May 20, 2012

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1440

16 PAGES

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150 Fils with IHT

Majority hints at returning to Determination Square

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

KUWAIT: Members of the Majority Bloc hinted at fresh return to the Determination Square, amid a renewed escalation which coincides with the discussion of an array of interpellations, which its members intend to file against a number of ministers, including His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Members representing the bloc announced plans to question the premier, the Ministers of Social Affairs and Labor as well as the Defense Minister. The bloc is expected to follow up on the two motions filed by a group of its members against the Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali.

It has been reported that the bloc deferred discussion on the preferred mechanism to handle the said interpellations until the government’s stance transpires during Tuesday parliamentary session.

This comes at a time when the Minority Bloc warned the government against further conces-

sions in favor of the Majority Bloc, which led to popular disgruntlement.

Meanwhile, MP Dr. Faisal Al-Mislem of the Majority Bloc expressed “deep sorrow” for the current economic and political situation in the country, saying that anytime he visits Dubai and witnesses the level of development there he “feels sad over the state of affairs in Kuwait and gets concerned about its future.”

Al-Mislem lamentably said that the authorities have missed a rare opportunity to address all the accumulated problems due to wrongful policies, adding that his utmost concern now is that the current parliamentary majority and the executive authority would fail to see the opportunity once more.

The lawmaker hinted that youth activities will return to the Determination Square, unless there is respect for institutions, the rule of law, and accountability.

In the same vein, MP Adnan Al-Mutawa asserted that the race for filing interpellation motions is considered to be a flagrant infringement on the executive authority due to what he de-

scribed as the obedience of certain ministers.

Speaking to Al Watan, the lawmaker noted that certain MPs begin with demands for change in leadership positions, and then call for the reshuffling of ministers before they end up calling for the replacement of the ministers.

The lawmaker stated that the concessions of the executive authority have caused an administrative shortfall and popular dismay.

“The worst has not yet come due to the submissiveness of the government,” the MP deplorably said, suggesting that the continuation of certain parliamentary probe panels is intended to blackmail the government in a blatant manner.

Al-Mutawa however noted that members of the minority are supportive of any reform-oriented interpellation filed by ‘moderate’ lawmakers.

“We will not hesitate to endorse certain laws that serve public interest,” he said.

For his part, MP Jamaan Al-Harbash expressed hope that coordination among members of the Majority will be maintained, stressed that coordination has become a popular demand.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Syria: Suicide vehicle bomb hits military compound

Kuwait says didn’t ask citizens to leave Lebanon Gulf states issue travel warning

BEIRUT: A source at Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied any reports saying that the embassy in Lebanon was fired at, adding that Kuwait did not ask its community to leave after the recent clashes with neighboring Syria have left 10 people dead. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain on Saturday urged their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon. “The UAE foreign ministry has urged citizens not to travel to Lebanon until the tense security situation there is cleared,” the ministry said in an English-language statement carried on state news agency WAM. The advice has been issued “to guarantee the safety of its citizens,” senior foreign ministry official Issa Abdullah Al-Kalbani said in the More on 4 statement.

BEIRUT: A suicide vehicle bomb tore through the parking lot of a military compound in an eastern Syrian city on Saturday, killing nine people in the latest in a series of blasts in recent months targeting security installations, the country’s state media reported.

State TV showed footage of damaged buildings, smoldering cars, and trucks turned upside down. Debris filled a street that was stained with blood. Attacks such as the blast in Deir el-Zour, a former transit hub for militants heading to fight US forces in nearby Iraq, have raised fears that Al-Qaeda-linked jihadis, possibly including Iraqis, have made strong inroads into Syria’s rebel movement. The report said the vehicle was rigged with 1,000 kilograms of explosives and did heavy damage to buildings up to 100 meters away. It added that the explosion left a crater five meters wide and 2 1/2 meters deep.

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G8 leaders back Greece in euro zone Leaders support Annan Syria peace mission

CAMP DAVID: The Group of Eight countries (G8) leaders said it is “their imperative” to promote growth and jobs to reinvigorate the global economy, and gave their backing to Greece remaining in the euro zone.

“We agree on the importance of a strong and cohesive Eurozone for global stability and recovery, and we affirm our interest in Greece remaining in the Eurozone while respecting its commitments,” the leaders said in a statement after meeting at this presidential retreat.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told leaders of the G8 on Saturday that Russia would maintain the proportion of its foreign reserves held in euros.

“Russian prime minister noted that we are

not going to cut the share of euro in our reserves in order not to send wrong signals on the situation in Europe,” said Stanislav Voskresensky, Russian G20 sherpa and deputy economy minister.

He was speaking after G8 leaders discussed the eurozone crisis at their meeting at Camp David on Saturday.

The Russian central bank’s annual report issued last Wednesday showed the central bank has lowered the share of the US and Canadian dollars in its foreign exchange reserve and increased its holdings in the euro.

In addition, French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday that G8 countries had agreed to continue supporting UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan’s Syrian peace efforts.

“I insisted that all the participants support Kofi Anan’s mission so that observers can pro-

Yemen clashes kill 34 militants, soldiers

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Chelsea beat Bayern to win Champions League

vide protection of the Syrian people from their leaders,” Hollande said referring to UN personnel operating in the country.

US President Barack Obama pledged to work with Europe to balance growth with debt reduction as world leaders try to prevent the worsening euro zone crisis from destabilizing the global economy.

At the wooded Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains, Obama and leaders from other major economic powers are seeking ways to soothe financial markets after worries about Spain’s banking problems and the risk of a Greek exit from the euro zone sent world stocks to their lowest levels this year. “All of us are absolutely committed to making sure that both growth and stability, and fiscal consolidation, are part of an overall package in order to achieve the kind of prosperity for our citizens we all are looking for,” Obama said. -Reuters

MUNICH: Chelsea’s players celebrate with the trophy after their Champions League final soccer match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in Munich, May 19, 2012. Chelsea stunned Bayern Munich to win the Champions League for the first time after a penalty shootout in the Allianz Arena after a tension-soaked final had ended 1-1 after extra time on Saturday. Didier Drogba, who had equalized for Chelsea two minutes from time, struck the winning kick past Manuel Neuer as the visitors edged the shootout 4-3 after Bastian Schweinsteiger’s last kick for Bayern had hit the post. Bayern, playing in their home stadium, laid siege to Chelsea’s goal for most of the game and appeared to have won it when Thomas Mueller finally made the breakthrough with an 83rd minute header past Petr Cech. Within touching distance of lifting the famous trophy for the first time since 2001, Bayern conceded with two minutes remaining when Drogba met a corner with a thumping header to give Neuer More on 16 no chance. - Agencies

Kuwaiti crude plunges $2.31 to $103.74 per barrel

KCIC announces Q1 net profit of KD 4.75 million

KUWAIT: Kuwait China Investment Company (KCIC) announced on Saturday its net profits skyrocketed by 157 percent to KD 4.75 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the corresponding period last year. The profits per share amounted to 93.5 percent in the three months ending on March 31, 2012, according to a press release issued by the Kuwait-based company. The value of the company’s assets went up by 6.15 percent by the end of 2011 which contributed to the growth of the value of invested capital by 5.62 percent in Q1-2012, it said.

The total value of the Q1 revenues amounted to KD 5.80 million which reflects an increase by 124 percent over the KD 2.59 million revenues made in Q1-2011.

The profits of the financial assets doubled in this period from the figure of Q1-2011. KCIC’s investments in other companies started to contribute positively

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Greece bridles at Merkel referendum suggestion

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in the company’s revenues, accounting for KD 0.64 million, the statement noted. The total net value of assets topped KD 87.15 million, growing up by 6.15 percent from the end of 2011. Commenting on the excellent financial results, KCIC’s Managing Director Ahmad Abdullatif Al-Hamad said his company was able to reduce its losses in 2011 by a half thanks to the new strategy. “Our strategy is based on the principle of purchase and protection of assets in order to ensure high returns in the long run,” the statement quoted Al-Hamad as saying. Founded on December 12, 2005, KCIC invests and offers investment services primarily in the Middle Eastern and Asian markets; its products and services include Private Equity - which provides access to long-term capital, and advisory support and a network of contacts to Asian investMore on 9 ment companies.

London 2012 Olympic torch relay starts

LONDON: Sailor Ben Ainslie was the first torchbearer as the Olympic flame began its 70-day journey around Britain and Ireland on Saturday ahead of the 2012 London Games.

The flame arrived in Britain from Greece on Friday and was flown to Land’s End on Saturday by a Royal Navy helicopter before it was used to light the torch for the start of the 8,000 mile relay.

Ainslie, who has won gold medals in sailing at the last three Olympics, then walked just 300 yards, allowing some of the 3,500 spectators lining the route in the morning sunshine to touch the gold-colored torch. The yachtsman, wearing the number 001 on his T-shirt as the first torchbearer, then passed on the torch to 18-year-old Anastassia Swallow, a surfer who is hoping that her sport will one day become an Olympic discipline. Ainslie, who on Friday won a sixth world title in the Finn class as he prepares for an attempt to win a fourth Olympic gold, said it had been a special moment for him to start the relay in his home county of Cornwall. “It was pretty emotional, so much effort has gone into getting the Olympics in London and it means so much to everyone involved,” he said. On its first day, the torch will be carried through Cornwall to the city of Plymouth.

Mourners pay their last respects by the coffin of Algerian singer Warda Al Jazairia during her funeral ceremony at Culture Palace in Algiers May 19, 2012. Al Jazairia died in a Cairo hospital on Thursday at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack. She was famous as a singer performing classical Arab pop music and also appeared as an actress in Egyptian films. (Reuters)

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Buddhists carry lanterns in a parade during the Lotus Lantern Festival to celebrate the upcoming birthday of Buddha on May 28, on a street in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 19, 2012. (AP)

Guantanamo tribunal weighs separate 9/11 trials

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba: A special US military tribunal at Guantanamo is weighing whether to hold separate trials for five accused plotters of the Sept. 11 attacks, a defense lawyer said.

The men, who are being held at Guantanamo Bay, were formally charged earlier this month with crimes that include murder and terrorism. They face the death penalty if convicted for their roles in the Al-Qaeda attacks that claimed 2,976 lives in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“The Guantanamo Bay military commission issued an unusual order for the prosecution to show cause why defendants in the 9/11 case should not be severed,”

James Connell, who represents Pakistani defendant Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, said in a statement. “Prosecutors generally favor a joint trial because it makes their case easier.”

Connell said he requested the testimony of the man who ran the CIA’s interrogation program at black sites for the tribunal’s next session in June. Jose Rodriguez has acknowledged that his team “went to the border of legality” in interrogating Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the selfproclaimed mastermind of the 2001 attacks.

Mohammed, a Kuwait-born Pakistani, was subjected 183 times to the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding during the three years he was held at secret CIA prisons after his 2003 capture in Pakistan. He

was eventually transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.

“Mr. Rodriguez has important information on that topic and there is no good reason the government should prohibit him from testifying,” Connell said. “The government is using every available tactic to suppress evidence of torture.” Three of the lawyers for the accused plotters have requested that eight “top officials” from the administrations of President Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush also take the stand, said Commander Walter Ruiz, who represents Mustapha Al-Hawsawi of Saudi Arabia. He declined to name the individuals in question but noted they were from the “highest levels of the government.” -AFP

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ALWATAN DAILY

kuwait

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

Social Affairs, Labor Union support interpellation of Al-Rejeib Hamed Al-Sayyed Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Head of Social Affairs and Labor Union Fawwaz Al-Dihani asserted that the union supports the interpellation that will be filed against Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad Al-Rejeib

by Member of Parliament (MP) Riyadh Al-Adsani.

He explained that the union supports the interpellation because it is a Constitutional right for every MP; in addition to the fact that corruption is rampant at the

ministry and must be eliminated, in order to protect public funds and the rights of employees. He revealed that corruption is most evident at the labor and cooperation sectors at the ministry, and noted that everyone is aware of residency trafficking, allowing companies to sponsor laborers more than it needs, and sidelining competent employees by other officials who have been working in the ministry for the past 20 years.

Furthermore, he said that the cooperation sector has rampant corruption, thefts, and financial and administrative viola-

Ownership documents issued to citizens who obtained PAWH houses five years ago Abdullah Al-Shimmery Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Chairman of Registration and Distribution Department at the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) Ibrahim Al-Qanaie disclosed that the department has received hundreds of Kuwaiti citizens who meet the conditions of the recent decision by the Minister of Housing Affairs Shuaib Al-Muwaizri. The decision stipulates the issuing of ownership documents for citizens who had received houses five years ago in which the houses were established by the PAHW. He told Al-Watan that the authority receives citizens at its headquarters in South Surrah during the official working hours,

indicating that citizens have to bring the required documents such as civil ID, the wife`s civil ID, and the documents that citizens have already obtained from the authority which includes the name of the citizen who would own the house later on. He added that after citizens bring these documents they can then get an appointment to visit the authority again to complete their ownership transactions. Al-Qanaie unveiled that the authority issues all ownership documents legally in coordination with the other relevant authorities such as municipality and ministry of justice, adding that the authority keeps copies of such documents until the owners of houses pay all installments then the ownership of the house will be transferred to citizens.

Ministry of Public Works 1st in transparency list in 2012 KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works came first in the transparency list prepared by the Kuwaiti Transparency Society, said an official here Sunday.

Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Dr. Fadhel Safar Ali Safar took great pride in giving the top ratings of Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) to the Ministry of Public Works, the Central Statistical Office (CSO), and the Planning and Development Secretariat.

“I congratulate the personnel of the three state departments for the recognition of their sincere efforts in combating corruption and scaling up reforms,” a press release by the joint information panel of the development programs quoted the minister as saying.

“I call on all my colleagues to pursue the relentless combat against any forms of irregularities and corruption, and promote transparency in all state departments in order to speed up the development process,” he added. The Ministry of Public Works came first in the transparency list for 2012 prepared by the KTS; the index covers 48 state departments.

Undersecretary at the Ministry Abdulaziz Al-Kulaib told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the ministry came first in the list which consisted of 48 ministries

Undersecretary at the Ministry Abdulaziz Al-Kulaib. (KUNA)

and public institutions, affirming that the Ministry of Public Works was keen on implementing measures that further bolster transparency.

The Ministry of Public previously won an award at MEED Annual Projects Conference 2012 for its project, water purification plant in Jahra Governorate. -KUNA

tions at cooperative societies. He revealed that there is information that shows that some officials are part of this corruption network, in addition to others who overlook such violations; thus leading to the squandering of shareholders’ money in many cooperative societies.

Moreover, he mentioned that the minister had vowed to eliminate corruption and cement reformation at the ministry.

He hoped that the majority MPs would grant him the time required to fulfill his vow, and stressed that the interpellation will be highly objective and classy.

Majority hints at returning to Determination Square

Continued From Page 1

He further noted that the meeting held by the majority at MP Khaled Al-Tahous’ diwaniya was intended to coordinate regarding the interpellation of Al-Shamali, as well as deliberate over the proposed single constituency, among others.

Meanwhile, an independent MP asserted that certain members of Minority Bloc have called on the finance minister to refute the items contained in his interpellation motion in a clear and transparent manner as well as to avoid being diplomatic in his responses, as was the case with his predecessors. The MP, who spoke to Al Watan on the condition of anonymity, reaffirmed the minority’s strong support for the minister, given that members of the bloc are aware of the real

Tons of accumulating wastes may cause fire at Farwaniya Stables Abdul Razzaq Al-Najjar Staff Writer

KUWAIT: If the concerned authorities do not take immediate action regarding the tons of wastes dumped at yards in front of Farwaniya Stables, the stables will witness a similar fire as the ones that erupted several times in Amghara scrap yard and Rahia. Such fire can lead to deaths and severe damage to property, not to mention

MOSCOW: Participating Kuwaiti members of the Parliament (MPs) applauded Saturday the positive outcome of Kazan Summit 2012 of Islamic Business and Finance held in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan Republic, south Russia over the past two days. “This summit helps strengthen and develop economic relations between Russia and the Muslim World,” Undersecretary of the Legislative Committee of Kuwaiti National Assembly MP Ammar Al-Ajmi told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

He pointed out the meeting focused on long-term investment in the promising and resources-rich Tatarstan Republic. Al-Ajimi added the conferees debated the role economic cooperation in strengthening friendly relations and promoting understanding among world countries and civilizations. The meeting tackled means to facilitate the promotion of economic and financial relationships based on Islamic principles, he said. Moreover, Al-Ajimi said the Kuwaiti delegation to the summit has held several fruitful meetings with senior officials in Tatarstan and Russia, including a meeting with President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. “We have urged the Russian officials to support Kuwait’s bid for United Nations Security Council membership,” Al-Ajimi revealed. MP Dr. Hamad Al-Matar disclosed that giant investment projects worth about 11 billion US dollars were promoted at the summit.

“These promising projects deserve thorough study from Kuwait Investment Authority, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation,” he told KUNA. The Kuwaiti delegation also included Tawfiq AlWahib as well as Talal Al-Heban, an academic.

The IV International summit will also included: a conference about Islamic economics and finance; a conference of representatives from the parliaments of OIC countries; and four roundtables, entitled “The role of international media in the development of economic relations between region Russia and OIC countries,” “The role of Islamic finance within the world financial system,” “Dialogue of civilizations,” and “Long-term investments of Muslim countries.” The objectives of this annual summit are identifying the strategic development prospects of international economic relationships between Russia and Muslim countries; developing cooperation in the sphere of direct investment in private sectors of Russia and Muslim countries; organizing public discussions and the development of recommendations on Islamic financial system operation. -KUNA

Staff Writer

Sam An also stressed the importance of reciprocal visits among officials of both nations to help increase trade exchange and investments between the two nations.

For his part, the Kuwaiti Ambassador said the Kuwait and Cambodia have great potential that could be used in developing bilateral cooperation in all domains.

Al-Tuwaijri also conveyed greetings of Kuwaiti Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of National Assembly Affairs Shueib Shabbab Al-Muweizri wishing for more prosperity and development between the two countries. -KUNA

canisters, which leads to spreading the wastes on a wider scale during their search. In addition, the security presence is non-existent, and this scares people who drive by this area.

Moreover, the Ministry of Interior has reinforced its presence in the area through adding 50 policemen to the Jahra Governorate police force, in an attempt to cover a larger area. Areas that witnessed fires will be closely monitored by the police all day and night.

Participants at the 53rd International Spring Fair organized by Children and Families Across Borders held in London are seen at Kuwait’s booth trying Arabian coffee. (KUNA)

LONDON: Kuwait Embassy in the United Kingdom has taken part in the 53rd International Spring Fair organized by Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) to raise funds for childhood protection and family reunification services.

The fair witnessed large participation from Arab and non-Arab countries, including Kuwait.

The Kuwaiti pavilion in the fair attracted a large number of visitors. The pavilion official awarded the visiting UK Princess Alexandra a memorial gift in recognition of her great support to charity work.

In statements to Kuwait News Agency

(KUNA), the Fair Chairwoman Lady Davies voiced sincere thanks and gratitude to the Embassy of Kuwait for its continuous support for the Spring Fair.

Davies said Kuwaiti Ambassador Khaled Abdulaziz Duwaisan does not hesitate in supporting charity events by the CFAB. The annual International Spring Fair is one of the largest and most colorful charity fair in London. It brings the riches and flavors of around the world to London, supported by over 100 Diplomatic Missions. The Spring Fair raises vital funds for CFAB to carry out its unique role in uniting children and families across borders. -KUNA

Dasman Diabetics Institute introduces courses for care, education

Michael A. Kolarov

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait’s ambassador to Cambodia Dhrar Nasser Al-Tuwaijri held on Saturday talks with the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Minister of National Assembly, Senate and Inspection Affairs Men Sam An on means to bolster bilateral cooperation between Kuwait and the Kingdom.

In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Al-Tuwaijri said the Cambodian Deputy PM has expressed hope the newlyopened Kuwaiti Embassy in Phnom Penh would give great impetus to Kuwaiti-Cambodian relations.

the negative impact on the environment.

Tens of stable owners fear for their lives and property, as the municipality failed to remove the wastes that have been accumulating daily.

The municipality did not give any explanation as to why it has not been shouldering its responsibilities in removing wastes that have been accumulating for the past four months; especially that there are Asians who collect empty

MPs laud outcome of Kuwait embassy in fundraising Kazan Summit 2012 event for children protection

Ambassador mulls co-op with Cambodian Deputy Premier

Kuwait’s ambassador to Cambodia Dhrar Nasser Al-Tuwaijri (left) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister (PM) and Minister of National Assembly Men Sam An during a meeting that was held between both parties on Saturday, May 19, 2012. (KUNA)

motives of these interpellations. “The people of Kuwait will judge the minister’s performance as well as his interpellators, particular since there are reports that two motions have been prepared to pass a no-confidence vote against Minister AlShamali,” the lawmaker said.

On the government side, an official source has informed Al Watan that a memo has been prepared containing the minister’s responses to the issues raised in his interpellation motion. The source further disclosed that the memo is being finally reviewed so that it can be made available to the Cabinet during its Monday session. The source however fell short of confirming whether a discussion will be opened for the interpellation during the Parliament’s Tuesday session.

KUWAIT: The Dasman Diabetes Institute organized a series of courses entitled “Discovery Course: Diabetics Care and Education” aimed at promoting awareness about Diabetes, its causes, means of prevention, and living with the disease. The Institute hosted guest speakers Sir Michael Hirst, President Elect of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF); Professor Stephen Greene, President Elect of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD); as well as Doctor Abdulla Bennakhi of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health.

Speakers spoke on the myriad of issues faced by people living with diabetes which including the lack of awareness, access to proper care, and discrimination.

According to medical literature, Diabetes is a lifelong disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. There is presently no cure for diabetes. Treatment involves medicines, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms and problems.

Sir Michael Hirst gave the first presentation and introduced the audience to the IDF,

explaining that it is an association of 200 member organizations working to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. According to Hirst, the IDF was formed in 1950 by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and today has its global office in Belgium. Hirst spoke on the issues faced by people living with Diabetes around the world saying, “In Kuwait, everyone who needs medicines can get them.

But that is not true of the entire world.” He explained the need to always do more to help people without access to essential medicines and proper care. Hirst also touched on a social stigma being associated with Diabetes, what he said was the unfair belief, that it is the individual’s fault if they become diabetic, Hirst explained that there are many reasons why people become Diabetic, and it is no one’s fault.

Professor Stephan Greene took to the podium next and introduced the ISPAD and its mission. According to the ISPAD website, globally, diabetes is a disease in evolution affecting more and more children and adolescents.

ISPAD is a professional organization whose aims are to promote clinical and basic science, research, education and advocacy in childhood and adolescent diabetes. The strength of ISPAD lies in the scientific and clinical expertise in childhood and adolescent diabetes of its members. ISPAD is the only international so-

ciety focusing specifically on all types of childhood diabetes.

Finally, Doctor Abdulla Bennakhi stepped up to explain how diabetes information was being taught in schools and other public awareness campaigns, yet stressing the need to do more. In an interview with Al Watan Daily, Bennakhi explained that Kuwait doesn’t have as much a problem with misinformation leading to a stigma against diabetics, but pointed out that he often hears parents asking what they did wrong when their children are diagnosed with Diabetes type 1.

He points out that it is the role of Diabetes societies, and the Education and Awareness divisions of the Ministry of Health to spread correct information among the general public.

“Any specific act has nothing to do with diabetes, it is a genetic related problem with other risk factors which can promote it. If I keep unhealthy eating habits, obesity, and family history increase risk factors. You can change some of your risk factors, but not all of them. You can change your weight, your smoking and eating habits, but not your genetic risk factors, family history, or your age.”Bennaki explains that awareness campaigns in Kuwait are done in schools, communities, malls, and super markets and usually draw a lot of attention and attendance from the general public.

ALWATAN DAILY

KUWAIT

sundAY, may 20, 2012

Authorities intensify inspection campaigns for food safety KUWAIT: The municipality has intensified its campaign of sudden inspection and search for expired food and products unfit for human consumption, the director general said on Saturday.

Ahmad Al-Sebeeh said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the efforts signal the start of the municipal authorities’ inspection program for the summer season, which will cover all the state governorates.

He pointed out the campaign aims to foil any bid to violate relevant laws and legislations as well as ensure that food products carry necessary specifications for human consumption.

