj Express Kuwait City Tel: 22497822 Sarai Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253180/1 Shisha &

Sushi Club Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25712144 Wasabi Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253112 Kuwait City Tel: 22494000 • Lebanese Al-Berdawny Palace Tel: 25661117 Ayam Zaman Holiday Inn Tel: 18477777 Burg Al-Hamam Gulf Road Tel: 22529095

• Steak House Relais De L’Entrecote Al-Fanar Complex Tel: 25729600 Terrace Grill JW Marriott Hotel Tel: 22455550

Shabistan Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

The Gaucho Grill The Palms Hotel Tel: 25667370 -

• Seafood Al-Ahmadi Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

• Tex-Mex Chi Chi’s Salmiya Tel: 25625811

Al-Boom Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25756000

Tumbleweed Southern Grill Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253154/5

Maki Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25733561 Marina Waves Tel: 22244560

Flavors Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555

• Italian Ciro’s Pomodoro Kuwait City Tel: 22424004

Saj Express Kuwait City Tel: 22497822

Te l : 1 8 3 9 0 9 0

Salmiya - Jabriya - Keifan www.healthstop.com.kw

HOTELS

FIVE STAR Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Crowne Plaza Kuwait Hilton Kuwait Resort JW Marriot Kuwait City Hotel Kempinski Julai’a Hotel & Resort The Regency Hotel & Resort Le Meridien Le Meridien Tower Marina Hotel Kuwait Movenpick Albid’a Movenpick Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts Refad Palace Safir International Hotel Kuwait Sheraton Kuwait Hotel & Towers Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait

23931000 24772000 23725500 22455550 1 844 444 25766666 22510999 22831831 22244970 22253100 24610033 22824060 25673000 23908630 22530000 22422055 25455555

FOUR STAR Carlton Tower Hotel The Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait El Joan Resort Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait

22452740 22997000 23281897 22415001

Ghani Palace Hotel Holiday Inn Khalifa Resort Kuwait Continental Hotel New Park Hotel Al Bastaki Hotel Al Dana Hotel Heritage Village Palace Hotel Shiik Flamingo Hotel & Resort Swiss-Belhotel Plaza Kuwait

25710301 1 847 777 23280144 22527300 25634200 22555081 23902760 22520600 1 821 111 25725050 22436686

THREE STAR Imperial Hotel Oasis Hotel Safari House Hotel Second Home Hotel Spring Continental Hotel Ibis Hotel Salmiya Ibis Hotel Sharq

22528766 22465489 22443136 22532100 25742410 25713872 22928080

TWO STAR International Hotel Kuwait Residence Hotel

25741788 22467560

BUSINESS

sundAY, march 25, 2012

KSE rises 0.7% at week’s end, listed companies continue to declare results KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.70 percent, while the weighted index raised by 0.80 percent compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 10.27 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 45.58 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 475.36 million shares, recording decrease 0.83 percent. See page 10

Kuwait’s GDP soars 4.5% in 2011 Oil price rises 43 cents, settles at $121.84

Kamel Al-Harami Independent energy analyst

Compiled by Al Watan Daily

Exclusive to Al Watan Daily

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s gross domestic product (GDP) jumped by 4.5 percent in 2011 over the growth of oil prices that hit $107 per barrel by the end of the year, a specialized economic report showed Saturday. The report, by Kuwait International Bank (KIB), attributed oil price hikes to steadily growing global demand for the crude and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) decision to maintain output ceiling unchanged. Data showed that backed by oil price increases, Kuwait state budget achieved a remarkable 11.6 billion-Kuwaiti dinar surplus in the first nine months of the fiscal year (FY) 2011-2012, compared with KD 5.9 billion-surplus achieved during the same period a year earlier. The report estimated Kuwait oil revenues, during the nine months of FY 2011-2012, at KD 18.7 billion with regards to estimated expenditure of KD 7.1 billion. Kuwait oil price hovered between 98 to 127 US dollars per barrel since April 2011, compared with the hypothetical budget estimated price of $60 per barrel. The report also noted that the state budget swelled by threefold since 2004 to hit unprecedented levels in FY 2011-2012 by KD 19.4 billion. Kuwaiti crude rises

Meanwhile, the price of Kuwaiti crude went up $0.43 to settle at $121.84 per barrel (pb) on Friday, in comparison to $121.14 pb on the day before, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said on Saturday. News of the decline of Iranian oil exports -during the month of March- caused the increase of oil prices on the world market. International companies estimated that Iranian oil exports dropped by 300,000 barrel per day equivalent to 14 percent of total Iranian exports, considering it the first significant decline this year in these exports. The price of Brent crude oil rose by two dollars for each barrel by the end of last week amid reports about cuts in Iranian oil exports due to the recently imposed western oil sanctions in response to Tehran’s nuke program, a specialized economic report noted Saturday. The report, the International Financial Brokerage Group, said that the US crude oil futures rose more than 1 percent on Friday, on news that some buyers have stopped or scaled back imports of Iranian oil due to Western sanctions. The report pointed out that the US stock market has closed on a positive note last week, supported by the gains of the energy companies. Real estate sales activity jumps 18% in February

In other news, with regards to real estate in Kuwait, sales activity was strong in February, totaling 255

Workers stand on a steel frame which they are welding for an advertising board in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province March 24, 2012. China should be ready to cope with “extreme risks” in the economy from a sharper global downturn, although the country is on track to grow a healthy 8.5 percent this year, a senior economist at the cabinet’s think-tank said on Thursday. (Reuters)

million Kuwaiti dinars in value, an 18 percent increase year-on-year (y-o-y). The residential sector sales continue to be the main driving force, taking up 58 percent of total transactions value, according to the latest Economic Brief prepared by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). Residential sector sales were KD 147.3 million for February, a KD 56 million y-o-y jump. In line with January, the reason behind the increase was the high number of transactions concluded, totaling 722 transactions in February. In terms of value, almost two thirds of the transactions went into buying plots of land, with the remaining third going into purchasing homes. The investment sector (mainly apartments and buildings intended for rental), saw KD 97.4 million in sales during February. Sales for the month were mostly split between purchasing buildings, plots, and complexes (46, 31, and 19 percent of total sales respectively). Buildings were mostly purchased in the Hawalli governorate, while Ahmadi and Mubarak Alkabeer

governorates saw the bulk of activity in plot and complex purchases. Total sales for February were actually a 21 percent drop y-o-y, but still strong compared to a monthly average of KD 58 million (past three years). The report stated that the commercial sector recorded five transactions in February. They totaled KD 10.4 million in value, an increase of KD 7.2 million from last February. Month-to-month volatility in both monetary value and the number of transactions is common in this sector. Meanwhile, the Savings and Credit Bank (SCB) approved 313 housing loans, totaling KD 17.7 million. Of these loans, the majority (75 percent) will go to financing new housing construction (as opposed to purchasing existing homes), further indicating healthy demand in the residential sector. Additionally, KD 9.0 million loans were disbursed by the SCB, a 23 percent y-o-y increase.February somewhat continued the previous month’s strong start in the real estate sector, despite having fewer days of activity. The pick-up in activity should continue throughout the year, perhaps with varied momentum.

GIC profits grow 20% to $182 million in 2011 KUWAIT: The Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) announced in a press release on Saturday that its General Assembly reviewed and approved the audited financial statements for the year 2011. Net income for the year grew to $182 million US dollars from $151 million in 2010, representing a year-onyear increase of 20 percent. The Chairman of the Board Dr. Zakaria Ahmed Hejres commended the solid performance saying: “GIC’s good performance in a challenging business environment is a reflection of its resilience and strength. I am pleased to note that the steady progress that GIC made in financial strength and risk profile, continues to be in tandem with its business expansion and revenue growth. The corporation continued to play a major role in the development of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) based projects via its principal investments as well as in the capital markets through its investment activities and product innovations. The Board will continue to contribute in its strategic role towards achieving GIC’s corporate goals under the full support of our shareholders.” Earnings from GIC core businesses

contributed to the growth in net operating revenues, which reached $292 million, an increase of 31 percent compared to the preceding year. As at Dec. 31, 2011, total shareholders’ equity reached $2,405 million, representing a year-on-year value addition of $273 million. This increase, which includes both realized and unrealized gains, reflects an economic return of 12.8 percent on the previous year’s equity. GIC’s total balance sheet, as at Dec. 31, 2011, reached $5,881 million. With a leverage of just under 2.4 times, the balance sheet structure remains healthy and resilient. The high capital levels, conservative leverage and good asset quality are reflected in robust capital adequacy ratios. Tier 1 capital ratio, as per Basel II guidelines, stood at 30.6 percent as of the 2011 year end. At that year, GIC had ample liquidity, with cash and equivalents of $596 million, on top of other liquid assets of nearly $3,000 million. Commenting on the Corporation’s notable performance, Hisham A. AlRazzuqi, Chief Executive Officer, stated that “2011 has been another good year for GIC. The consistent year on year

Dr. Zakaria Ahmed Hejres, Chairman of the Board at GIC

enhancement of all key financial performance indicators is especially gratifying. The growth in profitability was achieved alongside improvements in capital strength, liquidity and liability structure, leverage levels and risk pro-

file. This multi-dimensional strength resulted in positive rating actions from international rating agencies, including Moody’s, Fitch and Rating Agency Malaysia. The strong foundation we have built, combined with the goodwill we have established, will enable us expand our business and regional franchise. We will continue, as a team, to strive towards achieving our corporate goals of contributing to the development of private enterprise in the region and creating value for our shareholders.” Established in 1983, GIC is a regional financial institution owned entirely and equally by the six GCC states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). GIC provides a comprehensive set of financial services that support the development of the private enterprise and foster economic growth in the Gulf region. GIC has emerged as a regional leader in its chosen fields, and has successfully promoted and developed projects in the GCC across a range of sectors, including financial services, petrochemical, metal, power, utilities, and, communications.

NBK named ‘Best Bank in the Middle East’ for 3rd consecutive year

A handout picture of NBK headquarters

213 US dollars per barrel in 2030

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has been named the ‘Best Bank in the Middle East and Kuwait 2012’ by the prestigious international financial publication, Global Finance for the third consecutive year, according to a press release on Saturday. In its exclusive annual survey of the world’s best banks, Global Finance chose the winners based on growth in assets, profitability, strategic relationships, customer service, competitive pricing, and innovative products in consultation with bankers, corporate financial executives and analysts around the globe. NBK ranked among major global banks such as JP Morgan Chase, Santander and Standard Chartered. “We recognize these banks for their outstanding accomplishments,” says Global Finance’s publisher, Joseph D. Giarraputo. “Global financial markets are extremely difficult and

conditions in each market may have differed, but the winning banks were all noteworthy in their dedication to satisfying their customers’ needs.” NBK was also recently named among the ‘World’s 50 Safest Banks’ for the fifth consecutive time, illustrating the success of the bank’s conservative strategy, prudent risk management dedication excellent customer service. “Leading banks that may not be the largest, the oldest or the most diversified in a given region, but rather the best- the banks with which companies around the world would most likely want to do business,” the magazine said. NBK enjoys the highest credit ratings among all the banks in the Middle East and North Africa region by international rating agencies Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings.

KUWAIT: Yes, we must sell our export crude oil at 213 US dollars a barrel in order to have a balanced budget in 2030. This means that oil prices must be increased by 78 percent in the coming 18 years. This is sad news indeed, as we are just increasing our annual budgets purely to meet the non-stop increase in our government employees’ salaries. It is sad news as we are not progressing in terms of any other source of income. Our dependence on oil has never stopped since the discovery of oil, despite the grand policy of all our governments to diversify away from it and to find another source. Now how are we going to manage our economy in the coming years? Our crude oil production must escalate and we have to beg for higher oil prices to reach our targeted figure in 2030. As far as our economy is concerned, the best way to describe it is as a ‘waste of time.’ Our poor private sector is getting worse every day as it is neither able to compete nor to survive long term. There is nothing bright to look forward to except a lack of government objectives and projects that are keeping our economy in a real mess. Kuwait is the only oil country that is lacking and hasn’t developed its economy nor its private sector in order to move forward, since many years ago, until end of the 80’s. Since every year there has been a dip in our economic performance, we all wish that oil prices shouldn’t have gone up to the current level. Oil prices should have stayed low and in the $80 a barrel range, as the higher the oil price the higher the waste and higher salaries. The future of our economy doesn’t look very promising at all.As long as we are not encouraging the private sector to hire and recruit Kuwaitis, by providing more investments opportunities, Kuwait’s economy will not improve and the burden on the government will increase. For years everyone was calling on the government to implement its five years program and to move ahead with its privatization plans of Kuwait Airways and others in order to lessen the burden on government expenditures. Now, since we are not doing either and are continuing the same pattern, the $213 a barrel should come sooner than 2030, or we will be forced to increase oil production to four million barrels before 2020. Just how did we get ourselves into such mess, with no direction? Just by spending and wasting our income every day, which left our economy in limbo without a single viable project on the horizon neither now nor in the near future. Why are we only in Kuwait unable to develop or to stop the surge in pure salary increases or to cap it for some time? With the increased pressure for better domestic services of better hospitals, schools, education and improvements on road traffic, which is the only avenue that the government is investing in. The only projects that are visible to us are the constitution of completion of the 1st ring road, the extension of the 4th ring road and other work roads. Still and despite the wealth and surplus of cash flows that has not stopped over the last 10 years, there has been zero economic positive development. Our future doesn’t look so bright, as long as we are dependent on higher oil prices, higher oil production and nothing else. Our only hope is for oil prices to come down and then we may just start thinking seriously about our economy, growth and prosperity. Perhaps we can start thinking seriously. The author of this article can be reached at naftikuwaiti@ yahoo.com Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions presented in the column are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Al Watan Daily and its staff.

Takaful insurance forecast to boom globally, says academic KUWAIT: Takaful insurance is forecast to post noticeable growth at the international level as part of overall development witnessed in sector of Islamic banking following eruption of the global debts crisis, according to an eminent Kuwaiti academic. However, at the local level, this sector might “face a tsunami,” unless the 2005 bill, issued by the National Assembly, was effected, and current status of the Takaful insurance sector was altered, warned Dr. Mahmoud Behbehani, professor of insurance and actuarial science at Kuwait University, in an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). Noting that the Takaful (Islamic) insurance required a large market, unlike the one of Kuwait, Dr. Behbehani indicated at high demand for establishing new companies, due to mounting volume of installment payments from 90 million Kuwaiti dinar per year to KD 180 million per year over the past years. Number of Takaful and traditional insurance companies has risen from 15 to 28, and studies have shown that payments for such a company must be in the range of five million dinars, so that it could continue and prosper. He indicated at two approaches to tackle the sector; halting issuance of licenses to new companies to ensure success of the existing ones, or allowing launch of new ones for sake of boosting competition. At the global level, companies have either established branches or are planning to set up subsidiaries, particularly in nations with large Muslim communities. Moreover, some conglomerates showed desire to acquire Takaful insurance companies. Dr. Behbehani affirmed that the Islamic form of insurance could be much more useful and beneficial for the insured, in case the Takaful system is literally applied, where the client would turn into a share-holder. This kind of insurance, which abides by the Islamic Sharia, is primarily intended to secure continuing income for the family, payment of debts of the deceased. The insurance is also intended for aid in cases of retirement, incapability of work and sickness, Dr. Behbehani said, indicating that the interest-based traditional system is replaced with the (Islamic) profit-sharing method. -KUNA

BUSINESS IN REGION

ALWATAN DAILY sunDAY, march 25, 2012

KSE rises 0.7% at week’s end, both indices record gains KSE weekly activity, March 22, 2011

2011 results

By mid of last trading day of the week, 107 companies announced their results for the year 2011 with a total net profits amounting to KD 1.65 billion, 18.27 percent lower than the same companies’ results for the year 2010, which amounted to KD 2.01 billion. The Services sector came first in terms of total net profits for the year, with a total of KD 744.05 million, followed by the Banks sector with a total of KD 565.49 million, then the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector in the third place with KD 91.23 million. And as per 2011 announced results, the Services sector came in first in terms of average earnings per share (EPS) for its listed companies, which amounted to 176.55 Kuwaiti fils. The Food sector was second with an average EPS of 108.48 fils, followed by the Industry sector in the third place with 58.63 fils, whereas the market’s overall average EPS is 73.14 fils. On the other hand, and according to the announced results and last Thursday’s closing prices, KSE average price-to-equity (P/E) ratio is currently at 15.71.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.70 percent, while the weighted index raised by 0.80 percent compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 10.27 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 45.58 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 475.36 million shares, recording decrease 0.83 percent. KSE managed to keep its momentum, to record gains for both of its indices. Last week witnessed a continued speculations presence, which is dominating the market recently, in addition to a notable movement on some investment groups, and collecting deals on some low price stocks. Moreover, more companies announced its financial results during last week. The number of declared companies reached 52 percent so far. The total number of declared companies reached 107 out of 205 listed companies, realizing approximately KD 1.65 billion, with a decline of 18.27 percent compared to same companies’ results for 2010. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,243.5 points, up by 0.70 percent from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.80 percent weekly gain after closing at 423.22 points.

Sectors’ indices

Six of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other two recorded declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the Banks sector, achieving 1.82 percent growth rate as its index closed at 11,646.4 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Non Kuwaiti Companies sector’s index closed at 6,182.5 points recording 1.15 percent increase. The Investment companies sector came in third as its index achieved 1.07 percent growth, end-

Market capitalization

ing the week at 4,089.7 points. The Real estate sector was the least growing as its index closed at 2,262.0 points with a 0.25 percent increase. On the other hand, the Industry sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 0.70 percent to end the week’s activity at 4,284.7 points. The Insurance sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.03 percent, closing at 2,707.5 points. Sectors’ activity

The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 841.65

KSE total market capitalization grew by 0.75 percent during last week to reach KD 29.37 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization except for one sector. The Food sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 719.75 million, increasing by 3.32 percent. The Services sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 1.13 percent increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 7.23 billion. The third place was for the Insurance sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 315.47 million by the end of the week, recording an increase of 1.11 percent. The Real Estate sector was the least growing with 0.004 percent recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 1.93 billion. On the other hand, the Industry sector was last week’s only decliner as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.03 percent to reach, by the end of the week, KD 2.23 billion.

million shares changing hands, representing 35.41 percent of the total market trading volume. The Real estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 24.64 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 585.66 million shares. On the other hand, the Investment sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 65.99 million or 28.96 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 63.48 million represented 27.86 percent of the total market trading value.

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

Human resources key to development, increased production, says KPC CAPITALS: Bader Al-Khashti, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Managing Director for Research and Development (R&D) and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), said that KPC is keen on paying attention to human resources as a key to development and increasing production, in addition to attaching great importance to HSE programs in order to preserve and boost this human resource. This was stated in a press release this week. This came in a statement by Al-Khashti on the occasion of his participation in the Gulf Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (GPCE) 2012, organized by the Investors Group in April 2012. The conference is being held under the theme ‘Gulf Petroleum Integration. Prospects and Challenges’. Al-Khashti said that HSE programs are among the corporation’s strategic objectives and are directly supported by KPC’s senior executives and affiliate companies. He added that these programs aim at boosting HSE culture and preserving the health of employees and insuring their well-being. He emphasized that the corporation and its affiliate companies seek a leading role in the region in HSE performance as a strategic step to reach international level, and by following a strategic plan with specific

and clear objectives. Al-Khashti said that one of the most important roles of HSE group is placing strategies and comprehensive plans over HSE at the comprehensive level of the corporation and its affiliate companies, as well as following up and monitoring the implementation of HSE policies with sister companies in order to achieve the set objectives. One of the goals, he said, is supporting and following up affiliate companies’ commitment to implementing the corporation’s system that runs HSE through regularly reviewing performance of these companies by the Implementation Committee and the Guidance Committee, and providing consultations and information about HSE because these bodies play a distinguished role in this domain. Al-Khashti noted that one of the group’s tasks is to investigate major HSE-related accidents, implementing HSE system in the oil complex and the affiliate companies, issuing reports on HSE performance of the oil complex and affiliate companies, supervise on the emergency plan and evacuation of the oil complex, carry out a evacuation drills and follow recommendations of the committee on development, upgrading capabilities of oil sector to counter-

Benchmark

Ÿ KSE - Price Index Ÿ KSE - Weighted Index Ÿ KSE - KAMCO TRW Index ź Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL) ź Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange ź Dubai Financial Market ź Qatar Exchange ź Bahrain Bourse Ÿ Muscat Securities Market Total GCC Equity Markets

Closing

6,243.5

Weekly

Return (%) YTD-12 Return

0.70%

423.2

2,666.2

7,540.3

2,568.3

1,660.3

8,653.3

1,148.2 5,957.8

Benchmark

0.79%

0.53%

(0.37%)

(2.19%)

(1.37%)

(0.08%)

(0.34%) 0.11%

7.4%

22-Mar-12

22-Mar-2012

17.5%

4,469,848

24,731,753

6.9%

376,816

144,529

22.7%

1,253,121

417,414

(1.4%)

63,677

476,630

0.4% 4.6%

16,753 66,888

4,130 50,274

ő 5- Samba Financial Group ź 6- Saudi Arabia Fertilizers Co. Ÿ 7- Kingdom Holding Co. ź 8- Al-Etihad Etisalat Co. ź 9- Riyad Bank Ÿ 10- Saudi Arabian Mining Co.

ő 5- Abu Dhabi National Energy ź 6- Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank ź 7- Union National Bank ź 8- National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah ź 9- AL DAR Properties Co. ő 10- National Bank of Fujairah

(0.71%)

0.06%

(75) 282

(0.44%) 1.65%

(731)

(0.09%)

Yield (%)

0.550 0.430

3.5%

(2.3%)

(4.1%)

(5.3%) 3.4%

9.7% 3.2%

(1.8%) 0.0%

4,702

3,767

2,313

1,224

1,089

1,014

1,005 984

962 664

106.00

Return (%)

0.5%

77.00

(1.0%)

16.20

4.5%

40.00

51.50

185.25

12.35

62.00

25.10 34.80

9.27

9.22 8.51 3.08

1.32

3.40

3.15

5.05

1.31 4.10

8,173

8,835

15.5

1.9

3.3%

26,115

22,691

12.7

1.7

20.5%

7,045

6,095

29.1

1.8

2.1%

3,500

1,616

33.9

2.7

0.0%

280

626

3.1

1.4

2.3%

2,050

1,834

31.6

3.6

1.3%

275

207

35.5

1.9

1.9%

235

148

19.1

1.9

2.2%

4,055 5,280

2,216 2,260

NM 13.4

4.0 1.4

0.0% 2.2%

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

0.0%

(0.9%) 1.2%

(2.0%)

(6.7%) 0.3%

Weekly

Return (%)

(0.2%)

(6.6%) (5.0%) (2.2%) 0.0%

(0.6%)

(1.9%)

(2.9%)

(6.4%) 0.0%

P/B (X)

1.38

Market Cap.

(SAR Mln)

318,000 115,500

80,000

67,499

46,350

46,313

45,768

43,400

37,650 32,190

Volume

(000's shrs)

Value

(000's SAR)

4.6%

(AED Mln)

73,258

27,660 31,751

17,234

8,217

8,040

7,861

5,830 5,352 4,510

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

Dividend

Yield (%)

3,390,261

10.7

2.4

3.3%

9,372

725,836

16.2

3.7

3.9%

5,470

218,721

11.0

1.7

7.5%

130,978

2,095,894

27.7

1.3

4.3%

1,594

82,722

10.9

1.7

3.2%

1,025

190,013

12.0

6.7

6.5%

26,264

331,641

67.4

1.9

0.0%

7,107

442,365

9.0

2.6

3.2%

5,513 11,124

143,195 380,224

12.0 NM

1.3 1.9

5.2% 0.0%

Volume

Value

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

14.52

72.06

13.04

11.22 12.33 16.56

2.15

3.0%

1.09

3.0%

0.97

2.1%

1.87

3.5%

0.92 1.65

4.7% 4.5%

1.64

3.3%

(AED)

ź 1- EMAAR Properties

Beta

1.44

1.58

1.47

0.87

1.21

1.03

0.81 0.72

1.50 1.34

Beta

1.23

1.06

0.83

0.76 0.68

1.08 0.82

0.99

0.75 1.26

Dividend

(000's shrs)

(000's AED)

Yield (%)

7,683

71,446

10.2

1.9

3.8%

3,453

32,034

7.8

1.1

3.0%

1,535

17,035

8.5

1.2

2.3%

2,845

8,800

5.6

0.8

0.0%

4,655

6,222

5.9

1.2

7.6%

1,838

6,253

7.6

1.0

6.4%

617

1,958

5.1

0.6

2.9%

421

2,127

4.9

1.3

4.0%

78,105 0

103,360 0

NM 18.7

1.1 2.3

0.0% 1.5%

Beta

1.00

1.31 1.17

1.30

1.35 1.24

1.13

0.14

1.52 NA

ő 3- Mashreq Bank Ÿ 4- Emirates Integrated Telecom. ź 5- Dubai Financial Market ź 6- Dubai Islamic Bank Ÿ 7- Commercial Bank of Dubai ź 8- Arabtec Holding P.J.S.C. ź 9- Air Arabia Co. Ÿ 10- Dubai Investment

3.000

Return (%)

(3.2%)

3.100

(1.9%)

91.45

0.0%

3.170

1.9%

1.160

(1.7%)

2.200

(0.9%)

3.000

4.9%

2.850

(2.7%)

0.712 0.905

(0.4%) 1.7%

Market Cap.

(AED Mln)

18,274

17,229

15,462

14,491

9,280

8,357

6,115

4,261

3,323 3,317

ROE YTD Price

Top 10 Largest Qatari Companies by Market Cap Price

Chg. (%)

13.4%

9.8%

14.9%

(2.2%)

6.2%

(4.4%)

8.4%

(4.2%)

43.6%

13.9%

12.6%

13.9%

5.2%

0.0%

10.8%

5.7%

3.5% 11.3%

(6.8%) (2.7%)

(QAR)

ź 1- Qatar National Bank ź 2- Industries Qatar Ÿ 3- Ezdan Real Estate Co. Ÿ 4- Qatar Telecom. (Q-Tel) Ÿ 5- Masraf Al Rayan Ÿ 6- Commercial Bank of Qatar ź 7- Qatar Islamic Bank Ÿ 8- Qatar Electricity & Water Co. ź 9- Qatar Fuel Co. (Wokod) ź 10- Doha Bank

134.90

Return (%)

(0.7%)

(4.4%)

19.79

4.2%

167.00

1.8%

27.20

2.1%

74.00

0.5%

77.00

(0.5%)

139.50

3.0%

243.50 59.70

(1.1%) (0.5%)

Market Cap.