Al-Sebeeh stressed that punitive action will be taken against the violators, lauding efforts of the inspections teams who have been working diligently round the clock.

In this regard, Al-Ahmadi Municipality has launched a broad inspection campaign in Al-Mahbulah city.

“The inspection resulted in issuing closure orders for two violating restaurants,” Al-Ahmadi Municipality Mishal Aba-Assafi told KUNA. He added that legal action was taken against other 47 violators.

Aba-Assafi revealed that the inspectors were ordered to tighten supervision on food stores, restaurants, factories, cooperative stores and malls to ensure that traders would not promote or trade in inedible products. -KUNA

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Apparatus: 1,302 people adjust residency status KUWAIT: A government official said in a statement on Saturday that 1,302 individuals corrected their residency status in the country in the last four months. Head of the status adjustment department at the central apparatus to address the situation of illegal residents Lieut-Colonel Mohammad Al-Wohaib told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that those individuals adjusted their residency status and reverted back to their original nationalities.

He noted that the step to correct the

residency status entitled individuals to receive a free residency visa for them and their families for a period of five years with the ability to renew the document.

He affirmed that the apparatus would continue to work with the government to provide more privileges within the health, education, and work force domains.

The official pointed out that Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate’s office for the apparatus was opened to those willing to adjust their residency status. -KUNA

Amir’s envoy attends banquet by Prince Charles

Municipality authorities are seen placing a red tape which reads “Closed by orders of municipality” on a violating shop on Saturday, May 19, 2012. (KUNA)

Ambassador to Spain says students help develop country’s future MADRID: Kuwaiti students seeking education abroad will help develop their country in the future, Kuwait Ambassador to Spain Adel Al-Ayyar said here late Friday.

This statement came after a number of Kuwaiti students graduated with a Masters Degree from the IE Business School in Madrid.

The Ambassador said that this school is amongst the most prestigious international universities, adding that the Kuwaiti students’ graduation reflect their sincere determination and will to pursue higher degrees in knowledge.

IE Business School is a graduate school located in Madrid, Spain. It was founded in 1973. The School runs master’s degree programs, executive master’s degrees, executive education programs, PhD and DBA programs. Approximately 1, 900 students from 88 countries undertake degree programs at IE each year. -KUNA

Graduate students from the IE Business School in Madrid are seen in a group picture at Kuwait’s embassy in Spain on Friday, May 18, 2012. (KUNA)

LONDON: His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s Representative, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, attended a banquet held late on Friday by the Heir Apparent, Prince Charles, at Buckingham Palace.

Prince Charles held the banquet in honor of delegations attending celebrations marking the diamond jubilee of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Sheikh Nasser conveyed greetings of the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince and the people of Kuwait to the prince. -KUNA

Serious decision towards forced retirement: Communication Ministry Nayef Kareem Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Sources in the Ministry of Communication said that the government is now in preparation to come up with a list of those who have been in service for 30 years for the purpose of retirement.

Speaking to Al Watan, the sources said that the decision is expected to include assistant undersecretaries and department heads with the sole exception of those who “hold exceptional experience in their fields required by the ministry.”

“The decision for forced retirement doesn’t mean that the assistant undersecretaries and department heads are incompetent but rather to give a chance for the younger generation to make their own contribution to society,” sources remarked.

The ministry is expected to make some serious conclusion sometime next week regarding the supervisory decisions. The ministry is keen to finalize this particular issue as many have expressed within the ministry their anxiety that promotion and development are hindered by the presence of those who have been in their position for a very extended period of time.

As for the number of the assistant undersecretaries and department heads, they are nine and three respectively.

Some have exceeded their legal contract by four years which makes the issue all the more incumbent to finalize once and for all. Sources also pointed out that the Minister of Communication Salem Al-Othaina has already listed the names of the assistant undersecretaries and department heads and passed it to the Cabinet so that this week it would be discussed.

THIS WEEK IN KUWAIT’S HISTORY May 20:

1980: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issues decree 32/1980 approving exchanged exemptions of taxes and fees on air transport activities.

1993: A UN committee finalizes demarcation of Kuwait-Iraq land and sea borders.

1996: Kuwait and Mozambique sign an agreement on establishing diplomatic and consular relations.

1996: Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad AlKulaib issues a ministerial order on forming a real estate brokers union.

1996: The Cabinet approves the establishment of the Public Services Company with a capital of five million Kuwaiti dinars.

2001: The Central Bank of Kuwait brings down the discount rate from 5.75 percent to 5.5 percent.

2002: Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah passes away at the age of 82. He was the eldest living grandson of Kuwait’s seventh ruler Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and he became the first Minister of Awqaf (endowment) in Kuwait’s first Cabinet which was formed on January 17, 1962.

2002: The Public Authority for Youth and Sports inaugurates the Al-Qurain women’s center, the first of its kind, built over an area of 31,500 square meters. It includes a major sports hall, swimming pools, and tennis and squash courts.

2007: The exchange rate of the Kuwaiti dinar against the dollar is pegged to an undisclosed weighted basket of international currencies of Kuwait’s major trade and financial partners, thus reverting back to the exchange rate policy followed prior to 2003.

May 21:

1961: The Amir, Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues a decree law on the establishment of Kuwait Petrochemicals Company with a capital of 16 million Kuwaiti dinars.

1961: An official census shows that Kuwait’s population is 321,621, including 201,471 males and 120,150 females, forming 53,173 families.

1961: Al-Kuwait Sports Club is proclaimed.

1963: The Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, receives the credentials of Mohammed Badrah, the first Tunisian ambassador to Kuwait.

1968: The Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues decree law 23/68 on the police force system.

1968: Kuwait Tennis Federation is proclaimed under the name of Kuwait Federation for Tennis, Table Tennis, and Squash. The federation is later divided into three independent federations for each of the three games.

1996: The Amir, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber AlSabah, orders the payment of KD 1.5 million accumulated debts of Kuwaiti sports clubs.

2001: A tax of 2.5 percent of the annual net profits is imposed on companies listed on Kuwait Stock Exchange.

2002: Minister of Commerce and Industry Salah Khorsheed issues a decision that allows citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to practice economic and professional activities in Kuwait, in

tune with the GCC unified economic agreement and the GCC higher council decision taken in the 2000 Manama meeting.

2005: Minister of Awqaf (endowment) and Islamic Affairs Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq inaugurates a conference entitled “Moderation: A Method of Life” in which a large number of scholars and intellectuals from different Islamic countries participated.

2006: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issues decree 146/2006, dissolving the National Assembly on grounds of division within the parliament, the exchange of accusations, and the discussion of trivial matters that hindered its activities and harmed that state’s higher interests.

2006: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stresses, in a speech, that it is important to preserve the state’s security and stability and to criticize without defamation.

May 22:

1965: The first Greek ambassador presents his credentials to the Amir, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah.

1974: The Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, issues decree by law 9/1974 approving the joint agreement signed between the Kuwaiti government, BP Kuwait Ltd. and Gulf Kuwait Co. 1975: An Amiri Decree is issued to establish the Central Training Department.

1976: An Amiri Decree is issued to place the Central Training Department under the supervision of the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.

1987: Blast at Ahmadi Port leaves one person dead.

1996: A fund to care for the families of POWs and missing persons is established at the National Committee for POWs and Missing Persons Affairs.

2000: Representing the Amir, First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad takes part in Yemen’s celebrations in Sanaa marking the tenth anniversary of the unification of its North and South.

2001: National Assembly approves the amendment of the Ministers’ Prosecution Law. 2003: Kuwaiti national Zaid Al-Refaie, 36, climbs the summit of Mount Everest and raises the Kuwaiti flag, in addition to the POWs flag, at the highest point on earth.

2003: Critic, academic, playwright, and literary researcher Dr. Mohammed Al-Souri passes away at age 61.

2004: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, representing the Kuwaiti Amir, heads the state’s delegation to the 16th regular Arab League summit in Tunis.

May 23:

1952: Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Head of the Awqaf Department, inaugurates Al-Ahmadi Mosque.

1967: Al-Ahli Bank is established with a capital of KD two million.

1971: Kuwait Society for the Disabled is declared.

1998: Interior Minister opens first model police station in Abdullah Al-Salem area.

1999: Foundation stone is laid for Sabah Al-Ahmad naval base in the southern area of Al-Fintas. It is the largest such facility in the Middle East.

2001: Kuwait signs the Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) that aims to protect the environment and human health.

2006: Al-Ihsan Charity is set up with activities including promotion of social values, offering scholarships for Kuwaitis and others, and contributing to other charitable causes.

May 24:

1959: Amir of Kuwait issues decree 13/59 on traffic regulations and stipulating measures policemen are authorized to take to implement traffic laws.

1964: Kuwait ratifies convention of the Arab telecommunications union signed in Cairo on June 12, 1963.

1970: Kuwait Economic Society is declared.

1980: A Kuwaiti plane is hijacked en route to Beirut, with no injuries.

1997: Kazema Sports Club wins the Amir’s Football Cup. 1999: Kuwait Fiber-Optics Systems Company is founded with a capital of KD 3-5 million.

2005: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia sign an agreement for regulating leisure fishing activity in the submerged area falling near the divided zone between the two countries.

2008: Kuwaiti player Tariq Al-Qallaf snatches the gold medal in an international fencing competition for the disabled, held in Italy.

May 25:

1964: Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem issues Law 24 of 1964 on labor.

1964: Denmark appoints its first ambassador to Kuwait.

1965: Kuwait Central Blood Bank is established.

1976: A blast at Shuwaikh Industrial Area destroys 40 cars and another blast in an oxygen factory kills three people.

1981: Kuwait signs Gulf Cooperation Council’s articles of association.

1985: Motorcade of the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is attacked at 9:15 A.M. while en route to his office at Seif Palace. A booby-trapped car attempts to ram into the motorcade. The explosion kills three people including the driver of the boobytrapped car himself and wounds many others. The Amir, following the incident, assures citizens of his safety and affirms that the attack would not prevent Kuwait from serving Arab and Islamic causes.

1998: The faculty of religious studies celebrates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the religious educational system.

1999: An Amiri Decree is issued amending first article of the 1962 electoral law concerning the election of members of the National Assembly, allowing Ku-

waiti women to practice their political right of election and nomination for parliamentary seats. The National Assembly rejects the bill on November 22, 1999.

2001: Kuwait presents the idea of a His Highness the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah award for special needs research, to the general director of the UNESCO, who accepts it.

2003: The Ministry of Information holds a ceremony to honor leading media figures of the past 50 years in the Arab World.

2006: Sheikh Abdulaziz Saud Al-Sabah passes away at the age of 87. He was one of Kuwait’s leading figures in its early development stage in politics and economy.

2008: Arabi Club is crowned champion of the Amir’s football tournament beating Salmiya Club.

May 26:

1975: Amiri decree number 94 is issued placing state property management and service departments of Al-Shuaiba area under the administration of the Ministry of Finance.

1976: A law is issued to organize the property of apartments.

1976: The Agricultural Food Products Company is established with a capital of KD 10 million.

1980: Decree law number 34 is issued, transferring ownership of all private sector shares of the Kuwait Public Transportation Company to the government and compensating previous owners.

1995: Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah donates 500,000 sterling pounds to the charitable fund for the Iraqi refugees.

1996: Chairman of the Municipal Council Abdulrahman Al-Houti inaugurates the fish and vegetable market in Kuwait City.

2001: Kuwait is named deputy chairman of the first GCC audit authority.

2003: Kuwait Stock Exchange index hits an all-time record of 3,636.7 points, the first since its establishment in 1983.

2003: Former Oil Minister Dr. Adel Al-Subeeh is awarded a Gulf patent certificate for inventing a water cooling machine.

2003: Kuwaiti neurology team, headed by Dr. Abbas Ramadan, succeeds in removing a brain tumor from the head of a 60-year-old Kuwaiti woman.

2004: The waste treatment project, built over an area of 10,000 square meters, is inaugurated with the aim of recycling construction materials such as concrete, iron, and pebbles.

2008: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah honors Spanish King Juan Carlos I the medal of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, in appreciation of his efforts in strengthening the relations between Kuwait and his country, and the Spanish King honors Sheikh Sabah with the Civil Merit medal. -KUNA

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ALWATAN DAILY

regional

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

Officials: Yemen clashes kill 34 militants, soldiers

Do not ruin the moment

By Hossam Fathi Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Over half a million Egyptians out of eight million Egyptians living and working overseas have witnessed a week of unprecedented joy and pride. Those Egyptians can hardly believe that their votes have a value, and that taking part in the voting process will shape the future of their children and the coming generations. Egyptians overseas know the bitter taste of being away from home, not to mention their disappointment when they see countries that were less developed than Egypt, become in a few years into advanced countries, while Egypt has deteriorated in most fields. In addition, the previous consecutive governments forced competent and promising scientists, and other distinguished people in various fields, out of Egypt. Egyptians challenged the scorching heat of the GCC countries, and the cold of other countries, in order to stand in long lines for hours to vote. Fathers and mothers were gladly carrying their children and holding flags. No major problems occurred, and the elections process ran smoothly. I just hope the government would stop holding surveys that say that some candidates are ahead of others, and to wait until the final official results are revealed. hossam@alwatan.com.kw Twitter:@hossamfathy66

Rights group: Egypt army beat, tortured protesters Egypt’s election body promises free, fair election CAIRO: Egyptian soldiers beat and tortured protesters they had arrested at a demonstration near the Defense Ministry this month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Saturday, citing victims and lawyers.

The New York-based group said soldiers arrested at least 350 protesters, including 10 children and 16 women, on May 4 amid violence over a sit-in begun a week earlier in protest at the exclusion from Egypt’s presidential race of Hazem Abu Ismail. Military prosecutors ordered them detained pending trial in military courts and at least 256 are still held, HRW said, adding many of those released told of torture and beatings.

“The brutal beating of both men and women protesters shows that military officers have no sense of limits on what they can do,” said Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director.

The group also said the military had failed to protect protesters from attacks by unidentified armed groups on May 2 in central Cairo’s Abbasiya district near the Defense Ministry.

Up to 11 people were killed in that day’s violence.

One soldier was killed and almost 400 people were wounded in the clashes on May fourth. The streets have been mostly calm since then. Egyptian officials made no immediate comment on HRW’s statement.

The country holds its first genuinely contested presidential election next week to replace Hosni Mubarak, deposed in February 2011 by a popular uprising. A run-off vote is likely in June.

A military council is overseeing a turbulent transition and has promised to hand over to the new president by July first. HRW said there had been no accountability for earlier cases of torture by the military documented by itself and Egyptian human rights groups over the past year of army rule. “Egyptians won’t feel secure until there is a law enforcement system they can trust to police demonstrations effectively and protect them from attacks by thugs,” Stork said.

Egypt’s election commission is vowing that next week’s presidential election will be free and fair.

Commission deputy chief Hatem Bagato showed reporters Saturday a number of new security measures that will be used to ensure the vote is transparent and fair. They include ballots with embedded security stamps that cannot be photocopied and transparent folders in which judges monitoring the vote will place their results.The May 23-24 presidential election is the first since last year’s ouster of longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak. It marks the first time Egyptians will choose their leader in a race overseen by international monitors. Mubarak’s regime routinely rigged elections and intimidated voters during his nearly 30year rule. -Agencies

ADEN, Yemen: At least 22 Al Qaeda-linked militants and 12 Yemeni soldiers were killed in clashes and air strikes overnight during a new US-backed offensive against insurgents in the south of the country, officials said on Saturday.

Fighting erupted late on Friday and carried on into Saturday on the outskirts of the southern city of Jaar, held by Islamist militants, who have stepped up their campaign during months of political turmoil.

Government troops, backed by US drone strikes, have been trying to push the insurgents out of strongholds in the south of the country,

which lies near oil shipping routes through the Red Sea. Washington and Yemen’s neighbor Saudi Arabia both fear the instability in Yemen could give al Qaeda’s regional wing a stronger foothold in the region.

“There is heavy fighting, and the armed elements are doing everything possible to stop the advance of government troops,” a government official told Reuters, on condition of anonymity.

Government forces were about one kilometer from Jaar, he added.

Washington has stepped up drone attacks in Yemen since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February. The Pentagon said earlier this month it had resumed sending military trainers to the Arab state.

On Friday, an army official and residents said troops backed by local tribesmen had killed 10 suspected Islamist militants outside Jaar.

Islamist militants linked to Al Qaeda retreated on Thursday from the town of Lawder, about 80km north of Jaar, as warplanes attacked and ground troops advanced on insurgent-held towns. -Reuters

Syria: Suicide vehicle bomb hits military compound BEIRUT: A suicide vehicle bomb tore through the parking lot of a military compound in an eastern Syrian city on Saturday, killing nine people in the latest in a series of blasts in recent months targeting security installations, the country’s state media reported.

State TV showed footage of damaged buildings, smoldering cars, and trucks turned upside down. Debris filled a street that was stained with blood.

Attacks such as the blast in Deir el-Zour, a former transit hub for militants heading to fight US forces in nearby Iraq, have raised fears that Al-Qaeda-linked jihadis, possibly including Iraqis, have made strong inroads into Syria’s rebel movement.

The report said the vehicle was rigged with 1,000 kilograms of explosives and did heavy damage to buildings up to 100 meters away. It added that the explosion left a crater five meters wide and 2 1/2 meters deep.

The state-run news agency SANA said the blast hit the parking lot of a military residential compound, while an opposition group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported that the bomb went off close to the city branches of the Military Intelligence Directorate and Air Force Intelligence. State TV said UN observers based in the city visited the site of the blast.

No one claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack. A group calling itself the AlNusra Front has claimed some previous attacks through statements posted on militant websites. Little is known about the group,

Syrian security work at the site of an explosion in Deir el-Zour, in this handout released by Syria’s national news agency SANA, May 19, 2012. (Reuters)

although Western intelligence officials say it could be a front for a branch of Al-QaEda militants from Iraq operating in Syria.

The most recent bombing targeted an intelligence building in Damascus on May 10.

It struck during morning rush hour and the high death toll - some 55 people - made it the deadliest such attack since the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime began in March of last year.

Turkish civilian killed in attack by Kurdish rebels DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: A construction worker was killed and three people were wounded when Kurdish militants attacked a military outpost in southeastern Turkey near the Iraqi border, security sources said on Saturday.Fevzi Altunc was killed late on Friday when gunmen from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) opened fire on the outpost in a remote area in Hakkari province, the sources said.

The three wounded workers were being treated in hospital on Saturday, they said.

They had been building the station in the wooded, mountainous area near the village of Yesilova.

Security forces have launched an operation in the area, said Firat News, a website close to the PKK. The website said Altunc was killed and the others were wounded during a firefight between the PKK and Turkish soldiers.

Separately, PKK rebels kidnapped a village leader and five other members of a statebacked militia after stopping their vehicles at a road block in Bitlis province late on Friday, the sources said.

The PKK takes control of roads in parts of the mainly Kurdish southeast at night when the army returns to its bases.

The autonomy-seeking PKK has waged an armed campaign against the Turkish army since 1984, and more than 40,000 people,

Mobile telephone relay stations are set on fire by pro-Kurdish demonstrators in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, March 18, 2012. (Reuters)

mainly Kurds, have been killed in the conflict.

Violence typically picks up in the warmer spring months in the southeast, when PKK

G8 raises pressure on Iran with oil commitment CAMP DAVID, Maryland: Leaders of the Group of Eight major economies raised the pressure on Iran on Saturday, committing to a common approach on its nuclear program and indicating they would be ready to act together to lower oil prices if necessary. “All of

Twelve Yemeni soldiers and 17 militants were killed in the fighting and an air strike killed three militants on the outskirts of the city, the official said.

Another air strike destroyed a vehicle used by militants, killing two people inside in the southern province of Bayda, provincial governor Mohammed al-Ameri was quoted as saying on a defense ministry website.

Insurgents have seized swathes of territory in the south of the impoverished Arab country since mass protests erupted last year against then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

us are firmly committed to continuing with the approach of sanctions and pressure in combination with diplomatic discussions,” US President Barack Obama told reporters at the G8 meeting at the presidential retreat in Camp David. “And our hope is that we can

US President Barack Obama (6thR) hosts an expanded G8 meeting with African and other leaders at the start of a working lunch during the G8 Summit at Camp David, Maryland, May 19, 2012. (Reuters)

resolve this issue in a peaceful fashion that respects Iran’s sovereignty and its rights in the international community, but also recognizes its responsibilities,” he said. The Camp David summit comes days before the next round of Iran talks, to be held in Baghdad.

Western countries suspect Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at making a nuclear bomb, a charge Tehran denies. The UN nuclear chief is also due to fly to Tehran on Sunday in an apparent bid to secure a deal enabling his inspectors to probe suspicions of atomic bomb research.

Speculation has been growing that Obama would use an energy session at the G8 to seek support to tap emergency oil reserves before a European Union embargo of Iranian crude takes effect in July and tough new US sanctions come into force in late June.

Sources familiar with a draft communique said the leaders agreed to call on the International Energy Agency - the agency responsible for coordinating the industrialized world’s emergency oil stocks - to take “appropriate action” if there are further disruptions to the oil market in the coming months.

“There have been increasing disruptions in the supply of oil to the global market over the past several months, which pose a substantial risk to global economic growth. In response, major producers have increased their output while drawing prudently on excess capacity,” the statement will say, according to the sources.

fighters are able to more easily cross mountain passes from northern Iraq, where they are based. -Reuters

“Looking ahead to the likelihood of further disruptions in oil sales and the expected increased demand over the coming months, we are monitoring the situation closely and stand ready to call upon the International Energy Agency to take appropriate action to ensure that the market is fully and timely supplied,” it says.

The statement makes no explicit mention of releasing strategic oil reserves.

With oil prices already sliding, a move by Obama to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve - alone or along with other countries - could expose him to criticism that the emergency reserve should only be touched in a supply crisis.

Even without a hard and fast commitment to intervene in the oil market, the G8 statement will show that this month’s slump in oil prices has not deterred Obama from moving toward tapping the reserve again - an unprecedented second release for a US president.

Tapping the reserves is not a foregone conclusion.

It is unclear yet whether Obama and allies would opt to wait and see if Iran’s exports fall and prices spike, or move preemptively to head off a speculative panic that could drive US gasoline quickly above four US dollars a gallon. US crude oil has tumbled 12 percent this month, dropping to the lowest since before a November UN report on Iran’s atomic program which kindled global fears. -Reuters

Some of the tactics used in Damascus - a small blast drawing attention prior to a larger one - were reminiscent of Al-Qaeda attacks during Iraq’s insurgency.

On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he believes that “alarmingly and surprisingly,” Al-Qaeda must have been behind the May 10 attack in the Syrian capital.

“The recent terrorist attacks in Damascus suggest that these attacks were carefully orchestrated,” he said. “Having seen the scale and sophistication of these terrorist attacks, one might think that this terrorist attack was done by a certain group with organization and clear intent.”

Deir el-Zour city is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Iraqi border. Saturday’s blast came a day after the state-run news agency SANA reported that authorities foiled an attempt to blow up a car rigged with explosives in the city and detained those involved.

Deir el-Zour province, of which the city is the provincial capital, was a major crossing point for jihadis traveling to Iraq to fight after the 2003 US-led invasion. During the war, the US and the Iraqi government repeatedly accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters from across the Arab world to pass through, but Damascus said it could not stop smuggling networks from crossing the long desert border.

In 2008, a cross-border raid by US special forces killed the Al-Qaeda-linked head of a smuggling network and seven other people in the province. -AP

Gulf states issue Lebanon travel warning BEIRUT: The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain on Saturday urged their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon, where clashes linked to the conflict in neighboring Syria have left 10 people dead. “The UAE foreign ministry has urged citizens not to travel to Lebanon until the tense security situation there is cleared,” the ministry said in an English-language statement carried on state news agency WAM. The advice has been issued “to guarantee the safety of its citizens,” senior foreign ministry official Issa Abdullah Al-Kalbani said in the statement.

Kalbani also called on “citizens currently in Lebanon to leave the country, and in case they have to stay back for any unavoidable reasons, to contact the UAE embassy in Beirut” to give their whereabouts and contact details.

Qatar issued a similar warning due to the “unstable security situation” in Lebanon, its news agency QNA reported. And Bahrain asked its citizens not to travel to Lebanon to ensure their “security and safety” as it urged those already there to “immediately leave or stay away from insecure areas,” the official news agency BNA reported. Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansur, however, called on the Gulf states “to review these decisions as the situation in Lebanon does not justify them,” Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported.