(QAR Mln)

94,394

74,635

52,493

29,392

20,400

18,311

18,195

13,950

12,656 12,340

Bahrain Bourse

ROE YTD Price

Top 10 Largest Bahraini Companies by Market Cap Price

Chg. (%)

(BHD)

22.4%

10.1%

23.1%

10.8%

15.9%

18.3%

Ÿ 3- Bahrain Telecommunications Co.

4.7%

16.5%

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

15.7%

10.5%

ź 5- National Bank of Bahrain

55.6%

5.3%

2.8%

39.5%

29.0%

18.1%

ő 8- United Gulf Bank

10.6% 0.4%

7.7% 37.5%

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

ź 1- Ahli United Bank (Price in USD) ź 2- Aluminum Bahrain

Ÿ 6- Al Baraka Banking (Price in USD) ő 7- Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait

0.670

Return (%)

(1.5%) (2.5%)

0.416

1.5%

0.420

0.0%

0.570

(0.9%)

1.080

1.9%

0.412

0.0%

0.304

0.0%

796.95 0.720

0.0% 0.0%

Market Cap.

(BHD Mln)

1,259 817

599 492

488

413 351 254

240 119

Muscat Securities Market (MSM)

ROE YTD Price

Top 10 Largest Omani Companies by Market Cap Price

Chg. (%)

(OMR)

18.5%

1.5%

13.8%

19.4%

14.2%

1.0%

14.2%

10.8%

Ÿ 4- Omani Qatari Telecom (NAWRAS)

19.7%

10.0%

ź 5- National Bank of Oman

12.4%

7.6%

Ÿ 6- Oman International Bank

12.0%

9.0%

Ÿ 7- Shell Oman Marketing

26.8%

1.0%

Ÿ 8- Raysut Cement

NM 12.2%

42.4% (9.9%)

ź 1- Bank Muscat Ÿ 2- Oman Telecom Co. ź 3- Bank Dhofar

ź 9- Ahli Bank Ÿ 10- Oman Cement Co.

0.605

1.425

Return (%)

(5.3%) 1.4%

0.573

(3.5%)

0.310

(0.3%)

0.631

0.282

2.300

1.062

0.250 0.555

1.6%

1.1%

0.3%

12.6%

(0.4%) 3.4%

Market Cap.

(OMR Mln)

1,077

1,069 524

411

335

273

230

212

200 184

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

Dividend

(000's AED)

73,567

222,021

13.5

0.6

4.2%

1,207

3,748

6.3

0.5

6.5%

16.9

1.3

2.2%

Yield (%)

8,566

27,016

9.2

2.5

0.0%

137,155

157,114

1.2

0.0%

17,085

37,688

9.4

0.9

4.5%

343

1,034

7.4

1.0

6.3%

23,597

67,056

28.5

1.5

0.0%

25,099 97,936

17,983 88,469

12.6 8.7

0.6 0.4

11.2% 6.6%

Volume

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

Dividend

(000's shrs)

(000's QAR)

616

83,279

13.5

2.3

2.1%

985

136,490

9.6

3.0

4.1%

270

5,220

1.9

0.0%

Yield (%)

372

62,162

12.0

1.4

2.5%

4,346

116,878

15.5

2.5

7.9%

1,113

82,785

10.1

1.3

8.7%

474

36,430

11.8

1.7

6.0%

155

21,282

10.1

4.0

4.3%

210 268

50,630 16,000

11.4 10.6

2.8 1.8

2.7% 7.7%

Volume

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

Dividend

(000's shrs)

(000's BHD)

2,630

668

11.0

1.3

3.7%

482

281

3.6

1.0

9.3%

7.7

1.2

10.8%

6.9

0.4

0.0%

Yield (%)

10.8

1.9

4.8%

9.2

0.9

3.6%

10.0

1.5

6.1%

60.3

1.2

0.0%

0 0

4.5 15.9

0.6 2.3

0.0% 3.8%

Volume

(000's shrs)

(000's OMR)

2,711

1,734

2,097 221 2,810 3,404

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

1.40

4.3%

0.61

0.05

0.98

1.61

1.15 0.27 1.31

1.01 1.23

Chg. (%)

16.7%

7.8%

5.4%

7.4%

(9.9%)

27.2%

9.7%

0.1%

38.1%

9.4%

13.4%

13.2%

3.4%

5.4%

79.2%

5.1% 4.5%

21.5% 49.6%

Beta

0.85

1.07 0.53 0.64

0.85 1.14 1.03 0.79

0.71 1.04

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

17.3%

(2.3%)

31.5%

1.4%

0.5%

(15.1%)

11.7%

18.8%

16.1%

(3.4%)

13.1%

(11.9%)

14.1%

(9.1%)

39.5%

(1.1%)

24.4% 17.1%

22.4% (7.3%)

Beta

2.11

0.93

0.77 0.57

0.75

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

12.2%

0.8%

28.8%

(12.9%)

16.0%

6.1%

5.3%

0.0%

17.2%

(0.9%)

0.33

10.0%

(0.9%)

15.3%

(0.5%)

0.48 0.07

1.9%

1.3%

13.2% 14.6%

0.0% 6.7%

0.50

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Value

ROE YTD Price

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Value

Beta

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Value

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

Trailing

(000's shrs)

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

0.575

Value

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

135.70

Volume

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

Qatar Exchange (QE)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples Trailing

16.04

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

32,015

Weekly Trading Indicators

Market Cap.

Price

Yield (%)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples P/B (X)

(AED)

ź 4- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

(364)

P/E (X)

Price

ź 3- National Bank Of Abu Dhabi

790,229

(1.26%)

(000's KD)

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)

ź 2- First Gulf Bank

16,795 17,416

(0.09%)

(964)

(000's shrs)

Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Abu Dhabi

ź 1- Emirates Telecom. Co.

50,884

125,054

(339)

(KD Mln)

(SAR)

Ÿ 4- Saudi Electricity Co.

75,549

Return (%)

Price

ő 3- Saudi Telecom

394,171

(KWD)

Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL)

ź 2- Al-Rajhi Bank

26,660,124

Weekly Trading Indicators

0.0%

P/E (X)

23.72

Dividend

Dubai Financial Market (DFM)

Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Dubai

ź 2- Emirates NBD

3.1%

Top 10 Largest Saudi Companies by Market Cap

Ÿ 1- Saudi Basic Industries Corp

(%)

0.60%

Dividend

0.650

ź 9- Boubyan Bank ő 10- Burgan Bank

657

Trailing

0.790

Ÿ 8- Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

(USD Mln)

Trailing

0.900

Ÿ 7- Commercial Bank of Kuwait

110,359

Value

2.160

Ÿ 6- Ahli United Bank (Kuwait)

(USD Mln)

835,393

Volume

0.465

ź 4- Gulf Bank

(000's USD)

Trailing Trailing

Market Cap.

0.860

ź 5- National Mobile Telecom. Co.

(000's shrs)

2,376,803

Weekly Chg.

Weekly

0.880

ź 3- Kuwait Finance House

Current

Price

1.080

Ÿ 2- ZAIN

Value

Valuation Multiples

4.3%

Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE)

Top 10 Largest Kuwaiti Companies by Market Cap

ő 1- National Bank of Kuwait

Market Cap.

Volume

8,623,906

environment-friendly petrochemical products as well as direct and indirect investments to the development of promising technologies and financing early and medium stages of the new and clean energy technology companies. Al-Khashti said that investment objectives are focusing on achieving strategic goals concerning the development of new energy technology and achieving financial revenues matching those accomplished by leading investment new energy funds, as well as exploring organized educational methods to develop expertise in the corporation. This is in addition to creating a wide-scale communication network of expertise through relationships with other investors in relevant sectors. Al-Khashti said that R&D is one of the corporation’s top interests in order to reach the level of the international companies. We can be leaders in the implementation of modern technologies and development of mechanisms of the corporation to make them suitable for requirements of the oil sector including technologies and research. This is added to the development by using the latest methods and modern technologies in all affiliate companies to cope with capabilities of the oil sector, which thus require backing young Kuwaiti cadres.

KAMCO Research

Weekly Trading Indicators

Index

evant programs. He also noted the creation of a team to administer the implementation of the strategic plans for HSE and security. This team, he added, will also place necessary mechanisms, criteria and tools to implement the strategic plan for HSE and security, and to work on developing it constantly, providing support and back-up for teams assigned to executing initiatives or projects, as well as removing obstacles facing them then offering suitable solutions to guarantee progress. Regarding the investments of the Research and Development Sector at KPC, Al-Khashti said the program to invest in new energy technology aims at achieving strategic objectives through the marketing of the development of new and clear energy technologies, which will maintain long-term competitiveness of oil as a major energy source through usage of efficient and environment-friendly methods via active investment policy. He added that investment opportunities are being assessed in accordance with these objectives, including the investments to develop types of low-carbon fuel, efficient transport means, advanced and permanent units to produce energy, in addition to the development of

KAMCO Research GCC Week No.12 GCC Equity EquityMarkets MarketsReport Reportforfor Week No. 12 GCC Equity Markets Weekly Performance

ing oil leaks. He said one of the group’s recent major achievements was KPC’s HSE Group’s winning of a number of certificates and awards including the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001, regarding the implementation of the integration administration of HSE and Quality, and the DuPont Safety Awards 2011 regarding commitment of the senior management in the implementation of safety principles and criteria. He added that the group established a unit to bolster health in the Health and Safety Department in order to preserve the health of employees in the oil sector and their families, in line with regulations of World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labor Organization (ILO). A committee was also formed to “study the phenomenon of psychological pressure among oil sector employees” because of the job’s nature and the realization of employees of the importance of oil and what it means for Kuwait and its economy, in addition to the tough circumstances that most of the employees work under in this sector. Al-Khashti unveiled the CEO’s HSE Award that was launched out of KPC’s awareness of the great importance of HSE and to encourage affiliate companies to support and develop rel-

Dividend

Yield (%)

9.2

1.3

3.1%

2,968

9.7

2.3

7.0%

126.6

38.5

2.4

1.9%

1,772

8.6

3.0

6.0%

1,056

10.2

1.2

4.8%

850

237

16.2

1.6

5.0%

117

17.3

8.2

5.7%

564

562

15.9

2.1

9.4%

75 1,852

18 986

11.7 15.4

1.7 1.3

0.0% 6.7%

Beta

1.28

0.88 0.66

1.32 1.02

0.99

0.38

0.97

0.81 0.99

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

13.9%

(21.0%)

23.7%

8.9%

6.2%

4.8%

30.6%

(2.9%)

11.9%

(3.1%)

10.2%

0.7%

47.6%

(3.9%)

13.5%

39.7%

10.0% 8.2%

(5.7%) 28.5%

LIFE

Managing Weight Gain

Having plenty of support from friends and family can help you meet your weight-loss goals. The Cleveland Clinic offers these motivational suggestions to help you lose weight and keep it off: * Motivate yourself each day by mentally reviewing why you need to lose weight and maintain that loss. * Seek help and support from friends, family or members of a support group. * Eat a healthier diet that includes less sugar and fat. Opt instead for foods that are high in fiber and low-calorie. * Don’t skip meals or starve yourself. These methods may actually cause you to binge eat and gain weight. * Set a maximum tolerable weight, and examine your habits if you approach your threshold. * Keep a journal of your food intake and exercise habits. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day.

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

Global cyber anti-garbage drive shifts into gear FRANCE: Cyber-environmentalists said Friday 80 countries have joined the World Cleanup 2012 campaign which will see volunteers across the globe use the Internet to target illegal trash dumps for cleanup. Portugal and Slovenia kick off the unprecedented six-month-long global anti-dumping campaign on Saturday, with Tunisia joining in Sunday. “The aim of the action is to solve the illegal dumping problem on a local and global level both short- and longterm by engaging a large part of society in the cleanup,” Tiina Urm, World Cleanup 2012 spokeswoman told AFP on Friday. Urm added that the broad grassroots focus on illegal dumping was also aimed at “engaging experts, political and local leaders to find more sustainable systemic solutions.” The campaign started in 2008 in Estonia, where organizers created special software to map and photograph 11,000 illegal garbage dumps across the Nordic nation of 1.3 million people. In what proved to be an unprecedented success, over 50,000 volunteers collected 10,000 tons of illegal garbage from roadsides, forests and towns in just five hours. Organizers decided to go global after the campaign spread like wildfire to 15 more countries including India, Slovenia, Serbia, Finland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Cambodia, Russia, Hungary and Brazil. “Everyone eager to join can get the list and timetable of the countries attending the action from our homepage: www.letsdoitworld.org/countries”, Urm told AFP. Portuguese organizers are expecting to draw 100,000 volunteers Saturday, but complain support from local authorities has been more difficult to muster this year due to economic hard times. “This time around, getting the support of the local municipalities, has been more difficult. It’s clear that they simply have much less resources at hand to help us,” Car-

Iraqi children play on a garbage dump at the Mukhayamat settlement on March 1, 2012. Cyber-environmentalists said Friday 80 countries have joined the World Cleanup 2012 campaign which will see volunteers across the globe use the Internet to target illegal trash dumps for cleanup. (AFP)

los Evaristo, an activist from Portugal said in a press release. Evaristo is one of more than 100 national and local coordinating volunteers who have worked for six months to plan this unprecedented global clean-up. Slovenians will also be sweeping up for a second time

around. They are the current world record holders of the movement, having drawn a whopping 14 percent of the country’s two million citizens into the action in 2010. This year they are hoping for a quarter million people to pitch in. -AFP

Obese women at higher risk of breast cancer recurrence: Study CAPITALS: Overweight and obese breast cancer patients are at increased risk for recurrence of the disease, a new study finds, reports HealthDay News. The findings -- which held true even though chemotherapy doses were adjusted for weight -- provide further evidence that lifestyle factors can influence cancer patient outcomes, according to Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She and her colleagues analyzed data collected from 1,909 breast cancer patients. Of those women, about 1 percent were underweight, 33 percent were normal weight, 33 percent were overweight and 33 percent were obese. The researchers examined the link

between body-mass index (a measure of body fat based on weight and height) and relapse-free survival and overall survival. The findings are slated for presentation Friday at the European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna. “Several other studies have shown that being overweight or obese at the time that a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer is linked to a higher risk of recurrence. However, questions have been raised in the past whether obese women were receiving relatively lower doses of chemotherapy due to their weight. Our study mandated that each patient received a chemotherapy dose adjusted to her weight, so these results suggest that treatment factors are not responsible for the differences in recurrence rates seen in heavier women,” Ligibel said in a confer-

ence news release. “We found that BMI was related to both relapse-free survival and overall survival; for example, the 10-year relapsefree survival of a patient who was overweight was 70 percent; compared with 65 percent for one who was obese,” she noted. Ligibel concluded: “Obesity is a modifiable factor, and although there is not yet enough evidence to say with certainty that losing weight or exercising more regularly will decrease the risk of breast cancer recurrence, there are consistent links between lifestyle factors such as diet, weight and physical activity patterns and breast cancer prognosis. If future studies show that making changes in lifestyle behaviors for women with early breast cancer will improve survival rates, then lifestyle inter-

Device created to prevent baby theft or switches MADRID: Recent reports about newborns who were switched by mistake at the hospital and sent home with the wrong mother or babies who were outright stolen from their mothers during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco have shocked Spain and prompted activists to demand that their cases to be clarified. That is why the Spanish firm ICN Technologies has created an identification and monitoring system for babies which company chairman Carlos Herreros said would make changing or stealing babies impossible. Herreros became obsessed with the idea of baby safety when his first daughter was born. When he returned to the hospital after an initial visit with his newborn he found his child was wearing different garments from the ones hospital workers had dressed her in initially and her identification band was on a different leg. “I felt overcome by a sensation of total defenselessness,” said Herreros in an interview with the German Press Agency, dpa. Herreros has been working on his gadget, which he considers infallible, for 11 years. He says cases of hospital negligence are far more common than is known. “Hospitals and administrators keep those figures very tight,” Herreros said. A private study last year of a Spanish hos-

FILE-The ICN Technologies infant and mother identification system is novel in that it combines two technologies: biometrics and radio frequency. (dpa)

pital found that out of 4,000 births in a year 24 infant identity errors occurred in barely six months. The consequences of child theft or mistakes leading to mistaken identities are unacceptable says Herreros. “That someone should impose on another person that he or she lives a life that is not theirs is inadmissible and goes against every legal precept.” However, there could also be serious medical considerations, for example, if the individual ever needed a transplant and there was no genetic compatibility with his or her parents. Spain identified the problem some years ago and in 1999 revoked a mother’s previously held right to keep a child’s identity from him or her. Awareness about the issue is now far greater as many cases of children stolen from 1960-1980 are emerging. “The Spanish want secure systems to identify their children,” Herreros said. Currently, children are protected in Spanish hospitals through identification bracelets for mother and infant. But errors can happen. The bracelets carry handwritten or printed information, but it is easy for the mother’s data to be misplaced or become separated from that provided for the child. Hospital workers also take ink finger-

prints of infant and mother. But a baby’s prints are illegible at that age. Also, the bracelet can simply slip off. The ICN Technologies system is novel in that it combines two technologies: biometrics and radio frequency. “The biometric function ensures an unequivocal and permanent identification of the newborn by taking high-resolution fingerprints. The radio frequency allows for monitoring, control and real time localization of the baby, his or her mother, and the nurses taking care of them,” Herreros said. The gadget uses an electronic reading device that takes fingerprints of a newborn and the infant’s biological mother in the birthing room. Hospital workers then place an electronic bracelet on mother and child that contains that data. Fingerprint biometrics is a method already being used to identify adults, but this is the first time it is applied to newborns. It is also the first time the two techniques are used conjointly. “Radio frequency monitoring can be applied in any environment in which it is necessary to identify and monitor people and valuable objects,” Herreros said. The system is practical when dealing with ill or elderly patients or to keep track of valuable or strategic equipment during emergencies. The ICN Technologies system includes an alarm that is activated should someone tear off the baby’s bracelet. The system locks hospital doors shut, blocks elevators and the entire hospital centre goes into alert. Demand for the system is growing outside of Spain, especially in Latin America and the Gulf countries. Herreros said that getting hospitals to install these baby security devices is not always easy. There are financial objections as well as psychological. “It is hard to get them to understand that a reliable identification and control system for a newborn deserves the same attention and financial investment as a diagnostic device,” he said. “A system like this one does not cure, but it avoids errors with grave consequences, such as the loss of a human being’s identity,” sometimes for life, Herreros said. -dpa

ventions may one day become a standard part of breast cancer care.” According to conference chair David Cameron, a professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, these are important findings for women with breast cancer but “we need to recognize that the reason overweight women have poorer outcomes is not clear,” he said in the news release. “There are a lot of health reasons why overweight women should try and get back to a normal weight, but this is not always easy, and as the authors acknowledge, we don’t yet know that losing weight after a breast cancer diagnosis will make a difference,” he noted. Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

ISS crew takes shelter to avoid passing space junk FRANCE: A piece of an old Russian satellite whizzed by the International Space Station on Saturday, forcing its sixmember crew to temporarily take shelter in two Soyuz escape capsules, officials said. The incident was the third of its kind in more than a decade of continuous inhabitation of the orbiter, whose first element was launched by Russia in 1998, the US space agency NASA said in a series of Twitter updates. The Russian space agency said the debris passed within 23 kilometers of the ISS, forcing the three Russians, two US astronauts and a Dutch member of the crew to relocate to the two Soyuz capsules on board. According to NASA, Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin entered their Soyuz TMA-22 attached to the Poisk module, while cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA’s Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency settled into their Soyuz TMA-03M capsule. They waited for the debris to pass and exited to resume their normal duties, the US space agency said in a statement. The Soyuz are attached to the ISS and used by crews either to return to Earth after their missions or in emergencies. “The threat has passed,” a Russian Mission Control Centre official told the Interfax news agency. “The cosmonauts have returned to performing their previously assigned work.” The last such incident was reported in June last year, when a piece of space junk passed within just 250 meters of the station. Millions of chunks of metal, plastic and glass are whirling around Earth, the garbage left over from some 4,600 launches since the beginning of space exploration 55 years ago. The rubbish comes mainly from old satellites and upper stages of rockets whose residual fuel or other fluids explode while they turn in orbit. The Cosmos 2251 satellite whose debris passed by the station on Saturday was launched by Russia in 1993. -AFP

Work on Africa’s biggest wind farm in Kenya to begin

FRANCE: The construction of what is to become Africa’s biggest wind farm will start by June in an arid region of northern Kenya, the project’s officials said on Saturday. A total of 365 wind turbines will be erected near Lake Turkana, where winds blow predictably and regularly, averaging speeds of 11 meters per second. After seven years of study and funding negotiations, the $775 million project is to take off in June once risk guarantees from the Ida and Miga financial institutions -- part of the World Bank Group -- are finalized, Carlo Van Wageningen, head of Lake Turkana Wind Power, told AFP. “All the contracts are in place. We’re ready to start” the work once we get these guarantees, he said. The first step will be to improve on or build 204 kilometers of road in northern Kenya for the trucks that will make 12,000 trips to bring in all the materials for the project in the remote, neglected region. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. There is no infrastructure whatsoever,” Van Wageningen said, adding that the wind farm site resembles “photos of the surface of the moon.” A 428-kilometre transmission line will also be built to link the wind farm to the national grid at an additional cost of 142 million Euros. The transmission line will be built by Isolux Corsan of Spain and financed by loans from the Spanish and Kenyan governments. The wind farm is expected to start production of the first 50 MW in mid-2014 and reach full capacity in early 2015, by which time it should have an installed capacity of 300 megawatts. Total energy generation in Kenya was 6,460 MW hours in 2008, half from hydroelectric power, one-third from oil and 16 percent from geothermal power, according to the Global Energy Network Institute. Morocco currently boasts Africa’s largest wind energy production, with a capacity of 140 megawatts from 165 turbines. The consortium for the Kenyan project has entered into a contract to sell the power produced to utility firm Kenya Power over 20 years at a cost of 7.52 euro cents/kwh, a price, which, together with geothermal, is the lowest in Kenya. “Here you can produce windpower at an interesting cost, without subsidies,” unlike the case in Europe, Van Wageningen said. The African Development Bank said it was “heading the financing process” to arrange for a loan that will cover 70 percent of the project cost. Others are Britain’s Standard Bank and South Africa’s Nedbank. The remaining 30 percent is financed by investment funds and co-developers. Van Wageningen said the project is the largest private investment in East Africa. -AFP

Drug-resistant TB blamed on Indian treatment flaws

NEW DELHI: India’s inadequate government-run tuberculosis treatment programs and a lack of regulation of the sale of drugs that fight the disease are responsible for the spiraling number of drug-resistant cases that are difficult to treat, health activists said Friday. India adds an estimated 99,000 cases of drug-resistant TB every year, but only a tiny fraction of those infected receive the proper drugs to treat the stubborn disease through the government-funded program. Saturday marks World Tuberculosis Day. The original form of the disease can be easily cured by taking antibiotics for six to nine months. But if that treatment is interrupted or the dose is cut, the bacteria battle back by mutating into a tougher strain that can no longer be killed by standard drugs, making it harder and more expensive to treat. The easy availability of TB drugs in the private market and the casual over-the-counter sale of antibiotics is fueling the development of drug resistance, Piero Gandini, head of Doctors Without Borders in India, said in a statement. “There is an urgent need for regulatory control of sale and administration of TB drugs in the private sector,” he said. The organization and other health groups also said India’s TB control program provides treatment to patients only on alternate days. They argue it increases the risk that patients, most of whom are poor daily wage laborers, will miss doses, another factor responsible for drug-resistant strains of TB. Patients also increasingly turn to private doctors who often do not understand how to properly treat TB or the risks of increasing drug resistance by prescribing the wrong drugs. The Indian government had no response Friday to requests for comment on the activists’ allegations. In January, Indian doctors reported the country’s first cases that appeared to be “totally drug resistant,” a longfeared and virtually untreatable form of the killer lung disease. The Indian hospital that saw the initial cases tested a dozen medicines and none of them worked. However, the Indian government later questioned the findings, saying the World Health Organization has not defined the term “totally drug-resistant” tuberculosis. If a tuberculosis case is found to be resistant to the two most powerful drugs, the patient is classified as having multidrug-resistant TB. An even worse classification of TB - one the WHO accepts - is extensively drug-resistant TB, a form of the disease that was first reported in 2006 and is virtually resistant to all drugs. An estimated 20 percent of the world’s multi-drug-resistant cases are found in India, which is home to a quarter of all types of tuberculosis cases worldwide. -AP

ALWATAN DAILY

Technology

APP OF THE WEEK

Jumanah Al-Ghadban Staff Writer

App: Angry Birds Space HD Category: Games Price: $0.99 (iPhone) $2.99 (iPad HD) Platform: iOS, Android Works with: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices. Briefly: Angry Birds is back with help from NASA. This new version was released late last week and features new birds floating in a strange new galaxy surrounded by space pigs. The game now features 60 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity, it gives you an insane new way to hurt those pigs with smart efforts. Check out the HD version with the new iPad the beauty of the graphics is insane! Hurry and grab the new birds, new superpowers, new levels, zero-gravity space adventures, and so much more.