Nationals from UAE, Qatar and all Arab countries were “welcome in Lebanon at any time,” he said. Sectarian clashes in the northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli over the past week have left 10 people dead and sparked fears that the deadly revolt sweeping Syria since March 2011 could spill over into Lebanon.

Tension between the Sunni and Alawite communities in Tripoli has been fueled by the uprising and the arrival in the area of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing the violence in their country. Clashes broke out last weekend after the arrest of a Sunni Islamist on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. His supporters say he was targeted for helping Syrian refugees.

Since the outbreak of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, Tripoli has become a safe haven for activists and thousands of refugees. The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs and which has controlled Syrian politics for decades. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

WORLD

sundAY, may 20, 2012

Bomb at south Italy school kills teenager, wounds six ROME: A bomb exploded in front of a school in southern Italy on Saturday, killing a 16 year-old girl and wounding at least six others, two seriously, authorities said on Saturday.

The explosion, near the entrance of a girls’ school named after the wife of murdered antiMafia judge Giovanni Falcone, occurred as pupils were preparing to enter the school at the start of the school day, which in Italy includes Saturdays.

Authorities said two gas canisters appear to have been placed in rubbish containers at the school, which local media said was located near the main court in Brindisi, a port city located in Apulia, on the “heel” of Italy.

“This is a tragedy,” Mimmo Consales, the mayor of Brindisi, told SkyTG24 news television, saying that two of the injured were in a “desperate condition” while four others were less seriously hurt.

A surgeon told local TV Telenorba that one of the injured girls was currently undergoing a complicated surgery.

There was no claim of responsibility and no indication of who had placed the bomb but initial suspicions were directed at the mafia.

Consales noted that the incident occurred just a few days before the 20th anniversary of the murder of Falcone and his wife, Francesca Morvillo, by a bomb in Sicily on May 23, 1992.

An anti-mafia march had been planned later in the day.

“You can understand the symbolism of this and what it all signifies,” he said.

Television shots of the scene showed a cement wall blackened by fire next to the school’s entrance gate on a sunny spring day.

Schools in the region were closed and President Giorgio Napolitano issued a statement condemning the attack. A group of investigators, including the region’s top anti-mafia prosecutor, will meet later on Saturday to discuss the probe.

Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri announced plans several days ago to step up security around sensitive targets including official buildings after a series of threats against tax officials.

Italy’s main tax and fine collection agency, Equitalia, has been targeted by a series of small explosive devices amid a growing wave of public anger over the high taxes imposed to shore up public finances and combat the economic crisis.

The head of Ansaldo Nucleare, a nuclear engineering company owned by defense technology group Finmeccanica, was shot in the leg in an attack claimed by an anarchist group, adding to concerns that extremist groups may try to exploit the public anger. -Reuters

File picture shows Italian Carabinieri officers. A bomb went off in front of a school in the southern Italian city of Brindisi on Saturday, killing one student and injuring six as they were going into class, a local emergency official said. (AFP)

actually hit people as well as financial institutions so I don’t think it is a sensible measure and I will not support it,” he said.

Tough austerity programs had been spearheaded in weaker eurozone economies by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hollande’s predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Sri Lanka marks anniversary of Tigers’ defeat

Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa (in white) inspects a parade during a War Victory parade, in Colombo May 19. (Reuters)

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Saturday rejected international calls to withdraw troops from the island’s former war zone as he marked the third anniversary of the Tamil rebels’ defeat.

In a bullish address to the nation, Rajapakse said he could not dismantle military camps in the north because it would undermine national security in a country slowly emerging from nearly four decades of ethnic bloodshed.

“The diaspora has not stopped their activities,” Rajapakse declared, referring to Tamil separatists abroad. “It is no secret that LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) leaders are freely operating abroad.”

“Some are shouting ‘remove camps, remove camps’,” Rajapakse added in his televised speech made at a military parade ground in the capital Colombo. But “these camps are not in another country.

We have troops elsewhere in the country as well”.

His remarks came hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris in Washington that Colombo should de-militarize the former war zones and do more to protect human rights.

Rajapakse, who is already under fierce international pressure to probe allegations of war crimes, made it clear he would not bow to international demands.

“As a member of the United Nations we sit as equals with other nations. We have friendly relations with all nations and we have the strength to solve our

Chinese activist Chen on way to airport, bound for US

Malaysia charges police for assaulting photographer

US President Barack Obama (right) greets French President Francois Hollande as he arrives at the G8 Summit at Camp David, Maryland May 18. (Reuters)

Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.

Speaking at the British embassy in Washington earlier on Friday, Cameron insisted that he would never accept a Europe-wide financial transaction tax, as called for by Hollande.

“We are not going to get growth in Europe or Britain by introducing a new tax that would

NEWS IN BRIEF

BEIJING: China has allowed blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng to leave a hospital in Beijing for the United States, a US-based Christian advocacy group said on Saturday. Chen Guangcheng told Bob Fu, the president of Texas-based ChinaAid, that he and his family were heading to the Beijing airport now, according to an emailed statement from the group.

Chen and his family “were informed to pack up and get ready to leave China” for the United States on Saturday, the statement said. Chen could not immediately be reached for comment. -Reuters

Eurozone woes to dominate G8 summit CAMP DAVID: Europe’s financial woes are expected to dominate the G8 summit of world leaders at Camp David, just outside Washington, DC. Hours before welcoming the participants, US President Barack Obama met his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, and threw his weight behind France’s demand for pro-growth policies in Europe.

Obama said the two agreed that tackling the eurozone crisis was “an issue of extraordinary importance, not only tothe people of Europe, but also to the world economy”.

“We’re looking forward to a fruitful discussion later this evening and tomorrow with the other G8 leaders about how we can manage a responsible approach to fiscal consolidation that is coupled with a strong growth agenda,” he said.

Hollande, who was elected just two weeks ago, said growth must be the priority, maintaining his stance that austerity measures alone would be insufficient to reverse the crisis in Europe.

Hollande also met David Cameron, the British prime minister, on Friday.

“We’ve discussed the economic challenges that we face and we both want to see stability in international markets,” said Cameron.

“We both want to see countries deal with their deficits and we both want to see economic growth.”

The G8 club of developed nations consists of the United States, Britain, Canada, France,

5

own problems,” he said.

“We have just begun to raise our heads...We have not forgotten the help neighbouring nations and the international community extended us to defeat terrorism. Now we expect them to help us in our accelerated development.”

Last month, a delegation of lawmakers from neighboring India also asked Sri Lanka to de-militarise in particular the northern region, where the final battles were fought and the Tamil Tigers defeated in May 2009.

Rajapakse denied that his forces were involved in the civil administration in the Tamil-dominated north, but made it clear that troops would not be removed.

“What the Eelamist terrorists could not do (dislodge the army from the north) through decades of war, they are now trying to achieve through other means,” he said. “We will not allow it.”

Rajapakse’s troops ended 37 years of ethnic bloodshed by killing the leadership of the Tamil Tigers in a bloody final offensive.

Much of the military hardware that was used against the Tamil separatists was on display at Colombo’s sea-front Galle Face promenade Saturday, where Rajapakse inspected a military guard of honor.

The offensive that finally crushed the Tigers triggered allegations of war crimes with rights groups saying that up to 40,000 civilians perished in the last months of fighting alone.

The United Nations estimates some 100,000 people died during the 1972-2009 ethnic conflict. -AFP

In an attempt to smooth over the split within the G8, other European leaders stressed that austerity and stimulus were not mutually exclusive.

“We need to take action for growth while staying the course in terms of putting our public finances in order. Stability and growth go together, they are two sides of the same coin,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said ahead of the summit.

The two-day G8 meeting is also expected to address Iran’s nuclear program, Syria’s uprising, fears that North Korea will conduct a new nuclear test, and Myanmar, after Obama eased US investment restrictions on the country on Thursday.

Over dinner in a wood cabin at the wooded presidential retreat on Friday, the G8 leaders agreed that Iran needed to disclose more about its nuclear ambitions and that it was time to focus on a political transition in Syria, a US official told the Reuters news agency.

The leaders also stressed the importance of having North Korea adhere to international norms with its nuclear program and said it would face more isolation if it “continues down the path of provocation,” the official said.

The G8 summit precedes a meeting og NATO leaders in Chicago on Sunday which is expected to focus on the international alliance’s plans to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Both Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani counterpart Asif Zardari will attend those talks. -AFP

Greece bridles at Merkel referendum suggestion

CAMP DAVID: Greek political leaders reacted angrily on Saturday to a suggestion, attributed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that the country hold a referendum on euro membership alongside an election next month.

The chancellor’s move - despite a denial by Berlin - went down badly with leaders sensitive to any comments from Germany, which has insisted that Athens stick to tough austerity measures agreed in return for a massive EU-IMF bailout.

“The Greek people have no need for a referendum to demonstrate their choice for the euro, they have already made enough costly sacrifices to show that,” said Antonis Samaras, leader of the conservative New Democracy party which won inconclusive May 6 polls.

Merkel’s suggestion, “above all coming in the run-up to the election, is regrettable and unacceptable,” Samaras said in a statement. “The Greek people has the right to respect from its (European) partners.”

The office of the caretaker prime minister said on Friday that Merkel “conveyed thoughts (to the president) on holding a referendum alongside the election, on the question of whether Greek citizens wish to remain in the eurozone.” The suggestion was turned down, a statement said, because the caretaker government only has the authority to organize the new polls, expected June 17.

Berlin bluntly denied any such move. “The information reported that the chancellor had suggested a referendum to the Greek President Carolos Papoulias is wrong,” a Merkel spokeswoman said.

Alexis Tsipras, leader of the radical left Syriza party which came second in the May 6 vote on a campaign against the austerity policies, alluded to Germany’s wartime record in Greece, a hugely sensitive and controversial period.

“Madame Merkel is used to talking to Greek political leaders as if she was addressing a protectorate,” Tsipras said.

“Greeks are going to give a definitive answer (in the upcoming polls) and are going to put an end to the policies of austerity and submission, they will open the way for progressive forces across Europe,” he added.

The leader of the socialist Pasok party, which along with New Democracy backed the EU-IMF accord and suffered accordingly on May 6, said only the Greek parliament and government had the authority to call a referendum.

“The question for Greece is not whether it stays in the euro or not, but whether it can get out of the crisis,” Evangelos Venizelos said.

Greek newspapers were even more critical - “Merkel Ultimatum,” was the pro-Socialist Ta Nea front page headline.

“It’s a Merkel Bomb for a euro referendum, an unprecedented political intervention which makes things worse,” wrote Eleftheros Typos on the right, while financial daily Naftemporiki also spoke of a “political bomb.”

The Merkel imbroglio comes at a bad time, with the chancellor in Washington for G8 talks hosted by US President Barack Obama who has shown himself more sympathetic to the need for growth than austerity as Greece tops the agenda.

Obama said Friday he supported Greece staying in the eurozone, a region of “extraordinary importance” not only for Europe but also for the global economy.

Up to now, Merkel has insisted that Greece must stick to the austerity terms in the bailout deal or risk losing access to debt funding -- effectively forcing it out of the eurozone. -AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court has charged two policemen for assaulting a photographer who was covering a mass rally for electoral reforms last month, according to a lawyer. Mohamad KhairulAsri Mohamad Sobri, 30, and Shahrul Niza Abdul Jalil, 24, both pleaded not guilty Friday in a magistrate’s court in the capital Kuala Lumpur to a charge of using “criminal force,” defence lawyer Salim Bashir said. Wong Onn Kin, a photographer for the Chinese-language Guang Ming Daily, was covering the April 28 mass protest in Kuala Lumpur when the two policemen and reportedly two others still at large allegedly assaulted him. -AFP

Three charged with terror conspiracy ahead of NATO CHICAGO: Three men arrested earlier this week when police raided a Chicago apartment were being held on terrorism conspiracy charges Saturday stemming from allegations that they tried to make Molotov cocktails ahead of the NATO summit, but the first major dress rehearsal of this weekend’s large-scale protests was relatively peaceful. Chicago police Lt. Kenneth Stoppa said the men face a bond hearing later Saturday on charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism, possession of an explosive or incendiary device and providing material support. Stoppa identified the men being held as Brian Church, 20, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Jared Chase, 24, of Keene, N.H.; and Brent Vincent Betterly, 24, of Oakland Park, Mass.

Their attorney, Sarah Gelsomino, told The Associated Press the men are “absolutely in shock and have no idea where these charges are coming from.” -AP

India bus crash inferno kills 16 LUCKNOW: Some 16 people died when a bus carrying Muslim pilgrims exploded in a ball of fire after colliding head-on with a truck in northern India, according to officials. The bus, which was en route to the Muslim shrine of Ajmer Sharif, slammed into a truck parked on a road near Bahraich town, 105 kilometers (65 miles) from the Uttar Pradesh state capital Lucknow late on Friday, district officials said. “Sixteen people died in the blaze that followed the impact of the collision between the bus and the truck,” Bahraich district magistrate Kinjal Singh told AFP. Two of the dead were babies while 19 other people were injured in the crash. -AFP

East Timor marks 10th anniversary, gets new president

DILI: Former guerrilla leader and ex-army chief Taur Matan Ruak is to be sworn in as East Timor’s new president Saturday as the young democracy, devastated by decades of conflict, celebrates 10 years of independence.

Ruak takes over from Jose RamosHorta, a Nobel laureate whose international stature injected prominence to the largely ceremonial role, ahead of independence day celebrations on Sunday.

Police tightened security in the streets of the capital Dili ahead of the ceremonies, where invited guests include Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Australia’s governor-general and Portugal’s president.

Last-minute preparations included workers cleaning the road to the airport and weeding street-side flowerbeds as children sold flags to passing cars. Some children were seen waving Portuguese flags - a reminder of the nation’s colonial past.

This is a crucial year for the country of 1.1 million also known as Timor-Leste.

It will choose a new prime minister and government in general elections on July 7, then at year’s end will bid goodbye to UN forces stationed since 1999.

Ruak is due to take over from RamosHorta at 11:30 pm (1430 GMT) Saturday, with independence day celebrations kicking off next morning at 8:00 am.

Ruak, 55, won a run-off election last month that was widely lauded as peaceful and fair.

He takes over a country that is hobbled by extreme poverty, corruption and an over-reliance on energy revenues.

But the unstable nation has now enjoyed several years of peace.

“I would sum up the challenges and two priorities of our country as security and the well-being and prosperity of our people,” Ruak told AFP. -AFP

6

ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

The unfortunate deterioration of civil dialogue Shamlan Yousef Al-Essa

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am absolutely certain that most, if not all, Kuwaiti citizens are definitely questioning the reasons why civil dialogue has deteriorated to such lowly levels at the National Assembly that one is left to wonder if our ministers and parliamentarians can ever bring themselves to set their personal differences, reconcile and focus on issues that are pertinent to the country and its overall development in attempts to ensure its general welfare and that of its citizens.We cannot comprehend the reasons why our representatives just cannot bring themselves to see eye-to-eye on several issues and always insist on “agreeing to disagree’ without even giving due thought to the repercussions that could stem from their course of actions. Have they actually resigned themselves to the fact that they can never reconcile with one another even at the expense of the country’s overall development and the subsequent welfare of its citizens. Are our representatives even aware of the underlying fact that they have been actually elected to office to represent them, voice the opinions of the people in parliament and exert exemplary efforts to take the country and its people to glorious heights? Or have they entrenched a specific thought deeply in their respective minds that it is only their own opinion that matters over those held by others?!

When will we, as a people, ever learn that time simply does not wait for anyone. In fact

Nursing differences to the point of invoking animosities and hostilities is simply not acceptable nor is it a healthy trait; taking into consideration the fact that they are expected to set examples to citizens. it is so unfortunate that despite being blessed with valuable resources, we are simply wasting precious time by deliberately putting vital projects on indefinite hold just because someone; somewhere raises a host of objections for reasons best known to them. I am not refuting the fact that governments and members of opposition in countries across the world do not nurse differences. They surely do; but nursing differences to the point of invoking animosities and hostilities is simply not acceptable nor is it a healthy trait; taking into consideration the fact that they are expected to set examples to citizens. There are several reasons behind the deterioration of dialogue within the corridors of power and outside as well. One of the main reasons for this deterioration can surely be attributed to the fact that the new kind of social environment has been created in the county by all those MPs who prefer to address the basic instincts of the people; not their intellect. This in turn, has brought about a sense and type of culture that is sweeping the country; one that is built on the basis of tribal, sectarian and political factors. It is indeed unfortunate that this type of culture is

actually aimed at seeking and realizing one’s own vested interests and it is this culture that actually encourages them to put all projects on indefinite hold at the expense of the country and its citizens.

Another negative aspect of this kind of a culture is even more derogatory in the sense that they think nothing of degrading or even deriding those that are not in tune with their ideologies. All those who oppose their points of view are compelled to bear the brunt of their wrath through unwarranted insults and inappropriate language giving rise to another negative culture called “moral deterioration.”

In the past we had certain norms and a sense of social behavioral pattern which compelled us to nurture the young and respect the older generation. At this current point of time; we rarely see a young man (who deliberately parks his car in those spaces that reserved for the handicapped) apologize for committing a mistake in the event that he is asked to move his car out.The younger generation, these days assume that it is below their dignity to apologize for something that they do not deem as “inappropriate” behavior.

These days, even parents think that it not within their jurisdiction as parents to teach their children even the basics of social behavioral patterns. They are under their own personal impression that imbibing social, cultural and democratic values in the minds of their children is the sole responsibility of teachers in schools little realizing these are the habits that should be cultivated at home and most importantly; by the parents themselves. These are the basic principles that are inculcated the minds of children in any given democratic society in countries across the world.

Although there can be no doubt in one’s mind that Kuwaiti citizens certainly respect members of the ruling family, it is indeed unfortunate that this respect has surely declined over the last several years as is evident in the fact that MPs have now started talking inappropriately and openly about members of the ruling family; particularly ministers without nursing any fears of being apprehended and brought to justice.

Another point to be taken into consideration here is the universal acceptance of political Islam in Kuwait and other countries

in the region as well. In fact, it is even more despicable when candidates affiliated to political Islam actually resort to invoking the religious instincts of people in order to obtain their votes. And as if that is not enough, they even go to extreme lengths to exploit the sentiments of illiterate and impoverished people, especially the minorities, through false promises and assurances that would be granted their rights once elected to office. In this regard, it is always the Christians and Shiites that are rendered scapegoats.

MPs affiliated to political Islam; irrespective of whether they are Sunnis or Shiites just do not care about the disastrous results and effects culminating from their malpractices nor do they even bother to ponder over the fact that their evil intentions will only result in undermining national unity. Last, but not least, this negative phenomenon of shouting and screaming at one another just to make a point will never lead to any solutions. On the contrary; it will only worsen already explosive situations and bring entire sessions to a standstill. This is especially applicable to MP Musallam Al-Barak who, after working with several labor unions in the past, has become such a thorough and professional orator, that other MPs have now begun to emulate his dramatic style of speaking. As a result; we are now compelled to listen to such derogatory speeches instead of listening to peaceful and constructive dialogue from exemplary leaders who prefer to speak words of wisdom.

Incurring the wrath of an overambitious entity

We should refrain from accepting Iran into our fold simply because it will continue to sow the seeds of sedition and devastate the existing bonds of friendship.

Waleed Rashid Al-Tarrad

I

n his Friday sermon to the congregation last week, the renowned and respected Kuwaiti preacher Al-Awadhi, cautioned against the negative influence that is being exerted by Iran over countries across the world in general and over countries in the Gulf Arab region in particular. Without mincing any of his words, he also slammed leaders of countries in the region over their hesitance in not lending material or moral support to the besieged people of Syria; whose stubborn and dictatorial leader is adamant on unleashing a wave of atrocities against his own people.

The plight of the Syrian people is so devastating that just looking at the horrific pictures of the pain, sorrow and anguish plastered all over their faces; is enough to send shivers down our own spines. It is indeed pathetic that leaders of countries across the world are mute spectators to the barbaric acts of violence that are being committed by the Syrian leader and his army of murderers on a daily basis. In fact, it is also disgusting that the supporters of Iran are witnessed criticizing Al-Awadhi just because he actually plucked the raw nerve to disclose Iran’s evil policies and intentions.

There can be no doubt in one’s mind that these supporters are actually encouraging Iran to blatantly interfere in the internal affairs of countries in the region; especially in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain while they actually expect all Arabs in the region to maintain a conspicuous silence and turn a blind eye to all that is transpiring in that country. On the other hand, Iran continues to spread vicious rumors against Bahrain’s ruling regime in desperate attempts to sow the seeds of sedition and tarnish its reputation.

I personally feel that Al-Awadhi’s sermon had nothing to do with sowing the seeds of sedition simply because he spoke about the reality of the situation on the ground and encouraged the sincere aspirations of Arab peoples who are simply looking forward

to a better future and hence; no one has the right to deny them that right. He however urged all Arabs to exercise restraint and refrain from committing mistakes that they had in the past especially when it involves any dealings with Iran. He also urged all Arabs to read and understand their respective histories well enough; in attempts to protect their countries from all adversities and dangers; especially those that are posed by Iran. It goes without saying that Iran’s supports were dismayed over the fact that Al-Awadhi gave his frank opinions about Iran but chose to ignore the statements of the person who talked inappropriately about God Almighty and Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him).

Dwelling on another issue, a considerable sense of cooperation seems to be building between Sunni MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel and Shiite MP Al-Qallaf; wherein the latter seems to support AlJuwaihel in everything that he does and says. In fact the magnitude of that cooperation is such that he even chose not to condemn him when he spat on another MP when a parliamentary session was in progress! Why does Al-Qallaf want a Sunni MP to support him just like Shiite MP Al-Duwaisan who also supports Sunni people?

And in the event that Al-Qallaf is adamant on achieving such a target; then we can only expect Al-Juwaihel to follow in Al-Qallaf’s footsteps!

I cannot really comprehend what the fuss is all about! Last, but not least, there can be no doubt in one’s mind that Iran is indeed incensed over the fact countries in the GCC fold are looking forward to the formation of a Union but then again; Iran is solely to blame because it has actually prompted the formation of the Union. I just hope that we will succeed in the creation of a joint million plus army equipped with state-of-the-art ammunition to confront Iran’s threats. If we manage to realize that, Iran might come begging to us to be included in the Union but we should refrain from accepting it into our fold simply because it will continue to sow the seeds of sedition and devastate the existing bonds of friendship that we currently share among ourselves.

Reinstating the soul into an inert constitution Waleed Jassem Al-Jassem

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mid the huge backdrop of despair, fear and frustration that swept through the darkness and clouded the mind and heart; a bright and refreshing ray of light appeared on the horizon yesterday indicating that true concepts of democracy still exists in Kuwait. There were some people in our midst who have, over the years, fiercely guarded their own vested interests under the protective umbrella of Sharia and Gulf unity, but they failed to inculcate their principles were not only deceptive, but downright misleading. All their deceptive intentions and notions have now been exposed and the citizens are now; not only aware of their motives, but have also realized who are the ones that are motivating them as well as the evil intentions.

A wise and excellent decision that was made recently by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah can surely be compared to reinstating a heart and soul into a once lifeless body. His downright rejection of amending Article 79 of the Kuwaiti Constitution has been appreciated and welcomed by all those who seek the best interests of the nation and its citizens. In his memo that followed soon after his rejection of the amendment, His highness the Amir confirmed that the proposed amendment of Article 79 of the Kuwaiti Constitution “is not constitutionally feasible since it would lead to a host of political disputes and sectarian strife.” He further explained that while the country’s

Ali Farzat

parliament has been granted a considerable space for the adoption of laws that are in conformity with Sharia, the same parliament is also equipped with the right to overrule the Amir’s rejection, of any of the draft laws, through a vote of majority. The fitting response of His Highness the Amir to the proposed amendment has, once again, instilled a ray of hope in the hearts and minds of anxious citizens and quashed the evil aspirations of all those who seek to undermine the concepts of freedom, which is the spirit of the Kuwaiti Constitution. In fact, all those who intend to suppress the positive opinions of others will be confronted head on; especially those that insist on imposing their will on the majority in the faint and futile hope that it will give them dominion; not only over the people but over other aspects governing the country too.