TECH TALK Chrome wins weekend browser battle with IE: Google Inc’s Chrome web browser overtook Microsoft Corp’s Internet Explorer (IE) to become market leader globally for the first time last Sunday, web analytics firm StatCounter said on Wednesday. “While it is only one day, this is a milestone,” said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter’s chief executive. “At weekends, when people are free to choose what browser to use, many of them are selecting Chrome in preference to IE.” -Reuters Google opens Amazon wilds to armchair explorers: Google’s free online map service on Wednesday began letting people explore portions of the Amazon Basin from the comfort of their homes. Pictures taken along the Rio Negro in Brazil last year using camera-mounted three wheeled bicycles have been woven into Google Maps, allowing users to virtually venture on waterways and trails and in even villages. -AFP Zynga buys startup behind hit ‘Draw Something’ game: Social games star Zynga on Wednesday said it has bought the young company behind a playful “Draw Something” application that rocketed in popularity in recent weeks. Zynga did not disclose how much it paid for New York City-based OMGPOP but unofficial estimates valued the deal at approximately $200 million. -AFP Windows Phone surpasses Symbian in Britain: Sales of smartphones with Microsoft Windows software have surpassed those using Nokia’s old Symbian system in Britain, research showed on Tuesday, a sign of progress in Nokia’s switch to Microsoft software. Data for the three months to mid-February, after the launch of Nokia’s Windows-based Lumia 800 model, showed Microsoft’s market share rose 5-fold to 2.5 percent in the British market, which is considered an indicator of Europe-wide trends. -Reuters

SUNDAY, march 25, 2012

Facebook takes steps to address privacy concerns

NEW YORK: Facebook has taken steps in recent days to address more worries about privacy, warning employers not to ask prospective employees for their passwords and trying to clarify its user “rights and responsibilities” policies. But the latter effort backfired when tens of thousands of users, mostly in Germany, misunderstood the clarifications and blasted the company, even though nothing substantive had changed. Their discontent showed that, no matter what Facebook does, privacy concerns are still the biggest threat to users’ trust and to its growth. “There is such an incredible level of scrutiny now about anything any company does about privacy,” said Jules Polonetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum, an industry-backed think tank in Washington. “We are treating every single thing that touches privacy as a five-alarm fire. The risk of all these five-alarm level outbursts is that people will become inured about privacy and miss real privacy issues because of crying wolf when nothing is actually going on.” Users’ willingness to share information is a key part of Facebook’s business. The site makes the bulk of its money from ads that target users based on their personal information. Privacy issues have dogged Facebook for years. It settled with the Federal Trade Commission in November over allegations that it misled users about the handling of their personal information. Google Inc., a big rival, agreed to a similar settlement eight months earlier. The latest ruckus happened when more than 30,000 German users posted that they were rejecting the company’s proposed changes to its governing documents. But the changes amounted to nuanced revisions and clarifications of long-

FILE - Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, delivers a keynote address at the company’s annual conference in San Francisco, California in this July 23, 2008 file photo. (Reuters)

standing policies - not a major overhaul. The company, for instance, replaced the word “profile” with “timeline,” since Facebook users now have a different type of profile. Facebook also changed “hateful” to “hate speech” in its description of prohibited content. Still, users who read the documents for the first time noticed some things that alarmed them. For example, the document replaced the words “privacy policy” with “data-use policy,” seemingly taking privacy out of the picture.

Facebook has been calling it a data-use policy since September, preferring to be more straightforward about its actual purpose. But the company makes so many subtle changes that it’s easy to lose track. “It’s clear that some people fundamentally misunderstand our proposed changes. Our datause policy governs how we use and collect data. That document is not changing at this time,” Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said. “That’s why we have this unique and transparent pro-

Apple’s iPad throws off much more heat: Tests SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc’s new iPad throws off a lot more heat than the previous version, lending weight to complaints on Internet forums that the hot-selling tablet computer could get uncomfortably warm after heavy use, an influential consumer watchdog found after running tests. Consumer Reports, a widely followed group that reviews everything from electronics to cars, found that Apple’s new tablet racked up temperatures of 116 degrees Fahrenheit (47 Celsius) after 45 minutes of running an intense action game, up to 13 degrees F hotter than the previous model under similar conditions.

Using a thermal imaging camera, it ascertained that the front and rear of the tablet could run 12 to 13 degrees F hotter than the iPad 2 after running Infinity Blade II, depending on whether it was plugged in, Consumer Reports said. The group, which can be instrumental in the success or failure of consumer products, has not reached a final decision on whether to recommend the latest model of Apple’s tablet. A spokesman urged caution on the part of consumers but added the heat issue in itself did not appear serious enough to void its recommendation. Consumer Reports plans to release a final review on the new iPad - which has

Apple Inc’s latest tablet computer, the new iPad, (right) and its predecessor, the iPad 2, are pictured with a thermal camera in Berlin March 22, 2012. (Reuters)

cess, though - so have an opportunity to clarify confusion and respond to user concerns. We look forward to doing so in the coming weeks.” Another worrisome discovery might have been the fact that applications used by your Facebook friends can gain access to your data on Facebook, even if you do not use the apps yourself. That’s true, but it’s been true since at least 2007 and well-documented elsewhere on the site. The attention focused on Facebook’s largely cosmetic changes reflect just how closely people watch the company. “If they reposted the same privacy policy they had, everyone would be jumping up and down,” said Polonetsky, a former chief privacy officer at AOL. On Friday, it was Facebook itself that raised alarms about privacy, warning employers not to ask job applicants for their passwords to the site so they can poke around on their profiles. The company threatened legal action against applications that violate its long-standing policy against sharing passwords. The company action came after The Associated Press documented cases of job applicants who were asked, at the interview table, to reveal their Facebook passwords so their prospective employers can check their online profiles. A Facebook executive cautioned that if an employer discovers that a job applicant is a member of a protected group, the employer may be vulnerable to claims of discrimination if it doesn’t hire that person. The post sparked comments from Facebook users, many of them thankful. But the number totaled only 108 - a sign that when it comes to online privacy, it’s far easier to stir anger than gratitude. -AP

‘Dr aw Something’ Fans from Kuwait

sold more than 3 million units since it hit store shelves in more than 10 countries on Friday - in about five days. “During our tests, I held the new iPad in my hands. When it was at its hottest, it felt very warm but not especially uncomfortable if held for a brief period,” reviewer Donna Tapellini said in the report. The third iteration of the iPad, which hit markets in 2010, set a record for firstweekend sales when it launched Friday. Bigger Battery

An Apple spokeswoman said the iPad was “within our thermal specifications.” The company’s website lists the normal operating range for the new iPad as between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 to 35 degrees Celsius. It is designed to power down should that range be breached. The new iPad’s battery is 70 percent bigger than the one in the previous version, said Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, a prominent Apple repair and parts supplier. “It still has the same battery life,” he said. “So it will run hotter.” The iPad 2 had a 25 watt-hour battery while the new iPad’s battery has a capacity of 42.5 watt-hours, according to a teardown analysis by iFixit. Reviews have generally been good for a gadget that experts say falls short of being revolutionary, focusing on the iPad’s ability to take advantage of faster 4G wireless technology as well as a sharper display. On Friday, before comments about excessive heat began circulating online, Consumer Reports said in its preliminary review that the iPad was “shaping up as the best tablet yet.” -Reuters

User: Ali3Alnasser and his drawing of ‘Steve Jobs.’

gears

2013 Bugatti Galibier has ‘4-digit’ horsepower Compiled by Jameel W. Karaki Staff Writer

CAPITALS: The 2013 Bugatti Galibier is the highperformance ultra-luxury sedan that’s been expected since Volkswagen Group’s top-tier division unveiled a like-named concept in fall 2009. It’s also the replacement for the 2-seat, mid-engine, mega-power Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which ends production in 2012 at some 450 units after earning wide acclaim as the world’s ultimate sports car. Promising to be the world’s ultimate sedan, the Galibier will cost at least $1.6 million in today’s money, yet will be more numerous than the Veyron, with planned production of 1,000 to 3,000 units according to Germa-

According to reporters, the Galibier will cost at least $1.6 million in today’s money. (Agencies)

ny’s auto motor und sport magazine and Britain’s CAR and Autocar. Bugatti announced the impending arrival of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse in a bravado-laced statement, calling it the culmination of engineers’ efforts to “transfer all the achievements of the Super Sport over to the Grand Sport.” The resultant open-top missile packs 1200 hp, nearly 20 percent more than the Grand Sport convertible’s paltry sum of 1001; torque increases from 922 lb-ft to 1106 lb-ft, so towing the old Bayliner down to the lake for the weekend should be a breeze for this new droptop. The 2013 Bugatti Galibier will be get more popular in the market because of this performance. The Bugatti

Galibier car designed like a XXL 4-passenger 4-door car with similar footprint which is called as a Rolls-Royce Ghost. Wheelbase has some features such as a massive 144 inches, over 14 inches greater than the Ghost’s. Generally the 2013 Bugatti Galibier will be come for two reasons. First of all, concept wise, this car is really good and highly enough to convince management and it has a wonderful features like a “4-door Veyron”. According to Dürheimer, Bugatti engineers and designers have been “deeply involved” with productionizing the Galibier Concept, a job that is to be finished in fall 2011. Assuming the result gets top-level approval at that point, the first retail cars should be in customer hands by late 2012. In addition, Dürheimer says the 2013 Bugatti Galibier will not only retain the Veyron’s complex W16 engine and all-wheel drive, but will claim similar “4-digit” horsepower, meaning somewhere north of 1,000. Earlier reports had the sedan being “detuned” to the region of 800-900 horsepower. Bugatti’s boss has also confirmed something of a surprise, a gas or electric hybrid option. The system is still some ways from being finalized, and might seem pointless for a cost-no-object car built in limited numbers, but Bugatti’s rationale for it is part environmental and part owner ego. As Dürheimer told CAR, “When the mayors of cities know we can make cars that run silently, I don’t expect they will allow cars that pollute into city centers, but I can’t imagine a Galibier owner leaving their car at the park-and-ride and catching a bus. That’s why we need to offer a hybrid with this car, so owners drive up to the hotel silently in EV mode. But not every Galibier needs to be a hybrid in places like Dubai it is not what the market wants.” If you think you missed out on your chance to buy the fastest car in the world, don’t worry. Bugatti is still offering the convertible version of the Veyron, the socalled Grand Sport. It’s as wickedly quick and has the same 1001-hp W-16 as the coupe. Move fast, inventory won’t last.

User: F2odesigns and her drawing of ‘Madonna.’ Share with us your drawings by sending them to alwatandailysocial@gmail.com.

RIM to give out prototype BlackBerry device TORONTO: Research In Motion plans to give developers a prototype BlackBerry 10 device to help them design applications for future smartphones that will run on a modified version of the software running RIM’s poor-selling PlayBook tablet. The Canadian company made clear that the device was not a commercial BlackBerry 10 device, the first of which are due to launch later this year, but would help create excitement among developers for its overhauled operating system. “It’s not the final hardware or OS - it’s a device to help developers get started with designing for what’s coming,” RIM’s social media manager Alex Kinsella said. RIM has struggled to match the massive app libraries available on Apple products and Google’s Android platform, used by a range of handset makers including Samsung. It is starting afresh with PlayBook and BlackBerry 10, which use a completely different operating system than RIM’s legacy BlackBerry smartphones. The device, called the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha, will be given to developers attending RIM’s annual BlackBerry World conference taking place in Orlando, Florida, in early May. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

entertainment Song Of The Day

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

1980s comedian TV’s Simon Cowell Gallagher says he will retire ready for challenge of The Voice

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: Express Yourself (Feat. Nicky Da B) Artist: Diplo Album: Express Yourself - Single Genre: Alternative In short: “Express Yourself” can only be described as a churning monster of a song; unlike other DJ’s and producers, Diplo hasn’t established a sound that is his own, but instead went on to create songs so different to each other, it was hard to believe that they were helmed by the same man. From M.I.A., to Santigold, and lately Beyoncé and Usher, Diplo has more than enough credibility to back up his status as one of the brightest producers of this time, all the while staying true to himself and not selling out for a mainstream sound. To listen to the song visit www.alwatandaily.com E-mail your feedback to falsabah@alwatandaily.com

The Buzz Store covers up pregnant Simpson on magazine cover A pregnant Jessica Simpson on the cover of Elle magazine was apparently too much for some customers of a Tucson Safeway store, where a worker covered it with cardboard.The April edition features the photo of the singer/actress/fashion designer with one hand over her breast and another wrapped around her nude belly. The Arizona Daily Star reported the manager of the store received multiple complaints, prompting a worker to cover the image with cardboard. “The sign was up for a short time and removed,” Teena Massingill, director of corporate public affairs for Safeway Inc., told The Associated Press. “This was one store employee’s response to some customer complaints. This was by no means a company-wide directive.” Elle Magazine released a statement Friday to the AP. “We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response to Jessica Simpson’s cover,” it said. “She’s celebrating her body during this joyous time in her life and we couldn’t be happier for her.” -AP

Kim Kardashian laughs off flour-bomb attack Reality television star Kim Kardashian laughed off being pelted with a flour-bomb while stepping out to promote her new fragrance.The star of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” was on the red carpet in West Hollywood on Thursday when an unidentified woman ran up behind her and emptied a bag of white flour over her head, shouting what appeared to be “fur hag”. The woman was briefly detained and Kardashian, 31, left the event, but returned 10 minutes later in an identical outfit with no trace of flour. “That probably is the craziest, unexpected, weird thing that ever happened to me...I said to my makeup artist, I wanted more powder and that’s a whole lot of translucent powder right there,” Kardashian joked in an interview with E! Online. She did not press charges against the flour-bomber, who was released without charge, police said. Kardashian’s sisters Khloe and Kourtney, who were not at the event, were less forgiving as they took to Twitter to voice their outrage at the incident. “I wish I was with my sister tonight. I bet you that woman wouldn’t have dared tried a thing,” Khloe posted, while Kourtney added “classy to flour bomb my sister at her charity event helping women.” -Reuters

Cameron’s sub makes successful unmanned test dive A submarine that will take “Titanic” director James Cameron to the Earth’s deepest point has made a successful unmanned test dive. Cameron tells National Geographic News that his specially designed submarine called Deepsea Challenger completed the nearly 7-mile test dive Wednesday. The team returned to calmer waters and was headed back to the site Saturday. If all goes well, he’ll spend about six hours exploring and filming the bottom of the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and US Navy Capt. Don Walsh are the only other men to reach the spot. -AP

FILE- Wacky 1980s comedian Gallagher, famous for using a variety of props and smashing things during his act, said he does not plan to return to the stage after he was placed in a medically-induced coma for four days earlier this month. (Agencies)

CLEVELAND: Wacky 1980s comedian Gallagher, famous for using a variety of props and smashing things during his act, said he does not plan to return to the stage after he was placed in a medically-induced coma for four days earlier this month. Gallagher, 65, born as Leo Anthony Gallagher, was best known for his signature “Sledge-O-Matic” routine that involved smashing things on stage, most famously watermelons. The comedian spoke to Marion, Ohio WDCM radio host Scott Spears on his show “Over Breakfast with Scott Spears” Thursday morning. Spears called the comedian to ask how he was doing after his second heart attack March 14th. It was the second heart attack in a little more than a year, in Lewisville, Texas. Gallagher said he had two coronary stents replaced

and experienced some memory loss after he regained consciousness. “I was surprised that I was in the hospital and my son and daughter were there,” Gallagher told Spears, according to an audio tape of the interview. The comedian also expressed disillusionment about the end of his 32-year career. “It is babysitting people who can’t handle alcohol,” he said of his performances of late. “That’s why I really don’t want to get on stage because I can’t remember what I said or what the word is - I don’t want to be pitiful.” Gallagher was also briefly in the spotlight when he ran as an Independent for Governor of California in 2003. He finished in 16th place in the voting that subsequently elected Arnold Schwarzenegger. -Reuters

Irrfan Khan: Indian audience very naïve, not like Western audience MUMBAI: Irrfan is probably India’s most successful export to Hollywood, having tasted success with experimental roles in several critically acclaimed films such as “Slumdog Millionaire” and “A Mighty Heart.” But the 40-something actor said he has no plans to move to Hollywood. His last Bollywood outing, “Paan Singh Tomar”, based on the true story of an Indian athlete who turns into a dreaded outlaw, pleased critics and was a sleeper hit at the Indian box-office this month. Irrfan spoke to Reuters about “naive” Indian audiences, how Hollywood gives him rare experiences and why he doesn’t use his last name any more. (Director) Tigmanshu (Dhulia has said he was surprised that urban audiences liked “Paan Singh Tomar”.

Khan: I wasn’t apprehensive about urban audiences at all. Cinema is changing every week, and multiplex audiences are demanding every week. Although they are very naïve, very forgiving. They aren’t like Western audiences, where you have to do so much to bring the audience to the theatre. Here, if you give them something in the film, the audience will patronize it. Does the fact that Indian audiences are forgiving mean that we work less hard on our films, as compared to the West?

Khan: Our audiences believe in fantasies, we believe in celebrations - even our Gods have affairs.We don’t have a culture of realistic cinema. So even if the film touches them emotionally in some way, they’ll buy it, even if it isn’t credible. They are ready to believe that three sons are lying on the bed and donating blood to their mother. We are simple people. But of course, now they are watching Hollywood cinema and world cinema so now they are getting demanding. They are looking for films that have their own voice, which aren’t ripped from somewhere else. You had film-makers like Bimal Roy and Mehboob Khan in the past, who

had their own voices.

Do you think we’ve lost out on that voice?

Khan: I think the new generation will bring it back. After that, the generation which will come, they’ll change cinema completely, and then we’ll understand what crossover cinema is. Right now it’s difficult for us to get the attention of the West. Right now, it’s there in pockets, but we don’t have an international voice. A lot of people say that international voice is you.

Khan: I’m not a storyteller; I’m just a cog in the wheel. I can recite poetry but I cannot write it. I need a story-teller who I can trust and I can let myself loose. Are you using the same approach with Hollywood?

Khan: I am very careful. I am privileged to be in Hollywood. I do get a lot of incentives to shift my base there and I could become very busy there. I could keep on doing films there but then I will be repeating the same mistake. Then I’ll have to do films just for my survival. That I can do here. America has a lot more to offer, it gives me a rare experience. America is also a door to different industries like Europe. I haven’t done a European film. I am doing a film now, which is an Indo-German-French collaboration. You’ve dropped ‘Khan’ from your name, preferring to be called only Irrfan. Why is that?

Khan: This isn’t recent; I did it 10 years ago. People are realizing it now. It seems to me that caste, creed and color are all tools to misuse ... people are trapped in these brackets and then misused by people who have the reins. I don’t know what to do with it; I cannot change the world (pauses). I don’t like being called as part of a group, where everyone is told that one group is superior to the other. Maybe that’s how I am. I am just here to question. -Reuters

FILE-Irrfan Khan accepts his International Achievement award during the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards show in Toronto June 25, 2011. (Reuters)

No more Hangovers after third film, says director Todd Phillips

Senna director to make film for London Olympics The London Olympics are getting a celluloid twist, with special films and screenings including a new movie by the director of an acclaimed documentary on the late Brazilian race car driver Ayrton Senna. London-born Asif Kapadia, whose portrait “Senna” global praise, says his short film, “The Odyssey,” will explore the relationship between the British capital and the Olympic games. New films have also been commissioned from directors Mike Leigh, Lynne Ramsay and the duo of Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini. The Olympic film program announced Friday also includes a rerelease of “Chariots of Fire,” a 1981 tale of British triumph at the 1924 Games that won four Academy Awards. -AP

Harold & Kumar creators sign deal with Universal Universal Pictures signed a two-year first-look production agreement with “Harold & Kumar” creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg’s Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions. The partners wrote and directed Universal’s upcoming fourth film in the “American Pie” franchise, “American Reunion.””When we first became friends in high school, we shared a dream of making movies -- specifically, laugh-yourass-off comedies,” Hurwitz and Schlossberg said in a statement. -Reuters

LONDON: A television ratings battle in Britain is about to begin between music mogul Simon Cowell’s “Britain’s Got Talent” and newcomer “The Voice”, and neither side is backing down. Both shows are set to premiere on Saturday in a head-to-head battle with both sides recruiting celebrity judges. Cowell, the music executive-turned-television producer, is returning to Talent as a judge after working in the United States on his other programs, the newly launched “X Factor” and audience favorite “American Idol”. Britain’s Got Talent has helped launch the career of Susan Boyle, who has sold 30 million albums worldwide, according to Cowell. It’s not the first time Cowell, whose shows air on ITV in Britain, is engrossed in a ratings war with state broadcaster, the BBC. Last season, the British version of X Factor lagged in ratings numbers behind BBC ballroom dance competition “Strictly Come Dancing”. But it seems Cowell is currently having the last laugh as he has wangled judge Alesha Dixon away from Strictly to Talent. “Someone’s always going to have a pop at you, but you’ve got to be quite honest about it,” Cowell told Reuters this week. “You want to beat us and we want to beat you.” The Voice judge and Welsh singer Tom Jones raised the stakes in the ratings war last week, when he questioned the credibility of judges on other shows in an interview on British television channel ITN. “Some judges on other shows that have never been on stage in their lives, or they’ve never actually sang, or they don’t sing that well and you think ‘How can this person, who’s an average singer anyway, give their advice to somebody that sounds better than they do’,” Jones told ITN. Cowell cited the success of British boyband One Direction, who was put together by Cowell on X Factor and signed to his record label Syco as an example of how Jones was wrong. The group made history on Wednesday by becoming the first British group to have their debut album take number one in the United States, not even the Beatles or the Spice Girls managed that. “One of the panelists said this, said that only singers can judge these shows which is ridiculous, it’s what I do for a living,” Cowell said. “I spot talent.” He pointed out that One Direction were number one in the album charts this week and Susan Boyle was number one in the United States and sold 30 million albums. “You can’t knock the statistics but now these people have got to walk the walk themselves and we’ll see what they come up with,” said Cowell. -Reuters

Lebanese singer Myriam Fares poses for pictures during a press conference in Beirut on March 23, 2012, where Google announced that Fares is the “Google+ Hangout” service ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa. (AFP)

LONDON: The director of “The Hangover” series has promised filmgoers the third installment will definitely be the last, reports The Guardian. Todd Phillips also revealed the new film will be released in May 2013 and will feature all four original cast members. “We’re going to surprise a lot of people with the final chapter we have planned,” Phillips said. “It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.” The first Hangover film was the sleeper hit of 2009 and went on to become the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time in the US. Its 2011 sequel, The Hangover Part II, shifted the stag-do antics of bachelor quartet Phil Wenneck, Stu Price, Alan Garner and Doug Billings from Las Vegas to Bangkok and once again broke box-office records. However, it could not repeat the first film’s positive critical reception, with reviewers complaining that the storyline amounted to little more than

an unimaginative retread of part one. Film-makers have hinted that the third film will switch the action to Los Angeles and introduce a radically different formula. But given that the first and second movies made $467.5m and $581.5m respectively worldwide for studio Warner Bros, Phillips may find himself under pressure not to deviate too far from the tried and tested, memory-loss-meetscarnage blueprint. The director, who is currently working on the screenplay with Hangover Part II writer Craig Mazin, gave little away in his statement. Hollywood trade sites speculated earlier this year that the lead trio of Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms might be set for $15m paydays if they signed on for a third installment. No word yet on whether there is a place on the cast list for those two favorites from the earlier films, Mike Tyson, who played himself, and Ken Jeong, who portrayed flamboyant gangster Leslie Chow.

ALWATAN DAILY

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUT

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

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

Feature o f

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ACK and Central Queensland University sign academic auspice agreement

KUWAIT: The Australian College in Kuwait signed an academic auspice agreement with the Central Queensland University (CQU) in Australia for Bachelor of civil and mechanical engineering technology programs On the occasion, Prof. Vishy Karri, President of ACK, stated: “Commencing 12th of March 2012, we proceeded on agreement with CQU to provide civil and mechanical engineering technology programs within the framework of an international education system. This will bring an addition to the current academic partnerships at ACK with Cape Breton University for petroleum and electronic/communication engineering, Victoria University for Business Management and Marketing, Kangan Institute for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Mechanical B1.1, Central Institute Technology for Mechanical, civil, Oil and Gas Engineering Diploma, SkillsTech - TAFE Queensland and Tasmanian Polytechnic for Management, Marketing and Human Resources Diplomas.” “The new academic auspice agreement comes within ACK’s plan to provide an international education system for bachelor

Month a t

degrees, as CQU is specialized in providing educational systems that cover both theoretical and practical aspects, which ACK seeks to provide within the partnership. Central Queensland University will be replacing The University of Tasmania (UTAS) for civil and mechanical engineering technology,” he added. “This Partnership with CQU is significant for ACK in upgrading the scientific and practical aspects of ACK students throughout the educational stages. It establishes knowledge and develops skills, which, in turn, reflects ACK’s goal

to provide the labor market with individuals capable of contributing to its development,” he elaborated. “ACK has completed all scientific and academic preparations, including labs, equipments, and workshops necessary for Engineering programs. The academic partnership will enhance higher education’s role in formulating the educational policy of ACK, in addition to upgrading the projectbased learning system (PBL). ACK pays great attention to training its students for innovation and project design for different usages,” he stressed.

Sudoku

Elementary

Advanced

Intermediate

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

a glance

Art exhibition March 26-28/ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. / Bayt Lothan: This exhibition will be a collaboration of work by the French artist Philippe Bichon along with Kuwaiti artist Abdulla Al-Jiran. Hosted by Bayt Lothan, this exhibition and workshop is done with the cooperation of the French Embassy. For more information, call 25755877/66.

Dar Al Funoon hosts artist Karim Ghidinelli April 2- 19/ 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. / Dar Al Funoon: Born in Italy in 1976, Karim spent his childhood in this city; he went to middle school and high school in African countries. His body of work consists of a central iconic image that of a finger imprint, within each thumb impression he has formulated a pseudocalligraphic narrative of life experiences on luminous and luxurious enamel weaves.

K’S PATH invites applicants for the adoption of pets Sepp is a Domestic Long Haired (DLH) male cat. He will be 2-years-old April 2012. This friendly, laid-back boy loves a good cuddle and likes a high vantage point in a cat tree or ledge to look out from. He would do best in a home with children over 12 years of age. To adopt, contact +965 67006122 or visit the website www.kspath.org

New Toastmasters Club

Kuwaiti cuisine

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

March 15-April 5/6 p.m. - 8 p.m./TIES Center: TIES Ladies Club invites you to our Kuwaiti cuisine classes which will start soon. Join us for a one month cooking program where you will learn to cook real Kuwaiti food. All ladies are invited to join our classes and let your family enjoy the mouth watering Kuwaiti cuisine. For more information/registration, contact 25231015/6.

Second and fourth Tuesday/ 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. / Jabriya: A new Toastmasters Club is being formed and encouraging new members to join. Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. It is a non-profit international organization dedicated to improve member’s communication and leadership skills by attending and participating toastmasters meetings. For more information, please contact Khaled Al-Hashem at 65588824.

Arabic course

Hip Hop at BAIA

The Philippine Embassy

March 11-April 19/ TIES Center: TIES Center is glad to announce the start of Arabic courses. We offer classes for all levels, from beginners to advance and also introduced new classes called Kuwait dialect. TIES Arabic classes are intended for all expatriates who wish to learn Arabic for whatever purposebusiness, basic communication, as a second language or simply as a hobby. For more information/registration, contact 97228860/97793440.

Every week/ Salmiya: BAIA offers weekly Hip Hop classes for students aged five and up. These “just for fun” classes are a great work-out. For more information visit www.thebaia.com or contact: info@thebaia.com. Telephone: 2562 3604 ext.154, 2562 0706 ext.154. Mobile: 6005 2087.