Another issue that has also contributed towards bringing a glimmer of hope into the hearts and minds of citizens these days is a statement that was recently issued by the National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun with regards to the nature of the relationship that exists between Kuwait and other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).Without mincing any of his words, he spoke about repelling the reckless surge towards bringing about a sense of unity among countries in the Gulf Arab region which, apparently appears to be beautiful on the outside but in reality; is completely uncomfortable within; in view of the data that has been compiled. “Any inclinations towards that

Government performance

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direction could possibly generate harmful situations; situations that we Kuwaitis will not be comfortable with after enjoying our freedoms for centuries,” he added.

Although Al-Saadoun affirmed that the development of healthy relations among countries in the GCC is of utmost importance; he spoke about other factors that should also be taken into consideration, In sharp contrast to the views held by other MPs in this regard I personally think that AlSaadoun was being honest with himself when he emphasized on a particular point saying: “Maintaining a steady relationship with other countries can only be achieved in view of similar systems of governance and dealings with citizens; especially with regard to issues concerning respect for human rights, freedom of expression along with other relevant freedoms as well as the right to participate in the decisionmaking process. It is no closely guarded secret that one of those issues and rights are among the most precious things that are granted to us and also a major source of pride.

Al-Saadoun seemed absolutely firm, clear and precise when he said: “There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that we are indeed looking forward to achieving this in all GCC countries in the near future, in attempts to establish the said Union; but it is imperative that we first set some clear, concise and objective stipulations in placing Kuwait under any federal umbrella. I say this because it then becomes near impossible to simply surrender all the concepts and principles of coexistence, peace, freedoms and democ-

l pe

racy that have been approved by the ruler and unanimously accepted by the people of Kuwait.

Let us earnestly hope that the statements of Al-Saadoun, which cannot be questioned by a majority MPs, to put an end to unwarranted outbursts of unruly lawmakers when parliamentary sessions are in progress, are taken seriously.

Let us also hope that his call for peace, unity and a sense of camaraderie among Arab Gulf states is not based on sentiments of resentment, hatred, racism and sectarianism; but one that is based on sentiments of absolute necessity, compatibility and shared mutual interests, without which the success of any sort of union can never be guaranteed nor will it be in the best interests of any given nation in the long run as is clearly evident in various countries across the world that have undergone such mergers and unions.

We also sincerely hope that the statement issued by AlSaadoun was a true indication of a separation of roles between Al-Saadoun’s capacity as National Assembly Speaker and his role as member of a political bloc in parliament which; in the very first place had played a significant role in him being granted the speaker’s position in parliament.

Once again, thanks to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and to the National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Al-Saadoun, let us all look forward to a brighter future for our beloved country and its honorable citizens.

May God Almighty protect Kuwait and its people from all harm, Amen!

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ALWATAN DAILY

views

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

7

Hollande or insurrection?

Zaki Laidi Project Syndicate

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or better or worse, Europe is now engaged in an insurrection against the fiscal pact condemning European Union member countries to austerity without growth.

Will it take a military coup to acknowledge that the situation is untenable? Or will the election of Francois Hollande as French President shift Germany’s uncompromising stance?

The prospect of reducing public deficits to less than 3 percent of GDP is unrealistic in both the Netherlands and Spain. Unless it is ready to take punitive measures now, the EU will have to give these countries additional leeway - mindful that the European public tends to respond negatively every time it is consulted. In Greece, the recent election has not yielded a majority coalition capable of taking ownership of the austerity plan, making yet another popular vote likely.

Ireland is fortunately less worrying, but the odds that the fiscal pact will be approved in a popular referendum are becoming longer. Granted, the removal of the unanimity clause provides a way to avoid this obstacle and allow for the pact’s implementation. But this solves nothing, because neither France nor Italy will ratify the pact. Even Germany’s Social Democrats, whose support Chancellor Angela Merkel needs to secure ratification in the Bundestag, appear to have granted only conditional support.

Germany is accused of monetarist dogmatism and of being responsible for accentuating the economic asymmetry between it and its eurozone neighbors. Its relatively good economic health allows it to finance its debt at less than the rate of inflation, while other European states finance theirs at rates that are three points higher than inflation.

With Hollande’s defeat of Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel has virtually no support in the eurozone besides that of Finland. The tandem with Sarkozy was very useful to the Germans in advancing their views, while Sarkozy accepted his role in “Merkozy” in order to maintain France’s key role in Europe’s crisis management. In terms of form, traditionally pro-federalist Germany thus aligned with France’s longstanding insistence on a Europe of governments. But, in terms of substance - austerity versus urgently needed economic growth - France lost.

Hollande is determined to change course. He believes deeply in the centrality to Europe of the Franco-German relationship. Yet he is enough of a realist to see that this relationship is significantly unbalanced, owing to France’s economic decline, and that Sarkozy’s endorsement of German preferences was not worth the appearance of being at the heart of the decision.

Hollande’s victory has already sharply redefined European politics. Almost all European governments are counting on him to change the balance of power. Rarely has a French election had such repercussions in Europe. Will he succeed?

The four proposals that Hollande has put forward are so consensual that it would be difficult for Germany to oppose

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) and the new French President Francois Hollande walk to review a guard of honor in front of the German Chancellery on May 15, 2012 in Berlin.

Hollande met Merkel for their first talks on the debt crisis as Greece’s future in the eurozone appears uncertain before giving a news conference and sharing a working dinner. (AFP)

Hollande’s victory has already sharply redefined European politics. Almost all European governments are counting on him to change the balance of power. them: use of non-disbursed resources from the EU Structural Funds, recapitalization of the European Investment Bank, creation of project bonds, and taxation of financial transactions. Significantly, two proposals that were most likely to meet German opposition - Eurobonds to pool risk and the transformation of the European Stability Mechanism into a bank that could borrow from the European Central Bank - were removed from his draft memorandum to European leaders.

How to protect euro from Greek exit Hugo Dixon Reuters

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hen euro zone policymakers are asked if there is a Plan B to cope with a Greek exit from the single currency, their typical answer goes something like this: “There’s no such plan. If there were, it would leak, investors would panic and the exit scenario would gather unstoppable momentum.” Maybe there really is no plan. Or maybe policymakers are just doing a good job of keeping their mouths shut. Hopefully, it is the latter because, since Greece’s election, the chances of Athens quitting the euro have shot up. And unless the rest of the euro zone is well prepared, the knock-on effect will be devastating. The Greeks have lost their stomach for austerity and the rest of the euro zone has lost its patience with Athens’ broken promises. But unless one side blinks, Greece will be out of the single currency and any deposits left in Greek banks will be converted from euros into cut-price drachmas.

People outside Greece may think this is simply a Greek problem.Would it really be much worse than Athens’ debt restructuring earlier this year which passed off with barely a murmur? But the process of bringing back the drachma is likely to involve temporarily shutting banks and

imposing capital controls. That would set a frightening precedent. Politicians and central bankers would, of course, argue that Greece was a not a precedent but a one-off. But why trust them? When Greece was first bailed out in 2010, policymakers said it was a special case. Then Ireland and Portugal required official bailouts while both Spain and Italy have had to be helped by the European Central Bank. If savers in Greece get hammered, depositors and investors in these other weak euro member would want to move their money to somewhere safer. Fears would rise of a complete break-up of the euro zone.

Indeed, there already has been significant capital flight from peripheral economies. The best way of seeing this is by looking at so-called Target 2 imbalances - the amount of money that national central banks in the euro zone owe to the ECB or are owed by it. These imbalances are a rough proxy for capital flight. Four euro zone central banks - in Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland - have positive balances. At the end of April, the Bundesbank was owed 644 billion euros, according to data collected

by Germany’s Ifo Institute. The sum has been rising by an average of 33 billion euros a month since the crisis took a turn for the worse at the end of July last year.

Meanwhile, all the peripheral countries have big liabilities. Italy and Spain have the largest with 279 billion euros (as of April) and 276 billion euros (as of March) respectively.

Leader of Democratic (Left) party Fotis Kouvelis (2nd left) leaves the Presidential Palace after a meeting in Athens May 13, 2012. Greek political leaders on Sunday ignored a final plea from the president to form a coalition government to avert a repeat election, pushing the debt-stricken nation closer to bankruptcy and a possible exit from the euro zone. (Reuters)

Despite the gravity of the situation, Hollande has three advantages: excessive austerity is unrealistic, given growing social opposition; public deficits are only a small part of Europe’s problems (and are not necessarily the source of the crisis); and a strong consensus has emerged outside of Germany to change tack. Moreover, during the upcoming G-8 summit, Hollande will enjoy the support of the United States, which worries that deflation in Europe would slow its own economic recovery.

A Greek exit from the euro would, at least temporarily, accelerate capital flight.

Measures would need to be taken to counteract it - to protect both depositors and governments in vulnerable countries. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to construct a contingency plan. To protect depositors, the ECB would have to make clear that a limitless supply of liquidity with very few strings attached was available for banks across the euro zone. This would avoid the possibility that savers would find they couldn’t get money out of their accounts.

After a while, calm might return. To protect governments, the ECB would also need to wade into action.

Although it cannot lend to states directly, it can buy their bonds on the secondary market. Indeed, it has already done so. It would, though, need to be prepared to buy bonds in limitless quantities. Otherwise, investors might just run anyway and take the ECB’s money while it lasted. Although the ECB would have to play the main role in preventing a panic, the euro zone’s so-called firewall should play a subsidiary role. The region will soon have two main bailout funds - the existing European Financial Stability Facility and the European Stability Mechanism. These could be deployed in two ways. First, they could provide a backstop to national deposit guarantee funds. That way, an Italian saver would know that, if Rome’s own guarantee scheme ran out of money, there were funds in another kitty to fill the hole. Second, the bailout funds could lend cash directly to governments that were no longer able to issue bonds in the markets.

However, the bailout funds are not large enough to stem a panic on their own.

They only have 740 billion euros available.

Even with help from the International Monetary Fund, they would not be able to douse the flames. Although it is fairly easy to think of a plan B, that doesn’t mean it would be easy to get political agreement for it from Germany and the other creditor countries. One concern would be that the ECB would be taking huge financial risks by buying government bonds and lending to banks. Another is that such rescues, which would amount to a big step towards fiscal union, would take the pressure off the peripheral governments and their banks to reform themselves and improve their solvency. On the other hand, failure to act as a lender of last resort in a Greek-exit panic could trigger a domino effect of bankruptcies - of banks and governments - throughout the periphery. The euro couldn’t survive that. Germany may soon need to decide between going all-in to save the single currency or witnessing its destruction. * Hugo Dixon is a Reuters correspondent. The views expressed here are his own.

Germany has historically never benefitted from isolation. It is probably on the basis of this historical-political argument that Hollande will be able to bring about a German shift. Of course, one might argue that the emerging European consensus is quite ambiguous. Some favor stimulating growth through investment projects, while others emphasize structural reform.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Hollande’s proposals will quickly revive moribund economies.

Indeed, it is blatantly obvious that in a country like France, reduction in public spending - especially the state’s often-unproductive operating expenditures - is a prerequisite for recovery. Yet Europe’s problems, by definition, cannot be solved simultaneously.

And what is not at all ambiguous is the public’s rejection of austerity - or, for that matter, financial markets’ increasing concern that long-term growth could suffer. That is a rare and powerful alliance, and one that Europe’s political leaders ignore at their peril. * Zaki Laïdi is Professor of International Relations at Institut d’études politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po).

What price beauty?

Edward Hadas Reuters

F

rom a narrow economic perspective, the art world is working brilliantly. But the success shows just how narrow that perspective really is. Start at the very top end of the art market: last week’s sale of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” for $120 million, a record for any artwork sold at auction. It may seem bizarre for an icon of cultural despair to become a token of financial exuberance, but the transaction reinforced the social meaning of art among the elite. Sociologists talk of positional goods: possessions and activities which express social standing. A normal skiing holiday is like a sign saying, “I’m solidly middle class”. A mansion states, “I’m rich.” A multi-million dollar painting tells the story of money to burn. And a $120 million pastel screams out, “I’m at the top of the heap, and cultured besides.”

The industrial economy has changed and developed, but it has consistently supported the positional value of artworks and other so-called collectibles. Demand has expanded along with the number of wealthy people. Prices have risen along with the quantity of money available for ostentatious spending. The recent increase in the share of global income and wealth taken by the very rich has accelerated that trend. Prices would be even higher if the supply of positional art had not also expanded. That growth is puzzling. The number of worthy artworks from the past available for purchase is actually decreasing, as museums expand their collections.

Contemporary art isn’t an obvious substitute, because there’s no scarcity and no way to know what’s really good. The possession of something of uncertain quality that is readily available should bring little social status. But collectors have overcome this supply problem with a tacit agreement to assign high values to just enough stuff to keep prices up.

I can’t explain how this arrangement is made - the formation of social consensus is always a mysterious business - but for some reason a preserved shark by Damien Hirst is deemed worthy of a high price, while a stuffed tuna signed by his cousin probably would not be.

High priced art gets most of the headlines, but the industrial economy has also successfully turned artistic production into a mass product, much like food, clothing and medicine. From the normal economic perspective, art looks like another consumer success story. Sure, paintings aren’t really suitable to modern economic treatment (although highquality digital photographs of Munch’s works can be sent anywhere for about $200). But other art forms, both new and old, do fit in. The technology needed for mass production does no harm to the quality of books, recordings, photographs, cinema and anything on the Internet. Copies are identical to the original.

Art should be different from food and clothing.

Works of art are supposed to offer something more valuable than social status or pleasing entertainment.

The result of mixing art with industrial production is much like applying industrial techniques to agriculture or sewing: finished products that are readily available in a wide variety at reasonable prices. The gains are impressive. The pre-industrial peasant who might never read a book or see a professional work of visual art has been replaced by a jaded Internet surfer who can choose among millions of books and images. Mass production has been complimented by mass distribution, so even people with unpopular tastes can find the art they like. Most economists would stop the discussion there, but I think something more needs to be said.

Art should be different from food and clothing.

Works of art are supposed to offer something more valuable than social status or pleasing entertainment. They are supposed to strive for the beautiful, to make manifest something greater than the petty comforts and regrets of everyday life. For all its cleverness, efficiency and popularity, the modern art market does not serve this higher master well. That claim is controversial; contemporary art, both elite and popular, has articulate defenders.

Still, even champions of the new rarely claim that the modern search for greater material prosperity has been accompanied by an equally intense search for beauty.

The failure is not precisely economic. The social decision to make art either exclusive or popular, but not necessarily beautiful, is not motivated by any sort of economic shortage. There’s certainly enough wealth around to fund another Renaissance. If the production of beautiful works of art were deemed an important social goal - like education or sexual equality - who knows what masterpieces could be produced? The money is available, but the will is missing. For that, the industrial economy might bear some blame. Perhaps a culture which is dedicated to efficient mass production cannot also give beautiful art its due.

In 1802,William Wordsworth complained about the coarsening effect of the Industrial Revolution: “getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”.

“The Scream”, painted almost a century later, is almost a picture of that despair over the modern world. Perhaps it is fitting that after another century the work should attract such a high price. * Edward Hadas is a Reuters correspondent.

The views expressed here are his own.

8

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BUSINESS

sundAY, May 20, 2012

KSE ends week in red, 81% of listed companies declare profits

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone. The price index ended last week with a decrease amounted to 0.27 percent, while the weighted index declined by 2.33 percent compared to the closings of the week before, where KSX-15 Index declined by three percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 54.82 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 17.20 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 170.33 million shares, recording decrease of 71.04 percent.

See Page 10

Kuwaiti crude plunges $2.31 to $103.74 per barrel CAPITALS: The price of Kuwaiti crude oil went down 2.31 US dollars to $103.74 per barrel (pb) in transactions on Friday, compared with $106.05 on the day before, reported Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Saturday.

Global prices are still unstable and on the way to decline due to geopolitical stability and other reasons including fears of the spread of the debt crisis in Greece and Spain to the euro zone.

Prices of crude oil noticeably rose in the first quarter of this year but prospects they may jump to alarming levels, $147 per barrels for example, are ruled out, according to the oil strategic expert, Dr. Abdul-Samee’ Behbehani.

Last week, Dr. Behbehani, in his remarks included in the second chapter of an extensive report prepared by on the status of the oil sector, said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) rose its output of the crude oil, one million barrels per day. At the domestic level, the price of the Kuwaiti crude climbed at an average of 103 percent to $117 pb, along with tangible hike of the output.

However, the eminent expert, in his exclusive remarks to the national news agency, shrugged aside forecast that the price of the crude may re-jump drastically, to $147 pb.

Kuwait’s average oil output, including the production of the divided area between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is estimated at three million barrels per day, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Chairman and Managing Director Sami Al-Rshaid said last week.

On Kuwait’s gas production, he said it ranges between 130 million and 140 million cubic feet per day, noting that gas is a core component of the strategy of the KOC and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

For his part, KPC CEO Farouk Hussein Al-Zanki said his corporation targets its heavy oil output to be in the range of 200,000 and 267,000 barrels per day by

Kamel Al-Harami Independent energy analyst Exclusive to Al Watan Daily

A metal worker grinds a piece in a factory building in Herbolzheim, southern Germany. Germany’s biggest industrial union and employers say they have reached a deal that includes a 4.3 percent wage raise for the sector’s 3.6 million workers. Union chief Berthold Huber said early Saturday May 19, 2012 the deal, which is valid until May 2013, represents a good result for metal workers and avoids further strikes. (AP)

the end of this year.

He said, “Heavy oil is a significant part of the KPC’s 2030 strategy targeting an output of 200,000 and

267,000 barrels of heavy oil pd.” But, he said heavy oil production is closely linked to a new refinery project, which would give heavy oil an added value. -Agencies

KCIC announces Q1 net profit of KD 4.75 million GIC launches 20% discount campaign Earnings per share at 5.93 fils for its travel insurance product KUWAIT: Kuwait China Investment Company (KCIC), an investment firm specializing in investments in Asia, today announced a first quarter (Q1) net profit of 4.75 million Kuwaiti dinars, an increase of 157 percent over Q1 2011, with earnings per share of 5.93 Kuwaiti fils. The company also said it saw an increase in net assets value by 6.15 percent from year-end 2011 and a return on equity of 5.62 percent in the first quarter of the year.

Q1 2012 financial highlights:

- Net profit: KD 4.75 million, up 157 percent from KD 1.85 million in Q1 2011 - Total income: KD 5.80 million in Q1 2012, up 124 percent from KD 2.59 million in Q1 2011 - Gains on financial assets doubled in Q1 2012 from Q1 2011 - Investment in associates has started to positively contribute to the income, gaining KD 0.64 million in Q1 2012 - Net assets: KD 87.15 million, up 6.15 percent from year-end 2011.

KCIC Managing Director Ahmad Abdlatif Al-Hamad said, “KCIC was successful at reversing near half of the losses booked in 2011 during the first quarter of 2012 thanks to our

“buy and hold” strategy. This is a clear indication that our investments strategy is based on strong fundamentals and have a long-term trajectory.

“While keeping a close eye on risk management, we have an optimistic outlook about KCIC’s 2012 prospects in Emerging Asia and the company is well-positioned for market recovery. More people realize the world’s growth prospects are in Emerging Asia and the region’s long-term growth story is getting stronger and keeps attracting investors from other parts of the world.

“We are also excited about the opening of our Hong Kong office, which enables us to build on our existing links between GCC investors and investment opportunities in Asia.”

KCIC is an investment company founded by an Amiri Decree with a capital of KD 80 million and a mandate to invest in domestic demand-driven sectors in Asia, namely energy, real estate, healthcare, infrastructure, and financial services.

The publicly-listed company employs a team of Asia specialists and currently manages assets in excess of 260 million US dollars. Key shareholders include the Kuwait Investment Authority - Kuwait’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, National Investment Company - one of the leading investment banks in the Middle East), and Al Ghanim Industries- one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East).

KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance company (GIC) launches a 20 perent discount campaign for its travel insurance products, the campaign will last for three months and starts from May 10, 2012 until July 31, 2012 and it will be available thru the company’s Head Office and all of its 17 branches as well as on the company’s website www.clickgic.com and its iPhone App, stated a press release on Saturday. On this occasion the Deputy Department Manager of Property and Casualty Aisha Al-Rashoud said that these discounts are launched in the holiday’s season and they come from the company’s awareness of the importance of the travel insurance policies pointing out that the company’s concern is to provide the best insurance services and solutions to its clients. Al-Rashoud added that these services include many full coverage programs like urgent medical expenses, urgent hospitalization, urgent dental treatment, compensation for loss of baggage, kidnapping attempts, losing passport, personal accidents, and civil liability towards third party resulting from an accident that entails the death of others or injury or physical damage to property. Al-Rashoud confirmed that this discount campaign includes family travel insurance policy that covers the husband, wife, and unlimited number of children who are under 18 years old, and this policy covers all the countries around the world and meets all the requirements of the European Union (Schengen), and it also covers people who are over the age of 65 years with special prices. Al-Rashoud continued that among the provided travel insurance policies there is an annual travel insurance policy that covers multiple journeys throughout the year (the number of days of each journey should not exceed 92 consecutive days) along with insuring short journeys from seven to 180 days. All these policies and features are fully available, and in case of an emergency all you have to do is call the service center which is available 24/7 to start the procedure.

Historic Facebook debut falls flat

SAN FRANCISCO: The historic initial public offering of Facebook Inc did not go as planned on Friday, as the social networking company’s sky-high valuation combined with trading glitches left the stock languishing near its offering price at the market close.

Facebook shares began trading late Friday morning and opened 11 percent above the 38 US dollar offering price, but after peaking at about $45 slid rapidly at the end of the day to close at $38.23. The IPO was the third-largest in US history and valued eight-year-old Facebook at $104 billion.

The surprisingly weak debut of a stock that analysts had predicted would climb between 10 and 50 percent is not likely to dent the business prospects of Facebook, which boasts 900 million users and is upending business practices and social relationships around the world.

But the unexpected developments were a clear setback for Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the deal, which sources said was forced to defend the $38 price level by buying shares on the open market. Many market participants said they expected the stock to remain under pressure next week.

The offering also proved an embarrassment for the NASDAQ: the opening was delayed as the exchange struggled with a huge volume of orders, and for much of the day there were long delays in order confirmation. The SEC said late Friday that it was reviewing the situation.

Social media companies and Internet companies that had hoped to benefit from a Facebook halo effect were instead dragged down Friday, with social gaming giant Zynga dropping almost 15 percent.

Analysts said Facebook may simply have over-reached in raising the initial

KPC: 2011-2012 financial results

Monitors show the value of the Facebook, Inc. stock before the closing bell at the NASDAQ Marketsite in New York, May 18, 2012. In late trading, Facebook shares were only a few cents above the company’s initial public offering price of $38, after opening 11 percent higher, rapidly heading south to touch their initial price and then rebounding by several dollars. (Reuters)

public offering (IPO) price range, pricing at the top of the range and increasing the size of the offering earlier in the week.

Skeptics have argued all along that a valuation of more than $100 billion about equivalent to Amazon.com Inc and exceeding that of Hewlett-Packard Company and Dell Inc combined - was far too high for a company that posted one billion dollar in profit and $3.7 billion in revenue in 2011. Concerns about Facebook’s earnings potential were highlighted by General Motors’ announcement this week that it would no longer buy paid advertising on Facebook.

“You don’t need more than a small pencil and napkin to do a valuation on

this, to say there are heroic assumptions in earnings growth to keep this at $100 billion, much less $115 billion or $120 billion,” said Dave Rolfe, fund manager at River Park Wedgewood Fund, which does not own shares in Facebook. Facebook’s opening day on Wall Street does not bode well for the stock’s performance in the days ahead, said Channing Smith, portfolio manager at Capital Advisors Growth, which does not own shares in Facebook.

The weak IPO may also give pause to private investors in Silicon Valley who have been pouring money into next-generation Internet companies at very high valuations in the hope of eventually taking them public.

Battle of the giants

Facebook faces many challenges as it takes its place beside Google, Apple and Amazon as one of the giant public companies defining the next-generation Internet economy. Google in particular views Facebook as a mortal threat and is moving aggressively to integrate social networking features across its products.

At the same time, scores of young companies are building new products and services, in some cases on top of the Facebook platform and in some cases in competition with it, and attracting huge amounts of investment capital.

A handful of such so-called Web 2.0 companies, including Zynga Inc, LinkedIn Corp, Yelp Inc and Groupon Inc, have already gone public, and others have been acquired by the industry giants. All of those stocks fell on Friday in sympathy with Facebook’s weaker-than-expected debut.

In an indication of the land grab now under way in the Internet world, Facebook in April spent $1 billion to acquire Instagram, a tiny photo-sharing company with lots of users but no revenue. A Facebook rival, social scrap-booking site Pinterest, raised money earlier this week at a valuation of $1.5 billion in a sign that venture capitalists and other private investors still see enormous potential in Web 2.0 companies.

Many of Facebook’s users spend hours a day on the site and share enormous amounts of personal information.

That in turn enables Facebook to target its advertising to people’s specific interests, and many analysts believe the huge store of personal information gives Facebook an advantage that Google and other cannot match. -Reuters

KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced last week its 2011-2012 financial results with 2.2 billion Kuwaiti dinars net profit. Great results which we all should be proud of, however, there are some questions raised that need answers to fully understand KPC’s financial results in depth. KPC is the only Arab Gulf oil company that publishes its financial results on an annual basis and its books are open to internal and external auditors. Other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) national oil companies never publish any of their financial reports. So this announcement goes to KPC’s credit as being one of the few national oil companies to do so, in addition to strict adherences to international latest accounting rules.

We need to better understand the source of the net profit of KD 2.2 billion, as to how it was achieved, despite the sudden increase in KPC’s employee’s salaries to the range of 35 percent last year, or is it to be carried in the current year count.

We know that the cost of crude oil production has gone up substantially - how was this cost allocated? Or is it to be charged back to the government and not to KPC’s cost, as most of Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) costs like exportation and production are covered by Kuwait’s government.

The same applies to Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) with regards to the operating of both Natural Zones, namely Khafji, and Wafra oil fields whose total costs are borne by the Kuwaiti government.

Unfortunately, the detailed financial results will not be published until the middle of next year which means we will not have any access to such precise figures any time earlier.

Part of the increase in KPC’s profitability was due to new markets which the corporation has entered, and some shorter maintenance costs at some refineries. We are unaware of such facts, but the main contributors to the increase in the profitability of the corporation could be the surge in Kuwait’s oil production reaching close to three million barrels per day. The sudden jump in Kuwait crude oil production coupled with increase in crude oil prices against the conservative figure by the KPC, is the main reason for the KD 2.2 billion.

Of course we are not to complain, we do however want to know if KPC did improve on their cost cutting program, or did any other of its K companies make any savings. The other concerns we are having is the lack of any progress on KPC mega projects and how that would affect its strategy.

What did KPC do with its cash from the 10 year delay in implementing its major projects? Are the costs or the profitability of any of its overseas investments included in its KD 2.2 billion in their last year financial results? We assume so, then what was KPC’s total operational profits deducting its overseas investments on buying shares of other companies, at what cost, and what was its return on its investments?

KPC realized 11.8 percent return on investments which is very high under today’s market circumstances, or against any simple saving accounts with any banks. The question becomes more apparent if we compare the same with return from major international oil companies, and how much KPC is below them.

Certainly some major figures are missing, in order to understand better KPC’s financial results, and we would have wished for a press conference, rather than for a sole press release, not subject to any discussions.

We are aware the full detailed statements must be given to the various audit committees, which will be known later but will be late anyways. This however, should in no way discredit KPC of its openness against its peer gulf oil state companies.We however are asking for more and more transparency and openness and to be among the elites of international oil companies, at least in providing great financial figures.

Congratulations to KPC for its record profit of KD 2.2 billion, it however must be spent wisely in progressing the pending mega projects, which we are behind our neighboring oil countries by miles.

The author of this article can be reached at naftikuwaiti@yahoo.com Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions presented in the column are the company’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Al Watan Daily and its staff.

Saudi non-oil exports rise 31% Bemco wins $1.3 billion deal for Riyadh plant

CAPITALS: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rose 31 percent in 2011 to 176.6 billion Saudi riyals ($47.1 billion) compared to 2010, Arab News reported on Saturday citing the Central Department of Statistics.

Petrochemicals and plastics combined accounted for 114.9 billion riyals, Arab News reported, reflecting last year’s surging commodities prices which helped state-run producer Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) achieve record profits.

By volume, 2011 exports rose by five percent on the year.

The largest export markets for Saudi goods were China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore and India.

Arabian Bemco Contracting Company (Bemco) has won a 4.7 billion riyals ($1.25 billion) contract from Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to build a power plant outside the capital Riyadh, an industry source familiar with the project said on Saturday.

SEC, a state-owned utility company, said on Wednesday it had signed the contract to build the PP12 plant, which has a capacity of 2,175 megawatts, without naming the contractor.

Investments in power projects from 2012 to 2021 would amount to 452 billion riyals to meet rapid economic growth in the world’s largest oil exporter, SEC said on Wednesday in a statement carried by the official Saudi news agency.

SEC has revised upwards its estimates for the amount it will invest in power projects over the next decade to more than 400 billion Saudi riyals ($106.6 billion) from 300 billion riyals, the kingdom’s deputy electricity minister said on Monday. -Agencies

10

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

KSE ends week in red, 81% of listed companies declare profits KSE weekly activity, May 17, 2012

dex declined by 2.25 percent, closing at 977.50 points, followed by the Consumer Services sector, as its index closed at 982.21 points at a loss of 1.78 percent. On the other hand, highest gainer was the Technology sector, achieving 6.66 percent growth rate as its index closed at 1,066.63 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Insurance sector’s index closed at 1,036.79 points recording 3.68 percent increase.

Sectors’ activity

Sectors’ indices

With the end of last week, most sectors of the Kuwait Stock Exchange closed decline. The Telecommunications sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 3.83 percent to end the week’s activity at 961.21 points. The Banks sector was second on the losers’ list, which in-

What does the indicator tell us?

The RRR is a regulation that limits the ability of commercial banks to lend, by dictating the minimum reserves each bank must hold relative to customer deposits and notes.

The policy interest rates, the base lending rate and the time deposit rate - all managed by the PBoC - grant a more direct link to households and businesses. They make borrowing more or less expensive, changing the incentive of households and businesses to borrow and spend. The RRR cuts have been a favored tool for the fine-tuning of the monetary policy. The recent moves are line with KCIC’s view of one cut of 50 basis points per quarter in 2012. We believe that there will be no interest rate cut in the coming months. The PBoC is said to have already raised the limit on how much Chinese

Benchmark

ź KSE - Price Index

Closing

6,429.1 409.5

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

2,611.9

Weekly

Current

Return (%) YTD-12 Return

(000's shrs)

(000's USD)

(USD Mln)

2,940,293

697,710

(1.57%)

7,099.9

(1.68%)

1,475.6

(2.60%)

2,467.9

8,455.5

1,151.5 5,656.7

(0.42%)

(1.08%)

(0.74%) (1.56%)

10.6%

1,676,908

9,686,877

2.7%

279,472

111,659

9.0%

476,975

185,573

(3.7%)

69,006

474,957

0.7% (0.7%)

4,543 51,759

2,200 41,101

5,498,955

11,200,076

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

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

(117) (227)

(0.70%) (1.34%)

(16,958)

(2.20%)

Yield (%)

10,427

11,000

15.0

1.8

3.5%

6,386

4,607

10.4

1.3

8.5%

2,004

6,031

4,233

24.9

1.4

2.0%

349

809

3.2

1.4

2.2%

2,838

1,189

36.1

2.4

0.0%

6,978

4,183

NM

4.4

0.0%

410

365

33.0

3.5

1.5%

52

42

NM

1.8

0.0%

55 1,441

33 245

17.1 9.4

1.7 1.3

2.5% 5.2%

(2.8%)

(2.5%)

2,954 1,159

0.420

(1.2%)

1,106

0.880

0.0%

1,041

1.7%

(4.9%)

(5.0%) 0.0%

1,066 979

863 804

103.00

78.00

42.30

13.60

69.25

184.50

50.75

12.15

24.90 36.20

Return (%)

0.5%

0.0%

(0.7%)

(1.1%) 0.7%

2.5%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0% (0.8%)

Market Cap.

(SAR Mln)

309,000

Volume

(000's shrs)

Value

(000's SAR)

8.78

8.80

8.76

3.15

3.10

1.17

2.91

4.16

4.95 0.99

Weekly

Return (%)

1.3%

(1.8%)

(1.0%)

(0.6%)

(1.6%)

(3.3%)

(1.0%)

(2.1%)

0.0% (5.7%)

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

Dividend

Yield (%)

13,387

1,380,525

10.6

2.2

4.9%

117,000

3,934

308,107

15.9

3.6

4.2%

5,466

230,638

10.8

1.8

4.7%

56,666

13,552

185,614

25.5

1.1

5.1%

48,475

2,571

177,103

9.5

2.6

4.7%

582

107,062

11.2

5.6

7.0%

45,675

1,025

52,704

10.6

1.6

3.3%

2,378

28,999

70.1

1.8

1.0%

1,574 671

39,325 24,550

11.9 12.5

1.2 2.1

5.2% 1.6%

84,600

46,125

44,841

37,350 36,200

1.28

2.9%

(AED Mln)

69,386

34,096

26,280

17,626

7,331

7,283

7,262

6,339

5,445 4,044

Volume

4

10

3 2

5

1

Source: KCIC Research on People's Bank of China, 2012.

AprͲ12

MayͲ12

MarͲ12

JanͲ12

FebͲ12

DecͲ11

OctͲ11

NovͲ11

SepͲ11

JulͲ11

AugͲ11

JunͲ11

AprͲ11

MarͲ11

JanͲ11

FebͲ11

DecͲ10

OctͲ10

NovͲ10

SepͲ10

JulͲ10

0

AugͲ10

0

www.kcicͲasia.com/research

Chinese buying power is growing steadily, and the government is currently working towards easing the costs of healthcare and providing social housing to the poor, incentivizing consumption. The enhanced liquidity should provide support to Chinese companies, and more potential fiscal action should benefit the stock market performance in the long-run. However, in the short-run, the ongoing European crisis will continue to outweigh positive developments, like the RRR cuts, in Asian markets and dampen investor sentiment.

and regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait, it facilitates capital flows between the Middle East and emerging Asia by providing financial and advisory services, and managing third party capital.

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

Prepared by Fatema Akashah - For more information please visit: www.kcic-asia.com or email: research@kcicasia.com. KCIC is an Asia-focused investment company. Licensed

(AED)

ź 1- EMAAR Properties

Value

Trailing

P/E (X)

Trailing

P/B (X)

14.79

1.96

3.6%

ő 4- Mashreq Bank

31.17

0.89

2.8%

ź 6- Dubai Islamic Bank

9.16

11.88

10.49 12.14 14.31

1.00

5.2%

1.78

3.7%

0.91 1.52

5.1% 4.5%

1.52

3.7%

Beta

1.48

1.58 1.48

1.21

Dividend

(000's shrs)

(000's AED)

Yield (%)

9,599

84,021

11.9

1.8

8.0%

2,276

20,087

9.2

1.3

2.5%

3,630

31,905

7.1

1.0

5.7%

3,984

12,518

5.8

0.8

6.3%

1,406

4,378

6.3

0.9

7.9%

4,425

5,200

9.7

0.6

8.5%

874

2,547

4.8

0.6

5.2%

48

199

5.3

1.3

5.5%

0 55,487

0 55,921

19.4 6.3

2.6 0.6

2.0% 5.1%

ź 5- Dubai Financial Market ź 7- Commercial Bank of Dubai ź 8- Arabtec Holding P.J.S.C. ź 9- Air Arabia Co. ź 10- Aramex

ROE YTD Price Chg. (%)

13.0%

7.8%

12.9%

(12.7%)

6.2%

(14.3%)

Ÿ 1- Qatar National Bank ź 2- Industries Qatar ź 3- Ezdan Real Estate Co.

21.1% (13.5%)

3.3%

3.4%

1.03

12.0%

20.7%

ź 7- Commercial Bank of Qatar

0.2%

(2.5%)

0.72 0.59

ź 8- Qatar Electricity & Water Co.

10.3% 10.6%

(7.0%) (0.4%)

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

1.23

1.06

0.83 0.76

0.99

1.08

0.68

0.82

0.74 0.73

Beta

1.00

1.17

1.31

1.30 1.24

1.34

1.13

0.14

NA 1.52

(3.5%)

67.000

0.0%

0.959

(5.0%)

1.890

(3.6%)

2.800

(2.1%)

2.920

(1.0%)

0.595 1.810

(0.8%) (1.1%)

17,665

15,117

13,806

11,328

7,672

7,176

5,707

4,584

2,777 2,650

Volume

Value

ź 4- Qatar Telecom. (Q-Tel) ź 5- Masraf Al Rayan ź 6- Qatar Islamic Bank

133.60

Return (%)

0.4%

137.60

(3.3%)

19.80

(2.0%)

117.20

(4.9%)

26.70

(0.7%)

77.30

(0.6%)

Market Cap.

(QAR Mln)

114,888

9.8

0.6

4.4%

830

2,306

6.0

0.4

7.4%

10,942

33,288

12.6

2.2

5.0%

0

0

13.8

0.9

3.0%

37,603

36,263

NM

1.0

0.0%

9,375

18,006

7.1

0.8

6.6%

0

0

6.9

0.9

6.8%

87,475

252,166

17.6

1.6

1.6%

22,068 6,360

13,056 11,485

9.1 12.5

0.5 1.4

7.6% 2.8%

12.4

2.2

2.7%

932

130,110

9.5

2.9

5.5%

52,519

64

1,252

152.0

1.9

0.8%

432

51,232

10.3

1.3

2.0%

20,025

7,050

188,478

14.2

2.4

4.1%

372

28,711

13.4

1.6

5.8%

1,812

129,113

9.2

1.2

8.6%

124

17,507

10.8

4.7

4.6%

244 104

14,043 24,160

9.7 10.4

1.7 2.5

7.8% 3.5%

26,815 18,265

58.00 230.30

1.0% (2.9%)

11,988 11,970

14,100

Top 10 Largest Bahraini Companies by Market Cap

Chg. (%)

(BHD)

ő 1- Ahli United Bank (Price in USD)

21.2%

7.0%

22.5%

12.2%

16.7%

25.1%

Ÿ 3- Bahrain Telecommunications Co.

4.3%

(2.2%)

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

27.6%

31.9%

Ÿ 5- National Bank of Bahrain

50.1%

4.8%

ź 6- Al Baraka Banking (Price in USD)

15.3%

8.9%

Ÿ 7- Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait

2.5%

36.7%

10.4% 16.8%

6.9% (11.1%)

ő 2- Aluminum Bahrain

ő 8- Investcorp Bank (Price in USD) ź 9- ITHMAR Bank (Price in USD) ź 10- United Gulf Bank

0.610

Return (%)

0.0%

0.550

0.0%

0.468

0.4%

0.460

0.0%

0.555

0.9%

0.910

(2.2%)

0.396

0.5%

796.950

0.0%

0.19 0.234

(13.6%) (10.0%)

Market Cap.

(BHD Mln)

1,204 781 674 539 475

348

337

240

201 195

Volume

Value

Price

ROE YTD Price

(OMR)

Chg. (%)

(3.8%)

ź 1- Bank Muscat ź 2- Oman Telecom Co.

14.0%

8.5%

13.9%

13.4%

ź 3- Bank Dhofar

13.7%

13.3%

ź 4- Omani Qatari Telecom (NAWRAS)

13.5%

(1.9%)

ź 5- National Bank of Oman

6.0%

(2.5%)

ź 6- Raysut Cement

11.7%

0.7%

Ÿ 7- Shell Oman Marketing

25.6%

9.8%

ź 8- Oman International Bank

13.6% 9.1%

8.8% 52.6%

ź 9- Oman Cement Co. ź 10- Ahli Bank

0.584

1.288

0.440

0.501 0.286 1.220 2.428

0.231

0.648 0.201

Return (%)

(8.6%)

(0.2%)

(0.5%)

(3.7%) (1.4%) (0.8%) 3.5%

(0.4%)

(1.7%) (2.0%)

Market Cap.

(OMR Mln)

1,049 966

484

326 317 244

243

226

214 192

P/B (X)

141

10.3

1.3

4.7%

194

107

3.7

1.0

12.2%

20

9

8.4

1.3

8.5%

0

0

7.0

0.4

0.0%

62

34

10.4

1.7

5.4%

111

38

7.8

0.8

8.7%

77

30

10.6

1.4

6.3%

0

0

121.3

0.6

0.0%

966 10

69 2

NM 352.1

0.9 0.9

0.0% 0.0%

Yield (%)

(000's shrs)

(000's OMR)

3,043

1,751

Trailing

P/E (X)

8.9

Trailing

P/B (X)

1.2

1.40

5.7%

12.8%

7.2%

(7.5%)

0.61

0.98

Chg. (%)

17.6%

4.5%

0.06

6.7%

(34.0%)

-0.1%

14.2%

1.14

11.1%

(2.6%)

13.0%

(3.4%)

8.8%

83.6%

5.8% 11.2%

1.5% 0.6%

1.62 0.27

1.31 1.01 1.10

Beta

0.85

1.07

0.53

0.64

0.85

1.03 1.14

0.79

1.04 0.71

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

17.9%

(3.2%)

30.2%

3.6%

1.2%

(12.1%)

12.4%

8.9%

16.6%

(3.6%)

12.2%

(7.8%)

13.2%

(16.5%)

42.9%

1.0%

17.5% 24.0%

(9.8%) 17.6%

Beta

2.10 0.21

0.94 0.76

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

12.2%

(8.3%)

26.2%

(16.7%)

15.8%

19.4%

5.7%

9.5%

0.57

16.6%

(3.5%)

9.8%

(16.5%)

0.34

13.4%

(4.3%)

0.75 0.48

1.18 0.51

0.5% NM 0.3%

0.0% 192.3% (22.0%)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Value

ROE YTD Price

Risk & Return

Dividend

610

Volume

P/E (X)

Trailing

(000's BHD)

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

Trailing

(000's shrs)

Muscat Securities Market (MSM)

Top 10 Largest Omani Companies by Market Cap

Yield (%)

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

P/B (X)

Dividend

60,768

75,680

P/E (X)

Trailing

456

93,484

17,321

Price

Trailing

Beta

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Value

(000's QAR)

(2.8%)

(0.7%)

Yield (%)

(000's shrs)

70.00

141.00

P/B (X)

Dividend

39,252

Volume

P/E (X)

Trailing

(000's AED)

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

Trailing

(000's shrs)

Bahrain Bourse

ROE YTD Price

14.8%

(2.9%)

3.02

(QAR)

7.1%

Beta

2.720

Price

39.6%

0.81

(2.7%)

(AED Mln)

Top 10 Largest Qatari Companies by Market Cap

0.88

1.50

2.900

Return (%)

Market Cap.

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

Qatar Exchange (QE)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Market Cap.

15

5

Price

Yield (%)

Risk & Return

Valuation Multiples

Weekly Trading Indicators

Weekly

22.94

P/B (X)

Risk & Return

P/B (X)

(AED)

ź 4- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

(1.41%)

P/E (X)

Price

ź 3- First Gulf Bank

(1,777)

(000's KD)

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)

ź 2- National Bank Of Abu Dhabi

753,819

(1.68%)

(000's shrs)

Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Abu Dhabi

Ÿ 1- Emirates Telecom. Co.

16,748 16,683

(5.89%)

(802)

(KD Mln)

(SAR)

ź 4- Saudi Electricity Co.

124,227

(4,558)

Return (%)

Price

ź 3- Saudi Telecom

46,872

(1.81%)

Valuation Multiples

Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL)

ő 2- Al-Rajhi Bank

72,846

(6,870)

(KWD)

Top 10 Largest Saudi Companies by Market Cap

Ÿ 1- Saudi Basic Industries Corp

371,860

Dividend

(6.8%)

P/E (X)

Dividend

ź 3- Emirates Integrated Telecom.

4,528

6

Dubai Financial Market (DFM)

1.0%

Weekly Trading Indicators

(3.7%)

20

7

Top 10 Largest Companies by Market Cap in Dubai

ź 2- Emirates NBD

Trailing

0.570 0.170

ź 9- Ahli Bank ő 10- Ahli United Bank

(2.43%)

Trailing

0.770

ź 8- Commercial Bank of Kuwait

(2,607)

Value

0.610

Ÿ 6- Boubyan Bank ő 7- United Ahli Bank

(%)

Volume

2.300

ź 4- National Mobile Co.

(USD Mln)

Market Cap.

0.690

ź 5- Gulf Bank

Trailing Trailing

Weekly

0.690

ź 3- Kuwait Finance House

Weekly Chg.

Price

1.040

ź 2- Zain

104,584

Valuation Multiples

0.9%

Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE)

Top 10 Largest Kuwaiti Companies by Market Cap

ź 1- National Bank of Kuwait

Market Cap.

Value

(2.33%)

8

17-May-2012

Volume

10.6%

Required Reserve Ratio (rhs)

17-May-12

Benchmark

(0.27%)

Deposit Rate

KAMCO Research

Weekly Trading Indicators

Index

Although the PBoC has already cut the RRR twice this year, economists and investors are still concerned that China will ease too little too late. These analysts sway the market as they try to anticipate the timing and breadth of these changes in restrictions and interest rates.

The RRR cuts, however, are improving financial conditions in the economy, especially for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) that make up a significant part of the trade industry in China. The cut is equivalent to the release of 400 billion RMB in cash to the banking system, according to Bank of America - Merrill Lynch.

SMEs borrow from banks, and when the banks’ supply of funds increases, the rates on the loans will come down, easing the strain on such companies and helping them grow. It is unlikely that Beijing will launch another stimulus package, like it did in 2008 (four trillion RMB), but it will try to support its domestic economy and lessen the focus on exports in order to support sustainable, consumption-driven growth. The

Lending Rate (policy rate)

KAMCO Research GCC Week No.20 GCC Equity EquityMarkets MarketsReport Reportforfor Week No. 20 GCC Equity Markets Weekly Performance

What are the economic and financial implications?

25

9

JunͲ10

After financial markets digested the recent discouraging April results of China’s economic indicators, China’s central bank followed with the announcement of looser reserve requirements for domestic banks on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) cut the required reserve ratio (RRR) by 50 basis points (bps) to 20.0 percent for big banks and 18.0 percent for small banks, effective on May 18, 2012. This much anticipated policy move is the second of its kind this year (third since Nov 2011). The market welcomes these RRR moves, as they show that the government is willing to slightly loosen or ‘fine-tune’ the tight liquidity conditions as China’s growth gradually eases. But investors still fear that the current conditions are too stringent given weakening economic activity. In April, industrial production slowed more than expected to 9.3 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) from 11.8 percent in March, missing market consensus estimate of 12.2 percent. Fixed Asset Investment grew 20.2 percent, slowing slightly from 20.9 percent, and retail sales growth came in at 14.1 percent, down from prior’s 15.2 percent. These results are in line with our view of

banks can lend, from seven trillion Chinese renminbi in 2011 to eight trillion in 2012. The government will also keep a close watch on the housing market and not loosen conditions in that sector immediately. If global growth conditions turn out to be worse than expected, given the high uncertainty in the European debt crisis, the government may resort to stronger expansionary measures.

%

10

AprͲ10

Why is this graph important?

Since 2010 %

MayͲ10

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) growing between 7.5 percent and 8.0 percent in 2012.

This is higher than emerging economies’ average of six percent and developed economies’ one percent, but well below its average growth rate of the past ten years. The Chinese government wants to maintain vigorous but steady economic growth, but it is still concerned about high inflation and the property price buildup.

That’s why their current monetary policy will remain ‘prudent’, rather than aggressive (i.e. policy based on interest rate cuts). We expect the government to boost fiscal spending, especially in projects involving domestic consumption, but no large stimulus plan.

China: Monetary Policy Tools

MarͲ10

Monetary policy to remain ‘careful’, but more fiscal action ahead

Market capitalization

JanͲ10

China continues its fine-tuning efforts

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

KSE total market capitalization declined by 2.37 percent during last week to reach KD

FebͲ10

first quarter financial results during last week, the number of declared companies reached 81 percent so far. The total number of declared companies reached 166 out of 204 listed companies, realizing approximately KD 487.91 million, with a decline of 22.90 percent compared to same companies’ results for 2011.

The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 1.35 billion shares changing hands, representing 45.87 percent of the total market trading volume.The Real Estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 30.07 percent of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 884.12 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 79.97 million or 42.01 percent of last week’s total market trading value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 39.15 million represented 20.57 percent of the total market trading value.