The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait announces that the Department or Foreign Affairs is advising all passport applicants to claim their passports within six (6) months from the date of application. Otherwise, unclaimed passports shall be cancelled and sent back to the Department for disposal. The Embassy will continue to entertain last minute claimants for such unclaimed passports within the next two months before finally canceling the passport in accordance with the directive of the Department.

Sewing for kids March 18-29/ 4:30 p.m. -6 p.m. / Salmiya: Here is your opportunity to join ten classes of basics of sewing for kids. Transportation available. This course will cover basic sewing skills such as tacking, hemming, variety of buttons fixing, making button holes, variations of bead work, fixing of bridal pearls, sequins, mirror work, motifs and much more. For details contact 66630243

Brainbang session October 7-April/ 11:45 a.m. -1:45 p.m. /Salmiya: BRAINBANG, the creative arm of Friends of CRY Club (FOCC) invites all students aged 11 and above, to join us fortnightly on Fridays. The areas of development are: Creativity in learning, tools and techniques to empower your mind, profile based learning, activity, fun, games and worksheet based assignments, practical experiments, mind gymnastics and application of learning techniques to conventional study. E-mail: brainbang@focckwt.org or call 25660835/25618471/97677820.

Dilbert

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

Nancy

Horoscopes Aries: March 21 - April 19

Do you like detective stories, Aries? If so, you may find them useful today as you play the role of Sherlock Holmes. A missing object, intellectual problem, or mystery of some kind could have you curious enough to search for the truth. This is a good way to train your powers of observation, although intuition will probably play a strong role in your success. Go to it, and have fun! Taurus: April 20 - May 20

A business or romantic partner may seem a bit preoccupied with some very serious matters today,Taurus, and not be likely to share them with you.Asking to talk about it won’t work, so you’ll probably end up depending on your intuition.Your friend is probably concerned with the health of a family member who may need surgery. Don’t feel excluded. Your friend will talk when the time is right. Gemini: May 21- June 21

Some rather extensive and annoying paperwork might need to be dealt with, Gemini. It will probably require all your attention, so if you can, take care of it first thing in the morning when you’re still fresh. This might be a contract or it could be an insurance policy or something else full of unintelligible jargon.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

A fascinating article you read in the newspaper could inspire you to try to create a mystery story of your own, Cancer.Today your mind is perfectly suited to devising plot twists and interesting but complex characters. You could tell the story to children, or you might even decide to turn it into a novel. Jot down your ideas and look at them again tomorrow. If you want to continue, then go for it! Leo: July 23 - August 22

An important lost object, perhaps a paper of some kind, could command the attention of your entire household, Leo. This could prove frustrating at first, because you will know that it has to be somewhere in the house, but you can’t find it anywhere! The item may reappear just as you’ve given up on it, in a place you never would have imagined! Tip: it’s probably hidden among other objects. Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Someone or something has disappeared,Virgo. Gossip could spread like wildfire as everyone imagines the worst. Listening to rumors probably doesn’t appeal to your sense of fairness; nonetheless, you’re wondering, too.Your comrades will probably experience a mixture of relief and disappointment when this person/thing turns up.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

You could have some paperwork to do today, Libra, which could make a big difference to your financial future.This could be a contract, settlement, or agreement of some kind. Whatever it is, you may need to seek some assistance before you execute it. The language might be difficult to understand, and some of the clauses might not feel right to you. This can be frustrating, but it’s important to do it today. Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

The study of psychology might be especially appealing today, Scorpio. Some new discoveries that you may have heard about in the media could have piqued your interest and might propel you to the library to find books on the subject. This is a good time to pursue this. Your mind is in the right space to understand it, and it could shed a lot of light on those around you, including you! Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

Occult sciences, such as alchemy, phrenology, and astrology, could be singing their siren song to you, Sagittarius. You like to think of yourself as down to Earth and realistic, but today you could find so-called unrealistic fields of knowledge irresistible.You’ll also have a special gift for them right now. Read up on the subject and give it a try.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

A group activity could lead to discussions of famous unsolved mysteries, Capricorn. Jack the Ripper, the Black Dahlia, the truth about O.J. Simpson, and other intriguing problems might capture the interest of everyone present, and might lead to some animated debates over possible solutions. You might want to make mental notes of the ideas everyone comes up with. Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

A young colleague could leave your place of employment under strange circumstances, Aquarius, and this could come as a shock to you. You may have been quite fond of this person, and find yourself wondering about the truth behind the departure. Gossip may buzz, but don’t pay any attention to it. Chances are it’s a health problem, but no one feels comfortable discussing it. Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Spiritual occurrences could lead to a very powerful healing experience, Pisces. Repressed past traumas could come to the surface and be processed and released. This could leave you feeling rather dazed, as this purging could open a gap in your psyche. Don’t worry; eventually it will fill with new knowledge instead of psychic garbage!

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

sunDAY, march 25, 2012

Basketball

Sessions, Bynum power Lakers over Blazers LOS ANGELES: Andrew Bynum had 28 points and nine rebounds, point guard Ramon Sessions had 20 points and 11 assists in his first start for the Lakers, and Los Angeles beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-96 on Friday night. Kobe Bryant scored 18 points for the Lakers, who finished with a season-high 33 assists and increased their Pacific Division lead to 3 1/2 games over the idle Clippers. Pau Gasol had 16 rebounds and 10 points. Sessions played his fifth game since the Lakers obtained him from Cleveland along with Christian Eyenga on March 15 for Luke Walton and Jason Kapono. The fifth-year veteran made his first three shots and was 6 for 10 from the field in 35 minutes after averaging 25 minutes, 12 points and six assists in his four games off the bench. Sessions became the first Lakers point guard to record a double-double since Jan. 11, 2009, when Fisher had 13 points and 11 assists in 42 1/2 minutes against the Miami Heat in a 108-105 victory at Staples Center. Steve Blake went back to a reserve role, scoring two points in 18 minutes. He started the previous four games following the departure of Fisher at the trading deadline, averaging almost 23 minutes and totaling just five points and 13 assists while shooting 2 for 12. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 29 points on 12-for-18 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. Forward J.J. Hickson made his Blazers debut after being claimed off waivers from Sacramento on Wednesday, scoring 14 points in 22 minutes. Portland trailed by as many as 12 late in the first quarter before Wesley Matthews tied it 48-all on a 3-pointer late in the second, capping the Blazers’ 18-6 run, but they never did take the lead. Jamal Crawford had a chance to put Portland ahead with 25 seconds left in the third, but missed a 19-footer. He got another chance to give the Blazers the lead, but Matt Barnes hustled back after a Lak-

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shoots over the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 23, 2012. (AP)

ers turnover and blocked Crawford’s fast-break layup with 9:57 left in the game. Barnes then hit a 3-pointer 43 seconds later, and the Lakers eventually were able to put the stubborn Blazers away - but not before Portland cut the martin to a single point three different times on 3-pointers by Crawford, Matthews and Raymond Felton during a 4-minute stretch. It was the third game this season in which the

Lakers never trailed. The other two were against Minnesota. Los Angeles led 53-48 at halftime, getting a combined 29 points from Bryant and Bynum to help offset 21 by Aldridge. The Blazers’ forward made 10 of 12 shots in the half. Neither Gasol nor and Metta World Peace, the Lakers’ starting forwards, had any points in the opening quarter. But Bryant made five of his first six shots to help Los Angeles take a 30-19 lead into the second. -AP

76ers top Celtics 99-86 as Collins gets 400th win

PHILADELPHIA: Elton Brand scored 20 points, and Spencer Hawes had 12 points and 10 rebounds to help the Philadelphia 76ers remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 99-86 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The Celtics would have grabbed first with a win, knocking out a Sixers team that has held that spot for all but a few days this season. The Sixers outscored Boston by 20 points in the third quarter to take control. There was a serious scare when Celtics guard Mickael Pietrus left on a stretcher and was hospitalized after an awkward collision late in the first half. The Sixers wore down a Celtics team concerned about its injured teammate and already playing short-handed. Pietrus started in place of Ray Allen, who sat out with a sore left ankle. Guard Avery Bradley also left Boston’s eighth straight road game with a sprained left ankle. But it was Pietrus, more than the score, that left the Celtics solemn on the bench. He crashed to the court after he collided with 76ers guard Lou Williams on a drive down the lane, grabbed his head and was down for at least 10 minutes. Trainers from both teams tended to him. His injury sucked the festive atmosphere in the important game right out of the arena. The Celtics were only a half-game behind the 76ers. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce each scored 20 points. Rajon Rondo had 17 assists.Williams scored 19 points, Jrue Holiday had 15 and Andre Iguodala 14 to give coach Doug Collins his 400th career victory. The Sixers, who had lost four of five, reverted to their early season form in the third with an absolutely dominant effort. Led by a resurgent Brand, the Sixers used an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Brand made seven of 10 shots and scored 14 points in the period - he had only three baskets and six points in the first half. Brand walked off to a loud ovation when he was subbed out late in the quarter. The Sixers shot 65 percent (15 of 23) in the third, the highlight coming on a sweet alley-oop from Iguodala to Williams for a 78-66 lead. -AP

Tennis

Cricket

Venus, Nadal, Azarenka advance at Miami

S.Africa in command of third test

KEY BISCAYNE: Venus Williams, in only her second WTA match after a long illness layoff, upset world number three Petra Kvitova to reach the third round of the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt tournament. World number two Rafael Nadal on Friday cruised in his opener and women’s top seed Victoria Azarenka stretched her win streak to 24 matches at the $9.6 million event, but seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams stole the show. “It’s definitely a big step forward,” Williams said after her 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 win. “To win these matches definitely a lot of it is mental, to get out there and believe you’re going to win and execute. How I’m going to do, I never really know, so it’s great to have a win like this. It’s definitely satisfying.” Williams withdrew from last year’s

US Open with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren’s syndrome, an illness that saps energy and causes joint pain. Her first tournament match since then was a firstround triumph on Wednesday. That put Williams up against Czech third seed Kvitova, who fought to reach a third set only to be overpowered by Williams after two hours and 18 minutes. Kvitova was impressed with how well Williams played after seven months away in booking a third-round match-up with Canadian wildcard Aleksandra Wozniak, who defeated Romania’s Monica Niculescu 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Spanish second seed Nadal began his quest for a first-ever Miami title by ousting Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-0 in 69 minutes, saying it was not as easy a victory as he made it seem. “I played a very solid match with no mistakes,” Nadal said. “No match is easy,

Venus Williams returns to Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, during the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Friday, March 23, 2012. (AP)

even if the score was very easy because 6-2, 6-0 is a big difference in the score but not in the tennis. You have to fight every point. You have to find solutions every moment.” Nadal next has a third-round date with Czech Radek Stepanek, who ousted Germany’s Tommy Haas 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. Women’s world number one Azarenka eliminated Dutch player Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 7-5. Azarenka broke as Krajicek served for the second set, then held and broke again to close out the match after one hour and 42 minutes. Azarenka, from Belarus, stretched her season-long win streak to 24 matches. She has the best start to a WTA season since Martina Hingis won 37 in a row in 1997. “I’m not really thinking about numbers or the streaks,” Azarenka said. “My job is to play tennis. I just try to stay focused every day and try to be the best player I can.” Top seed Azarenka, who already has four titles this year, will next face British wildcard Heather Watson, who defeated Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-1. Azarenka has won both their prior meetings. World number four Andy Murray eased into the third round by dispatching Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 6-2, 6-3, avoiding a repeat of an embarrassing early ouster in Indian Wells. Murray, 24, will next face big-serving Canadian 26th seed Milos Raonic, who advanced over France’s Arnaud Clement 7-6 (9/7), 6-2. Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, winner of the past three Grand Slam men’s singles tournaments, will start the defense of his title on Saturday against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova, a former top-20 player who has missed the past 10 months battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was beaten in her second-round match by compatriot Maria Kirilenko 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. -AFP

Alviro Petersen of South Africa plays a shot as Daniel Flynn of New Zealand (right) eyes the ball during a international cricket test match between New Zealand and South Africa, March 24, 2012. (AFP)

WELLINGTON: Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy batted South Africa into a commanding position with an unbroken 140-run partnership at the close of play on the weather-affected second day of the third and final test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve. Petersen was on 96 and Duminy 76 as the visitors steadily accumulated runs after the start of play was delayed by constant drizzle for almost four and half hours, pushing South Africa to 246 for two when bad light stopped play. Play had been halted on the first day at the same time due to fading light. Umpires called a halt to play 10 minutes later. Resuming on 136 for two, Petersen and Duminy were rarely troubled as New Zealand’s attack battled a howling, chilly northerly wind throughout the 37 overs they managed to bowl. Petersen and Duminy had resumed after the tea break on 222 for two and added 24 further runs after the break, with Petersen punching Mark Gillespie behind square to move to 96 before the players left the

field. Duminy said his side were pleased with the position of the test, given the conditions. “If we won the toss, we would have probably bowled first as well,” Duminy said. “In saying that, we were always ok with batting first. We knew it would be a challenge in the first hour or two, then once we got through that it would be smooth sailing. I thought we batted quite well. It’s a decent deck to bat on, and there’s a little bit there for the bowlers as well, but pretty pleased with the performance so far as a team.” There was some bad news for South Africa, however, when top-order batsman Hashim Amla was ruled out of the rest of the match after he had emergency surgery in Wellington. Amla, who scored 63 on Friday, deflected a Martin delivery into his groin area on Friday and had surgery for “blunt force trauma”, the team said. South Africa only need to draw the game to seal the three-match series after they won the second test at Seddon Park in Hamilton by nine wickets. -Reuters