MayͲ11

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone. The price index ended last week with a decrease amounted to 0.27 percent, while the weighted index declined by 2.33 percent compared to the closings of the week before, where KSX-15 Index declined by three percent. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 54.82 percent, compared to the preceding week, reaching 17.20 million Kuwaiti dinars, whereas trading volume average was 170.33 million shares, recording decrease of 71.04 percent.

Last week witnessed launching of the new trading system ‘X-Stream’, which was installed

by Nasdaq OMX and included the supply of new technology to help improve transparency and surveillance. The new index also included multiple changes like eliminating the minimum tradable unit to be one share, maximizing limit order size to be 5,000,000 shares, creating new market indices including new market index ‘KSX-15’, and dividing the market into 15 sectors, each one has price and weighted indices.

In addition, more companies announced its

27.86 billion. With the end of last week, most sectors of the Kuwait Stock Exchange recorded a decline in value, The Telecommunications sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization reached KD 3.89 billion, decreasing by 5.48 percent. The Banks sector was the second in terms of recorded decline with 2.57 percent decrease after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 13.40 billion. The third place was for the Consumer goods sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 622.39 million by the end of the week, recording a decline of 2.52 percent. The Industrials sector was the least declining with 1.10 percent recorded decrease after its market capitalization amounted to KD 3.08 billion. On the other hand, The Technology sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 76.71 million, increasing by 3.23 percent.

Dividend

Yield (%)

3.7%

746

960

8.7

2.0

7.8%

127

56.0

34.6

2.1

1.3%

1,158

583

6.9

3.0

7.6%

923

265

9.3

1.1

6.0%

610

737

16.3

2.4

4.1%

58

140

19.3

8.1

4.8%

2,690

616

12.6

1.3

4.8%

356 600

231 121

16.8 10.5

1.4 1.6

4.6% 0.0%

Beta

1.21 0.88

0.66

1.28 1.02 0.97

0.38 1.00

0.99 0.81

ROE YTD Price

Chg. (%)

13.5%

(23.8%)

22.6%

(1.6%)

6.1%

(19.6%)

28.4%

(22.9%)

12.2%

(10.6%)

14.6%

60.5%

42.1%

1.5%

10.4%

(17.5%)

8.6% 10.9%

50.0% (24.2%)

LIFE

Keep cloth grocery totes clean

Reusable grocery totes may be friendly for the environment, but they can also befriend harmful bacteria.

• The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests how to keep grocery totes clean: • Regularly wash grocery totes either by hand (use hot, soapy water) or in the washing machine.

• Bag separately in plastic any fish, poultry or meat before placing them in a tote. Be sure to separate these products from prepared or packaged foods.

• Carefully clean any kitchen areas (such as a counter) where you place totes while unpacking.

• Don’t leave totes in the trunk of your car; store them in a cool, dry place.

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

ELM Trading Company, Ministry of Health introduce new technology in healthcare KUWAIT: ELM Trading Company has introduced some unique integrated solutions for the athletes and patients in Sports Medicine, Rehabilitation and physiotherapy at Crowne Plaza in collaboration with the Administration of Physical Therapy services at the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The seminar and workshop was inaugurated by Dr Ahmad K. Al- Sharrah of the Administration of Physical Therapy Services, MOH on behalf of Dr Nabil Al- Hunaif, Director of Administration of Physical Therapy Services.

Amit Chaddha, Sales and Marketing Director of the group introduced the participating principal companies from Italy, Denmark and Germany who are the market leaders in their respective fields in Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. It was announced that Chaddha and his team of professionals will be focusing in the coming months on bringing new innovative technologies and ideas in the healthcare sector to further improve the lives of people of Kuwait.

Dr Mamta Tomar, Assistant Managing Director of the group welcomed the audience and said that “We recognize the challenge in linking strategy, processes, and technology in the expected development in healthcare.” She also stressed that ELM will continue to be partnered with the top international companies and technology establishments worldwide in order to ensure its position in the domain of Sports Medicine, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. She also added that ELM is a part of GFS Group; a very diversified group that caters to the sectors of Healthcare, Environment,Water treatment, Civil and Electromechanical and the group has successfully executed a wide range of projects in both the public and private sectors.

Professor Jasem Ramadan of the Department of Physiology, from Kuwait University was the first speaker, he emphasized the “Advantages and importance of Exercise Testing” in Physiology and Sports Medicine to improve the efficiency and performance of athletes in various sports and stressed on the importance of using exercise testing during a physiotherapy and rehabilitation session as no exercise or session is the same for all. Ramadan is the Odyssey award winner from the American Academy of Sports Medicine in 2010 from Kuwait.

Among the participants explaining the various products on display was Luca Minesso, International Marketing Director of BTS Bioengineering who introduced the only integrated system in the world called “SPORTS LAB” which helps surgeons rectify problems in patients with performance issues due to injury and to help Physicians enhance the performance of their players in various sports. He added that the wireless electronic devices and computerized cam-

SpaceX rocket launch aborted in last half-second

(Pics by Michael A. Kolarov)

Michael A. Kolarov Staff Writer

The Wellsystem Dry Water Hydrotherapy system in use.

era systems of this sports lab makes it unique in that it can be used indoors as well as on the field. The system would provide an in depth analysis for a doctor and physiotherapist to treat its patients and players with the utmost care.

Also presenting was Allan Vinther, Head of Guldmann Consulting who introduced the new and innovative mobility solution for hospitals, hotels and private establishments called the “Ceiling Hoist Systems”. These systems are in use worldwide to avoid accidents and injuries for paramedical staff and are a valuable tool for rehabilitation and early mobilization of patients. Vinther also highlighted on the ease of deploying these mobility solutions in any existing establishment such hospitals, clinics, private homes or including these solutions from the start in new hospital build projects, Airports, shopping malls, universities, and more.

Al Watan Daily also heard from Sipke Schaaf who is the Managing Director of Wellsystem. Schaaf introduced

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: A new private supply ship for the International Space Station remained stuck on the ground Saturday after rocket engine trouble led to a lastsecond abort of the historic flight.

All nine engines for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared to life Saturday morning. But with a mere half-second remaining before liftoff, the onboard computers automatically shut everything down. So instead of blasting off on a delivery mission to the space station, the rocket stayed on its launch pad amid a plume of engine exhaust. Even NASA’s most seasoned launch commentator was taken off-guard.

“Three, two, one, zero and liftoff,” announced commentator George Diller, his voice trailing as the rocket failed to budge. “We’ve had a cutoff. Liftoff did not occur.”

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said that high combustion chamber pressure in engine No. 5 was to blame and that technicians would conduct an inspection later in the day.

If the engine needs to be replaced, a spare is available.

Tuesday is the earliest that SpaceX can try again to send its cargo-laden Dragon capsule to the space station. The California-based company – formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. – is targeting every few days for a launch attempt to save fuel in case of rendezvous problems at the space station. Wednesday also could be a launch option.

This was the first launch attempt by the several private US companies hoping to take over the job of delivering cargo and eventually astronauts to the space station for NASA. Only governments have accomplished that to date: the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan.

NASA is looking to the private sector, in this post-shuttle era, to get American astronauts launching again from US soil.

SpaceX officials said that could happen in as little as three years, possibly four. Several other companies are in the running.

An estimated 1,000 SpaceX and NASA guests poured into the launching area in the wee hours of Saturday, hoping to see firsthand the start of this new commercial era. They left disappointed. The abort was especially disheartening given the perfect weather and the absence of any earlier countdown problems.

Shotwell was asked by a reporter whether she considered Saturday’s abort a failure.

“This is not a failure,” she said. “We aborted with purpose. It would be a failure if we were to have lifted off with an engine trending in this direction.”

She added: “The software did what it was supposed to do” with the engine shutdown.

Everyone around town, at least, is rooting for a successful flight.

“Go SpaceX,” read the sign outside Cape Canaveral City Hall.

Until NASA’s space shuttles retired last summer, the sign had urged on the launches of Discovery, Endeavour and, finally, Atlantis. Those ships are now relegated to museums.-AP

the “Hydrojet Technology” based Dry Water Hydrotherapy system for the relief of back pain and body relaxation. He said approximate 80% of world’s population suffers from some form of back and body pain. This technology is extremely effective in alleviating the pain and is being used in various countries across the world. This new and innovative technology helps in improving blood flow, relaxing muscles, increasing energy and strengthening the immune system.

This technology is well suited for use in hospitals, sport clinics and medical centers to be mainly used by orthopaedists and physiotherapists.

Engineer Sumita Tomar, Technical Director of the group, was very excited about ELM launching the products, especially the “BTS Sports Lab” which is currently being used by some of the world’s renowned football teams like REAL MADRID, BARCELONA, and AC MILAN to evaluate and improve the performance of their teams and players.

The Guldmann Ceiling Hoist System being demonstrated by Allan Vinther, Head of Guldmann Consulting.

She also highlighted that the mobility technology introduced by ELM’s partner Guldmann is not just limited to the physiotherapy and rehabilitation section but can be used across the hospitals, clinics and medical centers in various departments for the movement of patients from one place to another. It is also an excellent working tool for the hospital staff working with bariatric patients, disabled patients and critically ill patients. Talking about the Hydroject technology launched by ELM’s partner Wellsystem, Eng Sumita stressed the ease of use of this therapy system to provide relief from back and joint pain, muscle tension and cervical migraines.

J.S Tomar, Group Chairman, gave thanks to all the participants for making this event a grand success. He stressed the commitment of the group to bringing innovative products and services for the health of the people of Kuwait.

Pollution creates big, warm thunderclouds WASHINGTON: Pollution is warming the atmosphere through summer thunderstorms, a new study suggests. How much the warming effect of these clouds offsets the cooling that other clouds provide is not yet clear, reports LiveScience.

Pollution particles in the air strengthen thunderstorm clouds, causing their anvil-shaped tops to spread out high in the atmosphere and capture heat – especially at night. “Global climate models don’t see this effect because thunderstorm clouds simulated in those models do not include enough detail,” study researcher Jiwen Fan, of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said in a statement. “The large amount of heat trapped by the pollution-enhanced clouds could potentially impact regional circulation and modify weather systems.”

Called deep convective clouds, thunderstorm clouds reflect a lot of the sun’s energy back into space, trap heat that rises from the surface, and return evaporated water back to the surface as rain, making them an important part of the climate cycle. Inside a thunderstorm cloud, warm air rises in updrafts, pushing particles suspended in the air, like those from smokestacks, higher. Higher up, water

FILE-Cumulonimbus (Thunderstorm) is shown forming in the background. Smaller low level “scud” appearing in foreground. (Agencies)

vapor cools and condenses onto the aerosols to form droplets, building the cloud.

At the same time, cold air falls, creating a convective cycle. Generally, the top of the cloud spreads out like an anvil.

Previous work showed that when it’s

not too windy, pollution leads to bigger clouds. This occurs because the water in the air is spread between more particles, leading to smaller droplets that are too small to rain.

Instead of raining, the small droplets

ride the updrafts higher, where they freeze and absorb more water vapor. Collectively, these events lead to bigger, more vigorous convective clouds that live longer.

The researchers used high-performance computing to analyze two different types of storm systems: Warm summer thunderstorms in southeastern China and cool, windy frontal systems on the Great Plains of Oklahoma, and varied conditions such as wind speed and air pollution.

They found that in warm summer thunderstorms, pollution led to stronger storms with larger anvils. Compared to the cloud anvils that developed in clean air, the larger anvils both warmed more – by trapping more heat – and cooled more – by reflecting additional sunlight back to space. On average, however, the warming effect dominated. The springtime frontal clouds did not have a similarly significant warming effect.

“Those numbers for the warming are very big,” said Fan, “but they are calculated only for the exact day when the thunderstorms occur. Over a longer timescale such as a month or a season, the average amount of warming would be less because those clouds would not appear every day.”

Electric car network gets first test

ROSH HAAYIN, Israel: Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi has begun rolling out the world’s first nationwide electric car network. Now, will the drivers come?

After more than $400 million in outlays and months behind schedule, dozens of electric cars have hit the road in Israel, the test site Agassi chose for his Better Place venture. Four stations where the cars can get a new dose of juice when their batteries run out are operating, and the plan is to ramp that number up within months. The concept: to wean the world from oil and eliminate the biggest hurdles to environmentally friendly electric cars – high cost and limited range.

To do this, Better Place has jettisoned the fixed battery. Instead, drivers can swap their depleted batteries for fully charged ones at a network of stations, receiving a full, 160-kilometer range in five minutes.

Better Place owns the batteries, bringing down the purchase price of the cars using the network.

People driving shorter distances, the vast majority of customers, can plug in their batteries each day to chargers installed at their homes, offices and public locations, which will fully recharge in six to eight hours.

He faces a wall of skepticism. A major concern is “range anxiety”: Will the car conk out because its battery is drained, stranding the driver in a dicey neighborhood, en route to the hospital, or with three wailing kids in back?

Rising fuel prices worldwide still haven’t sent electric car sales surging, noted US-based automotive expert John McElroy. “It may not be an energy price issue,” he said. “Consumers may simply decide that electric cars don’t offer the range they need.”

Agassi, a former top executive at software giant SAP AG, said he is ready to prove his doubters wrong.

“We’re driving a car that most people said would be a fantasy,” he said. The swappable battery model aims to reassure drivers about range and show they don’t need to sacrifice convenience or cash to switch to electric.

So far, the four Better Place battery stations are set up in central and northern Israel. During the second half of the year, around 40 stations are due to be operating across the country.

But even before that, the company says enough will be up that a motorist could make the 500-kilometer drive from Israel’s northern tip to its southern end. Agassi has raised $750 million from investors including General Electric Co. and HSBC Holdings PLC since founding Better Place 4 1/2 years ago. French automaker Renault has begun selling a sedan, the Fluence, customized to use the stations, priced in Israel at roughly $32,000, comparable to other sedans sold here. Currently, about 140 are on the road, most driven by Better Place employees.

The Fluence should start becoming available to

the general public within weeks. Leasing companies, which buy about two-thirds of the more than 200,000 new cars sold annually in Israel, have ordered more than 1,800, and private customers have ordered several hundred more. Israel was chosen for the experiment in part because of its tech-savvy population. Also, with 80 percent of the population living in a narrow, densely populated stretch along the Mediterranean coast, it provides a perfect laboratory for the charging network.

Better Place claims it can shave up to 20 percent off the annual cost of owning a car, especially if gas prices, now around $8 a gallon here, continue to rise. Drivers buy access to the switching stations and charging spots through a monthly package ranging from under $300 to over $500, depending on mileage.

Denmark is set to become Better Place’s second launch site this year. Australia is to become its first major market, with deployment in the capital, Canberra, also this year. Small-scale projects are in place in Hawaii and California. Amsterdam is the next European target after Denmark. The company also has its sights set on China, where it already has opened a demonstration battery switching station. Agassi sees the “tipping point” for electric cars coming in two to three years, propelled by dropping prices of cars and batteries. By 2017, he expects 50 percent of all new car sales in Israel to be electric. -AP

12

ALWATAN DAILY

Technology

APP OF THE WEEK

Jumanah Al-Ghadban Staff Writer

App: Ninja Royale Category: Games Price: Free Platform: iOS Works with: iPhone, and iPod Touch.

Briefly: Whether you love to fight, join quests, or even heists then this game is definitely for you! This game allows you to test your might and strength against epic foes and over 500,000 real players in Ninja Royale. If you’re a newcomer or seasoned ninja player this game has never been more fun. Connect with other mobile ninjas on Facebook via the game and battle the formidable foes with cunning tap-and-slash combos while upgrading your gear along the way. One of the most fun free games available today.

TECH TALK Apple readies iPhone with bigger screen: Sources: Apple Inc plans to use a larger screen on the next-generation iPhone and has begun to place orders for the new displays from suppliers in South Korea and Japan, people familiar with the situation said on Wednesday. The new iPhone screens will measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one source said. That would represent a roughly 30 percent increase in viewing area, assuming Apple keeps other dimensions proportional. Apple has used a 3.5-inch screen since introducing the iPhone in 2007. - Reuters Twitter launches weekly digest email: Twitter is going old school, hoping to entice users back onto its site with a weekly email summary full of relevant and interesting tweets and content from the social network. The weekly email digest will start arriving in users’ inboxes over the next few weeks and will contain Tweets and stories shared by people they are connected to on Twitter. -AFP

SUNDAY, may 20, 2012

Google unleashes sparkly new search tool

LONDON: Google is revamping the way it handles searches in the United States to give users quick access to answers without leaving the page, the company said, reports The Guardian.

The new search process is based on what Google calls the “knowledge graph” - meaning that it tries to pinpoint faster the context surrounding its users’ keyword searches.

“Over the years, as search has improved, people expect more,” said Amit Singhal, vice-president of engineering at Google and the head of search, in an interview. “We see this as the next big improvement in search relevance.”

The redesign, which for now affects only US-based English language users, is gradually being introduced starting Wednesday on desktop, mobile and tablet platforms. Google plans to eventually expand the new search features outside the US, Singhal said, without specifying when.

Many of the results will carry more graphical elements, compared to standard lists of search results, such as maps and pictures of related results, often in separate pop-ups. The idea is to let users easily discover what related material interests them and click through to it, Singhal said.

The offering is the latest example of search companies moving away from offering a list of text-based links as search results. Last week, Microsoft’s Bing unveiled a redesign that includes a “snapshot” column. Last year, Yahoo rolled out its “search direct box”.

Google is by far the leader in search, with 66% of the US market, according to Comscore. But it sees other sites such as Facebook as competition, as users there can poll their friends and acquaintances for information on various topics without leaving the Facebook ecosystem.

Under Google’s existing algorithm, a search for “kings” might pull up results for the ice hockey team, the basketball team, and the TV series, all on the first results page.

On the revamped Google, a box will pop up in the top righthand corner of the screen, giving users the option right away to limit their search to the desired meaning of “kings”.

For some searches, such as on prominent people, Google will automatically pull up a summary box with key information on that

A screenshot depicting the new search tool launched by Google with a search of “Marie Curie.” (Agencies)

topic. The summary box will also appear on the top right of the page. A search for architect Frank Lloyd Wright, for example, pulls up the first line of his Wikipedia entry, plus dates of birth and death, thumbnail pictures of his best-known buildings, and thumbnail pictures of other architects people commonly search for.

The upshot is that many users will end their internet search without leaving Google’s pages, when in the past they might have continued to a site such as Wikipedia, which is collaborating with Google on the new search features.

Google said it could actually drive more traffic to Wikipedia, which will be prominently linked to in the summary boxes. A Wiki-

Amazon aims to launch front-lit Kindle in July LONDON: Amazon.com Inc will launch new versions of its Kindle e-reader and tablet, including a monochrome e-reader with front lighting, a source who has seen the prototype told Reuters.

The world’s largest Internet retailer is aiming to have the new e-reader in stores in July, said the source, who has direct knowl-

edge of the matter but asked not to be named because Amazon has not yet made the decision public. Amazon has been ramping up production of the new Kindle, which will run on E Ink’s display, the source said. Amazon’s Kindle e-reader has been popular, but readers have had to buy an external light to attach to the device to read in the dark. The

New lawsuit takes aim at Facebook privacy: A new lawsuit consolidating several complaints about Facebook’s privacy policies was filed Friday in California, seeking damages for US users of the social network for improper tracking. The class action suit alleges that Facebook was improperly tracking Internet use of its members even after they logged out of their accounts. It consolidates 21 related cases filed in more than a dozen states in 2011 and early 2012. -AFP Samsung gets 9 million preorders for new Galaxy phone: Samsung Electronics Co has received some 9 million pre-orders for its third-generation Galaxy S smartphone from more than 100 global carriers, the Korea Economic Daily reported on Friday. The latest version of its flagship phone, unveiled this month, will first go on sale on May 29 in Germany before being rolled out to other countries. -Reuters Toshiba says stops making LCD TVs in Japan: Toshiba Corp said on Thursday it has halted domestic production of LCD televisions in the face of price falls. The decision by Japan’s leading chip maker to stop producing LCD TVs domestically follows a similar decision by Hitachi Ltd as Japanese firms struggle to manage with a strong yen. -Reuters

Nokia’s new cheap models bet on games, web access

HELSINKI: Nokia patched up its ailing basic phones offering on Tuesday with two models offering access to games, applications and the Internet, hoping to regain its footing in emerging markets.

After precipitously losing its position in the smartphone market to Apple’s iPhone and models running Google’s Android software, Nokia has also been losing its shine in the basic phone market, which had been a reliable generator of profits.

The new Nokia 110 model will be sold for 35 euros ($45) and will start shipping in the second quarter, while the 112 model will be sold for 38 euros from the third quarter, with both using Nokia’s Series 40 software, the Finnish phone maker said. Nokia said new models would come with a license to download 40 games by Electronic Arts and offer Internet access with the a new browser built upon its 2010 acquisition of US firm Novarra. “These products are critical for Nokia to maintain traction in the face of mounting competition from Samsung and the Chinese rivals,” said Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight.

“Nokia’s Series 40 platform is under attack from all sides. Full touch support is a must if Nokia is to fend off the challenge from aggressively priced Android devices,” he said. -Reuters

FILE - Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up the new Kindle Touch at a news conference during the launch of Amazon’s new tablets in New York Sept. 28, 2011. (Reuters)

front light eliminates that problem. “I do see demand for a front-lit Kindle,” said Jennifer Colegrove, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies at DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, which monitors trends in the display sector. There is a trade-off, she said: “Front-lit will consume battery power and (it’ll) run out ... quicker.”

Amazon also plans to launch a new tablet closer to the holiday season later this year, the source said. The new Kindle Fire is expected to have a bigger diagonal display of 8.9 inches, bringing it closer in size to Apple Inc’s iPad. The company did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment. While Barnes & Noble was the first to market with a glowing e-reader, there has been speculation about Amazon being a close second.

Amazon will launch the new Kindle e-reader in the touch 3G and touch wi-fi versions, the source said. “They can afford to add a front light because the component is not very expensive and their display otherwise uses very little energy,” said Colegrove.

An increase of about $10 above the current prices should be “quite reasonable,” she said. The source said Amazon was likely to keep prices the same, or raise them by a very small margin, if at all.

Some blogs had speculated on the possibility of a color-equipped e-reader, but the source said that there was very little chance of Amazon launching one this year. Though Amazon has held can talks with E Ink, the companies haven’t reached any concrete decisions yet, he said. -Reuters

Seas and Deserts host dinner and parade of Azimut Yachts KUWAIT: Seas and Deserts held a dinner and parade of Azimut Yachts hosted by Mr. Ahmad M. Al-Ameeri (Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Seas & Deserts), the dinner was attended by His Excellency Fabrizio Nicoletti (the Ambassador of Italy to Kuwait), Mr. Paolo Casini (Chief Executive Officer of Azimut Yachts) and Mr. Enricho Chiausso (Sales Manager of Azimut Yachts) together with VIPs and distinguished invited guests from Kuwait society, according to press release.

The highlight of the evening was a parade of Azimut yachts. A flotilla of five yachts from Azimut sailed off Marina Waves, and each one demonstrated their lines, grace and style by performing a 360degree turn for the gathered guests. The flotilla included the Azimut Flybridge 95, the 70, the 60, the 53 and the 40.

Speaking on the occasion of the signing of their agreement with Azimut Yachts, Mr. Ahmad Al-Ameeri stated, “We are very pleased and proud to be able to offer our clients a brand as renowned and as elegant

as Azimut. With our expertise and facilities, we are confident of the added value Seas and Deserts will be offering Azimut clients in Kuwait from service to after sale maintenance”. Guests were entertained throughout the evening by a jazz trio accompanied by singer Irene.

Azimut 40

Leading the parade was the Azimut 40, a yacht which sees all the technological solutions and elements of comfort wrapped up in 40 feet, and which has a width of just less than 13 feet. The beautiful exterior of the Azimut 40, in common with all the yachts presented during the evening, was designed by Stefano Righini, and the interior designed by Carlo Galeazzi.

Azimut 53

Next in line was the Azimut 53. This yacht offers both the harmony of modern lines, in keeping with the Azimut familyfocused designs, as well as the most highly advanced technological solutions.

The Azimut 95

Azimut 60

Following the 53, we saw the Azimut 60. A leading boat in all respects: from its spaces dedicated to life in the open air to the beauty of its lines; from its stylish appointments to the comfort it offers to owners and guests alike, who are free to move about in an oasis of privacy.

Azimut 70

With the comfort of 4 suites, the elegance of the main deck, and the largest of its class, we were next presented with the Azimut 70.

Azimut 95

Thirty meters of comfort, generous exterior surfaces and large windows, and always in contact with the sea and the open air are some of the things the Azimut 95 is famous for. As with all of the yachts in the Azimut parade, the exterior of the Azimut 95 was designed by Stefano Righini, and interior designed by Carlo Galeazzi.

pedia spokesman said Google is using Wikipedia information in an appropriate way.

The new techniques are based in large part on work done at online data collection Freebase, Singhal said. Freebase was developed

by Metaweb, a company Google acquired in 2010. Google is also working on being able to better answer more complex questions such as “What are the 10 deepest lakes in Africa?” that require its algorithms to factor in several different criteria. But it may never be able to crack some users’ toughest questions, such as “Does my hairstyle make me look fat?” which Singhal said was a real search question.

Iran threatens to sue Google over dropping Persian Gulf

DUBAI: Iran’s Foreign Ministry threatened on Thursday to take legal action against Google for dropping the name Persian Gulf from its Google Maps and leaving the waterway between Iran and Arab states nameless, state television reported.

“One of the seditionist acts taken as part of the soft war against the Iranian nation has been Google’s shameless act to drop the name ‘Persian Gulf’ which is ... against historical documents,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying.

“We have put on our agenda to make an official complaint against Google,” he said, according to state television.

Designation of the key waterway for global oil and gas supplies has long been a touchy issue among the countries bordering it - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq and Iran.

Iran says it is the Persian Gulf, the Arab states say it is the Arabian Gulf. Foreign language descriptions can offend either party if they use one name or the other, or sometimes if they avoid an adjective altogether.

Tension between Iran and US-allied Gulf Arab states has been high over Iran’s nuclear energy program, which Gulf rulers fear will give Tehran a nuclear weapon. Iran says its peaceful nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity.

Most ordinary Iranians are sensitive about the name of the waterway, saying it has been historically called the ‘Persian Gulf’. Numerous pages on social media such as Facebook have been created and dedicated to the waterway.

Iran threatened in 2010 to ban airlines from using its airspace if they referred to the Arabian instead of Persian Gulf. -Reuters

US says will bar some Motorola Mobility phones

WASHINGTON: Some Motorola Mobility smartphones infringe on a Microsoft patent and will be barred from importation to the United States, a US trade panel said on Friday. The order by the US International Trade Commission has been sent to President Barack Obama, who has 60 days to consider whether to overturn it for policy reasons. The legal fight at the ITC is one of dozens globally between various smartphone makers. Google’s Android system has become the top-selling smartphone operating system, ahead of mobile systems by Apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion and others.

On Wednesday, some of HTC’s smartphone models were stopped at the US border because it lost a patent dispute with Apple at the ITC in December. Shares in HTC tumbled more than 6 percent on news that shipments of the phones were being held up by US customs.

The ITC order did not say which models of Motorola Mobility smartphone were affected but Microsoft has asked for the following devices to be stopped at the US border: the Atrix, Backflip, Bravo, Charm, Cliq, Cliq 2, Cliq XT, Defy, Devour, Droid 2, Droid 2 Global, Droid Pro, Droid X, Droid X2, Flipout, Flipside, Spice and the Xoom tablet. The patented technology at issue makes it possible for users to generate meeting requests and schedule gatherings using their mobile devices. One option for Motorola Mobility will be to remove the meeting-scheduling technology from its smartphones and tablets. The company could also license it from Microsoft.

Motorola Mobility, which is in the process of being acquired by Google, said the company would not feel any near-term impact. Both sides can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Microsoft said it was pleased with the decision. “We hope that now Motorola will be willing to join the vast majority of Android device makers selling phones in the US by taking a license to our patents,” a company spokeswoman said via email.

The ITC is a popular venue for patent litigation since it has the power to forbid the importation of products that infringe on patents. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

entertainment Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: Khalleek Hena Artist: Warda Album: Khalleek Hena Genre: World In short: The music world has lost a legend three days ago, but Warda is one flower that’ll never lose its essence. “Khalleek Hena” is one of her many signature songs that defied the barriers of time, age, and language.

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

The Buzz Will Smith slaps journalist who tried to kiss him Hollywood star Will Smith has slapped a male television reporter who tried to kiss him before the Moscow premiere of “Men in Black III.” The reporter from the Ukrainian television channel 1+1 approached Smith on the red carpet, put his hand on the actor’s shoulder and tried to kiss him. Smith pushed him away and then slapped him lightly across the cheek with the back of his left hand. It was not clear whether reporter Vitalii Sediuk intended to kiss Smith on the cheek or on the lips. In any case, Smith appeared shocked by the journalist’s behavior at Friday night’s premiere in the Russian capital. -AP

sunDAY, may 20, 2012

Renowned baritone Fischer-Dieskau dead at 86 BERLIN: German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose passionate and sensitive interpretations of German lieder brought the 19th-century song form to life again for new generations, died on Friday, 10 days short of his 87th birthday. Sometimes described as the most recorded singer in history, Fischer-Dieskau died in the town of Berg on Starnberg Lake in Bavaria, the Bavarian State Opera announced on its website.

“The death of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a great loss for the entire music world. Through his interpretations of vocals he decisively influenced the art of opera singing. Today’s vocals would be unthinkable without the influence of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau,” the opera’s administrator, Nikolaus Bachler, said in a statement.

The late soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf called him “a born god who has it all” and he was in high demand from opera houses and for recitals during a career that spanned almost 50 years until his retirement in 1992.

Born in Berlin in 1925, Fischer-Dieskau was trained at the Berlin School of Music and presented his first recital and was engaged by the City Opera of Berlin in 1947.

He emerged to international prominence after the end of World War Two and was particularly noted for his interpretations of the German art song, or lieder, especially the high romantic works of Schubert such as the song cycles Winterreise and Die schoene Muellerin.

One of the highlights of his career was his appearance in 1962 at England’s newly built Coventry Cathedral, at the invitation of Benjamin Britten for the world premiere of the composer’s “War Requiem”.

Britten wrote parts expressly for the German FischerDieskau and the English tenor, Peter Pears, in a work that conveys the devastating impact of war.

Fischer-Dieskau was highly praised for his interpretations of Falstaff in Verdi’s opera of the same name, for his

FILE - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau at his home in Berlin. (Agencies)

performance as Count Almaviva in Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” and for the hugely demanding role of Hans Sachs in Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg”.

He teamed up with many of the best orchestras, conductors and accompanists of the age, including pianists Alfred Brendel, Gerald Moore and Daniel Barenboim and conductors Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein.

He had guest appearances at some of the world’s most renowned opera houses, in Vienna, Munich and Hamburg as well as London’s Covent Garden, New York’s Carnegie Hall

Vampire Diaries, Justin Bieber lead Teen Choice nominees

Mila Kunis stalker enters not guilty plea A 27 year-old man pleaded not guilty on Friday to stalking “Black Swan” actress Mila Kunis at her gym despite a previous court order to stay away. Stuart Lynn Dunn could face up to four years in prison if convicted of stalking Kunis and violating a previous restraining order. Dunn was first arrested in January when he broke into a vacant apartment owned by Kunis in West Hollywood. He pleaded no contest was told to stay away from the actress. But he was arrested again in May after showing up for three days at a gym to try and make contact with her, police said. -Reuters

Chaka Khan to perform Houston tribute at Apollo Grammy award-winning singer Chaka Khan will perform a tribute to the late Whitney Houston at the Apollo Theater’s gala and awards ceremony. The historic Harlem theater confirmed Friday that the “I Feel for You” singer will perform in her friend’s memory. Lionel Richie and the late Etta James will be inducted into the theater’s hall of fame during the June 4 gala. Soul Train creator Don Cornelius and songwriter Nick Ashford will also be honored posthumously. Richie’s first Apollo appearance was in the early 1970s. The “Hello” singer says he’s thrilled to be chosen for the hall of fame. James was known for ballads like “At Last.” She performed at the Apollo in 1957 and again in the 1960s. -AP

George Clinton, Black Eyed Peas settle song suit George Clinton and the Black Eyed Peas have settled a lawsuit in which the funk pioneer accused the pop group of using his music without proper permission. The settlement was reached after mediation and was reported to a federal judge on Monday, records show. The judge has canceled an upcoming trial as attorneys work to finalize settlement documents, and no further details were provided. Clinton sued the Peas in December 2010, claiming the group used elements of his 1979 song “(Not Just) Knee Deep” in remixes of their international hit “Shut Up.” The song first appeared on the group’s 2003 album “Elephunk,” and it released “Shut Up Remix” the same year.

It also was used in another remix included on the deluxe edition of the Peas’ 2009 release, “The E.N.D.,” according to Clinton’s lawsuit. A judge limited the damages Clinton could recoup in a ruling earlier this month, stating the musician hadn’t shown how much he lost or how much the Peas and Universal profited from using Clinton’s music.

Calls to attorneys for Clinton, members of the Black Eyed Peas and Universal Music Group were not immediately returned. The group and its label, Universal Music Group, claimed they licensed the music, but Clinton says he never granted permission. He claimed producers tried to license “(Not Just) Knee Deep” in 2009, but he refused. -AP

Jack White attempts record for most metaphors Jack White earned his musical stripes with his chart-topping debut solo album “Blunderbuss,” and now the singer is attempting to add another accolade to his shelf - a Guinness World Record for most metaphors in a single concert.

The eccentric former White Stripes frontman, who also has put “Blunderbuss” forward for the fastest named album in history, did not explain why he is attempting this feat of speech, but his record company is concerned about failure. The attempt “may prove very exhausting and at times even dangerous, but the results could prove to be glorious and possibly even vainglorious,” the company said in a statement. The statement didn’t reveal the exact details of how White was attempting to break the record, but did warn audiences going to his upcoming concerts to not “interfere or interject” any metaphors to avoid disqualifying the rocker. -Reuters

13

FILE - Actor Paul Wesley, actress Nina Dobrev and actor Ian Somerhalder attend The Paley Center For Media’s PaleyFest 2012 Honoring ‘The Vampire Diaries’ on March 10, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (AFP)

LOS ANGELES: TV show “TheVampire Diaries” earned a leading six nominations for the annual Teen Choice awards on Friday, with Justin Bieber and talent show “American Idol” coming a close second with five nods apiece.

“Vampire Diaries, which airs on the CW network, pushed aside blockbuster movies like “The Avengers” and “The Hunger Games” to gain the most nominations in an awards show that ranges from film to music, fashion and favorites celebrities.The TV drama about young bloodsuckers scored nods for best fantasy or sci-fi show, while its stars Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Kat Graham were nominated in the acting categories.

Bieber will battle with Drake, Bruno Mars, Pitbull and

country singer Blake Shelton for the best male artist award, and the Canadian teen also is among the nominees for male hottie, choice Twit and fashion icon.

Adele, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez all scored several nominations apiece in the female music categories.

Action heroes dominated the movie choices, with nods for the stars of “Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol”, “The Twilight Saga”, “Mirror Mirror” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”.

The winners are chosen by the votes of 13-19 year-olds and trophies in the form of surfboards will be handed out on July 22 in a live ceremony on Fox television. -Reuters

Sean Penn opens wallets for Haiti at Cannes gala CANNES: The Cannes film festival took time out from the movies to raise money for Haiti on Friday night, with Sean Penn at the helm pleading the humanitarian cause at a celebrity gala.

“Okay, room. Haiti is watching us tonight like you cannot believe,” Penn told the black-tie crowd who had paid up to $100,000 for a table at the “Carnival in Cannes”, just steps from the famous red carpet.

Three people paid $100,000 each in an auction to accompany Penn on a three-day trip to Haiti where the actor, a two-time Academy Award winner, has been active since the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake.

In an expletive-laden yet impassioned speech, Penn exhorted guests to give generously and not turn their backs on Haiti. Celebrities included members of the Cannes jury - actors Ewan McGregor and Diane Kruger and designer Jean Paul Gaultier.

Ben Stiller and Chris Rock, voice stars of animation blockbuster “Madagascar 3” also attended, and designer Giorgio Armani, an event sponsor, made an appearance at the event co-hosted by model Petra Nemcova and “Crash” director and screenwriter Paul Haggis.

President of the Cannes jury four years ago, Penn was named “Ambassador at Large for Haiti” by new President Michel Martelly this year. In the days following the earthquake, Penn started the J/P Haitian Relief Organization

Actress Roberta Armani, (left), model Petra Nemcova and actor Sean Penn pose during a photo call for the Haiti Carnival charity event at the 65th international film festival, in Cannes, May 18, 2012. (AP)

with a goal of getting displaced people back into permanent homes.

“There’s this very tangible success story that Haiti can be that could be a domino effect throughout the world,” Penn told a news conference on Friday.

It was only the third time in its 65-year history that Cannes has lent its name to a fundraising cause, but this time the gala for Haitian relief was not tied to any festival film. In the 1980s it helped raise funds for the Pasteur Institute and in the 1990s for a Venice opera house destroyed by fire.

Penn said the event came together after Thierry Fremaux, the festival’s general delegate, “called and asked how he could help”.

Rebuilding Haiti will depend on private funding and collaboration between donors, Penn said, citing the nonprofit groups of Nemcova and Haggis - the Happy Hearts Fund and Artists for Peace and Justice - both of which have focused on schools.

Winning Bid

Penn lashed out at the media, however, for parachuting into Haiti but then not following through to keep reporting on the zone during its rebuilding. “It’s not only celebrities that just went for the day. It’s the whole ... world. It’s the entire media. It’s all of you,” he told the press. “The reason people get Haiti fatigue is because they never committed in the first place.”

Singer Lyle Lovett gave a short concert before Haitian band RAM performed and waved the country’s blue and red colors on what was Haitian Flag Day. Martelly, elected president in 2011, appeared on prerecorded video from Port au Prince, playing the piano, singing and calling Penn “a friend and an inspiration for our country.”

Haggis, who took his first trip to Haiti two years before the quake, tried to incite higher bidding on the auction items, announcing a “Golden Globes Weekend” package would also include a date with the Scottish actor Gerard Butler, whom he pulled up on to the stage, to the actor’s embarrassment.

A man suddenly leapt up, yelling: “100,000 euros without Gerard Butler!” to seize the winning bid.

Speaking at the news conference, Haggis said the world had largely washed its hands of Haiti throughout its troubled history. -Reuters

and the festivals of Bayreuth and Edinburgh.

The New York Times once called him “the world’s best singer” and colleagues and music lovers sang his praises.

“He had only to sing one phrase,” Moore, his frequent accompanist, wrote in his memoirs, “before I knew I was in the presence of a master.”

In 1992 he gave a farewell concert in the National Theater in Munich and afterwards worked as a director, author and taught master classes. He is survived by his wife, the Hungarian-born soprano Julia Varady. -Reuters

Filipino Christian conservatives denounce Lady Gaga concert MANILA: Conservative Christian groups in the Philippines on Saturday marched near a shopping mall to demand the cancellation of Lady Gaga’s two concerts next week, saying her songs carried “demonic” undertones.

The protests in the heavily Catholic Philippines followed a decision this week by authorities in Indonesia, a secular state but with the world’s largest Muslim population, to refuse her a permit to perform in Jakarta next month.

In Manila, dozens of anti-riot police stopped hundreds of protesters from two groups from marching to the concert venue with placards reading “Stop Lady Gaga concert” and “Don’t support Lady Gaga”.

A much larger group prayed and sang hymns as the performer arrived in the evening in the city. Protesters planned to hold a prayer vigil on Sunday ahead of the performances.

Concert organizers said they were aware of no plans to cancel the concerts, with fans prepared to pay up to 15,000 pesos ($350) for tickets -- in a country where the average monthly wage is about 10,000 pesos.

“We’re hoping that if they will continue the concert, they should tone it down,” Benny Abanted, a Christian pastor, told reporters. “She should not sing songs that could offend our spiritual senses or wear bikinis in front of the crowd.”

Other group members described her songs as “grossly blasphemous, immoral, lewd and carrying demonic and occultist undertones”.

Protests in South Korea, which has Asia’s second largest population of Christians after the Philippines, prompted authorities to bar under-18s from Lady Gaga’s concert.

-Reuters

Make your mind up J.Lo, says American Idol producer

LOS ANGELES: Jennifer Lopez and “American Idol” producers played a cat-and- mouse game on Friday over the singer’s future on the TV talent show that revived her career and sent her to the top of a global celebrity power list.

“American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe said on Friday that Lopez must decide whether to sign up as a judge for a third year or go off in a new direction.

In what some industry watchers saw as a negotiating ploy, Lopez sparked a media frenzy this week when she said she wasn’t sure about renewing her contract, and sources close to her said she was “just too busy” to commit to the show. She made similar comments a year ago before signing a new one-year deal.

Lythgoe told reporters on a conference call Friday that all three “Idol” judges - Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson had busy careers outside the talent show, but he would be happy to have them all back.

He said “Idol’s” long schedule of nationwide auditions, plus four months of live shows, was tough for everyone to juggle. Tyler’s band Aerosmith has a new album coming out and a summer tour.

“It’s got to fit everybody, and it’s difficult. You have got to start making decisions. Do I want to carry on doing this? Do I want to go off and make movies?”

“She (Jennifer) has had a wonderful resurgence - world’s most beautiful woman (for People magazine), two No. 1 records - she is doing brilliantly. She is going to have to balance everything up, as is Steven Tyler too. It’s not just Jennifer,” Lythgoe said.

For her part, Lopez denied media reports that she had already decided to quit the show after the current season ends on Wednesday.

“There is no truth to reports that say I am definitely leaving ‘Idol’,” the pop singer Tweeted on Thursday. “All I said was I haven’t decided what I am doing next year.”

Speculation over her future has overshadowed next week’s “Idol” finale, which pits 16-year-old ballad singer Jessica Sanchez against guitar-playing indie artist Phillip Phillips, 21.

The two-part “American Idol” finale will be broadcast on Fox on May 22 and 23. -Reuters

14

ALWATAN DAILY

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUT

SUNDAY, MAY 20, 2012

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

Feature o f

graffiti

the day

moderately confused

IKEA Foundation extends commitment to fight child labor into Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan KUWAIT: IKEA Foundation and Save the Children announced they will expand their efforts to fight child labor in the cotton industry, with new programs in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

This expansion will build on already successful efforts in 1,866 villages in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra where more than 65,000 children (6-14 years) have been moved out of child labor and into classrooms.

In addition, the projects have also helped 89,000 children (3-6 years) benefit from quality preschool education (Anganwadi), and provided vocational skills to 16,000 15 - 18 year olds.

The three new projects will aim to replicate this success by: • Improving the quality of education to make sure children complete school and reduce the drop-out rate; • Enhancing family incomes through access to government social security and rural work schemes; • Raising awareness in cottongrowing communities of children’s rights and the dangers to children from working in cotton fields and

Month a t

Sudoku

Elementary factories.

“This is a natural step in our long collaboration with Save the Children to strengthen children’s rights in India,” said Per Heggenes, CEO of IKEA Foundation. “If we can create more opportunities for children in developing countries by improving education and awareness of children’s rights, we can help these children break the cycle of poverty and build a brighter future for themselves, their families

Intermediate

Advanced

and society at large.”

Thomas Chandy, CEO of Save the Children India says, “Children’s groups have played an essential role in educating local officials and parents in the risks of sending children to work and the importance of education.

We are delighted to be able to work with the IKEA Foundation in expanding this work further to reach even more children across India.”

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

a glance with family and friends for a public program - Protect yourself and your progeny from hell fire (Quran 66:6) on Thursday at Jamiyatul Islah Auditorium Rawdah, adjacent to highway 40. Dinner packet shall be served after the program. Contact: 99037240|66037944|66218674 for more details.

Carnatic concert May 24/ 6:30 p.m. / Jleeb Al Shoyoukh: Kalanjali Kuwait is organizing “Padma Vibhushan” “Chevalier” Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna Carnatic Concert at the Integrated Indian School auditorium, Jleeb Al Shoyoukh. Accompanying artistes are Violin - Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi (D/o Padma Vibhushan Dr. Lalgudi Jayaraman), Mrudangam - “Padmasri” Dr.Yella Venkateswara Rao, Ghatam - Sri Giridhar Udupa and Thambura - “Kalaimamani” Dr. Saraswathi.

For more details send an email to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com

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

International bazaar Golden era club May 11 and 25/ 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. / Rumaithiya: Golden Era Club presents ‘The Eight Fold Path to Yoga’. Yoga here! Yoga there! Yoga everywhere! Yet, few comprehend Yoga’s true nature! Join Yoga Guru - Aacharya Shashikala Pushkarna - on this unique journey to the true ‘union’ between the mind, body and spirit. All seniors (60+) are cordially invited. Venue- House #34, next to Abu-Tammam Intermediate School for Boys, Sate Alhusari St., Block 2, Rumaithiya. For registration call 97172788/ 66208183 or drop a line to goldenera60@yahoo.com

Diwaniya presentation May 22/ 7 p.m. / AWARE Center: You are cordially invited to a diwaniya presentation entitled, “You and the environment: how can you make a difference?” by Dr. Mohammed Al-Furgi. Environmental issues are sometimes classified as academic or elite issues and we may feel that we as individuals do not have a role to play. What can citizens and residents do to reduce littering and conserve water and energy? In his 25-minute presentation, Alforgi will discuss these questions and many more.

IMAK organizes public program May 24/ Rawdah: Indian Muslim Association-Kuwait cordially invites you

May 26/ 10 a.m.-3 p.m. / TIES Center: Stop by and have the opportunity to see and even own some international antiques on display and taste the delicious foods on display. Also have your name inscribed in Arabic calligraphy at no cost and have a taste of our Arabic ice cream.

Various items will be available for sale, such as pashmina shawls, accessories, jewelry, Mexican food, Indian food, cosmetics, cookies, handbags, traditional Kuwaiti - style dresses and many more. For more information please contact 2523105/6 or 97228860.

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

Open House for Indian Citizens

New Toastmasters Club 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.

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

Waist Watchers

Royal Thai Embassy

Every Tuesday/ 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. / British Ladies Society: Meetings are based on the world’s most successful healthy eating plan. Weekly meetings include private weigh in, motivational talks, recipes to try, and cooking demonstrations.

Fee of KD 2.500 is required to cover for the cost of course material. For more info contact; Danielle desertdanny@hotmail.com.

Dilbert

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

Enough of thinking about yourself, Aries! The hour has come to draw conclusions. You’re at the end of the lengthy volume you were writing on your inner life. You’ll have to integrate what you’ve learned with the different emotions and situations that you’re in now. “Normalization” will be the sole key word in the days to come.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Seduction through words is your real power, Taurus. You’ve got a great talent for anything involving words. So you’re going to be able to attract even more admirers around you today! With the current planetary energy at work, you’ll surely get first prize in any contest of words. Write a profile for a dating website and do this now!

Gemini: May 21- June 21

With today’s celestial energy, you’re going to feel like you’re on vacation, Gemini. This planetary configuration often gives people the feeling of having a fresh mind and calm disposition. Problems that once seemed so complicated now appear simple and surmountable.

You’re good at writing. Try it. You’ll be surprised by the results.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Do you say yes every time someone asks for a favor, Cancer? Is it sometimes hard to find time for yourself because you’re busy coming to the rescue of a friend or family member? Decline your sister’s babysitting request for once. Do absolutely nothing if that’s what you wish to do. Take care of yourself before taking care of everyone else!

Leo: July 23 - August 22

Do you think your body reflects who you are, Leo? If you have the feeling that it does not it’s probably because the image you have of yourself is not right.

Take a closer look at yourself in order to readjust that image. You’ll see that your body is a replica of who you are.

The alignment of the planets will help you see it more clearly now.