Formula one

McLaren braced for ‘toughest’ race of season SEPANG, Malaysia: Lewis Hamilton knows he faces a monumental challenge if he wants to turn pole position into a Malaysian Grand Prix victory on Sunday, describing the race as the toughest of the Formula One season. Hamilton led a McLaren one-two in qualifying for the second week in a row on Saturday and, after finishing

McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain leaves the pits during the qualifying session of Formula One’s Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, March 24, 2012.

third behind team mate and fellow Briton Jenson Button in Melbourne, the 2008 world champion is ready to give his all for a tilt at a first victory in Sepang. “This is a very tricky circuit because of the track temperatures and of the humidity,” Hamilton told reporters. “It’s going to be massively tough tomorrow but we just

have to make sure we prepare ourselves in the best way we can.” Behind the McLaren pair lies the triple threat of Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes and the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and world champion Sebastian Vettel, giving Hamilton plenty to think about on the dash to the first corner. “It’s a very long haul down to turn one,” he said. “Just in the conditions, you never know what is going to happen. I hope it stays dry. But these tyres are having a seriously hard time around here, especially under 150kgs of fuel. It’s going to be interesting. I don’t know how it will go but I will do everything possible to make sure we’re as competitive as possible.” Button loves nothing more than a combative start and after passing his team mate in Melbourne early on he is relishing the prospect of repeating the feat in Malaysia. “I think it will be an exciting start. Not just us two on the front row, the Mercedes is renowned, especially Michael, for getting good starts, so it’s going to be a fun turn one,” the 2009 world champion said. “This is a fast, flowing circuit and a circuit that’s tough in many ways for the car, for the tires and for us sat in the cockpit as well. I think we have a good race car, difficult to know how good but I think our long-run pace yesterday showed some reasonable consistency.” Team principal Martin Whitmarsh praised both drivers on their performances so far in Malaysia and is hoping the good form continues through Sunday’s race. -Reuters

Alonso forced to accept new car is not competitive

SEPANG, Malaysia: Ferrari are having to accept their car is not competitive after another poor qualifying session for the Italian Formula One team ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will start eighth and 12th in Sunday’s race after again struggling to get a good performance from the redesigned F2012 at the Sepang circuit on Saturday. “Obviously it was tough with the conditions we have now and we are not competitive,” said Alonso, who qualified ninth but will move up the grid one place as a result of a five-place demotion for Kimi Raikkonen for changing his gearbox. “We did one lap, we knew it was not possible to compete with the guys in front so ninth is okay,” the double world champion added. Massa, whose car had a new chassis, fared better this Saturday than he did last weekend in Australia and set a time much closer to Alonso’s, although it was only enough for 12th on the grid. “I think it was positive to make the normal qualifying, to have the car we expect to have and I think that was really positive,” the Brazilian said. Massa struggled with his car all weekend in the season opener in Melbourne and failed to finish after a scrappy race. “If you see everything that happened from Australia to here I think it was definitely a good effort and I think now we’re more in the right direction to have the best we can have in our car.” The 30-year-old’s place in the team has been increasingly called into question as the man who battled for the world championship in 2008 has had two lackluster years and has been comprehensively beaten by Alonso. Massa, however, is confident he can close the gap to Alonso as the season progresses. -Reuters

SUNdAY, MARCH 25, 2012

SPORTS

Sports Editors Highlight LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told injury-plagued Jack Wilshere to forget about playing in the Olympic Games and target a full Premier League season instead. Wilshere hasn’t played at all in the current campaign due to a stress fracture of his right ankle although he could feature in the closing stages of the season as Arsenal look to clinch a Champions League spot. An impressive run-in may also put the 20-year-old in line for a place in the England squad for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. “Wilshere going to the Euros is a decision that fortunately I don’t have to make,” said Wenger. “I would only intervene if I believe that medically he’s at risk.” -AFP

Football

Crisis hit Inter brace for Juventus clash Compiled by Al Watan Daily

MILAN: Juventus hosts struggling Inter Milan on Sunday in a match known as Italy’s Derby, a day after Milan has to contend with a Roma team coming off two consecutive victories. “No objective should be spared. We’ve got everything we need to win and we’re going to battle down to the last bead of sweat to do so,” said Alessandro Del Juventus remains unbeaten with 14 wins and 14 draws in the league and also holds the tiebreaker over Milan, with a win and a draw head-to-head. Coming off two extremely positive results, a 5-0 victory over Fiorentina and an extra-time 2-2 draw with AC Milan that sent it through to the final of the Coppa Italia, Juventus coach Conte will be hoping to make it a treble of successes by heaping more misery on struggling Derby rivals Inter. Inter, meanwhile, is in crisis after following up its elimination from the Champions League by Marseille with a 0-0 draw at home with Atalanta. There have been calls to fire coach Claudio Ranieri, but Inter President Massimo Moratti appears intent to keep him - at least until the end of the season. “There are still many matches remaining in the

league and we shouldn’t lie down,” Moratti said. “All we need is one victory and everything will be calm again.” Inter is even with Catania in seventh place, 19 points behind Milan, and is at risk of missing out on Europe for next season. Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder is slated to miss another match with a right thigh muscle injury, although Dejan Stankovic and Cristian Chivu are preparing to return. Juventus is the most successful side in Italy. They have won the Serie A 27 times, the Coppa Italia 9 times, the Champions League twice, the Cup Winners Cup once and the UEFA Cup three times. While Inter have a great record, it pales into comparison of Juventus. They have only won the Serie A 17 times, the Coppa Italia five times, the Champions League twice (but not since 1965) and the UEFA Cup three times. Make no mistake the Juventus, Inter Milan rivalry is one that means equally as much to both sides. This is what Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri had to say about a game against Inter. “We have been waiting a long time for this game and we’ll have to play a great match, with the anger that has always distinguished us. Lately we have lowered our guard a little, we are not playing like we did before, we are not the ones of before.”

Chelsea fail to close gap after 0-0 draw with Spurs

LONDON: Chelsea missed an opportunity to close the gap on fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur as the lunchtime derby in the Premier League ended 0-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Tottenham remain five points above Chelsea in the race for a top-four spot although they wasted the best opportunities in a fixture they have not won since 1990. A draw moved them level on 55 points with third-placed Arsenal who are at home to Aston Villa later on Saturday. Chelsea, who rarely threatened,

have 50. After a soporific first half in which the best chance fell to Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart in stoppage time the second was much livelier with both sides hitting the woodwork. Juan Mata curled a free kick against the post for Chelsea while Gareth Bale’s header struck the crossbar at the other end. Emmanuel Adebayor spurned a great chance for Spurs when he rounded goalkeeper Petr Cech but had his weak shot cleared off the line by Gary Cahill. Cech also saved a dangerous Bale free kick in stoppage time. -Reuters

Menezes not happy with Brazil’s performance so far SAO PAULO: Brazil coach Mano Menezes accepts criticism over how poorly his team has been playing and says he is also unhappy its performances. Menezes said Friday that he can’t be satisfied with what the national team has achieved so far and that unfortunately his team hasn’t been able to play better. He said it’s important to try to “analyze the causes” for the disappointing results in a time of renovation in the national team. In an interview with Radio Bandeirantes, Menezes said he has no guarantees of staying with the team until the 2014 World Cup, and defended himself for saying that young striker Neymar would develop more quickly as a player if he moved to European football. Menezes has been under pressure because Brazil still hasn’t been able to show consistent results since he took over the national team after the 2010 World Cup, when the five-time world champions were eliminated by the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in South Africa. Despite victories in many of the friendlies it has played, the team is far from displaying the type of

football that fans are used to seeing from the Brazilian national team. “We are not happy either, that has to be made clear,” Menezes said. “It would be the end to be satisfied with what the national team has achieved so far. We want more, as (the media) does and the players do, but we haven’t been able give more right now.” In 21 matches with Menezes as coach, Brazil won 13, drew five and lost three. The victories came mostly to non traditional football nations, while the three losses came in high-profile matches against Argentina, France and Germany. Brazil needed a goal in second-half injury time to defeat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 in a friendly in Switzerland last month. Menezes has had to revamp the national team, testing new players and new strategies, but he knows that it’s time to start producing some results on the field as there is just over a year until the Confederations Cup and two before the World Cup that Brazil will host for the first time in 64 years. -AP

Deschamps desperate to end Marseille losing streak PARIS: The future of Didier Deschamps as Marseille coach is set to come under more intense scrutiny this week when the stricken French league giants bid to end an unprecedented series of defeats. And the 1998 World Cup winner expects his players to help get their dire domestic season back on the right path. Marseille’s hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League were virtually ended last week by a fifth consecutive league defeat, to relegationhaunted Dijon. Another humiliation came Tuesday in the shape of a French Cup quarter-final defeat to part-timers Quevilly, prompting a stark overall appraisal from former World Cup winner Deschamps. “We’re in a hole. Either we stay there, or we get our heads together and get out,” Deschamps said Thursday. “All defeats are horrible, but this one was particularly hard to swallow.” So far, Deschamps has been spared the kind of intense speculation that brings down managers in other top leagues, with club president Vincent Labrune calling on the play-

ers to pull their socks up. “Everyone has to face up to his responsibilities,” warned Labrune, who has already lamented the loss of cash Marseille could have potentially earned from inclusion in next season’s Champions League. But the facts speak for themselves: Marseille have never been defeated seven times in succession, according to L’Equipe which highlighted their previous worse spells in 1962-63 and 1979-80 when, each time, they lost six times on the trot. An eighth consecutive defeat in all competitions, according to French media, could dilute Labrune’s faith in Deschamps’ ability to do the job. PSG, who hold a two-point lead on Montpellier, also exited the French Cup after a 3-1 home reverse at the hands of Lyon but that setback is seen as a blessing in disguise for the Parisians’ sporting director Leonardo.“PSG have not won the title in a long time, and we’re not forgetting that,” Leonardo said after the Lyon defeat, their first of 2012 and the first under coach Carlo Ancelotti. -AFP

Cup finalists Dortmund, Bayern resume Bundesliga fight BERLIN: Having both secured their places in the German Cup final in midweek, Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund resume their battle for the league title this weekend. With a five-point lead at the top of the table, Dortmund are at Cologne on Sunday while second-placed Bayern host Hanover on Saturday in a rich vein of form having scored 13 goals in their last two league games. Bayern are hunting a treble of titles this season and face Marseille in the Champions League quarter-finals. With eight points separating Dortmund and thirdplaced Moenchengladbach, Bayern are realistically the only team who can catch the leaders with eight games to go. The league title race could well be decided on April 11 when Munich face Borussia at Dortmund and the teams will also contest the German Cup final a month later on May 12 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Just as he did last season, Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has discouraged his team from talking about the title, but captain Sebastian Kehl has said false modesty will do them no favours.

“If we say now we aren’t serious title contenders then we are just making ourselves look ridiculous,” he said. “With all modesty, we have 59 points. We are confident at the top and that is where we want to stay, of course.” Dortmund won a close game at Cologne 2-1 on their last visit there in October 2010 and Klopp expects another battle royal with the hosts, who are 15th, and are just three points above the relegation places. “After playing 120 minutes of tough football, the guys still have the game in their bones,” said Klopp, after their extra-time Cup win at Greuther Fuerth in midweek. “We have had some spectacular games with them in recent years and we can expect another tough match.” Bayern have plenty to distract them as they attempt to catch Dortmund and take on Marseille both home and away before their away match at Borussia. Munich are on a roll in the league having blasted Hertha Berlin 6-0 in the capital last Saturday after hammering Hoffenheim 7-1 at the Allianz Arena a fortnight ago. -AFP

Juventus Alessandro Del Piero (left) vies for the ball with Inter Milan’s Lucio during the Italian Serie A football match between Inter Milan and Juventus, Oct. 29, 2011. (AFP)

Podolski could join soon but deal not done: Wenger

LONDON: Arsenal could sign Cologne’s Lukas Podolski “soon” but it is not a done deal, manager Arsene Wenger said on Friday when outlining the Premier League club’s transfer policy. The Germany striker is rumored to be on his way to the Emirates but Wenger said reports that he had already had a medical had jumped the gun. “Nothing is done. No, he has not had a medical,” Wenger told a news conference. “I don’t master the timing (of any announcement) because that does not just rely on us. It could happen soon, it could happen later, I don’t know. It is always a concern (that someone else could come in for him). The speed in which you do things is important, but at the end of the day it is always the player who makes the decision. It is about how much they want to join you.”

Arsenal, who are on a six-match winning run which has taken them into third place in the Premier League, host Aston Villa on Saturday looking to bolster bid for a Champions League spot. Even if they do qualify for the tournament again, Wenger ruled out big changes in the squad in the off-season. “We will not be a lot in the market, quantity-wise I mean. Quality-wise, certainly,” he said. “We have many players out on loan and we will take a gamble if we find top, top quality of course. But don’t forget we have many players out on loan and we have not had Jack Wilshere or Abou Diaby for the whole season. These players will be back and it means that number and quality-wise we are strong because we are in the position we are in without these players.” -Reuters