Virgo: August 23 - September 22

Has it been difficult these past few days to communicate with all those close to you? Are you a little skeptical about your charm? In fact, have you been feeling somewhat unsure of yourself in general? The day ahead is excellent for a fresh start. You’re full of confidence. Your sense of refinement will once again be noticed and appreciated.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

It has been easy for you to detect the truth behind situations you have encountered lately. However, beginning today your analytical abilities won’t be so reliable. Ups and downs in relationships puzzle you and no amount of analysis yields a solution. A lack of commitment from people will make you wonder if you’re understood or not.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

How intense the past few days have been! You could spend months just reflecting on these recent experiences. But the mood isn’t conducive to introspection right now. A change of temper today encourages you to share your life more generously. But with whom will you share it? That may well be the question of the day that’ll pester you.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

The day ahead may help you break away from the surrounding gloom and doom. A more playful influence is trying to make its way into your relationships, especially in your emotional commitments. It could refresh your interest in your love life. If you haven’t been spending enough time with your partner, you’d better make up for it.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

Sometimes you feel like you’re navigating through a thick fog, but the obscurity will finally lift today.

The skies ahead are sunny and clear! You can expect an invitation to take a little trip or an offer to belong to a special group. Don’t pass any opportunities to have fun, Capricorn. You can benefit from a diversion right now! Just go ahead now!

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

Was someone close to you rude without any provocation? Were you the target of unpleasant criticism? You take these slights to heart. Beginning today and the days to come, you can expect to withdraw somewhat in order to lick your wounds. You need more harmony and gentleness in your love life, and likely to obtain that soon.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

Having a personal opinion on any question isn’t the most difficult thing in the world to do, Pisces. It’s even more difficult to confront the opinions of others. The current celestial energy is marking a change toward a mindset that is scientifically oriented.This is no longer the moment to affirm yourself but rather to learn lots from others.

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

SUNDAY, may 20, 2012

15

TENNIS

Impressive Djokovic downs Sharapova reaches Rome final Federer to set up Nadal final ROME: Defending champion Maria Sharapova will take on Li Na of China in the Italian Open final after a confident 6-3 6-4 victory over Germany’s Angelique Kerber on Saturday.

The Russian world number two gained revenge on 12th seed Kerber for a defeat earlier this year, overpowering her opponent with heavy groundstrokes.

Li received a walkover into the final after title favourite Serena Williams withdrew on Saturday with a lower back injury.

A winner in Stuttgart last month, Sharapova broke early in both sets and was never headed as she reached her fifth final of the year.

“There’s one more to go,” Sharapova told a news conference. “I’m extremely happy with the way I’ve progressed in this tournament.

“I started off a little slow but I’ve had a number of tough matches and I’ve continued to improve.” The Russian made 27 winners to her opponent’s nine and her serve, which can be inconsistent, was a weapon.

The final will be a repeat of last year’s semi-final at the French Open, which Li won on the way to taking her first grand slam title.

“That was a tough one for me and this is a tough match-up for me,” she said.

“I’ve had tough battles against her but I’m not looking back to that loss, though. It’s about tomorrow.”

Neither player has dropped a set on the way to the final but Li said she would have liked to have had the chance to play Williams.

“Of course I’m happy to reach the final but I don’t like winning like that,” she said.

Williams said she had pulled out “as a precaution” and expected to be 100 percent fit for the French Open, which begins on May 27.

“If it’s not 100 percent it’s better not to play and make it worse,” the world number six said.

“But I am in good form, I have a few days to get better and I am confident I will be 100 percent fit for the French Open.”

When she won the title in Madrid last weekend,Williams described her male counterparts as “weenies” for complaining about the slippery nature of the blue clay, saying the women were “way tougher than men”.

But on Saturday, the former world number one admitted she might have to eat her words. - Reuters

Basketball

Kobe leads Lakers past Thunder in 99-96 thriller

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates winning his semi-final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Rome Masters tennis tournament, May 19, 2012. (Reuters)

ROME: World number one Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets on Saturday and will play Rafa Nadal in the Rome Masters final for the second year in a row.

Defending champion Djokovic ended Federer’s hopes of back-to-back claycourt titles with a gutsy 6-2, 7-6 victory over the Swiss.

Five-times Rome champion Nadal wore down fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6 6-0 to reach his 70th career final.

In their first meeting since last year’s US Open semi-final, which Djokovic won, the Serb broke twice to win the first set.

Dominating the baseline rallies, top seed Djokovic constantly forced Federer on to the back foot and an errant forehand handed him the break for 4-3 in the

second.

Suddenly Federer became more aggressive and began to vary his game and when he saved a match point at 5-4 before breaking back, he was back in the match.

But Djokovic regained his poise just in time to clinch the tiebreak 7-4 when Federer sent a backhand long.

In the first semi-final, Nadal made it 12 wins in a row on clay against Ferrer in a match in which a grueling first set lasted 86 minutes.

Sixth seed Ferrer had the better of it early on and led 3-1 but Nadal fought straight back and after taking the tiebreak 8-6, he ran away with the second.

“At the start of the match, David was playing unbelievably,” Nadal said. “My thought was that the best news for me

would probably to be level at 3-3. After the first six, seven games then it was more equal because before that he was playing better than me.”

Nadal said he had not played as well as he did in beating Czech Tomas Berdych in the previous round, but used his mental strength to get through.

“I was very happy with how I was mentally, because I stayed focused all the time,” he said. Nadal, who will go back above Federer to the No. 2 spot if he wins, said he would need to be at his very best if he is to take the title.

“If I play my best clay-court tennis then hopefully I will have my chances,” he said. “It will be an important match to close the clay-court season before Roland Garros with perfect feelings.” -Reuters

Cricket

Chanderpaul primed for another dogfight

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) and Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) reach for a rebound during Game 3 of their NBA Western Conference, May 18, 2012. (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES: With their Game 2 collapse still fresh in their minds, the Los Angeles Lakers avoided a sequel with the only game plan they’re confident will work against the younger, faster Oklahoma City Thunder. They got slow. They got into the paint. And they got to the free-throw line 42 times, incredibly making all but one of those shots.

Kobe Bryant knows it isn’t pretty. He also knows it’s probably the only way the Lakers can pull the highflying Thunder down to their level.

Bryant scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers rallied late for a 99-96 victory in Game 3 on Friday night, cutting the Thunder’s second-round series lead to 2-1. The Lakers were close to a historically insurmountable playoff deficit when the Thunder went ahead 92-87 with 3 minutes left. Instead, they finished on a 12-4 run, scoring six points on free throws in the final 33 seconds and earning the chance to even the series in Game 4.

Metta World Peace swiped the ball from Kevin Durant and hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds left for the third-seeded Lakers. When Durant missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Andrew Bynum blocked Serge Ibaka’s shot at the buzzer, the Lakers’ frenzied crowd celebrated only their second victory in the last six playoff games.

Durant scored 31 points before missing his last shot for Oklahoma City, which seemed poised to move to the brink of its second straight trip to the Western

Conference finals. Instead, the Thunder lost for the first time in the postseason.

Westbrook and James Harden scored 21 points apiece for the Thunder, who couldn’t match the Lakers’ late-game execution after soundly out-executing the Lakers in Game 2. Bynum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who got 12 points apiece from Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake. The Lakers still got uncomfortably close to an 0-3 deficit, which has never been overcome in NBA history.

Oklahoma City’s bench celebrated a 92-87 lead on Westbrook’s breakaway dunk with 2:55 to play, but the Lakers trimmed away with Gasol’s free throws, Bryant’s layup and several possessions of tenacious defense.

Durant immediately hit a go-ahead jumper with a hand squarely in his face, but Bryant added two more free throws to put Los Angeles ahead 95-94. The Thunder finished 26 of 28 from the line, but the Lakers went 17 for 18 in the fourth quarter alone.

The game was the first of four second-round NBA playoff games in just over 48 hours at Staples Center, also the site of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between and Kings and Phoenix on Thursday and Sunday.

Thanks to the NBA’s shortened schedule, the Lakers are playing their first back-to-back playoff games since May 22-23, 1999, in the second round against San Antonio during another season shortened by labor strife. -AP

76ers stun Celtics 92-83 in Game 4 to even series PHILADELPHIA: Andre Iguodala squared up for a 3-pointer from the wing like he had hundreds of times in his career. This shot was different from all the others. Iguodala continued a postseason where his final numbers don’t pop on the box score, but the buckets are as pivotal as they get. He snapped a tie game with five straight points in the final 90 seconds to help the Philadelphia 76ers storm back from 18 points down in the third quarter and stun the Boston Celtics 92-83 on Friday night in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The young Sixers were a team reborn in the second half and played like a squad that refused to roll over for the championship-tested Celtics.

Iguodala put the Sixers ahead 85-83 with a stepback jumper over a flailing Ray Allen with 1:22 left.

Then he took the feed from a driving Williams and buried a 3-pointer for a five-point lead.

Kevin Garnett had his first miserable outing - finishing with nine points - in an otherwise monster series.

With Garnett in a funk, so were the Celtics.

The Sixers just kept attacking, turning a first half of airballs, botched dunks and sloppy defense into a full-

blown display of near-flawless basketball.

Thaddeus Young’s thunderous slam tied the game at 63 in the middle of the fourth. And when Jodie Meeks drained a 3-pointer on the Sixers’ next trip down the court for Philadelphia’s first lead a packed crowd of 20,411 fans stomped their feet and unleashed two hours of pent-up jubilation. Williams hounded Pierce and forced a turnover, fed the ball to a streaking Turner for a dunk and put the lead at 68-65. It was that kind of hustle that brought the Sixers back. After Garnett blocked Allen’s shot, Young snagged the ball out of the air and scored to make it 74-all.

Williams hit a 3, Iguodala hit a 3, and Williams converted a three-point play to make it 58-54. Williams stood on the free-throw line with the widest smile of anyone in the building and calmly sank the deficitslicing free throw. Meeks, a starter-turned-sub, stole an errant pass and scored his first bucket of the game to make it 63-59 at the end of the quarter. The 76ers’ 10 baskets in the third were one more than their total for the entire half and their 28 points were three shy off their halftime total.-AP

LONDON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul carried West Indies hopes on his shoulders yet again as the touring side battled to avoid defeat by England in the first test at Lord’s on Saturday.

West Indies bowled England out for 398 in their first innings to trail the hosts by 155 runs but they lost three wickets in nine balls just before tea to undo the good work.

Chanderpaul, who made 87 not out in the first innings, and Marlon Samuels dug in, however, and they reached the close on the third day on 120 for four, 35 runs behind. The world’s top-ranked batsman Chanderpaul, at the heart of another rearguard action, was unbeaten on 34 with Samuels on 26.

England resumed on an overcast morning on 259 for three and captain Andrew Strauss added just a single to his overnight 121 before nicking pace bowler Kemar Roach through to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Jonny Bairstow struck three fluent fours on his test debut but his bright innings ended on 16 when Roach jagged a ball sharply back to trap him lbw.

Matt Prior also looked confident in his knock of 19 but he became Shannon Gabriel’s first test victim, playing an airy shot at the young fast bowler to be bowled through the gate.

Bresnan edged Darren Sammy to Ramdin for a duck and England had slumped to 323 for seven. Ian Bell batted through the morning session to reach lunch on 38 not out but he lost Stuart

West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul hits out, watched by England’s captain Andrew Strauss (left), during their first test cricket match at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, May 17, 2012. (Reuters)

Broad soon after the interval, bowled by a superb delivery from Fidel Edwards that hit the top of his off stump.

Graeme Swann played a forceful innings, striking six clean fours in his 30 from just 25 balls. Bell reached a patient fifty before Gabriel bowled Swann. Bell was last man out for 61, well caught at deep square leg by the diving Powell off Gabriel who finished with figures of three for 60 on his debut.

Barath and Powell withstood a fierce examination from James Anderson and Broad, surviving 12 overs of high quality fast bowling surrounded by a ring of

close fielders. But with tea looming, Barath edged a catch to Prior off Bresnan, and Powell and Edwards soon joined him back in the pavilion after two inexplicable rushes of blood.

Powell foolishly pulled a short ball from Broad straight to Bell at deep square leg and Kirk Edwards was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Bairstow attempting a non-existent single.

Darren Bravo joined Chanderpaul and made a fluent 21 before Swann bowled him with a clever delivery which the deceived the left-hander into offering no shot. -Reuters

Olympics

London 2012 Olympic torch relay starts LONDON: Sailor Ben Ainslie was the first torchbearer as the Olympic flame began its 70-day journey around Britain and Ireland on Saturday ahead of the 2012 London Games.

The flame arrived in Britain from Greece on Friday and was flown to Land’s End on Saturday by a Royal Navy helicopter before it was used to light the torch for the start of the 8,000 mile relay.

Ainslie, who has won gold medals in sailing at the last three Olympics, then walked just 300 yards, allowing some of the 3,500 spectators lining the route in the morning sunshine to touch the goldcolored torch.

The yachtsman, wearing the number 001 on his T-shirt as the first torchbearer, then passed on the torch to 18-year-old Anastassia Swallow, a surfer who is hoping that her sport will one day become an

Olympic discipline.Ainslie, who on Friday won a sixth world title in the Finn class as he prepares for an attempt to win a fourth Olympic gold, said it had been a special moment for him to start the relay in his home county of Cornwall.

“It was pretty emotional, so much effort has gone into getting the Olympics in London and it means so much to everyone involved,” he said. On its first day, the torch will be carried through Cornwall to the city of Plymouth.

Over the next 10 weeks, 8,000 people will carry the torch as it makes its way around the United Kingdom and heads for the Olympic Stadium in east London for the opening ceremony on July 27. It will travel through 1,019 cities, towns and villages and visit landmarks such as Stonehenge.

The flame was lit in Ancient Olympia

in Greece on May 10 and was handed over to the British delegation in Athens in a rain-blighted ceremony on Thursday. It was flown to Britain encased in a special lantern on board a British Airways plane renamed The Firefly for the occasion, accompanied by football star David Beckham and Princess Anne, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Beckham had the honor of lighting the first torch at the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall on Friday. In contrast to the shoestring operation when Britain last hosted the Olympics in 1948, this year’s relay is a big-budget affair, with parties and public events at each of its stops.

The oldest runner will be a 100-yearold woman, while Olympians past and present and soldiers injured in Afghanistan will also take part. -AFP

SUNDAY, may 20, 2012

Sports Editors Highlight

IRELAND: Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane is on course to feature at Euro 2012 after scans revealed his hamstring injury is only minor. A recent report in Ireland claimed the 31-year-old striker might not be able to train with Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad in Malahide this week after suffering a hamstring problem.

But a scan has revealed there is no tear and it is hoped LA Galaxy star Keane, who is his country’s record scorer with 53 goals, will join his team-mates before the squad heads off for a training camp in Italy next weekend. Former Tottenham and Liverpool forward Keane, who scored seven times in Ireland’s qualification campaign, is key to this country’s hopes of advancing from a tough Euro 2012 group that includes Spain, Italy and Croatia. -AFP

SPORTS

Football

Spot-on Drogba the hero as Chelsea sink Bayern LONDON: Didier Drogba was the hero as Chelsea shattered Bayern Munich’s Champions League dream here on Saturday with victory in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out at the Allianz Arena.

Drogba stepped up to rifle home the winning penalty for Chelsea after earlier saving his side with an equalising goal two minutes from time to cancel out what looked like a winner from Thomas Mueller as the match finished at 1-1.

It was an agonizing defeat for Bayern, who saw midfield maestro Bastian Schweinsteiger miss with their final kick to give Drogba the opportunity to score the penalty to clinch the shoot-out 4-3.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech also saved brilliantly from Ivica Ovic to get Chelsea back into the shoot-out after Juan Mata had missed the Premier League side’s opening effort.

Drogba’s winning spot-kick was a fairytale ending for the 34-year-old Ivorian striker, who had been sent off in the final minutes of Chelsea’s Champions League final defeat in Moscow four years ago.

But the loss left Bayern shattered as their dream of lifting their fifth European title before their own fans at their home ground ended in agony.

A match Bayern had dominated went to penalties after a frenetic finish to normal time, with Mueller heading Bayern into the lead seven minutes from time only for Drogba to equalise for Chelsea in the 88th minute.

For much of the match a Bayern victory had looked the likeliest outcome, with the Bundesliga giants reveling in the raucous support of their home fans.

They suffered an early setback when Schweinsteiger was booked for a nervy handball after only two minutes, but thereafter they enjoyed a virtual monopoly of possession.

Schweinsteiger was the first to set alarms off in the Chelsea back four, having his shot deflected behind by Gary Cahill after only three minutes. Toni Kroos was next, his low shot drifting just wide of Cech’s upright.

Didier Drogba of Chelsea is challenged by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk of FC Bayern Muenchen during UEFA Champions League Final between FC Bayern Muenchen and Chelsea, May 19, 2012. (AFP)

Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo had sprung a surprise by handing a first Champions League start to youngster Ryan Bertrand in an effort to cut off the supply lines to Arjen Robben down the right flank. However the wily Dutch-

West Ham sink Blackpool to clinch promotion

man found space with ease in the eighth minute, cutting in from the flank and curling a shot over the bar.

The former Chelsea winger produced the best chance of the half on 21 minutes, teasing the ball past Jose Bosingwa

to dart into the area. Robben’s shot was low and hard, but Cech stuck out a leg and the ball cannoned to safety.

The closing stages of the half saw Bayern up the tempo and they carved out a string of openings that they could well have scored from.

On 36 minutes Ribery and Diego Contento combined down the left to send Contento racing away. The left-back whipped in an inviting cross but Mueller could only slash his first-time volley wide of the post.

Chelsea, largely anonymous in attack until that point, then forced Neuer into his first save of the match.

A sweeping counter-attack saw captain Frank Lampard lay off to Salomon Kalou whose thumping low drive was gathered at the near post by the Bayern keeper.

Bayern’s pressure should have earned a reward but Mario Gomez squandered two promising openings shortly before half-time, slicing from close range on 39 minutes and then blazing over from just inside the area after losing Cahill. The second half followed largely the same pattern as the first, with Bayern having a goal disallowed for offside by Ribery on 54 minutes.

The Germans were thwarted by some dogged Chelsea defending, with Cole saving the Londoners with a series of telling interventions.

It looked all over for Chelsea when Mueller headed in to put Bayern 1-0 seven minutes from time. But Drogba had other ideas to set up the extra-time finale.

However Chelsea looked to have squandered parity in the fourth minute of extra-time, when Drogba needlessly clipped Ribery to concede the softest of penalties from referee Pedro Proenca. Once again though Chelse’sa refusal to yield came to their rescue, Cech diving low to his left to thwart Robben’s spot-kick with his legs as the tension rose to excruciating levels.

Substitute Olic almost won it for Bayern in the 108th minute, but his shot flashed across goal as the game went to penalties. -AFP

Ancelotti not expecting divine intervention PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti isn’t expecting any favors this weekend from the powers above with his side seeking a first Ligue 1 title since 1994.

PSG go into Sunday’s final fixture three points adrift of leaders Montpellier and Ancelotti is more interested in focusing on his side’s trip to Lorient rather than hoping for divine intervention.

“I am Catholic but I think god has other things to think about than PSG,” Ancelotti said on Saturday, when asked if

it would take something supernatural to deprive Montpellier of the title.

“Objectively, we don’t have many opportunities, to have a possibility (we can hope to win the title), we must win first but Lorient need points in the fight to avoid relegation,” explained the Italian.

To be crowned champion, PSG require a victory at Lorient combined with a defeat for Montpellier at already-relegated Auxerre.

“Can Auxerre help us? All the matches are difficult, the final one is even harder,

Auxerre have nothing to lose, for Montpellier it won’t be easy, Montpellier have more qualities, more motivation, but football is strange,” Ancelotti continued.

“But we must not think about Auxerre, the only possibility for us, is to start by winning against Lorient, and after we will see what happens at Auxerre,” Ancelotti added.

Asked if he would be rooting for Auxerre, the former Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea man responded that he would simply prefer to say “Forza PSG”. -AFP

Solskjaer snubs Villa to stay at Molde

ENGLAND: Former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has snubbed Aston Villa to stay with Molde, the Norwegian club with which he still has two years to run on his contract. The 39-year-old had talks with Villa on Friday, the English Premier League club manager-less after Alex McLeish was fired.

“I have not had any offers,” Solskjaer told a press conference on Saturday. “I’m not looking for another job. In foot-

Blackpool’s Thomas Ince (left) scores the equalizing goal under pressure from West Ham’s Winston Reid, during their Football League Championship Final at Wembley Stadium May 19, 2012. (AP)

LONDON: West Ham clinched promotion to the Premier League as Ricardo Vaz Te’s late winner sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce’s side survived a nervous start to take the lead through Carlton Cole’s first half strike, but Tom Ince equalized soon after the break and Blackpool had several good chances to go ahead.

Portuguese forward Vaz Te made the Seasiders pay for their profligacy when he struck from close-range in the 87th minute to ensure the Hammers returned to the top-flight just 12 months after relegation.

Vaz Te’s winner was crucial for a club who had invested heavily in winning promotion and the east London outfit’s place in the Premier League will rake in between £45 million and £90 million in increased revenue according to varying reports.

Defeat was cruel on Blackpool, who almost made the perfect start when poor defending from Matt Taylor allowed Stephen Dobbie to squeeze past him and drive in a low strike that Robert Green pushed onto his near post.

That narrow escape seemed to unsettle West Ham and their defense parted with alarming ease as Matt Phillips surged clear, only to shoot tamely at Green with just the goalkeeper to beat.

West Ham’s nerves were on show again when right-back Guy Demel made a hash of clearing on the edge of his own penalty area and Phillips stole possession before curling just wide with the goal at his mercy.

But West Ham, making their first appearance at Wembley since 1981, gradually grew into the match and, after Vaz Te fired just wide, Allardyce’s team took

the lead in the 35th minute.

As Blackpool appealed in vain for a foul on Ince, Taylor looked up and dinked a sublime diagonal pass over the Seasiders defense towards Cole, whose perfect first touch brought the ball under control before his second guided a cool strike past Matt Gilks.

West Ham finished third, 11 points ahead of fifthplaced Blackpool, but spent most of the season struggling to cope with the demands of their fans and directors, who had both expected automatic promotion.

And they looked like cracking again as Ince fashioned a fine equaliser early in the second half.

They were silenced in the 48th minute when West Ham’s defenders failed to deal with Phillips’ long pass towards Ince, who produced a superb first-time strike angled across Green into the far corner.

Alex Baptiste should have given Ian Holloway’s men the lead seconds later when he ran onto a Kevin Phillips pass, but the defender’s prodded effort was cleared off the line by Taylor.

Blackpool threatened again as a flowing move cut through the Hammers defence to set up Dobbie, who clutched his head in frustration after scuffing woefully wide from Neal Eardley’s cross. But West Ham captain Kevin Nolan hit the bar with a ferocious volley in the closing stages.

And it was Nolan who proved the catalyst for West Ham’s winner as he found the energy to sprint down the left before whipping over a low cross that caused havoc in the Blackpool defense.

Baptiste failed to clear and Cole flicked the ball towards Vaz Te, who had the simple task of firing high into the empty net from close-range to spark wild celebrations. -AP

ball, and in life in general, things turn up that you have to make decisions about. I have a contract for two more years and I’ll stand by that.”

Solskjaer returned to Norway late Friday to learn that Molde’s billionaire backer Kjell Inge Rokke had pulled the plug on his company’s 20-year support, which included building the club a new stadium in the late 1990s, as a result of the Villa talks. - AFP

Euro 2012 title or nothing for Podolski

BERLIN: Arsenal-bound striker Lukas Podolski has said Germany must aim to win Euro 2012 “and nothing else” when they bid to be crowned champions of Europe for the fourth time next month.

Germany open their Euro 2012 campaign in Group B against Portugal in Lviv, Ukraine, on June 9, but Podolski says the aim of Joachim Loew’s squad has to be winning the final at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium on July 1.

Poland-born Podolski was very clear when asked about Germany’s goals for a tournament they last won in England in 1996. “The title. Nothing else,” he told Cologne newspaper Koelner-StadtAnzeiger at Germany’s training camp in Sardinia, Italy. “In the last few years it has always been said that when we manage to reach the semi-finals, that is already some success. I think before the tournament starts we can say we are ready to play for the title. That brings a certain thrust, a force, if you say from the outset: we want to win the title.”

With 95 caps for Germany and 43 goals, the 26-year-old has already been part of German teams which finished third at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and reached the final of Euro 2008.

Podolski will play for the Gunners next season in the Premier League after three seasons at Cologne, who were relegated from the Bundesliga at the start of May. Germany also face World Cup runners-up the Netherlands and Denmark in Group B. -AFP

Lukas Podolski controls the ball during a Germany training session at Campo Sportivo Comunale Andrea Corda, May 17, 2012.

(AFP)